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LS Swap wisdom needed

Leadfoot21

Red Skull Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Member Number
3723
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I have an unconventionally cool truck that’s been in my family since new . It’s an 82 F100 black flare side 302 4-speed like new . Anyways it’s current drivetrain is boring as sin and it sits more than it’s driven because of this and the fact that I’m young so I hate carburetors . I want to LS swap it . I used to be against putting a Chevy in a Ford … but due to well everything wonderful about an LS especially costs I think it’s the best way to go and since an 82 f100 doesn’t exactly have a following or the potential to become a sought after classic I see no harm in doing a tasteful swap . What’s the cleanest/easiest harness/ecm route ? Would you go terminator X or donor ECU and a swap harness ?
 
5.3 truck engine, T5, donor harness. They are easy to strip down the harness and tie into the truck.
 
I have cut down stock harnesses and used stock computers, used the GM swap computer and harness, and recently used Terminator X.

I would go with Terminator X hands down for a LS swap.

But why not go EFI with Ford motor?
 
I would LOVE to coyote swap it but the costs would be astronomical in comparison don’t you think AND there’s a 120k mile 6.0 sitting in a running wrecked truck on the family farm begging to be used for this .
 
Terminator X for Ford 302

 
Personally .. if I see an old EFI sbf retrofitted I assume it’s a build from the mid to late 90s just seems a bit dated !
 
I have seen some ripper 302s that sound just right. Might even be fun to add a small turbski.
 
Only issue is with forced induction and a stock block the LS looks like the best candidate yet again!
 
Only issue is with forced induction and a stock block the LS looks like the best candidate yet again!
So what you're really saying is... both?

I did the boosted Ford smallblock because I already had the transmission/transfercase to use with it, and making a C6 into something that mates to an LS isn't an easy thing last I looked. If I was starting blank, I'd have probably LS'd it too.
 
I used Terminator X max on my LS/4L60e swap. It was super simple. Think plug and play. The tuning software also gives you the ability to easily play around with your tune. It’s also nice to be able to use the hand held screen to monitor all the temps and pressures.
 
So with terminator x I need just the terminator x kit alone or a swap harness and terminator x kit ? I love LS’s and I used to harp on people about “cross breed” swaps …. BUT … if it’s works … it works . I think a simple but effective turbod LS would be amazing in the f100 my biggest dilemma is transmission selection . The donor truck is 4wd so I’m not sure whether it’s easy and worthwhile to convert the 80 to 2wd or get another trans
 
I used this kit….


It came with a harness for the motor and trans. I had a cable style throttle body, so I didn’t need the drive by wire option.

Just check the injectors and crank sensor on the engine you plan to use and make sure you order the right kit. That way you get the right harness and it will plug right into what you have.
 
So did you incorporate the Holley gauges in place of the factory ones ?
 
I'm not particularly brand loyal, but if your truck is cherry, and if you're after 300hp, I coils see going with an injected Sbf "to keep it real"

Look into a explorer 5.0 swap
You can find a running driving, but ugly af 5.0 4r70w explorer in the $500 range pretty easily, won't quite be 300hp, but I'm sure there's cam and tuning to get it close

A 6.0 can be a beast, and if it's power you're after, goferit, but I couldn't see going 5.3 when a 5.0 would do...




As for a dated looking 5.0 swap, it's all about cleanliness under good, if it looks good, it looks good
 
Simplest thing to do, to me, seems a holley spiper tbi system, heads, cam, intake and headers? Curve duraspark 2 and fine tune with sniper. Choose your heads, cam and intake to where you want your power to be? There is a large aftermarket out there for SBF.
 
If anyone has a donor LS or SBF I am willing to drive !
 
One of my buddies has an LQ4/4L80E combo possibly for sale. I’ll get ahold of him and check on price. It’s located in Morgantown WV
 
That’s a 13 hour drive 😂 it would have to be a DEAL . I’d prefer to keep it a manual transmission though !
 
I used this kit….


It came with a harness for the motor and trans. I had a cable style throttle body, so I didn’t need the drive by wire option.

Just check the injectors and crank sensor on the engine you plan to use and make sure you order the right kit. That way you get the right harness and it will plug right into what you have.
Is this as simple as they make it sound? Like just plug the shit in and it runs and will learn the tune? If it is that looks to be the ticket for my c10.
 
For me, it was plug and play. You do have to enter information into the hand held unit. I think I had to put in displacement, the injectors I am using, basic cam size range and desired idle speed.

You also need to weld an O2 sensor bung into the correct spot.

I also had to add an intake air temperature sensor. I decided to add a fuel pressure sensor too.
 
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