Now that you know what it takes to drop the Gen III in, it probably wouldn't hurt to have some sort of idea on all that's out there and who's providing it. To start you off in the right direction on your swap, we have gathered up a handfull of products that are available for the Gen III application. It's a product guide, if you will.
Street and Performance (1 Hot Rod Ln., Dept. SC, Mesa, AZ 71953, (479) 394-5711, www.hotrodlane.cc) makes swapping an LS1-6 motor into a musclecar easy with its 97-03 LS1/LS6 automatic and six-speed wiring harness. The LS1 harnesses are designed for easy installation with only four wires needing to be hooked up. All Street and Performance harnesses are full-emission and compatible with other manual transmissions. Available kits are as follows: '97-98 LS1 Vette/IROC/TA wiring harness complete for 4L60-E, '99-and-later LS1 Vette/IROC/TA wiring harness complete for 4L60-E, '99-and-later LS1 truck wiring (4.8-5.3-6.0) harness for 4L60-E/4L80-E, '97-and-later LS1 drive by wire harness for manual or 4L60-E/4L80-E, '97-98 LS1 Vette/IROC/TA wiring harness complete for manual six-speed, '99-and-up LS1 Vette/IROC/TA wiring harness complete for manual six-speed, and '99-and-up LS1 truck wiring harness for manual transmission.
In case you feel as if pictures don't say enough, Street and Performance (1 Hot Rod Ln., Dept. SC, Mesa, AZ 71953, (479) 394-5711, www.hotrodlane.cc) offers an instructional video on the LS1/LS6 swap. The video covers all the need-to-know information for anyone who plans to install an LS1/LS6 into theirmuscle-car. It's like watching an exercise video, only this video is cool and will actually help.
Chassis manufacturer Art Morrison Enterprises (5301 8th St. East, Dept. SC, Fife, WA 98434, (800) 929-7188, www.artmorrison.com) has developed a package to install an LS1 engine in '55-57 Chevrolets. The package incorporates Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings, an adapter plate with a positive stop, and OEM-style Chevy mounts. The package can also be used on later-model Chevrolets (some clearancing may be required).
Maintaining the proper oil level in your ride is vital to your car's health. That's why Lokar (10924 Murdock Dr., Dept. SC, Knoxville, TN 37932, (865) 966-2269, www.lokar.com) has designed and built flexible engine dipsticks for the LS1. The flexible engine dipstick is designed with a machined aluminum handle to coordinate with Lokar's flexible transmission dipstick. The slim design allows mounting the dipstick inside the headers. It's also designed for use with factory or Sanderson cast manifolds. Best part of the stick is an E-Z read stainless stick for accurate measure of engine oil.
When it comes to linking up your lead foot to the LS1 motor, Lokar's (10924 Murdock Dr., Dept. SC, Knoxville, TN 37932, (865) 966-2269, www.lokar.com) LS1 hi-tech throttle cable gets it done. All Lokar throttle cables are available in either stainless steel braided housing or black housing. They are designed with a specially extruded liner for extended life of the cable--not to be confused with ordinary braided brake hose. U-Cut-to-Fit outer housing is available in 24- or 36-inch lengths with a U-Cut-to-Fit stainless inner wire. Clevis is designed without cotter pins or set screws. Adapts to factory and aftermarket pedals. Kits complete with installation instructions.
Earl's Performance Products (19302 South Laurel Park Rd., Dept. SC, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220, (310) 609-1602, www.earlsplumbing.com) has Form-a-Flex radiator hose kits. Earl's Form-a-Flex radiator hoses are made from corrugated 300-series stainless steel; no copper to discolor or corrode and there is no plating to flake off or rust through. Form-a-Flex hoses can be permanently bent by hand in tight radius and still remain flexible enough to absorb engine vibration and rock. The kits are available in 1-, 2-, and 3-foot lengths with four choices in Earl's patented Double Econo-Fit hose end sleeves. Hose end sleeves are machined from billet 6061-T6 aluminum that is either bright-dip red or blue-anodized, hard-anodized in black, or chrome-plated. The Form-a-Flex radiator hoses are designed to fit 1 1/2- or 1 3/4-inch inlets. Form-a-Flex is also available in bulk length for custom applications and the Double Econo-O-Fit connectors are available separately as well.
Building on the success of its Performer RPM LS1 intake, Edelbrock's (www.edelbrock.com (800) 386-8326) new Victor Jr. LS1 intake is the next step up in performance for the Gen III long-block. The Victor Jr. LS1 intake offers an operating range of 3,500-7,500 rpm, and the high-rise, single-plane intake is capable of supporting up to 600 hp, making it the right set-up for big-horsepower Gen III engines. The Victor Jr. LS1 accepts an Edelbrock Performer, Thunder Series AVS carb, or any similar square-bore carburetor and comes with an MSD electronic timing module that picks up MAP, crank position, and cam position in order to drive the stock coil-on-plug ignition system. This module also offers a choice of several built-in timing curves, each tailored for engine displacement, cam profiles, and fuel grades. Each manifold also comes with a throttle bracket designed to work with 700R-4, 200R-4 and Turbo 350 transmissions. Most applications will require hood modification.
Turn Key Engine Supply (www.turnkeyenginesupply.com, (760) 941-2741) introduces its engine management system for GM's LS1/LS6 engines. This computer and harness combination takes all of the effort out of wiring a motor. Using all stock connectors, the stand-alone unit will fit any LS1 engine from 1998-2004. Once installed, the harness and compact Delphi Mefi-4 comput-er is almost completely concealed, making for a very clean look. Perfect for hot-rod and musclecar applications. After the harness is mounted on the engine there are simply five wires to hook up to complete the installation: power, ground, ignition, fan, and tachometer. The harness and computer are marine-grade quality so that they can withstand the toughest of conditions. Turn Key has spent hours on the dyno, fine-tuning the calibrations to supply the customer with an easily adaptable plug-and-play system. On a stock LS1, the customer will see 410 horsepower and 390 lb-ft at the crank and never have to even consider tuning the engine. Turn Key also sells everything you need to get an LS1 burning gas, as well as new, complete LS1/LS6 crate engines.
The Detail Zone (1503 Beech Ln., Dept. SC, Wilmington, DE 19810, (877) 968-7842, www.thedetailzone.com) has a wiring solution for all of your Chevy LS series engine swaps. With a patented design, you can mount your ECM, relays, and fuses where you want. Systems are complete and include an electric fan, a fuel pump, check engine light, and diagnostic port circuits. They are also full-function and closed-loop.
From FAST (3400 Democrat Rd., Dept. SC, Memphis, TN 38118, (901) 260-FAST, www.fuelairspark.com), the XFI Electronic Fuel Injection System is easier than ever to install and delivers a long list of benefits. By using the XFI's Tuning Wizard, the XFI Electronic Fuel Injection System delivers not only ultimate power, but also on-board diagnostics and switch-selectable tune-ups. The XFI EFI system allows for control of a long list of engine functions from torque converter lockup and 4- and 5-bar MAP sensing, to air-condition idle functions. The XFI Electronic Fuel Injection System is compatible with all common ignition types, including GM LS1, LS2, and LS6.
Howell Engine Developments Inc. (6201 Industrial Wy., Dept. SC, Marine City, MI, (810) 765-5100) produces a full line of LS1 engine harnesses specifically engineered for engine swaps. The company manufactures harnesses to utilize the '97-98 ECM, '99-00 ECM, and the '01-03 ECM. Howell Engine Developments also offers programming of the LS1 ECM to match the specifications of the engine being installed. The harnesses are manufactured to a customer's specification.
New from March Performance Pulley (6020 Hix Rd., Dept. SC, Westland, MI 48185, (734) 729-9070, www.marchperf.com) are LS1 Serpentine Kits with outward mount alternator and A/C. The pulleys are precision CNC-machined from solid billet 6061-T6 aluminum to fit perfectly and handle high torque and vibration. This bracket kit comes complete with stainless steel tensioning rods and chrome-moly rod ends for high-performance operation. All necessary hardware is included, and the pulleys and brackets are powdercoated to eliminate polishing in those hard-to-reach places. The company goes as far as hard-coating the high-wear areas on our pulleys. These kits fit most '55-and-later Chevys, but requires anF-body crank pulley/dampener, which is available through March.
Sanderson Headers (517 Railroad Ave., Dept. SC, San Francisco, CA 94080, (650) 583-6617, www.sandersonheaders.com) has a new design for the LS1 header. The new header places the collector slightly off-center, which allows the header to fit tight to the block. The new Sanderson header measures 7 3/4 inches from the center of the flange to the bottom of the collector.
Rock Valley Antique Auto Parts (Route 72 & Rothwell Rd., Box 352, Dept. SC, Stillman Valley, IL 61084, (800) 344-1934, www.rockvalleyantiqueautoparts.com) has stainless steel gas tanks for '57 Chevys with a built-in fuel pump. The tank is fabricated in 304-grade stainless. The main body is done in 16-gauge and the side panels are in 14-gauge. Internally, there are two baffles running front to back and one side to side behind the pump assembly. They surround the fuel pump system with a cylindrical fuel trap, which has a forward-facing opening. This helps trap fuel, especially under acceleration. This tank will have a recess in the top of the tank from the fuel pump area going forward. This helps with fuel line clearance between the top of the tank and the floor pan. The return line is run to the bottom of the fuel trap. The baffles, fuel trap, and routing of return all help in minimizing the chances of starving the pump. Also, the fuel will help keep the pump cool and lubricated, and is also a sound deadener. The entire tank is TIG-welded. Included are two new stainless steel mounting straps with this tank. Custom tanks can be fabricated for any application by Rock Valley as well.
Trans-Dapt Performance Products (12438 Putnam St., Dept. SC, Whittier, CA 90602, (562) 921-0404, www.tdperformance.com) manufactures a designed set of engine swap motor mounts that allow you to bolt the LS1 into the SB Chevy chassis using the stock mounting positions. The kit makes the transplant easy with all the complete mounting plates, pads, and all related hardware. If you have your own pads, you may order the kit without them. Speed Scene Wiring (18975 Marbach Ln. STE 327, Dept. SC, San Antonio, TX 78266, (210) 651-1895, www.speedscenewiring.com) now offers a custom stand-alone harness for the '00-04 LS1 with a 4L60-E. The harness is tailored to a customer's specifications, so there is no room for error. The harness uses the correct boundary coding system, so the engine is 100 percent diagnosable.
Speed Scene Wiring (18975 Marbach Ln. STE 327, Dept. SC, San Antonio, TX 78266, (210) 651-1895, www.speedscenewiring.com) now offers a custom stand-alone harness for the '00-04 LS1 with a 4L60-E. The harness is tailored to a customer's specifications, so there is no room for error. The harness uses the correct boundary coding system, so the engine is 100 percent diagnosable.