Was out at the pick a part the other day and seen a rear end collision Monte Carlo w/ the 5.3L in it. I have an 86 GT and suddenly had the thought that I could possibly take out it all out and use the engine, tranny, and all in my GT for about $2000 plus a bit here and there.... Do you think it'd work?

its been done before, do a search on it. lt4 is its engine code i think.

I think there's at least three completed LS4 swaps. Checkout these threads, there's some good stuff here

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/086013.html
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/101202.html
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/095910.html
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/067337.html

This one is kind of in limbo...
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/F...1/HTML/062546-5.html

Yep, it's LS4, the LT4 was a '96 Corvette Grand Sport engine, but it got onto a few other '96 'vettes and a very few Camaros and Firehawks.

i was thinking ls, and typed lt ohwell.

quote Originally posted by ConvertGT: Was out at the pick a part the other day and seen a rear end collision Monte Carlo w/ the 5.3L in it. I have an 86 GT and suddenly had the thought that I could possibly take out it all out and use the engine, tranny, and all in my GT for about $2000 plus a bit here and there.... Do you think it'd work?

DO IT. DO IT.

Personally I think the 5.3L will have to replace the 3800sc engines. It was difficult finding a low mile series3 engine. The 5.3L are at least still in production.

quote Originally posted by ConvertGT: Was out at the pick a part the other day and seen a rear end collision Monte Carlo w/ the 5.3L in it. I have an 86 GT and suddenly had the thought that I could possibly take out it all out and use the engine, tranny, and all in my GT for about $2000 plus a bit here and there.... Do you think it'd work?

I Love my LS4. It seems like a great engine.


And roads like this are more fun with the LS4 too

If you happen to go back to that yard and have the time to get the roof wire harness with all the plugs and components I would appreciate it.
I used most of the wire harness from the Monte for my swap but the roof harness was not complete, and I need it get the satellite radio working.
If you do try to get the harness for me I would need the antenna cables ( all 3 of them) and any and all dome lights brake lights exc. The only thing I dont need are the pillar air bags.

Thanks, Rick

quote Originally posted by stickpony: DO IT. DO IT.

Agreed. +1 for both of ya.

also, to the guy above me; that stripe looks good there. +1 for that. ;]

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"Be not led astray, bretheren beloved..." -James 1:16.


Thanks, Danyel, for the graphic.

Thank you, the 5.3 looks good in there too.



notice no deck lid struts



I used the Stock Monte Carlo gauges to run the engine but used a Malibu dash. But the door panels and center console are not done yet.

[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 11-04-2009).]

If you keep the DoD (Displacement on Demand or AFM / Active Fuel Management) intact and working in your swap with the stock auto transmission, the potential to get 35 MPG highway fuel economy is there if you can keep your speed in-check, and keep your foot out of it. Not bad for a 300+ HP V8, IMHO.

Of course you could go the other route and pull out the DoD stuff and install LS6 components and build this thing up to make some serious power; depending on your budget.

Nice looking swap there Rickady88GT!

-ryan

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6+ years on this same swap -- NO engine or transmission failures...

Custom GM OBD1 & OBD2 Tuning | Engine Conversions & more | www.gmtuners.com

quote Originally posted by Darth Fiero: If you keep the DoD (Displacement on Demand or AFM / Active Fuel Management) intact and working in your swap with the stock auto transmission, the potential to get 35 MPG highway fuel economy is there if you can keep your speed in-check, and keep your foot out of it. Not bad for a 300+ HP V8, IMHO. Of course you could go the other route and pull out the DoD stuff and install LS6 components and build this thing up to make some serious power; depending on your budget. Nice looking swap there Rickady88GT! -ryan

Thank you, I would LOVE to convert this over to a 6 speed manual. Have you heard of or seen any get done yet?
Just a manual would make this thing unreal fun.

quote Originally posted by Rickady88GT: Thank you, I would LOVE to convert this over to a 6 speed manual. Have you heard of or seen any get done yet? Just a manual would make this thing unreal fun.

Nope. Starter seems to be the biggest hangup.

quote Originally posted by Rickady88GT: Thank you, I would LOVE to convert this over to a 6 speed manual. Have you heard of or seen any get done yet? Just a manual would make this thing unreal fun.

Myself and AV8Fiero are both working on it, although we have different ideas on what the starter should be attached to. He's with Fieroguru on mounting it to the trans, while I'm trying to attach it to the engine block by a fabricated bracket. Fieroguru had great success, though he was using a traditional SBC, not an LS. If I can't get this working as I hoped, I'm going to copy Fieroguru.

quote Originally posted by Isolde: Myself and AV8Fiero are both working on it, although we have different ideas on what the starter should be attached to. He's with Fieroguru on mounting it to the trans, while I'm trying to attach it to the engine block by a fabricated bracket. Fieroguru had great success, though he was using a traditional SBC, not an LS. If I can't get this working as I hoped, I'm going to copy Fieroguru.

Didn't V8 Archie just modify the block/oil pan to accept a starter on the LS engines? I think there was a thread on this modification using an LS7?
He took off the oil pan and welded up the oil bypass and internally diverted it. That made room for the starter to but up against the block.

quote Originally posted by Rickady88GT: Didn't V8 Archie just modify the block/oil pan to accept a starter on the LS engines? I think there was a thread on this modification using an LS7? He took off the oil pan and welded up the oil bypass and internally diverted it. That made room for the starter to but up against the block.

Archie's starter fits and LS engine because he is using a 168 tooth flywheel, but that flywheel has zero chance of fitting within the F40 tranny. He uses and adapter plate to house this larger flywheel and to accomodate the bellhousing bolt pattern.

To bolt the LS4 directly to the F40 requires the use of a fiero/FWD sized flywheel. With the Y-block configuration of the LS series engines means the starter needs to go to the tranny side (or under the oil pan). There are pictures of my tranny mounted starter for the F40 in the links above.

quote Originally posted by fieroguru: Archie's starter fits and LS engine because he is using a 168 tooth flywheel, but that flywheel has zero chance of fitting within the F40 tranny. He uses and adapter plate to house this larger flywheel and to accomodate the bellhousing bolt pattern. To bolt the LS4 directly to the F40 requires the use of a fiero/FWD sized flywheel. With the Y-block configuration of the LS series engines means the starter needs to go to the tranny side (or under the oil pan). There are pictures of my tranny mounted starter for the F40 in the links above.

Do you have a picture of the 168 tooth fly wheel in or on the F40?
What exacty is the diferance of diamiter and tooth count between them?

quote Originally posted by Rickady88GT: Do you have a picture of the 168 tooth fly wheel in or on the F40? What exacty is the diferance of diamiter and tooth count between them?

I do not have them infront of me right now, but can get the info later today... but here is a good pictoral to put it into perspective.

Fiero sized flywheel easily fits within an isuzu tranny bellhousing:


153 tooth ring gear does not fit within the tranny bellhousings, but does clear all the bellhousing bolts:


168 tooth ring gear does not fit within the tranny bellhousings and encroaches on the bellhousing bolts (some of them can not pass through the area because the ring gear is in the way):



This thread has some good pictures on dealing with the 168 flywheel and the FWD bolts that can not pass through it:
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...040710-2-027739.html

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 11-05-2009).]

Is the 6speed the only manual with troubles bolting up to the ls4?

How would a 4 speed bolt up?

quote Originally posted by Adam1988: Is the 6speed the only manual with troubles bolting up to the ls4? How would a 4 speed bolt up?

Well, that is kind of a loaded question. The F40 6 speed is a direct bolt on to the block of the LS4 just like any other GM Front wheel drive. The problem is converting the LS4 over to a manual tranny, it does not have any starter mounts. BUT the flywheel and starter relocation is the compromise.

quote Originally posted by Adam1988: Is the 6speed the only manual with troubles bolting up to the ls4? How would a 4 speed bolt up?

All GM FWD manual trannies have the same issue being bolted to the LS4. Issue resides with the Y-block design of the engine not providing clearance to attach a starter on the engine side when using a FWD sized flywheel (which is the only one that will fit within the tranny bellhousing). The two known methods around this are modifying the starter to be directly under the oil pan (Fast Fieros did this) or moving the starter to the tranny side which requires modifying the transmission case to make the needed room for the starter.