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Budget LS Swap in my 72


Shnalla

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I'm seriously considering swapping a LS engine in my 72.

As I do not live in the U.S, I know I will have to spend a big amount of money in shipping and taxes, so I'm trying to find the best deal.

LQ4 or LM7 are on my wish-list, and spend a lot of time watching Craigslist ads for LS engines.

Most of the engines are around 1k$. On the other hand, many online magazine like hotrod.com says they get their motor for 500$ in a junkyard.

Are sellers on Craigslist going crazy with prices?!

 

I forget to mention that I'm looking for an engine with accessories but no harness or ECM.

 

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My son in-law paid $3,500 for his motor and transmission plus shipping from Texas to Indiana. The engine only had 46,000 miles on it and cleaned up nicely. He got the complete engine with harness.

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Check out lkq for good complete budget ls swap engines or a new gm performance 5.3 is also a good option. Just be careful with craigslist never know who your buying from.

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Check out lkq for good complete budget ls swap engines or a new gm performance 5.3 is also a good option. Just be careful with craigslist never know who your buying from.

Didn't know this site, thanks for the tips!

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I went thru this last summer when i put in a LM7 5.3 off a 02 Silverado it had 125k.
I got it off E-bay for $900 and $300 shipping from New Hampshire to New Mexico.
I sold my 350/th350 for $1400 so basically the old motor paid for the new one.
In all i have $2300 in the swap. This includes rebuilding a 4l60E.

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I went thru this last summer when i put in a LM7 5.3 off a 02 Silverado it had 125k.

I got it off E-bay for $900 and $300 shipping from New Hampshire to New Mexico.

I sold my 350/th350 for $1400 so basically the old motor paid for the new one.

In all i have $2300 in the swap. This includes rebuilding a 4l60E.

 

Hi Vincent, 

 

Are you happy with your engine?

Do you swap the stock LM7 cam too?

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I'm very pleased with the swap, the throttle response is insane. It will break the tire loose with no effort at all. I was looking for a car that will cruse and yet have a little get up and go. I did change the stock cam with a zO6/ ls9 cam I also changed the springs with LS9 ones. Between the two and a coustom tune it meets all my needs. I put a rebuilt 4l60e behind it and runs at 1900 rpm at 75mph. I see a new rearend in the future.

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Forgot to mention I installed a 3000 stall tourque converter that really made a differance. PM me or call me if you have any questions. 505-239-1601

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  • 1 month later...

Forgot to mention I installed a 3000 stall tourque converter that really made a differance. PM me or call me if you have any questions. 505-239-1601

 

Thank you Vince. Telephone is a bit tricky as i'm not fluent in english!

 

I'm currently looking car-part.com low mileage engine.

There are a lot of complete engines in my budget( between $500 and $700). 

I'm not sure if it's the best solution. I often read "engine tested" "runs good" or "good compression" but can I trust junkyards ?

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Personally i would stay with a business like LQK or Ebay they offer some type of warranty. 

It would be even better if you could hear the engine run  before buying.

Junk yard finds are a good deal but you really need to know what your looking at,  I for one could not tell a good one from a bad one.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

some updates ; I finally bought a used 5.3 from a junkyard on ebay. 

The seller gave me a lot of information about the engine and the truck it was pulled from. 

I ended up paying 700$ including harness, front accessories, drive by wire pedal assembly and shipping.

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  • 1 year later...

Little update.

Since my last post, things didn't move as expected.
Engine is still in my garage, and the garage is a real P***  (clay floor...).
post-578-0-44540500-1504782218_thumb.jpg

We were looking to buy a house but things where a bit complicated.

Engine blocks is waiting for paint, new pistons, new camshaft, new lifters and trunion upgrade.
I'm a bit stuck with wiring harness and I'm considering buying a new standalone harness to get things done.
 

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Little update.

 

Since my last post, things didn't move as expected.

Engine is still in my garage, and the garage is a real P***  (clay floor...).

attachicon.gifIMG_20160902_174043.jpg

 

We were looking to buy a house but things where a bit complicated.

 

Engine blocks is waiting for paint, new pistons, new camshaft, new lifters and trunion upgrade.

I'm a bit stuck with wiring harness and I'm considering buying a new standalone harness to get things done.

 

What are you stuck with on the harness?  I've been using www.lt1swap.com for information on what to pull and what to keep.

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What are you stuck with on the harness?  I've been using www.lt1swap.com for information on what to pull and what to keep.

 

Well, I'm not sure that the stock harness is complete. 

Also, using the drive by wire plus my TH350 is giving me headache! 

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Well, I'm not sure that the stock harness is complete. 

Also, using the drive by wire plus my TH350 is giving me headache! 

Which year engine did you buy?  Depending on the year of the computer you may be able to swap to a cable throttle body.  Otherwise, you'll need to attach a bracket to the drive by wire pedal to actuate the kickdown.  Here's some information on mating the engine and transmission together:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/1255185-what-all-required-mate-th350-5-3-a.html

 

The LT1Swap site has wiring diagrams, that will let you know if your harness is complete.

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