Builds 1994 FZJ80 5.3l and 4L60e swap

[rockrod]

it's a little high still - need to bring it down so the hood will close:

It's not permanent yet - I need to center it up and then fit the motor mounts and weld in the frame brackets.

slow going....

 

[flow]

maybe I missed it before but what oil pan are you using? also, do you have to use block hugger headers or will the stock ones work with the custom mounts?

 

[rockrod]

I am using an LS1 camaro oil pan - the truck pans hang too low for this swap. exhaust is being handled by off the shelf LS3 manifolds.

 

[alia176]

Rockrod,

I was looking for some closeup shots of the 8274 in your ARB but didn't see any. Do you have any links? Can you email them to me pls? alia176 at yahoo

Now back to you regularly scheduled program......

 

[sl33p3]

Yes - this is the plan. The t-case stays in it's stock location so in theory, no DS changes should be needed (except the trans pan clearance issue will have to be addressed at some point). The engine will go where it goes.

hi rockrod, great swap thread so far, lots of great info, thanks for taking the time. i'm gearing up to start buying parts for an atlas swap using this a 4l60e into my '93... what is your plan for the pan problem? i know the 4wd version of the 4l60e has a narrower pan, but then marks adapter doesn't work (tailhousing, shaft etc)... what is your plan for the DS interference? t-pan modification?

good luck and rock on!

 

[rockrod]

Rockrod,

I was looking for some closeup shots of the 8274 in your ARB but didn't see any. Do you have any links? Can you email them to me pls? alia176 at yahoo

Now back to you regularly scheduled program......

sorry I don't really have any good shots. I will get some later - I can't get a good one now because the bumper is buried under a bunch of other parts at the moment.

 

[rockrod]

here's a few of the radiator and lincoln FWD dual electric fans to demonstrate front pulley clearance.

I think I am good with clearance.

 

[warpdriv]

Look'n good man!!!! Now that it is in, climb up under there and look at the clearance for the front DS relative to the bell housing.

 

[dodoc80]

I ordered the kit from Advanced Adapters back in early Nov. The purchasing manager told me I had missed the stocking order from Marks by just a few days, so I could either wait for the next one, or have Marks ship me the adapter directly for an additional charge. The charge would have been about $250, so I opted to wait it out. I think the holidays played a role in delaying things because the adapter sat at the port of LA over Christmas and New Years.

I must say it is funny but this is nearly the exact story I was told when I placed my adapter order in Nov 2011, we must have had our parts come in on the same shipment from Mark's. Talk about a teaser - "your parts are sitting on the dock in California, but you can't have them until after New Years 2012 because we are all closed for Christmas holiday." I can't blame anyone, but I was a very long wait for me.

I have a question as I get ready to start my transmission installation. What are your plans for connecting the Shifter mechanism?

I have seen on the other Documented V8 and 4l60e buildups where they used a shift lever from a 91-92 FJ 80 model, but for some reason both Kirk (V8 swap project begins! Again with LS2) and Warpdriv (Another Texas LS1 swap) took the lever mechanism apart to swap it to the left side instead of its original drop on the right of the transmission, and cut a large hole in the transmission tunnel in order fit it down. There are minimal explanations of why that method was preferred, so maybe if either of them reads this they can shed some light on the matter.

Have you tackled that issue yet? Any suggestions or thoughts would be great. I have thought that I would leave the shift lever on the right side and use a flexible cable much like GM uses, instead of trying to adapt a ridgid rod like the original Toyota used.

Your project looks great, keep up the good work. Good luck.

 

[alia176]

here's a few of the radiator and lincoln FWD dual electric fans to demonstrate front pulley clearance.

I think I am good with clearance.

Dumb question alert: you went with the electric fans because the mechanical fan would not end in the center of the Toyota radiator fan shroud or is this a preference thing?

 

[rockrod]

GM started using electric fans to cool their motors in trucks around 2005. This donor motor is from one of these trucks so it didn't have a fan on it. It can have one added since the water pump shaft is already threaded for the fan clutch. I would just have to buy a fan and fan clutch for an earlier GM truck and screw it on.

I am going to give it a shot with the electric fans. The 80 series radiator is huge and it should have more than enough capacity to cool this motor. As long as I can keep sufficient airflow through it, it should work. If not, then I will install the mechanical fan.

 

[RockJock82]

I must say it is funny but this is nearly the exact story I was told when I placed my adapter order in Nov 2011, we must have had our parts come in on the same shipment from Mark's. Talk about a teaser - "your parts are sitting on the dock in California, but you can't have them until after New Years 2012 because we are all closed for Christmas holiday." I can't blame anyone, but I was a very long wait for me.

I have a question as I get ready to start my transmission installation. What are your plans for connecting the Shifter mechanism?

I have seen on the other Documented V8 and 4l60e buildups where they used a shift lever from a 91-92 FJ 80 model, but for some reason both Kirk (V8 swap project begins! Again with LS2) and Warpdriv (Another Texas LS1 swap) took the lever mechanism apart to swap it to the left side instead of its original drop on the right of the transmission, and cut a large hole in the transmission tunnel in order fit it down. There are minimal explanations of why that method was preferred, so maybe if either of them reads this they can shed some light on the matter.

Have you tackled that issue yet? Any suggestions or thoughts would be great. I have thought that I would leave the shift lever on the right side and use a flexible cable much like GM uses, instead of trying to adapt a ridgid rod like the original Toyota used.

Your project looks great, keep up the good work. Good luck.

X2 on what your going to use for a shifter. I am looking at fabbing up a mount that hooks up to the stock shifter utilizing a shift cable out of an Escalade or F-body car. That way I dont have to cut up the floor or anything. I believe there is another guy on MUD that used a B&M shift cable on his.

 

[rockrod]

Got the motor mounted and everything welded in. What a pain that was...

As you can see, the front drive shaft is hitting the trans pan, and this is just sitting static. I don't have the winch bumper mounted up so it's only going to get worse. Primary solution is to clearance the pan.

My pretty LS3 exhaust manifolds are not going to work. They are too wide for the frame. I will get a set of center dump block huggers instead because they are known to work. I think Kirk or Wayne has the part number.

All in all, I am glad it's in place. Now I can move on to the bolt on stuff.

 

[rockrod]

I must say it is funny but this is nearly the exact story I was told when I placed my adapter order in Nov 2011, we must have had our parts come in on the same shipment from Mark's. Talk about a teaser - "your parts are sitting on the dock in California, but you can't have them until after New Years 2012 because we are all closed for Christmas holiday." I can't blame anyone, but I was a very long wait for me.

I have a question as I get ready to start my transmission installation. What are your plans for connecting the Shifter mechanism?

I have seen on the other Documented V8 and 4l60e buildups where they used a shift lever from a 91-92 FJ 80 model, but for some reason both Kirk (V8 swap project begins! Again with LS2) and Warpdriv (Another Texas LS1 swap) took the lever mechanism apart to swap it to the left side instead of its original drop on the right of the transmission, and cut a large hole in the transmission tunnel in order fit it down. There are minimal explanations of why that method was preferred, so maybe if either of them reads this they can shed some light on the matter.

Have you tackled that issue yet? Any suggestions or thoughts would be great. I have thought that I would leave the shift lever on the right side and use a flexible cable much like GM uses, instead of trying to adapt a ridgid rod like the original Toyota used.

Your project looks great, keep up the good work. Good luck.

sorry I didn't see this earlier..
The wait sucked. It's funny the purchasing manager told me he had a few of these adapters in the shipment. Maybe they should start stocking them after the get Marks to fix the t-case shifter mount (move it over 2 inches) and maybe figure out a solution for the driveshaft. If they made the adapter longer, the shaft would probably clear. There's room to push the motor forward with an electric fan which would make some room.

I bought a 1991 shifter and will do what Kirk did. I am going to use a Trailblazer shifter cable and fab up the link mount for the 91 shifter. I don't know if it's really need to swap the lever over but I will see once I get to that point.

 

[rockrod]

X2 on what your going to use for a shifter. I am looking at fabbing up a mount that hooks up to the stock shifter utilizing a shift cable out of an Escalade or F-body car. That way I dont have to cut up the floor or anything. I believe there is another guy on MUD that used a B&M shift cable on his.

I would not use anything made by B&M. They are junk. Art Carr makes a great gate style shifter if you want something with the race look.

I also saw a trailblazer SS shifter tower on ebay and *almost* bid on it. Alas, I decided to stay with the stock look and go with the 91 shifter. This truck has to be idiot proof because other family members drive it.

 

[toywilly]

GM started using electric fans to cool their motors in trucks around 2005. This donor motor is from one of these trucks so it didn't have a fan on it. It can have one added since the water pump shaft is already threaded for the fan clutch. I would just have to buy a fan and fan clutch for an earlier GM truck and screw it on.

I am going to give it a shot with the electric fans. The 80 series radiator is huge and it should have more than enough capacity to cool this motor. As long as I can keep sufficient airflow through it, it should work. If not, then I will install the mechanical fan.

FWIW I was running a stock 91 radiator until it sprang a leak and I bought an aluminum replacement. The stock rad had no problems keeping the motor cool with a single electric fan. If I recall correctly my truck runs at about 182 F on the highway according to obdII reading.

 

[alia176]

On the fourth pic, it appears as though you're missing some teeth on the flex plate!

 

[warpdriv]

Here are the ones I'm using, Hooker Headers 2312HKR - Hooker Super Competition Block Hugger Headers - Overview - SummitRacing.com Same as Kirk just black. While your up under there start think about how your going to route your exhaust with the cats. It gets tight quick. I had a 2" drive shaft built but I have not put it on and test flexed it yet.

 

[rockrod]

On the fourth pic, it appears as though you're missing some teeth on the flex plate!

it does!

they are fine, just dirty.

 

[rockrod]

FWIW I was running a stock 91 radiator until it sprang a leak and I bought an aluminum replacement. The stock rad had no problems keeping the motor cool with a single electric fan. If I recall correctly my truck runs at about 182 F on the highway according to obdII reading.

thanks! good to know. I think with the dual fans air flow won't be problem.