How much does an LS swap cost?
A realistic parts budget depends on how much of the donor you reuse. From our sourced parts lists (2026 prices):
- Mounts: $125–$260 (PSI, ICT Billet)
- Oil pan: $300–$325 (Muscle Car or low-profile swap pan)
- Fuel: $75 regulator/filter + $600–$700 for an in-tank pump/tank kit
- Wiring/ECU: ~$500–$750 for a standalone harness for a stock ECM, ~$1,100 for a ready-to-run controller kit, $1,700–$2,300 for Holley/FiTech EFI
- Accessory drive: $0 (reuse donor) to $1,160–$3,800 for complete kits
- Radiator: reuse (with a $43 steam-port adapter) or $300–$1,800
- Engine: junkyard 5.3/6.0 or a ~$5k 5.3 crate (Speedway)
A budget junkyard swap that reuses the donor ECM and accessories lands in the low thousands before the engine; a clean kit-based swap with new EFI and accessories often runs $5k–10k+ in parts. Our per-vehicle guides total it for your chassis.
Confidence: medium — sources disagree or are limited; check the sources below.
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Sources
- Holley's Terminator X Vs. GM Standalone ECU For LS Swaps — LSX Magazine
- Squarebody LS Swap Guide | 73-87 C10 Parts List — Speedway Motors
- Squarebody LS Swap Guide | 73-87 K10 Parts List — Speedway Motors
- PSI - S10 Sonoma LS Swap Parts — PSI Conversion