Impending Vortec Swap (1 Viewer)

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Those manifolds do fit very well with the Dirty Dingo motor mounts! Hard to see it but it's at its most forward location
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One reason I moved away from the Dirty Dingo mounts is I didn't fully understand how they work...do you buy the sliders and then what to weld to the frame? or do you use toyota mounts? Sorry, I just don't get it....can someone help me out for future reference?

I'm buying another 80, so I am sure another swap is in my future :)
 
One reason I moved away from the Dirty Dingo mounts is I didn't fully understand how they work...do you buy the sliders and then what to weld to the frame? or do you use toyota mounts? Sorry, I just don't get it....can someone help me out for future reference?

I'm buying another 80, so I am sure another swap is in my future :)
I used them on my swap I like them alot. The only thing I did was fab up a little scab plate to mount the motor mount to and then welded it the frame. I the picture it looks weird but once on the motor and welded it looks pretty clean.

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Agreed the pic is confusing, but it's very similar to the advanced adapter just that it slides on those elongated grooves. The other parts welds to the frame and the pucks are the isolation
 
Part number? I don't remember seeing those on the website, but I do miss a lot of things from time to time.
 
Iteration 2....I think I'll have plenty of room up front....

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Iteration 3....mounts between the frame. Can't get motor back far enough. Did anyone else have this issue. I'm kind of wedged between passenger firewall and steering gear box?
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Got the cross member bolted in supporting the transmission. Motor is still a little high and I don't have a any wiggle room between the steering box/ps pump and passenger firewall. If I can go down, I'll get a little breathing room on the firewall, but the steering components won't let me down any further.

Is it a bad idea to space out the steering gear box 1/4"? Or get something like this? LSx Alternator and Power Steering Pump Bracket

Good news, lots of clearance underneath.

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Motor is more or less where it needs to be. I can only play with the up down about 1/4" and left right 1/2". Looking at other pictures, looks like the 4l60e installations are a little longer. They have a rear tyranny housing then the same adapter I do. While the 4l80e is about 4.5" longer than the 4l60e without the extension housings, I think I am overall shorter in this applicaction, maybe only 1/2"?

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There are 3 issues before I commit to welding in these motor mounts.

1) a/c hose on the passenger firewall. I assume when I get a custom hose made, will they be able to work around this? There is maybe 1/4" between head and the firewall.

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2) power steering pump return line is in the way. Does this pop out? Looks like it has a gromet and it pops out....otherwise, I'll have to go to more drastic measures like a fancy bracket...I had to remove steering box to get the motor in and it isn't bolted down in the picture beloe.

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3) motor mounts droop below the frame and directly above the axle. But, they're higher than the bump stops, so it shouldn't be an issue with how I have it setup right now. I could dirty dingo mounts, which appear to have a little smaller profile and I can either slide forward or rearward to eliminate the axle potentially hitting get the mounts. I hate to skimp on $150 at this point.....

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Last question, how far do the bushing on the mounts settle when you put weight to it? Should I just get the as tight as possible, or should I adjust upward a bit. My ac compressor barely clears the cross member up front....
 
is that return line the hydro boost? and if so, what is best way to cut down and plug off?
 
solved 2 problems - hacksaw on the power steering reservoir for the hydroboost return. I'll weld closed somehow...

flipped the mounts "upside down."

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Also, I think i am almost 2" further back than an installation with a 4l60e. I hope @AWESOMEvoltron doesn't mind, but the below picture is of his installation. based on the "lip" of the power steering reservoir, I'm way further back.
I'll have to figure out the a/c hose thing...I think I may also do a little work to the firewall, I'd hate for the motor to rub on it. I'm surgical with a 2lb sledge.

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Motor is back out, motor mounts to be welded in this week...I need to get the motor "Dressed" (sending units, all accessories etc), radiator ordered and power steering box rebuilt.
 
thanks for all of the pictures, going to help me soon.
 
not going to lie, it felt like I was talking to myself yesterday....but, I'm hoping it helps someone out in the future. Especially since I pick up a new 80 next Sunday....so i could definitely benefit directly from this. :cool: @AWESOMEvoltron has been way helpful.
 
Trust me, I am making plenty of bookmarks. Soon I will be doing this on at least one of my 80s.
 
I bit the bullet and ordered the radiator. I went with Steel Nutz out of California. They all seem to be about the same price if you want an Aluminum Rad + dual electric fans - $1250 + shipping. 1-2 week turn around. RD is a little pricier, but I hear it takes a while. Michelle at Griffin was little help when I told her what I wanted to do, even though @NCFJ supposedly has it set up, she told me she thinks they've done them for an 80 series, but to fill out her form. Mike @ Steelnutz comes recommended by @rockrod and someone else locally. Mike answered the phone, said, "yeah, landcruiser with an LS, I got just what you need." answered my questions and got my money. Easy button material.
 
Sorry, that @RockJock82 that seems to like the steelnutz rads.

I had tacked on the mounts to the frame the wrong way. Luckily, the welder bailed on me tonight. So....off they came and I got them flipped over, tacked back on and I put the motor back in to make sure they were placed where I wanted them. Which meant putting the trany back on, getting the motor in the engine bay, putting the cross member back on and then taking it all back out and separating the transmission for the welder. It took some time, but at least I know it will fit. I ordered some epoxy primer for the frame once it is ready. Not much further for the motor to sit down as seen in this picture...

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Ordered my gauges today, going with the Dakota digital vhx 1060, black face with white lights. I can't seem to figure out why summit racing sells them cheaper than Dakota digital and you get free shipping. But I saved like $55 going thru summit....
I need to order a controller for the electric fans, thinking about pwm Controller.

I have a pesky manifold bolt that needs removed, of course it is broken flush.

And I hope to get the fuel system installed this week.

Also, I think I am going to unpin everything and wire up as I go. I also need to figure out where the other pcm will go....hopefully it will fit where my "amp" was?

Aiming to be firing up by mid July? Seems like a pipe dream at this point.
 
man, big money on the rad and gauges. i hope me keep my swap for under 5K total. so far so good but we will see.
 
yeah, I'm sure sub $5k is possible. I know @rockrod ran his with a "stock" (either koyo or TYC1918) rad and eventually the mechanical GM fan. I updated my spreadsheet last night, and I'm just sitting under $8k. I assume there may be another $700 in extra stuff (I still have a/c hoses, PS hoses etc), but it is hard to imagine going over that. I bought some extras a normal swap wouldn't have (e.g. $350 4l80e master rebuild kit, maybe $500 total so far), and the LQ4 is more than a LM7, so you can maybe shave a $1000 off with motor alone? I also got a motor with 90k miles....

So, motor ($1000), rad ($1350 shipped), transmission extras ($500) and gauges ($1000) should put you under $5k based on what I spent. Granted, if you want your stock gauges to work and you're not handy with microprocessors, you'll need to shell out a couple hundred bucks if for "plug n' play" speedo and tach converters, new sending units etc.... I'm also planning on making some MarkN CC boxes, so the stock CC will work. Whether I buy the stuff to make 1 or 10 of them, it is virtually the same. And once I have it figured out, making them shouldn't take too long....I know there are a few people here locally that have been helping me out that I'll gift to them if I can ever figure it out.

In other news....after sleeping on it last night, I am going to move the mounts again. I think they need to be lowered about 1/2". That will buy me some precious space for the hood, and still leave a little buffer so the A/C belt tensioner isn't sitting on that cross member. I can adjust it up a bit with a couple washers, but adjusting down will be a major pain once everything is welded on....
 

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