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Cheapest way to an LS swap

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centexk5

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I’m beginning to get familiar with HP Tuners and it has me contemplating an LS swap on the blazer. Everyone says it’s cheaper than building a 383. The Achilles heel of the plan is I’m not an electrical guru so repinning and rewriting harnesses is out of the question so I’ll need to buy a pre made one.

From what I’m researching, a junkyard ls can be had from $500-2000, wiring harness about $600, engine mounts for $200, flex plate to adapt to my th350 $150, $100 for a fuel pump, maybe another $100 in fuel lines, gauges I’d imagine there is an adapter but likely I’ll go aftermarket so there’s another $4-600. So assuming I get an engine for $500, I’m looking at about $2,050-$3,550. What else am I missing for this? Forget a 4l60//4l80 swap as that adds a bunch of cost and complexity to this swap.
 
That’s been my thinking. $500 in machine work, $800 for the rotating assembly, $800 for aluminum heads, $200 for a good cam and lifter kit, another $200 for gaskets and a double roller timing chain. $2500 and it’s a straight drop in.
 
There’s pull out and wrecked trucks. Do research. Lots of guys pulling 5.3 engines out of square bodies
They are very peaky on torque, and have their own quirks and issues just like everything else
 
centexk5 said:
That’s been my thinking. $500 in machine work, $800 for the rotating assembly, $800 for aluminum heads, $200 for a good cam and lifter kit, another $200 for gaskets and a double roller timing chain. $2500 and it’s a straight drop in.
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Thats my jam. Everyone thumping about ls are worse then the cummins fan boys.

You should be able to build a solid 450hp sbc for 3500 with proper part selection.
Or swap for a 200k worn out LS with 300hp.
 
Best way would be just buy a truck that came with one factory..:crazy:

I have looked into all involved to install a LS into a square body and decided its too involved,too many new parts needed (special motor mounts,crankshaft pilot adapter,and countless "nickel & dime" items that are a PITA to get and adapt,then you must be able to get the ECM and wire it up or buy a new harness).....

I think it may be "easier" to buy a newer LS equipped truck and drop the square body nose,cab and bed on its frame,but then you'd lose the solid front axle--but up here 90% of all 2000 and newer GM trucks have severely rotted frames..so you can buy engines,transmissions and any other parts cheap,there is such a glut of them being scrapped here now--too bad you have to hunt for a truck with a frame worth swapping parts into,they aren't cheap if they aren't rotted,even with a blown motor or other expensive drive train item..

I did several small block to 454 swaps on my older square bodies and found it very straight forward,no real hardships encountered along the way,and they look factory when your done..
 
The 5.3 and 6.0 never impressed me for power but stock fuel injection benefits really are nice. You would need to gear appropriately to wind em up high enough to feel like your investment was worth it. In my opinion of course.
 
Cheapest way is to keep the 350... I contemplated for months to do an LS swap, Just no way to do it cheap that I found. Some say “it’s plug and play” well, not really. Rebuilding what you have would be an actual drop-in and go scenario, LS is not.

Keep the small block and do an EFI type thing...

Not on your list unless I missed it. You’ll need exhaust for the LS and cooling, digital gauges (eventually) as well.
 
i think the cheapest/fastest/easiest way to swap an LS might be:

1) get an electromotive DIS ignition system. This is distributor-less, coil-on-plug (since there's no provision for distributor) Pretty sure they make LS compatible 58X tooth disks Should be pretty easy to set up and adjust.
Or front mount distributor kit.

2) carb manifold and carb.

3) Purolator dura-lift fuel pump. This electric pump (since the LS has no mechanical fuel pump provision, at least none that i know of.....) pulls and well as pushes, so it's easy to install almost anywhere in the fuel line, although it's still probably best to install in near the tank and below tank level.....

And that's it. But then how is this cheaper easier than an SBC........?
 
obijuank5 said:
The 5.3 and 6.0 never impressed me for power but stock fuel injection benefits really are nice. You would need to gear appropriately to wind em up high enough to feel like your investment was worth it. In my opinion of course.
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I'd be doing it for the upgradeability and tuning ability of the LS. Gears are a requirement as I'm running 37's on 3.73's right now and it sucks.

TJ1978 said:
Cheapest way is to keep the 350... I contemplated for months to do an LS swap, Just no way to do it cheap that I found. Some say “it’s plug and play” well, not really. Rebuilding what you have would be an actual drop-in and go scenario, LS is not.

Keep the small block and do an EFI type thing...

Not on your list unless I missed it. You’ll need exhaust for the LS and cooling, digital gauges (eventually) as well.
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I see people saying they are doing it for under a $1000 and I'm scratching my head wondering how. Sure I could sell off some old parts but what's a stock 350 that's been bored 60 over fetch? $200?

The exhaust I didn't have up there but the gauges I did so figure another couple hundred in piping for that.

Adding fuel injection would add another $1900 to the $2500 of the 383 bringing it up to $4400.
 
Its 5-8 grand. 5 years ago, sure everything was less expensive. If you're not a parts hustler, its gonna cost you.
 
When I was shopping around 2 years ago on a C10 with a tired oil burning engine. the absolute cheapest quotes I was getting in Arizona and this is with them providing the LS and doing the complete install was $8-10k at the lowest and it went way up from there. I could not justify emptying my savings account for an engine install on a truck that won’t see more than 3,000 miles year, at most.

If you have all the parts including the engine and assuming you keep your tranny, plus do most, if not all the work yourself, maybe you could squeak out a cheaper end-result. I was not successful in going that route.

I did however, find a local guy who builds engines and purchased a rebuilt 350 for about $2000. That cost included giving him my old 350.

I’m satisfied I kept the SBC and didn’t go the LS route. I doubt I ever will go LS. I don’t have the experience most do here and I figure I can fumble through SBC “repairs” and maintenance. I’m not trying to underestimate the 350 workings and problems one could encounter, but it doesn’t have a computer, so!!. Having all that computer shiz would just make my rookie-self have an even tougher time.

Further after not going the LS route, it gave me time to ponder. Why would I want to spend that kind of money installing an engine that already has over 100,000 miles at least on it? In my newbie-ish opinion, I just don’t see them as the end-all be-all in engine performance. But maybe my inexperience prevents me from being LS or bust kind of guy?
 
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I kept hitting 3600-5000 pricing out for a 6.0, since I refused to run the smaller engine as these are already not very torquey on the low end. That was installing it myself

Hard to spend that on a used engine. There’s no magic in these that makes them that much better
 
centexk5 said:
I'd be doing it for the upgradeability and tuning ability of the LS.
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Upgradeability? You sir win the day for the the weirdest comment of the day.

I understand there are a million parts available for a LS. But when you make a statement like that, it's Almost to say the SBC doesn't have any Upgrades available. Their literally have been over 100 million small blocks built.
There isn't a engine in this galaxy thats more revered then the SBC. Pretty sure Darth Vader had a few on the death star......
While I don't think you meant it like that, it just struck me as odd.
 
If I was gonna swing $5k at a used engine swap, I’d find a used L29 powered burban. They can be had for cheap.
Sell everything off the truck but the engine and have money for Del Taco
Buy some aftermarket heads and cam, add a ProFlow

Party
 
beags86 said:
Upgradeability? You sir win the day for the the weirdest comment of the day.

I understand there are a million parts available for a LS. But when you make a statement like that, it's Almost to say the SBC doesn't have any Upgrades available. Their literally have been over 100 million small blocks built.
There isn't a engine in this galaxy thats more revered then the SBC. Pretty sure Darth Vader had a few on the death star......
While I don't think you meant it like that, it just struck me as odd.
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I should clarify. It’s hard to beat an LS in terms of ease of power upgrades and drive ability. Cam and a tune and you’ve got nearly a 100hp bump that drives stock. Hard to get that on a carb’d SBC.
 
If you like to piddle in HPTuners, theres a lot to be gained there. But definitely do homework before you buy an LS.
They like to loose the cam bearings, too

I'm pretty happy with the crate I installed instead of the LS.
If I did it again, I'd probably do an L29 bottom end.
YMMV
 
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