hello all!
well here's the deal, we all know what a LS engine looks like, let's face it, its pretty simple. but there's a person claiming on selling me a LS3 engine that he replaced his ls1 engine on his 01 bird. The deal is sweet, so im planning on meeting the guy and claims it is a ls3 with all the wiring, ecm, 6SPD, and everything i need for a swap. he adds that it does not have the V-serpentine stuff, oil pan, coil covers, INTAKE and the engine has been sitting in a shell for a while due to "change of plans". like i said i know what a LS engine looks like, and i can somewhat know where things are like relocated cam sensors, etc. as the years go by.. but dont know much as far as knowing the little details as what is an ls1-3 or 7 looks like . all the hints are not there.Is there a a stamp somewhere in the engine that might give out what family tree it belongs to? if you have 2 LSX engines side by side, 1 a LS1 and a LS3, can anyone know which is which besides the coil cover giveaway.. I made a search but it explains things that i allready know like power and stroke blah, blah, blah... comments would be apreciated to figure out my dilema.. thanks.

 

Go onto LS1Tech.com,,, get a user name and find the right message board within LS1Tech and ask that question. Thats your best bet to get a good answer.

 

http://www.camarohomepage.com/ls3/

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...ure/index.html

try those.

 

one92rs: man those sites are specific! now i know more things on these engine! thanks

doc: i never thought of doing that, but since there are alot of thirdgen folks doing the swap i'd imagine someone might know this stuff. thanks!!

 

the main thing is the head casting number. The last 3 digits are visible even with the valve covers still on. Just find out what it should be for LS3 heads.

 

What he said but try and get block casting numbers too. Heads can be swapped easily.

 

if my memory serves me right the ls3 heads had a different port on them.
here you go

http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/_r...ixPointTwo.pdf

 

I'd assume that an LS3 should have a stamp on the backside that says "6.2"?

I know my LQ4 says "6.0" on the back, and LS1's say "5.7" and the LM7's say "5.3"...that might be another way of telling.

 

yesterday i went to see the guy and looked at the engine.. it looked in pretty good shape, he sure wasn't lying about the missing things i mentioned before.. i got up and close on the engine to look at stamps or some sort of numbers to identify the engine, heads and other things, and the wierdest things were on the engine. for some reason there were some grinded spots and some deep ones too. the spots were at some specific areas, most were you guys metioned where a certain stamp would be.. but it was scratched off. i told the guy if it was an ls3, he swears it is. i told him where he got the engine from and said some guy in a shop had it. i thought it was fishy so i didnt get the engine. if there is some sort of removal to recognize the engine.. would there be a possibility of it being stolen or scam. LSX engines are so damn popular these days that you never see them in junk yards or some guy selling them like a used car. i mean what if it was a 5.3 and claiming it as a 6.0 or something.. i just had to share this strange thing. sucks tho, i wanted to walk away with a ls3, had the truck ready to take it home... gotta keep looking. i guess it goes to people who are looking for lsx engines, make sure you know what you are getting from someone by inspecting the engine carefully, dont wanna be suckered. thanks everyone for the guidance! i would have gotten the engine believing it could have been something else that might not be..

 

If you felt something was "off" with the deal then I'd say you made the right choice.

 

Yea if identification numbers were ground off....I'd be walking away with my money in hand for sure. i'd say you def made the right choice, that situation reeks of a scam.

 

Yeah he is either scamming you into thinking it's an LS3 when it's probably a 4.8 or something or else it is stolen.

 

Was it aluminum or iron? LS3's are aluminum. Also the cylinder bore is different between a 4.8,5,3, and 6.0/6.2. I guess you could have measured the cyl walls but like the other guys said, if the block stamps were obviously ground off then something isn't right. My bet is it was either stolen or if it was aluminum, may have been an LS1 and he was trying to get more money for it.

 

sorry to hear about your luck, just keep looking!

 

If all identification marks were gone, run away as fast as you can. Not worth it. I know at least one person has recommended LS1Tech already; I grabbed my LS1 and 4L60E from someone local off there for $500; a set of heads for $100. There are deals out there if you can wait.