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Engine Swaps

NOS2006

By NOS2006
in Tech Section

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NOS2006 Newbie

NOS2006

Posted
Posted

I had to drive out to Lansing earlier and for some reason or another I got to thinking about a project I mentioned last year sometime.

Say one day I do decide to restore a C3. However, I decide that I want an LS1 and T56 in it. How do people do this? Do you put an OBDII system in the C3? Do you somehow remove the OBDII and sensors from the LS1 and trans?

I'm sure there are threads on a Corvette forum on this exact swap, but I'm curious how they would do that... go from old school with no electronics to new(er) school with wires up the wazoo.

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted
I had to drive out to Lansing earlier and for some reason or another I got to thinking about a project I mentioned last year sometime.

Say one day I do decide to restore a C3. However, I decide that I want an LS1 and T56 in it. How do people do this? Do you put an OBDII system in the C3? Do you somehow remove the OBDII and sensors from the LS1 and trans?

I'm sure there are threads on a Corvette forum on this exact swap, but I'm curious how they would do that... go from old school with no electronics to new(er) school with wires up the wazoo.

Here's the thing, NOS. This is a tougher swap than merely the electronic concerns may indicate. There are physical barriers to using an LS engine in a car that never saw one from the factory. Mount points are very different than the traditional smallblock (same goes for the trans.) a host of other details are also in the way. For this reason, I have decided to use the Ramjet 350 smallblock efi engine in Project Camino. The engine itself is plug and play, and it comes with a stand alone controller. The physical swap of an LS engine is actually the hardest part of retofitting an older car as several aftermarket companies can handle the electronic issues pretty easily.

The flip side is that some older cars have the option of conversion kits to properly install the LS. I have seen them for older Camaros/Firebirds, Chevelles and such, but I have yet to see one for the Vette. I'd do a search or three to see what's out there for the Vette. For my project, the ramjet is a much simpler solution.

balthazar

balthazar

Posted
Posted

Well, if there's a 'plug-n-play' choice for an engine you prefer, by all means that's the way to go (duh!).

But just about any motor you can think of has, at one time, been shoehorned into any car you can think of.

There's one small tool that allows this, a welder.

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted
Well, if there's a 'plug-n-play' choice for an engine you prefer, by all means that's the way to go (duh!).

But just about any motor you can think of has, at one time, been shoehorned into any car you can think of.

There's one small tool that allows this, a welder.

So true, and the one thing I have never done. I really need to gain that skill and capability. Welding opens so many doors of possibility.

Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted
http://matt.undiagnosed.org/Black70.html

That's what I found. Pretty good coverage of exactly what he used.

That's another good link, I've looked into Speartech myself and they have their act together.

This kind of stuff really points out how much the net has changed my life, projects of this scope don't seem so impossible anymore. Which is a good thing because I love this type of update on cars with classic design.

balthazar

balthazar

Posted
Posted

RE: welding- actually, it becomes less and less useful the newer the car is you're working on. Modern sheetmetal is laughably thin and unweldable, and nearly half of new cars are plastic. But it damned sure came in handy (& neccessary!) working on the '59.

SuperSport623 Newbie

SuperSport623

Posted
Posted (edited)
RE: welding- actually, it becomes less and less useful the newer the car is you're working on. Modern sheetmetal is laughably thin and unweldable, and nearly half of new cars are plastic. But it damned sure came in handy (& neccessary!) working on the '59.

i want it more to work on my car and other old cars.... so i can do simple things like minitubs, cutting/replacing rotted panels, and cleaning up holes like on the firewall...

again, screw new cars... :AH-HA_wink:

Edited by SuperSport623
Camino LS6 Newbie

Camino LS6

Posted
Posted
RE: welding- actually, it becomes less and less useful the newer the car is you're working on. Modern sheetmetal is laughably thin and unweldable, and nearly half of new cars are plastic. But it damned sure came in handy (& neccessary!) working on the '59.

I'd be using it on the old stuff, the new stuff isn't what I want to work on.

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