99 Xtreme V8 Need suggestions

[Jimbo99Xtreme]

Ok.. I really don't wanna be a pain in the ass on my first thread but here goes.

I have a 99 Xtreme with the 4.3 TBI and 5 Spd. Tranny

I WANT that same truck with a 350 of some sort. I would like to see about 320-350 HP out of it and a nice beefy growl to it...... I have been surfin around and haven't really picked out a motor yet. I'm not super picky. I REALLY want to keep the 5 Spd. whether or not it be the same tranny I don't know. Must stay manual tho.

I would really like to start buildin this swap up and get it done but I need to know where and what to get. Prices I cna find later. But any links and info you may have would be more than appreciated. I know HOW to put the stuff in. But don't know what all I gotta get... sounds kinda weird right? Thanks in advance. I'll get some pics of my truck up as I just registered 20 mins ago : )



~Jimbo

[Rickracer]

Welcome Jimbo!!!
The best thing for you to do right now is check out all the stickies at the top of each forum, lots of great info for first timers and fairly experienced guys alike.

[88S10Durango]

Welcome to our home , lol , Bill

[99s10327]

This will be your new home if your heart is in the truck .....

Welcome from Cincinnati.

[jimjim]

Jimbo ; I've built several V8S10s over the years and the easiest way is to use just a regular Chebby small block. It'll use the accessory brackets from the 4.3 and if you can find a 454 throttlr body, you can use the v6 computer to run it. That being said Heres a pic of my ls6 S10 Xtreme (what a PITA to put in). I'm also babysitting this afternoon ...Jim

[Jimbo99Xtreme]

I guess I should be more clear on motor now. I would like a 97ish Trans Am motor..... ltx, which is where I should specifically aim my ????"s I suppose. Just wonderin what I will have to do to the mounts/computer. I know there are swap kits but none of them directly point towards that motor. Classified under SB chevy basically? I think the majority of them are VERY similar, if not identical in some aspects.....

Here's a pic of the truck it goin into. Shes treated me well since I bought it 6 months ago... time to reward : )

[superbee]

Honestly id go with a 5.3 6.0.


jimjim - A gen 1 vortec 454 tb will fit an lsx motor?

[lxtasy]

GO lsx based. Would be alot smoother than ltx based.

Me and my dad finished up his 97lt1 into his 01 blazer. The wiring harness is a good $1000 right off the bat.

[Jimbo99Xtreme]

Ok, that's the kind of suggestions I need lol. Money isnt tight but I don't need to be throwin it away either lol.

I'm not good at what motors are in what vehicle. If I wanted to go LSx, what would donor car have to be? I don't care about FI or carb. Corvette?
I would honestly almost rather go carb to dumb down the wiring part and have plenty of open space under the hood. Maybe I should stick with a basic 350 block crate motor? ZZ4 won't bolt right up to tranny tho I don't think. If anyone knows a good crate motor place to research please let me know. couple thousand be ok but let's not get too extreme : )

[lxtasy]

Search for a motor/transmission combo on ebay from a 98+ ls1 f-body. Corvette's accessories will give you problems in room under the hood. You can run a t56 6speed just for your manual needs

If you go carb you will still need your factory bcm as that is what your gauges and lights etc run through. So you might as well stay efi.

What is your budget you plan on having? Remember to really lay it out and add alittle extra for those incidental's that may arise during the project.

[Jimbo99Xtreme]

Budget concerns are really at a minimum right now. I'm not even gonna start takin my current motor out until every piece is acounted for on the swap. If it takes a little longer than I want it to so be it.

T56 6-Spd you say? My interest is perked (as I'm sure many have said before). What vehicle would that be out of by chance? WS6 Trans? And I'm gonna take for granted that it bolts up to SB chevy since you mentioned it.

All in all I would like this to end up being ..... somewhere around or lesss than 7500-9000 all said and done. I would of course like to end up with less, but if it costs more it will just hold up a lil on gettin the parts. I live in IL, and where I live there are TONS of junk yards with just about every GM car ever produced. Not antiques but other than that. I can find what I need if I know which cars to look for. I will do some more research thanks a lot with all the help so far.

anyone care if I check to see if prices are fair as I go along?

[baktrak09]

If your budget is 9k I would do a lsx/t56 combo. I would look for a 98+ fbody.

[lxtasy]

Your budget is very easy to do unless you are paying a shop to do it . Than of course who knows from there.

My dad has around 6k in his lt1 setup (alot of while we are here mods as well) .

He wishes he would have went ls based only for the coil pack setup instead of optispark. Which btw, he is looking at changing his lt1 to the coil pack setup (conversion kit but that is around 1k to do it)

A ls1/t56 combo can be found in the f-bodies all day long. Check ebay and you will be surprised. Normally you can get the computer/transmission/wiring harness/ and all sensors for a pretty good price.

[superbee]

Again i vote 5.3, 6.0 truck motor for even more spending cash since they are had for MUCH less than an ls1. How many ls1 f-bodys and vettes are there, (that are being stripped for parts and at junkyards) compaired to trucks and vans.....There are all aluminum versions of both motors, either motor all aluminum, keep efi, use the t56 6 spd and keep ac and i think you will be happier than a pig in pig crap and can do it for a decent amount under your budget.

Let us know when you get these major ideas figured out then we can start talking details. Its 2009, and you have a 2nd gen truck, no reason you should put a c*rb on it.


An ls2 gto engine would be cool too.

Either lsx you decide i would really suggest to cam it up, I imagine your gonna have the motor gone through?

Pick up a 5.3, 6.0 for under 800......then have it rebuilt, and upgrade the cam and set aside money for a dyno tune, and what other goodies you want.

[lxtasy]

And you can put out some big numbers on a stock 6.0 block. Here is a 6.0 truck with nitrous and turbo'd. Mind you the truck is heavier than a s series.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Parr ... ck_602.htm

1011Hp NOw
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/NEW- ... s_7469.htm

[Telco]

Here's another vote for the LSx truck engine. You can also score a copy of EFI Live V2 for tuning purposes, EFI Live will let you do more tuning than a Tech 2 will. It's the only way to go. If you really want a 5.7L you can stroke the 5.3L, or just say hell with it, get the 6.0 and stroke it out to a small block 427. Doing all this will fall well within the 9000 dollar budget if you are doing your own work. This site sells several stroker kits so you can look, but I've not done business with them so have no opinion on them, good or bad.

[specv44]

Pick up a 5.3, 6.0 for under 800......then have it rebuilt, and upgrade the cam and set aside money for a dyno tune, and what other goodies you want.

I paid $255 for my 5.3 with everything minus accessories. My dad paid $700 for his LQ4, including a 12mo/12k warranty.

If you are serious about doing an LS swap, send me an email at slightlytweakedracing@cfl.rr.com and I will steer you in the correct direction with everything. I can map everything out for you

Here's another vote for the LSx truck engine. You can also score a copy of EFI Live V2 for tuning purposes, EFI Live will let you do more tuning than a Tech 2 will. It's the only way to go. If you really want a 5.7L you can stroke the 5.3L, or just say hell with it, get the 6.0 and stroke it out to a small block 427. Doing all this will fall well within the 9000 dollar budget if you are doing your own work. This site sells several stroker kits so you can look, but I've not done business with them so have no opinion on them, good or bad.

I ALWAYS suggest HP Tuners, we love it. We are going to be using the hell out of it when we put the LS3 into the GTO next month

[Telco]

I ALWAYS suggest HP Tuners, we love it. We are going to be using the hell out of it when we put the LS3 into the GTO next month

HP Tuners is good from what I hear, but EFI Live is better. On the other performance board I post to for full size trucks, the folks that have had both have all preferred EFI Live to HP Tuners. I've got a copy of EFI Live and as far as I'm concerned it's the best tool in my box for an LSx engine. One thing that EFI Live has over HP Tuners, as I understand it, is the ability to easily swap segments is the biggest advantage. If you change from a 4L60 to a 4L80 it's a simple download on EFI where you have to jump through hoops on HP.

[specv44]

I ALWAYS suggest HP Tuners, we love it. We are going to be using the hell out of it when we put the LS3 into the GTO next month

HP Tuners is good from what I hear, but EFI Live is better. On the other performance board I post to for full size trucks, the folks that have had both have all preferred EFI Live to HP Tuners. I've got a copy of EFI Live and as far as I'm concerned it's the best tool in my box for an LSx engine. One thing that EFI Live has over HP Tuners, as I understand it, is the ability to easily swap segments is the biggest advantage. If you change from a 4L60 to a 4L80 it's a simple download on EFI where you have to jump through hoops on HP.

Howso? I have heard that there are things that EFI Live will not allow you to change, whereas HP Tuners allows you to alter everything. I don't think there is any difference in tuning between a 4L60E and a 4L80E?

[Telco]

There is. There's different wires that have to be added and the computer programs are different. I've not heard of anything that EFI Live won't allow you to change, but the folks that have changed their 4L60Es for 80Es have had issues getting the program altered to allow the 80E to work with HP Tuners.

Course, now that I think about it that problem may have been with Tunercats. Can you swap transmission segments in HP Tuners directly?

Anyway, I wasn't trying to denigrate HP Tuners, the folks that have it seem to really like it. Whenever I see someone ask what tuner to use, EFI Live and HP Tuners are the ones with the most cheerleaders, so I don't think anyone would really go wrong with either, but as an EFI Live user I can put a really strong recommendation on it.