Chevy ls engine

ford100ev8 · Post by **ford100ev8** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:47 pm

Thanks guys , think I am going to go for a 5.3 all alloy , it's only for a ford 100e , so would be plenty , what gearbox would be best to go with this

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 3:16 pm

Hi Stevie
that is a good price for a 5.3 . . . got to be the cheapest 260 bhp I've ever seen and so tunable.
Hi Mr 100e
as usual it is a case of application as to what box, for road use I would go 4L60 or 4L65 as they can be controlled by the LS ECU. If it is for strip use then a powerglide with a transmission break and a high stall converter is the obvious choice. If you want cheep for either application then a TH350 or 400 not as good as the other suggestions but they can be found for a few hundred quid all of the above will bolt straight up.
Best regards
Mike

ford100ev8 · Post by **ford100ev8** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:07 pm

It will be a week end toy , would like to take it to the drag strip to , want to spend about a 1000 on a gearbox , and hope to make more power with the engine as money allows ,

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:45 pm

Auto or manual though ?

And mechanical auto, electronically controlled auto ?

ford100ev8 · Post by **ford100ev8** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:27 pm

I have only ever driven a manual , would like it as a manual ,

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:37 pm

ford100ev8 wrote:I have only ever driven a manual , would like it as a manual ,

I think you'll struggle for £1k then.

If it is light duty, then you could take a gamble on a T5, you might be able to do that for under £1k.

But really, the T56 that bolts to the LS engines makes the most sense. get one in good nick and you will not break it. And it already has bellhousing etc to bolt straight up.

But I doubt you'll get one for under £1k unless you're very lucky. You could of course try the same guys that were selling the 5.3's though, as they may
have contacts.

I'd just opt for the older 2001 era Camaro box same as I am using. For some reason, they seem less prone to problems than the Monaro/GTO versions.

From a simplicity point of view...I'd just pay whatever extra you need to get a T56

ford100ev8 · Post by **ford100ev8** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:17 pm

Just looked at some prices it's looking more like 2000+ for a manual gearbox , what auto would be the best , just want it simple realy,

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:27 pm

I'm not well versed on autos, but the TH350 or TH400 are 3 or 4 speed autos, fully mechanical and should be sensibly priced.

Or one of the 4l60's that come bolted to an LS in the first place. These are controlled by the ecu, so will need relevant wiring etc.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:45 pm

Hi
the three I listed above!
the th350 or th400 both are mechanical/ hydraulic actuated 3 speed transmissions and as I said a few hundred quid (I think Perry gets them for about £200 a pop!) will get you a good one, second hand but not very. A 4l60 of low mileage would be about £600 to £1200. A powerglide is about £500 as a box for rebuild, a rebuild kit is about £350. A good rebuilt street strip powerglide with a manual valve body and trans-brake that will handle about 750 bhp is about $950 in the states you will need to import it and pay the vat, it would just be under your £1k you would need a torque converter on top of that. have a look here http://www.coanracing.com/Catalog.asp?CatClass=01TR
They also do competition th350 and 400s but they are a little more money, http://www.coanracing.com/Catalog.asp?CatClass=03TR however these boxes are common second hand so you do not need to import one.
The other place to have a look is Real steel. http://www.realsteel.co.uk/
Have a search on ebay, I just found this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4L60E-AUTO-GE ... 6rk%3D2%26
best regards
Mike

ford100ev8 · Post by **ford100ev8** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:08 pm

I found a th400 at mad dogs in USA at 1375 $ , it's a level 3 takes up to 900bhp , comes with converter , works out at £875 , how much do u guys think it would cost to get that to the uk

volospian · Post by **volospian** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:51 pm

stevieturbo wrote:
JJMclure wrote:Have a look at Lsxp.net
Good link !

Just cant help thinking their prices....well, it could still be cheaper to buy direct from the US given most are basically bare engines.

This guy's is a fair bit cheaper, and sounds like the guy Volo bought his from ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEVY-L33-V8- ... 43b774fcf3

That's the guy.

volospian · Post by **volospian** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:52 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi Stevie
that is a good price for a 5.3 . . . got to be the cheapest 260 bhp I've ever seen and so tunable.

The L33 is rated at 310hp.

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:53 pm

ford100ev8 wrote:I found a th400 at mad dogs in USA at 1375 $ , it's a level 3 takes up to 900bhp , comes with converter , works out at £875 , how much do u guys think it would cost to get that to the uk

Postage will be the deciding factor.

But in general after taxes and shipping, if you work it out $$ for ££ then it wont be far off.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:32 pm

Hi
The shipping on my 'glide and torque converter from Coans was $495, about 18 months ago, he th400 is a bit heavier but less than 50% heavier. Mad dogs will generally give you a quote for shipping that bears some resemblance to the final figure (unlike some where the credit card bill can have some surprises).
best regards
Mike

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:34 pm

Give Andy Frost at Penn Autos a shout, he's an Auto specialist in the UK, and has a tendency to go fast.