350 tp 5.3 swap??

[rackchaser71]

hey guys and girls, well my 350 tbi motor went pow the other day, crank bearing went out i believe, either way its knocking so im going to sell it and buy a new one, its a 94 2500, ive always wanted to put one of the new 5.3 motors in it, i had one in a 2000 and loved it, i want it because of the gas mileage and it stil makes good power, but my q is wil it go in my truck??? i know i would have to change the computer but what about the trans??? will one of the newer like 2000 and up 5.3 engines fit to my trans??i think its a 4l60e, please help

[retired2001]

I'm no expert, but if it were me I'd try to get engine and tranny together when you switch. That way you can sell your existing tranny. There are so many electronics in the tranny now that I don't know if the '94 and newer ones are the same. Good luck!

[vncj96]

yeah i would agree, it may be the same tranny but software and computer settings are gonna be way different from 94 to 2000, but you have a 2500 so a 5.3 wont really work for you as you have a 4l80 transmission and only the 6.0 came with the heavy duty tranny

[2ToNe04]

Engine, trans, engine and cab harness, computer, fuel pump

and go with a 6.0

there some guy that did v6 4.3 swap for a 350 it was like an 04 silverado.

[bill190]

Let's see... How do I explain this?

Let's talk about houses. In the old days, you could easily swap a kitchen from one house to another. The kitchen was a separate building. Just move the kitchen building from one house to another and you have a working kitchen.

But imagine swapping a modern kitchen from a 2 story house to a 1 story house. Saw off the kitchen portion of the house and the upstairs portion would need to come along with it. Then remove the 1 story kitchen from the other house and attach the new kitchen along with the 2nd story.

None of the electrical wiring connections would match. None of the plumbing would match. And the 2nd story would need to be dealt with. Close it off or add stairs. And what to do with the electrical wiring for the upstairs? That would have no connection from the 1 story house!

And this is how it is with swapping engines. It used to be you could swap engines as they were a separate thing.

These days the computer runs the engine. So that needs to come along with the engine. And with more modern vehicles, there is another computer for the transmission. And the engine, transmission, engine computer, and transmission computer are closely tied together. They work together as one system.

And these tie into EVERYTHING else on the vehicle! ABS, Instrument cluster, A/C, stereo, onstar, cruise control, air bags, etc.

Then older vehicles have what is called a class 2 computer network. Newer vehicles might have 3 computer networks and 24 computer modules. Newer computer networks are called GMLAN and there is a high speed and low speed GMLAN.

Then there might be a "gateway" computer which connects various computer networks together. This could be the instrument cluster or the body control module computer.

Then there are "terminating resistors" at the ends of some computer networks. This could be in an electronic door module at one end and the A/C computer module at the other end. Basically the computer network will not work without these terminating resistors.

Then computer networks need special wiring. Either twisted pair wiring or shielded or both.

So basically you would need to FULLY understand the electronics and electrical wiring in both vehicles before making such a switch. Then be able to connect everything together so it would work.

Anyway you get into a situation where you need the engine, then you need engine computer, then you need the transmission, then the transmission computer, then the body control module, then the passenger door module, then the interior wiring harness, etc. It would never end!

Also older vehicles might have one oxygen sensor. New vehicles might have two or four "heated" oxygen sensors in the exhaust. Heated takes more wires to work, so transfer the harnesses. And then transfer the exhaust so you would have the openings to install the oxygen sensors.

Then older vehicles might have lower fuel pressure, newer might require a higher fuel pressure. That would be the fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator.

And older vehicles use an ALDL diagnostic connector and are OBD I, Newer use a sort of D shaped connector and are OBD II. I would imagine that connector alone would be a can of worms as to where all those wires go from the diagnostic connector!

[vncj96]

Like I said, you have a 3/4 ton (2500) so you have the bigger tranny so depending on size the 4l60 may not fit without a driveshaft swap, but this guy swapped a 350 in his truck but this is a 1/2 ton truck (1500)

http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14576