I am looking to swap my 02 camaro z28 ls1 for a 5.3 lm7 cause my ls1 had recently starting knocking and now doesn’t start, I had found one on eBay that was pulled from a 2006 awd express van does it matter it’s awd? will my 4l60e transmission still fit?

 

Yes, your trans will work fine.

 

If the engine is newer than 04 it won't work. After 04 GM changed the crank electronics. Look it up.

 

The electronics change was from gen3 to gen4. The first gen4 motors started to show up in '05 (in the LS2, which was found in Corvette, GTO, and CTS-V -- but those early gen4s weren't fully gen4 just yet), but GM continued using gen3 motors in some models.

Despite coming from an '06, the LM7 is a gen3 motor, and you should have no issues.

The easiest way to be sure that the engine is what you think it is is to pop off the timing cover and have a look at the cam sprocket.

If it has a bunch of holes in it, you're golden. Perfect match for the LS1's electronics. I guarantee that a '99 LM7 would have had this config, but I'm not completely sure about a 2006.

If it has no holes, but there is one raised section around the outside edge (just inside the gear teeth, visible without removing the timing set from the engine), then you have a gen4-style cam sensor, mounted to the timing cover (whereas the LS1's cam sensor is at the back, measuring from a reluctor built into the tail of the camshaft). This is what you'd find on a 2005 LS2, as well as a handful of other engines in the mid-2000s. I don't know if LM7s were ever made in this config, and I doubt it -- I'm not aware of a case where GM has made a change like that without a corresponding difference in the RPO code.

Later gen4 engines kept the cam sensor in the front like that, but changed from that one raised section to four. Less obviously, they changed the crankshaft reluctor wheel from a 24-tooth design found in gen3 engines to a 58-tooth design. This 58-tooth wheel, combined with the 4-bump cam sprocket, is known as "58x", vs "24x". The "crank electronics" mentioned above are simply the reluctor wheel. The sensor itself is compatible.

Your LS1 PCM can handle either 24x design. Racetronix sells an extension harness to extend the cam sensor wiring from your LS1 harness to your new sensor on the front cover.

Reluctor wheels of either tooth count cost about $20 and can be pressed off and on, but of course it requires a full teardown of the engine to remove the crankshaft. In fact, I'm in the process of installing an LS3 (from 2013, decidedly gen4) in my 2002 Z28. I had the reluctor wheel swapped and am using an LS2-style cam sprocket with the Racetronix adapter. There are a few other relevant changes (knock sensors, injector connectors, etc), but I don't think any of them will apply to you.

 

As was said, the trans will work fine, bolting up to the block, I *think* you might have to change the flex plate to one of the truck 'bell' types (ie: the flex plate is not flat, but rather, has a slight bowl effect in its center where the crank flange is inset a bit from the outer ring gear) Like I said, I'm not sure if the stock LS1 camaros didn't already have this type of flexplate. I converted from a 96 LT1 to a 2003 5.3 back in 2014 and I *had* to have this flex plate change if for no other reason because the cranks are different between the two engines.

To make sure your harness, computer, etc is compatible, see if the cam sensor is at the back of the new engine or the front of the timing cover. If the new engine has the cam sensor behind the intake(ie: 24 tooth reluctor), you're golden. If the sensor is attached to the front timing cover (58 tooth reluctor), then you'll have to change your harness and tune. .

 

As I explained above, in detail, it’s more complicated than this. There are 24x engines with cam sensors on the front cover. The easiest, most reliable indicator is the cam gear.