Registry 8x Series V8 Swaps (11 Viewers)

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

This looks interesting but $$$. Gives me some ideas on when I redo my setup using the trailblazer cable. May have to build a bracket like the bracket in the lokar setup. The design and functionality of the lokar is similar to the trailblazer. I had to look up the shifting position when I fabricated my shifter. Haven't work on the safety neutral wiring yet, engine starts in all gear. So knowing the shifting position makes it safe when you start your engine. Photo below helps to see how it works, gear position. On the other hand, this video may give us some inspiration using the rod setup. I feel like we can make it work by bending the rod.

1.webp


IMG_0858.webp


IMG_0859.webp
 
Last edited:
I've used a lokar shifter and rod setup on a 84 fj60 lq9 to 4l80e it worked just barely due to the transmission to shifter location . I say this because the distance from the transmission shifter lever to the lokar shifter arm was almost to close the angle was pretty steep from one to the other if the engine and transmission were further back it wouldn't have worked and if the shifter was further forward it wouldn't have worked if that makes any sense.
The 96 fzj80 I finished up last month was a redo from someone who thought they knew what they were doing that said the transmission tunnel was cut for the shifter arm to go on the driver side and had the trail blazer cable and a wonky bracket to hold the mounting part of the cable nothing was correct so I changed it back over to the passenger side like factory 80 shifter.
I also at that time looked at possibly using a shifter rod that didn't look promising at all.

I recently broke my old phone with pretty much all pictures of this swap just figured that out yesterday after trying to post a video that I do have of this setup working and shifter indicators working.
Bummer...

Most of you guys are coming here for exact answers and full description of how to do all this basically an easy button.
I can tell you how I figure things out it's easy do it yourself and you will figure it out there are multiple guys that have given up pictures and information on how to do things like the shifter multiple times in this thread pick one of those ideas and go with it till it works or doesn't.
Tommy
 
Last edited:
This looks interesting but $$$. Gives me some ideas on when I redo my setup using the trailblazer cable. May have to build a bracket like the bracket in the lokar setup. The design and functionality of the lokar is similar to the trailblazer. I had to look up the shifting position when I fabricated my shifter. Haven't work on the safety neutral wiring yet, engine starts in all gear. So knowing the shifting position makes it safe when you start your engine. Photo below helps to see how it works, gear position. On the other hand, this video may give us some inspiration using the rod setup. I feel like we can make it work by bending the rod.

View attachment 3993934

View attachment 3993935

View attachment 3993936
I used this to hook up my neutral safety and reverse lights on my 4L80e. On my 96 I retained the yellow wire for power for reverse and the red with black stripe wire off the old neutral safety switch for reverse lights.

 
I used this to hook up my neutral safety and reverse lights on my 4L80e. On my 96 I retained the yellow wire for power for reverse and the red with black stripe wire off the old neutral safety switch for reverse lights.

This will work but if you want your shifter indicator to work you will need the Dakota digital box it can make the indicator lighs work reverse lights work and neutral safety switch if not one can use this or just wire it up yourself withe multi function switch on the 4l80e.
 
I've used a lokar shifter and rod setup on a 84 fj60 lq9 to 4l80e it worked just barely due to the transmission to shifter location . I say this because the distance from the transmission shifter lever to the lokar shifter arm was almost to close the angle was pretty steep from one to the other if the engine and transmission were further back it wouldn't have worked and if the shifter was further forward it wouldn't have worked if that makes any sense.
The 96 fzj80 I finished up last month was a redo from someone who thought they knew what they were doing that said the transmission tunnel was cut for the shifter arm to go on the driver side and had the trail blazer cable and a wonky bracket to hold the mounting part of the cable nothing was correct so I changed it back over to the passenger side like factory 80 shifter.
I also at that time looked at possibly using a shifter rod that didn't look promising at all.

I recently broke my old phone with pretty much all pictures of this swap just figured that out yesterday after trying to post a video that I do have of this setup working and shifter indicators working.
Bummer...

Most of you guys are coming here for exact answers and full description of how to do all this basically an easy button.
I can tell you how I figure things out it's easy do it yourself and you will figure it out there are multiple guys that have given up pictures and information on how to do things like the shifter multiple times in this thread pick one of those ideas and go with it till it works or doesn't.
Tommy
Absolutely agree you. I wanted to use the lokar but got frustrated and no time so I used the cable method. As you can see. Yeah not much space since we have to flip the shifter plate upside down. The lokar arm is adjustable, wonder if that will make the shifting more accurate.

IMG_0867.webp


IMG_0868.webp


2.webp
 
Last edited:
This will work but if you want your shifter indicator to work you will need the Dakota digital box it can make the indicator lighs work reverse lights work and neutral safety switch if not one can use this or just wire it up yourself withe multi function switch on the 4l80e.
Correct, I didn't bother at this time about my dash lighting up with what gear I was in. My D light as been out for so long that I don't even bother looking at the dash at night when shifting gears. I'll be running a Scan Gauge 3 on the dash anyways which will tell me which gear I am in as a secondary source.

The Dakota Digital is one option. At the time I ordered my harness from BP Automotive, I did not see they had an option to wire in PNRD321 for the 4L60/4L80e. Wish I would have known that when I ordered my harness, the TCM would give out the correct inputs with GMs weird High/Low coding to tell the computer which gear it is in.

 
Last edited:
I'll be running a Scan Gauge 3 on the dash anyways which will tell me which gear I am in as a secondary source.

Please do an update on the Scan Gauge 3.

I tried making the Scan Gauge 2 display current gear (via X-Gauge) but it was a no go.

Here is a list of supported X-Gauge codes: » GM - https://www.scangauge.com/support/x-gauge-commands/gm/

It shows Current Gear is supported but only on certain engine types (diesels).
 
Correct, I didn't bother at this time about my dash lighting up with what gear I was in. My D light as been out for so long that I don't even bother looking at the dash at night when shifting gears. I'll be running a Scan Gauge 3 on the dash anyways which will tell me which gear I am in as a secondary source.

The Dakota Digital is one option. At the time I ordered my harness from BP Automotive, I did not see they had an option to wire in PNRD321 for the 4L60/4L80e. Wish I would have known that when I ordered my harness, the TCM would give out the correct inputs with GMs weird High/Low coding to tell the computer which gear it is in.

$150, lots of good beers. Neutral safety switch link.

safett.webp
 
I've used a lokar shifter and rod setup on a 84 fj60 lq9 to 4l80e it worked just barely due to the transmission to shifter location . I say this because the distance from the transmission shifter lever to the lokar shifter arm was almost to close the angle was pretty steep from one to the other if the engine and transmission were further back it wouldn't have worked and if the shifter was further forward it wouldn't have worked if that makes any sense.
The 96 fzj80 I finished up last month was a redo from someone who thought they knew what they were doing that said the transmission tunnel was cut for the shifter arm to go on the driver side and had the trail blazer cable and a wonky bracket to hold the mounting part of the cable nothing was correct so I changed it back over to the passenger side like factory 80 shifter.
I also at that time looked at possibly using a shifter rod that didn't look promising at all.

I recently broke my old phone with pretty much all pictures of this swap just figured that out yesterday after trying to post a video that I do have of this setup working and shifter indicators working.
Bummer...

Most of you guys are coming here for exact answers and full description of how to do all this basically an easy button.
I can tell you how I figure things out it's easy do it yourself and you will figure it out there are multiple guys that have given up pictures and information on how to do things like the shifter multiple times in this thread pick one of those ideas and go with it till it works or doesn't.
Tommy
I hear yea. I started this shifter convo, again, because I wasn’t quite sure what modifications people were making or any at all to which end of the shifting mechanism and wasn’t sure where to start with the measurements. But I got it figured it out now. I ordered parts. We will see what works best and go from there. And return what doesn’t haha. I appreciate you guys.
 
Unravel my curiosities. I’m going to revisit this with my old man. Maybe some bend here and there.

View attachment 3994158

View attachment 3994159

View attachment 3994199
I think this is exactly what I am looking for, I was struggling with using the trailblazer cable.
Do you have a part number for the parts you have assembled?
EDIT: I think I found what you you used.
ADJUSTABLE COLUMN SHIFT LINKAGE FOR TH-350/TH-400/700-R4 TRUCK 26" LENGTH - https://lokar.com/aca-1811.html

Thanks,
TP
 
I think this is exactly what I am looking for, I was struggling with using the trailblazer cable.
Do you have a part number for the parts you have assembled?
EDIT: I think I found what you you used.
ADJUSTABLE COLUMN SHIFT LINKAGE FOR TH-350/TH-400/700-R4 TRUCK 26" LENGTH - https://lokar.com/aca-1811.html

Thanks,
TP
I bought a generic one off eBay they no longer have it but similar to one on Amazon.
this one. In the future I will probably switch the arm to the lokar or the whole kit. The arm I got isn’t as snug to the lever (image 3). I didn't know that it would work so i bought a inexpensive one to test. Hope this helps. This works for the 4l60e not sure on the 4l80e. However, dont see why it won't, the adjustable tran arm is somewhat identical to the 4l60e. With the cable, the feel of the shifting was wobbling and sometimes I have to move the shifter up and down to go into gear, was annoying. This video gives you an idea on how to install.

IMG_0901.webp


IMG_0900.webp


3.webp
 
Last edited:
With and without safety neutral switch. Believe will work if you bend the rod at a certain angles. So much more clearance without the safety switch.

IMG_0911.webp


IMG_0957.webp
 
Last edited:
idk, I am kind of thinking I should have made measurements of the shift arm modification I did and transferred them to CAD, and sent the design to sendcutsend for others. I have a number of posts on the modification in my build thread (1, 2, 3).

1758325982866.webp


1758326035585.webp


All you would then need to do then is to 3D print the cable bracket mount, and now you have a perfectly working shifter.

1758327167820.webp


I don't think I will be pulling that shift arm out just to take measurements though...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom