With the LS Engine Swap rising in popularity, it’s safe to assume the trend isn’t going away any time soon. Because of this, we at Billet Kings wanted to clarify some things! Chevy LS Engines have practically become their own category when it comes to mods and restorations for your hotrods and common garage projects. The pros and cons to an LS Swap is important to know, so you can get an idea about the good and not-so-good aspects of this mod; in case you’re considering it for your custom job.
Starting off with the pros: we’ll list them off and go into more details, but some of the good aspects of the LS Swap involve it’s efficiency in size, strength, pricing (along with its popularity and availability), as well as aftermarket support with accessories (especially to your front end drive: if you want to see more accessories: check them out at www.billetkings.com )
Since 1997, when the various LS iterations were introduced and found their way into many lines of cars throughout the years. This created a competitive market; that with their compact size made shipping these engines even less expensive. This combination makes the Chevy LS swap a smarter choice if pockets are a little tight when it comes
The packaging and size of the engine makes it more of an efficient fit for your project, and its smaller and stout size can outweigh some of the disadvantages we’ll bring up on a minute. The strength of the engine, even for its smaller size, is capable of impressive numbers, with basic performance modifications, and especially with impressive front-end drive system upgrades and the right pulley and bracket kits installed.
Speaking of upgrades- the amount of accessories available for LS Swap Engines is crazy. The aftermarket support has become quite impressive, accessories seem to be as available as the blocks themselves! We know this because since the early days of hot-rodding; from Small Block Chevy to Ford Mustang, aftermarket parts are as available as the LS Engine Blocks themselves!
The cons of an LS Swap come in the more technical aspect-obviously no engine type is completely perfect. The Engine does have a range of disadvantages, and a few issues in regards to engineering and the oiling set up.
The oiling set up has some issues in regards to consumption – some LS variants have bad piston ring seals, which cause increasing blow by the engine. Also, the stock oil pump can get cavitation within, due the LS engine’s limited rev abilities. Production versions of the LS Engine usually doesn’t run into these issues however, and a simple OEM upgrade usually takes care of this issue.
Cons regarding engineering: the skirted design DOES STRENGTHEN the block, but windage issues often occur. The Drivetrain, when it comes to the packaging of LS motors, is a highlight! But this smaller valve train does limit the RPM range of the motor.
So there you have it. LS Engine Swap: Overall it’s a pretty good option if a more compact, efficient swap is what you’re newest garage project is looking for! And definitely a “Lego block” for accessories, as the aftermarket has CLEARLY supported its rise to fame in the hotrod industry, now having about as many accessories as there are blocks to install. At Billet Kings, we offer quiet a variety of LS accessories, front-end drive kits, all-inclusive drive systems, pulleys, brackets, and everything in between! Feel free to check it out for yourself at www.billetkings.com for your next upgrade on your LS Swap’s next upgrade.