Hey i have a 2000 camaro ss im swapping my torn up LS1 out for an LS6. I have the engine price and everything and am getting ready to order but i have recently run into a problem. Im having it installed professionally so nothing goes wrong so i called one place and they said about 1200$. That sounds reasonable for the work and all that. I called the dealership after that and the guy told me you would have to drop the subframe for this to happen and he said about 4000$ and 35 hours of labor for this swap. These are extremely different quotes and are worrying me. Im not sure if the dealership is not just trying to take me, or if the other place doesnt really know all the procedure. Please help, any advice is great.

P.S. if anyone knows of a good place to have this done on the eastbay area please let me know. If you have had good experience with them and they know what they are doing.

Thanks for the help

 

One guy is charging $34 and hour and the stealership is charging $114.
And yes a lot of people take them out through the bottom.

For $34/hr I'll do a simple direct engine swap for you.
Ironic how my degree doesn't pay me this much an hour but something I do for a hobby and consider fun does.

 

I've always heard that in order to remove the engine from 4th gens you need to drop the entire front end of the car. Good news is its all connected so that if you remove 6 bolts it drops down.

Also, I would never pay someone $4000 to swap an engine for me. Even $1200 is a lot more than I would ever pay someone to do a swap, but thats just me.