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LS engine swap almost completed! (1/26)
5/11/14 5:59am

Sarge81

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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

After 11 months of tinkering around for a couple hours a night 5 days a week, I finally turned the key and it came to life. Well sort of. Darn antitheft feature in the PCM needs to be edited out. The engine will run for a few seconds then shut off. But it runs! Big smile

It started out as a aluminum block L33 5.3L out of a wrecked '05 Silverado. Due to the excessive wear from abuse I decided to overhaul it. The cylinder walls were thick enough to bore it out to a 5.7L. So it's basically built to '04 Z06 specs with a step over stock cam. I wanted that muscle car tone while idling.

I'm hoping this picture will be automatically resized as it say per posting instructions. If not I apologize to the dial up crowd. Moderators please resize if needed. Thanks!

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

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Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (2/26)
5/11/14 6:08am

tttanker
Former Member
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Peru, IN - USA

Vette(s):
1978 Blue Edition 2001 Torch Red

Joined: 6/2/2010
Posts: 87

Labor of love (and a few encouraging words I'm sure) pretty amazing engineering and patience. Did you have to do any cutting anywhere on the body or frame..? Good job.

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (3/26)
5/11/14 6:18am

Sarge81

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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

No cutting required. The engine is only 1/4" forward of the original small block.

I think I invented some new words of encouragement doing this. LOL

|UPDATED|5/11/2014 6:18:38 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (4/26)
5/11/14 12:10pm

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

My tuner guy came over today and did some editing on the PCM. The car now runs pretty good. But of course there is alway some issue going to pop up. I have to figure out why my electric fans don't kick on. Even when commanded by the editing software. The relays are clicking when commanded but the fans won't come on. Disapprove

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (5/26)
5/11/14 4:39pm

dads2vette

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Ash Fork, AZ - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Red Interior White exterior

Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058

That just looks sweet. Can't wait to hear it! Maybe when mine is ready, yours will be and we can meet up.

______________
Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!! Long and short term leases available.

In the words of Zora Arkus-Duntov "Is your seat belt fastened? Alright, Let's go"

Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.

Lifetime Member #192

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (6/26)
5/11/14 5:09pm

dyoes
Former Member
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Zachary, LA - USA

Vette(s):
1974 L-48 Auto. Just your basic Vette. GM crate motor w/vortec heads and intake. Crane cam. Scorpion rockers, Edelbrock carb. Lots of parts still in boxes... :(

Joined: 1/27/2013
Posts: 201

Terrific looking install! I'm envious of the LS swap. Power and economy with reliability. Great job! What transmission and gears do you have behind it?

______________

"Let them that don't want none have memories of not gettin' any."
- Brother Dave Gardner

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (7/26)
5/11/14 6:40pm

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

Thanks for the compliments. Thumbs Up

Darryl "dyoes", I have a Tremec TKO500 5 spd. trans. Hydraulic clutch, LS7 clutch disc and pressure plate. LS2 flywheel. The differential is filled with Dana 3.54 gears, smoothed C4 carrier & C4 posi unit, left bearing cap is made of billet steel, hardened stubs. Precision Corvette Differential down in Texas did the differential for me.

I figured out the cooling fans. The alternator took awhile to boot itself up to full voltage so I guess the low voltage was messing with them. Now I can kick 'em on manually if needed and they came on automatically. Whew! Now if I can get the engine to burp the ton of air in it I'll be ready for road testing and then over to the dyno for final tuning.

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (8/26)
5/22/14 8:18pm

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

Well the coolant system is all bled and running cool. I wound up adding a bleeder to the top of the water pump. So far everything is functioning as it should. Fixed a melted wire that went from the alternator to the harness behind the fuse block. Tonight I finished putting the interior all back together, charged the A/C system and gave her, her first bath in nearly a year. Wednesday she goes for a NYS inspection.

I'm a very happy camper now! Big smile

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (9/26)
5/22/14 8:28pm

Very, very nice. I hope the People's Republic of New York gives you a clean bill of health!

______________

"Let them that don't want none have memories of not gettin' any."
- Brother Dave Gardner

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (10/26)
5/22/14 8:34pm

VetteCountry

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Belvidere, IL - USA

Vette(s):
1977 Black T-Top ZZ4 5Sp 16in Wheels

Joined: 10/24/2004
Posts: 438

Glad to here the bleeder worked. Good luck with inspection.

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (11/26)
5/23/14 4:29am

Adams' Apple

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20203

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (12/26)
5/23/14 2:01pm

cingraham
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Brookline, NH - USA

Vette(s):
1976 corvette L82 red interior with white seats and door panels with ceramic headers and flow master exhaust and a Crane Cam

Joined: 5/2/2014
Posts: 46

sweet job !!

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There's nothing better in life then a Vette

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (13/26)
5/25/14 8:43pm

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

Thank you, thank you!

Even though I haven't gotten it inspected yet, I took her out for a maiden voyage today. All I have to say is WOW! So much more refined than the old carburated small block. My tuner/engine guy stopped by and tweaked a few things in the computer. He ok'ed me to stand on it a couple times to see how the power is. It'll throw you back in the seat very nicely. lol. The torque is incredible, and this thing revs much more quicker than the old engine. Nothing like having a modern drivetrain in an old car. Thumbs Up

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (14/26)
5/25/14 9:24pm

Norsky

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Burke, VT - USA

Vette(s):
SOLD - "The Toy" - '70 Convertible
SOLD - "The Beast" - '90 ZR-1 (#682)
SOLD - "Betty" - '28 Ford Model A Tudor
Still have - "BLKBRRD" - '78 Pontiac Trans Am

Joined: 1/23/2002
Posts: 7269

I'm guessing you'll surprise a few "victims" in the "Stoplight Races"...!!! Wink

______________

Jim Olson

"The Toys"...!!! Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (15/26)
5/26/14 5:08am

dads2vette

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Ash Fork, AZ - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Red Interior White exterior

Joined: 4/18/2007
Posts: 1058

Sarge81 said: Thank you, thank you!

Nothing like having a modern drivetrain in an old car. Thumbs Up

Congrats Sarge, I'm guessing there was a huge grin entangled with a sigh of satisfaction! I couldn't agree more about "moderning up" an old car. I suppose the engine swap was all you did to the old girl?

______________
Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!! Long and short term leases available.

In the words of Zora Arkus-Duntov "Is your seat belt fastened? Alright, Let's go"

Yeah, I know, Shut up Dave.

Lifetime Member #192

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (16/26)
5/26/14 11:29am

great pumpkin

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Temperance, MI - USA

Vette(s):
1977 Corvette Orange T-Top 2003 50th Anniv. roadster

Joined: 10/18/2004
Posts: 273

Great looking install Sarge. Looks really tight in there. I'm soooo jealous.

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (17/26)
5/26/14 4:08pm

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

Thanks Michael. Give Terry a hug for us. Miss you guys.

Dave, I gave out a good old loud "Richard Rawlings" Gas Money Garage "WOOH"!!! Time for a burnout now. lol. The only other drivetrain modernizing I did was adding the Tremec 5 spd. a few years ago, now a hydraulic clutch, and had the differential beefed up with some C4 parts inside. Next is a tubular chassis�.oops wait�mama said no to the tubular chassis. Next big thing in a few years I'm going to add a Magnuson TVS2300 supercharger. Mama approves that update. We're addicted to "boost." Clown

Norsky, not that we here at C3VR condone street racing, but um there are times when the throttle may stick during sudden acceleration. Evil Smile

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (18/26)
5/27/14 1:18pm

tttanker
Former Member
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Peru, IN - USA

Vette(s):
1978 Blue Edition 2001 Torch Red

Joined: 6/2/2010
Posts: 87

I saw the Dodge fly past us a couple times up in Wisconsin on the road trips. We need to put a governor on that LS-1 so we can at least have time to wave at ya!! Or was that the Misses driving?

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (19/26)
5/29/14 3:26am

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

tttanker said:

I saw the Dodge fly past us a couple times up in Wisconsin on the road trips. We need to put a governor on that LS-1 so we can at least have time to wave at ya!! Or was that the Misses driving?

�

Lol Don. That was me driving. Michele drives the same as me though. Well the car is inspected and road legal again in the Great Nazi Empire of NYS. Time to put some breaking miles on her now.

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (20/26)
5/29/14 10:35am

danascar
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Germansville, PA - USA

Vette(s):
1974 Coupe 358ci 4 speed Black w/Medium Saddle interior w/79 custom leather seats. . 1999 C5 Convertible, 6 speed, Atomic orange, Oak interior.

Joined: 1/28/2010
Posts: 859

Great job Darryl Exclamation

Been folowing it since you started....can't wait to see/hear it in person Thumbs Up

______________

DanT

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (21/26)
2/12/15 12:54am

daveo76
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Vancouver, WA - USA

Vette(s):
1976 Silver/Firethorn. L48, 4spd. Original 2 bolt, vortec heads, 9.4:1 CR, Speed Pro Cam: 224/224@0.050, 112 LSA, Eagle Steel Crank.

Joined: 8/25/2005
Posts: 869

Awesome job! Looks great. Are you going to have it dyno'd? Did you sell the ZZ4?

I've been thinking about a 5.3 or even 6.0 LS for my '91 Suburban but I'm probably going to just build one of the TBI 350s I have into a vortec 383. I'm always up for a challenge but maybe not THAT much of a challenge Smile

______________

1976 Silver/Firethorn. L48, 4spd. Original 2 bolt, vortec heads, 9.4:1 CR, Speed Pro Cam: 224/224@0.050, 112 LSA, Eagle Steel Crank.

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (22/26)
2/12/15 6:03am

manchestershark

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Equinunk, PA - USA

Vette(s):
1972 conv, 4-speed, 350, 200hp, numbers match, rally wheels, war bonnett yellow w/white top. good condition, nice driver.

Joined: 10/31/2007
Posts: 2465

10-4 on the throttle sticking! Is the rev limiter hooked up? It gets up there WAY to quick. Can't shift it quick enough. Cool

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Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (23/26)
3/5/15 5:52am

cinor

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Canada

Vette(s):
1975 L48 Stingray 1992 LT1

Joined: 12/24/2013
Posts: 414

"Nice" the only problem about hearing about how great it is makes me think ...... maybe i should do this and this to mine,,,, after all it is in pieces how hard would it be to beef it up.

______________

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (24/26)
3/7/15 9:17am

Sarge81

Lifetime Member
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA

Vette(s):
1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.

Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379

I finally have a break from the snow to hang out for awhile.

Dave, I will have it on the dyno this spring. We ran out of time this past fall to get the final tuning done. I did sell the old crate engine. Got $1700 for it. It now lives in a '68 Biscayne wagon. Doing a LS swap into a "Square body" GM truck is much simpler. I would do it if I were you. Evil Smile

Mark, we set the rev limiter to 6500 rpm's. It's amazing how quick it revs. This actually created a problem with shifting the Tremec TKO 5 spd. TKO500's don't like high rpm's. Knowing what I know now, I would have used a T56 or Tremec 6060 6 speed instead. I had to yank the TKO out and have carbon fiber syncro's and brass shift fork pads installed to help with the high rpm shifts.

TKO's are a hodgepodge of truck and car parts I guess. Joel would know more about these than me.

Cindy, now's the time to do it with the body off. It is a big undertaking but not impossible. Time, patience and research is the key. It will cost you around $6k to do. The other alternative to modernizing your car is to go with a throttle body injection unit from FAST, Edelbrock, MSD, or one of the other companies. These bolt right in place of the carburetor and most have a self learning computer so they tune themselves. It about half the cost. Right around $3k to do. Much more reliable and responsive than a carb.

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

3.54 Dana 44

'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975

Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.

Lifetime Member #26

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (25/26)
6/20/18 5:31am

Snipescastle2
Former Member
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Warrensburg, MO - USA

Vette(s):
1994 coupe

Joined: 6/20/2018
Posts: 3

Hi! Can you share some information on your LS Swap? I am curious as to what fittings are needed to link the fuel system pressure and return lines to the LS engine fuel system. I would also like to know if you used the existing fuel pump relay for the in tank fuel pump. I know I'll need to replace the cfi pump to a larger, high pressure pump. also, which headers/exhaust manifolds are you using? any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Ben Smith

Re: LS engine swap almost completed! (26/26)
6/25/18 10:45am

wetvet
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Lake Oswego, OR - USA

Vette(s):
1972 Steel Cities Gray T Top. Original Owner, Original Paint and Interior. The running gear has been rebuilt. only 250,000 miles on the clock..

Joined: 10/17/2003
Posts: 558

Sarge,

Great job with the transplant and tweaking. If it sounds as good as you say, we are all envious.

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