LS2 68 Camaro newbie needs help!

[Chris 68]

Hey I'm new to the site and building cars all together. I have a 68 camaro i recently bought and starting to put new parts on but have a few questions: 1) about to pull the trigger on an Ls2 with a t-56 out of a wrecked GTO and need to know what else i need for the install? I've looked at all the other threads pertaining to this set up and am getting the cross member and clutch kit from ATS and prob the motor mounts too. The thing i'm most worried about is the A/C compressor. I don't want to notch the frame, i've heard S&P has a braket i can use? Also what should i do about the programing on the engine? I haven't had much luck finding a place and I don't want to drop a grand buying a new harness/computer.

[derekf]

Okay, what I know for sure (I don't have a Camaro but I do have an LSx swap):

You'll want the clutch hydraulics unless you're making other plans on running the clutch. Not sure if ATS sells it all separately, but when I asked GM they said you cannot buy the clutch hyd line by itself, so you'll likely want that at least.

You'll want the engine harness (no surprise there).

Depending on what you're doing you may want the exhaust manifolds.

You may want the driveshaft yoke.

Radiator could save you some money if you're not buying a custom one.

Engine programming can be sent off to someone, or you can get the software and do it yourself.

[Chris442]

First, let me qualify what I'm going to say with this:

I have an LS2 GTO as my DD, and I've built an LS7 '68 Camaro. The Camaro doesn't have a stock subframe, so I don't really know anything about that aspect of the build. I also haven't done the swap with GTO stuff, so some things could be a bit different between the F body and GTO stuff that I don't know about.

Get as much stuff as they'll give you, first. The worst that can happen is that you toss it in the end.

To add a bit to what Derek said, there are some things are different between GTOs and other cars. The clutch hydraulics are one of those things. If you take a look at this link (http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273642&highlight=clutch+slave), you can see how the GTO slave cylinder differs from the F-body piece. The remote bleeder they add is also a good idea. I just got one for my goat and it was only $15--money well spent IMO. On the '68 I did, we used all F-body stuff, and it's likely this is what you'll want to do. The ATS bracket is made to use the F-body master, and it is different from the GTO part. The F-body piece is easier to deal with, since it has a stainless braided line that comes with it. Plug it in to the quick disconnect on the slave and the system is done. I'm not saying it wouldn't be possible to use the GTO stuff, but it'd definitely be more difficult.

In addition to the engine harness you'll probably want to get the gas pedal if you plan on keeping the electronic throttle. I used a C6 Vette pedal on my car and I know it's a great fit, all the way down to the stock bright trim for the pedals. That's another option, too. IDK how well the GTO piece would work, but it can't hurt to have it.

The GTO manifolds likely won't work in a 1st gen. I tried it just to see since I have them laying around, since the GTO has longtubes on it. Again, I don't have stock frame. You'll want the O2 sensors that are in the manifolds, though, so probably a good idea to get them, too.

The driveshaft yoke is of no use to you, since it bolts to a rubber donut in the stock GTO setup. You'll need one that has a u-joint. It does, however make a great plug to keep the fluid from leaking out of a full tranny while putting it in the car. :idea:

The radiator has to be wider than the 1st gen one, but I haven't measured. The fans are also likely to big for the same reason, but if they fit, I'm sure they'd work great. The GTO rad is also prone to leak where the plastic tanks are attached to the core. One nice thing is that it actually has a cap on it instead of a surge tank, at least as far as a swap is concerned.

The harness is something you'll have to deal with, as most of it is simply unnecessary for your car. The programming issue is also, something I'm not sure how to answer other than saying that I do my own. The initial cost of getting something like HPTuners is probably more than a tune from someone else would cost you, but being able to make changes whenever you need to is nice. How much you modify the engine also has a lot to do with how much and how difficult what you need to do with the program.

I don't know much about your A/C questions, either. On our '68 we used a Sanden compressor in the stock location using brackets from Vintage Air that bolt to the stock bracket. The GTO piece is almost the same as one from an F-body, so the kit for F-body is the one to get. However, I highly doubt this is an option without notching the frame.

Anything else you need, I'd be happy to help.

Chris

[Chris 68]

Well I ordered all the basics to get the engine in (oil pan, mounts etc) and so far I got the S&P adaptor plates on but I’m having trouble with the cross member. Idk if I’m just being stupid but it seems as though I’m missing parts for it because I cannot figure out how to bolt this thing in. I was told this was completely bolt on, am I mistaken? I have a stock sub frame and the cross member (from S&P) is for a t-56. All the kit came with was 6 bolts, and the mount to put under the transmission, am I supposed to drill holes in the frame for this thing?

[Jon69RagTop]

but you have motor mounts bolted to those plates right? You can use the same SBC mounts if thats what you pulled out of the car.

[Chris 68]

yeah i had to buy new mounts since the old ones were shot, but i gave a call to S&P and found out i have to drill some holes in the subframe to put in the new cross member