On average, how much does a good working LT1 cost? And also how much will the junkyard charge me if I pull one?

 

$2500 for LT1, T-56/4L60E, all accessories, wiring, and ECM seems to be an average price. I got just the engine and wiring/ECM for $1500 almost 5 years ago now

 

Thanx. Your site answered a lot of my questions. Did you put your LT1 in your self or did you hire someone to do it?

 

TexasLT1, your site still doesn't list Electrical/etc...those are my main interest area's, to see what needs to be done in order to swap in the PCM from an LT1. Can you use the stock location for it? How does it plug into the chassis harness for the gauges, etc.? I think the rest of the swap is pretty much a direct bolt on, b/c I wouldn't be using A/C. Just concerned about the complexity/extensive electrical connections...

Oh yeah, and would it be easier...more plug and play...if I go w/, let's say, a Painless wiring harness? The cost isn't an object...I'm just looking for the easiest/fastest way out, lol.

 

Well to clarify electrical, on a stock unmolested harness that I pulled and cut off inside the passenger compartment. HEre is a list of what I connected, (remember my carb originally was non CC Canadian Carb.)

Fuel pump wire (Grey maybe 12 gauge)
12V Inginition switched (Pink 10 gauge)
12V Hot all the time (Red 10 guage)

White tach wire, splice to white wire coming from A13 off PCM Red connector

Tan Wire coming from Oil pressure sender (make sure that it is for a guage not idiot light. IE Buick's caprices so on have lights, vs f-bodies having gauges)

Green wire coming off Coolant temp sensor that is in the head, connect to your existing Drk Green wire.

VSS for Speedo is another story.

And volts is already pulling in my case without splicing. but ill double check all that.

my vote is stock harness much easier to work with.

PCM goes into what ever stock location of the car it came out of, mine being a buick had it on the charcoal canister pad, drivers side battery tray. Nice spot for it. F-bodies I believe mount up by the heater and fan assembly behind the passenger strut.

 

Yeah I know, and I apoligize for that. When I first put started putting the site together, I didn't think it would be near as hard to put together as what it turned out to be, the electrical is by far the hardest section as its the most complicated part of the swap because there are so many variations. After the Christmas break when school is just starting back up again, look for it to be completed.

But to answer your questions, you could use the stock location (3rd gen location) if you wanted to, but it would require lengthening the LT1 harness. I've got mine mounted on a custom plate above the intake, but will probably end up moving it by the charcoal canister. In order to connect the guages, you must splice into the original harness, then I just cut away what I didn't need. For the most part, a painless harness will simplify things, but you still have to splice into the original harness.


JoNalzy - glad it helped out, thats what I made it for. Yes, my dad and I did 100% of the work ourselves over about 6 weeks.