In part yes, but....sequential port fuel injection, electronic ignition, knock sensors allow the engines to develop very good torque at much lower rpm. That saves gas. But that wasn't my main reason for the swap. I wanted to turn the key and drive, that's why I updated the AC, wiring, etc.
My Richmond 6 speed only has a 0.76 OD. I probably could have run a lower 6th, but I underestimated the torque range of the 6.0.
Btw, the 5.3 LSx in my 72 442, 4 speed, no OD gets about 22mpg city/hiway combo (daily driver). I've never seen a small block Chevelle or Olds that gets over mid to high teens.
And I dont care how it looks only how well it runs.

 

Renegade is a good intake thats the only CF type one Id use on a 383 anything else is a waste.

Stock LS getting over 20mpg hwy strictly cruising Id believe but high 20s avg no way..especially modded. Rough figured the mpg on my 383 6 spd it would make most cry. Good thing I dont care its horrendous.

 

Richmond 6 speed with a 0.76 OD works with a 3.08 rear. Botl in, reuses you bell clutch linkage, driveshaft, etc. Ony mod is lowering the crossmember mount about 1/2"

 

Richmond 6spd works great with my 3.08 rear gear.I love the gear spacing,not much rpm loss on upshift's and I can use the .76 6th gear as low as 45mph with out lugging the motor.Gotta love that 1st gear growl ,and rowing thru all 6 gears is a blast....
[IMG][/IMG]

 

The info on your 5.3 LSx is great, exactly the the type of info many of us are looking for - sort of an apples to apples comparison.

 

This is one of those things where you need to "do the math" on the overall cost of the conversion - outside of the engine itself. I've done a couple of 5.3 conversions on Chevy trucks, and while it's an AMAZING retrofit...it ain't cheap by the time everything is done.

 

Leaning towards the 383. It's gonna need new paint eventually and almost entire new interior (at least to get to my standards). Also a concerned about the rear end holding up.

 

Of course good thing I have some time on this. So many options, it makes my head spin.

 

Going with a Gen 1 small block (350,383,400, ect) will cost a lot less money and take a lot less time to install because it all just bolts in.

An LSx conversion will give your car all the awesome attributes of a modern car engine that we all have come to know and love and appreciate. Turn the key and immediately drive away, hot or cold, doesn't matter. Far better efficiency and MPG. No more reeking of exhaust after a drive. In my mind, the biggest plus is the almost unlimited potential of the LSx platform. Those motors can make some serious power and get decent MPG without breaking a sweat, all the while having decent streetability. With the A/C on. With a mild hydraulic roller cam. Getting 20+ MPG. Try doing that with a Gen 1 engine! I'm not talking about stock engines, I am talking about enignes putting out 500+ hp to the rear wheels. Apples to apples at the same power level, the Gen 1 engine would be radical.

I have a 406 Gen 1 small block in my vette. 3 years ago, when the FAST Ez-Efi system came out, I thought it was pretty cool, so I installed it. Works great, I love it. I never really paid attention to exactly what happened to my MPG, but I do know it went up. 2 years ago, I swapped out my TH400 auto for a TKO600 5 spd with the .64 OD. That is when I really noticed an increase in the MPG. I recently went on a trip several hours away with a bunch of guys with C5's and C6's. While I couldn't match their MPG, I wasn't that far behind. I used about 75% of my fuel, while they used about 62% of their fuel.

If my 406 ever dies, it will be replaced with an LSx. I actually wish I had spent more money and did the LSx swap instead of adding the Ez-Efi. At least my car now has an EFI fuel system in place for the future LSx!

If you have the money to do the LSx swap, and want all that comes with a modern engine design, then just do it.

If you decide to go with a Gen 1 engine, then I would highly suggest you at least do a 5 or 6 spd swap too.

 

One other comparison. With the 30+ yr old big cam 350 in the vette, I was chasing leaks or some problem every trip. Now, with the 6.0, I turn the key and drive it.
On the 72 442, the previous owner came by, he still has an 8mpg 455 with a 3.91 rear, but wanted to check out my motor. I had been driving it all summer.... but I actually forgot where the hood latch was in addition to the hood pins.
Both are like driving a new car. Check the fluids every couple months, and there's a check engine light for real problems.
After going through the suspension, steering, electrical, etc...it didn't make sense to me to keep an old school gen I motor.
But I wasn't in a hurry. It takes months for an LS swap, a 383 can be installed in a weekend.

 

LSX is definitely the way to go!

Fuel Mileage would not be the main reason for the swap if ask me.. Good mileage can be obtained from a Gen1. I remember some of the people with stock L82s and L48s reporting 17-19 mpg with a rebuild q-jet.

My DD is a stock 2010 Camaro LS3 M6. Under normal driving conditions, I average about 17-18 mpg. The car is bone stock. It's a blast to drive for sure. I think the most enjoyable part of driving it is how smooth everything is. Which is something that can definitely be accomplished with a Gen1, but it will too will require more money.

The main advantages that I see out of the LSX is power potential and less maintenance. Not only that, there seems to be a better market when it comes to aftermarket parts.

If it were me personally, I would consider a 5.3, 6.0, or 6.2. I wouldn't really give the 5.7 much thought simply because the 5.3 and the 5.7 are so similar I couldn't justify the extra cost of the 5.7. There are plenty of 5.3s that can be bought cheap.. I would mainly go this route if I was only looking to put in a little bigger cam and have a cruiser.

If you are building a hot street machine, you must go with the 6.0 at the very least. The LS3 heads are worth every penny!

Hope this helps!

 

Since the mention of 383, you do have another option. World Products makes a crossbreed Motown block, that's all Gen I down low to drop right in, and uses LS heads and induction up top. One of the weekend Power Block TV shows made a 383 out of one of these, and was over 500 hp. Maybe worth checking into.

 

I believe this is the episode.

 

Now THAT is interesting!

http://www.worldcastings.com/product...ron-block.html

 

Wow, hopefully other cos. will follow World Products lead. Thanks for the link as I hadn't seen this one. They also talk about adding a Howell TBI kit, anyone running one or familiar with them?

 

This is a nice setup, but it really wouldn't be any easier than swapping in a straight LSX for a street driven car. The earlier transmissions will bolt up to the LSX. The motor mount for the LSX only takes a adapter plate. The LSX heads on the "half breed" combined with gen 1 pulleys would probably give you accessory bracket headaches. The half breed would allow you to re-use your oil pan. If you don't want the injection/computer hassle, lots of people run the LSX with a carb and ignition controller and make big power.

 

I like the concept of the motown engine but two pricey for me. A quick search (and I mean real quick internet search) and I found the block for a little over $2k and complete engine in the $11k - $13k range. It would be like having a $500k house in a $150k neighborhood. Everyone likes it but down the line nobody would buy it at that price. I realize that stretching things a bit but you get the idea.

I did find a 383 with 420hp for $2295 + $250 freight. Would have to pull valve covers, timing chain cover, oil pan, pulleys, etc. from my car. But that is a damn good price for the bang. And I thought the 7yr/70,000 mile parts and labor warranty plus no core charge was a pretty good deal.
Should anyone else be interested it's at pacmachineco.com or 800-235-3913.

My buddy/mechanic says he'd put it in for around $500.

I'm still researching and price checking. Still torn between the total old school look and feel or going with the old school look with the modern feel.

I am thinking of eventually going with a digital gauge cluster.

BTW thanks everyone for all the great ideas.

 

thats a great deal !

 

If your mechanic buddy will drop in the 383 for $500 of $250/day - you're probably looking $5000 labour to drop in the LSX

 

Hmm... LSX is lighter, smaller, doesn't run as hot, very reliable, no dripping oil pan, very easy to get tons of power, fuel economy is also great even if it usually isn't on the top of the list when talking about performance cars... Old school 383... Well Been there done that and now I'm a firm LSX believer...