Great thread, great build, outstanding skills and craftsmanship .....and willing to share his knowledge in the forum...you're a great dude!!!
I'm gathering components for a similar engine swap into a FJ60, this thread will be used as reference. thanks.
Couple questions:
a) cooling system...I see you ran your LC for some time with the stock radiator, then replaced with an Aluminum 3 rows because of leaks. Do you consider the OEM radiator capable to deal with the LS engine heat dissipation requirements for offroad use??.
b) Have you ever used a belt driven fan in a LS swap??...if yes, how do they perform vs e-fans like the ones you installed?
d) what is the dimension (space) between your engine & radiator??....I'm planning on running a LS from a 2500 truck -stock belt driven fan engine- but would like to find out if I may face any space constraint issues.
e) I see you're running blockhuggers....do you think stock truck manifolds would fit in this application? would they clear the AA engine mounts??.....what about corvete style manifolds?.....
f) what other engine mounts have you seen for these LS into FJ60 swaps?? your welds are good but the frame horns seems too long (AA design).
f) would you please provide pictures of the oil pan above the front axle??? would like to know how much is the dimension from oil pan to axle.
thanks in advance
Pedro
Pedro.. Thanks for the complements..
a) I believe the stock radiator cooled just fine. I never had a problem with it over heating. The aluminum may cool just a little better.
b) I have seen belt driven LS swaps.. I see know reason why it would not work. Biggest issue in my mind is the shroud, need to built a custom one. The e-fans may get a little better mileage than belt driven.. I have used e-fans on both LS builds I have done.. no problems.. yet.
c) Opps... no C...
d) 8.25" from the front of the water pump to the radiator.
e) Stock truck manifolds will not work. I even attempted to use trailblazer manifolds with no luck. I have heard of others using corvette style manifolds with success.. I would have attempted to use corvette style had I had them. With that said.. almost 30000 miles with the AA headers with no problems.
f1) I have seen several builds with custom designed motor mounts. I have not had any problems with the AA mounts (30,000 miles).. so not sure it is worth the extra effort. I have heard of others having problems with the AA, so maybe I am just lucky, or maybe the failures happen after I have driven more miles. The frame horns seem to be about the right length, I had the cut the drivers side down a little due to the motor offset to that side.
f2) sorry no picture... But I have ~ 4" of room between the oil pan and the pumpkin of the axle. I will try to take some pictures in the future. I am using a truck pan, but I have a 2.5" lift and extended shackles. It is 3.25" between the axle and the bump stops on the frame.
Good luck with your build.