Dobas with Ls1 swap?

[Herbykw]

This is more of the opinions i was going for. I know there are people that dont like chevy, ford, mopar... whatever. There are vehicles i like in all of them. Yes, its a Cordoba. It doesnt matter how good of shape they are in or how many miles are on them, they arent worth much. A friend of mine died and left it too me, he loved it. I love it. That is the main reason why i have been considering just rebuilding what i have. EFI is going to be mandatory, I hate carbs.

I think I'd go with a reman or crate 360 engine before the hassle of putting a Chevy engine in your car. I'm still getting used to the Mopar as this is the first one I've owned. I've always like the products just never owned one. I find a number of things superior to GM which is where most of my experience lies. I like the BB engines with the distributor up front and a breeze to swap out if need be. Removing the intake manifold without having to drain the coolant is a nice feature also. I guess the only thing I'm not a fan of is the exhaust manifold studs in the cylinder heads. But, I have had bolts sheer off on both Ford and GM heads so it's kind of like 6 of one half dozen of another. In the end, sticking with an OEM engine is probably best. You'll get nickel dimed to death on the swap you are considering.

Thank you, info like this helps.

Oy, regardless of the personal feelings of others, you need to think about what you want out of the finished product and what is it gonna take to get there. Make yourself as thorough a checklist as you can. When you're done with your checklist, do it again. Twice.

Consider what you want to swap in and what is it gonna take to get it done.
Will it be just an engine, or an engine and trans?
Is there support for what you want to do, such as mounts, exhaust compatible wiring and computers?
Oil pan?
What about the cooling system?
Electric fans?
Alternator/charging system to support them fans?
Fuel system?
A/C?
How are you going to connect to the power steering?

There's more that I am sure I'm forgetting. Read 5.7 Hemi's thread on his Gen III Hemi swap and you'll get an idea of what your headed for, no matter what route you take.

This is some of the things that i would not have gave much thought, till it became a problem. Since i have never done a swap, there would probly be a LOT more then that that come up. Just this short list of potential headaches, makes me seriously question ANY swap, even another Mopar.

 

[shag766]

first off its yours and do what makes you happy and content.
i am not a fan of cross breeding. when i am at a cruise or show and see some stuff where there has been 100's of hrs and 1000's of $ spent and its cross bred i walk on. when this truck was done he was thinking s/b chev but a bunch of us buds talked him out of it. now that i own it i am proud of it with the 5lt. h/o, c6 and 9".

this all just my opinion and opinions are like ********, everybody has one.

ps; yea i know its a mopar site but trying to make a point.

 

[shag766]

This is more of the opinions i was going for. I know there are people that dont like chevy, ford, mopar... whatever. There are vehicles i like in all of them. Yes, its a Cordoba. It doesnt matter how good of shape they are in or how many miles are on them, they arent worth much. A friend of mine died and left it too me, he loved it. I love it. That is the main reason why i have been considering just rebuilding what i have. EFI is going to be mandatory, I hate carbs.


Thank you, info like this helps.



This is some of the things that i would not have gave much thought, till it became a problem. Since i have never done a swap, there would probly be a LOT more then that that come up. Just this short list of potential headaches, makes me seriously question ANY swap, even another Mopar.

we are very similar situations. i inheirited the the truck when he passed. good luck. rick

 

[YY1]

Go test drive someone's Dakota R/T and then imagine that motor in your car!

Bolt in.

If you are tired of fixing "little things", swapping a different manufacturers motor certainly will not cure that issue

 

[shag766]

Go test drive someone's Dakota R/T and then imagine that motor in your car!

Bolt in.

If you are tired of fixing "little things", swapping a different manufacturers motor certainly will not cure that issue

X2

 

[Cranky]

I'll admit that there's a ton of support for everything LS1 and it is a great engine. The RT 360 is cool but it is also based on an old design and there isn't near the support for these as there is the LS1. It's always been that way for Mopar tho. It kinda sucks at times but that's what make Mopar more satisfying to work with when you do make them run neck and neck with the high tech 'laptop' cars of the other brands. Think I've mentioned this before like others have....it is your car to do what you want to but imo, it would attract more attention if you did do a modern Hemi and there is a decent amount of support for them and if you look around some, they are out there for decent money and sometimes even dirt cheap. Not sure if you are wanting to attract more attention or not but even if you're not, you might end up with a much easier and cleaner swap. Homework is the key word here. Don't know how many many LS1 swaps have been made into these cars but I know there have been several late model Hemi's dropped in....and good luck in what ever you do.

 

[Revhendo]

Don't discount the bolt on EFI systems like the F.A.S.T. EZ-EFI either. If you look over on the A body site there are several members running them with great results. (DJVCuda is running twin units on a tunnel ram).

Perhaps the biggest question is what do you want out of the car when it's finished? Cruiser, racer, canyon carver, chick magnet?

 

[Powerflite]

Don't discount the bolt on EFI systems like the F.A.S.T. EZ-EFI either. If you look over on the A body site there are several members running them with great results. (DJVCuda is running twin units on a tunnel ram)...

X2
Probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to get what you are looking for. Also check out http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com/. The place has throttle body injection for under $1k or port injection for $2k.

 

[YY1]

My point was- a running van or ram 1500 with a 5.9 can be had for $1000 in my neck of the woods. Mine runs as the day I bought it and has 130,000 on the clock.

If he kept the 3 speed auto, and just put in the engine, then spent another $150 for a pre-98 OBD I computer and harness (unless his donor vehicle was pre-98)...

..he'd have a 250 net HP (around 300 gross) EXTREMELY reliable MPI roller cam engine with outstanding and inexpensive parts availability.

...and it's awfully close to being a straight bolt in.

 

[Herbykw]

X2
Probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to get what you are looking for. Also check out http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com/. The place has throttle body injection for under $1k or port injection for $2k.

EZ-EFI and affordable fuel injection is a couple places i have been looking at for a little while. On the affordable FI, their kits say for stock or slightly modified. What is considered slightly modified? I would like to get more power out of it, and would hate to waste the money on something that couldnt support it.

My goal for the car is just a weekend cruiser. I don't plan on going to the track, but i want it to have good power. Back when I was in high school, I thought this car was fast, but I have driven a lot of cars since then. I will deffinatly want more power then the stock engine puts out.
Stock when I got the car. I drove it as a DD (back when gas was a LOT cheaper)

It sat for about 6 years while i was in the military. After I parked it I have not been able to keep it running properly for more then a day or two at a time. I came home and I put a Weiand intake and a Holley 4brl carb on it.

I have not been able to really drive it with the intake and new carb, but when it has started, its a lot louder, even with stock exhaust.

 

[racedodge]

i will be honest, i loathe the idea of putting a chevy engine in a mopar, BUT before you decide to jump on the "shivvy" bandwagon, you really need to do more research into what mopar has to offer. Realistically, the engine compartment was made for a mopar engine and not a "shivvy" so the easiest swap is right there.

Do your research and do not rely on a lot of opinions because each one of us has different skill and experience levels and what is easy for one of us may be difficult for you and vice versa.

And lastly, do not go to the darkside... like it was said on page 1, the chevy guys will hate you and so will the mopar guys. I know its your car, but sticking with a mopar engine will just make things easier altogether.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

Based on your last post it sounds like you need to juet get it running.

have you cleaned the fuel lines, new rubber hoses, had the tank off and cleaned, basic tune up of plugs, wires, rotor, check timing exc?

you can tank the motor (not hard over a day with a buddy or just a couple of hours with a friend that has done it before) and drop it off, have it rebuilt, and then reinstall.

My car is a dail driver (1,000 miles a month or so) and it was some nickle and diming to begin with. Now it is reliable and I don't worry about taking it anywhere. Ganted a bolt came out of the exhaust hanger today and I had to limp it home making me late for work.

You may not know alot about cars now but if you work on it your self, you will love the car that much more as you bring her up to DD reliability.

I would get a crate 360 (stroker maybe) or just rebuild what you have a little hotter and enjoy the learning and bleeding experience. Getting it running is only one aspect. Next is brakes, then cooling, electrical, tires, rims, paint. It is never ending.

 

[Supershafts]

Dropping the ls1 is going to be a LOT of work.... even dropping them in some GM bodies they need quite some work to make them just have the right angle or no angle at all...

different oil pans, modified crossmembers, not to mention EVERYTHING you have is now USELESS...

And all you really want is to get it running, there has got to be a member on this BOARD in your area that would love to have you stop by and get it running right....

.

 

[Revhendo]

Dropping the ls1 is going to be a LOT of work.... even dropping them in some GM bodies they need quite some work to make them just have the right angle or no angle at all...

different oil pans, modified crossmembers, not to mention EVERYTHING you have is now USELESS...

And all you really want is to get it running, there has got to be a member on this BOARD in your area that would love to have you stop by and get it running right....

.

Yep, stuffed 'em in a bunch of things. It gets fun at times. Also stuffed an EFI 528 Hemi into a Checker Cab. That was a lotta stuffing in a weirdly small bag.

One point I might want to touch on is this;
Perhaps for nothing else than experience, you might want to diagnose and fix what is wrong with your current combo. LS1s, GenIIIs, Magnums, EZ-EFI and all may sound like the end all to your problems, but if you don't have a grip on your basic skills if something with the whizbangs go wrong, you're gonna wanna use your Dobe as a target drone.

Think of it as trying to be a **** star without knowing how to kiss a girl.

 

[Herbykw]

I think that I have read more then enough to scare me away from trying any swap. I'm not a mechanic, but I am willing to learn, to do anything that I can. I think a swap is beyond my scope as of now. I will have better luck, to pull the engine and rebuild it. Thanks for all the input everyone. When I get started on this, I will make a thread to show progress and more then likely beg for help. ;)

 

[ykf7b0]

I think that I have read more then enough to scare me away from trying any swap. I'm not a mechanic, but I am willing to learn, to do anything that I can. I think a swap is beyond my scope as of now. I will have better luck, to pull the engine and rebuild it. Thanks for all the input everyone. When I get started on this, I will make a thread to show progress and more then likely beg for help. ;)

A very wise decision my friend!

 

[YY1]

Did anyone ask the OP EXACTLY what the symptoms of his problems are?

 

[Revhendo]

Did anyone ask the OP EXACTLY what the symptoms of his problems are?

Nah, we're just going over the pros and cons of engine swaps.
We'll strong arm him into a seperate thread to deal with that titled;
"I put a 4bbl on my engine and now it hates me".

 

[Cranky]

I think that I have read more then enough to scare me away from trying any swap. I'm not a mechanic, but I am willing to learn, to do anything that I can. I think a swap is beyond my scope as of now. I will have better luck, to pull the engine and rebuild it. Thanks for all the input everyone. When I get started on this, I will make a thread to show progress and more then likely beg for help. ;)

Don't know what your scope is on doing mechanical work but usually, good mechanics start out at a very young age...sometimes starting out building model cars for example. Not saying it can't be learned later in life but some people should never ever pick up a wrench lol. I started out building models and just tearing stuff apart to see what was inside. Sometimes my parents didn't like that too much but oh well. Having someone around that knows what's going on can be a huge help and hanging around a shop at a young age sweeping the floors for free (try that now a days) didn't hurt either. And man, I love the internet for info!!

 

[YY1]

My career in IT is a direct extension of my teen-age auto repair background.
You use the same thought process, troubleshooting skillset, logic, and "flow charting" processs to diagnose a server, or network issue as you to do repair a carburetor or fix an electrical system problem.

I keep trying to tell my brother that. he is an EXCELLENT mechanic, but won't even try to fix computer issues.