V8 Swap

[DaBird19]

hey guys ive been searching on the site for a while and i cant find exactly what im looking for. I love my v6 and its in great shape but im looking to get a v8. i have the y87 package so i dont think ill have to upgrade my suspension that much. how much will it cost to do a swap, and what would the cost consist of?
if you guys can give me an answer or a link to a page it would be helpful. Thanks.

[SixShooter'00Camaro]

Re: V8 Swap

dont know exact cost but prob around 4 grand, you need the v8 the the wiring harness and the tranny and motor mounts. if you do a v8 swap are you doing an ls or lt?

[truekoa]

Re: V8 Swap

lots of research is needed and the swap will range depending on where you get your parts from.

Its better to find a donor v8 car that way you will have everything needed. Typically you will need the engine, the tranny, engine harness, PCM, interior harness, k member, driveshaft, some sort of fuel delivery system( not sure on this one ).

take a look at these sites for some more info:

http://www.dxsoftware.com/magnus/
http://www.tacreationsusa.com/3_4_3_8_v6_to_ls1.htm

[DaBird19]

Re: V8 Swap

i was thinking of an Ls1. i just dont know if its worth the swap or just get myself a v8. the only thing is my car is in great shape

[pace2006]

Re: V8 Swap

Cost is going to range based on parts, availability, labor, etc. We can't tell you how much it'll cost, but try to look around for any local donor cars or parts cars.

Also, the Y87 package doesn't change anything suspension-wise. You'll have to swap out the front suspension, k-member, trans crossmember, and possibly the steering rack to clear aftermarket headers. You'll also need to address the fuel system when converting to a returnless setup, along with swapping out the harness, pcm, and some other wiring.

Here's some additional reading on the swap:

http://www.hpsalvage.com/
http://www.fullthrottlev6.com/forums...ad.php?t=56976

[DaBird19]

Re: V8 Swap

this seems like alot of work and money...im prob better off just buying an 8

[cam98aro]

Re: V8 Swap

i was thinking of an Ls1. i just dont know if its worth the swap or just get myself a v8. the only thing is my car is in great shape

most people say its not worth it, and is better to just buy a v8 car.

IMO it would only be worth it if you were trying to put a first gen SBC in, or a BBC

[flamingchicken]

Re: V8 Swap

Also, the Y87 package doesn't change anything suspension-wise. You'll have to swap out the front suspension, k-member, trans crossmember, and possibly the steering rack to clear aftermarket headers. You'll also need to address the fuel system when converting to a returnless setup, along with swapping out the harness, pcm, and some other wiring.

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This is correct, the steering rack will need to be changed due to differences used to clear the bigger engine in the v8 cars. You will also need the K-member from an LS car.
I believe ssms (steve) used a v8 trans cross member on his v6 when he did the manual to auto swap.
The fuel system uses the same pressure but different volume so that issue will need to be addressed.
The gauge will need to be changed to a v8 cluster due to the tach and spedo being different.
The LS1 radiator is different, it has an extra nipple on it for throttle body coolant, although i have seen where people bypass that anyways.
I do believe that TomRS used his v6 springs, he can chime in if i am wrong.
If you decide to use a 5.3 instead of an LS1 then the intake and oil pan will need to be changed, but saves a couple thousand dowra dowra bills yah, while still producing about 285hp.

[bwkmaro]

Re: V8 Swap

i got a teacher that is a camaro expert only thing he works on and has been that way for 20 years and he said its cheaper to just go buy a v8 in sted of swaping and if not u need a doner car other wise urr looking at gobs of money and also the k-member is different and if u dont change the springs in the front only diff itll sit like 1 inch lower than stock in the long run ur gunna spend more money swaping than just buying one if ur pieceing it together

[Rangersltw]

Re: V8 Swap

I am not to sure it will run more money to swap than to buy a V8 car. Find a salvaged donor that was rear ended or something. Pick it up cheap and do the labor yourself. You always get more satisfaction out of doing it yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. Saves tons of money too. I will be doing an LT1 swap into my 96 this summer. Also if you get a donor car, get the same year as your current one, less things will have to be changed out then.

[VF1Skullangel]

Re: V8 Swap

Unless you want something exotic and rather extreme like a Brodix or Donovan or if you get a donor car for super cheap your better off selling the V6 and buying an LS1 car. Its not easy especially the LS1 swap, I have seen a few people do it and its a ton of work.

I have looked into buying an LS1 or LT1 recently and to be honest I don't see what the buzz is all about. Id rather keep my six and invest my money for a better car. But thats my take on this issue.

[demonpixel]

Re: V8 Swap

I have done the swap without a donor car. I won't lie - I spent a lot of money doing it that way. About the same as if I had just bought an LS1. I did it for the experience and to learn how to build a car.

It trips people out when they open the hood though. If you want to do it cheap, you will have to get a donor car.

I could never find the right donor for mine so I just started buying aftermarket stuff. They make aftermarket stuff for EVERYTHING LS1. I bought a few aftermarket parts every month, a few here, a few there, eventually you get everything you need to build a car. lol

As far as difficulty, it's not the simplest thing in the world to do, but it's also not the most difficult. If you can turn a wrench, read a wiring diagram, and you're not a wuss, you can do the swap.

The most difficult parts for me were lining up the motor mounts (never done that before, man that took forever) and figuring out the fuel pump relay and starting relay wiring to the LS1 PCM. Other than that everything was direct bolt-on and plug-and-play.

Let me know if you have questions, I'm happy to help!