The first step in the swap...
The first step in the swap process was to remove the old 383 Gen I small-block from the second-gen Camaro. Mary's car weighed in at a hefty 3,571 lbs. and she hopes the LS swap will knock at least 100 pounds off the front. (Photo by Mary Pozzi)
Ahh, the engine swap. It's a ritual deeply tied to what hot rodding is all about. Whether it's ditching a six-banger for a 350 small-block, swapping a big-block for that small-block, or any number of "this-for-that" combinations, it's what makes cool cars just a bit cooler. Today, one of the more popular exercises is to drop a modern, computer-controlled, EFI-fed mill under the hood, with the most popular choice being GM's line of LS engines. After all, what's not to love? They have great street manners, lightweight aluminum goodness, and a rock-solid EFI system in an arguably affordable package.
If you're a regular reader of this mag, then no doubt you've heard the exploits of autocross maven Mary Pozzi. Typically, she's the fastest thing going at the track in her second-gen Camaro. In fact, chances are the only thing faster than Mary in her car is Mary in a faster car. Which brings us to her ride. It's a well-balanced Camaro but suffers from a chronic condition: too much weight. Not just too much, but in the wrong place-up front. Powered by a stroked 383 small-block, the car was fast, but Mary saw the potential to make it faster. After all, she surmised, "It's 2010 and maybe it was time to see what this LS fuss is about."
GM Performance Parts' latest...
GM Performance Parts' latest crate engine offering is the 6.2L (that's 376 ci for those that shun the metric system) LS3. Rated by GM at a conservative 436 hp, it comes complete from the fuel injectors on the composite intake to the oil pan. At a street price of just over $6,000, it's not cheap. But when you consider it's an all-aluminum EFI small-block, it's certainly a great bang for the buck.
But swapping in an LS engine isn't exactly a straightforward endeavor. The LS has needs that differ from a carburetor-fed Gen I small-block. There are also mounting details to be addressed. But today these challenges are easily overcome by a host of companies churning out parts to make swapping in an LS engine nearly painless. And while this install deals specifically with a second-gen, the same principals apply to any Camaro. So, follow along as we bring this girl's F-body into the 21st century.
Fun With First-Gens
The great thing about first-gen Camaros is that LS transplants are even easier than on second-gens. This is mainly because there's a much larger number of products on the market to make going new-school a snap.
Stacy Tucker's '69 had a 383 Gen I small-block and when she decided to go LS, a call was placed over to the guys at Mast Motorsports. They were able to hook her up with a sweet stroker LS engine along with their M90 computer and harness system. A big benefit of their electronics package is the "plug-n-play" nature of it, meaning there are only a few wires to deal with and everything else is terminated with sturdy weatherproof plugs and connectors.
We wanted a bit more power,...
We wanted a bit more power, but we didn't want to tear apart a brand new engine. The solution was to toss in a bigger bumpstick from the folks over at COMP. Turns out that GM fits their crate engines with fairly conservative camshafts. This means that tossing in something bigger, along with a stronger set of springs, can yield even more power. In this case we went with a 219/235 duration 0.607/0.621 lift 113 LSA cam and a set of stiffer valve springs (PN 26295-16). We didn't have access to a dyno, but past testing indicated that this should easily put us over the 500 crank-horsepower mark.
For most people out there,...
For most people out there, a standard GM clutch would be fine, but Mary is a bit harder on equipment, so we picked up a heavy-duty unit from Centerforce. Their dual-friction system (PN DF395010) has great holding-capacity along with civil street characteristics. We've run this system before and the pedal effort makes it a pleasure to use.
Next we installed the Centerforce...
Next we installed the Centerforce 12-inch dual-friction disc and pressure plate. Before torquing the pressure plate to the flywheel, we carefully aligned it using the supplied 26-spline installation tool.