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*randy500* · 08-01-2020, 02:24 AM

I have been considering this swap for over a year and slowing gathering info.
The factory 4wd engine crossmember is not wide enough for an LS then i found a thread where a young forum member LS swapped his k20 squarebody, he said he had never changed an engine before and it bolted right in. That thread turned the corner for me, i wasnt too thrilled about building a crossmember and the available ones kind of suck and are expensive. One interferes with the brake lines and the other needs a lift kit to clear the front axle. The squarebody crossmember bolts in with a few holes to drill and i believe if you raise the engine 3/8” or so there are no clearance issues. I may get lucky like the young guy did and have no clearance issues with the crossmember. I went to pick n pull looking for a crossmember but they all had engines still installed and rivet to cut so i passed. Then as luck would have it a friend came by and asked me if i wanted his 79 blazer for free, he is loosing his storage. So boom, just like that i have my crossmember plus a complete running and driving blazer for free and it will be here at my house where its easy to remove rivets.

The engine choice was a tough one, originally i was gonna get a 5.3 or a 6.0 local or from pick n pull. The prices of local 6.0 is about 2k and none of them looked that good, were older and unknown miles, then you still have the super ugly tall truck intake and accessories drive.
6.2’s are expensive but i think in the end it is worth the extra cost to get the larger engine and more attractive intake and accessories.

08-01-2020, 02:24 AM	#118
randy500 Account Suspended Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 6,873	Re: 72 GMC K2500, short bed build I have been considering this swap for over a year and slowing gathering info. The factory 4wd engine crossmember is not wide enough for an LS then i found a thread where a young forum member LS swapped his k20 squarebody, he said he had never changed an engine before and it bolted right in. That thread turned the corner for me, i wasnt too thrilled about building a crossmember and the available ones kind of suck and are expensive. One interferes with the brake lines and the other needs a lift kit to clear the front axle. The squarebody crossmember bolts in with a few holes to drill and i believe if you raise the engine 3/8” or so there are no clearance issues. I may get lucky like the young guy did and have no clearance issues with the crossmember. I went to pick n pull looking for a crossmember but they all had engines still installed and rivet to cut so i passed. Then as luck would have it a friend came by and asked me if i wanted his 79 blazer for free, he is loosing his storage. So boom, just like that i have my crossmember plus a complete running and driving blazer for free and it will be here at my house where its easy to remove rivets. The engine choice was a tough one, originally i was gonna get a 5.3 or a 6.0 local or from pick n pull. The prices of local 6.0 is about 2k and none of them looked that good, were older and unknown miles, then you still have the super ugly tall truck intake and accessories drive. 6.2’s are expensive but i think in the end it is worth the extra cost to get the larger engine and more attractive intake and accessories.