[Project] 327ci 4th Gen V8 Swap

[TheyCallMe Tim]

Well I figured it's about time to start a project thread for this. I didn't end up picking up my motor today, apparently there were some issues with the guy's mechanic needing extra time to swap motors out so mine isn't quite ready to be picked up. Hopefully this week though.

My plans are as follows
- 5.3L (327ci) Vortec truck block [Picking up soon]
- LS6 intake manifold w/ Ported LS1 throttle body (for now, might go 80-85mm) [Have]
- Futral Motorsports F2-114 Cam, 224/224 588/588 and 114 LSA [Ordered]
- Ported stock heads, Milled to 58cc
- Longtube Headers w/ custom y-pipe, cat delete, and cut-out grafted to current cat-back
- SLP/Whisper lid, ported MAF
- Lightweight Flywheel, SPEC Stage 3+ clutch

I'm shooting for around 375whp with this set-up, which I think is well within reach. It will be a fairly slow build process, I plan on finishing the motor before I start collecting the other parts to do the swap. Aiming to have the swap done around July.

I'll be taking tons of pictures throughout the process. Wish me luck!

[meissen]

Awesome - keep us updated and take lots of pics!

[Z28ISGR8]

Badass man. When do you plan on having the whole project done?

[s.reef]

those 5.3 engines can make some good numbers

[Phantom409]

Sounds like fun

Keep us posted
You know how we like pics here

[MP81]

Yep. on the pictures. I look forward to watching this project!

[phoenix_rising]

Sweet! Between you and the other 5.3 swap guys we should have a wealth of gained information!

[TheyCallMe Tim]

It will definitely be fun! I'm planning on starting the actual swap some time in July depending on how my budget works out. Hopefully it doesn't take too long after I have all the parts accumulated, so it should be finished around a week after I dig in. The motor I'll be wrenching on over the winter then I'll start stockpiling parts for the swap.

Another thing I may do is have the rear pair of Z06 wheels widened out to 17X11 (currently all 4 at 17X9.5) and run 315/35R17s out back to accommodate the doubled torque numbers.

[c0ncEpT]

Going to use the T5? Or is there a T56 swap in your feature also?

[TheyCallMe Tim]

T56 swap... that transmission is going to be the single most expensive part of the entire swap. I'm sure I could figure out how to make the T5 work, but with the power I'm looking to make and my driving style I'd end up spending more replacing transmissions than I would just installing the T56.

Honestly my car is a great starting point for this kind of swap, the 98 is the last year v6 with a cable throttle, so I don't have to swap pedal assemblies, it's a manual, the T5 and T56 use the same clutch master cylinder, and I already have some V8 parts in the driveline and suspension (aluminum driveshaft, 32mm/19mm sway bars). The only potentially problematic areas are going to be finding a '98 LS1/T65 engine harness and ECU. 8-O

[DETROITMUSCLE]

do you have a k-member as well?

[TheyCallMe Tim]

do you have a k-member as well?

Not yet, going to need one of those. You wouldn't happen to have one of those laying around would you?

[DETROITMUSCLE]

lol actually I'll be disassembeling mine once my UMI one gets here.

[TheyCallMe Tim]

Dibs, shoot me a price once you get it out. No rush obviously.

[TheyCallMe Tim]

Just got back around an hour ago from picking up the engine. Everything looks spiffy, heads are aluminum, pleasant surprise.

However, the entire drive back (about an hour and a half on what should have been 45 minutes), I couldn't help thinking all the things that I should be and need to be doing with the money I'm dumping into the engine build right now, and most of it is still going into the Camaro. It needs new shocks (and springs), and it needs bodywork and paint. As much as I would absolutely LOVE to go through with the swap, I'm just not sure I'm in a financial position to do it right now. I don't make much (for what I do), and I'm trying to stretch it pretty thin between all this and trying to move out in the next couple months.

Maybe I'll call this one off and see what happens in the spring, in the mean time it's just too much money to have tied up all at once. Maybe sell once the needed work is done in the spring and pick up an LS2 GTO...?