6.0 LS Swap/Build
#1
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
6.0 LS Swap/Build
Hey all,
Some of you might have seen my for sale thread, I have ripped out the 383 that was built for my car 7 years ago in favor of an LS engine.
I found a 6.0 Locally on Craigslist for $600, came with heads. Mileage unknown
The car as it sits right now
Follow along for shenanigans. Plan is to get the engine all finished up and running by spring time.
Jeremy
Some of you might have seen my for sale thread, I have ripped out the 383 that was built for my car 7 years ago in favor of an LS engine.
I found a 6.0 Locally on Craigslist for $600, came with heads. Mileage unknown
The car as it sits right now
Follow along for shenanigans. Plan is to get the engine all finished up and running by spring time.
Jeremy
The following users liked this post:
scorp508 (07-02-2019)
#3
Le Mans Master
Nice LQ4, you going the sloppy mechanics way and making it work as it sits or are you going through it? If so you stroking it or anything or just an overbore rebuild? I have a couple of those well north of 200k that run better than most new ones. (And they've been beaten harder than most people will ever abuse theirs!) Good luck with the build.
#6
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Nice LQ4, you going the sloppy mechanics way and making it work as it sits or are you going through it? If so you stroking it or anything or just an overbore rebuild? I have a couple of those well north of 200k that run better than most new ones. (And they've been beaten harder than most people will ever abuse theirs!) Good luck with the build.
Plan right now is to at least take it apart and check the bearings for scoring, etc. If possible I want to get away with a hone/re-ring/pray. I'm not opposed to rebuilding it but would like to avoid The Machinist cost right now. The reason for going to the LS architecture is because I want to run boost on this car. My options were either buy an aftermarket gen 1 block for around $2,000 or bite the bullet and go LS and boost a factory block. Plan to run NA for a few years and accumulate funds. Largest expense of boost will be the ECM setup I want to run on it.
Without question will be doing:
New oil pump
Timing chain
Heads/cam
Lifters
If the bottom end does need attention beyond stated above, I will buy new rods and pistons and reuse factory crank.
Last edited by Pwnage1337; 11-25-2018 at 11:51 PM.
#7
Le Mans Master
Good eye on the dished pistons.
Plan right now is to at least take it apart and check the bearings for scoring, etc. If possible I want to get away with a hone/re-ring/pray. I'm not opposed to rebuilding it but would like to avoid The Machinist cost right now. The reason for going to the LS architecture is because I want to run boost on this car. My options were either buy an aftermarket gen 1 block for around $2,000 or bite the bullet and go LS and boost a factory block. Plan to run NA for a few years and accumulate funds. Largest expense of boost will be the ECM setup I want to run on it.
Without question will be doing:
New oil pump
Timing chain
Heads/cam
Lifters
If the bottom end does need attention beyond stated above, I will buy new rods and pistons and reuse factory crank.
Plan right now is to at least take it apart and check the bearings for scoring, etc. If possible I want to get away with a hone/re-ring/pray. I'm not opposed to rebuilding it but would like to avoid The Machinist cost right now. The reason for going to the LS architecture is because I want to run boost on this car. My options were either buy an aftermarket gen 1 block for around $2,000 or bite the bullet and go LS and boost a factory block. Plan to run NA for a few years and accumulate funds. Largest expense of boost will be the ECM setup I want to run on it.
Without question will be doing:
New oil pump
Timing chain
Heads/cam
Lifters
If the bottom end does need attention beyond stated above, I will buy new rods and pistons and reuse factory crank.
Thanks, I have a thing for picking out engines lol. Sounds like you have a solid plan in order. When I did a 383 for my truck it was 650 for the full 9 at the machine shop. Line hone, cam bearings, magnaflux, tank clean, .030 over and hone, freeze plugs and decking as well as the machining for clearance. I think it was 120 to punch it out and hone the bores. If its shot though just do it right but you may be surprised. As long as the bore is round and has some hatching on it you'll probably be fine.
Last edited by 84 4+3; 11-26-2018 at 12:09 AM.
#8
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
For the oil pump, blue print it. We have an intermittent no oil pressure on cold starts on the 2500. I believe it is the bypass hanging up. Once it closes 40psi idle 80psi wide open... it's only for a few seconds but it's enough it makes noise. Iirc there are tons of threads on this on the truck forms. It's a company truck so its not my problem lol.
Thanks, I have a thing for picking out engines lol. Sounds like you have a solid plan in order. When I did a 383 for my truck it was 650 for the full 9 at the machine shop. Line hone, cam bearings, magnaflux, tank clean, .030 over and hone, freeze plugs and decking as well as the machining for clearance. I think it was 120 to punch it out and hone the bores. If its shot though just do it right but you may be surprised. As long as the bore is round and has some hatching on it you'll probably be fine.
Thanks, I have a thing for picking out engines lol. Sounds like you have a solid plan in order. When I did a 383 for my truck it was 650 for the full 9 at the machine shop. Line hone, cam bearings, magnaflux, tank clean, .030 over and hone, freeze plugs and decking as well as the machining for clearance. I think it was 120 to punch it out and hone the bores. If its shot though just do it right but you may be surprised. As long as the bore is round and has some hatching on it you'll probably be fine.
There's still some decent cross hatching on the bores, so I'm banking on letting it ride. The plan is to tear down and re-do the bottom end when going boost. I'm hoping it makes it NA at least 3 years, if I can get by without machine work. I daily this car in the summer time and put on 5-10k miles per year, pending on my ability to stay away from the car and drive it for no reason other than I like the sound it makes when my foot is on the floor
I plan to get this thing up on a stand within the next few days. I bought some M10x1.5 bolts to mount it to the engine stand today but they were 1 inch too short, didn't account for the spacers welded on the engine stand...always the little things lol
I'll take pictures and post my findings when I get there.
Jeremy
Last edited by Pwnage1337; 11-26-2018 at 03:00 AM.
#9
Drifting
I bought my 84 already swapped in late February and have put 19k on it already trolling the highways and beating the ever loving **** out of it. No problems from the engine. It is a 6.0 w/ LS3 top end.
It should easily do what you are asking for the first few years.
It should easily do what you are asking for the first few years.
Last edited by Krusty84; 11-26-2018 at 01:20 AM.
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GM5778 (06-21-2019)
#10
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Wish I could squeeze a little more compression out of it, but it'll have to do with the way it is. With the pistons being roughly .008" out of the bore, and the head/gasket setup I plan to run, it will be around 10.5:1. Can't get much more without getting tight on Piston to Valve clearance, unless going to pistons with valve reliefs and that's obviously something I am trying to avoid at this point
#11
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
Got home at 7 am from night shift and got to work. Put the engine up on the stand, rolled it over and pulled the pan. All the rods are there and I didn't find any animals inside of it so we're off to a good start
#12
Le Mans Master
Funny thing on the top end, supposedly the truck intake actually makes better power if I'm remembering correctly. Been a while though.
#13
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
#14
Le Mans Master
#15
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
#16
Safety Car
If you are going to do the LS3 heads like we talked about before, then get a Victor JR and Edelbrock low profile elbow (should clear stock hood).... Or get the Holley High Ram (and just cut the hood). Both of those intakes will kick *** once you get boost but still run well N/A.
Since you are going to take the short block apart, new oil pump ect.... go ahead and take the top and second rings off the pistons and re-gap them now... I'd be at .025 Top and .025-.027 second.
If you get it apart and the rod/main brgs look rough or whatever let me know.... I'll get you hooked up with the right parts.
Will
Since you are going to take the short block apart, new oil pump ect.... go ahead and take the top and second rings off the pistons and re-gap them now... I'd be at .025 Top and .025-.027 second.
If you get it apart and the rod/main brgs look rough or whatever let me know.... I'll get you hooked up with the right parts.
Will
#17
Race Director
Curious why you arent staying sbc?
is it bc of the intake woes of the l98 design? (You want more top end?)
i ask bc one day i will need to make this choice.
i have a 93 lt1 with optispark /afr195 heads and it runs purrfect.
slap afr195 comp ported heads and they flow the same as modern ls3 heads.
if i stay with lt1 i will prob do some kind of sheet metal intake ....
just curious on your reasoning.
is it bc of the intake woes of the l98 design? (You want more top end?)
i ask bc one day i will need to make this choice.
i have a 93 lt1 with optispark /afr195 heads and it runs purrfect.
slap afr195 comp ported heads and they flow the same as modern ls3 heads.
if i stay with lt1 i will prob do some kind of sheet metal intake ....
just curious on your reasoning.
The following users liked this post:
GM5778 (06-21-2019)
#18
Le Mans Master
#19
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
If you are going to do the LS3 heads like we talked about before, then get a Victor JR and Edelbrock low profile elbow (should clear stock hood).... Or get the Holley High Ram (and just cut the hood). Both of those intakes will kick *** once you get boost but still run well N/A.
Since you are going to take the short block apart, new oil pump ect.... go ahead and take the top and second rings off the pistons and re-gap them now... I'd be at .025 Top and .025-.027 second.
If you get it apart and the rod/main brgs look rough or whatever let me know.... I'll get you hooked up with the right parts.
Will
Since you are going to take the short block apart, new oil pump ect.... go ahead and take the top and second rings off the pistons and re-gap them now... I'd be at .025 Top and .025-.027 second.
If you get it apart and the rod/main brgs look rough or whatever let me know.... I'll get you hooked up with the right parts.
Will
Curious why you arent staying sbc? Primary reason is because I want to boost this car - throwing a decent amount of boost at a stock Gen 1 SBC block didn't have a lot of appeal to me. I am not too keen on the idea of picking up connecting rods on the side of the highway I mean race track, and the price of an aftermarket block is roughly $2000. Add into it a forged rotating assembly and I'm looking at a $6000 shortblock. I look at it this way:
I picked up a 6.0 for 600 bucks. I can sell the 317 heads and recoup maybe 100-200 dollars. I now have a block that can be machined/ran as is, and the stock 6.0 cranks will take 1000 HP. Worst case scenario I have the block machined and end up buying pistons/rods.
is it bc of the intake woes of the l98 design? (You want more top end?) - I had a Holley Stealth Ram on my 383 and loved it.
i ask bc one day i will need to make this choice.
i have a 93 lt1 with optispark /afr195 heads and it runs purrfect.
slap afr195 comp ported heads and they flow the same as modern ls3 heads.
if i stay with lt1 i will prob do some kind of sheet metal intake ....
just curious on your reasoning.
I picked up a 6.0 for 600 bucks. I can sell the 317 heads and recoup maybe 100-200 dollars. I now have a block that can be machined/ran as is, and the stock 6.0 cranks will take 1000 HP. Worst case scenario I have the block machined and end up buying pistons/rods.
is it bc of the intake woes of the l98 design? (You want more top end?) - I had a Holley Stealth Ram on my 383 and loved it.
i ask bc one day i will need to make this choice.
i have a 93 lt1 with optispark /afr195 heads and it runs purrfect.
slap afr195 comp ported heads and they flow the same as modern ls3 heads.
if i stay with lt1 i will prob do some kind of sheet metal intake ....
just curious on your reasoning.
Jeremy
Last edited by Pwnage1337; 11-26-2018 at 07:48 PM.
#20
Drifting
That's the plan for me as well. LS3 Top end. Shifting around 6800 RPM. I had a cam Spec'd out by Pat G.
Wish I could squeeze a little more compression out of it, but it'll have to do with the way it is. With the pistons being roughly .008" out of the bore, and the head/gasket setup I plan to run, it will be around 10.5:1. Can't get much more without getting tight on Piston to Valve clearance, unless going to pistons with valve reliefs and that's obviously something I am trying to avoid at this point
Wish I could squeeze a little more compression out of it, but it'll have to do with the way it is. With the pistons being roughly .008" out of the bore, and the head/gasket setup I plan to run, it will be around 10.5:1. Can't get much more without getting tight on Piston to Valve clearance, unless going to pistons with valve reliefs and that's obviously something I am trying to avoid at this point
She doesn't have much down low but she screams from 3600 and beyond. I have never weighed or dynoed the car but I assume she is between 400-440 rwhp. She pulls C7s quite easily but stock C6 Z06s eke by me.
Last edited by Krusty84; 11-27-2018 at 01:35 AM.