Buying the engine is only half the battle.


Saw alot of ppl asking for price list etc so i thought id put together a parts list of the known parts that are needed for the swap

total bout $1376 add a painless kit $1965

www.Hawksthirdgenparts.com

LS1 CONVERSION

Ls1 motor mounts: $85 (sophn)
Ls1 motor mounts and trans crossmember: $195 (sophn)
Trans crossmember auto or 6 speed: $115 (soph) "the sophn crossmembers are know for getting in the way of fabricated y-pipes"
Electronic to mechanical spedo box: $299 (1989 models and earlier)
Fuel pressure regulator: $159.95
Ls1 swap fuel line kit: $249
Ls1 torque arms wich include trans crossmember: $395 (auto or 6 speed)
Ls1 fuel pump: $189.99 (can keep stocker but not recommened on v6 change overs)

V6 CARS

youll need too upgrade too front V-8 springs are yours gonna bottom out alot price varys.

ELECTRICAL

Theres a few ways too go painless sales a ls1 kit for around $589
are you can do your own splicing also im sure theres more pre made out there hawks will do it for $995

COOLING

Ive heard you can run the stock radiator and fan but i think it would be wise too step up too a dual fan setup and youll need a coolant bypass thats not too expensive.

FUEL

if you buy the fuel regulator and fuel line kit you should be able to use the stock lines no problem. if not you have too get an fitting etc etc wich can get expensive

OTHERS STUFF

You can cut down price by fabricatting your own trans crossmember try too fab out fuel line stuff (i wouldnt recommend it pay the extra money too be safe dont blow you and your car up) those are the main parts youll need thou so add that stuff up and thats about the amount ull be spending plus your engine. this is only from one website ill do more searching and add other prices soon

 

Dont forget all the beer you drink while trying to install everything

 

Lol I know how that goes my other passion is Jeeps get enough of ur buddies in the same shop working on jeeps and old school muscle your roaring drunk after a long nite makes for a awsome nite thou nothing better then that.

 

Skulte long-tube transmission cross member, p/n T56xmem-LT, $199.

http://www.skulte.com/product_info.p...products_id/83

 

What about a transmission cross member for the 6L80 (yup, it's working, but you need a GEN IV PCM)? Looks like the one from the Turbo Trans Am will fit. It is actually only one layer of V-shaped material. Easy to fabricate.

 

some GM numbers and prices that once were correct

Oil Dipstick -12551581 -$9.10
Dipstick Tube -12551577 -$5.94
97 corvette fuel rail -12556705 -$185.00
97 corvette fuel regulator -12554677 -$48.17
intake bolts -12552344 -$2.70
intake gaskets -12533587 -$50.00
alt. bracket -12563327 -$13.62
pcv fitting -12557672 -$2.92
throttle cable -12565559 -$16.20
gm eng. mounts -22179268 -$51.45 x2 $102.90
P/S Pulley -12559885 -$25.49
Exhaust gasket -88891747 -$5.61
Exhaust gasket -12555806 -$5.61
A/C bracket -12556677 -$21.84
cruise cable -12554668 -$22.56
98 ecm bracket -10284308 -$11.65

 

Ya if anyone has recipiets on a rebuild of there lsx as in the price for the kit machine work etc add that too im sure someone would be intrested in that specially if there buying a high mileage engine.

 

Corvette, F-Body or Truck Part?

gm eng. mounts -22179268 -$51.45 x2 $102.90 The Clamp Shels or the Rubber inserts?

 

Heres a previous thread about LS1 swap costs that has a lot of good info

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...-t56-swap.html

 

thanks I dont see why so many ppl are asking for the price off the ls1 swap its not too hard too find out a estimated price theres a ton of info on it here and the research in parts dont take that long. no matter wut thou id add another $1500 on for the stuff u cant expect along the way.

 

i thought the V6 was heavier than the LS1, which meant that the front end was higher than stock w/ the swap

 

ya ive heard that it rides high u can cut coils on the spring if needed cheap way lol. personally im going too be running coil overs so ill adjust as needed. If your mainly going too be drag racing thou u might want too stick with springs there better at pre-loading ur suppension and wieght transfer too the back wich ive heard ppl argure this but wutever

 

I think I remember Speartech telling me that when they shipped their ECU/harness it came reprogrammed so the gauges would read correctly in 3rd gens without the converter.
Also, there is a board member (do a search for Drew's crossmember) that sales a crossmember made for long tubes. I think that's the way I'm going to go when the time comes.

 

does anyone know the cost of a automatic to manual trans conversion for this swap

 

Depends on the money you spend on the trans and accesories. Usually from $1000-2000 on parts alone.

 

seek out skulte performance for the t56 crossmember mine fit like a glove!!

 

Amen that!

 

Rather than spend the money on the fuel regulator just use a corvette fuel filter they have the regulator built in. A lot of guys do just that. And because this a older thread a updated price for a plug and play harness is now under 1000 dollars easy I have seen guys on LS1 Tech selling them for as low as 500 give or take.
Remember this thread is 5 years old and as a matter of course prices have fallen sharply for this swap.

 

I have an itemized list of planned & purchased items for my LSx swap, including necessary transmission & rear-end upgrades. The list is not 100%, but it's pretty mature. I don't remember the exact total, but I think that it's hovering somewhere between $18-20k for what the final tally is currently projected to be. There is an incredible amount of "little things" that often get overlooked unless you do a tremendous amount of planning and research. Granted my swap is a bit above the "typical" used LS swap in that I built a new motor (403 stroker) and am planning on a new T56 Magnum & new fabricated 9" rear, but a lot of the "little things" are the same regardless.

If I recall, I think it wound up being somewhere around $10k in engine & swap-specific items (about a 50/50 split - $5k motor, $5k in crap), and the remaining $10k in required drivetrain upgrades. It can add up FAST.

 

Agreed. but what I am talikg about would be for a straight forward ls1 5.3 swap. A base line swap can be done for at or around 3000.00 that can include a "hot cam" If your doing a monster 403 then yes it will cost a boat load. But I have a friend that lives down the road from me and he is willing to help me, he had done a swap to his 92 camaro, so he already knows the in's and out's so in a way I have a head start on not forgeting to much.

 

I am thinking of doing an LS1 swap in my rebuild, and I am wondering about the price of the motor itself. Most of the prices listed on here are in addition to the motor. Where have you all found are the best places to look? I've been doing a lot of research, but I'm hoping to come across a good deal. Anyone finding them in junk yards, or mostly classifieds, or somewhere else? Any tips on searching for a reaonably priced LS1 would help me out in this process.

 

So much has changed since the dawn of this thread. Good usable LS1 dropout's are mighty scarce these days and command decent prices if they are in good stock running shape as many have been beaten on for a long time now and need more involved build ups and whatnot. LS2's and newer are still avail decent and clean and again pricey but damn potent potential out of any 6.0L na today with the LS3 heads. Complete mod engines are everywhere as are half finished projects so its hit'n miss if you buy one of those ya never know who put what together and how good the mechanic'n is so.... Shop wise. For every build that hits the road theres a hundred sitting in the garage in pieces...

Aftermarket support, especially with regards to racing has blossomed very well for LSx power, so go fast parts have become more abundant and priced according to performance level.

The only real pricey engines are aluminum blocks regardless of what they came out of they command bucks.

Every other LS iron block 5.3, 4.8, 6.0's are plentiful in yards pending mileage and condition and how decent a guy you are with the yard owner these can be had cheap. CL etc too so lots of supply still. But expect rust, age, miles, and nothing overly exciting in stock form performance speaking. Nothing elbow grease, gaskets, a few go fast parts, and some chevy orange hi temp paint wont turn into a purty lil rocket in no time.

Speed is simple. How fast do you want to spend? Set that out first, build underneath your budget and you might be one of the cars we all see bombing around out there. That applies to LS or any build. Dont just dive in thinking yeah yeah.... that usually ends poorly and with a broken heart

 

I would recomend that you start looking at your local junk yards. Look for the car and trucks that have rear end damage. you could very well find escaldes and tahoes as well as blazer ss's that came with the LS engines. Now it all depends as far as price goes. Maybe upwards of 4-600 dollars for just an engine. From there you will have the foundation to build on a great set up.

 

With no cam I have done a 5.3 swap for 1400$, that was a new intake, ignition, harness and engine. Carbed. Have yet to add up the current 5.3 efi swap we are wrapping up. But motor and Trans were 600 off craigs list and off the top of my head, 2200$ in so far.

 

Thanks for the tips KD and Cam. I was definitely planning to look to the junk yards as well. It seems a lot of guys on ebay or craigslist want a little premium for their motors since they are already removed. I figured a junk yard would be more level on their pricing since they do this day in and day out.

 

I pulled off a totally stock 5.3/4L60E EFI swap for $1900. After all the used parts quit failing the number was around $2300 for a reliable engine. Ive preached it for a long time, the costs are in the mods

 

i spent 4 months researching everything i could about ls swaps and the platform itself. put together a budget, added 30%(like i always do), and came out $1500 under my figure. the biggest mistake i see on the boards is poor preparation and not budgeting properly.

 

I may be considering this swap as well after talking with Orr89RocZ about a build I will do one way or another over the winter. I will not have time to turn the wrenches myself so Ill have to pay someone to do the labor. What are shops charging for the labor on a complete LS to 3rd gen swap meaning engine, trans, and rear end? I guess I will need to get on the phone. Just wondering about some quick thoughts here.

 

d

 

$55 hour + tax+ parts, some shops x% of bill for materials.

If you are still looking for a shop. http://www.parderby.com/