can anyone help, I want to put a 5.3LS4 motor in my 2002 monte carlo please help. what prombles will I have.

 

Have you found an LS4 that you're thinking about purchasing?
What is your experience level?
How much cash do you have?
Do you think you can do this with no prior examples to learn from?


There quite a few knowledgeable people who can help, but you need to answer those before you worry about what problems you will have.

 

to answer your PM,

To my knowledge, nobody has done this swap before. You may try talking to Milzy at Milzymotorsports.com. He was at one point looking for a guinea pig for this swap, but I don't think he ever did it.

You may try heading over to mymonte.com, we've had this question come up a few times over there with some discussion. Try using the search feature if you decide to check out mymonte. Try this thread http://mymonte.com/discussion/index.php?showtopic=22556 and talk to some of the people who posted in there.

 

no matter what your looking at alot of work. ill guarentee that youll have to do all new front drivtrain components. youll have your mounts needed to be fabed up. then a full custom exhast. youll also have to do some eletrical system work like fuse mounts. then you got the cooling system. youll have to fab all that up yourself. its likely to not fit just cus of the different shapings and shear size difference.

 

instead of making my own thread ill just post here. are there any V8s that will bolt up to the 3.8 tranny? i recently was a victim of dexcool. i thought we caught it quick enough and rebuilt the top end, new lifters and rods cuz they were scalded. but after 2 days i spun the bearing. we havent tore it down yet to see how bad it is, but its never good, right?

 

well assuming that your trans is the same as the one in ours then yest the ls4 will fit your trans. but givne that it has milage on it and is probably stressed already it wont last long.

 

I would put another v6 in it, sell it, and save yourself some time a go buy a low miles ls4 monte. by the time you buy the motor, tranny, wiring harness, comp., fab a new front end-engine mounts and cross members/supports, and get it all running you would about break even if you consider any of your time. I am a moderate builder-I have done engine swaps before, but what you are talking about is above anything I would try. If you get it done, it will be sweet and a learning process, but a big pain in the... I really think in the long run, for it to run properly, you will need to get a front clip off of an '06-'08 monte SS, just so everything lines up correctly. The back half is the same except the spoiler, so if you went that far you could get the ground effects and bumpers and everyone would think it was an '06 up. Any way you slice this, it is going to be really hard. Let us know how it goes!

 

well thanks,l im probably just going to throw a brand new V6 in it. either straight out of a crate or im just going to rebuild the bottom assuming what the pistons and everything look like when i pull it out. one good thing i did shut it down as soon as it started so we're hoping the damage isnt to bad. selling it for me isnt an option, i love my SS, its the newest car i ever had, i came from nothing so this car means the world to me and i got it on my own. i just think GM dropped the ball on this whole dexcool ordeal. i found the settlement but your only eligible if your are the first owner of the car? what kinda bs is that?

 

Doing the bottom end is not the end of the world. Yank the mill out, tear it down, either a new crank with bearings or get yours machined. Used to do that stuff all time.

As for radical swaps. You better have deeeeeeep pockets and a very talented mechanic working on it. In 89 we, the shop i worked at, dropped a 350 into an s10. Now remember the year, 89. You couldn't just order up a swap kit and drop in your 350. OMG. Custom built oil pan, exhaust, wiring, motor mount stands, rad, trans cross member, and I am sure I am forgetting stuff.
Would it be cool, hell yes, is it worth it? Only you can answer that question.

 

we did do a 400sb in an S-10 Blazer, tubbed out the back and cut the wheel wells.that was a monster.
we arent swapping the engine, we're gonna pull it out, see how much damage ive actually done and go for the. going to use the same block as long as everything checks out.new pistons, new crank and maybe new rods, again. im looking for headers tho, anyone point me in the right direction?