'97 5.7L Vortec to LS1

[dyabolical]

Okay, so I purchased a red 1997 Z71 extended cab, aesthetically the truck is in nice shape, no major dents or dings, interior needs some work but it is going to be customized anyway, backseat removed with 2 12" subs, with plans on moving to probably 2 15"s or a handful of 10"s.

The truck has 220k on the odo, engine was supposedly rebuilt by the previous owner at some point, but i can't remember how long ago. The rearend was recently rebuilt by me and my dad, but am planning redoing it again in the near future to change the gearing.

Anyway, i was looking for a step up in performance, efficiency, and maybe lightening up the front end by getting away from an iron block.

The truck will be a daily driver, definite offroad use, and a little light hauling.

So would an LS1 be right for me? And what size can i fit? And what would the rough cost be for the swap?

I am pretty uneducated on engines, though i know the general basics and then some.

Thanks.

[RedHeartbeat]

Welcome

Don't cut your options too close to the quick. With the 4x4 weight you won't notice the extra weight of the iron block in the truck. I'd look into the 6.0L engine for the swap and a 6.2L if you can find one. Use your stock transmission but have it built up to handle the HP/TQ of the new engine. Using the old trans and diff will save you a lot of headaches of matching the new stuff to the old.

[dyabolical]

Thanks for the reply and welcome.

So the 6.0L seems to be about what i am looking for.

And as i said, i am pretty new to the conversion thing, so where/what is the best place to start? Where is a reputable place to get a LS1 6L crate? Is a used crate engine from Ebay a safe bet or should i look to new?

What kind of fuel management will i be needing? I read alot of talk of harnesses and such, are plug and play conversion harnesses available?

Heh, told you i had alot of questions.


Oh yeah, any Oklahoma folks on the forum?