OK guys, I'm ready to do the swap. I have a LS 6 that I want to install in my 60 Parkwood. The question is which kit is best . There's numerous companies offering kits. I need a all in one kit. I also need to get a ECM. I am open to suggestions . Oh yeah , I plan to mate it to my Turbo 350 . That way the driveline is unchanged . GO to page 3 of the Garage for pictures of Sarge.
"all in one"? Things you will need to sort out: Engine mounts Exhaust manifolds/headers Wiring harness/ECM Oil Pan Accessory brackets (stock may or may not fit) Fuel system upgrade Electronic accelerator pedal (since that appears to be DBW) or convert to cable throttle body. Radiator and/or custom hoses A myriad of other minor things I'm forgetting. You might be able to find such a thing if you were doing a very common swap like into a 1st gen Camaro. But I haven't seen a kit that includes everything. Nearly every LS swap requires piecing things together because fitment is different in nearly every car.
There are several companies that sell "kits"; Summit Racing, Classic Performance Parts, Ecklers etc... I want to get a "kit" that will allow me to do the install. I'm a pretty good wrencher but I don't want to have to sort out fitment issues. In other word, it's the "myriad of other things" I want to avoid. There are numerous shops that would do the swap for $$$ but one of the things I find most rewarding is being able to say I did it...
My goal wasn't to dissuade you, just to point out that there really aren't complete kits, and you WILL have to figure out all the little things to get it sorted out. I couldn't find anything resembling a complete kit for your car on CPP or Summit. The most complete "kits" I could find are from Hedman: Passenger Car LS Swap Kits | Hedman Performance Group But as I said earlier, that only applies to the most common cars, and yours isn't listed. Plus, these still miss more than half of the things you need to worry about. Then there's BRP. While not a "kit" they group most everything you need together on one page for you to open up your wallet to: MuscleRods 58-64 Impala LS Conversion Kit (brphotrods.com) Warning, Vetteman61 had lots of problems with the BRP brackets: Fixing up a '71 Grand Safari | Page 61 | Station Wagon Forums Or you could try DirtyDingo: GM B-body- 1958-64 Impala, Biscayne, Caprice Corvette Cadillac CTSV G8 LS Conver (dirtydingo.com) Which has the majority of what you need. For wiring, check out: PSI LS/CAR (24X) | Standalone Wiring Harness | LS Wiring | LS Wiring Harness | LS | LSX | LS1 | LS2 | LS3 | LS6 | LS7 | LS9 | LSA | Vortec | 24X (psiconversion.com) Harnesses and PCM’s – Swap Specialties However, none of these are "complete" kits. My recommendation is to figure out the best answer to each part of it for your car and your needs and proceed accordingly. For reference, I'm in the middle of doing the same with my '85 Buick Electra Estate Wagon myself: 1985 Buick Electra - Phase 2: Upgrades | Station Wagon Forums -Mike
Trust me, I appreciate you. Just trying to find the path of least resistance. There can't be a lot of difference between the Impala/Biscayne and my Parkwood...(at least I hope not)
I would use a heftier trans, and probably a 6L80E, but you need to make some tunnel modifications to use it. A 4L60E will also work if you have it properly beefed up. The trans should be electronic, because you will want the computer to control it. I would also suggest a torque converter to match the cam, and intake. A computer can be picked up in the local PNP junk yard for a few dollars, along with the harness, and you can have it tuned to your engine mods. Since you do not initially have a computer controlled car, you do not need a lot of crazy wiring, but you do need a pair of O2 sensors (make sure they are in the upper 180 deg of the exhaust pipe/header, and no closer to the end of the pipe than 18 inches. Some other things are a 3-4 row radiator, electric fan(s), and a bunch of power relays with circuit breakers. The radiator should have fittings for a trans cooler, or plumb it to a stand alone cooler. With that much power and an overdrive trans, a 3.42 or 3.73 rear gear will make a nice driver. If you go to the 6 speed, you can go a bit shorter in ratio. The 6 speed will have a double overdrive. I have a 4L60 behind my 454 (450~475 HP) and it works fine with a 3.42 gear. I can spin the tires with the throttle pedal (Hankook 255-50-17 400+ wear index) at any light. I am going to Nitto 555 G2 with a 320 wear index, and may not be able to spin them as easily. I have also considered the Nitto Invo with an even lower wear index, but the tread life is substantially less (9K-15K). You may find that the FEAD will fit under the hood with just a few trimmings. The engine mounts are available almost anywhere performance parts are sold (local hot rod shop, JEGS, Summit Racing). You also need a trans mount that will match the trans you pick.
