3800 to LS1 swap

[clean2000birdv6]

yes, i know this topic has been beaten to death.
& yes i did do a search. i read alot, and still have some questions.

so, here's the question:
my tranns is about to die (second gear is gone)
i don't want to dump 2-3 grand into it when i want a v8

is the general consensis that i should try to find a donor car, or is this doable by purchasing everything online.

does anyone out there have a check list of all the new parts/wireing/suspention.....that is needed for this swap?

i'd like to swap out my automatic 3800, with a 6 speed manual LS1. (i'd rather do the LS2, but from everything that i've heard, that's not a drop in, blot up install like the LS1) I've put in motors, and yanked transmissions...but i've never changed from a v6 to a v8.... or from an auto to a standard shift.

i guess the real question, is, is it worth the time and money to do the swap, or would it just be cheaper to buy a T/A?

if i could pull this off for around 5-6 grand in parts.....that would be awesome.

[ June 26, 2005, 03:02 PM: Message edited by: clean2000birdv6 ]

[phoenix6]

http://www.tacreationsusa.com/
for all the parts ur gonna need

http://www.tacreationsusa.com/3_4_3_8_v6_to_ls1.htm
Theres the list of things ur replacing.

Hope this helps

[clean2000birdv6]

thanks.
i'm getting excited.
i'll call them tomorrow and work up some prices.
i really wish i could do the LS2.....
but if it's not possible, then this is where i'm at.
i think i'm just going to drive this thing until it won't drive anymore, tow it home, and park it until december when i'll have the money saved up for the swap.

the only questions that those sites don't answer are can i keep the v6 driveshaft/rearend, and how much of a nightmare is changing the wire harness up in the dash?

thanks guys

[phoenix6]

It does explain the wire harness, thats what that lil chart on the 2nd link at the bottom is for. a 2000 LS1 Donor is direct plug in.

The rear end should work, all though I would get a 12 bolt rear from a junk yard if I was you, from a Z28 or Trans Am. They have LSDs in them, and you should upgrade your gears to 3.42 or 3.73.

As long as your at it, its not required I dont think, but also change out the driveshaft to an aluminum driveshaft from a z28 or T/A. Its about $125 - $150 on Ebay and they are a nice upgrade even for us V6rs

[clean2000birdv6]

i already have 3.42's. it came from the factory like that.... so i could just change out the gearing into the 12 bolt.
i'm going to have to make a master price list to see if this is doable.
it's not going to be lack of abilty or determination that keeps this from happening... it'll be $$ if anything. but i'm going to darnwell try to not let that happen.

[phoenix6]

O, u must have the Y87 package, in that case you also have the LSD. Good luck to ya, let us know how it goes.

[loser]

here's a few more sites to help you. keep us updated if your actually going to do it.

http://ls1swap.50megs.com/

http://www.dxsoftware.com/magnus/v8swap.htm

[clean2000birdv6]

i did some pricing.
there'as no way i can afford to do this.
i was hoping to be able to get all the parts together for like 5 grand....but to do it right...
it's more like 7.
if i'm going to put this kind of man hours into it, i'm going to do it the right way.
so i guess for now i'm going to fix my transmission.
and the more i think about it, i wanted to wait another year to do this swap in the first place because if i spend any money on this car right now, i won't have enough to pay my fall tuition at school. i'm so disgusted right now, that i'm probally just going to sell this thing after it's fixed, graduate school in december, use whatever is left of the money that i get from selling this thing to finish up my comercial pilots license, and then get a job and save my money up so that i can buy a T/A. :(
i'm going to miss my car.
if anyone is interested, let me know.
the car is a 2000 automatic w/ 3.42 gears and lsd (factory)
i'll be brutally honest:
- it's pewter.
- the body has no dents, but the hood has a few stone chips from the evil winter that i filled with some touch up paint.
- the paint on the front bumper is spider cracked on the lowest part of the front driver side by the foglight. (i hit a raccoon or possum or something stupid like that that decided to commit suicide by steping out infront of my car after dark on state route 7)

***however, from 10' away the car looks showroom.
i'm religious about washing and waxing it.
(the car is NEVER dirty)
it's my baby, but i did drive it for 6 years as a daily driver, so it has a few "charector" marks.
but like i said....they aren't even seen unless you are going over it with a fine tooth comb from 5 feet away.

- i just put new corvette Z-06 rims all the way around it and new tires.
- when i put the rims on, i also put new cross drilled and power slotted zinc treated rotors all the way around it with raybestos ceramic pad (basically the bast pads pep-boys carries)
- it has a flowmaster cat back exhaust w/ stainless steel tips.
- i still have the original 5 prong alloy 16" rims with my old worn tires still on them. (they were going to become my winter rims)
the stock rims are showroom.

here's a couple of pictures:
Z-06 17" rims (taken on 6-12-05):
http://www.mustangmods.com/data/2295...6_rims_006.jpg
http://www.mustangmods.com/data/2295...6_rims_012.jpg
Stock 16" rims (pics are over a year old, but the car looks the same (the decal on the back is chrome now):
http://www.mustangmods.com/data/2295/fall_02_005.jpg
http://www.mustangmods.com/data/2295/fall_02_001c.jpg

let me know if anyone is interested.
so i can decide if it's better to sell as is, or to get fixed first. (me = depressed)
thanks guys. [img]graemlins/barf.gif[/img]

[ June 27, 2005, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: clean2000birdv6 ]

[loser]

7 grand??!! :eek: how did you come up with that much. a engine and trans is the most money, and you can get a LS1 with high miles ( 120Kish?) for like $2500-$2800.i dont see how you got 7 grand for everything. anyway, dont sell your car, find a used tranny and just put that in there.you could probally get a used tranny for almost the same price as rebuilding it.

[clean2000birdv6]

see that's the thing.... i don't want to put a motor in that's got miles on it. if i do it, i want to do it the right way.
i can buy a brand new trans straight from gm for $1300....but err.
i need to hit the lotto.
maybe i'll sell blood plasma or something (that was a joke).....

[clean2000birdv6]

you need more than a motor for this swap:

exhaust
LS1 Engindifferent gas pedal (the LS1 has an electro-magnetic one...ours is manual.
LS1 PCM and Wiring Harness
LS1 K-Member and Motor Mounts
LS1 Radiator
LS1 Coolant and Heater Hoses
LS1 Steering Rack and Linkage
LS1 Throttle Cable
LS1 Fuel pump
LS1 springs on the front suspention to compensate for the weight difference.

the list continues...but i'm not going to write it all out.

the more research i did, the more i see how much it's not only going to cost, but how much time it will actually take. basically you have to gut the car down to unibody. everything comes out...even the rear end, because you have to change the fuel pump.
the only thing you reuse are the brakes and rotors etc.
if you were lucky enough to get a 12 bolt rear end w/ LSD and 3.42 gears from the factory, then you can keep that.... if not, add that to the list too.

you could possibly get used parts that have a million and a half miles on them, and do the job for like $5,000, but why would i want a motor and trans with 120,000 miles on it? if you're going to do it, do it right. buy used parts that don't wear, or are rebuild well, and buy mechanical parts either new or low milage. if you do that...well just under 7 grand.

basically i could sell my car, and buy one with a V8 in it cheaper. The only way that changing the motor would be an economical thing is if you had a custom $10,000.00 paint job, or some other thing that made you sink alot of money into the car.
so if you think that you're going to do this job for 3 grand, i've got news for you.
in no way, shape or form is this swap anything even close to the easy 4.3 V6 to 350 V8 in a chevy S-10.

['94firebirdv6]

i completly agree with that if u are going to do something, do it right the first time. everything i buy or ever will buy for my car will be the best.

however u are considering buying a new tranny and engine from GM which, in my opinion, is crazy. you can find a 30-40k mile motor/trans for half of what you would pay for a new crate drivetrain from GM. yes an engine swap is expensive. yes it is alot of work. but if u are smart about the way you go about it, it will be cheaper than buying a factory LS1 car. also the money you would save from insurance would eventually pay for the swap

[BOSSV6]

well, good luck ither way man. its always a hard choise.

[loser]

good luck, keep us updated. but if you do decide to get a new tranny. get dont waste your money for a new GM one. you can get one with low miles on ebay for problly $500

[scof0elife]

sup guys, a shop over here told me it would cost about 10grand to do a ls1 swap from a V6. I was like "holly sh*t". Not sure if the guy just didn't want to do it for me or he didn't like me or something. But paying 5grand would be much better, I can handle 5 grand. If you guys know anyone that's done a swap please let me know I would love to chat with that person or person's. Thanks for making this thread bro.