Opinion of LS build
 

This is on my `99 Trans Am. The LS1 is tired and I'm getting some blowby at 374,000 miles. Still runs incredible but I'm looking for some opinions on rebuilding.

I have a quote from a shop for 10k to stroke , cam, headers, rebuild heads and all the associated parts that go with that ... along with a tune - obviously.

Part of me wants to do it, but it's my daily driver. Everything else on the car is in great shape. I've kept it up over the past 18 years, so it's worth keeping it going. But it's also a few grand over my budget.

My thought going into it was to go with a LQ9 364 (450HP) but I really don't want that extra weight from that iron block.

Maybe look for a take-out LS3? Valve springs, cam, headers & a good tune and it can be putting well over 400hp to the wheels and still be very driveable.

Rebuilds like that on any engine seem to be in the $10k range these days, some even more.

You're lucky in that being an LS engine, it's not 60 years old, so it's much more feasible and not all that difficult right now to find a low mile take out and just do a swap.

I wouldn't worry about the iron block weight, the difference between the aluminum block and iron block is only 60 lbs. You'll never know it.

We were actually getting away from the aluminum blocks and purposely seeking out the iron versions simply because the aluminum blocks did not like to be overbored very far. If they had a lot of mileage and couldn't be cleaned up with a .010" or .015" bore, they were pretty much done unless you wanted to go through the expense of sleeving. Iron blocks are going .030 no problem and some .060". So you get more bang for your money as far as future rebuilds go, and with a 6.0 you get a 4" bore which is an advantage for making some HP.
Typically when I was messing with these things back in the late 90's and early 2000's, a stock 6.0 with just a cam swap and headers will easily put 400hp at the tire and make a 4th gen F-body an easy 11 second car. That was a slam dunk and very little money.

Here's another quote for 2000 less. That will get me an LQ9 6.0 long block for around 5k, then headers, intake?, install and tune are around 3500. The cam is smallish at a 204/218 .550. That would be a much more simplified upgrade than the first quote. The first quote has me swapping out the fuel pump, injectors ... pulleys .....etc.....etc.....

There's a ton of 4th gens running around with iron blocks. Iirc they only ad about 70lbs, which isn't too bad.

A LQ9 with a healthy cam, longtubes, a ported TB and a decent converter behind it will be more than respectable for a daily. It'll make that stock, tired LS1 feel like a V6.

Kinda apples to oranges, but my 71 currently has a LM7 5.3 in it. I have a stock LS1 intake on it, with a 228/230 .585 112lsa cam, 1 3/4 longtubes, and a 3200rpm converter, and it'll move out pretty good. By no means a rocketship, but for the money I have in it you can't beat it. I put around 4k-5k miles on it in the summer, and it's been perfect.

10K for an LS rebuild is insane. You can get a fully dressed TSP 575hp LS3 for that price.

https://www.texas-speed.com/p-10689-...75hp500tq.aspx

Like Formula Jones said, you don't need anywhere near 575hp to have a screaming fast car.

I paid something like 5k for my forged rod and piston LQ9 long block with a decent 227/232 cam from Thompson motorsports a few years back for my 71 cutlass. I already had an lq9 and a new set of Advanced Induction ported 243 heads so I took the thompson heads off and put my ported ones on. Once together I made 396tq/425hp at the wheels. This has a very nice 2600 stall converter and I would daily drive it with no hesitation, very mild mannered. I traded my old lq9 and the new thompson heads to a buddy that had the short block bored .030 with crank turned .010, forged pistons (cost him around $3.5k) and threw in a summit truck cam and made 411 wheel hp in his 02 silverado. There is a lot of easy power in those 6.0 engines for not a ton of cash.

You'll want to swap over your accessories then you can use the lower profile passenger car intake. You probably know that already.

That 6.0, even with that small cam, and a set of headers, it'll put down more power than your LS1


Here is my 6.0 swap in a Blazer. This is an LQ4 with lower compression I pulled from a wrecked truck with 80K miles. I didn't do anything to it other than tune it with HPtuners. Stock truck exhaust manifolds, truck intake, stock cam etc....Just plunked it in.
It ran 14.30's at 95-96 mph and this thing weighed 5200 lbs. before I sit in it. It was a tank but it ran like stink. Put this engine in a car 2000 lbs. lighter and it would run mid 12's, with an engine that hasn't even been opened up. It's why these engines are so damn attractive.

Here I am putting a wooping on a 2010 SS camaro with it's LS3 6 speed. He had a great mph but the blazer is just gone and too much for him to make up, LOL

https://youtu.be/msgSc3S-yHA

Edit: I didn't even matt the throttle either, I rolled out easy and then quickly went full throttle because it had a tendency to snap the pinion clean off the truck 12 bolt LOL Don't ask.

So the truck had a little more in it

That's an option that I'm looking at. It's right at 4.7k plus shipping which I'm guessing 300 ... so 5k. Add another 4k for headers, install and tuning.

Where do you live bro? Those prices are way out scale for Texas. 4K to swap a motor, install headers and flash a tune? That's bananas. Taking out one LS motor, putting in another, and flashing a tune is a cake walk.

Heck, I helped a friend pull an old 6.2 diesel out of a square body yesterday and drop in a 454 and we had it done in a couple of hours.

I'm swapping a 5.3L into my Blazer and I've got less than $4,000 in the motor (which was just rebuilt), the computer, fuel pump, lines, brackets, headers and labor. It's going to go past that with having the engine compartment painted and the full exhaust built...but not by much.

Georgia .... and true ... so much money could be saved doing it myself. I really don't want to fool with it. The 10.5k is beginning to look like the best option. It's actually down from the original quote of 12.5k. But that was with true duals, panhard relocation ....etc.

Taking out the old LS, swapping pan, covers, intake and accessories from the old engine to the new and installing long tubes while its all out is one long day of work. My dyno tune cost $650, but that included any touch ups I need if I find any little drivability issues down the road. (Only had to go back because check engine light kept coming on for "traction control inop) he had forgotten to turn it off in the tune.

I have a 6.0 in a car and so far broke two rears, the original 10 bolt snapped an axle and 12 bolt broke spider gears. These little engines are nothing to sneer at. The money is in the DOD and AFM delete when it comes the engine itself.

Look on this site and you will be surprised how affordable these things are, Look up the part number here then google the part number to look for the lowest price.
https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/

That's exactly what I was looking at; on that site. And .... as far as the drive train, if I grenade that monza rear end, I'll put in a 9".

Here is what 10.5k will get me:

Actually ... that list still shows the true dual exhaust .... so it is 12.5k.

I'd ask on www.ls1tech.com
There are so many combinations that will be good for what you're looking for. Sounds like you don't want to go crazy so buying a complete engine is probably best.

Thanks. I do have a thread there as well. I'm using all of my resources. I figure to make a decision tomorrow.

Those speed engineering headers are nice, but the true duals are LOUD!

That might a show stopper on that. I currently have a Texas Speed cat back... and may just stick with that... although that is going to get really loud with those headers.