1998 Camaro LS1 swap

[Drewman1298]

So I'm planning on doing an LS1 swap on my 98 Camaro. I've never done a swap before but I'm doing it with a buddy who's quite knowledgeable in cars and has done multiple engine swaps and says we can get the whole thing done for about 800 bucks in parts by getting everything at this place by me called U Pull R Parts in Minnesota. They have the list of the all the prices on there website if you want to check it out. So my main question is, just to be safe, what is everything I'll need to do this swap parts wise and is there a better engine you suggest instead of the LS1?

[SMWS6TA]

OK your car already a LS1 or a V6? Are you manual or auto?

It matters...on how much stuff you need and amount of work.




Now on possible other engines you have options. Truck motors 5.3 and 6.0's are great and far cheaper then LS1 or 2's. The 6.0's are very sought after because they are very universal in both NA (Natural Aspiration) and FI (Force Induction) builds.

[Drewman1298]

Thank you for your quick reply! I have a V6 currently with an auto tranny. I want either an LS1 or something equivalent or greater than it. Never had a manual car before but it would a possibility to change it to a manual depending on how much work it would take if I did that instead of sticking to an automatic. And any engine you pull at this place is 256 dollars so no matter what engine I find it will be the same price, that's why Im saying if there is a better engine I should use than the ls1

[SMWS6TA]

Well with that you've got a long list of needed stuff.

You'll need in addition of a engine:
K member from a LS1 car
Transmission - T56* or 4L60e for a f body. IIRC the V6 transmissions have a different bell housing. For a T56 I'll detail it separately.
ECM & Wire Harness for LS f body (now here where it matters>>>) for a manual or auto transmission.
Radiator & airlid tray for LS f body.
Accessories for F-body.
Drive shaft for 4 body
Torque arm for LS (Not 100% on this one. you mnay be ok with the stock one till you can get aftermarket.)
Transmission cross member


Interior:
Dash cluster for LS (the V6 will not connect/work to the LS wire harness)
Center consul - only if you switch to manual.

Transmissions:

T-56 - This is the simpler of the 2 to do: Requires the T56 for LS, BH for LS, and wire harness for it.

LS Bellhousing. these can be hard to find if you can't get one with the transmission. Best replacement is from Quick Time, they aren't cheap, around $500.. Their BH is SFI certified and works. The McLeod BH requires modification to make it work. So finding a stock BH with a T56 is gold.

Now there are some LT1 T56's that can be used however you need to change 2 things to do so. The front plate that connects the transmission to the BH needs to be swapped for a LS front plate (Around $130) and the input shaft needs to be for LS ($240).

4L60E - Sorry not to helpful in this, I have a T56, that's why I know more. Someone else will have to inform you on this. All I know is you'll need the wire harness for it and stall convertor.



Engines - for budget build a LQ4 from a 99-04 truck or a 5.3 from the same years. The main reason is you need a engine that is set up as 24x reluctor wheel. Those yrs are for sure. While there are some 5.3's out there after 04' that have the 24x setup most are setup for 58x. Quick way to tell is if the crank sensor is black it's 24x, if grey it's 58x. LS1 intake or better a LS6 intake. Truck intakes may require some cowl trimming to make it fit. Heads - this depends on what your plans are. 243/799's are best for NA builds while 317's with some machining make great heads for FI builds.


Tuning - Plan for about $500 for a tune session. The ECM will need to be tuned for the motor unless you score a complete long block with ecm & wire harness.

Here are some threads to give you an idea of what's required for engine building and also give you an idea of what's needed.

http://www.ls1.com/forums/f7/engine-...3/#post2893742




Sorry this is all I can remember off the top of my head....

[SMWS6TA]

I should have added in previous post that I strongly favor LQ4 or 9's 6.0 Liter blocks. They to me are the most universal of the LS blocks.

They can use LS1/2/6 style heads or better LS3 style heads. Can be bored out to 4.030" and handle it safely, some guys have bored it out some more. Handle far more boost than aluminum blocks can. Only negative I've ever seen is the weight penalty - about 60-80 lbs heavier. If built right who cares.... I have a lowered car with Hotchkis 1" drop springs and it never dropped. I checked several times..still same ride height as it had with the LS1.

Now the only difference between the LQ4 and 9 is pistons. The 4 has dish pistons with makes it's compression ratio around 9.4:1 and for the 9, they are flat top and their CR is about 10.1:1. They both produce the same basic HP but the tq is slightly different. Of course all of this depends on heads. Those numbers were using the heads they came with.

[Firebirdjones]

Scott laid it all out. Swapping an LS into a V6 4th gen is a very long list of parts that will nickle and dime you to death. No way can all that be had for $800. You are going to get into at least $2000 or more for a bunch of used stuff.

I do swaps all the time, they are very time consuming and expensive. Worthwhile with 99% of the classic car conversions I do but I wouldn't even attempt it on a 4th gen when you can buy a running driving LS car that is factory installed.

I understand if you like the current 4th gen you have, my hats off to ya for going through with it, and if you pull all that off for $800, you need a spot in a magazine.

[SMWS6TA]

Not to mention you're one hell of a price hawk....

[Whamhammer]

i

So I'm planning on doing an LS1 swap on my 98 Camaro. I've never done a swap before but I'm doing it with a buddy who's quite knowledgeable in cars and has done multiple engine swaps and says we can get the whole thing done for about 800 bucks in parts by getting everything at this place by me called U Pull R Parts in Minnesota. They have the list of the all the prices on there website if you want to check it out. So my main question is, just to be safe, what is everything I'll need to do this swap parts wise and is there a better engine you suggest instead of the LS1?

Not trying to discourage you, but you should check out his sites for sale area, there are some nice LS1 cars in there that might end up being a better bargain than the transplant effort.

[Drewman1298]

Thank you so much for all of the info. My goal is to pretty much just see for shits and giggles how cheap I can do this. I'll be going to the U Pull R Parts on Sunday so I'll keep you updated on how it's looking

[SMWS6TA]

Please don't think we are trying to discourage you. Hell if you could find a totaled donor car where the back half has been killed and not the engine bay you might be able to do it with not to much effort.