A real LS swap budget isn’t one number — it’s a stack of decisions. This guide breaks cost down by donor completeness, controller strategy, transmission, chassis, and labor, so you can build a figure for your build instead of copying someone else’s total from a different truck, year and region.
LS Swap Cost: How to Build a Real Budget (Not a Made-Up Number) Read Post »
Not “which LS is best” — which LS is best for your goal. Budget, towing, big naturally-aspirated power, simplest wiring, lightest weight, or a factory six-speed: each pick names the exact RPO, controller, transmission and the trap to avoid, drawn from our verified engine dataset.
Best LS Engine by Goal: Pick the Right Swap Donor for Your Chevy or GMC Truck Read Post »
The definitive Gen III vs Gen IV comparison for swapping LS-family engines into older Chevy and GMC trucks. Engine generation, electronics, crank/cam signals, controllers, throttle, VVT, AFM, heads, fuel, oil pans and transmissions — treated as separate attributes, with the transition-year exceptions that break every simple rule.
Gen III vs Gen IV LS Swap Guide: Engines, Electronics, Controllers and Compatibility Read Post »
A pre-purchase identification procedure for LS-family donor engines: find the RPO, decode the VIN, read block castings, and confirm crank reluctor, cam-sensor location, throttle type, controller, transmission and fuel system before you spend a dollar. An intake cover is not proof of what you’re buying.
