[ctandc]

The "Fixability" (is that even a word? LOL) of the newer Fuel Injected and computer controlled engines seem to intimidate a lot of people. With a laptop, the right cable, and the right software package, diagnosing an issue with a newer drivetrain is actually a lot easier a vast majority of the time.

Not to mention the ability to tune the engine with the press of a button or a mouse click.

The newer engines are literally designed to go 100K without any service what so ever, besides normal maintenance. If GM wasn’t confident in these engines, they wouldn’t offer the powertrain warranties they currently offer.

Many of the “problems” encountered with the LSx engines are created by owners who do modifications.

I had a 4th F-Body with a LS1 / T56 combo. That car had close to 100K when I got it. I drove it hard. It was bone stock, no mods. When I got rid of it, the mileage was closing in on 140K. The guy who bought it planned on yanking the motor when it gave up the ghost, and building it up. He’s still driving it. In fact last I heard he was planning on pulling it because the clutch was ready to be replaced. The engine itself was still going strong. He did mention he hoped to see 200K on it before yanking it.

Keep in mind that this car saw the drag strip on average probably once a month. And it wasn’t babied.

I’m currently on the lookout for a 4.8/5.3 combo for the kid’s ’65 C10 we’re starting on. If the price is right, I’ll pull the trigger. In my area it’s actually cheaper in the long run to buy a wrecked or otherwise damaged vehicle and pull the drivetrain and part out the rest. Reason being that people have caught on that these engines are popular for swap material. A guy I used to work with buys the newer style trucks and SUVs with the LSx drivetrain and parts them out. Around here the it’s not unheard of to get an easy $3K for a complete 5.3 with tranny and wiring harness. The other issue is that a lot of potential swappers bought engines, not realizing they needed the wiring harness, PCM and the tranny.

I’ve seen guys try to piece together the drivetrain because they got a “Good Deal” on the engine, only to end up spending as much or more than they would have if they bought the entire drivetrain, ready to go.
As far as cost comparison with building an older style small block Chevrolet, the divide is closing.

Like someone else mentioned, if you’ve got a good running engine now, then swapping in a LSx drivetrain, unless you get a GREAT deal, is not the most sensible choice from an economic perspective.

If you have a truck without an engine, or an engine that needs a total rebuild, the cost could be close to a wash. It all depends on what you want out of the engine in your truck.

Buying a good running very mild 350, cleaning it up and throwing in your truck is a far cry from a properly setup LSx engine.

Building a good performing, reliable old style small block Chevy is not a far reach (in cost) from a stock 5.3. And that’s doing all the wrench work yourself.

That being said, most of us who work on and drive older vehicles, we know that it doesn’t make the best economic sense to begin with. If it was all about saving $$$, we’d all drive a 30mpg + compact car.

Now of course many times we try to use other “arguments” to convince ourselves (or our significant others LOL) that “Swapping in a 5.3 and OD for the 350 / 3 speed will save money.” Sure it will save money on gas, but what about initial investment? The other things needed to do the swap? The wiring work, the tuning etc?

I also see people “justifying” their swap by talking about how much more “driveability” the new engines have.

“Just crank the key and go.”
“No need to adjust the carb etc.”

I don’t know what conditions some of you are driving in, but I’ve had both modern EFI engines, I’ve retrofitted EFI (mainly TPI) engines into project cars, and I’ve also daily driven carb’d engines.

I drove a 408 small block with a single plan intake and a carb setup EVERYDAY, rain or shine. Averaged 20k+ the two years I drove it. Did it get wonderful gas mileage? Of course not, it wasn’t designed or built of that. But with a moderate rear gear ration and a 5 speed tranny, it didn’t do as bad as you might think. I drove that car when the temp was 10 degrees and when it was 100 degrees. I don’t ever remember having to do a lot of “tuning” for weather conditions. It’s not like I was driving in massively different altitudes every week.

In fact I put right at 50K on that engine, and the only thing I remember doing to it was changing the HEI cap and rotor, because I had used a “freebie” replacement when I dropped the engine in, and it crapped out on me.

In the end it will always be the owner’s choice, as it should be.

If you plan on swapping a LSx engine into your truck, and you have a decent running engine now, if your primary reason for swapping is saving money, you’ll likely end up disappointed.

It’s the same boat as people who traded in paid off Surburbans and Tahoes when gas prices first jumped after Katrina. They traded 12-14mpg and no car payment for AT MOST a mpg twice as good, plus the car payment. It would take YEARS for many of these people to ever realize any true savings. But I’m sure they felt better when they weren’t dropping $100 at the gas pump every week.

I guess this long-winded post is simply meant say…

“Do what your wallet and your ability allows. As long as YOU like it, who cares what anyone else thinks.”