E36 LS1or LS2?

[Mbren1979]

I have a 93 325IS that is completely gutted and being turned into a road race car for HPDE only. I am about a week away from pulling the trigger on buying an LS/T56 combo. There is a few options that are really close to me. a few are out of 99-02 F bodies and one is out of an 04 GTO. All come complete with engine, trans, harness, computers, intake and exhaust manifolds. The GTO/LS2 setup comes more complete with pedal assemblies, coolant tank, radiator, additional BCM and security module (will be tuned out), driveshaft and several other parts. They are all about the same price and "claim " to be around 120k miles. I would assume the GTO/LS2/T56 is the better option. I spent the last hour checking the web and don't see a lot of info on which LS is the better to choose for E36 builds. I get that the LS2 has a bit more power, but i can't find the important info about fitment with frond end accessories like alternator, w/p, power steering, oil pan......

Any suggestions?

[olemiss540]

I have an LS1 based E36 and my brother a LS2 e36. Just make sure to get a good pan (mast), an accusump, and a c5r timing chain....

What swap parts are you planning? Also, I LOVE my z3mcoupe ebay knockoff radiator (the extra thick one) and e30 self bleeding coolant reservior....

PM me if u have any specific questions, been deep down this rabbit hole already.

[Mbren1979]

And so we meet in another forum.......glad to talk to you again. Showed you the photos on rennlist so you see how early in the stage i am. Dont really have a major plan put togather yet. Still trying to get the 911 ready for sebring, thats the main concern. But 2 people have some pull out combos up for sale. Both have an ls2 and several ls1......just figures it was time to pull the trigger. The guy who had the ls2 for a reasonable price is now changing his mind on the price so i may go ls1. The ls1 package looks around 4300 and the ls2 is now 6000.

[Matt330LS]

You're going to want the F-body T-56 as opposed to the GTO due to shifter location. My vote is LS1/T56 combo for less money.

[Mbren1979]

Thanks for tee valuable info! I had no idea there was a difference. This is exactly the type of info i was looking for. Any other solid tips?

[Matt330LS]

Thanks for tee valuable info! I had no idea there was a difference. This is exactly the type of info i was looking for. Any other solid tips?

The GTO shifter sits farther back than the F-body. I have the F-body version in my E46 and the shifter comes up through the trans tunnel in the right spot. I can't speak for the E36 but in the E46 I had to hammer the trans tunnel to gain clearance for the reverse light plug (passenger side of trans) as well as the location where the clutch hydraulics come out of the trans just to ensure there's enough space for routing the lines. Last, I'd have hammered the tunnel for clearance of the reverse lockout solenoid, but I didn't realize it wouldn't clear until I mounted everything up. Ended up having to drop the driveline to remove the solenoid...lesson learned. Replaced the reverse lockout with a delete part from RDE Fab.

[olemiss540]

You're going to want the F-body T-56 as opposed to the GTO due to shifter location. My vote is LS1/T56 combo for less money.

This is not true at all. Replace the shifter and shift coupler and the transmissions are exactly the same. Dont let this change your decision as I used a GTO transmission in my car.

[Matt330LS]

This is not true at all. Replace the shifter and shift coupler and the transmissions are exactly the same. Dont let this change your decision as I used a GTO transmission in my car.

It's completely true if he wants a drop-in-and-go setup. Yes, you can replace the parts as you described since the transmissions are the same cases, but it's an extra step (and possibly expense if a budget is involved). Also, the F-Body and GTO T-56s had different gearing so that's a consideration depending on the rear end gearing.

[Mbren1979]

Well, at first it was a toss up between the two. But in the end both sellers turned out to be liars. The 80k GTO motor turned out to have 126k after a little research and the other motor was claimed to be a newer 02 z28 engine but yet the pics showed an engine with early 98 or 99 heads with perimeter bolt valve covers.

In the end i purchased a pull out from a 2001 trans am with 46k miles on it. The seller, salvage yard, showed me videos before removal, vin and pics after removal. All his info matched up so i paid 6k and should have it late next week.

From the research i did i think i would have prefered the GTO T56 as i understand it has upgrades that the earlier F-bodies were lacking. But with the lower mileage i assume it should hold up for quite a while. everyone has their own opinions but from the pics of the car (convertible) with how clean and unmolested it was, i am going to assume it was something that was cared for and was a weekend toy for an old guy (or gal) to drop the top and enjoy.

[Mbren1979]

I also thought about the gearing in the trans but then also thought it was a moot point for now as my rear diff is all original with 170k on it. I wouldn't know how to find out what it is, but if i put it on a lift and spin one tire the other spins the same direction. Not that that tells us much. A BMW tech came by the house to but the OE motor. We talked about it and he said a base model 325is auto car should have the crap rear end. He suggested i pull one from an M3. But since it was on a lift he took a peak at it and thought i may have a car with the better rear end in it. Either way it will have to come out and be rebuilt and we can decided gearing at that time. For someone who knows nothing about BMW diffs. how can i tell if what i have is worth a damn or if i should get a different diff?

[olemiss540]

I honestly couldn't tell you on the diff. If you find it is a factory LSD, feel free to run it initial while you get the car shaken down and upgrade to a built diff later. It is an easy swap so not a big deal to put off until later.

You can check the ratio by spinning the input shaft and counting rotations of the output.

- - - Updated - - -

It's completely true if he wants a drop-in-and-go setup. Yes, you can replace the parts as you described since the transmissions are the same cases, but it's an extra step (and possibly expense if a budget is involved). Also, the F-Body and GTO T-56s had different gearing so that's a consideration depending on the rear end gearing.

With how horrible factory shifters are on these trannys, I would think a shift kit is being installed no matter what, so you are just buying a $35 shift coupler and swapping it out which adds 5 minutes.

Didnt realize the gearing was different.

[Matt330LS]

With how horrible factory shifters are on these trannys, I would think a shift kit is being installed no matter what, so you are just buying a $35 shift coupler and swapping it out which adds 5 minutes.

Didnt realize the gearing was different.

Yeah, the gearing is different, the shifter location is farther back and the bell housing is different. Again, you can make the adjustments and it'll work just fine, but it's usually easier to start with something that fits right off the bat.

OP, as for the diff, I'm no help there either. I have an E46 and I swapped in the complete rear dropout from an '04 M3 to better survive my swap.

[wbrentr]

Good choice on the f-body. Although the ls2 is a better engine, everything fits a little better with the f-body ls1, specifically the oil pan.