Builds A 1994 80 Series gets an LQ9 GM V8 (8 Viewers)

[35inchoverdrive]

Test fitting with the exhaust manifolds:

 

[Sam Stewart]

Sick!!!

 

[Hobies]

The stock t case is a very nice unit. Its plenty strong and fits the trucks needs. Most t cases that were bolted behind the 4l65e were driver drop. The adapter was well designed and it allows the stock driveshafts to be reused while putting the v8 in the right location.

wow! thats so cool it leaves the tcase in the same spot. pretty cool. good to know!

 

[35inchoverdrive]

wow! thats so cool it leaves the tcase in the same spot. pretty cool. good to know!

We are able to keep the transmission mount in the stock location. We are hoping to be able to keep the driveshafts stock as well.

 

[35inchoverdrive]

Making the new engine mounts:

 

[35inchoverdrive]

Mockup with the new mounts:

 

[OGBeno]

Sexy indeed.

 

[devildogcruiser25]

Sexy indeed.

are you feeling ok?

OP, great work!

 

[OGBeno]

are you feeling ok?

OP, great work!

Absolutely. I love nice fabrication, tasteful work, quality design, and new crate engines.



That's the correct way to do an engine conversion.

 

[Summiteer]

So will doing this swap on a 94 convert it from OBD-I to OBD-II?

 

[SNLC]

Love it, great work. One thing though, those MM are not going to last long at all. Ask around. Had the same exact ones in my Ramjet FJ60, they sucked badly and wore out fast. Got the same ones in my 5.7L 80 and they suck just as bad and are pretty wasted. Replacing them in my v8 80 with a much better design.

Also you would be advised to at the least fish plate under the mount. Inner frame rail is the thinnest and what you have on the frame is weaker than a stock mount since it is only clinging to the inner rail. Why not make it better than a stock one?

*Edit: looking at my 80 chassis this evening while drinking a beer and I may be wrong on an 80 about the inner frame rail being the thinnest. Without taking a measurement sure looks like the 80 inner rail is as thick as the other three. I knew I picked an 80 frame for a reason! On 60's and other fully boxed frame trucks I have worked on the inner rail is the thinnest.

Cheers

 

[Summiteer]

Love it, great work. One thing though, those MM are not going to last long at all. Ask around. Had the same exact ones in my Ramjet FJ60, they sucked badly and wore out fast. Got the same ones in my 5.7L 80 and they suck just as bad and are pretty wasted. Replacing them in my v8 80 with a much better design.

Also you would be advised to at the least fish plate under the mount. Inner frame rail is the thinnest and what you have on the frame is weaker than a stock mount since it is only clinging to the inner rail. Why not make it better than a stock one?

Cheers

I agree, I used the same mounts for the engine swap in my CJ7 and I think they only lasted about a year before they fell apart. Ended up fabbing some brackets where I could use the OEM style mounts.

 

[MANUCHAO]

That looks nice...
RMP&O is right. I would go with a diff kind of rubber mount those will last 1 year tops..... I ended up replacing them with Hockey pucks...yeah.... hockey pucks.....

 

[rockrod]

I am using the universal style mounts from A/A and so far two years later they are holding up just fine.

 

[OverLand Cruisers]

Nice!

 

[ThomasMore66]

OP - let me know if you need a copy of my wiring interface spreadsheet. When I did my swap in my '94 cruiser, I did a pinout of the IH1,IH2 and IH3 connectors to simplify the interfacing of the toyota to gm harness so that the factory gauges would work like stock. My goal in my swap was to make the driver not aware that anything was done until they actually drove the vehicle. All gauges (except the shift position lights) work like stock. i also have the EWD in pdf format as well and can share that too.

I've located a 1997 fj80 with an ls3. One of the issues is a couple of gauges not working. I'd be interested in the diagram.

 

[Skrewball]

Love it, great work. One thing though, those MM are not going to last long at all. Ask around. Had the same exact ones in my Ramjet FJ60, they sucked badly and wore out fast. Got the same ones in my 5.7L 80 and they suck just as bad and are pretty wasted. Replacing them in my v8 80 with a much better design.

Also you would be advised to at the least fish plate under the mount. Inner frame rail is the thinnest and what you have on the frame is weaker than a stock mount since it is only clinging to the inner rail. Why not make it better than a stock one?

*Edit: looking at my 80 chassis this evening while drinking a beer and I may be wrong on an 80 about the inner frame rail being the thinnest. Without taking a measurement sure looks like the 80 inner rail is as thick as the other three. I knew I picked an 80 frame for a reason! On 60's and other fully boxed frame trucks I have worked on the inner rail is the thinnest.

Cheers

I'm not the OP, but I'm the one doing the install.. I have had good luck with this style mount in the past. I don't know if the design is different from the Advance Adapters mounts, but these are from Trans Dapt. They could very well be exactly the same pieces. I have seen failures with this style and I've seen years of trouble free use....that being said, i do appreciate your real experience! If these are a problem then i will try to find an OEM solution that can be used in place without much modification.

I was very surprised at how thick the inner frame is on these 80 series. I have been working on cruisers and swapping engines into various other models, but this is the first 80. On every other cruiser I have plated the frame to add rigidity and keep it from tearing. I felt that with the 80 frame being as thick as it is, and it not having all the holes that 40's, 60's do, it would be fine without any additional reinforcement.

 

[35inchoverdrive]

So will doing this swap on a 94 convert it from OBD-I to OBD-II?

Yep.

 

[35inchoverdrive]

We want to make sure this truck runs cool no matter what kinds of loads it sees.

 

[rockrod]

why not the stock radiator? It's more than enough to cool that motor. and it's bigger too. I also found that the vortec clutch fan is about as good as it gets with cooling. yes they are loud when clutched in but the single clutch fan keeps the temp right on the t-stat opening. Also, the a/c performs better.