LS1/LS2 Bell Housing Differences!

[SamHatco]

Last week when I installed my engine for the final time (hopefully), I mated the T-56 I purchased that was out of an 05 GTO. Everything bolted up perfectly just as it did in mock up, but this time I tried to install the starter. That was a no go, wouldn't fit! What the h#@$! So I went to my local parts house and looked up the numbers on the starter to see if I missed something. The starter came off the engine before I had it rebuilt. Come to find out that the 05 LS2 engines in the GTO use a mitsubishi starter and not the GM Delco starter. Luckily I had the original LS1 bell housing and switched it out. Everything is the same except the starter "bulge" on the housings. Thought I would pass this along. Here are the pictures of the differences. Make sure when your buying T-56s that you get the right housing for the right block.

LS1 Bell Housing



LS2 Bell Housing



Hope this helps.

Sam

[zman1969]

good info Sam, I woulda never thunk this - live and learn I had some thing similar - my sons 72 Chevelle we replaced the old SB with a early 90, SB that changed to a 1 pc seal - then had hell getting a starter to fit the smaller flywheel cause of the bellhousing- ended up with a LT1 starter as it has no nose cone and the chevelle has the larger 621 bellhousing, sometimes we get too used to how interchangeable the parts are! one thing I like about the new starters is they are so light! remember having to support the old one while trying to start the bolts- oh yeah you remember, Im just getting older

[parsonsj]

Agreed: good info. I didn't know that either.

jp

[TnBlkC230WZ]

Would the LS2 starter still bolted up?

[130fe]

I read over at LS1tech, that you have to use the starter/bellhousing that it came from. No mixing of GTO and F-body stuff like that.

[SamHatco]

I read over at LS1tech, that you have to use the starter/bellhousing that it came from. No mixing of GTO and F-body stuff like that.

Well, the LS1 and the LS2 bell housings are exactly the same in appearance. The bolt pattern to mate the engine to the bell housing is exactly the same as with the bolt pattern for the transmission to the bell housing. I could have purchased the mitsubishi starter, but that would set me back about $250.00. I had the LS1 housing and starter so I couldn't justify that expense. When I swapped the bell housings everything bolted up perfectly.

Sam

[TnBlkC230WZ]

I guess we can blame it on the Aussies sourcing local Mitsu starters.