So how hard is it to do an LS1 swap

[pche]

Originally Posted by fooddude

With a nice bolt on kit with all the needed accessories (cooling, ac/heater, fuel, wiring/electrical, headers, exh, driveshaft, making steering linkage and abs compatible if needed, ecu, etc) needed ($8k), LS3 crate engine ($6k), brand new tranny that fits perfectly (Magnum XL) with clutch and flywheel ($4k)....$18k for a brand new engine/tranny setup..give or take a few thousand for anything missing or the unexpected that may come up..so round up maybe an extra $2k..giving you $20k for all parts. Labor, do it yourself (which should be pretty easy since it's bolt-on and no welding/fabbing or engine block/tranny rebuilding experience needed)..or have a shop do it for $5k.

So for a proper, super nice and clean, brand new swap...$20k DiY ...or $25k if a shop does it.


Imo, and for the budget conscious, it is def not worth it to do it to a relatively new FRS/BRZ (it would be $28k for the car and $25k for the swap...bringing you to the same cost as a brand new corvette at $53k and other great cars in that range...not to mention, those cars will be made for the LS(or whatever else engine it came with) in terms of stronger chassis, bigger wheels/tires with suspension specifically made for that chassis and powerful engine) ....but totally worth it down the road instead of buying a new car. Maybe do it 5-15 years down the road, when the FA engine gets old, past 100k miles and/or blows up.


.

Finally, someone with some sense.....all that money you can get a way better car with a warranty. You'll be driving it and enjoying it instead of sweating over every weird little noise you hear.

[ft86xtc]

Everyone forgot the part where they sell theyre old motor for 4-5k....im not sure the actual price for a used fa just through those numbers out there.

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[xwd]

Vorshlag is working on a LSx swap kit as well.

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by ft86xtc

Everyone forgot the part where they sell theyre old motor for 4-5k....im not sure the actual price for a used fa just through those numbers out there.

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More like 400-500. No one in the right mind would buy it for 4-5k lol. You can get a brand new LS3 for a grand more, or you can get some other stronger import engine for a fraction of that.

[ft86xtc]

Originally Posted by fooddude

More like 400-500. No one in the right mind would buy it for 4-5k lol. You can get a brand new LS3 for a grand more, or you can get some other stronger import engine for a fraction of that.

just going off ebay here, 26k miles and no tranny for 3400

http://m.ebay.com/itm/331237413584?nav=SEARCH

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[JasperNoone]

Originally Posted by fooddude

More like 400-500. No one in the right mind would buy it for 4-5k lol. You can get a brand new LS3 for a grand more, or you can get some other stronger import engine for a fraction of that.

No reason NOT to buy an aluminum LS3. If you can't afford an LS3...you probably shouldn't be doing a V8 swap.

[spitfire481]

from someone who spent the last 6 months helping someone do an ls2/t56 swap in an frs, i bought a built fa20 short block and a bigger turbo setup to replace my current setup. there are still issues to be sorted out with the swap. it has not been very fun. even with a stock ls2 i am still way below the cost of the swap

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by ft86xtc

just going off ebay here, 26k miles and no tranny for 3400

http://m.ebay.com/itm/331237413584?nav=SEARCH

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Ah, I see..I stand corrected then. But, I still think it'll be hard and a long time to sell it, as they aren't exactly hot sellers.

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by spitfire481

from someone who spent the last 6 months helping someone do an ls2/t56 swap in an frs, i bought a built fa20 short block and a bigger turbo setup to replace my current setup. there are still issues to be sorted out with the swap. it has not been very fun. even with a stock ls2 i am still way below the cost of the swap

Sorry, misunderstood your wording/post..What are you trying to say? ...so you're saying the FA Turbo swap was the one that was more of a headache and not very fun, correct?

[spitfire481]

Originally Posted by fooddude

Sorry, misunderstood your wording/post..What are you trying to say? ...so you're saying the FA Turbo swap was the one that was more of a headache and not very fun, correct?

sorry. no, the ls2 swap has been a never ending headache trying to get everything to work properly. i originally thought about a swap but i really dont want to deal with the time/money/headache that he has went through for my own car. a bare bones swap, sure, not terrible. still a lot of issues with fitment, cooling, wiring, etc. but doing a swap that still keeps ac, both ecu's, power steering, stock cluster, etc. ill pass

the built fa20 plus turbo kit is less than a two day install plus tuning and its good to go.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by spitfire481

sorry. no, the ls2 swap has been a never ending headache trying to get everything to work properly.

the built fa20 plus turbo kit is less than a two day install plus tuning and its good to go.

So what turbo kit are you using now?

[fooddude]

Originally Posted by spitfire481

sorry. no, the ls2 swap has been a never ending headache trying to get everything to work properly. i originally thought about a swap but i really dont want to deal with the time/money/headache that he has went through for my own car. a bare bones swap, sure, not terrible. still a lot of issues with fitment, cooling, wiring, etc. but doing a swap that still keeps ac, both ecu's, power steering, stock cluster, etc. ill pass

the built fa20 plus turbo kit is less than a two day install plus tuning and its good to go.

Ahh..I see. That does sound like a pain (especially when not many have done it yet).

What were the problems mostly? Electrical, ecu, chassis wiring, brakes/abs, steering electronics, clutch, gas pedal/throttle position, etc? ..or prolly just a little bit of everything? lol

[spitfire481]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

So what turbo kit are you using now?

there are things "in the works". a motor is being built at full blown, and the kit is going to be ordered before the weekend its looking like. i dont trust the stock wrist pin setup. it seems to be a timebomb in my opinion. i dont want to risk loosing a $3k core charge motor because i pushed my luck too long.

going to be a 10:1 build block. full blown kit with a 5858 more than likely. i have went through days of considering upgrading the avo 18g to a 20g, 60-1 wheel, even a gtx2867r if i could make it fit. for the pricing im getting its worth it to just swap and sell my setup at this point. i made 400whp on it, its well maxed out and has done its original job. the car is fast, way fast. but there is always more and with this block id like to be around 475whp on e85. the added lag should help me hook up better. its a struggle now with boost at 3k rpm's. even on hot, 20psi 255 nt05's

[SomeoneWhoIsntMe]

I researched this swap extensively and found that the hardest part is telling your parents you're gay. I don't think I could pull that off, so I gave up on the idea.