Ls swap into 1998 4.3 5spd 1500

I have a 1998 single cab with the 4.3 v6 and a 5spd nv3500 I believe... I want to swap in a 5.7 or 6.0 and keep the truck standard.
A little bit about the purpose of the truck: to be a daily driver (60 mile round trip) and to eventually run a 12 second 1/4 n/a and then a 10 or lower after boost..
. My first question is will the nv3500 be strong enough for a while until I can replace it with an nv4500? Or is there a better transmission?
I am also planning on purchasing a complete take out, which will most likely come with a 4l60e , can the ECM be used for a manual, ? Also what are these transmissions worth used ?
So far I am taking into consideration I will need the following for the swap. , please let me know what I'm missing
Motor mounts
Radiator
Electric fan setup
V8 fuel lines ?
Bell housing?

there's a whole section that covers OBS LS swaps.
but the stock 5 speed will be fine. the LS PCM can be tuned with or without transmission shift tables. if you're trying to race it, the 4500 is a bad option - yeah it's stronger, but the gearing sucks for racing & the clutch for either ain't that good for shifting fast or high in the RPMs. if you're 2wd, look into a T56 swap from a GTO (preferably) or a Camaro/TransAm

Thank you very much zebra!

Is there any bell housing difference for the t56 or will it match right up

Also, if I choose to keep my 3500 on for now would there be any bell housing change or any other difference?

Get a 98+ t56 transmission with a good clutch. The nv3500 doesn't like to shift past 3.5-4k rpm let alone 6-7k rpm.

i've shifted mine at 5500


...it wasn't the best feeling in the world, but it did it. that was also only for the first few times after a clutch fluid ranger flush. after that, you gotta double-clutch it - but that's more because of the hydraulics

as for bolting up, the nv3500 is a one-piece unit (the bellhousing is built in), and any SBC/BBC/LS engine can bolt to any RWD GM transmission

Thanks very much guys, my 4.3 has developed a knock haven't had time to investigate but it sounds like a connecting rod on cylinder 6.... So I may have to slap another 4.3 in for now .... I'm thinking I can get it done for about $1000.... How far off is $1000 from getting an ls swapped in and driving with maybe some detail to work on?

depending on the engine you find, you're most of the way there.

As Zebra stated, it depends on what engine you find and for how much.

After a trans fire burned up most of my wiring harness along with cooking the trans, I decided to go the LS swap route than finding another trans to back up the old tired 350 Gen 1 small block. My engine was also developing a rod knock so this seemed the best route. After scouring Craigslist, I scored a '99 6.0 with all the harness/PCM along with another transmission for $750. I sold the old engine for $150 and the burnt trans for $50. I bought a new radiator, engine mounts and other incidentals and still wound up spending just under $1000. If you have the time to shop, the deals are out there.

Hey mickeymotormount , thanks for the input, you spent an additional 1000 after purchase of the motor ? Or that was your grand total? What radiator did you go with?

yeah I agree. you could get away with a swap for around 2k give or take. but this is assuming you have the time to shop for the deals AND you go with the bare minimum of parts and accessories. also assuming you do at least 90% of the work yourself I.e. harness integration and any fabrication needed.

I wish I could give u a price for mine but I spent way more than 2k because i was in a time crunch so I couldn't wait for deals. plus I was doing a cali legal swap so I needed all the smog stuff(new too), Dbw, cai, opted for braided lines, upgraded to bigger injectors, bigger trans cooler, oil cooler, rebuilt trans, dual fuel pumps.... etc etc... I hadn't planned on all that but once your in there doing it, you will tell yourself "well might as well upgrade now while I'm doing it".... THAT IS WHAT THROWS THE WORD "BUDGET" RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW!!! lol.

this stuff is addicting. it will take some will power to hold back the urge to upgrade if your trying to stick to a budget. you have been warned!!

oh and don't forget screw ups.... that cost money too. and it will happen!!

My grand total was just under $1000. The radiator I used was for the donor truck, a '99 Silverado 2500. It fit, but I needed the top brackets to hold the radiator as it was wider than my original radiator. I found them at the local junkyard in a diesel Suburban. The radiator I purchased also did not have the filler cap. So I also grabbed the pressurized coolant tank from the Suburban which allowed filling of the radiator and maintaining pressure.



http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/r...sion/015-1.jpg

What kind of fuel economy can I expect out of a 6.0 or 5.3 with my 5spd in my truck ?

depends on truck configuration, bolt-ons, tune, where you live, the gas you use, how you drive, and one or two other things...
mine's a stock 150kmi '01 LM7 with catless LTs, no EGR, Blackbear tune running 87, and CAI. it's a 4x4 RCSB with 33"s that weigh 80lb with the wheel. truck's about 4700lb without me. where i live, the DA's about 3500'-4000' & we regularly have 30-50mph wind. i rarely get on it hard and keep it to 60-65 on the highway. my mixed driving average is usually 13-14mpg. back in FL @ sea level tuned for 93 and running 31" 4-ply tires that were each 20lb lighter, i could see 17-18mpg mixed driving up to 70mph.

long story short - expect mid teens

@zebra. So at minimum it would be safe to say I will at least be getting the same as I am with my tired old 4.3? I live in South Texas, the truck is a single cab short bed with 31 inch tires

don't expect 30mpg... its still a pickup

i went from 14 town / 19 hwy to 16 / 18 directly after my swap when i lived in TN

You may be able to pick up a mile per gallon or maybe two. As stated above, there are many factors. My experience with my truck gained about 4 mpg. I went from a tired 5.7 TBI setup to the 6.0 liter. I was getting around 12 mpg on the highway before the swap and now am getting around 16. That's as long as I keep my foot out of the throttle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blacstar

don't expect 30mpg... its still a pickup

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I got 29 with a stock lq4, NV3500, and 4.10. Freeway of course. And then i got stupid and now i see way less, but my smile is much bigger.