LS swap advice

[RedHeadedLead]

First off, I'm pretty new at this whole forum thing so if there's any thing i need to do differently here let me know.
I'm thinking sometime in the future of swapping a 5.3 into my 95 C1500 and am just looking for build advice really. I have been doing my own research on the side but i want to hear other's experiences to see how easy or difficult this can be.
I'm looking to get around 400 RWHP and will probably have a budget of around 2 grand if that info helps. There are some cheap 5.3s for sale around me.
I don't know if this is needed either but it'll be replacing a relatively low mileage (like 60 or 70000 miles) TBI 305 with a kinda recently rebuilt 4l60e transmission. This will also be a daily driver, i just want to have a little more fun with it.

 

[Idle Serge]

I'm fairly new myself and got a lot to learn. However; if I can direct you in any direction, it would be here: https://www.lt1swap.com/

As far as your budget...I can't fathom being able to do a complete LS swap with 2k...with the mounts, wiring, gaskets, ect...not impossible if you have the fab skills and/or spare parts laying around but that's a tight budget.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

If you can get the wiring harness and PCM with the LS that would help. There's gonna be some PCM tuning to be done.

 

[RedHeadedLead]

I'm fairly new myself and got a lot to learn. However; if I can direct you in any direction, it would be here: https://www.lt1swap.com/

As far as your budget...I can't fathom being able to do a complete LS swap with 2k...with the mounts, wiring, gaskets, ect...not impossible if you have the fab skills and/or spare parts laying around but that's a tight budget.

Thanks for the info.

 

[RedHeadedLead]

If you can get the wiring harness and PCM with the LS that would help. There's gonna be some PCM tuning to be done.

A couple 5.3s around here for sale comes with the harness and ecu. Does $500-700 sound reasonable for a 100000+ miles engine?

 

[RedHeadedLead]

It'll be quite sometime before I'll be able to start on this project so funds can change easily.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

First off, I'm pretty new at this whole forum thing so if there's any thing i need to do differently here let me know.
I'm thinking sometime in the future of swapping a 5.3 into my 95 C1500 and am just looking for build advice really. I have been doing my own research on the side but i want to hear other's experiences to see how easy or difficult this can be.
I'm looking to get around 400 RWHP and will probably have a budget of around 2 grand if that info helps. There are some cheap 5.3s for sale around me.
I don't know if this is needed either but it'll be replacing a relatively low mileage (like 60 or 70000 miles) TBI 305 with a kinda recently rebuilt 4l60e transmission. This will also be a daily driver, i just want to have a little more fun with it.

You would be lucky to put the stock 240 hp to the wheels naturally aspirated on a $2000 swap budget. Your 5.3 would need to make close to 500 hp at the crank to put out 400 rear wheel. By the time you pickup an engine and trans, get the swap mounts and brackets, plumb the fuel system and cooling system, change the fuel pump, build an exhaust system, build an air intake and get the PCM flashed you will have used most of that $2K budget. That is before actually modding anything and tuning it.

I spent nearly 2 years acquiring parts for the 6.0L swap I made on an 87 G20 van. I was able to do the swap for about $2,000. I had a $400 6.0L with harness that came out of a truck that was hit hard. I had to change the timing cover on it because of damage. I got the whole engine with accessories, PCM, TAC module and DBW pedal although I ended up using a Hemi Ram DBW pedal instead on the swap. I found a cheap 4th gen fan assembly and bought a new 88 454 van radiator. I used a $250 junkyard 4L80E behind it. Used ICT billet swap mounts and high mounted a Vortec 350 ac/compressor with a $250 bracket setup fpr a GMT400 truck swap. I built my own harness. I found a set of NIB Speed Engineering C10 swap headers and had an exhaust system built around a 2.5 dual in/3" single out magnaflow I had laying around. I had a set of 5.3 heads laying around that I had Lloyd Elliot port, install 2.00" intake valves and put double springs on. Used a high performance $250 Elgin roller cam. Even still it is only about 350 hp at the tires and it is a 6.0L.

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[Nickpisp]

I’ve just finished my LS swap, it should have close to 400 at the wheels. I can tell you that I have more than $2K in the engine alone.

 

[Crytone]

There's a really great LS Swap GMT400 Facebook group called "LS Swapped 88-98 OBS Trucks/SUV". It's well worth checking out and tons of great information.

For 400 RWHP, your best bet is always displacement or forced air. I would start with a 6.0 (LQ4 or LQ9). I know they are pricier but to get that goal is much easier. At that power level and depending how you drive, you have to start looking at other things too. Rear end and transmission are big things to consider upgrading also.

 

[Kustombuilt1911]

Like others have said.....400rwhp is going to be tough with $2000. I've got a lq9 that'll be going in my Tahoe. I have spent that alone buying the engine, having Texas Speed go through the head & CNC port them. With a cam & TBSS intake I hope to be around 400rwhp. Not saying you can't find deals out there if you want to wait, but it'll be tough.