Gonna catch alot of flack for this I know.

[Payton Mitchell]

I was considering swapping a ls motor into my 1978 NYB what's every ones thoughts? Has anyone done
the swapping what the challenges run into?

 

[LeBaron1973]

I think the main issue is if the engine you wish to use has computer controls, it may be difficult to integrate it into a car built before such things but it can probably be done.

Also consider the difference in weight of your car - up to 2 tons compared to more recent vehicles- greatly increased performance may not be possible.

In the end, it's your car and money so do as you wish, preferably properly engineered beforehand so the project will run smoothly.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

 

[C Body Bob]

Unfortunately LS swaps are extremely common. The LS has an alunimum block & heads & makes great power. The most common is the 5.3 Tahoe/Silverado. I have a buddy who has done a few. Mostly into imports. He told me he can buy a salvage yard LS with auto trans & computer/harness for around $1500. There are company's that sell kits to mount them in a variety of different cars. Common swaps are older G body GM cars & Fox body Mustangs. Turbo kits are available & a lot of those out there too. A few years ago Car Craft wanted to do an LS swap in a Duster. The magizine was bombarded with complaints. MOPAR gur Steve Magnate was the guy going to do it IIRC. I sent him a well worded letter. About a month later they announced they had angered so many of its readers that they where going to do a MOPAR swap in the Duster. By now there's probably enough 6.1's out in the yards that those are getting common.

 

[65sporty]

Love the LS series engines, I have thought about putting one in my 98 2500 Chevy. If you don't want to inject it there is carb manifolds and MSD ignition to run the coils without a computer. A modern Hemi would be a great alternative though to a LS, if injected it would be very similar in cost and the challenges to fit it would be the same.

 

[FK3 Sport Fury]

My 2c worth is that while the engine/trans combo could be had cheap,the engineering to make it work would be very time consuming and costly even if you can fabricate a bunch of it yourself.
I'm thinking motor/transmission mounts,aftermarket rad,complete fuel system with a pump in the tank,probably custom headers (big $$) and exhaust,steering linkage mods(?),tranny linkage of some sort,PS and A/C (?) plumbing issues,custom driveshaft,plus getting the electronics to work.
There's a couple guys on FABO that have swapped them into A-bodies so you could check out their threads on there for more info.

You have to ask yourself how much time/patience/ability you really have to make that all happen and will it be worth it in the end.A well built 440 will make similar power with no other changes necessary except a basic engine swap that you could do in a weekend.If you want to get better than OEM drivability and mileage then go with an aftermarket fuel injection and ignition system which are almost plug and play these days.

Personally,I really like the LS motors and have the 5.3 in my personal vehicle (05 Express Van) which is great as I use it for hauling,towing,as well as a camper van in the warmer months.

 

[1978 NYB]

Why go through all that trouble when you can put a chevy 350 in it and derby the car.....