2022-09-17 17:08 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap 10 Parts You’ll Need for Any LS Engine Swap Johnny HunkinsAuthorHot Rod ArchivesPhotographer | Sep 14, 2020 = You may be fascinated with the crazy cars at Holley's LS Fest and are curious about doing an LS swap someday, or maybe you're already elbow-deep in completing one yourself, but there's no denying the job takes a lot of research and planning. The early pioneers of LS swapping certainly know the heartaches of being first to cut a path through the jungle of problems, from A/C compressors that interfere with crossmembers, to transmissions that don't fit. hitps:/lwwn motortrend. comMhow-tol1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp! wm2022-09-17 17:08 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap For every one of those early LS V-8 swaps, a pound of flesh was sacrificed in the quest for knowledge, but after a period of time, the aftermarket got wise to the need. Those who rose to the challenge applied the magic of R&D and manufacturing expertise to the technical challenges, and thanks to them, that hard-won battle to cut a path through the jungle is now a highway full of UPS trucks bringing LS-swap hardware to your door. Related Story: LS Swap Tips and Tricks Motor Mounts | - Te. hitps:lwwn motortrend comMhow-o1104s-swap-pars-you-neediamp! aint2072-09-17 17.08 10 Parts Youll Need for Any LS Engine Swap If you plan on swapping an LS V-8 into a vehicle that currently has (or had!) a 19751987 vintage small-block Chevy—which would've had a traditional clamshell- type motor mount—then you'll want to grab a set of ICT Billet's mounting brackets for $109.99. Using these brackets will ensure that your LS engine placement will put the transmission interface in the right spot while making room for exhaust headers, intake manifold/carb setup, and accessory dress. These guys are the experts for high-end LS-conversion parts, and besides Chevy small-block cars, they can help you put an LS into all the popular donor machines, including the BMW E46, Fox Mustang, C3 & C4 Corvette, any year Chevy truck, GM A-body, GM B-body, GM G-body, and GM F- body. Accessory Drive When it comes to accessory drives, the early pioneers of LS swaps learned that the factory LS engine dress was a really bad fit for a lot of vintage cars. Among the most common problems were A/C compressors that interfered with crossmembers and alternators that hit hoods. In fact, an entirely new vocabulary of curse words was invented just for that! The guys at Holley heard them and answered the call with kits like their mid-mount accessory system (part No. 20-185, $1,891.95 shown). What makes the Holley system so cool is that you can order the entire thing, or just what hitps:/lwwn motortrend. comMhow-tol1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp! aint2002-09-17 1708 10 Pars You'l Need fr Any LS Engine Swap you need. Since the Holley system can use the factory alternator, A/C system, power steering pump, etc., you'll be able to save money and use whatever drive components you've already got. Intake Manifold If you need a freer-breathing, cleaner-looking intake manifold for your LS swap—and who doesn't?—you may want to check out the FAST LSXR intake manifold (part No FAST 146102B-KIT, $1,203.99 Summit Racing) designed for use with a 102mm throttle body. We tested 20 LS intake manifolds a few years back on a 6-liter truck engine (click here for the whole dyno story), and we liked the fact this unit picked up hitps:/lwwn motortrend. comMhow-tol1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp!2002-09-17 1708 10 Pars You'l Need fr Any LS Engine Swap power everywhere in the powerband yet was one of the stock-style low-profile units which you typically need to fit under the lower hoods of hot rods, muscle cars, and late-model Camaros/Corvettes. Headers/Exhaust One of the first things you'll be searching for when swapping an LS is headers and exhaust. Of all the parts needed to swap an LS, itis the headers that present the greatest challenge. Hedman is a company that made its name in the header market (they like to call them hedders!) decades ago, so it's their specialty. Hedman offers LS swap headers in different lengths for lots of models including the 19821993 Mustang (shown, part No. 45843, $694.28), GM A-body, Monte Carlo, GM G-body, Camaro/Firebird, Nova/X-body, Tri-Five Chevy, GM B-body/fullsize, and Corvette. Dress Items ad hitps:wwn motortrend comMhow-o1104s-swap-pars-you-neediampy sit2022-09-17 17.06 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap Who can argue with the power per dollar that the LS V-8 offers? We sure can't, but we can say that GM's Gen III and Gen IV powerplants are some of the ugliest V-8s ever to be spat out of a factory on these shores. We say if you're going to all the trouble to swap one in your ride, it's going to suck if you're too embarrassed to pop your hood. That's why we're putting the AVS Motorsports Speed Cover (starting at $899) on our must-have list. It covers the intake and valve covers with a paintable high-impact polycarbonate shell. Also included are customizable aluminum badge inserts, billet aluminum oil fill, machined coil brackets with standoffs, and ARP stainless hardware. Power Adder hitps:/lwwn.motortrend.comMhow-tl1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp! eit2022-09-17 17:08 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap Once you tackle your LS swap, you may decide to add some extra sauce (up to 700hp!) in the form of a supercharger kit, and the crew at TorqStorm has just the thing in their LS transplant kit kit (part No. ARP-K-GM-LS1000, $4,950). We like it because the kit only comes with what you need (blower, brackets, pulleys, tensioner, belts, A/C compressor, power steering pump, alternator, blow-off valve), allowing you to customize the rest (fuel system, inlet ducting) to suit your specific donor recipient vehicle. TorqStorm also offers a 1,000-hp twin-blower version of the LS transplant kit for $6,950. Tools The Mechanics Mate is a tool like none other, and had we not witnessed this nice Australian gentleman demonstrating it at LS Fest West last year, we might have dismissed it outright. If you've ever struggled with removing or installing a pressed-on damper, you'll understand why we like it, because this thing laughs at pulleys. Sure, it's more like the kind of thing a pro shop might have, but if you run into this kind of thing a lot, you'll be more than happy to fork over the $640 (Australian) for the basic pulley toolkit. Their website is MechanicsMate,com.au. hitps:lwwn motortrend comMhow-o1104s-swap-pars-you-neediamp! m12022-09-17 17:08 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap I met these guys at LS Fest West last year, and their collective knowledge on swapping the LS into any make and model is refreshing, At issue here is that many DIY swappers actually want the rest of their car's electronics and gauges to function normally, and for that you need a Mensa-level intellect for integrating the GM LS into other modern cars with CAN-bus systems. The company is called PSI Engineering, and they do wiring harness and a whole lot more. Remember this: When you're halfway into swapping an LS into some weird-ass Volvo or something and need an engineering genius to get you out of the rabbit hole, these are the guys. They also hitps:/lwwn motortrend. comMhow-tol1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp!2002-09-17 1708 10 Pars You'l Need fr Any LS Engine Swap offer LS-swap wiring harnesses for all the common GM cars (Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac) and Mustangs, and are conversant in Gen Ill, Gen IV, and Gen V small- blocks. They even have a Gen II LT1 small-block swap kit! Transmission ool TrTrtttT You'll want a transmission that can handle the kind of torque an LS can dish out, and you'll want to buy it from folks who know a thing or two about building LS-swapped hot rods. Such folks can be found at Speedway Motors, and their 700-hp-capable six- speed Tremec manual transmission kit has all the right stuff in one box (part No. 91029039, $5,099.99). The only thing else you'll need is a vehicle-specific crossmember. Transmission Crossmember hitps:lwwn motortrend comMhow-o/104s-swap-pars-you-neediamp! ont2022-09-17 17:06 10 Parts You'll Need for Any LS Engine Swap One company stands out among others as the go-to source for swap transmission crossmembers: American Powertrain. To call their line of X-Factor transmission crossmembers extensive would be an understatement. (Shown is part No. XFGM- 10102M, $350, for 1970 to '74 Camaro/Firebird). They can cover nearly any vehicle (GM A-body, B-body, F-body, G-body, Corvette, Tri-Five, X-body, all GM trucks; Ford Fox body, Falcon, Galaxy, Torino, F-100; Mopar A-Body, B-Body, E-Body, and D-100) and virtually any transmission, including automatics. American Powertrain also has a deep line of Tremec-based manual transmission kits, so it's really a one-stop driveline stop. hitps:fiawn.matortrend.comMhow-tol1O-s-swap-pars-you-need/amp! son2022-09-17 17:08 10 Parts You'll Ned for Any LS Engine Swap hitps:/lwwn motortrend. comMhow-tol1Os-swap-pars-you-need/amp! wm