Efficiency Meets Excellence: Everything You Need To Know About the LS Swap
Upgrade Your Vehicle With an LS Swap
Part of owning a vehicle involves updating it to keep it working at peak performance. Whether or not you perform these updates yourself, it’s important to know what upgrades your car needs and what the benefits are. If you own a Chevy L10 or other Chevy vehicle, an LS swap or LS conversion is the best choice for improving your truck’s engine.
But what is an LS swap? Below is everything you need to know about the LS swap and how an LS swap is beneficial for your Chevy.
What Is an LS Swap?
An LS swap is the process of swapping and installing a new engine into an existing vehicle. The LS is General Motors’ primary V8 engine and is typically paired with Chevy’s. The LS swap for the Chevy Corvette is one of the most popular choices for an aftermarket engine conversion.
The parts and systems of any car are complicated, and not everyone can perform an engine swap. First, you have to consider the current make and model of your car and what kind of newer engine it can handle. Second, the cost is a factor. An engine swap is a beneficial but expensive process. You want to make sure that you are ready to take on this large financial investment.
There are many different parts in an LS swap kit. It’s hard to complete an engine swap on your own without the proper parts in a kit. For an LS conversion, you will need:
- Motor mounts
- Transmission cross members
- Driveshaft
- Shifter linkage modification
- Throttle cable modification
- Oil pan
- Front end accessories
- Wiring harness
- Exhaust
- Intake
- Cooling components
- Oil filter relocation
- Clutch lines
An LS swap kit will include a majority of these items to make the engine swap process easier to complete.
How Does My Classic Car LS Swap Affect Transmissions Alignment?
Car enthusiasts are always looking for the next way to improve their engine and make it the best on the street. One way to do this is to swap out your engine. Many want engines with premiere torque and horsepower placed in their classic sports cars for the ultimate drive. However you want to improve your engine, the proper support of your transmission after an LS swap is a key consideration.
Some traditional motor mount adapters are designed to allow positioning of the engine at the stock bell housing location, or sometimes forward by 1 or 2 inches. Moving the LS engine forward is necessary to provide clearance of the cylinder heads and the exhauster headers. The transmission mount is then no longer positioned over your transmission crossmember.
Automotive manufacturers supply more efficient LS swap motor mounts and motor mount adapter sets that allow for the installation of an LS engine into early model GM vehicles. These adapter sets utilize a 3-bolt style motor mount for increased support. If you find yourself wondering, “how does my classic car LS swap affect transmission alignment?” you can rest easy knowing advanced motor mounts are out there to support your transmission alignment.
What Is an S10 LS Swap Crossmember?
The popularity of the LS swaps continued for the 2004 Chevy S10’s. The S10 is still popular at car shows and tracks today due to its lightweight body with the strength of a full frame. As the aftermarket demand for the Chevy S10 continued, automotive manufacturers began working on an engine swap that would keep the S10 at its best. The S10 LS swap crossmember matches a V8 engine to a capable new transmission.
After many years of additions, the S10 LS swap crossmember can now be paired with the popular 4L80, T56, Muncie, TH350, 700R4, and TH400 transmissions for model years 1982-2005. With so many options available, an S10 LS swap crossmember can help revive your Chevy S10.
Automotive Parts to Support Your Transmission
If you’re ready to give your vehicle a much-needed upgrade, invest in an efficient LS swap. Not only will your vehicle perform better, but it will also last longer too. An LS swap kit will help replace your engine while supporting your new transmission as well. If you’re not sure what swap kit is appropriate for your vehicle, contact a local automotive parts manufacturer for assistance.