1980 Malibu LS Engine And 4L60E Tranny Swap

1980 Malibu Ls Engine 4L60e Tranny Swap Crew

It seems that every time you open an automotive enthusiast magazine, you come across a first-generation Camaro LS-swap. They are everywhere and the fad is growing faster than this recession. And why not? No car of today can match the spine-tingling appeal of a '60s or '70s Bow Tie combined with the technological advances that an LS-motor provides.

It really is the best of both worlds--you can cruise the streets in a hot rod of yesteryear and make 600 hp with a smooth idle, great manners, simple computer tuning, fabulous miles per gallon, and all while stripping over excess tonnage off the nose. Back that up with an electronic transmission, and you will have bystanders drooling.

We, once again, hooked up with Tune Time Performance as they have opened their shop to our every need time and time again. Our donor hot rod isn't a '69 Camaro, shoebox Nova, or '57 Chevy; it's a car that every weekend drag racer has come to love, the '80 Malibu. Weighing in at close to 3,000 pounds, priced for the average enthusiast, and with a short wheelbase to boot, these Malibus make some of the best drag cars out there. Show up at any Friday night gamblers race and you're sure to see a few with the wheels in the sky.

We pieced together our LS with an LQ9 steel short-block out of an Escalade, Tune Time Performance cylinder heads, LS6 intake manifold, and custom-ground camshaft. To back the LS, TCI Performance Transmissions hooked us up with absolutely everything we would ever need for such a conversion, including its 4L60E electronic transmission, 3200-stall lock-up torque converter, transmission control unit, dipstick, crossmember, and much more.

Follow along as we rip off 30 years of rust and replenish life back into the '80 Malibu.

We started our assembly with an LQ9 short-block out of an Escalade with around 2,000 miles on it. This is a perfect platform for us to begin our build. Rather than buy a new short-block, the owner wisely chose to search the far reaches of Internet forums for this piece, saving him a few thousand dollars.
We started our assembly with an LQ9 short-block out of an Escalade with around 2,000 miles
BRP Hot Rods took care of the essentials for the LS swap including a set of Muscle Line headers, which bolted on with ease and looked great. BRP is a great source for any gearhead wanting to performance such a swap. They have a kit for just about every General Motors hot rod and Bow Tie trucks.
BRP Hot Rods took care of the essentials for the LS swap including a set of Muscle Line he
The cylinder heads used were custom made per the application by Tune Time. While retaining the factory valve sizes (2.00 I/1.55 E), a valve job, some port work, and a seal of approval is all it's going to take to reach our goal of 500 hp at the flywheel with a custom-ground camshaft.
The cylinder heads used were custom made per the application by Tune Time. While retaining

The intake we used was a stock LS6 piece with a 78mm opening, Summit Racing fuel rails, 42 pound injectors, and a drive-by-wire throttle. We will be reusing the wiring harness from the Escalade that was ripped out along with the engine. The factory wiring harness will work perfectly for our 500 hp powerplant, and with some cutting and splicing, the transmission as well.
The intake we used was a stock LS6 piece with a 78mm opening, Summit Racing fuel rails, 42

1980 Malibu Ls Engine 4L60e Tranny Swap Tcu Wiring Harness

Available from TCI as a complete kit, the transmission arrived with a 3200-rpm stall lock-up torque converter, transmission control unit, TCU wiring harness, 12-quarts of fluid, dipstick, polyurethane transmission mount, and performance trans cooler.

BRP also hooked us up with its oil pan conversion kit, which includes the pan, oil pick-up tube, deflector plate, and mounting bolts. This pan supplied the needed clearance between the engine and crossmember, and also has the oil-filter built in.
BRP also hooked us up with its oil pan conversion kit, which includes the pan, oil pick-up
Check out the finished product ready for installation. We ripped the nose off the Malibu, making installation 10 times quicker than it would have been with it on. We will be bolting up the transmission and then installing the unit as a whole.
Check out the finished product ready for installation. We ripped the nose off the Malibu,
The BRP motor mounts come ready to install with Energy Suspension bushings and bolt to the factory locations on the engine block.
The BRP motor mounts come ready to install with Energy Suspension bushings and bolt to the

On the crossmember, two mounting points line up, enough to hold the engine and transmission assembly while the others are drilled.
On the crossmember, two mounting points line up, enough to hold the engine and transmissio
For the other half of the installation, TCI Performance Transmissions came through in a big way. First and foremost is their Street Fighter 4L60E transmission specifically designed to back the LS engine. The 4L60E comes triple tested and certified from TCI with a Trans-Scat shift kit, high performance bands and clutches, and a laundry list of OEM parts.
For the other half of the installation, TCI Performance Transmissions came through in a bi
Next, we filled the torque converter with the supplied fluid and set it in place in the transmission.
Next, we filled the torque converter with the supplied fluid and set it in place in the tr

The key here is to make sure the converter is seated properly on the input shaft. Gently pressing and spinning the converter at the same time can accomplish this.Do this until three distinct clicks are heard.
The key here is to make sure the converter is seated properly on the input shaft. Gently p
We then placed the motor on a cherry picker and worked out the best way to mate the engine and transmission. This wasn't too difficult once we realized the stool we were using all day long was the perfect height to rest the transmission on during the process.
We then placed the motor on a cherry picker and worked out the best way to mate the engine
The transmission sits on two dowels on either side of the engine block and gets installed using six bolts. Take extra care here as it is essential that the engine and transmission sit flush and it's very easy to rush and lose track of what you are doing.
The transmission sits on two dowels on either side of the engine block and gets installed

1980 Malibu Ls Engine 4L60e Tranny Swap Plyurethane Tranny Mount

We then installed the supplied polyurethane transmission mount using the supplied bolts. We faced some issues while mocking up the transmission crossmember and are in the process of getting the correct one.

We were able to get the top two bolts in place and tightened to keep the motor in place. We are going to have to come back and mark the two bottom hole locations, drill, and set a nut and bolt in place.
We were able to get the top two bolts in place and tightened to keep the motor in place. W
At this point, we were ready to install the engine and transmission. I can't stress how important it was to have the fenders and nose off the car. There is no way we would have been able to get everything mocked up and ready for final assembly in the time that we performed this install. From the time we bolted the engine to the transmission, to the time we had both laid in, was all of about a half hour. Try doing that squeezing under a roof and over a front fender.
At this point, we were ready to install the engine and transmission. I can't stress how im
The headers cleared the framerails, steering shaft, and firewall, but not by much. When performing a swap like this, make sure you have a set of headers that are specifically made for your vehicle.
The headers cleared the framerails, steering shaft, and firewall, but not by much. When pe

1980 Malibu Ls Engine 4L60e Tranny Swap All Set

Installation of the engine and transmission was the first step in getting this hot rod back on all fours and ready for the street and drag strip. To button everything up, we obviously have to slap the nose and fenders back on the car and then get the wiring harness all figured out. One way to go here is to use TCI's stand-alone harness for the 4L60E and do away with the wiring from the stock harness for the trans. We will be posting updates on www.superchevy.com with our progress and some video at the drag strip. Stay tuned as this is sure to be one bad Malibu.

SOURCES
BRP Hot Rods 5849 Rogers Rd. Cumming GA 30040 7-70/-751-0687 www.brphotrods.com	Tune Time Performance 7-32/-349-7800 www.tunetimeperformance.com
TCI Performance Transmissions www.tciauto.com