Looking for help with an ls engine swap

[NitRally]

Anyone here know anything or someone who is experienced in ls engine swaps? I have a 1997 Chevy k1500 that needs a motor and I'm really thinking about just putting an ls engine in it.

[jackelope]

Best bet is probably to buy a wrecked truck with a good engine. You'll need all the electronics, wiring, fuel delivery etc. Yank it all out of the wrecked donor truck and move it all over the your 97 truck. I've never done it but I've watched the process a couple times. It's not easy. Very time consuming, lots of fabricating, mickey mouse'ing, macgyver stuff.

[NitRally]

Yeah, I'm on the hunt for a reasonably priced 5.3 been checking pick n pull and I think I can buy the motor mounts and flywheel adapter and stand alone wiring harness. My transmission is recently rebuilt maybe 10k miles on it.

[hunter399]

Closer the year on the new engine the better.
Look for an engine out of a 96-98.
For the price of crate engine you could drop it at a shop and have it rebuilt.
Unless you come across a good junkyard motor.

[Blacktail Sniper]

This guy & his wife have several videos showing their process on adding an LS to truck, there are also sevral others that have different degrees of helpfulness, but it seems they do a pretty decent guide, at least it gives you an idea of what is involved.


https://www.youtube.com/c/uglytruckexperience

[BD1]

I would reach out to member Buckmark 

[JBG]

I am in the middle of an engine swap on a different kind of vehicle.  If given the choice I would just spend the money on something different.  I've learned that once you take it apart it never goes back together the same.  If its a secondary vehicle that is OK forever being in some state of needing repair that might be different. 

[NitRally]

I was looking at just getting a new motor for it it's the last year 5.7 sbc before they went to the ls style. New GM is $4500 and a remanufactured aftermarket is about $3000 with core and shipping.

[jackelope]

Closer the year on the new engine the better.
Look for an engine out of a 96-98.
For the price of crate engine you could drop it at a shop and have it rebuilt.
Unless you come across a good junkyard motor.

Those aren't LS engines.

[NitRally]

Yeah the ls style started in 1999

[Norman89]

are you planning to do the swap yourself or have someone do it for you? its not hard to get the motor in no different then any other motor swap, just changing motor mounts, rad mounts, exhaust is really about it. then a stand alone harness or make one yourself which there are countless videos on youtube on how to do that. but take into account what trans you have and if it will need to talk to the ecm that changes the wiring a lot and one reason many guys will use a factory 4l60, 4l65, 4l80, or 4l85 trans that is designed to run behind the ls which also gets rid of the flywheel offset problem which some transmissions either need a stepped flywheel or a spacer to bring it in alignment with the nose of the started and the set back of the torque converter. one reason i stick with manual transmissions is just to avoid that electrical problem by thats just me, i live and die by a bolt action trans. my last straw was my 2000 silverado with a factory 5.3 that in 47000 miles went through 3 rebuilt 4l60e they do not like to tow and haul even with a shift kit and billet converter and shift tuning in my experience. land scape company owned the truck before me and i bought it at 215,000 miles on transmission number 3 dead in the truck, sold it with dead number 6 in the truck. great truck, great engine good power but screw that half ton transmission. if i could have got my hands on a nv4500 i would still have it. instead i bought a dodge v10 with that transmission

[ballpark]

This is what I did on my 98 Silverado.   Swapped the 5.3L for 5.7L, worked great, plug and play. 
https://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Performance-Products-1996-2000-Chevy-Truck-Vortec-350ci-57L-Crate-Engine/5240244/10002/-1

They come with heads.  Your old Vortec heads off your 5.3L are desirable for rebuilds.  I sold the old engine with heads quick.  Look up the price for refurbed Vortec heads 

[NitRally]

My truck has a 4l60e but doesn't have the removable bell housing, it's on its 3rd trans as well. The 4l60s are pretty weak but my truck I never tow anything with it and only do dump runs/move stuff with it. Yeah I was looking at the jegs engines too the core charge and shipping kind of suck that's why I was kicking around the idea of a new GM l31 it's the same engine just new with free shipping and no core charge and it's a 4bolt main instead of 2 bolt.
https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19432780.html

[ballpark]

My truck has a 4l60e but doesn't have the removable bell housing, it's on its 3rd trans as well. The 4l60s are pretty weak but my truck I never tow anything with it and only do dump runs/move stuff with it. Yeah I was looking at the jegs engines too the core charge and shipping kind of suck that's why I was kicking around the idea of a new GM l31 it's the same engine just new with free shipping and no core charge and it's a 4bolt main instead of 2 bolt.
https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19432780.html

That will work also. 

[jeffitz]

5.3 LS in the 91 wrangler - with help from a friend who does LS swaps as a pro, it wasnt too tough really and excellent results.  4L60E trans behind it.