Questions for fellas with ls swaps

[Chevyllac]

I picked up a complete set up from a 2004 Tahoe. It comes with the 5.3 engine, 4l60 tranny (w/ transfer case) computer, and wiring harness. There is this guy that I found at a local car show that does engine swaps on c10's and he says he can drop the engine and rewire the harness and make it work for $1500, it will take about 1-1.5 months. My buddy was telling me that we can order a wiring kit from painless or PSI conversions and we can do it ourselves for half the price. Is that correct?? also will I need a new drive line and radiator?? thanks for any help.

[brad_man_72]

Apparently you haven't priced a fuel system, exhaust, or painless harnesses. There's definetly cheaper alternatives to painless.
Your radiator is fine. You will probably need new driveshafts, or yours modfied.

[88Ironduke]

brad man 72 is spot on with the harness. You can make a stand alone harness yourself. Its much easier than you think on the LS harness. The devil is absolutely in the details. It turns into $40 here and a hundred there.... All of the bits and bobs will eat up 1.5K$ fast. If the guy is using good headers, mounts, cross member, fuel components, etc I hate to say the price is pretty tough to beat. However I would be highly suspicious of the parts used. A good set of headers, exhaust, mounts + trans cross member, fuel system, drive line will set you back a grand before picking up a wrench. Last word would be to look at some one else's car or truck he has done an install on. If the work is of decent nature and runs good 1.5K is damn good. If he is using junk, cutting chunks outa the frame rails and such, run away. Buy good stuff and build it yourself.

Just my .02 cents
88Ironduke

[67 chevelle]

1500 is a great price , a couple things im sure he will not change for that is the oil pan , a must if you are lowering the truck , they run around 150 for a musclecar pan , and relocating the tank with an intank pump , he is probly doing an external pump and using the stock tank , nothing wrong with that but is noiser , an takes up room an amp and sub can be put in

[Kennuck]

If he is just dropping in the engine and making it run $1500 is a lot. If it includes all exhaust, cooling, fuel management etc. that is cheap. Get a better idea what you are getting before proceeding.

You can do this yourself its not hard, go to lt1swap.com for very good do it yourself information. It looks very intimidating for the first timer but once you have done one it really is quite easy.

[AZBIG1]

OK. If you are capable of physically mounting the motor, tranny, and t/c Definitely do it yourself. Greatly helps trouble shooting(not that there will be} down the road. Your motor is drive by wire. Keep it. Just have to mount the pedal. Tons of options on exhaust depending what you want. You only need to have the front 2 O2 sensors. Lose the rear 2.
I did a 5.3 in my crawler. Had issues figuring out may harness(turned out 1/2 was wrong) so found Wayne Hartwig on Pirate 4x4. After many emails answering my many questions I sent the ECU and harness to him in Washington. He has developed a custom tune over the years of running a 5.3 in his Jeep that just rips! Safely. $150 tune for life. Want to change something? Raise rev limiter? change shift points? just send him the ECU and pay shipping. His partner Dave can do the harness for $250.00. I sent 40 lbs. Got back 5lbs! Nice small clean 6 fuse box losing the factory monster. Can be configured as little as a 3 wire hookup! Mine was 8 or 9 I believe. Battery, ground, ign, starter, tach, 2 fans for radiator individually controlled by the ECU for 2 separate temps, fuel pump, and VSS That I had installed in my Atlas T/C. I ran a th400.
You will not be disappointed. He has hundreds if not thousands of rigs using his tunes. Just tell him Chuck Waggoner(cwaggoner on Pirate) sent you to him.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/motor...-150-life.html

[69Rumbler]

Gene Jones 714 650 0042 he is a drive from you but he dose good work tell him i sent you ( Johnny ) ... he did my swap just to see what he would charge you

[D.PASSMORE]

take a look at this link, hope it helps...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=206

[1972farmtruck]

If his name victor from a****er hes well worth it and does his own programing and wiring, fuel hook up and so on ive had three done so far ! Great job

[mcm1209]

Installing engine and trans: $210 + ship
https://www.performanceonline.com/19...ION-MOUNT-KIT/

Here in Houston I can get a harness done up stand alone for about $200 (not including price of harness)

Misc hoses fittings wire etc $300
High press fuel pump $200

Headers $350
Exhaust shop $150
Mufflers $200 or so
E fan set up $150 For 06+ truck dual fans
You can make your own fan harness or buy one $100

Thats $1860

He will more than likely use used parts ass far hoses fittings
No headers
Exhaust will likely be just put together but something you will have to redo when you do headers
He will probably use an old high press fuel pump from a junk yard

That is extremely cheap for what he is saying he can do.
It just depends on exactly what he is doing and providing for the $1500

[Vova]

I looked into doing this in the Bay Area and it was much more than $1500. Find out more details about what's included.
Sometimes it's nice to have someone else do it for you...

[Chevyllac]

Thanks for all the helpful info guys. I just spoke with the guy to see exactly what the price included, it's just his work and nothing else. He will re-do the harness, flash the computer, and install the engine, anything else is extra. So what Im getting from you guys is that $1500 is a bit over priced

[pancho's 67]

To me it was worth sending out my wiring harness. They wired in two fan relays, and a small fuse block to protect the harness.
A reputable guy should be able to give you a fixed cost on this. All the parts are known parts once you two decide exactly what he is going to do. It can get very costly with all the little things that add up.

[67 chevelle]

Originally Posted by Chevyllac

Thanks for all the helpful info guys. I just spoke with the guy to see exactly what the price included, it's just his work and nothing else. He will re-do the harness, flash the computer, and install the engine, anything else is extra. So what Im getting from you guys is that $1500 is a bit over priced

If he is giving you the truck back in roadworthy running condition , IMO thats a good price , I have done several ls swaps , the 67-72 c10 swap is fairly easy , the 2 issues that will come up are ac , ls ac systems are low on the passenger side and interfere with the frame , will have to be relocated if you are running ac , its costly , and like I mentioned in my first post , the oil pan , for a stock height truch the stock pan is good , but if you are lowering the truck at all , the least expensive way is with a musclecar pan , around 150-175 $

[Chevyllac]

Originally Posted by AZBIG1

OK. If you are capable of physically mounting the motor, tranny, and t/c Definitely do it yourself. Greatly helps trouble shooting(not that there will be} down the road. Your motor is drive by wire. Keep it. Just have to mount the pedal. Tons of options on exhaust depending what you want. You only need to have the front 2 O2 sensors. Lose the rear 2.
I did a 5.3 in my crawler. Had issues figuring out may harness(turned out 1/2 was wrong) so found Wayne Hartwig on Pirate 4x4. After many emails answering my many questions I sent the ECU and harness to him in Washington. He has developed a custom tune over the years of running a 5.3 in his Jeep that just rips! Safely. $150 tune for life. Want to change something? Raise rev limiter? change shift points? just send him the ECU and pay shipping. His partner Dave can do the harness for $250.00. I sent 40 lbs. Got back 5lbs! Nice small clean 6 fuse box losing the factory monster. Can be configured as little as a 3 wire hookup! Mine was 8 or 9 I believe. Battery, ground, ign, starter, tach, 2 fans for radiator individually controlled by the ECU for 2 separate temps, fuel pump, and VSS That I had installed in my Atlas T/C. I ran a th400.
You will not be disappointed. He has hundreds if not thousands of rigs using his tunes. Just tell him Chuck Waggoner(cwaggoner on Pirate) sent you to him.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/motor...-150-life.html

Originally Posted by 67 chevelle

If he is giving you the truck back in roadworthy running condition , IMO thats a good price , I have done several ls swaps , the 67-72 c10 swap is fairly easy , the 2 issues that will come up are ac , ls ac systems are low on the passenger side and interfere with the frame , will have to be relocated if you are running ac , its costly , and like I mentioned in my first post , the oil pan , for a stock height truch the stock pan is good , but if you are lowering the truck at all , the least expensive way is with a musclecar pan , around 150-175 $

Im not really interested in having a/c, as far as the oil pan having to be replaced if the truck is lowered that definately has to get done. Im assuming we're talking about the engine pan and not the tranny pan? What pan do u recommend?? Thanks for the info.

[67 chevelle]

Originally Posted by Chevyllac

Im not really interested in having a/c, as far as the oil pan having to be replaced if the truck is lowered that definately has to get done. Im assuming we're talking about the engine pan and not the tranny pan? What pan do u recommend?? Thanks for the info.

here is a link to the one I used on my 68 s10 , it has plenty of clearance , my truck is lowered 3-5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-PERFORMAN...842442&vxp=mtr

[AZBIG1]

The truck motors oil pans are 3" lower than most tranny pans. In the rock crawler world guys like to swap in a pan from an f-body(camaro) but dont know if the crossmember will interfere with these trucks. I'm hoping to do a LS swap in the near future as these motors are just pure awesomeness!

[outlaw 3454]

why cant a guy do it like we do race cars and just cut and box in the crossmember? thats what im planning on doing.

[69lsxc10]

The oil pan dousnt interfere with the crossmember its close but its a good fit. It just hangs low about 2-3 inches. As for chevyllac u mentioned a transfer case is ur tranny off a 4x4?

[Chevyllac]

Originally Posted by outlaw 3454

why cant a guy do it like we do race cars and just cut and box in the crossmember? thats what im planning on doing.

that would be a good idea, but I like driving my trruck about 2" off the ground

[Chevyllac]

Originally Posted by 69lsxc10

The oil pan dousnt interfere with the crossmember its close but its a good fit. It just hangs low about 2-3 inches. As for chevyllac u mentioned a transfer case is ur tranny off a 4x4?

yeah it was from a 4 wheel drive tahoe but I have been told that the trasnfer case can be removed and I can add a new tail shaft??

[Chevyllac]

Originally Posted by 67 chevelle

here is a link to the one I used on my 68 s10 , it has plenty of clearance , my truck is lowered 3-5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-PERFORMAN...842442&vxp=mtr

thanks for the link I will order that today.

[Lees68GMC]

I used the Tranny cross-member in the previous posts Link, it's Great also the Stock location Hooker Header Engine mounts yielded a ton of room from the fire wall and about 2" of oil pan (2005 Suburban 5.3 4L65E) hanging below the OEM k-member. No exhaust hangs below the frame. My GMC does have leaf springs in back with a 74' 12 bolt rear.

[Chevyllac]

correct me if I'm wrong but I was reading something along the lines of needing the gas pedal accelerator and the tac module??? so I would have to replace the accelerator pedal aswell??

[Chevyllac]

Originally Posted by Lees68GMC

I used the Tranny cross-member in the previous posts Link, it's Great also the Stock location Hooker Header Engine mounts yielded a ton of room from the fire wall and about 2" of oil pan (2005 Suburban 5.3 4L65E) hanging below the OEM k-member. No exhaust hangs below the frame. My GMC does have leaf springs in back with a 74' 12 bolt rear.

thanks for the pics and the info