My 69/LS2 Story

[Badger69]

Figured I share my LS swap story.

I grew up building cars. Specifically body-off restorations of 55-57 Chevy and 60s Impalas, Chevelles, etc...I am a mechanical engineer with crash testing experience. This isn't a pat on the back, but I think it is important for context that I know my way around a build, but had never done a retrofit like this.

In all honesty, I grossly underestimated what it was really going to take for this build both financially and for time. There was lots to buy and lots to figure out. You can get lost in the forums, so sometimes picking up the phone can get things moving.

I found a 2008 LS2 from a Trailblazer SS complete with the 4L70 trans, emc, tcm, complete running motor with mass air and DBW pedal. Since I had a TBSS at the time, I knew what those motors can do. My AWD TBSS ran mid 12s all day long on street tires with just bolt ons and a cam. Bought it right and felt I was good to go.

All I wanted to build was a simple, reliable daily driver. An all original truck with a modern drive train. Not a show truck. Just a build for me. No painting (hell, I barely cleaned the frame or firewall). Motto was " Put that motor in that truck. Period".

Started with a c-notch and Accuair eLevel kit, 20 " Steel wheels, pulled the original 307 and started getting swap parts orders. Got motor mounts, headers, CTS-V pan, cross member, engine harness and began the process.

Then came the Vintage Air A/C, four wheel disc brakes, 4.10 gears, Auburn locker, new gas tank with built in pump and relocated to rear, tilt steering column, new chassis wiring harness, push button start, Dakota Digital VHX gages, aluminum radiator and fans, new stereo, trans cooler new body mounts...

The cool thing was, the more I did, the more I realized I wanted to drive this thing everyday.

All in all...really not that hard. Not that its worth much, but here is my advice.

- Be patient and do your research. This forum is very helpful.
- Be ready to spend money on stuff you never thought about. Dip sticks, shift cables, trans pans, tuning...
- Know your limits because you can spend a lot of time troubleshooting. HP Tuners or other tools to read and scan are your friend. I needed more than a multi-meter to sort out my problems.
- Compatibility of components can be an issue unless you really understand and have access to accurate wiring diagrams.
- Be selective on your motor. LS1 vs LS2 vs LS3 are all different beasts. There were times when I felt that I should have gone with an LS1 because it seemed like there were so many more people that know that motor. Went LS2 for something different and the out of the box power, but it was kind of a pain.

In the end an LS swap is certainly not for everyone, but if you can get through it...it is all worth it for the driveability and power.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[ls1nova71]

Nice looking truck! And you're right, if you REALLY want a truck you can drive daily and anrwhere and not have to worry about it, the LS engine is hard to beat!

[Hart_Rod]

Nice truck and good words of wisdom!

[65standard]

Good advice.

[slowcpe]

Nice truck and thanks for the advice. I started with a "simple LS swap and air ride" and now my project has escalated out of control. However it should make the truck that much nicer to drive. I'm still spending money on the big things and dream of the day I get to buy the little things

[FarmerSid]

"There was lots to buy and lots to figure out. You can get lost in the forums, so sometimes picking up the phone can get things moving."

I hear ya! Talk about information overload. I try my best to not ask questions that have already been answered but sometimes it tuff!

Great story and advice.

[Badger69]

Thanks for the compliments.

Much appreciated.

I know I had some project scope creep and a little bit of "while I'm in there I might as well. .." which can be a killer as well. Ended up with some extra parts that were never used and now need to sell (like my dirty dingo motor mounts )..

But there were some very interesting challenges. Getting the motor in was the easy part . I ran into a strange combo of a glitchy throttle body and the wrong APS.

I kept getting a high voltage signal in my pedal which killed the throttle. It would start but no throttle. Turns out, even after adjusting my pinout for a TBSS pedal, the resistance of the potentiometer is lower in the TBSS unit which allowed too much voltage to pass. The higher resistance corvette pedal works fine.

My point is if you don't have the patience, tools and knowledge (or are unwilling to learn or buy things ) this conversion should be done by a professional or stick with a traditional setup.

Just figuring out where to mount all the electronics was ridiculous. Had to find a home for the Dakota Digital Box, push button start box, tcm, ecm, amps, crossover, relays...put it all under the seat and used a high hump floor mat with a false floor to run the wires.

Happy to answer any questions for those in the process. I learned a lot and would love to help someone on this forum just as I was helped.

[Heavymetl]

A lot of the headaches of a swap can be eliminated by ditching the factory PCM. I've done both, and the aftermarket solutions (I used Holley EFI ) make every task much more simple, from DBW to trans control to wiring. Unfortunately though you're limited to 4l80e / 4L60E transmissions.

[Badger69]

Originally Posted by Heavymetl

A lot of the headaches of a swap can be eliminated by ditching the factory PCM. I've done both, and the aftermarket solutions (I used Holley EFI ) make every task much more simple, from DBW to trans control to wiring. Unfortunately though you're limited to 4l80e / 4L60E transmissions.

I actually thought about that, but wasn't convinced. Now I can see that being the case, but I still think I have less $$ in the truck this way.

Spent more on wiring than I thought I would. Hadn't planned on redoing the entire truck.

Definitely been a learning experience.

Never had a lot of trouble shooting my TBSS. That thing hardly ever threw a code even with all my mods. I figured I would have a similar situation here.

Went well, but I am still in the troubleshooting phase. WI winter hit kinda early so my road testing will have to wait until May.