LS1 swap

Is there a way, given the available parts and popular demand, to swap an LS1 into a late 240 without cutting and welding and fabricating a bunch of stuff on your own? I really want to do the swap and my friend works at a speed shop and can get me engine parts and help me build the engine and trans and rear stuff but I don't have torches, welders, etc. My main concerns would be wiring, mounts, and learning engine management like mega squirt or whatever else is out there because you can't just have a regular, never have to touch it, ecu setup, can you?

I know if should look a lot more but from the last 5-10 threads involving v8 swaps, the members all seem to have fabrication skills and shop equipment.

Maybe it's out of my league but I feel it can be done on a budget in one way or another. I assume it would cost anywhere from $7-10k to get it fully done at a shop so that's kinda crazy talk but if the only way to do is be a professional welder/mechanic I guess I'll go another route.

Thanks guys. Any info would be appreciated.

Rouge Status only had to cut and weld on the cross member and trans cross member. He has an ingenious mount setup. You're going to have to cut and weld, as there is no viable kit for mounting without cutting.

He was still working with a truck pan. I have a hunch that you might be able to get away without crossmember notching with the right pan (Holley 302-1 and GM Muscle Car look plausible), but that's unconfirmed (until I suck it up and give it a shot myself).

C5/C6 or Jeep swap brackets (ie, Dirty Dingo, Advance Adapters, Novak) will give a horizontal mount surface that should make for weld-free mounting, but some hole-drilling will still be necessary (along with a backing plate to reinforce around the hole, possibly). Rogue Status used a similar horizontal-surface-providing mount for a RX7 from Ronin Speedworks, IIRC.

$7500 is probably towards the low-end but in the right ballpark for a fully DIY swap, if you don't already have a longblock and transmission.

Got nothin.

But does anybody sell cross members with the mounting surfaces already welded on? Someone ought to make this swap bolt on it's so damn desirable.

And am I under the impression that you NEED to cut the cross member so that you can fit the oil pans IN THERE or so that you can fit the engines so that the hood still CLOSES normally?

Because I would totally rock a Volvo with a hole in the hood for the intake. I guess I couldn't have an air filter sticking out the top though with it not being carbeurated and all

If you can cut the hood, you can cut the cross member!

As for any welding, find a welder on craigslist that can haul his equipment over

Is that all you need to cut to fit it? I might know someone that can weld but let's say I got a good deal on an 5.3 block and ls1 heads and a t56, should I take it and make it work or go a different route?

I thought you have to cut it and weld in new mounts and a lowered section in the middle and piece it back together

emae said:

Is that all you need to cut to fit it? I might know someone that can weld but let's say I got a good deal on an 5.3 block and ls1 heads and a t56, should I take it and make it work or go a different route?

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LM7 heads flow nearly identical to the ls1 heads. You'd have to mill the LS1 heads like 20thou to keep the CR the same. LS1 heads have larger combustion chambers. The valves are a little bigger. The LS1 guys actually do the opposite. They grab the LM7 heads and have them p&p with LS1 valves and spring upgrade. Then they outflow any LS1 head.

emae said:

I thought you have to cut it and weld in new mounts and a lowered section in the middle and piece it back together

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Yes and no. Rogue Status just drilled an extra hole to mount the engine mounts and then used Ronin pedestals. Cut out back of cross member and reweld in a reverse L fashion. You can mod the oil pan to fit so you don't have to do the crossmember, but I can't confirm that will work.

I am running an F-Body (Camaro) pan on my 5.3. Truck pan is WAY too deep. Hackster ran a MAST/Holley pan and still had to notch his cross member. You still need to fabricate an exhaust and convert the clutch pedal to hydraulic, which require welding.

As far as the management and ECU, I am running a harness and ECU from PSI Conversions. $700 and 4 wires to hook up car fired right up and runs reasonably well for a bench tune. A dyno tune will net more power but there are plenty of shops around you in MD.

If you buddy works at a speed shop he has to know someone with a welder.

vertigosity said:

I have a hunch that you might be able to get away without crossmember notching with the right pan (Holley 302-1 and GM Muscle Car look plausible), but that's unconfirmed (until I suck it up and give it a shot myself).

Click to expand...

yes this is possible. I did it, I did notch the crossmember afterwards for ease of removal of the engine with the trans still attached. If you were to just take them out separate it fits really good with the Holley pan.

Also you wont need to cut the hood. Im running the truck intake with a dbw throttle body. It clears the hood.

So is it going to be 1 big turbo or 2 little ones? This is TurboBricks after all....

I honestly want no turbo. Boost is cool and all but I prefer na beasts.

With all the current thread on LS swap I won't make a new thread. I gGot a Lm7 ready to be dropped in my 940 and I was wondering which oil pan the 7/9 guys usually uses? Should I go with an aftermarket pan or any of the flavor based LS pan available?

If you don't like welding, have you considered glue?