LS1 Swap

I am considering the 5.3 ironblock bored out to take the LS1 internals with the ls1 heads and intake. Unless after I PCS and this dream gets off the ground I can find a deal on a wrecked Fbody.
 
so if you where getting 17mpg imagine a new ls based engine. I would definitly say hight teens. Myabe low 20's if you drive like a pussy
 
who ever is doing this swap i hope you know what ur getting into. You need electrical components a tranny to hold the power and axles to transfer the power. The stock drivetrain will not take that kind of power. I have d60rear and d44 front with nv4500 5spd trans. Dont care for automatic too boring. THe 700r4 is geared for a street car not an off road jeep. Unless you plan on running some really low gearing. or low transfer case gearing. Gotta see how your headers are going to squeeze in between your suspension control arms. {i have this problem currently, um hitting the upper controll arm on uptravel} Ignition, distributor {mine sits tight against the fire wall} You think it wont cost that much intil you nickel and dime urself with little parts here and there to make it work. The guy i bought my cherokee off of gave me all the receipts off what is in the cherokee i bought. I adds up to almost shy of 20gran. Now with an ls1 or ls2 i would think it would cost more because of the newer more hp motor then mine and the components involved. Um not trying to steer you away from the project but i hope you know what your getting into. Thats why i just bought one built. I think ive only seen one ls1 cherokee on ebay and the starting bid was 20000gran. I had mine dynoed for reference with my mods was 200hp and 300ftlbs on the dyno and that wasnt the mustang dyno.
 
Lsx = no dizzy. Those block hugger headers he popped up with were designed for a LSX into jeep XJ/MJ application. If you can do like Frankz did and get the whole setup with ecu and wiring harness it should be fairly straitforward. The brackets from Novak are sweet

The biggest thing I want to do wen I get to the MJ is to figure out the wiring to keep the stock gauges. Although with the older jeeps like mine it should actually be easier. The MJ uses GM part number sensors for the most part.
 
Selarep and Frank are more than capable to pull this off and I'm sure they will tackle all issues as they arise. There are quite a few enthusiasts that put these things together and then unfortunately have to sell them off to others for whatever reasons. We know what work and $ went in to putting them together and usually know how to fix them. I wish your "steal" a long life, TK, but do not envy your position if(when) issues arise. I am saddened to see another stroker die. . .
oops--thought Frank was the OP(he's got the 5.3 thread and used to have a stroker).
 
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just because i bought it doesnt mean um not mechanically inclined just the smarter way to do it which i have heard from many offroad shops and 4wheel people that built there own rigs. That goes for anything you build or put money into once u dump a bunch of money in other then a muscle car the money will not come back out. You usually get back half what you have in it. Um sure who ever is doing it hopefully has a full plan. u cant deal with every problem that arises if your stuck between a rock and a hard place. Um sure everyone on this forum if they had time and money would drop an ls6 in there cherokee. Well whoevers doing it good luck and post the picks um sure somebody will be crank one off to it. lol
 
i dont think gearing would be a problem. Source a LS1 or LS2 out of a GTO and get a 4L60E(if your sticking with auto) out of a Tahoe. So its geared for a SUV and not a street car.

Novak pretty much sells everything you need and has worked out out of these issues. Im not saying shit wont come up but look at thier step by step. The only problem would be keeping your stock gauges. I plan on just building a new instrument cluster with autometer gauges.
 
700R4's came in 4WD applications, I found one on CL the other day from a Chevy V6 with the stock T-case still attached, $100.
I don't like the E part of 4L60E (e=electronic). More electrical woes.
Advance adapters also makes the flex plate and crank adapter for a 700r4 to a LSx conversion.

Gearing wont be an issue. I will also be running the NP241OR.
This project will take me about a year to gather all the right parts and I am hard at work doing all the research. I've spent a little bit of time with Novak on the phone. If I was to take my rig to them, they would install everything for around $10k, all parts included and it would be a turn key install.
I'll save a lot doing it myself.

Frank's thread is a good reference over on the LS1 forum. But his is a 5.3.
 
Currently buying all the parts to do this swap.

I am looking for tips/advice if anyone has any.

Most of my parts are coming from Novak Adapters, they have GREAT parts directly made for this swap and awesome customer service.

Anyone else have any other part sources?


Here's the XJ it's going into:

new1.jpg

new.jpg

Damn Selarep, That thing is nice! I'm partial to the surco myself! :D That'll make a good platform for the LS! I should be sending you some money fairly soon to help you get that thing in there! :D I need some cables!
 
An LS1 swap into an XJ (preferably 5.7 rather than 5.3L) would be sweet. Novak Conversions have all the bits required to make the swap not so technically challenging. You could even use a stock Jeep AX15 and NP231 behind the LS1 by simply bolting on a bellhousing adapter kit.

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/xj_swap.htm
 
I dunno, It is not a heavy duty transmission, but it is not a POS either. Seems to do ok behind strokers with locked axles and drivers with heavy right feet.


People said the same thing about my Dana35 riding behind my stroker too. If it were that crappy of a tranny I don't think Novak would sell the adapter, or carry a recommendation against using it.
 
well an ls1 with boltons which i assume your going to do like exhaust, headers and intake. Your looking a pushing another 100hp on what a i6 stroker puts out atleast. Lets say you buy the bell housing and roast trannys every other month unless your going to pussy foot it which i highly doubt. Then u might off bin better off in the beginning to do a different bell housing for a nv4500 5spd which i use and never have to worry. If this is a street driven daily driver deal i would say go nv4500. If its gunna be mostly a trail rig then get an sm465 tranny it just doesnt have the overdrive the nv4500 has.
 
well an ls1 with boltons which i assume your going to do like exhaust, headers and intake. Your looking a pushing another 100hp on what a i6 stroker puts out atleast. Lets say you buy the bell housing and roast trannys every other month unless your going to pussy foot it which i highly doubt. Then u might off bin better off in the beginning to do a different bell housing for a nv4500 5spd which i use and never have to worry. If this is a street driven daily driver deal i would say go nv4500. If its gunna be mostly a trail rig then get an sm465 tranny it just doesnt have the overdrive the nv4500 has.

My friend, your spelling is killing us all.
We don't know what the funk you're saying at times.

AX15 will not be kept in my rig. I am looking more into the 700R4 or the T56. I really don't want another manual though.
 
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