The dreaded LS SWAP thread...dont hate me now!!! 454SS inside..
 

ive had fun with the 461BBC for a while now and have became bored with it. it made 441rwhp/530rwtq on that carbed motor but just wasnt enough. i then added a nitrous kit to it and it pulled 601rwhp/695rwtq on the 175 jets but that too got aggrivating real fast with filling bottles so often.

on to NOW.... i have researched the LS motors and all these turbo swaps for a good while on here now, SO THANKS TO ALL YOU GUYS FOR SPENDING MY MONEY!! after seeing in real time the power those lil engines make then i knew i was hooked.

i took a 2003 Tahoe 4.8 engine, added a z06 vette cam, pac1218 springs, new head gaskets, arp head studs, a Fast lsxrt 102mm truck intake, holley fuel rails, 80lb injectors, snow performance stage 2 meth kit, all stainless braided -an fuel lines and fittings, a vette regulator/filter combo set for 58psi, aeromotive 340 pump in the tank, and bolted everything up to my 4l80e and billet 3400 converter. all exhaust will be 4" back to axle.

the turbo is a Borg Warner Bullseye S480 with race cover. 44mm wastegate and a 50mm blow off valve. im in process of building a 6.0 to swap in later, hence the reason for such a turbo right now.

i used the stock overflow jug as my methanol tank and installed a nice polished billet catch can beside the battery for the radiator.

i bought the aluminum bracket kit from LSBrackets.com to keep my air conditioning and the same serpintine belt runs it all.

i used a PSI wiring harness for the engine. just 4 wires to hook up and she fired on the first hit.

i installed a massive high output 2 speed electric fan and wired it on twin relays for my ecm to control the fan speeds when running normal vs turning the ac on. i mounted my intercooler between radiator and fan. the truck setting around idling never even gets any temperature hardly with the massive radiator from the big block.

on to the purty stuff!!

the engine ready to install...
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps8ac1d2eb.jpg

the engine setting in its new home...
Attachment 100744

intercooler mounted...
Attachment 100745

the wastegate and dump tube mounted...
Attachment 100746

the intake..
Attachment 100747

and how it sets finished up... the down pipe isnt installed in this pic but you get the point!!
Attachment 100748

the truck that its in....
Attachment 100749

i will update thread as soon as we get it tuned on the dyno in the next week or so and i'll be sure and bring a video aswell :-)

thanks for looking,
Jamie

Nice, curious to see how it does for ya.

Awesome build !!!! Got any pics of your hot pipes?? I'm also wondering how the vette filter/ regulator is going to work out.

i have taken a few shots of the hot pipes. i will post them up in a bit. i used 2 passenger side manifolds and cut the front and rear out of the one i used on the driver side and used 2.5" v-bands and welded them on.

ive seen several guys around here running the vette regulator filter assymbly on boosted trucks and cars with good results, but have had a few tell me to run the aeromotive 13301 vaccum referenced regulator that i have setn on the work bench...haha. i will see how it does first and then switch out if i need too. im not shooting for a huge horsepower truck. just a nice cruiser for some weekend fun.

Jamie

Sounds like you've got your $hit together. I have always wanted one of these trucks...with an LS swap. Get out there and find the limits of that 4.8 LOL .

You have committed a sin. Clean install but you have ruined the truck in my eyes. If something came with a rat motor in it.........it should have a rat motor in it. But hey, thats what this hobby is all about. Rant over.

This is sick !! One of my fav body styles with boosted LS powah , I want !!
Nice clean install , I like the turbo mounted on driver side , nice job .


I disagree , as long as he keeps the original BBC in the corner if the garage it can always be put back in . Might as well make it run as good as it looks IMO .

i hung a rod through the stock block many years ago and then built a .030 461 for it with aluminum heads and lots of goodie's and threw a carb on it. ive just grown tired of the gas sucking big motor so i pulled it an sat it on a crate for safe keeping just in case :-)

thank you, i cant wait to tune it and see what happens.

I don't see that intercooler being very effective. I know with trans coolers they rate them at how efficient they are in front and behind of the radiator such as the one I just installed on our automatic semi. I think it was like 40% if behind the radiator. I don't know if there is any data about intercoolers?

I have been thinking about doing this same thing, like a homemade log manifold on my 68 c-10. I would love to see pictures of the manifold if you could.

No hate, you're my hero. Great build, in for progress

I dont have any room whatsoever in the front so this was my only option really. It may not be very effective but i have a meth kit on it aswell to help. Keep in mind its my weekend goof off toy and not a daily. It hardly see's 1500 miles between yearly inspections.

Jamie

I'm not knocking on you. Just saying I love rat motors. I support anyone that has this hobby.

Will you be at piedmont or Farmington this week? If so I will bring mine out and meet you.

ive driven the truck about 100 miles now and everything is working good EXCEPT this HUGE turbo..... i should have known better than to try this thing on a 4.8.

its a borg warner s480 with racecover and has the 96 wheel and a t6 1.32 housing. it wont make boost on this little motor til i see 4400+ rpm and then it goes nuts and just blows tires away when in boost.....

im changing my t6 flange back to a t4 and throwing a 76mm on it and go have some fun.

Jamie

I run the Sam turbo but with a t4 housing on a 6.0 im in boost about 1k before yours. My cheap on3 small turbo was more fun on the street. Had instant boost.

Any updates?

i ended up changing the intake to a new holley high ram with a 92mm dbc throttle body and have plans to tune it saturday on the dyno. its pretty much done now.

Attachment 99957

finaly had some time to pull it out of the garage for a wash job today after 2 months now.
Attachment 99958

Very nice! What made you go from the FAST to the Holley intake? Looking forward to seeing the numbers you put down.

i have a 6.0 on the stand doing a build at the moment that i want to swap out over the winter. i figured if im gonna shove 20+ lbs through the 6.0 that id be a little skeptical of the fast intake being plastic. :burnout:

I hear you. I can't say I blame you either

finaly had time to go and tune this thing today. it turned out very well for what it is.

14* timing, 16lbs, non intercooled, meth kit and the 76mm made 626rwhp/599rwtq

http://youtu.be/xczCZG6JXZc

Attachment 99820

You've done almost exactly what I'm planning. I have a '90 454SS that will be getting a swap while I'm deployed. Is there anything with the build that you would have done differently? How is the low end compared to the big block?

The torque isnt near as good as my big block was straight out the gate. My big block was a 461 that made 441/530 at the tires though so it had some get up and go to it....

As far as the LS swap.... after doing this i could never see myself with an old gas sucking big block back in the truck. The power is nice, the gas mileage is awesome and its all around so much more user friendly!!

Jamie

Which 76mm turbo you got on it?

its the 7665 from VSracing.

Did you have to relocate the a/c compressor from the stock LS position?

I cannot speak for him but I have the same frame and without alot of cutting the stock ls1 ac position on a truck motor wont work. I used dirty dingo ac bracket. It moved it up on the motor.

Good to know. Thanks.

there ya go^^^^^ im too fat an lazy to not have my a/c :cheers:

For the A/C and efan, you said the PCM controls fans based on temp and A/C on. How did you get the new PCM to control fans based on your 1990 A/C? This is one of the few things I've been trying to figure out with the swap in my 95.

old thread I know, but awesome build !
Any updates ?
Does placing the turbo there allow room for a 3.5"-4" Downpipe ?
Do you have any pics of the hotside ?

I'm finding it a challenge to make a 4" DP on an OBS GMT400 while keeping the heater.....

3" is all the downpipe you gona squeeze down by the steering shaft on this truck. I used 2 passenger side manifolds and made my own pipes for it. It's now an iron block 376 engine with a 7875 turbo.

Thanks man, how much HP are you making thru that 3" DP?
Also, why were you not intercooled in your youtube video ?
Is there room for an inlet air filter the way you have the turbo placed ?

It put down 649/774 the last trip on the dyno. The exhaust is 3" from turbo all the way to a Kooks straight through muffler and then 3" over the axle and then splits with a 3" Y-pipe into dual tailpipes at roll pan.

I have air conditioning on the truck and dont have room for an intercooler up front without cutting stuff up and im just not gonna whack this truck up. I run a dual nozzle meth kit on it so iat's are just fine when making a pull.

4l80e
 

Which psi wiring harness did you use to hook up to the 91 4l80e to work with the ls