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Reverse engine swap?

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Old May 19, 2019 | 01:51 PM
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Default Reverse engine swap?

Don't hate me for asking, but...

I'm a retired mechanic/welder/machinist, so mainly looking for people with first-hand experience with removal/install on these. I'm wondering about swapping another engine/trans/diff into my destroyed c6.

How hard would it be to swap in a c4 or other IRS diff and go to a driveline? Would it just be building some mounts and getting half shafts the right length? Is there something I'm not thinking of that might cause problems?

Is there a simple way to adapt the torque tube to another engine and use the rest of the existing drivetrain?
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:40 PM
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It's a huge job swapping in an engine that's intended to go there. I cannot even imagine wanting to go back to an archaic Driveline and I'm just about speechless imagining why anybody would want to do it.

First off the old C4 system has the engine connected to the transmission whereas the C6 has the transmission in the rear. The entire suspension is 100% different.

Just forget that idea.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:44 PM
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Your best beg woild be to swap ig into a c5. They swap ls3s in sometimes... but as the prce of a c6 is modestly more than a c5, and the car is tremrndously better, most just upgrade.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:46 PM
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doubt the center tunnel's big enough up front to fit a normal longitudinal transmission.
then there's the wiring conversions galore to get the gauges to work right.
i'm sure if you throw enough time & money at it, you could probably find a way... it just comes down to the willpower.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:50 PM
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but a SBC C6 with a 4+3 sure would be interesting!
i've seen a couple guys do carbed SBC engines in 2000+ silverados before... intriguing builds, they were.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by T. Eric
Don't hate me for asking, but...

I'm a retired mechanic/welder/machinist...

...into my destroyed c6.
I don't consider it hard to swap the same engine. I'm not trying to save the engine/trans and use in a C5, etc. I'm trying to reuse the chassis from a totaled car after I pull the engine and possibly trans/diff. I asked pointed questions.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 10:59 PM
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Originally Posted by _zebra
but a SBC C6 with a 4+3 sure would be interesting!
i've seen a couple guys do carbed SBC engines in 2000+ silverados before... intriguing builds, they were.
I'm thinking seriously under-powered go-cart. Maybe a Cummins I4?
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Old May 19, 2019 | 11:04 PM
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Originally Posted by T. Eric
I don't consider it hard to swap the same engine. I'm not trying to save the engine/trans and use in a C5, etc. I'm trying to reuse the chassis from a totaled car after I pull the engine and possibly trans/diff. I asked pointed questions.
Absolutely nothing on the car will work without the data bus. Keep in mind you've got computers at every corner of the vehicle, door modules and body control and myriads of systems that all talk. Are you going to rewire the entire vehicle and replace every device that has a function? I mean think about it, opening the trunk opening the doors, running the windows, turning the lights on, there's none of this stuff that's going to work.

As we said above, anything can be done if you throw enough money at it. I can think of a lot of stuff I would rather build then to mess around with a salvage C6 chassis attempting to make it work with an old conventional SBC. Ymmv.

Last edited by K-Spaz; May 26, 2019 at 10:15 PM.
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Old May 19, 2019 | 11:55 PM
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I assume it must be possible to swap in a junk yard truck 5.3 like in Ruby on YouTube. They kept the torque tube as far as I know though and put in a power glide.
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Old May 20, 2019 | 12:40 AM
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Anything is mechanically possible. But the amount of work involved in going to a C4 power-train is a lot more work than getting a used C6 drive-train.
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Old May 22, 2019 | 08:21 PM
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I'll stop trying to explain. It seems no one understands what I'm doing.
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Old May 22, 2019 | 09:23 PM
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the first post wasn't really all that clear: what parts/how much of the C6 is destroyed?
are you trying to put the L98 (or LT1) + ZF (or 4L60) + driveshaft/diff into a C6 chassis with the C6 body?
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Old May 22, 2019 | 09:23 PM
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Not to be mean , but I think everyone agrees that what you’re trying to do is a bad idea..Would it be more cost effective, and less time consuming by just getting another car instead fixing a wreck/destroyed car with parts from a totally different generation? Just my opinion.
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Old May 23, 2019 | 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'll stop trying to explain. It seems no one understands what I'm doing.
No kidding, your posts are so lacking in specifics as to be incomprehensible.
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Old May 23, 2019 | 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'll stop trying to explain. It seems no one understands what I'm doing.
Because you gave zip all to go by.

What's destroyed? What's usable? What are you trying to replace? What are you trying to use?

Just exactly what the hell are you doing? I can't see your broken car from my house.

Details, man!
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Old May 23, 2019 | 11:59 AM
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Here's me thinking you want to repower a C6 frame...period. No body. If that's the case I would think someone (a mechanic/welder/machinist) should be able to do that with enough rod/wire/super glue.
Perhaps if you said what you expect the end results to be...and perhaps you did (under-powered go-cart).
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Old May 23, 2019 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Oic0
I assume it must be possible to swap in a junk yard truck 5.3 like in Ruby on YouTube. They kept the torque tube as far as I know though and put in a power glide.
Damn good point ..... How did that work?

I follow that channel, and the thought never occurred to me.
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Old May 26, 2019 | 01:58 PM
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Please read the quotes:

Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'm wondering about swapping another engine/trans/diff into my destroyed c6.
Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'm not trying to save the engine/trans and use in a C5, etc. I'm trying to reuse the chassis from a totaled car after I pull the engine and possibly trans/diff.
Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'm thinking seriously under-powered go-cart. Maybe a Cummins I4?
Originally Posted by Sox-Fan
What's destroyed? What's usable? What are you trying to replace? What are you trying to use?

Just exactly what the hell are you doing?
Entire body is destroyed. Entire drive-train, frame, suspension is usable along with cockpit. Looking at replacing engine and possibly trans/diff. Trying to use frame, suspension and cockpit.

Originally Posted by ruxvette
Here's me thinking you want to repower a C6 frame...period. No body. If that's the case I would think someone (a mechanic/welder/machinist) should be able to do that with enough rod/wire/super glue.
Perhaps if you said what you expect the end results to be...and perhaps you did (under-powered go-cart).
Pretty much. I was trying to get some input on the specific questions that I originally asked.

Originally Posted by T. Eric

1. How hard would it be to swap in a c4 or other IRS diff and go to a driveline?

2. Would it just be building some mounts and getting half shafts the right length?

3. Is there something I'm not thinking of that might cause problems?

4. Is there a simple way to adapt the torque tube to another engine and use the rest of the existing drive-train?

Last edited by T. Eric; May 26, 2019 at 02:02 PM. Reason: clarification
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Old May 26, 2019 | 04:45 PM
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No problem at all. Go for it. The problems you will face vs getting a different car would be worth the aggravation. This swap will really enhance your pride of ownership.
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Old May 27, 2019 | 10:04 AM
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Originally Posted by T. Eric
I'll stop trying to explain. It seems no one understands what I'm doing.
LOLOL.....Welcome to C-6 forum !!!!!......
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