Swap guides
C10 / K10 Squarebody
2 parts lists · 12 listed options
240SX
2 parts lists · 5 listed options
Chevelle / El Camino (A-body)
Full parts list · 16 listed options
S10 / Sonoma / Blazer / Jimmy
Full parts list · 16 listed options
G-body (Monte Carlo, El Camino, Cutlass, Regal, Grand Prix)
Full parts list · 11 listed options
Mustang Fox body
Full parts list · 9 listed options
350Z
Full parts list · 6 listed options
3 Series E36
Full parts list · 4 listed options
Tuning guides
Doing it yourself? Get your swap running, then tuned safely, with ranges from real LS and LT tunes. We always finish on a dyno.
Turn-on tune: starting numbers for your build
Pick your engine, injectors and cam; get the values to start, idle and drive it, from real tunes.
HP Tuners walkthrough: 58 steps
The order we tune: the tables, what to log, the targets and when to stop.
How to wire your LS
Pick your engine, computer, throttle and transmission; get the minimum wiring to start it.
Don't blow it up: safe limits
Our limits and the checks to make before any wide-open pass.
Tuning an LS or Gen V LT
Computers, cams, fuel and boost, transmissions, and a tune checklist for your build.
Tools
Donor engine finder
Filter every LS/LT by size, block, AFM and power; see which vehicles to pull it from.
Cam finder
Filter 186 cams by engine, lift, duration, idle and price, with owner dyno results.
Injector & fuel pump calculator
Injector size and pump flow for your power, fuel (gas/E85) and boost.
Oil pan picker
Find a GM pan by sump position and the depth you can clear.
Accessory spacing picker
Identify your accessory drive and what water pump and brackets match.
Swap cost estimator
Build a realistic budget: engine, trans, parts, wiring, fuel and labor.
Engine size comparison
Will it fit? LS vs Coyote, 2JZ, SBC and more by the numbers.
Tune checklist
What does my tune need? Engine, computer, transmission and mods in; a plain-English checklist out.
Computer identifier
Which GM computer is this? Service number, OS ID, connectors or donor in; family, reluctor, throttle and trans control out.
First-start checklist
Printable one-page checklist of everything to check before you crank a swapped LS.
How to wire your LS
Engine, computer, throttle and transmission in; the minimum wiring to start it and what it needs to run right out.
Fuel pump & fan wiring
Relay wiring for the fuel pump and electric fans on a 0411, P59 or E38: pins, terminals 30/85/86/87, prime.
Trouble codes
The codes LS swaps set: what each means, the swap causes to check first, and whether it can be turned off.
Wire, fuse & relay chart
Wire gauge by amps and length, fuse and relay sizes for pumps, fans and the computer, relay pins 30/85/86/87/87a.
Guides
LS oil pan guide: how to pick a pan that fits
How to choose and measure for an LS oil pan, step by step, then compare every GM and aftermarket swap pan by sump position, depth and length.
LS accessory drive spacing explained
F-body, car/Corvette and truck accessory drive offsets, and which water pump goes with which.
LS engine mounts and swap kits: how mount position decides everything else
How LS swap mounts set oil pan, header, steering, hood and driveline fit; adapter plates vs bolt-in brackets vs complete kits; what to measure; and the common mounts for 37 vehicles.
LS swap headers and exhaust: choosing by chassis
Factory manifolds, cast swap manifolds, shorties, mid-lengths and long tubes for an LS swap: what has to clear, O2 sensor placement, exhaust sizing by power, and the headers known to fit 37 vehicles.
LS swap steering: shaft and box clearance by chassis
Why the LS and its headers crowd the steering shaft and box, what to check in what order, the fixes from U-joint shafts to a different box, and the steering parts for 37 vehicles.
LS cam swap, step by step: Gen III and Gen IV, any chassis
How to swap the cam in any Gen III or Gen IV LS, car or truck, engine in or out: the parts and why each one, cam gear and sensor differences, AFM and VVT, valve springs, torque specs, first start and the tune.
LS swap driveshaft and driveline angles
Why an LS swap changes driveshaft length, how to measure at ride height, U-joint working angles and shimming, slip yokes by transmission, tube sizes by power, and the crossmember and driveshaft parts for 37 vehicles.
LS swap cooling: radiator, fans and steam line
What is different about LS cooling, keeping your radiator vs a swap radiator, fan choice and wiring, the steam line, transmission coolers, overheating in the right order, and the radiators and fans for 37 vehicles.
How to measure LS accessory drive spacing
Our measuring diagram for LS accessory drive spacing: where to put the tape (front face of the block to the belt centerline), the Corvette, F-body and truck values, aftermarket drives, and how to read a number that falls between two.
How to datalog with HP Tuners VCM Scanner: what to log and how
Set up VCM Scanner and your MPVI, get the wideband into the log, the exact channels to log (plus boost, E85 and automatic add-ons), the cold start, idle, cruise and tip-in logs to take, and how to send them to us.
LS swap transmissions: 4L60E vs 4L80E, T56, TKX & 8HP
Compare LS swap automatics and manuals by fitment, torque rating and controller needs, plus the flexplate, converter and clutch parts to check before you buy.
LS cylinder heads & intakes compared
243, 799, 706, 317, 823 and LS3 heads; truck, LS6, LS3 and aftermarket intakes with dyno tests.
LS fuel system, E85 & injectors
Fuel pressure, returnless vs return systems, E85 requirements and LS injector types.
Making power with an LS: build recipes
Common LS power recipes — cam swaps, heads, boost — and what each needs.
LS vs Coyote, 2JZ, SBC & more: size, weight and cost
How the LS compares to the Coyote, 2JZ, small-block Chevy, Hemi and Ford engines on size, weight and price.
LS drive-by-wire pedal & throttle body pinout (Holley harness)
Pedal and 6-pin / 8-pin throttle body pinouts for the Holley 558-406 and 558-429 drive-by-wire harnesses, with wire colors and which GM throttle body each fits.
Holley Terminator X wiring diagram: J1A / J1B pinout
Connector J1 on a Terminator X is J1A and J1B. LS crank, cam, injector, and coil pin map, 24x vs 58x kit part numbers, drive-by-wire, and the fuse and ground hookup.
Painless 60522 LS1 drive-by-wire harness: wire colors & hookup
Every connection on the Painless 60522 (1997–2004 LS1, throttle-by-wire) harness: engine, dash and tail sections by wire color, plus the cruise control switch pins.
Speartech LS 58x harness wiring: loose wires & fuses
Where every loose wire on a Speartech LS 58x stand-alone harness goes, for 4L60/4L80 and manual transmissions, plus the fuse block and grounding rules.
LS swap ECU comparison: factory PCM vs Terminator X vs Haltech & MaxxECU
Which computer fits your LS swap: a reprogrammed GM PCM and harness, Holley Terminator X or X Max, Haltech Nexus Rebel LS, MaxxECU and more, compared on total cost, 24x/58x, drive-by-wire and 4L60E/4L80E control.
LS torque specs: cam gear, lifter trays, head bolts, mains and rods
LS cam gear torque specs (3-bolt, single-bolt, and VVT phaser), lifter tray bolt torque, and LS1 head bolt specs with the tightening sequence, plus mains, rods, balancer, and the rest of the Gen III and Gen IV fastener list.
LS factory computer pinouts: P01, P59 and E38 for a standalone harness
Pin-by-pin GM P01/0411 (1999–2002), P59 (2003–2007) and E38 (Gen IV) computer pinouts with wire colors, circuit numbers and what to keep or delete for an LS swap standalone harness.
1998–2002 F-body LS1 cam and valve spring swap, step by step
How to swap the cam and valve springs in a 1998-2002 Camaro or Firebird LS1 without pulling the heads: tools, parts list, 25 steps with torque specs, common mistakes, and the tune and dyno it needs afterward.
How to wire an LS swap: what it needs to start and run right
Pick your engine, computer, throttle and transmission: the minimum wiring to start it, what it needs to run right, the harnesses that fit, and what changes between Gen III and Gen IV.
Most-asked questions
- How do I identify which LS engine I have?
- How do I find my RPO code?
- Which trucks and vehicles came with an LS engine?
- Is the 5.3 an LS engine?
- Is the 6.0 Vortec an LS engine?
- 5.3 vs 6.0: which LS should I swap?
- 6.0 vs 6.2 LS: what's the difference?
- LQ4 vs LQ9: what's the difference?
- Iron block vs aluminum block LS: weight and strength
- Which LS engine is best for turbo/boost?
- How much horsepower does a stock 5.3 make?
- How much horsepower can a stock 5.3 handle?