ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Alright, assuming ones car is already carbed, i am throwing 3 lists together for a carbed 5.3 swap. This is again assuming you have a automatic as well. There will be 1, budget bare bones that i spent on a carbed setup with used parts, 2, used engine with new swap parts, and then 3, my actual build with my optional performance parts naturally aspirated before i got single turbo.


My personal car setup is for those that have a carbed car and probably have a fuel system converted to supply a fairly healthy V8 with electric fuel pump. From here, you can assume that if you are not carbed, or lack electrical fuel system, you will have to find and add a few components, such as lines, regulator, fuel pump as well as even modify your fuel tank as i have, i externally mounted a holley blue a while back when i first converted from TBI 350 to vortec 355.

One would also need to consider the lack of AC on my car as well, do not have it, do not desire it as this is a street and track car with light weight being a goal as well as power, not driven other than weekends. AC is also something you will have to look into the stickies to get into.

Setup #1 involves as i stated earlier, used parts from Ebay, LS1tech.com, here and anywhere else i can get parts i need.

Engine, local crap yard, 400$
(there are parts you can re sell when you score a intake to oil pan setup, mine came with a 90 MM intake for a truck which sells for 200$ or more used as well as oil pan that will not fit F cars, ect/ ALSO, the newer 5.3 engines come with 243 casting heads, if you do not desire maximum power, they can be sold for 400$ and a used set of 5.3/LS1 heads can be had for next to nothing)

Intake, from LS1tech, 200$
(was only used for mock up and was pretty much brand new)

MSD 6010 controller from LS1tech 225$
(brand new harness, not much run time)

Starter from Ebay 60$
(They are new and work very well)

1 inch setback engine adapter plates from Ebay, 40$
(Have use the straight up non set backs and they work great, the 1 inch set back puts the engine in the stock SBC location)

Truck brackets were on the engine and was missing the alternator, i will be making my stock alternator work with the bracket with some fab work. Power steering pump was in place as well as water pimp and tensioner pulley.

F body oil pan FREE
(pan had a crack in it from the LS1 it cam off of being layed over too hard, a friend who welds made it solid again at the price of being a friend)

Pick up tube was given to me and the windage tray was the stock truck unit modified to be shorter like the F body piece.

Exhaust will be the stock manifolds that cam with the junk yard engine.

I will call belts, hoses and intake gaskets 100$, sounds about right, give or take.

Exhaust work will be about 100$ for me, i have some piping and a flowmaster Y junction laying around, normally 40$ i think. Also, i will be using a 30$ Ebay 1 chamber flowmaster dumped at the axle. We will call it 200$ total.

Assuming you have a decent carb and fuel system, you will be set with this, with the addition of the Victor Jr and carb, you will be making over the 305-320 HP mark that the factory had, brackets are supplied with the intake for mounting the TV cable and throttle cable as well.

This is a total of 1,225$ for a base line carb swap, assuming the listed above on a previously carbed ride, eat your heart out EFI

Also, if i wanted to sell the 243s and recoup cash, i could and use cheaper heads that still work fine for stock to mild, but these are going on my 89 RS

With misc bolts, extra fuel line and anything else missing, we will give it a rand total buffer of:

1500$


Setup 2 will be for those who do not have the time, patience or want to have used parts, or some times you just cannot find them, also, we will consider it for a car that does not have a electric fuel pump and is perhaps strating from scratch with a 82-85 carbed ride.

Setup 2: Considering the above engine and parts that can be used from the scrap yard, engine and manifolds are covered. 400$ off the top for a 5.3

Intake, Jegs 290$ shipped

A holley 750 vac sec carb, about 250$

Ignition controller, Jegs 324 shipped

Air cleaner 40$

Adapter plates 40$

Oil pan, LS1tech used 150$
(Assuming with pickup tube and windage tray)

Belts, hoses 100$


Exhaust work from random A hole, we will say 300$

Fuel pump and regulator from Jegs 140$
(This would be a holley blue unit with regulator included)

Fittings and cheap pressure gauge from parts house 50$
(Holley gives you nothing with the fuel pump)

Fuel line 40$
(Modding into the stock tank)

Wiring, relays 60$
(Fuel pump)

Misc. bolts, clamps ect 100$
(The small things kill your wallet)

F body serp system with PS pump and alternator 250$

Assuming i am not forgetting anything, you are looking at 2530$ or so, not bad if you picked up that nice, straight bodied RS that you have always liked that has been sitting with a blown engine, and you dont want to put another junk 305 in, but cannot afford to build a good 350 and convert to carb all at the same time.

So, we will say 2500$ minimum.

Now, number 3, i will show all my parts for a cammed 5.3 and add them in 2 parts, setup 1 and 2, i am not breaking down my used parts to new prices because you get the idea by now. I already have a 500$ Holley HP carb not included in price

Setup #3, begin with total from #1 or #2 and add:

Used cam, 225/229, .581/.589 lift on a 114 LSA, LS1tech, shipped 200$
(I chose a cam that will work well on motor and respond well when boost is eventually applied)

Springs, comp 918s from a set of used 241 heads, LS1tech local pick up 100$
(I will might port these and use them)

Pushrods from Jegs 110$

Timing chain,Ebay 50$

Head work and springs swapped, Local 200$
(This is a valve job, clean up and installing the new springs)

Stall converter, Jegs shipped 215$

TH400 trans 540$
(My trans is built to the wall from TCI used)

Custom drive shaft for TH400, 100$
(This is a modded stock piece)

Custom cross member, 40$ worth of steel and my welder

Head gaskets 60$

B&M pro stick shifter, new Ebay shipped 130$



So, #3 plus #1 is about 3200 my way

Number 3 plus #2 is about 4300$, and round it to 5000$ if you want some nice Hawks headers.

Hope this is some good insight for any carbed third gen enthusiasts out there that want a few good ideas on what they would be looking to spend, personally, selling my engine and trans that was in the car funded most of the setup i am building, it will not have much on my 6.0 powered 89 RS till the rest of the build is done with the single turbo, but it will be fun to play around with, getting it tuned on motor before the little junk yard dog catches hell with 16 pounds of boost, and then probably more if it will handle it.

-Z

pajama sam

iTrader: (5)

will the truck brackets work under a stock hood?

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Not usually, but i have a cowl hood and my smaller stock alternator will be utilized to clear better than the larger truck piece.

I will post pics when it is said and done so others may get some ideas.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Are you saying use the 5.3 exhaust manifolds? I haven't trial fitted them, but they appear to kick out too much to clear 3rd gen frame rails.

pajama sam

iTrader: (5)

Ok so i have the truck brackets for power steering and alternator. IS there a way to mount the alternator to the passenger side and retain my power steering bracket that i have? Any help would be great! i need to know asap

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

If you have access to CNC machines, you can make brackets that will work, otherwise, whatever brackets you use have the lat and PS built to them usually.

This is what i did with my 89 RS:





Stock alternator, S10 ,manual steering pump.


Chop and weld a flange on to direct downward. I have a friend giving me some F car LS1 manifolds for free, otherwise, i was going to mod the truck pieces, think the passenger side works but the driver side has to be modded. But modding both allows you to use whatever flange you like.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Aright, with income tax, i was able to splurge on my TA, so i gt a set of cheap headers that i will be using, a TQ arm is on the way in the mail and a aluminum drive shaft for a TH400 swap was scored off LS1tech for 150$.

Here is the headers, they should get the job done well for 80$:







They are a 1 5/8 primary and 2.5 collector, the collectors are going to be removed for a larger 3 inch setup.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

The shifter went in last week, the heads i dropped off has 2 bent valves i had to replace with spares and a guide was also broken and had to be replaced, heads had to go .010 to clean up but it looks like they are ready for abuse, so i need PRs, need my intake off my buddies 95 Z we did a 6.0 swap in and also another set of 1 inch set back adapter plates he also used because his were junk:



Pic of said cracked free pan that was repaired:

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

It appears after tonights getting it done progress, i took measurements but wil actually try to test fit the hood, not sure if it will clear the stocker but my cowl looks like it will. I do have a Formula hood i will also test fit for you guys, but i am sorry to say i have no flat stocker, but if the Formula hood doesnt work, you can surely guess the TA or Firebird hood will be a no go, but it isnt that bad with the stock alternator in the truck bracket compared to that huge stock truck piece i see all the time.


It does fit pretty direct, one side fits in like stock, snug as hell, the other, you need to knock the small metal sleeve out and then the bolt can reach, you NEARLY have to grind or wallow the hole, but i didnt, i just found a longer bolt, shimmed the alt and bracket so that it was the same as the full fitting side and it went right together:




This is level fender to fender and the stock hood does bow out so it will be interesting to see fi the Formula hood clears, the bubble/cowl on the formula is on the correct side, so hopes are surely high for it to work:

Willie B.

Hope works for you, Hopefully i can get started on my hood soon and post some pics.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Hey Willie, can you post a side view pic like mine so we can kind of compare the difference between the stock alternator on the truck bracket and the truck alternator on it?

Willie B.

I posted a pick under my listing "another 5.3 swap". Its the side view.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Crap, didnt see it, and that is through the hood? Looks like the third gen alternator does free up room.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Alternator clears my hood, will clear a Formula hood, but not sire about the stock flat hoods:





The measuring tape marks where the alternator actually sits under the hood, so you dont need a WIDE cowl, i think any would work:

Willie B.

I had a feeling it would work, just from looking at how i cut my hood.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

I really wonder how much rool the stock hood has just with the intake and carb? really wish i had one to find out so people can know.

Got the hood that is on this car for 200$ new from a swap meet.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Got some done today, been at it for about 8 hours, finished the trans X member, hogging out the header on the pass side, welding a new flange on the river side, got them on, got the starter installed, mocked the front with the WP i have, radiator and trans cooler is in, got the shifter properly installed with the cable, feels good except park for some reason, but i will see when i start it up one day.

I think i figure the competition engineering sub frames out. You have to chop them into a few pieces and weld them together, go figure.

TQ arm is in place and secure for temporary till the BMR piece is in. Drive shaft is in as well. Threw the carb on and the air cleaner, looks like i might need a drop base as the cowl ares is not as big as my 4 inch on the 89.

Need about 10 different things to finish, fluids, belt, hose, water pump, ect ect.

Before grinding:



After:




Driver side, chopped the flange off and welded the 3 inch regular piece on: