Hot Rod Garage Season 2 Episode 18 630 Horsepower Chevy Van LS Swap!

In Hot Rod Garage season 2 episode 18, titled "630 Horsepower Chevy Van LS Swap!", the team takes on the challenge of swapping out the engine in a 1989 Chevy van with a more powerful LS V8 engine. The van's original engine was a sluggish 4.3-liter V6 that produced only 160 horsepower, so the team is eager to see what they can do with the new LS engine.

The episode opens with Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa discussing their plan for the van. They explain that this engine swap is not going to be easy, as they need to modify the engine bay and transmission tunnel to make the new engine fit. The team also needs to install a new fuel system, exhaust system, and cooling system to support the much more powerful LS engine.

The next scene shows the van being stripped down to prepare for the engine swap. The team removes the old V6 engine and begins to measure the engine bay to determine the modifications that will be necessary. They make several cuts and weld in new pieces of sheet metal to widen the engine bay and accommodate the larger LS engine.

With the engine bay modified, the team moves on to installing the new LS engine. They explain the differences between the LS and the original V6 engine, including the location of the engine mounts and the wiring harness. The team also installs new headers and a custom exhaust system to support the LS engine's enhanced performance.

Once the engine is installed, the team moves on to the fuel system. They install a new fuel pump and fuel lines to accommodate the higher fuel demands of the LS engine. They also install a new ignition system and ECM to control the engine's operation.

The episode also includes a segment on the cooling system, as the LS engine requires a larger radiator and fans to keep it from overheating. The team installs a custom aluminum radiator and two electric fans to ensure that the engine stays cool under heavy load.

Finally, the team performs a dyno test to see how much power the new engine is producing. They are thrilled to see that the LS engine is putting out an impressive 630 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, a significant improvement over the original V6 engine. The team takes the van for a test drive and note that it feels much more powerful and responsive than before.

Overall, "630 Horsepower Chevy Van LS Swap!" is an exciting episode of Hot Rod Garage that showcases the team's expertise in engine building and modification. Viewers will enjoy watching the team take on this challenging project and transform the sluggish Chevy van into a high-performance machine.