So I had a crazy idea and I don't even know if its possible, but I was thinking if my 305TBI ever dies, instead of doing another 305 or something expensive like an LS1, find a wrecked 5th gen and take the V6 and trans out of that and try and hook it up, those v6's make over 300 horsepower, and with mods or a turbo, 500+ and better fuel economy than any of my other options. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone? Is it even possible? At the moment its just and idea, but if people think its a decent idea I may open up a savings account.

 

How much you going to pay for a V6 engine / trans / computer?

 

You'd be plowing a lot of new ground on this type of swap. Go LS and don't look back, great parts availability and everything is well documented.

 

Anything is possible I guess. You'd have to modify or make some engine mounts and a tranny mount. Aftermarket gauges, wiring, etc

 

I think that would be a great swap. But I dont see how it would be cheaper then an ls swap. And just a guess, but it will be much more difficult.

 

it would be a lot of work to get something that would be less impressive than swapping in a stock 5.3..

getting the engine and trans in the car is the easy part- a couple of hours of welding and fabricating at most... then you need to figure out the fuel system- how much do you know about the requirements of a direct injected engine that has pressure at the fuel rail in the area of 2500psi?
once that's figured out, then it's time to look at wiring the thing up.. you're going to be tied to the stock ecm, since it will probably be a while before people start figuring out how to run a direct injected engine on something like Megasquirt. being tied to the stock ecm means that you will have to figure out how to make it work outside of the car it was originally installed into- they tie EVERYTHING together in new cars, and you'd have to figure out how to make it work.

 

How do you figure this is going to be cheaper? Just because it's a V6? I would place a bet right now that the LS1 would be cheaper to drop in, make more power, and get equivilent MPG's.. Newer motors/transmissions = higher $ regardless of what they are.

 

What are you going to do when you realize there is little to no aftermarket for those motors?

 

look up the GM v6 sites on some information for that engine. Cavalier sites might also have some good info too. Isn't usually the high pressure pump ran directly off the camshaft. It would probably be best to buy a whole wrecked car. If you have the time, money and space I say go for it.

 

Interesting tho!!!!

 

A) I think it's a cool idea.

B) I don't think it'll be cheaper than an LS swap.

C) Direct-injection uses normal fuel line between the fuel tank and the fuel pump booster, which is run off the cam.

D) The wiring harness will be a B*TCH to make work.

E) Engine and transmission mounts will have to be custom, I believe.

F) There should be more after-market, or at least better OEM, parts coming for these engines since GM seems to be in the process of building a twin-turbo version to compete with the Ford EcoBoost V6.

G) A wrecked 5th-Gen Camaro RS parts car would probably be the best place to start.

 

Very cool swap idea. Do your homework and it will work well.
Finding a stand alone harness or making the stock one work will be your biggest problem.
Service manuals for both cars are a MUST.
I would contact GM performance parts and see if they can help you out.
Good luck!

 

Go into this project because you want to do something different, unique, and you love an extreme challenge.

Do not go into this thinking it will be cheaper than an LS.

 

It will not be cheaper than an LS1 swap. There is no aftermarket support for the swap, so you will be doing a lot of fabricating. If you can fabricate, then it'll just be your time. Exhaust will be one problem area for sure. You may also have issues with PCM vs. BCM (I don't know for sure, just something to be aware of).

But, you'd have as much or more power than the factory put in any 3rd gen.

 

Damn dude you took my idea I looking in to doing this to myself and they are right saying that everything is wired together in the ECM but hell this about it just some of those aftermarket parts that are out right now you could push 500hp no problem

 

Hey and if you find any thing out and let me know and I will send out any info that I find on my end

 

Ok, with this post being up for a while now and some good feedback from you guys I don't think I'm in any place to do this swap at the moment. I'm just not skilled enough with cars yet to start something like this. Fabricating things seems to be my main issue, wiring, mounts, exhaust. All need to be custom and I don't really know things like that yet. I may start saving up for an LS motor though because that seems like a fairly straightforward swap with all the aftermarket support and you can easily get everything you need to swap an LS into a third gen. We have an '07 Corvette and the LS2 with the six speed seems like a good place to be hahaha. Now I just need to get a few more hours at work. hahaha

 

dont do a LS1 swap look for one of the LQ4/9 or LM7 (5.3) either can be picked up for around 500 to 800

then get a adapter for the trans so you can keep the 700r4 the adapter is 70 dollars and its a spacer for the flywheel the trans bolts up already

then for ease and to be the cheapest get the edelbrock carb setup with a 650 carb being TBI you already have a low pressure pump just need a regulator so going brand new for carb intake and ecu thats a 1000

get the motor mount adapters for lets say 100 and you can have a 5.3/6.0 for around 2k I have done a couple of these swaps its easy clean and cheap and if you are feeling ancy get the dirty dingo accy brackets and you can keep your old AC in the same place too and old power steering pump and lines and just need a alt from a truck

Yes thats right you will need a ls1 oil pan speedway has swap kits for around 200 or ebay and forums can be had for less

 

GM hightech also built a LQ9 with the carb intake l92 heads and gm showroom stock cam for 3200 all new parts and it dynoed 505 hp so with a good motor that can be done for around 2200

 

dirty dingo setup on a 5.3

 

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/pts/3439812458.html

its feasable 800 dollars

 

I think this would be a fantastic swap, if someone could pull it off. THe hard part woudl be retrofitting all of the sensors that new V6 is going to need to run right into the car and getting it to play nice with your factory gauges. You figure that out, it's nothing but nuts and bolts.

 

Looks hot!!!!

 

This setup is worth it. It's ran by a remotely mounted control box that can adjust to the factory tach, speedo, fuel level sensor, and many other options. But it is costly.

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd781.htm

Now I'm tossing it up between this V6 and the ecotec to put in my S10

 

I've thought about thi swap in my Formy, w/the 6speed auto. The 2008+ CTS has this engine also. I look at mine last oil change, and the engine cradle looks interesting, especially w/the k-mbr in the older car. Look into the 5th gen V6 sites and Caddy forums for aftermarket mods, and there is a s/c setup now for the 5th gens advertised @ 435hp, but I bet it looses it's 87oct advantage. For some reason the accessory drive or space is different between the two cars, as the kit is for 5th gens so far

 

does it have the traditional 60 deg V6 mounting points? or did GM change that up. That would make the swap that much easier, would just have to fab up the trans mounting point then.