Ls swap completed. Final update project completed!

Coltdefender1911

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Here we go with yet another LS swap. This time a 94 Chebby Silverado. Here's a few snaps of the almost completed engine. Have to round up a few more parts and we'll be ready for install. I'll take more pics and keep a closer update of the work with this one.



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While I worked for GM my whole career in the dealer as a tech and manager, I am at heart a Ford man.

That said, the LS engine is a marvel of engineering and is without a doubt the most amazing candidate for swaps since the original small block came out.

I would love to put one in a mini truck like an old Datsun or an early Toyota Corolla when they were rear drive.
 
I saw a Fox Body Mustang with an LS-6 swap doing high 10's in a 1/4 mile. I ask the owner what it been done to the LS-6 and he replied long tube headers and re-mapping the fuel/air. He figured with a few more low-budget mods it would be in the low 10's. That was truly one of my favorite Mustangs ever. I love my fox body Mustang's but my dream is the LS swap in one now. I want an LS-7 from Summit in one. I know how bad the little 225hp 302's twisted those cars, I can only imagine 500-600hp in one. The sad part is I would only want one to show my ass in. It really wouldn't be practical for anything but it would damn sure be fun.
 
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While I worked for GM my whole career in the dealer as a tech and manager, I am at heart a Ford man.

That said, the LS engine is a marvel of engineering and is without a doubt the most amazing candidate for swaps since the original small block came out.

I would love to put one in a mini truck like an old Datsun or an early Toyota Corolla when they were rear drive.
Same here. Blue blood Ford guy. I love the LS series engines. GM really has something there.

I saw a Fox Body Mustang with an LS-6 swap doing high 10's in a 1/4 mile. I ask the owner what it been done to the LS-6 and he replied long tube headers and re-mapping the fuel/air. He figured with a few more low-budget mods it would be in the low 10's. That was truly one of my favorite Mustangs ever. I love my fox body Mustang's but my dream is the LS swap in one now. I want an LS-7 from Summit in one. I know how bad the little 225hp 302's twisted those cars, I can only imagine 500-600hp in one. The sad part is I would only want one to show my ass in. It really wouldn't be practical for anything but it would damn sure be fun.
We went to Darlington this weekend to run the fuel car to get some data on all our new systems before Charlotte in September. TONS of Mustangs with LS engines. Some turbo, some blown all ran good. A lot of the guys had a problem keeping the front end down.
 
While I worked for GM my whole career in the dealer as a tech and manager, I am at heart a Ford man.

That said, the LS engine is a marvel of engineering and is without a doubt the most amazing candidate for swaps since the original small block came out.

Same here. Blue blood Ford guy. I love the LS series engines. GM really has something there.


You realize an LS is just a Windsor with good heads. It has more in common with a small block for then anything else.
 
I saw a Fox Body Mustang with an LS-6 swap doing high 10's in a 1/4 mile. I ask the owner what it been done to the LS-6 and he replied long tube headers and re-mapping the fuel/air. He figured with a few more low-budget mods it would be in the low 10's. That was truly one of my favorite Mustangs ever. I love my fox body Mustang's but my dream is the LS swap in one now. I want an LS-7 from Summit in one. I know how bad the little 225hp 302's twisted those cars, I can only imagine 500-600hp in one. The sad part is I would only want one to show my ass in. It really wouldn't be practical for anything but it would damn sure be fun.
You want a fox body to go fast for cheap...put a LS or LQ motor in it.
 
...and look at that center console ashtray door! @fieldgrade knows what I'm talking about.

Yep, lol.

Mine was just a little wonky, and it had been replaced. ;)

It's danged near impossible to find a coupe like that to build.
 
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While I completely agree that it's a WHOLE lot easier to get a LOT more power out of an LS motor than it is a Ford Mod motor, getting 435hp out of a 5 liter N/A is quite impressive.

I remember when if you had 450HP you were the shitttt. Now, you need 600 to be "cool"
I'm 29, so watch the old man comments haha

my 91 fox had a 306 and 80mm turbo. Looked like do do, but that was the point.

Buddy had a coupe we put a LQ9 (6.0 truck motor) and a 80mm turbo. Swap the headers around and had 8k in the whole car and it ran 10.6 first pass 1/4
 
If you swap anything into a Fox, do it right...




1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-front.jpg


1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-engine-head-on.jpg

1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-engine-bay.jpg




...and look at that center console ashtray door! @fieldgrade knows what I'm talking about.




1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-interior.jpg
My former boss had a coupe with a Coyote swap. Boss intake and a few other small mods (including laughing gas), and you could eat off any part of the car. It ran high-9s in the 1/4 with full interior and no cage. Only grudge race he ran with it took home 13k vs a 1000hp Talon. Coyotes ain't no joke and, imo, have as much or more potential than LS series traitor, errrr GM, motors.
 
It may share some geometry cues, but that's a stretch. I will agree that the heads are what make the LS the curb stomper it is.

The LS has more in common with a SBF then a SBC. LS head will nearly bolt on to a Windsor block. A few minor mods and they work.
 
The LS has more in common with a SBF then a SBC. LS head will nearly bolt on to a Windsor block. A few minor mods and they work.

GM did a complete redesign just like Ford did in the 60's (going to the Windsor V8). The same used to be said about Ford going to the 90° and scrapping the "Y" block. It is just hard to get the the same power out of a SBF for the money.

@MurphyLong , I have owned many 5.0 Fox bodies but my favorite was a 1980 Mercury Capri with a SBC in it. It was a fun SOB to drive. I like Fords but love my GM's..lol
 
Just have to work the head bolt holes out to 1/2"
Before anyone says " Get 185 AFR head" a ported LS head flows in the 220-225 range.

https://www.theturboforums.com/threads/ls1-heads-on-a-sbf-yes-they-fit.324772/


http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-0902-motown-ls-engine/
What about the water jackets? They don't line up. What about the inner head bolts? Nothing for them to bolt to. What about an intake manifold? What about the steam vents? A lot of ?'S. The hot rod article you linked is a redesigned SBC block, to accept LS heads. A lot more to it that drill out the holes. And we haven't even gotten into valve train/bumpstick issues. You can put Cleveland heads on a Windsor. I've done it. A lot of work for not really that much in return.
 
What about the water jackets? They don't line up. What about the inner head bolts? Nothing for them to bolt to. What about an intake manifold? What about the steam vents? A lot of ?'S. The hot rod article you linked is a redesigned SBC block, to accept LS heads. A lot more to it that drill out the holes. And we haven't even gotten into valve train/bumpstick issues. You can put Cleveland heads on a Windsor. I've done it. A lot of work for not really that much in return.

That's the thing about hot rodding. Water jacket doesn't have to make up perfectly as long as there is flow and enough of it. head bolt spacing is off .020 hints drilling out the bolt holes to 1/2 (4.4 vs4.380)

Intake manifold - make it..not hard

Steam vents are on early 289/302s. If you want them drill in to the water jacket.

Valve train remains stock on LS head, need a custom grind cam.

It's been done no question about it.
 
If you swap anything into a Fox, do it right...




1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-front.jpg


1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-engine-head-on.jpg

1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-engine-bay.jpg




...and look at that center console ashtray door! @fieldgrade knows what I'm talking about.




1991-ford-mustang-lx-fox-body-interior.jpg
Omg that is beautiful!!!!

I would love to have a Fox body! Especially with a coyote in it!!

DS
 
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It’s in. Transmission is bolted up, cross member in, torque converter bolted up, shift linkage in and adjusted. Power steering is hooked up. Engine Mounts are in.
Now have to tie the two harnesses together and piggy back the original ECM to the LS ECM. Hook up some fuel lines, tranny cooling lines few wires hoses and find a R4 compressor bracket. Or make one.
 
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The swap is completed. Customer picked up truck today. Happy as a pig in well you know. Factory gauges in cluster are working, engine runs strong, transmission shifts smoothly. Retained factory A/c as you can see in the pics. Used as many factory parts as possible to make it look as stock as possible. Relocated battery from passenger side to driver side. Relocated washer fluid reservoir from driver side to passenger side. Retained ABS and cruise control. Looks like it belonged there, if I do say so myself. It can be done on a budget. Now I can get some sleep! On to the next project.
 
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The swap is completed. Customer picked up truck today. Happy as a pig in well you know. Factory gauges in cluster are working, engine runs strong, transmission shifts smoothly. Retained factory A/c as you can see in the pics. Used as many factory parts as possible to make it look as stock as possible. Relocated battery from passenger side to driver side. Relocated washer fluid reservoir from driver side to passenger side. Retained ABS and cruise control. Looks like it belonged there, if I do say so myself. It can be done on a budget. Now I can get some sleep! On to the next project.
Awesome man. It looked good when I was over there a couple weeks ago. You made some quick progress on that piece.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
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Awesome man. It looked good when when I was over there a couple weeks ago. You made some quick progress on that piece.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Thanks bud. We don’t like to keep cars too long. Ties up too much parts money! We had some minor setbacks, brand new rear main housing decided to leak (casting crack damn Dorman product) had to R&R tranny again to fix leak for example.
 
My wife's (who is and drives like a grandma) Tahoe that has been oiled with Mobile 1 for a decade suddenly stared top end rattling. Pulled the oil pressure sending unit- no filter. Dropped the pan, 0.002"on the bearings, no metal. I'd read the oil pump relief valve can stick causing sudden oil pressure drop, replaced the pump, o-ring. Still no pressure, found a cam bearing had spun :(. I've been a mechanic for 35+ years and had never seen an engine pull this stunt.
 
My wife's (who is and drives like a grandma) Tahoe that has been oiled with Mobile 1 for a decade suddenly stared top end rattling. Pulled the oil pressure sending unit- no filter. Dropped the pan, 0.002"on the bearings, no metal. I'd read the oil pump relief valve can stick causing sudden oil pressure drop, replaced the pump, o-ring. Still no pressure, found a cam bearing had spun :(. I've been a mechanic for 35+ years and had never seen an engine pull this stunt.
Sorry to hear of the cam bearing failure. I haven’t seen many cam bearings wipe out on these engines. Usually a lifter goes out and it eats a lobe off the bump stick.
 
Thanks, what suck is this is the 2nd engine to fail, the first one broke a rod and punched a hole in the side of the block. I conferred with multiple GM master techs and they were scratching their heads on both accounts.
I didn't spot it initially, #3 walked out towards the back. I wish there was an easier way to replace the bearings over pulling the block. I've a bum shoulder.
LS cam.JPG
 
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Thanks, what suck is this is the 2nd engine to fail, the first one broke a rod and punched a hole in the side of the block. I conferred with multiple GM master techs and they were scratching their heads on both accounts.
I didn't spot it initially, #3 walked out towards the back. I wish there was an easier way to replace the bearings over pulling the block. I've a bum shoulder.
View attachment 27726
Sure looks like bearing failure. Sounds like a overhaul is in order. I know all about bum body parts. Back, shoulder, knee..... It’s an easy pull though. Should be about a 6 beer job to get it out.
 
I need a hoist and a whipper snipper with a want to learn attitude.
Hoist is easy. Good help....we’ll thats another story! Problem with these young kids nowadays is they think they know everything. In reality it’s humorous to us older folks what they don’t know.
 
I'll be over a young 'uns shoulder as he's using my Snap-On tools. I just don't have any strength with my dominant arm extended and up.
 
Thanks bud. We don’t like to keep cars too long. Ties up too much parts money! We had some minor setbacks, brand new rear main housing decided to leak (casting crack damn Dorman product) had to R&R tranny again to fix leak for example.
I freakin hate dorman parts, to many issues with them over the years.
 
My wife's (who is and drives like a grandma) Tahoe that has been oiled with Mobile 1 for a decade suddenly stared top end rattling. Pulled the oil pressure sending unit- no filter. Dropped the pan, 0.002"on the bearings, no metal. I'd read the oil pump relief valve can stick causing sudden oil pressure drop, replaced the pump, o-ring. Still no pressure, found a cam bearing had spun :(. I've been a mechanic for 35+ years and had never seen an engine pull this stunt.
I had a 2005 f150 with a 5.4 come in last weak with a spun cam bearing, it was keeping the cam phasers from working right. Had good pressure at the low end of the motor but none up top.
 
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