Discovery 2 LS Conversion
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Mudding
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 207
Likes: 224
From: Fort Myers, Florida
I'm curious what others are thinking of using as engine sources? One of the things that appeals to me about the Turner is that it's a fully rebuilt engine. Does anyone know how the cost of a crate LS engine compares? I've been slowly comparing a Turner, the new Cummins R2.8 crate, and now this LS swap seems a viable option, I'm just not sure the best LS option in terms of reliability.
I use Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market to find good used engines. There are four specific models I like. Here are their approximate prices:
4.8 LR4 - <$500
5.3 LM7 - $500
5.3 LM4 - $800
5.3 L33 - $1000+
Wikipedia has a good list of the trucks they were found in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LS_bas...999–2007).
I’d avoid the flex fuel and the 6.0s and prioritize those with less than 100,000 miles. I prefer the LM4 and L33 because they are aluminum blocks and don’t weigh much more than the outgoing Rover V8. Many LS engines, with good care, will go for 300-400k. I’ve heard of some going longer. That being said, you could have a local shop rebuild a LS. Rebuild kits are common for the LS engines.
All said and done, with a used engine and reusing some parts from the Discovery, the total price for the conversion parts, engine, ECU, etc. should be around $4200 give or take some. If you wanted to rebuild the LS, it would be on top of that.
You can buy an authorized GM rebuilt engine for ~$3700-$4000. You can look at prices here: https://www.genuinegmparts.com/powertrain-parts/engines.
Overall, the Turner is about $5000 for the short block then add on machine work for the heads or new heads. The R2.8 starts at $9,000 plus adapters and everything else.
Last edited by ACEngineer; Sep 17, 2018 at 06:35 PM. Reason: Typo
Winching
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: North Alabama
Camel Trophy
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Longview, Texas
Last edited by Charlie_V; Sep 18, 2018 at 08:51 AM.
Thread Starter
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Mudding
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 207
Likes: 224
From: Fort Myers, Florida
Things are going well. I have gotten to the point that I am confident in driving it pretty much anywhere now. We tested Hill Decent Control earlier and it is functioning perfectly. We put 2” Old Man Emu medium duty lift kit on it, which really added a lot of clearance.
The air filter has been a slight issue. In the beginning we were running an aftermarket filter. Then we redid the piping to go into the factory airbox and put the factory filter back in. It would work fine for the most part, but when I’d go to floor it, it would hesitate. Went back to the other filter and it was fine. Then managed to fit an aftermarket filter in the factory airbox and it has been working fine. I’m guessing the factory filter is just too restrictive. I’m probably going to try the K&N filter that they make for the factory airbox and see how that goes.
Temps have still been good even in the summer heat with the A/C in traffic. Highest temp it has ever been was 204, most of the time it sits around 194-197. The factory radiator and fan seem to be up to the task.
The ZF 4HP24 has been good and it is shifting smoothly. Kickdown and torque converter lockup are working just like they would with the 4.6. The hoses we made for the transmission cooler have been working well. I have also been talking with some transmission experts about ways to beef the 4HP24 up to take more power, like from a 6.0 or turbo setup.
We’ve started work on my personal rig. We’re going to thoroughly document this whole process with pictures – maybe make a walkthrough video of the install. I found a low mileage engine, another LM4, for $800 that I think I am going to use for this swap. My rig is setup for overlanding and offroading, so I’ll be more willing to put it through its paces offroad and do more modifications. The prototype is too nice to take through the woods.
Right now, we’re mainly just focusing on revisions – making it easier to install and cleaning it up so that it looks more like factory. I have been focusing mainly on revising the wiring to make it simpler, which can be a tedious process. It will be worth it from an ease of install perspective. I want it to be as plug and play as possible.
Website is almost ready to go. I’m hoping it will go live this coming week. Another video in which I’ll talk through the process and explain a bit more will be coming soon. We are fully intent on selling kits at this point. I want to make sure the bugs are worked out before we move ahead. If anyone else is interested in one of the first-run kits or has individual questions, then feel free to private message me.
The air filter has been a slight issue. In the beginning we were running an aftermarket filter. Then we redid the piping to go into the factory airbox and put the factory filter back in. It would work fine for the most part, but when I’d go to floor it, it would hesitate. Went back to the other filter and it was fine. Then managed to fit an aftermarket filter in the factory airbox and it has been working fine. I’m guessing the factory filter is just too restrictive. I’m probably going to try the K&N filter that they make for the factory airbox and see how that goes.
Temps have still been good even in the summer heat with the A/C in traffic. Highest temp it has ever been was 204, most of the time it sits around 194-197. The factory radiator and fan seem to be up to the task.
The ZF 4HP24 has been good and it is shifting smoothly. Kickdown and torque converter lockup are working just like they would with the 4.6. The hoses we made for the transmission cooler have been working well. I have also been talking with some transmission experts about ways to beef the 4HP24 up to take more power, like from a 6.0 or turbo setup.
We’ve started work on my personal rig. We’re going to thoroughly document this whole process with pictures – maybe make a walkthrough video of the install. I found a low mileage engine, another LM4, for $800 that I think I am going to use for this swap. My rig is setup for overlanding and offroading, so I’ll be more willing to put it through its paces offroad and do more modifications. The prototype is too nice to take through the woods.
Right now, we’re mainly just focusing on revisions – making it easier to install and cleaning it up so that it looks more like factory. I have been focusing mainly on revising the wiring to make it simpler, which can be a tedious process. It will be worth it from an ease of install perspective. I want it to be as plug and play as possible.
Website is almost ready to go. I’m hoping it will go live this coming week. Another video in which I’ll talk through the process and explain a bit more will be coming soon. We are fully intent on selling kits at this point. I want to make sure the bugs are worked out before we move ahead. If anyone else is interested in one of the first-run kits or has individual questions, then feel free to private message me.
