8x Series V8 Swaps (8 Viewers)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Eventually I might do a build thread but I installed a 6.2L, 6L80E from a 2014 Camaro into my 1996 LX450. It runs great and is a blast to drive.

An important part of getting this project finalized is the tuning. I asked permission to post here but I used Justin Carpenter at JTCtuning in Texas for remote tuning. jtctuning@gmail.com You need Hptuners but basically you email tune and log files back and forth until you are happy with the tune. I was new to Hptuners but Justin explains things well so it was easy to log data and upload tune files to the engine and transmission computers. He got the shifting dialed in and engine parameters great after just a few iterations.

These swaps are pretty common now but here are a few highlights of mine.

-6.2L L99, 6L80E from 2014 Camaro with 45k miles
-Speartech harness with cruise, tap up/tap down, neutral safety, reverse light output
-Engine computer mounted behind dash to right of glovebox
-Dakota Digital SGI-8E for tachometer
-Dakota Digital GSS-3000 for gear position dash lights
-Marks 4wd transfer case adapter
-Cruiser Matt 80 series engine mounts
-Torfab airbox
-Electric fans from same Camaro with BP automotive fan controller
-Reconfigured accessories with brackets from 2002 Tahoe and Dirty Dingo idler relocation
-Cruiser Matt throttle cable delete plug
-Tap up/tap down rocker in place of old O/D switch on shifter
-Mosley Motor high pressure power steering hose, for 60 series but worked on my 80
-Cruiser Matt AC hose and adapter kit with Vintage Air 11086-VUS switch for fan control




1000002200.jpg
1000004239.jpg
1000005354.jpg
1000005355.jpg
 
Little help please.

I used a stand-alone wiring harness and a wire and use for the alternator cable. Any suggestions of what to do with the old wire? More in particular, the old alternator cable attached to the fusible link.

Im sure most ppl will say cut it and tape it off, but could you break it down more Barney style for a slower guy like myself. Thanks in advance.
20240316_161739.jpg
 
@Spaggyroe , the GSS-3000 is powering the incandescent bulbs on my dash. The Dakota Digital outputs are rated for .2 amp which is plenty for the tiny incandescent bulbs. Been running it for several months now with no issues. I was impressed out how easy the GSS-3000 was to setup for the different gear positions. The mechanical linkage and mounting took a couple hours but the programming/setup just took a couple minutes.
 
@Spaggyroe , the GSS-3000 is powering the incandescent bulbs on my dash. The Dakota Digital outputs are rated for .2 amp which is plenty for the tiny incandescent bulbs. Been running it for several months now with no issues. I was impressed out how easy the GSS-3000 was to setup for the different gear positions. The mechanical linkage and mounting took a couple hours but the programming/setup just took a couple minutes.

Thank you! I have an L83 + 6L80 in mine and am just at the point of needing to connect things. The sensor is mounted but I need to carry on with the wiring. I spoke with Dakota Digital and they were hesitant to say that it would power incandescent bulbs. Thanks for confirming!
 
Thank you! I have an L83 + 6L80 in mine and am just at the point of needing to connect things. The sensor is mounted but I need to carry on with the wiring. I spoke with Dakota Digital and they were hesitant to say that it would power incandescent bulbs. Thanks for confirming!
@Spaggyroe , no problem. . I had some extra dash bulbs so I did a quick test. It draws about 133 mA so well under the output rating of the GSS-3000.
20240318_092626.jpg
 
@Spaggyroe , the GSS-3000 is powering the incandescent bulbs on my dash. The Dakota Digital outputs are rated for .2 amp which is plenty for the tiny incandescent bulbs. Been running it for several months now with no issues. I was impressed out how easy the GSS-3000 was to setup for the different gear positions. The mechanical linkage and mounting took a couple hours but the programming/setup just took a couple minutes.
Could you post a pic or 2 of the linkage, I'm gonna order one and I am not the sharpest pencil in the box when it comes to installing these things.
 
Could you post a pic or 2 of the linkage, I'm gonna order one and I am not the sharpest pencil in the box when it comes to installing these things.

There are pics earlier in this thread, but they might be hard to find.

I made a little bracket to move the mount point further away. I also used flat head #8-32 1/2 screws underneath to attach it to the transmission shift plate. Drilled into the plate with a bigger drill bit to recess the screw heads to allow them to sit flush.

1710848586977.png
 
Last edited:
I am one of the original contributors to this thread in 2016. After many years of great fun in my 1993 with a 5.3 + 6L80 I finally screwed up my tranny. Coming back from hunting last year, soaked it underwater.

Seems EVERY the rebuilder in town had both 5 stars AND 1 star !!! I don’t want to screw with the hassle, so just decided to bolt in a crate 6L80. In my original swap, engine & tranny & ecu & harness & pedal, came from the same donor so I avoided some compatibility issues.

We’ve bolted in the new tranny, flashed it with the stock software, and should get limp mode at a minimum (3rd & R), but just get forward regardless if in R, N, D.

Is this something the HPtuner can fix ?
Have folks that mixed & matched engines/tranny experienced anything like this with their swap ?
Is it possible that when the harness was stripped down, they took out something we should have kept ?
IMG_0560.jpeg
 
After the tranny was bolted in, we thought there should be at a minimum limp mode; 3rd & R, for the 6L80, and there was no response .

The tech had a plug that could bypass any harness modifications, and plug directly into the TCM. We then successfully flashed the factory programming. Now lurches forward at all shifter positions except P

Can an HPtuner be of any help at this point to massage the factory TCM programming?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom