New owner of 5.3 swap...few questions about Vortec Voodo

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

Thanks Georg. Now I am tracking. It really is not all so complicated which is why I am making this complicated. WHy would a so called "engine swap guru" do such a terrible job with such a critical part of a swap?

I pulled the carpet back a few min ago and peeled back the beer can patch he used to plug the hole.

Looks Like A pump pickup and return line and a GM air pressure sensor.

Now.... Can I simply use this area (top of tank of course) to plumb in a respectable vent for the canister?

And yes Georg I WILL re-locate that canister I promise! :) I am no longer driving the truck as is.

I simply need to get to the store and buy some hose and do it properly.
 
Forgot picture sorry.

Someone mentioned earlier that the factory fuel level sensor must be used for this system to work correctly. My factory Toyota lvl sensor is intact and still in use. The only GM stuff here is the pressure sensor.

Is this acceptable? Should I be thinking about an in tank pump setup?

I am all about reliability, and I assume external pumps are less reliable than submerged.
IMG_3039.webp
 
Wow. You're smart for parking it to take care of everything.

I would go through everything on the swap for your safety....

Hack job. I guess that's harsh, but that dude was supposed to be a professional.
 
Yeah pretty sloppy. Some peoples kids.

I will get all of this sorted out properly and I appreciate the help.

The rest of the truck is in amazing shape though, so none of this is a lost cause. I have never had so many people approach me wherever I go about ANY vehicle and I have owned them all.
 
Motor mounts are solid as far as I can see. I am not impressed with the shackle reversal and the welding job on the spring hangers.

The bump stops are so embarassing I will NOT post pics of those haha.

This truck is going to Proffits in a few months for a link suspension so it will do for now.

Question:

WHy cant you use a GM tank? GM has many different vehicles with this system I am sure one of the factory tanks would work here? Or is the toyota setup simply too shallow to allow for another tank to fit?
 
I give up. Not sure if I'm not being specific enough or if you're not hearing what I'm saying.


Georg

Clear as a bell Georg. You will have to forgive me there are a few side conversations going on in this thread and your reply was overlooked.

See you soon.

ps: I just went back and did see your post. There was a nomenclature issue that was confusing me. You are using the factory fuel separator. I was hunting for a canister (which it is of course).

Now I have to go find one and get this thing done properly. Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
Ya the sound is annoying to me. Rover, does your click repeatedly? Mine clicks like 3x per second and its really bothering me since it's inside the cab in the rear quarter.

Yeah that sounds just like mine. I notice it at Idle at a light sometimes.

barely audible when it is in the engine bay and i'm in the drivers seat but it did have me searching for the noise one time only to find out it was that solenoid :) I thought it was something in the motor.
 
I love the truck, I remember watching the thread of the conversion. Its easy to slag the guy that did the work, but we don't know what budget constraints or instructions he was following from the owner at the time. At least you now have the chance to set the detail things right and enjoy it.
 
I agree mutly and that is the right attitude to have. It is after all just a machine and can easily be fixed. I remember my first solid axle swap on a 94 yota pickup. My shock hoop welding left lots to be desired! I am certain the next guy posted on some forum someplace sharing my "craftsmanship" ;)
 
there's a huge difference between somebody doing garge work and somebody claiming to be a professional and charging a customer to perform work on a vehicle.
and it's one thing to learn to weld on your own and tinker on your rig vs a shop doing shotty weld or fab work on a vehicle when the customer is paying. i don't care if they're over budget or in a hurry. crappy welds are'nt justifiable. neither is the silicone/beer can sheet metal work.
to me, it's not taking pride in what you do.

either way, you're on the right track and with some work and the proper attitude you'll end up with a solid rig.

georg
 
RE: your in tank pump question...

*if it were me* I would do an in tank pump especially since in your rig you may not even have to drop the tank since there is a hole there. I too did the inline external pump for a while and they just didn't last. I have my theories but what fixed it seemingly permanently (it's been a while now on the in tank setup) was the in tank setup. I think when Randy was doing those swaps early on and when I was doing mine we were under the impression that an inline setup would work, since then with a few of these on the road it has kinda proven otherwise... that is unless there was something about his that made them work better.

That being said I know a lot of folks running inline external pumps have good luck depending on the setup.

RE: fuel level sensor from the GM. Gorge is probably a better person to ask.. when I was doing my swap I had no idea it was part of the emissions system so I left it off. It hasn't appeared to cause any major issues... But, it would appear (from reading Georg's threads) that the level sensor helps control the evap/purge system. I'm a fan of having as many of the OE systems in tact because having stuff deleted hurt me early on.. so maybe look into adding it if you are already kinda doing everything else? I mean why not right? If it runs something do it, otherwise I am sure the system is compromised. Plus with Georg's thread it should be pretty easy to physically install. Now, wiring it may be another issue. You need to see if those pins on the ecu have wires then see where they go and tie into them.
 
Thanks Rover I will look into the threads and see about part #s and such. I think in tank is the way to go. I have lots of time to get it done right so that is a plus.
 
If I was you... I'd get my hands on an unmolested factory (GM) wiring harness and hook it all up as originally designed.

Chances are that the wiring will be your headache if adding in all the proper controls (as stated above). Tracing/routing new wires may be a huge pain.

Plus I have heard of people that have spotty work done by FIS (your harness maker).
 
there's a huge difference between somebody doing garge work and somebody claiming to be a professional and charging a customer to perform work on a vehicle.
and it's one thing to learn to weld on your own and tinker on your rig vs a shop doing shotty weld or fab work on a vehicle when the customer is paying. i don't care if they're over budget or in a hurry. crappy welds are'nt justifiable. neither is the silicone/beer can sheet metal work.
to me, it's not taking pride in what you do.

either way, you're on the right track and with some work and the proper attitude you'll end up with a solid rig.

georg

George, I agree with this statement 100%... a professional does not do work like this.

If it's your truck, and your doing the work yourself.. its another ballgame.
 
I Will see what I can do about an in tank setup. I found your writeup on it and it is VERY informative and makes it an easy task one you ironed things out.

I agree with you guys. The good part is I bought this truck discounted from the guy who got screwed over, and now I am simply re tracing the hacketry and short cuts.

What bothers me is the guy I bought this truck fom does not return my calls or e mails. I understand there is no warranty here....but I simply would like to get a few more tips on anything else that may need attention.
The kicker is...this guy was treated so poorly from the guy who did the swap (no calls for months on end and assumed truck was stolen) you would imagine he would never want someone else to be left hangin dry.

Such is life.

On a good note, I paid a professional to fix the rust issues and paint the truck and I am more than satisfied with the results. You do get what you pay for. The bad part? A freshly painted truck is AGONY when you realize it is too pretty to take off road! I will get it off road however the first few scratches are gonna hurt :crybaby:
 
Just in case I missed seeing it mentioned and you're not aware of it, silicone and gasoline are not very friendly to each other. That a supposed expert used silicone to seal a fuel tank is appalling.

...... I will get it off road however the first few scratches are gonna hurt :crybaby:
Only the first one. Those that come after get easier and easier on the psyche.
 
You noticed that too :)

You guys would really enjoy seeing what was used for power steering hose. Found that one out with a power steering loss.
 
Back
Top Bottom