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!