GM Atlas inline engine swaps?

[enfield]

The only swaps I've seen are in 80s, by two tonic. He seems too be awol these days.
He spoke very highly of these inline 5 and 6cyl motors. They also have a cult following in certain parts. They are cheap and easy to come by, as they aren't as sought after as the V8s and diesels.
Another plus is the size and weight savings, compared to both the stock F series and V8 engines.

Has anyone here done this, or know of a 60 with an atlas engine?

 

[enfield]

Bump

 

[Elbert]

only thing I've ever noticed here is over in the 80 section where a guy did one or two swaps with that engine. Seems like a V8 would be a better choice for various reasons.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I went on a trip to Canyonlands with a guy who had done this swap. It was a decent engine and had way better power up hill than the 1FZ.

Still, the 5.3 is such a good swap, I don't really see the advantage of the Atlas. Same amount of work and wiring, for less power and fewer spare junk yard parts.

 

[enfield]

My thoughts are that it may have a few benefits over the ls swap.
1. Size. Being an online motor, it would give you more room under the hood and easier to route the exhaust.
2. Cost. Cheaper to purchase the engine/transmission due to being less desirable than a V8.
3. Fuel economy. People are claiming exceptional fuel economy with these engines. I realize people tend to exaggerate this, so I'm taking it with a grain of salt.

I've never driven, or seen an LS swapped 60. Are the points I've listed a non issue with the LS swaps?

 

[cwwfj60]

I have never seen a trailblazer that was getting very good mpg, usually 20 or less. Never liked these motors much, power is similar to a 1fz and not impressive considering the work involved. If it had a cool factor then I would see why you would want to do this but it's not....

 

[NCFJ]

@enfield Go find an 04-09 or so Tahoe, Silverado or similar with a Vortec 5.3 or 6L take it for a spin, imagine you are in your Cruiser. Then imagine it programmed to how you drive and a built trans with better shift points etc. For the 60 series it is a game changer. One customer reported 16.5 MPG around town only, not much highway driving where he is.

Think about merging on to the interstate at 70 MPH with ease. The power train has more power than the suspension can safely handle at high speed. I cruised that last swap I did at around 82 MPH at 2,300 RPM That was fast enough. I've not pushed a customer truck hard enough to do real 0-60 MPH testing but it will certainly pin you to the seat with a blip of the pedal.

 

[NCFJ]

I am sure that the Atlas in line can produce some serious power if a turbo or supercharger were part of the system. But it would take more work and money to even match what a 5.3L puts out in stock form.

 

[enfield]

Good points, that's what I was hoping to hear. It's going to be a couple of years before I plan on replacing the 2F, but I'm going to start gathering materials during that time.

 

[cwwfj60]

you should drive a inline 6 4.2l trailblazer then drive a trailblazer SS with the 5.3 and make your decision from there, good luck

 

[Elbert]

Recall what the aftermarket supports and what history there is on V8 swaps and the proven solutions in the V8 community. When you step out of that...you mostly likely will have some unknowns that don't play out very well. I would not spend any effort chasing mpg on an engine swap on a 4wd box.... if you have some good performance and reliability...you are golden....anything beyond is like icing on the cake but not worth any $$ to chase.