LS1 240 Swap

[Soldat]

Mike Peter's new vid has inspired me.

I've seen people swap Chevy V8's into Nissan's before. There was a video about an Australian team that put an LS1 into a Skyline, a friend of mine new a guy in high school that swapped a small block into his 300ZX . . .

My question is this:

How big a project is this to do? I can't imagine it being a simple transplant. I'm sure motor mounts and transmission mounts need to be moved, new lines need to be run for pretty much everything, and of course there's the oh-so-fun Metric/Imperial conversions . . .

What about electrical? Are there any chassis/suspensions modifications outside of the mounts required to make the thing fit in the engine bay at all? What transmission do you use? There's probably 500 more questions . . .

Anyway, if it's been documented before I'd appreciate it if you could just send me a link. If not, could anyone who's had experience with this give me a heads-up on what's involved?

[icantdrift]

Originally Posted by Soldat

Mike Peter's new vid has inspired me.

I've seen people swap Chevy V8's into Nissan's before. There was a video about an Australian team that put an LS1 into a Skyline, a friend of mine new a guy in high school that swapped a small block into his 300ZX . . .

My question is this:

How big a project is this to do? I can't imagine it being a simple transplant. I'm sure motor mounts and transmission mounts need to be moved, new lines need to be run for pretty much everything, and of course there's the oh-so-fun Metric/Imperial conversions . . .

What about electrical? Are there any chassis/suspensions modifications outside of the mounts required to make the thing fit in the engine bay at all? What transmission do you use? There's probably 500 more questions . . .

Anyway, if it's been documented before I'd appreciate it if you could just send me a link. If not, could anyone who's had experience with this give me a heads-up on what's involved?

ls1tech.com "hybrids and conversions" forum

it's a great swap if you can DIY or have lots of money laying around, but still expensive even when you go the DIY route. LS1 is pretty much the new SR20 and as with SR's the LS1 prices have skyrocketed in recent months so expect to pay upwards of $4500 for an engine set with trans.

fabricate mounts for engine and trans, find/buy GTO pan and dipstick, notch subframe properly, beat the hell out of the trans tunnel, buy custom driveshaft (driveshaftshop.com is a good source), build or modify headers/manifolds, full custom exhaust, aftermarket gauges or converters are a must.
then there's all the little stuff to make it all work, good clutch and flywheel, fuel system parts, powersteering lines and cooler, radiator and hoses, intake parts, etc... it adds up pretty quickly.

pros:
-great power and torque with a pretty stock engine
-very reliable setup and pretty easy to work on
-car maintains great balance if properly mounted

cons:
-prone to oil starvation while drifting
-expensive to build if you pop the motor or want to build one that will rev to 7k+rpm
-gearing of the T56 is a bit low with the stock 4.08:1 rear end gear of the 240sx and makes the gears pretty short (1st/2nd are useless)


ls1tech will give you several pretty detailed swaps to look through.

good luck with it if you decide to go that route

[icantdrift]

ps. lsjuan does not = mike peters smoke

[Soldat]

Thanks for the tip. If it happens it won't be any time soon. I just dropped a new motor in my Z28 so until that thing goes kaboom, I'm kind stuck with it. I just always loved the idea of small cars with V8's.

Why the LS1 though? Why not the LS2, LS6, LS7, or another small block? I know price is a huge factor, I'm pretty sure a crate LS7 will run almost $10K. Is there anything ese that's special about the LS1 that makes it easier/better to swap in?

[Mike Peters]

like i cant drift said.

www.ls1tech.com go to the conversions and hybrids forum, there is a rediculous amount of imformation there. i wish i didnt suck at the internet because i'd just catalog it onto a website but just search ls1 240sx and you'll be able to find almost any bit of information know, the only thing that will hold you back is if you understand it or have the ability to do some of the wiring fabrication.

this is NOT a bolt on swap, and i honestly dont know if it ever will be. its not that hard though just takes some wiring and fab.

good luck. may the horse be with you.

and yes, ls1 does not equal smoke. i've seen many people go v8 and make way less smoke than they did before. dont build a car to make you look good, go to events and listen to people so you are good no matter what the car.

a shop in puerto rico is building my new 12a for next year just fyi.

[Double M Star]

Mike - Are you using the caddy transmission?

If not, which transmission have you mated with the LS1?

[icantdrift]

Originally Posted by Double M Star

Mike - Are you using the caddy transmission?

If not, which transmission have you mated with the LS1?

not sure what you mean by "caddy transmission" but his car and mine both run a T56 from an f-body car.

[Double M Star]

The Cadillac CTS-V specifically, but I noticed the Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission is semi-universal through Corvette, Holden and Cadillac. (northstar) So that answers my question.

Tremec 3550, Tremec 3650 or 6-speed T-56's have been seen LS swaps.

[Mike Peters]

the corvette uses a transaxle.

the gto/cts-v use different shifter setups.

the fbody is the easiest to find and use imo.