LS cost

[Rooster73]

Not trying to start a debate here, but could people share your investment cost in your ls swap? By debate l mean what are you doing with your truck, hauling, long commutes, heavy trailers, just a basic ballpark provided you already have say an early 5.3? And are you happy with your decision? Mine would be just basic reliability, yes I am content with my 350, this is just a curiosity question, if I can keep distracted drivers from ruining my truck, I know the day will come for a motor change. By the way, I have learned if you want to hear a heated debate just go to your local gun store ,wow.

[LS short box]

Tuff to put a accurate cost on the swap but there are things you can do reduce the cost. Use truck front accessories and intake. Rework the engine harness your self. The older 24 tooth reluctor 5.3's like before 2006 only need one computer to run the engine and a 4L60E if that's the route you are going. Adjustable motor mounts are about $100? Trans cross member can easily be made out of piece of tubing.

[mongocanfly]

engine install costs on my C30 LQ9 were around $2200...that's just for engine , installation and getting it running.. and that was over 10yrs ago
sold the old 350/sm465 for $950
it can be done cheaper..or way more expensive...all depends on the engine you start with and how much you want to do to it
extremely satisfied with mine..over 10yrs and not a single issue...
swap was very easy..engine dropped right in with no issues...only problem I had was trying to put headers on a clutch truck and keep the z-bar linkage...
doing another swap at the moment and another planned in the near future
basically doubled my mpgs over the 350 it replaced

[Captainfab]

One thing to keep in mind regarding the cost is the cost of the engines vary quite a bit from one area of the country to another. I read about people talking about buying engines for $500 all day long. In my area I haven't seen a LS engine for under $1200. I have bought a couple for less but those were good deals from people I know that were hurting for $$. But if I were to just buy one from a wrecking yard, it would be $1200-$2600, last time I looked.

[prodjay10]

I have about $3000 in the 5.3 and 4l60e swap doing most of the work myself.

$1000 for engine and transmission
$500 for help with stuff I couldn’t figure out.
$1900 for random other stuff
-$400 sold old transmission and engine

I’m happy with it. The swap was more of a pain than I expected, but it runs great. Loads of power. So far I’ve been using as a work truck and have about 2700 miles on it. Consistent 16.5 mpg on first tune. Second tune looks to be getting 19.2 mpg. Only one tank so far on new tune, but hopefully I can keep getting those numbers.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

My Story. I had a 454 with 350 trans. Found A 5.7 with 6 speed manual out of a 2002 Firebird WSX with 46000 miles for $2500. (Supper Find) Sold the 454 combo for $3500. Spent around another $4500 on new hoses etc, Stand alone wire harness, New shorty headers, Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage air, Captain Fab Hydraulic Clutch set up. Every thing I wanted.
NO Regrets and having a Ton of Fun driving it
Easiest swap I’ve ever done. I’m sure there was a few more $$ spent here and there and every swap is different. I sure you can get by for less just depends on what you want
Just my 2c
Thanks

[Gregski]

luv this question and I love to share cause that's how I roll, first I am in California (not car friendly state at all, and stupid expensive)

1. I bought my 1974 2WD truck in 2015 (five years ago as of this writing) one owner a grandpa farmer who passed and his grandson sold it to me for $1,500 bucks, good luck finding a short bed for that price in running and driving condition these days as trucks have gotten stupid expenise (ie it's a Sellers Market)- SCORE!

1B. Being in California the pre SMOG trucks ie 1975 and older are worth 3x more than newer trucks in same condition, just my 30 years worth of experience talking

2. I bought both my LS engines for $1,200 bucks off of Craigslist (one was a 4.8L the other a 5.3L) with everything wiring harness, PCM, transmission, and already pulled out of the 99-07 trucks. BUY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN ONE SHOT, or risk getting nickle and dimed to death. Grab the ugly air intake and the stock air filter housing too even if you don't intend to use it - you will thank me later. Buy from a wrecked truck not one in a perfect body condition, cause that means it has a mechanical problem. See if you can hear the engine run before they yank the motor for you.

3. Often overlooked are the much improved engine starts with an LS engine. We all think of more power and better performance, but let me tell you having it start on the first crank each and every time on a cold morning is awesome.

4. Didn't buy it for this but having my MPG go from 12 miles per gallon to 24 aint no complaining here, ha ha

5. No more leaks! From either the engine or transmission, or god knows where, ha ha.

6. No more squeeks and crazy random noises from the engine bay!

7. Have a new modern (thicker larger) drive shaft made - $350.

8. Motor mounts - $50 bucks.

9. Anyone who's done anything knows the devil's in the details, and in this case it's the little things, the darn standard to metric adapters, for the transmission lines or the fuel lines or the radiator, expect to drop maybe $150 on AN fittings etc.

10. $100 for a fuel pump and sending unit you aint gotta go crazy buy what will fit your stock tank, the Spectra units will do. In tank fuel pump highly recommended.

11. $100 for steel braided lines for fuel and transmission, make for much easier routing than trying to rebend the metal junk.

12. I know that top radiator hose is fugly, but keep it, otherwise you will need a passenger side inlet radiator and a Camaro/Corvette style water pump which will domino into changing this and that, $$$.

Advice, keep the swap simple and do it in phases. Thin out your own wiring harness, you can do it. Build your own little fuse block ($50 bucks in parts maybe), you can do it. Program your own PCM, you can do it (it will cost you $400 bucks to get HP Tuners but it is worth it).

I know you want a bigger cam, larger injectors, and better springs, as well as a turbo, but guess what, do the stock engine/transmission swap first. Run it, drive it for a year, the engine will tell you what it needs, the truck will tell you what it needs as you drive it, then regroup and do your crazy shiet next. I often see too many times guys bite off more than they can swallow, ha ha and the swap gets abandoned, or the truck don't run.

Honestly my LS swap went smoother than any of my SBC swaps, one more advice if your engine comes with a transmission, don't separate them, don't do no crazy torque converted swaps right off the bat, don't tear it apart and put shifter kits in her, just do the simple swap, you'll have enough things to worry about, but again you can do it.

Same goes for electric fans, yeah all the cool kids are running them but why get tangled in that extra complexity mess, just run the stock mechanical fan, and don't listen to the myths that the LSx engines like to run hot above 200*F that's not true, they purr like kittens at 194* F with stock thermostats even on above 100* F California days stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. If yours runs hotter than 200* F something ain't right, take your time and fix it / tune it out, maybe you got too much timing, maybe it's running too lean, etc.

As some folks already pointed out, you can recoup some of the costs by selling your old drive train, I would sell them separately, engine, transmission, drive shaft, pull your old carb off if it's a Holley or a nice Edelbrock and sell those separate, same for the intake and or Distributor, you can get at least $500 for your old junk if not more.

hope this helps, just being honest

[clear-lake-gmc]

ill be dropping a 5.3 in my 71 with an m20 bought the whole truck 500cdn, m20 800cdn, scattershield 100cdn, flywheel looking at 150cdn, mounts 100cdn, need a big block clutch 500cdn other costs yet but thats where im at now ill be reworking the harness myself.

anybody have suggestions for a hydraulic clutch setup i was recommended a dual centerforce clutch but i see in the fine print it will not work with some hydraulic throwout bearings so ill have to look into this before too long.

i have a 5.3 in my 2011 sierra and love it drove 350s before im not sure id ever go back to them just personal preference.

[kipps]

I love Gregski's summary above. That's real first-hand experience!

I'll admit that I've gotten in over my head. I'm using a gen 4 5.3, nv4500 transmission, np241 transfer case, Camaro ls3 tune(for manual tranny operation), and a body module for cruise and charging. The truck has been apart for two years, and is still not close to running yet. It will happen, it just might be a little longer yet.

Gregski went the better route. Stab the thing in, get it running, and then worry about upgrades, transmission swaps, etc.

One other thing. While I haven't driven a LS side-by-side with a Gen 1 350, I did find the stock torque/hp/rpm charts for both my TBI 350 and my LMG 5.3. They track almost tit-for-tat through the first 3000 rpm. Beyond that, where the 350 drops off the cliff, the 5.3 keeps on pulling at higher rpm. Daily drivers won't be seeing those high rpm's. In the daily rpm ranges, the LS engines won't perform wildly better in stock form. In fact, folks who are coming from a 454 report feeling disappointed in the low rpm region. The main difference in daily driver performance, is in the better shifting transmissions that come with the LS engines.

Of course, to me, performance is not the primary driver for this swap. I'm looking for driveability, of which I expect significant improvements. by "driveability", I mean easy starts, consistent performance, reliability, economy, electronic diagnostic procedures, etc.

[Rooster73]

Awesome response, that's why I'm here, I've wondered if there will come the time when you see one of our trucks at a show with a gen 1 small block and have the same cool factor as a flathead in an old coupe. A small block in a hot rod used to be almost a requirement, now the flathead is made a huge comeback, an old timer told me running an old engine is an awesome test of commitment.

[AZ 67 C10]

If you have the space at your house it's nice to have a complete donor vehicle. I took a rolled 06 2500hd with 150k and took everything I needed and sold/scrapped the rest. Bought the truck for $1,500 and just about broke even. It has gotten harder to find complete donor vehicles for under $2-3k with less than 200k miles.

[Andyking1203]

I think buying a diner vehicle is the best way to go.. you have almost every part you need, plus you'll get some of your $$ back with selling other parts or scrapping the rest of the vehicle..

[bs46488]

Gregski hit the nail on the head with his response.

I went down this same road about 1.5 years ago.

Sold my BBC for $3k.
Budget LS swap costs ~ $3.3k

I did all the work myself on the LS swap. I purchased a used pull out 2003 87k 5.3/4l65E (with harness and pedal) for $1500. To do my budget swap I spent about $1800 on odds and ends (mainly fuel system upgrades) to complete my swap.

However every time I drive the LS swapped truck it was worth it. Turn key on, fuel pump primes, engine fires up, and the truck haul a$$ when you push the pedal. Get on the freeway and the RPM's just cruise. Step on the pedal and it MOVES!

[pilotXC]

Depends on your truck on cost. If you have a 4wd it will be significantly more expensive and complicated than a 2wd. I just finished mine, LQ4 and 4L80E, and spent around $4k, $1650 for engine and trans, the rest was harness modification, gaskets, seals, u joints, fuel pump, hoses, etc. Adds up quick when converting carb to EFI...

[Jstock85]

Budget 3K minimum. Buy quality parts and don't cut corners! I swapped 1.5 years ago and enjoyed every minute and wouldn't trade the motor, time, experience, etc... for anything!!

[fastlane]

I bought a 2003 chevy express with a 6.0 lq4 and 180K miles for $927. It took about 3 months selling parts, $20 here, $40 there, $15 on that, $120 on this, so on and so forth, $130 for scrap steel and I got the motor and the 4l80e for free! and I still have parts to sell!

180,000 miles makes me want to rebuild (and I am) but in the end I will have a modern motor in a classic truck with maybe 450 ponies in the stable.

First time i blow the doors off my dads 2004 Z06 will be priceless!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by kipps

I love Gregski's summary above. That's real first-hand experience!

Tanks!

Originally Posted by kipps

Of course, to me, performance is not the primary driver for this swap. I'm looking for driveability, of which I expect significant improvements. by "driveability", I mean easy starts, consistent performance, reliability, economy, electronic diagnostic procedures, etc.

Spot on, and don't forget real time accurate feedback. It blows my skirt up every time I glance at my super duper Edge Insight CTS2 gauge (highly recommended) and see what my Timing Advance is in real time as well as my Manifold Absolute Pressure, or my Desired Idle RPM vs my actual Engine RPM, hellz yes!

[FAKKY]

$1400 for 79k mile lq4/4l65e.

About $8k for truck.
About $10k-$12k for other rebuild parts.

Got $1k back in parts of truck (original engine/trans)
Saved $2k on insurance not having a 2nd car for 4 years - lol.

[prodjay10]

My truck has collector car insurance. $100 a year baby!