InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Im not serious about it ,just making that 10 year plan for the car...

So I was wondering, how hard/expensive is it to attach an LT1 T56 to an LS1? I'd need an adapter plate I guess... or a new bellhousing... and I know the input shaft is a different length. But I just read something about the LQ4 having a different length crank and someone said to put an LT1 T56 on it, and that doesnt make sense to me because the bolt pattern is different... but I was thinking about putting an LQ4 crank in an LS1... although that might be a tad hard for a machine shop to balance. I would presume the counterweights would be too light for bigger LS1 pistons?

i'd just hate to buy a T56 twice. I rather like the one I have. But an LS1 is a ways off in the future for me anyways.

gregriggan

iTrader: (1)

This is what I did. I had a SBC stroker that I was going to stick an LT1 T56 behind. Long story short that motor is no more and decided to do the LSx swap. I found a guy on "tech" that had some parts trannys. I bought an ls1 input shaft and front cover from him to convert the LT1 T56 into a LS1 T56. All I had to do after that was locate the bellhousing. Shims were identical and everything. It bolted right up no issues whatsoever. There are plenty of posts out there with this info in them.
-Greg

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

What bolt pattern is different? That was me, and since then, I updated that the flywheels are balanced differently.

The aluminum head, 24 tooth version LQ4's use the same crank as the LS1. Why would LS1 pistons be bigger than LQ4 pistons?

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

He's probably thinking of the old SBC guys that need a special flywheel to run a T56 on a 2 pc RMS crank

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Call me a wild and crazy out-of-touch visionary, but I would think you could have an LT1 flywheel neutrally balanced and use it on an early LQ4 with a LT1 T56.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

So they never changed the bellhousing bolt pattern for hte Gen III and Gen IV motors? I had assumed they did, I just knew they were incompatible with the older transmissions and the older motors are incompatible with the new transmissions so I left it at that.

The LQ4 is a 5.3 yes? The LS1 pistons fit in a larger bore. So I assume they're larger and heavier. Like putting 350 pistons on a 305 crank. Same stroke but the counterweights would be lighter than those on a 350 crank. But maybe the cranks are the exact same casting after all? I've never compared two of them side by side.



I wanted to stay with my LT1 bellhousing/clutch setup so I can keep my external slave cylinder. Just trying to see if that's possible.

What's so special about "early" LQ4's? Why are they different from later ones?

ShMaCk2004

The LQ4 is a 6.0L
I do believe you will need the LS1 bellhousing, Im not sure on that though

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

The first 2 years of LQ4's, the ones that came with cast iron heads, had a longer crank output flange than LS1's and the later LQ4's. That's what causes all the "issues" with using earlier transmissions with LS1's and the later LQ4's.

You can bolt an older bell housing to the LSx-family of engines. But, the engine doesn't have the 2nd bolt hole from the bottom on the right side, and has a bolt hole in the top center which the older bell housings did not. The overall shape and location of bolt holes remained the same.

I guess you were thinking LQ4 was a 5.3, so that explains your "larger piston" comment. LQ4 is a larger bore than LS1, but same stroke.

Can we just say that it would be simpler, and probably cheaper, to just get LS1 clutch and transmission parts than it would be to try to graft an LT1 T56 to an LSx engine?

Klortho

You will have to swap the input shaft, front cover, bellhousing, clutch assembly and throwout bearing/slave cylinder for it to work. The LT1 clutch is incompatible with the LS1 style flywheel which is totally different than the LT1 flywheel. A friend of mine who parts out 4th gens and knows them like the back of his hand was going to do this, and by the time he found the parts to do the swap, it was easier just to go ahead and put an LS based T56 in the car.

You could sell the LT1 style and purchase an LS pretty easy I would assume.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Your planning this for years in advance. Just save a few extra bones and get an LS1 T56... You can sell your current T56 and recoup some of the cost of the new one. If you arent doing this for a while, its safe to say T56s might even get cheaper by then. LS1/T56 combos most likely will...

Just isnt worth the hassle in my opinion. Why spend money to make the square peg fit in the round hole when you can just get a round peg?

J.