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OK, let's cut the BS. Over the years I have only seen a handful of Chevrolet V8 engines successfully swapped into an S-chassis. I have seen even fewer people who can offer credible info on this swap.

I want this thread to be about informing and educating people who want to do this swap. It's a very long and hard road. Ask anybody who has ever completed one.

I have seen way too many V8 swaps fall by the side due to unrealistic expectations, lack of budget, lack of skills, lack of know-how, etc.

You should jump in with eyes wide open so you know what to expect.

Having said that, I'm now on my 5th season with my Chevrolet V8 swap. Please feel free to ask any question. If you have useful info please feel free to contribute as well.

Please keep non-constructive comments out of this Tech thread. You can PM me with your criticism.
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Step 1: picking the engine

The very first thing you will want to decide is which engine families you will want to use.

Now keep in mind that when I say engine families, I am talking about exterior dimensions. Each engine family has slightly different exterior dimensions and mounting options.

Internally, any engine can be built to any specs. Don't limit yourself to what you think is possible. An engine from any family can be built to any specs: aluminium block and heads, 10,000 RPM rev limit, high boost/low compression, or anything you can think of. All these things are possible. The exterior dimensions is really just a mold and they can build the block to whatever specs you want.

Keep in mind though that the difference between the engine families (other than dimensions) is price. You can build an LT-series to the same spec as a stock LS7, but you'll likely spend more trying to build up the LT-series.

I'll talk about some of the popular swaps.

Big block: Big Block Engines | 454 Engine | 502 Engine | 572 Engine

I can tell you from personal experience that the big block is too wide to fit between the frame rails of a stock 240. Only consider this swap if you're willing to tub out your front end. I won't comment any more on this swap.

Small block - Generation 0/I/II, sometimes referred to as "small block" per se
Small-Block Engine - Crate Engine | GM Performance Parts

I lump all of these together due to their similar external dimensions.

This is a very good budget build. Externally they're a little larger than the newer GenIII/IV engines, but you can pick up parts very cheaply.

FYI, in the US (and probably the entire world), this is the most commonly built passenger car and light truck engine. So chances are you can find used and replacement parts very easily.

Most of the Gen0/I run on carbs, but there is ample aftermarket support for FI conversion kits. You can also build aluminium blocks and heads, high/low compression bottom ends, high rev top ends, etc.

The problem with this swap is that there too MUCH aftermarket support. You can find dozens if not hundreds of manufacturers for any part you need.

This is the engine I chose due to cost and availability of parts.

The only comment I have is that you may want to avoid the GenII/LT-series engines. These tend to have a lot of problems and don't perform quite as well as the other Gen0/I engines for the same budget.

Even if I can get a free LT1 I wouldn't even do it, but do your own research. There is a lot of literature on the LT-series engine.

Small block - Generation III/IV V8, "LS-series", "LS", or colloquially "LSX"
http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/Pa...l.jsp?engine=0

This engine family is a little slimmer than the Gen0/I/II, and is considered to be a little bit more modern than the old Gen0/I/II design.

This is also a fairly popular engine in terms of production, but keep in mind that FI parts tend to run a little more expensive than carbureted parts. You can convert any LS-series back to carb if you want. There is plenty of aftermarket support for either application.

My only problem with this is price and availability. Since these engines came in newer cars, you can't find as many GenIII/IV in junkyards as older engines. Also since they are modern and have more parts, they tend to be a little pricier if you do find them.

This is a good choice if you want good power in stock trim. Lightly modded they make a lot of power, if you don't mind paying a little more.