LS1 Swap Stories

[BritKLR]

I've driven several SBC, 5.3, 5.7, LS1 attached to h42, h55, 4L60e, 4L80e, NV4500 trans and If there was a single bolt in kit (no having to source multiple different venders, parts, etc...) I'd swap one into my old junk with it's h55 in a minute. The original 2F just is tired for living in the mountains.

Good luck!

 

[Todd780]

I keep picturing these builds:

FJ62 Reimagined - Restoration - Modern Drivetrain - Stoffregen Motorsports

Anyone want to see another FJ62 build? Here's a teaser pic.

expeditionportal.com

FJ60 LS Swap - From Oil Burner to Gas V8 - Stoffregen Motorsports

A while back, I got a phone call from a guy up in the Pacific northwest. He wanted to ask me about making some improvements to his FJ60. He proceeded to describe the mods done to it already and one of them was a MBZ 5cyl diesel conversion. The chief problem that it wouldn't get out of it's own...

expeditionportal.com

 

[RMP&O]

Toyota's 5.7/4.7 are better motors than the LS.

There are lots of swaps out there in other vehicles where the LS has to come back out right away due to various issues, most I have seen involve no oil pressure on startup. I have 2 personal friends this happened to. Low mileage donors too, under 100k. Chevy makes junk, they always have.

I'm not saying it's a bad choice, the LS is powerful and cheap. I'm saying there is a reason they are cheap.

So I guess the 2001 2500HD with the 6L and 4L80 I bought new and put 285,000 hard work miles on was junk? We never opened that engine up, changed the oil, Alt once, starter once and thats it.

I have owned multiple v8 Cruisers, super fun trucks and reliable as anything else.

We also do v8 swaps in my shop, got two ERods swaps going now.

We also do diesel swaps, got a 1967 pickup we have swapped an FT into, a Troopy on an 80 chassis getting an FTE, an 80 we have swapped an FTE into (new long block no less) and have a 79 pickup getting an FTE as well. Not to mention we have another FT in the shop and I also own a 95 Euro 80 with an FT.

Oh ya and my DD 80 has a completely new 1FZ i put in it, not rebuilt, new.

Haters gonna hate.

Cheers

 

[Lovetheworld]

@RMP&O with FT and FTE you mean the 1HD versions right? Because those letter can go behind any Toyota engine. Is this in the US? You buy engines from Europe or Australia?

Anyway the 1HD is the best choice if you want to keep it Toyota. Because it is an OEM engine for the 80 series, and the v8s are to much hassle.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Obviously I am biased. Here are some of the LS engines I've put in FJ60/62s.

 

[BritKLR]

Obviously I am biased. Here are some of the LS engines I've put in FJ60/62s.

You do stunning work!

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

You do stunning work!

Thank you. I try hard and I'm glad it shows.

 

[Metcalf]

I built this a few years back, it is based on an 80 series chassis and is powered by a 2013 GM 5.3 all aluminum LC9 with a factory paired 6L80E automatic.

Overall, it has been a fantastic combo for me. I've put 15k+ miles on it in the last few years. Even with barn door aero and 40" half sticky Milestar Black Label tires it gets 15-17mpg if you keep it under 65ish. If you want to push it 80+ on the interstate all day that drops to 13-14mpg. I didn't swap it for mileage, but with the 27 gallon tank it makes for some good realistic range for off road adventures.

The 6-speed automatic changes everything for the better on and off-road. The broad gearing is great for making a mild low range work extremely well. The double overdrive makes sand, desert, and mud a lot more fun when you need a bit of wheel-speed. I will say you want to get the axles a bit more than you normally would.....and run a bit less low range. I'm running 5.00 effective axle gearing and with 40s it isn't quite low enough. It will hunt 5-6-5 on the interstate at 80-mph and becomes more sensitive to wind and smaller hills. Off-road though, it is already plenty low enough with a 54:1 crawl ratio and the automatic. I highly recommend not gearing the magic out of automatics by using too much low range.

The engine was tuned and the 4cyl mode displacement on demand system turned off. With barn door aero it just won't work right. Overall, 300-350+ hp has been plenty for a vehicle this size. 400hp would be more fun, but I think that would tax the 80 series chassis too much with larger tires.

I will say the one downside to this combo is finding someone that knows how to tune the 6 speed automatic. I recommend finding a factory engine/trans pairing if you go that way. Have the low range pin added to the ECM. In my opinion the 6-10speed automatic stuff REALLY needs to know you are in low range to work right. They are just adaptive enough to know that something has changed, but not really smart enough to completely compensate for the added low range gearing. Most tuners ignore this. There are aftermarket BCM modules now that can handle a lot of those functions....low range, cruise, tap-shift, etc. That is what I am working with now to further improve things.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Even with barn door aero and 40" half sticky Milestar Black Label tires it gets 15-17mpg if you keep it under 65ish.

I will say the one downside to this combo is finding someone that knows how to tune the 6 speed automatic. I recommend finding a factory engine/trans pairing if you go that way. Have the low range pin added to the ECM. In my opinion the 6-10speed automatic stuff REALLY needs to know you are in low range to work right. They are just adaptive enough to know that something has changed, but not really smart enough to completely compensate for the added low range gearing. Most tuners ignore this.

Hey Brennan. Long time no speaky...

You nailed two of my soap box talking points.

Mileage - For the same mileage as a stock LC, the LS will give you double or more horsepower which makes them viable in today's traffic. Out here in the west, where mountain travel is common, the extra HP means not having to drive in the slow lane.
Tuning - Most tuners do ignore a lot of things. This became glaringly apparent when I had my first tune session with Mark Romans. 90% of offroad guys don't actually care about the fine points of tuning, which lead to a lot of misinformation, or actually incomplete information on how these builds go and what to expect when they are finished.

 

[beef tits]

My non soap box, grumpy old man point still remains; 300-400 reliable HP from a bone stock unmodified Toyota 4.6/5.7 drivetrain would be way cooler and less bastardized.

 

[Metcalf]

My non soap box, grumpy old man point still remains; 300-400 reliable HP from a bone stock unmodified Toyota 4.6/5.7 drivetrain would be way cooler and less bastardized.

Still remains very debatable too....

HP is HP.
The only kind of 'cooler' that matters is if the cooling system works well.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

My non soap box, grumpy old man point still remains; 300-400 reliable HP from a bone stock unmodified Toyota 4.6/5.7 drivetrain would be way more expensive and complicated.

Fixed it for you ;-)

 

[beef tits]

Expensive, complicated and mostly… worth it

 

[TonyLC]

Fitting a 3UR/AB60F into a 60/70/80 would be quite the task. It's an enormous drivetrain compared to an LS/6L80.
I'm sure it's do-able but not without compromise.
You'll have to ask yourself how many puzzles you want to deal with just to stay with a petrol Toyota engine.

 

[samuel642000]

I don't understand purists, I have a LS1/T56 foxbody and love it and eventually will have an LS/6L80 in my 80 series.
By all means build what you want to build but I personally think if you do it the 6l80 is a must. I have read where others went 4 speeds and really hated it.