The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop LS swap literature

I am thinking of doing an LS swap in my next project. Is there any information out there on swapping using the OEM parts. Thanks in advance. Dave

Yea search around online for people like “sloppymechanics “ or other related sites. Its fairly common for people (me included) to do hardcore budget swaps where we use as many stock (free) parts as possible from donor truck or stuff lying on the floor.
Its pretty easy once you do it 1 time and understand it. You can basically use almost all stock parts especially if you can chop and weld. All manifolds are basically ambidextrous. Left on right, right on left, upside down left, right, whatever. Heck even the intake can bolt on backwards. Truck accessories, vette accessories, camaro, gto, all that stuff is universal to any LS. Same with oil pans. They are a super universal motor. Feed the harness power and ground and feed it with 55 psi of fuel and your turn key and run. All the info is available online to do it the cheap way or do it what they call “the right way” where you spend 1000’s and 1000’s of dollars on stupid parts that you dont need. All the harness info is available here if you want to whip up a harness yourself for almost free.
Harness info

Most of the hot rod magazines have LS/LT swap kits for sale in the advertising pages in the back. Like Barnfind 49 we make up most of our own but do use the services of a "Techie" for dialing in the engine and transmission harnesses/controllers. He charges us $150 straight out but usually trades for work on his seriously bad F Body Mustang.

Here you go. How to Swap LS Engines Into Almost Anything

I actually do all my own stuff. I own the software to do the flash and setup on stock ecu stuff.

J Lucas- I also have read that book earlier on in my swap career and its 50/50 for help/harm. I feel like the person that wrote it did like 2 swaps and never thought outside the box. They give a lot of specifics that they say you “need” but you really dont. There is no manual for step by step swap stuff because every situation is different. Old style 3-4spd trans, th350-400, 4l80e, all kinda require a different process and can use different stock parts but there are tons of “swap” parts that people overprice or say you need when it reality there is super easy work arounds for almost everything. I personally think those books make it over complicated but I know that my experience and way my brain works makes it worse when I read them. In my opinion any of the LS swaps are fairly “easy”.

I’m doing it the “expensive way”. Free time is scarce for me since about mid- 2002. I just don’t have time to fabricate stuff if someone else has figured it out. There are so many LSX vendors and aftermarket parts to choose from that prices are fairly competitive (at least for the smaller items. Example: I bought a Holley Terminator X ECU complete with all new wires and connectors. I don’t have time to splice wires, then find someone to tune it, etc. I probably spent more than most but then I have brand new wires and connectors and the ECU is self tuning. It’s about as plug and play as it gets. Not for a strict budget build.
I could have made better choices on other items, but I’m really happy with 95% of my purchases.

I recommend the terminator to a lot of people if they dont have previous wiring experience or if they have no harness to start with. I actually just set up another 70 firebird LSX turbo TH400 car last week on holley. As always it fired right up and ran. Yes the ecu is somewhat “self tuning” to a point but you still need to have some knowledge of how it works and learns and be able to save changes to files and such. Also remember learn only really applies to AFR there is no self learn timing curves so you need to just go with what you build for input values and go with that.

I may try and do some pics or docs on the 50 chevy pickup I have scheduled to do next. Just so people get a feel for how the setup is. There are some decent vids online but a dumbed down version would probably make people a lot more comfortable. The truck im doing is a little more complicated with a big turbo and big injectors and a 4L80E but the basic wiring and startup will be all basically the same.

Barnfind49, I'm glad you pointed that out. I have a '59 Apache that I plan to do an LS swap sometime in the near future. I've been reading (mostly skimming through) the book and a lot of your post's. I'll keep that in mind. I mostly bought the book to enlighten myself regarding LS engines and LS swaps. I never really thought that it would be an exact blueprint for my build.

I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and pics with all of us.

John

No problem at all. I understand its daunting to some people but I always joke and say once you do 1 ....... then you will have a LS powered weed wacker and lawnmower 😂.

Its nice once you understand it and realize its not that bad with all the scary sensors and wires haha.

Thanks guys, I want to educate myself as much as possible before doing this swap. Dave

And if your going LS with computer route. Go ahead and buy the tuning software HPTuners or others. This stuff is licensed by the ECM computer. Its a whole lot easier and cheaper to make minor changes you need yourself than going to a tuner shop to adjust and flash. If you are not comfortable making the basic changes to get things going have a tuner take YOUR software and make a startup basic tune. then you can make any minor changes you want. I did all mine just by research but after flashing the thing like 10 or more times troubleshooting some transmission issues and getting rid of EVAP etc. it was a whole lot cheaper than paying a tuner.

We did a "budget" swap. found a rust bucket 1956 chevy 3200. got a pullout engine and transmission (6.0, 6l90) out of a wrecked 2500HD 2013 with all the harness, fuse box, MAF, intake all still attached.
New rear end from a wrecked 2005 Colorado with a locker. (3.73) (we love blowing the corvettes and cameros away at stop lights. ) then off the gas at 75 (bump steer and stock steering slop) and wave as they finally catch up. it hooks well and lets just say all the truck gearing with a 1000lbs less than them it flies it the first 1000 feet.
Used drive shaft out of a panel van with same engine. (had this cut down and put in after engine and rear end installed).
Stock straight axle up front (with drums the disc brakes came a few years later but you could do those at same time)


We did NOT Buy or pay to have the old harness cutdown (extra wires removed) No use messing with what GM spent a lot of money and engineers making Just to have one wire screwed up and chasing for hours.
Read up on which feed was needed from ignition to fuse box to make hot. Had a very nice grin on the face when I hooked up the battery to it with engine in garage and heard all those fuel injectors click.

Took my turner package and turned off all the evap and starter test (this one three days, three days for a lousy true false question "is starter hooked up" ) ;
Used Camaro stock iron headers to help with clearance issues. ran two passenger side headers. This passenger one on driver side cleared all steering box issues up.

Had my exhaust guys pop in some pipes with flowmasters and we were now a daily driver. Ran it this way for two years before finally putting in a radio, disc brakes, power steering etc.

Kept all stock gauges. and modified the speedometer to work with modern transmission with stock look. (less than 100)
See here for details page 2
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...ith-modern-transmission.html#Post1398826

Have electronic dash one I hook to odb2 port if I want some more details on how she is running.

And of course if you want fancy and show style you an load it up with all kinds of fancy stuff to make is shine and sing.
but most importantly
of all things.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN again.
buy what you can up front so one it there for you when you have free time. Second its cheaper in long run (power steering sat on shelf for 2 years 60 dollar cheaper than current prices.
Secondly do your build so you can drive it while building. We set a goal and planned around no more than 2 months of downtime during projects. we like driving. If your grins come from building and not driving well then full body off 2 year build is your thing. go for it.
but always always.

Enjoy the Ride.

👆exactly what he said. Plan plan plan.