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How LS swaps actually work — tuning, the reference guides, head-to-head comparisons, and answers to what swappers ask most.
Tuning an LS or LT
VATS, injectors, 24x vs 58x, drive-by-wire, computers, harnesses and cam-by-cam needs.
LS vs Coyote, 2JZ & more
Size, weight and cost, side by side.
Questions, answered
Sourced answers to what swappers actually ask.
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 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.
Q&A by topic
- Tuning (134)
- Wiring & ECU (92)
- Transmissions (84)
- Engine build (64)
- Cost & planning (38)
- Identifying engines (37)
- Mounts & fitment (30)
- Cooling (30)
- Oiling & oil pans (22)
- Fuel (19)
- General (13)
- exhaust (7)
- Cooling & accessories (4)
- Accessory drive (2)