I have the tipical 2001 monte carlo ss 3.8L. Can you swap it out with a v8 Ls1 engine? If so, what will I have to change and what would be the price?

 

i dont know if this is really helpful to you but here you go. it is possible but its probably more work then its worth. your probably better off buying an ls4 monte. dont let the title fool you. this is from a stie where a guy installed one into a 2001 grand prix. its a tight fit but sick none the less.
http://fastfieros.com/projects/tomkls1/tomkls1.htm

 

I say go with the ls4. Just do the complete swap with transmission and all. Ive thought it through but with all the fabrication to do, its not really worth it.

 

Just do a top-swap with supporting mods and you'll be running that 300 HP way cheaper.

 

Honestly, if you have to ask- you're probably not going to be able to do it.

The LS1 has been done before- as seen in the link above, and also GM did it in a 00+ impala for some sort of show car. Really, there is no reason to use it now that the LS4 is out- the LS4 is made specifically for a FWD application in a wbody, so it should be almost completely a bolt in. If you really want 5.7L out of it, I'm sure you could bore/stroke an LS4 to get the extra 0.4L out of it.

Honestly though, what are your goals for the car, and what kind of budget do you have? Your current engine is capable of 200+ whp with just a L67 top swap, 400whp with a lot of other mods with the stock upgrade supercharger, or 500+whp with a turbo and other mods. If you're dead set on an LS1, I'd first look into the price difference in selling your car and buying a TA or camaro with an LS1 already- you'd be faster, and have a more reliable trans that way.

 

the problem with the ls4 is the aftermarket or the lack there of. no one even has an intake manifold for it everyones trying to rig ls6 and ls2 ones to work with the dod. and once you start making some real power its going to blow the tranny up for sure. i agree with the above stated get a camaro or a firebird if you really want an lsx thats going to be quick and reliable. also that motor in the link is from that impala ss show car you were talking about.

 

I'm sure they at least have heads/cam for it don't they?

If nothing else, you could always go csc/turbo if you really wanted a lot more power.

Thats the other real problem. Assuming the reason you would want an LS1 in the first place is because you wouldn't be satisfied with the 400-500+ whp you can get out of a 3800; then you really need to consider what you're going to do for a tranny, and for traction. People have a hard enough time getting the 4t65's to hold together for long at those power levels, and going beyond that isn't going to help.

 

the heads that come on the ls4 are the ls6 heads. and ppl run different cams in them but no one has an intake or headers for it, so you cant really take advantage of a cam that would really compliment the heads. its kind of ridiculous that no one makes one for it, but at the end of the day its a fwd family sport sedan not a race car so there is probably not going to ever be a huge aftermarket for it. i think if you want to run an lsx there are better ways to go about it ie camaro,firebird,gto,g8,tbss. unless your really obsessed with the looks of the w-body. i personally wanted a trans am but if i went out and bought one i wouldnt be much of monte man now would. that and if it was easy to go fast it wouldnt be any fun.