READ THIS FIRST!!!!!! LOTS OF GREAT INFO HERE. LS SWAP BIBLE NEARLY
--PARTS LIST/INFO/POST approval UPDATES.....
We do our best to post as much info as possible, and anything else has been posted by others and can be found in a quick search. Searching through the FB group will usually yield you a bunch of posts answering your question and more info regarding how to accomplish it. (IF YOUR POST DIDNT GET APPROVED, ITS LIKELY BECAUSE ITS BEEN ANSWERED 100 TIMES, JUST SEARCH!) Click "view posts" if it doesn't show anything.......DO NOT ASK FOR LINKS, Part numbers are there for every single part! We can not spend 50hrs a week updating links for every part
The LS engines(yes even the ls4 with an adapter/ls4 specific spacer/v6 flexplate) all will take any transmission with the SBC/BBC 90* bolt pattern...but the ls4 should generally be avoided for these swaps. So any trans that was behind a 4.3 v6 or any small block gm engine from 1955 to 2024 such as PowerGlide/th350/400/700r4/200-4r/4l60e/65e/70e/80e/85e and 6l80e/6L90e etc... Those earlier transmissions that are PRE-1998 or from a v6 require a crankshaft extender sleeve or bolt in spacer to support the pilot snout of the torque converter if going auto. There are certain early 99 & 2000 engines(lq4 6.0s and 4.8s) that had an extended crank from the factory that had no need for the sleeve/crank spacer if going earlier trans, or require their flex plate with any post 1998 engines.
I have compiled a list of the most common items asked about in regards to performing an LS swap and it be a reliable swap, but this is ONLY a beginning list, with the most basic info. There is simply too much info to include it all, we have the rest fo the info in the featured posts, or in previous posts that can be found by searching in the group
Almost all of these parts carry over to both first and second gen trucks unless listed otherwise, but this list contains the most common items asked for to perform LS swap into any S-10/Blazer based vehicle
-----The list of parts you will need to begin one of these swaps is simple
-LS ENGINE MOUNTS...all s10 LS swap mounts use 2.8 v6 style frame side mounts, with LS mount plates for the engine. Some brands are poly and some are rubber bushing 2.8 style, but DO NOT USE THE RUBBER CLAMSHELL MOUNTS such as (Transdapt mounts), as they sag and fit terribly and cause TONS of issues!!! They are marketed for s10s but are Gbody engine mounts that Transdapt mismarkets! We and most guys prefer the CPW or the "Metaltek MFG" mounts as theyre based on CPWs proven mounts, only with a little bit of extra height on the drivers side to level the engine out and give more steering shaft/power steering pump clearance for shorty headers or Stianless Works Longtubes. For any other longtube or midlength headers....YOU MUST use the mounts the headers are built off of. Also DO NOT use SBC mounts with ICT adapters, they DO NOT fit with 99% of SBC mounts in an S10, theyre meant for full size trucks or older cars with GOBS of engine space. -2wd OIL PANS....For oil pans that dont require notching on 2wd....ONLY the Hummer H3/GM Musclecar(same pan) and Holley 302-1 pans work. (302-2 and 302-3 are CAR pans and WONT work on any truck let alone an s10) There are also other brands that have copies of these that work as well such as TSP. If they are the same dimensions then yes they will work. Dimensions for 302-1 and musclecar can be found online and in the LS part comparison sticky post....ALL require you to lift the cab 2" in the front or to install engine and trans seperately, so be prepared for this -4wd OIL PANS....4wd guys can use the Milodon or Canton pans...they are high dollar and require expensive remote oil filter kits as well though....The easier way for 4wd guys is to drop your front diff down 3-4" to 1" on solid spacers and use a 2wd style Musclecar or 302-1 pan as thats all that is needed to clear them...or if you can weld aluminum you could modify a pan to fit yourself.
-RADIATOR....4.3 stock radiator works EXCELLENT at cooling up to 750whp and is only $65 new if you dont have one. Will run 185* in dead of TEXAS and Florida humid summer traffic with 93-04 dodge intrepid fans. These fit perfect and work amazing with 4.3 rad with a tiny trimming of the shroud, and is a staple for many old school hotrod guys too, cant tell you how many cars ive seen running this that werent even LS or v8 powered nor even a GM car. 1999-2007 silverado top hose works fine trimmed at the water pump side as well. Stock 4.3 lower hose works perfect as is -TRANSMISSION OPTIONS....The LS engines(yes even the ls4 with an adapter/ls4 specific spacer/v6 flexplate) all will take any transmission with the SBC/BBC 90* bolt pattern. So any trans that was behind a 4.3 v6 or any small block gm engine from 1955 to 2023 such as PowerGlide/th350/400/700r4/200-4r/4l60e/65e/70e/80e/85e and 6l80e/6L90e etc... Those earlier transmissions that are PRE-1998 or from a v6 require a crankshaft extender sleeve or bolt in spacer to support the pilot snout of the torque converter if going auto. There are certain early 99 & 2000 engines(lq4 6.0s and 4.8s) that had an extended crank from the factory that had no need for the sleeve/crank spacer if going earlier trans, or require their flex plate with any post 1998 engines. -MASTER CYLINDERS.....Stock 5 speed s10 master cylinder is PLENTY for any transmission GM makes, and almost any clutch setup. Theres some guys in the group running T56 magnums with twin disc big boi Monster clutches and no issues.
-FUEL PUMP...For EFI, youll need any pump that puts out 58psi, the stock 4.3 pump works well BUT...the all 96+ 2.2 trucks got the high flow "Flex fuel" pump which is good to 500whp with stock tank. For carbureted swaps, you can use a TBI s10 fuel pump or any low pressure pump really. A fuel cell is not required, even if you want to run your engine with a carb. Make sure you also get a decent fuel pressure regulator. For sub 255lph pumps, the corvette c5 regulator/filter is a great choice(make sure you buy it from a GM parts warehouse or a dealership parts counter as there are TONS of shitty chinese copies that only cause issues)
-WIRING HARNESS CHOICES... Standalone, Plug and Play, or Terminator X are the 3 common options. For those wanting a simple" buy it once and be done" kinda thing, go to CPW or BP Auto. Both of those companies make plug and play s10 LS swap harnesses that keep all factory gauge and body functions working, or you can VERY easily pin some wires in to a standalone harness and do the same thing(there is a post about it in the featured tabs on the FB group on how to integrate gauges). It is just 4 wires on any 99+ 2nd gen for example. Terminator X is the other and superior solution and an AWESOME option that allows you to run the swap and it includes its own customizable gauge setup on its 3.5" screen, and it reads off the stock sensors.
-FUEL TANK.... There is no reason to go fuel cell on these trucks if not going ALL OUT drag style. Stock tank or Blazer tank is FINE! -EFI setups.....you can keep the stock tank and pump if under 350whp...if youre running sub 500whp you can just use any 96+ 2.2L fuel pump(all 96+ 2.2 trucks came with the "FlexFuel" pump), or switch the stock fuel pump over to a Walbro 255/wally 450/aem380/ or drop in Quantum 340lph pump or something like that for under $90 for any other trucks. It must be able to run at 58psi if using any other pump. -Carb setups.... can use EFI type pumps, you will just need to use an adjustable fuel pressure regulator instead of a stock one or Corvette one
-HEADERS....these are a personal choice, but you MUST use a S10 specific and 2wd or 4wd specific as well header, there are no OEM ones that work for 2wd. Buy once and buy the correct set, and pay attention to what mounts your headers require, they ARE A MATCHED SET. Longtubes are nice, but usually are sub 20whp max on these engines over a set of the shorties that give you a lot more room! Buying the shorties give some more power already and are almost always the easiest way to do things(assuming you use the correct style of CPW or Metaltek mounts). If you do want longtubes and are willing to spend the dough, buy the BRP or SW 1 7/8" ones and be done with it. No reason to keep re-buying headers that fit worse over those proven choices, unless you dont mind outside the frame headers and running skinnies only -THROTTLE CABLE......Stock 4.3 s10 throttle and cruise cable can be used with almost any LS intake and Drive by Cable, carb swaps might work depending on routing
---------COMMON ISSUES
-All in one s10 swap kits.....These are JUNK....seriously, DO NOT buy ANY all in one swap kit, they have horrible parts that fit poorly and will only leave you disappointed PLUS they're $250+ more than buying stuff that fits correctly!!!.... Especially the TransDapt and LSXEverything kits
-Engine Mounts issues....these are one of the most important parts of the swap BY FAR, these trucks are tight and many parts are based specifically off using a VERY certain set of mounts with the other parts, ESPECIALLY longtube headers(Examples include...CPW mounts with SW headers, CPW or Metaltek mounts with China shorties, Holley mounts with Holley cast manifolds, Dirty Dingos with CX racing turbo headers). YOU MUST use the correct ones to keep you from hitting the steering shaft or power steering pulley on stuff. MAKE SURE you buy ones that match the headers. Blazers cause thesame ones as wellof the main
-Headers.....Again almost ALL issues with headers are due to using the wrong mounts, NOT due to the headers being wrong or poorly made WHATSOEVER. No matter how much you want to use some brand of mounts, DO NOT buy them based on name or forum recommendation unless they are compatible with your headers and other parts. The China shorty headers fit good with Metaltek mounts for example, but NOT with Transdapt or Holley mounts....and Stainless Works are only meant to be used with CPW mounts for example.
-Intakes...some intakes interfere with the heater hoses ont eh firewall, either they will need bent or modified to fit. TBSS for example and some other larger truck style intakes require this
-AC box Evaporator cover..... if you are retaining the stock HVAC box that has AC or plan to put it on later you will need to buy the Holley AC evaporator box cover or notch the stock one in some way. If you have a heater only box you dont need to notch!
-Keeping AC system....to keep AC is INSANELY easy to keep due to the modern brackets available now from CVF racing(Bracket is SKU: LSX-ACBRKT-R4, also covered in our featured tabs in a dedicated post). You can keep stock LS truck accessories, all stock fittings and AC lines, the entire stock s10 HVAC system minus the Evap cover discussed above, and any GM r4 compressor(came on many of these trucks already) which are super cheap compared to Sanden ones. The CVF bracket also is very rare in that it doesnt require you to buy $350 in extra brackets special tensioners, belts etc,...PLUS even better, it uses an off the shelf common parts store compressor, tensioner, and serpentine belt unlike all other options on the market. This means you can get parts for it at any time easily unlike the 1 off parts other companies use.
-Spark Plug wires....all that is needed to work and not burn them is a set of 45* or 90* boots on the stock wires with almost any style of header on the market.
-Flexplate needed....We have a dedicated guide for this.....but you will want to use the flexplate that came on the LS engine type that would have used that transmission(for example use a 4l80e flexplate with 4l80e trans) if its a transmission that came out of an LS vehicle. If the transmission came out of anything with a SBC converter spacing say like a PowerGlide, 700r4, th400/th350/th200/m10/t5, or that uses this spacing, youll need a 4l80e flexplate, or an aftermarket flat flexplate with a 0.400" spacer (We also have a more in depth dedicated guide for this here on the site and in the FB group featured tabs)
-Clutch setups....If you have any normal LS crankshaft(only 99-00 6.0 and 4.8 had long crank) you can use any clutch meant for anyother LS(say LS7 clutch with an older t56) For nv3500 you will need to use any clutch and flywheel meant for a Silverado truck with a nv3500 transmission. We have a post with part #'s on our FB group that lists everything for nv3500. Lt1 or sbc t56/muncie etc will require custom flywheel and different clutch setup
-Best Transmission Crossmembers.....Travis Tranzam from @s10Handling makes a universal crossmember that is listed in the featured tabs and is THE BEST option BY FAR for these swaps, works for trucks or Blazers, and almost any transmission you can think of, and he can and will customize it to fit ANYTHING as well on request. Its also MUCH less bulky and much less heavy than the Gforce or Holley ones and a tad cheaper still yet also.
-Rear end upgrades....8.8 ford rear end is by far the most common and easy solution and only needs the u bolt holes elongated 1/4", and 1 brake line fitting to bolt right in with NO CUTTING needed! Wheels in the proper backspace for an uncut 8.8 in an s10 are widely available and come factory on Camaros, Corvettes, and Mustangs. Cal Tracs can also be ordered with U bolt plates with the correct spacing to fit an 8.8 into an s10 if you call them up at no extra charge!(We have a dedicated guide for this here on the site and on the FB group)
-Traction issues.....most traction issues can be solved with nothing more than Cal Tracs, removing the helper leaf from the leaf spring pack on both side, and using the correct tire for your usage. Bilstein shocks are also an easily sourced upgrade as they came stock on many S10 and blazer based vehicles and unlike the base model s10 shocks that ONLY dampen on the rebounding upstroke, the Bilsteins dampen on the compression (Say when you hit a bump) and up stroke when it rebounds
-Blazer vs Truck differences.....The only differences in the Blazers/Bravada/SUV versions of the S10s are the 1" taller frame pads that the engine mounts sit on, and 1998+ Blazers have different knuckles with the better 2 piston brakes(these bolt on any year s10 truck/older blazer as well though, and we have a guide for that swap here on the site and on the FB group)
-----------------OIL PANS (UPDATED 5-20-2022)
THESE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS THAT DON'T REQUIRE NOTCHING THE CROSSMEMBER(No OEM GM oil pan will fit other than the h3/musclecar/colorado ones which are the same pan).NOTE: The Musclecar pan is 2.2 inches lower at the bottom, and is fine for most swaps, but youll want the Holley 302-1 pan if going 3+inches lower than stock ride height or if itll ever wheelie or going over big incline driveways at 2" lowered
---Also the Holley 302-2, and 302-3 do not fit, do not waste time and money on these as they are car pans---
---GM Muscle car/H3 swap complete oil pan kit # 19212593 (sub $240) uses AC Delco pf48 filter, 5.5qts... Best for the money and is a complete kit with oil pan, bolts, gaskets, windage tray, dipstick and tube. EVRYTHING.
---TSP # 81074 china made 302-1 pan $245 (same as Holley 302-1 but for LESS MONEY).... BUT it does require other stuff like LS3 style dipstick and tube kit same as the Holley. These are a kit from Holley part # 302-15...or you can buy GM #12669528 and #12625031 separately even cheaper
--Real deal Holley # 302-1 pan $419. Uses AC Delco pf48 filter, 5.5 qts(302-2 and 302-3 does not fit, they are a car pan) Only comes with windage tray, bolts, and pickup tube. You also will need to buy a LS3 dipstick/tube. Holley sells them in a kit as #302-15.... or just buy the GM #12669528 and #12625031 parts seperately for less
----------------PLUG AND PLAY WIRING HARNESSES (11-28-2024) There are 3 companies now doing Plug And Play harnesses for s10 based vehicles. CPW also does integration harnesses for Holley Terminator X stuff to make it integrate like OEM with the s10
1. Current Performance Wiring(CPW)... The oldest and biggest name by far, they do 82-04 trucks with Gen 3/4/5 LSx/LTx engines, and run $850 base price
2. BP Automotive(BPa)... they do 98-04 trucks with Gen 3/4 LS engines, and run $800 base price
3. Texas Wiring Specialties...They do 98-04 trucks with Gen 3/4 engines. Prices are $850 for gen 3 engines, and $925 for Gen 4 engines, and lead times are 6-8 weeks
----------------ENGINE MOUNTS (5-3-2024)
(If running midlength or longtube headers....make sure to use EXACTLY what mounts the manufacturer SAYS TO USE!)
For shorty headers or Stainless Works all of these mounts below fit perfect. Metalteks mounts are same as CPW but with raised driver side to clear steering box and shaft better and are $30+ cheaper
1. ---MetalTek MFG # 14005ku LS adapter plates AND POLY motor mounts (you will need this 4 pc kit...unless your truck is an original 2.8 with its mounts intact, then see below)... $100
(buy these for a simple swap with shorties, if they show not available on ebay just search for "seller:metaltekmfg" )
-2.8 LS engine adapter plates Metaltek # 14005u $55 (For 2.8 trucks with stock frame side mounts ONLY, otherwise buy the kit above)
2. -----CPW engine mounts SKU: ASMCP4516 $130
3.----Holley engine mounts Part # VK090152 $162 (i would ONLY buy these if the headers youre using REQUIRE them!)
-ICT LT adapter mounts for Gen V engines ONLY... PART #551367 $50.....(CAUTION...you will also need the LS mounts recommended for the chassis and year your LS headers are meant for along with these adapters)
------------------------FUEL PUMPS/PARTS FOR SWAP. (3-3-2021) 2.2 FLEX TRUCKS REQUIRE MORE!
--------Fittings for swap, 1st gens must be adapted to AN lines if using the corvette regulator or aftermarket one you are using, and pump updated as they cant sustain 58psi on the stock regulator or pump. Then you can go from the regulator to the LS rails....96+ 2.2 Flex Fuel pumps have the feed/return sizes swapped, meaning 5/16 is the feed rather than 3/8ths feed like every other s10.
<<<<FITTINGS FOR FUEL HAT ON 82-95 TRUCKS>>>> 1. Fitting sizes below for the fuel hat -1.5x16mm to -6 an...... VIBRANT PART#: Vib-16786 -1.5x14mm to -6 an..... Summit # SUM-220628 2. You also will need 1 of these for the fuel rail if running returnless rails(on all 82-04 trucks)
--AN adapter for LS rail to s10 lines(-6 an to 3/8 female pushloc) Russel Part # 640853 <<<AN -6 STUFF FOR 2.2 flex fuel trucks>>> Youll need 2 of each of these if running c5 vette regulator! one for the regulator, 1 for the fuel hat each. 2.2 pumps have the fittings swapped!!! they flow backwards so you since you have to adapt and swap the lines anyway, AN fittings are the cheap easy, and clean way to do it. ----5/16 fitting for fuel hat Russell # 640863....
----3/8 fitting for fuel hat Russell # 640853....
-------Fuel pressure Regulators The C5 corvette is the best option for any pump under 255lph....For anything over 255lph, just go to a standard PQY/Aeromotive/ Chase bays style adjustable regulator
--C5 corvette part #19239926 ~$45-$149.....good for stock truck engines or anything with a 255lph pump or LESS, anything more will max it out and cause issues....also, make sure you buy a real one from a GM dealership or a certified parts warehouse(there are many china fakes out there and they will cause huge issues as well)
--Aeromotive style Chinese budget regulator by "PQY", easily found on ebay under "pqy regulator" and have been found to be VERY reliable by many guys ~$40
--real Aeromotive regulator # 13129 ~$179
--------*** Fuel pumps*** This is up to you, stock 4.3 pump will support stock 6.0 truck engine and less, a 96+ 2.2 fuel pump can be used up to 500whp, or you can easily fit single 255 if you are using a c5 regulator and run up to 600whp on gas, or up to ~480whp on E85....if using an adjustable regulator and making big power you can do twin staggered walbro 255, 450, or even 525 Hellcat pumps on a stock s10 hangar and make 1500whp on E85!! -Walbro/TI automotive 255lph ~100(good to ~600whp on gas) -Walbro/TI automotive 450lph ~$130 (good to ~850whp on gas)
-Walbro/TI automotive 525lph ~$160 (good to ~950whp on gas)
**----------------BEST S10 AC BRACKET (3-3-2021) **
--- CVF Racing R4 bracket SKU: LSX-ACBRKT-R4
This Bracket lets you keeps stock truck accessories on your S10 without any issues or hitting anything, and keeps all stock lines and fittings. Bolt on AC swap. It lets you run a GM R4 air conditioning compressor, on the top passenger side It also uses an off the shelf tensioner and belt that is in every parts store in America! (WHOLE SEPERATE WRITE UP IN FEATURED TABS NOW!!!).
----------------HEADERS (5-20-2020) ( JUST SOME OF WHATS AVAILABLE OUT THERE AND WHAT SEEMS TO FIT WELL)
----Shorty 2wd
-$95 china swap headers are the best fitting 2wd headers WITH THE CORRECT MOUNTS, just search "S10 ls swap headers" on ebay(MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE CORRECT KIND AS SHOWN IN THE FEATURED TAB)
-Holley shorty cast manifolds Part # 71223026HKR
----Midlength
-Hedman 1 5/8 #45240
-Hedman 45300 Mid length 1 3/4(require 2"bodylift) headers $350
----Longtubes
--Hedman # 45250 longtube headers 1 3/4 '82-93 $500
--Flowtech 1 3/4 '82-93 $400 # 11556FLT
--Muscle rods 94-04 1 3/4 $700 # MR45906
---------------Handling Products (3-3-2021) traction bars/tubular arms
-Calvert Racing (Cal-Tracs) traction bars $320 (check their site for part # for your rear end setup) https://calvertracing .com/product-categories/caltracs-trucks
-Lakewood traction bars PART # 21705 $175
-Tubular upper control arms from Speedway Part # 91031134
----------------Gauges and dash unit solutions(5-20-2020)
---Gauges that use Android phone & OBD2 port adapter & Bluetooth ($11) Part # ELM327 online
-App youll need is called "Torque"
----BASIC Digital oil pressure, voltage, and temperature gauges
Cheap price but work pretty well
-Voltage, Glowshift # GS-C705
-Coolant temp, Glowshift # GS-C706
-Oil Pressure # GS-T704
---------Other things to consider
We posted about this a while back, but I am going to post about it again. In doing the parts hunting for building/rebuilding an LS engine, I ran across 2 things to make a huge difference in reducing your frustration level if not a good working complete engine.
First is an item commonly referred to as a HEADACHE KIT. Part number is # HK119 from Engine Tech. It includes a new woodruff key, the 4 tapered camshaft retainer plate bolts, the oil passage freeze plug, and the oil diverter barbell at the back of the block and sometimes new dowel pins.
-----------------fiberglass s10 parts
Fiberglass S-10 parts for 1st and 2nd gen trucks.
There are 3 different sites here. The Art fiberglass site is for 2nd gens only.
----------DOD/VVT removal info/parts/instructions
For those who have a GEN4 block that you are wanting to do a cam swap and the DOD/VVT delete on, here are a few things you will need.
For VVT DO NOT BUY THE KIT that is OVER $200!!! You don't get all you need usually!
Items list you will need are below (cam gear for 1x cam and 4x cam gear, and front cover/sensor are easy enough to change out for vvt). But here is where it gets tricky. The engine computer will NOT be the determining factor, the reluctor wheel on your crank will be.
DOD wise you'll need blockoff plate, lifters/trays, and tuning. You will have to block off the oil passages that lead to the valley cover. Easy way is to buy the block off plate from BTR for $35 and a ls7 lifter kit. All this info is assuming you will be changing the lifters to LS7 lifters anyways.
-DOD DELETE
-DOD delete valley cover #12598832
-Lifters and tray KIT Genuine GM. Lifter Trays #12499225, Lifters #12499225, Lifter tray bolts #12499225
-VVT DELETE... Parts needed are below, youll remove all VVT stuff otherwise
-First ...item will be a new timing cover GM # 12600326
-Second ...will be a new timing gear. for 3 bolt cams only, 1 bolt cams can keep stock one!! Cam gear BTR # BTR123
-Third ...Last item is a cam position sensor GM # 12591720...
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