45swb project - 2short

[Gumby]

For the archives and for my notes..

Vortec 6.0L engines snap the exhaust manifold bolts off. They can be gotten out many times with some heat and welding a nut on, but there is room to drill and helicoil them.

ARP makes stainless studs for them (8x1.25x2") but they run about $120 for the 12 bolts needed.

GM has upgraded the part twice (even though they say there isn't a problem) Reports say the latest bolts are holding up. GM part number 11518860 is less than $1.50 each.

my engine was cheap because it was breaking bolts and the owner didn't want to pay to have the heads pulled.

Three bolts that broke in the shop came out with heat. Two of the four that broke got drilled and helicoiled today.

Hooker makes some sexy manifolds for only $300. Dorman makes replacement manifolds for about $200. The stockers will do for now, but I might have to get the Hookers. Everybody loves hookers.

 

[Gumby]

Old tree fitty out.

six leaker ready to go in.

new fenders and w/s frame showed up a few minutes ago.

They look pretty good. Classic Cruisers' reconditioned fenders. basically look like solid fenders blasted and primered. They'll need some high build and blocking, but they look solid. I think it was the better way to go over the re-pops for about $20 more.

 

[Gumby]

out with the old and in with the new.

 

[Gumby]

For Skillitosis.

 

[Gumby]

I started to attack the wiring harness today. I had it all spread out on a bench and a sheaf of wiring diagrams. I started to cut away the wire wrap and attempted to start IDing plugs.

It was not the right was to do it, despite what I saw on the interwebs.

I put the harness on the engine. It took about ten minutes to ID almost all of the connectors I need and a few I don't just by plugging it all in.

Now I can cut out the EGR and EVAP and AC easily and start IDing the plugs I don't know. Theres a bunch that clearly go to the trans. All I have to do is find VSS and I can get rid of the rest. should go way faster.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Will a stock ECM be happy with removal of unneeded parts? Or is a reflash gonna take care of MIL freakout?

 

[Gumby]

PCM has been sent off to be reflashed. You can't do a LS engine swap without it. The Vehicle Anti-Theft System alone would not let the engine start. They will be tweaking or deleting a dozen or more systems without any aftermarket parts. If I was going to try an add a cam or aluminum heads it would have been easier just to buy HPTuner myself.

 

[Gumby]

Got the harness all stripped, IDed and pared down today. Maybe two hours. Much easier than a 80 harness. Or maybe I just learned a few things.

needs to be re-taped and new wire wrap and I need to wire a fuse panel in, but that stuff is easy.

powerwashed the engine compartment while it was empty too. Maybe tomorrow I'll get it dropped in.

 

[Gumby]

Got the wiring harness all taped and in looms. Then I took the harness and intake back off Hooked the sling on it and dropped it in to see where it didn't fit. The manifolds aren't going to work. The bells are right above the frame rails. Worse, the oil pan is not going to clear the front drive shaft. The heads aren't set as forward from the back of the engine as the Gen II. I think I'm going to have to shift the trans forward a bit to clear the fire wall. I might be able to shift it over toward the driver's side a little to clear the drive shaft, but I won't know until I get manifolds that fit.

 

[Hogan]

I was whipping through your tread and came to post #405, and let out a gasp. My 16 year old daughter asked me what was wrong and I explained the post to her. That sucks, but it could of happened at a much worse spot.

 

[Gumby]

Could have been a lot worse. I wasn't hurt. Insurance covered it. The damage should be pretty easily repaired. And I was planning on taking the front clip off to put the 6.0L in it soon anyway.

Drove to Indiana today and picked up some C5 Vette exhaust manifolds. Looks like they will fit. It'll be close, but no more so than the 5.7 vette manifolds in the old engine. about a quarter of the price of the Hooker manifolds including the little extra I gave the guy for meeting me half way.

Ordered GM Performance Parts muscle car oil pan kit from Jegs. It's a H3/Colorado pan sold to fit best in most applications. It's shallower in the rear by a couple of inches and is cut away along the right side. It should fit the drive shaft perfectly. I went ahead and ordered the kit with the motor mount adapters. For $60 difference it was worth not fabbing my own.

 

[Gumby]

Not impressed with the TransAdapt mounts. You would think two flat pieces of metal wouldn't be that hard to get all the holes lined up.

They do place the motor well. A little forward of the old motor so the heads clear the firewall OK. I have a bit more than an inch I have to move the trans forward. I hope I have enough driveshaft splines on both ends to do that.

H3/"muscle car" oil pan fits perfect as you'd expect a GMPP part to fit. It gives all the room I'd ever need for the driveshaft. Came with a new windage tray, oil pickup, dipstick and tube and all the bolts and nuts as well as the pan gasket.

97 C5 Corvette headers are tight. They touch on both frame rails. I'll clearance them a bit. They do fit between. That's what counts. I think the old flanges from the old C4 exhaust might fit too. would be big as they have to be fabricated or scrounged. They aren't available in the aftermarket.

Pic 1. driveshaft clearance. Dirty floor
Pic 2. without intake
Pic 3. with intake. looks like hood clearance will be OK.

 

[Gumby]

pic 1. - trans gap. I think I have room on the mounts and the front driveshaft. Crossing fingers on the rear one.

pic 2. - drivers side exhaust. Not going to be a problem. They are steel manifolds, not cast so I might be able to heat them up nice and orange and just tweak them inboard a half inch.

pic 3. - I have no idea how I'm going to clear the drive shaft with the exhaust on this side. I just don't see a way to cross over to the left side. There is no room to run next to the transfer like on the LV. The only thing I can see now is to run along the frame rail to the output housing, make a right turn, run under the tailshaft of the trans and make another right turn to run back.

 

[Gumby]

new underhood bus box is all wired up so one ignition, one constant and the starter feed should get it all wired.

The PCM got shipped back to me yesterday. Should be here this week.

Fuel is going to be a little tricky. Probably be worth pulling the bed as I'll need to plumb a return somewhere. I sure would like the pump in the tank too.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Any chance you can cut the end off that passenger side exhaust manifold. Then weld an elbow on to point the exhaust around under the front of the oil pan? Since it is a steel manifold at least it's kinda weldable vs. cast iron.

Nick

 

[Gumby]

I thought about it, but I don't know that I can clear the front driveshaft. If I point in right at the oil pan and try to sneak in front of the sump it will be close. I can't go forward because of the motor mount. That's how I ran the 5.7 exhaust and it had a good dent in it from the driveshaft. I think I might have to consider a slight lift. My front springs are whupped.

Trans is slid forward. The trans mount still works. The front driveshaft is bottomed so it will have to be shortened. The rear might be ok. I need to bottom the springs out to see if it comes close to pulling apart. Lokar still fits, I think, but the transfer shifters need a slightly bigger hole.

Radiator is going to fit perfectly. I think the upper hose will fit with about a foot cut out of the middle. I ordered a splice fitting with a burp valve and a steam vent hose connection from Jags that run.

Ordered a spectre cold air intake last night. The stock one is too huge with all of the noise baffles and it's too long. The MAF will sit too close to the apron to allow an air box. The cold air intake can be cut down to fit. I think I will still have to move the battery tray, but that is no big deal at all.

PCM was on the porch when I got home. I'm excited to get it fired.

 

[D'Animal]

Here is an LS1 engine mount adaptor so you may not have to move the transmission, modify the tranny tunnel, modify the driveshafts, shorten the clutch lines, etc, etc.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/LS1-Motor-Mount-Adapters,5070.html

Note: These motor mounts may require you to move your transmission mount forward in some applications.

 

[Gumby]

Those look exactly like what I put in. The single bolt on the gen II mount shares the hole with the back lower hole on the gen 3/4. Moves the motor forward a little more than an inch. It works out well because the heads are further back on the ls motors and would hit the firewall if the motor was in the same place.

 

[Gumby]

I test fit the Spectre and it looks like it will fit so the element is in the corner where the blower motor would be in a 40. Hopefully I can fab an airbox in that corner so it can pull air through the hood louvers. If I put it there it will clear the battery.
sandblasted, powdercoated and installed the power steering pulley and the belt.
Cleaned up the intake. got all the intake fasteners and brackets in the tumbler.
Cleaned the throttle body.
took off the fuel crossover and sandblasted and powdercoated it.
Took off the left exhaust manifold. The bend at the bottom is welded to the collector so I cut it off there. I turned it about 95 degrees and slid it back on. It looked like it was going to fit so I put the O2 back in and it clears the block too. I was thinking I'd have to move the bung. Nick is a freaking genius.

 

[Gumby]

Upper radiator hose is trimmed to fit with steam vent and burp valve plumbed in.
Radiator stuts are bolted up.
Fan shroud is trimmed.
Winning harness is all plugged in.
Starter is on.

You can barely see that nice clean block any more.