Builds Saved from scrap - '97 LX450 build thread (6 Viewers)

[LINUS]

Big Pic:

Super amazed what you did with a 450 that could easily been either scrapped/wholesaled to cheap-o lot, or many other options like parted out, etc.

- Mebbe my next few work trips your way S of me (I’m in MV/Skagit) - we can catch up & either grab coffee or some similar.

I norm drive the Trash-undra knto the city as a work rig, but I can appreciate / have a few days of 80 ownership.

Like what you did & glad you saved this from getting a coffin in any way.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Mounted and plumbed the QPM today -

I hate drilling holes in good sheet metal. Finished the bare steel off with a couple coats of POR-15.
View attachment 2728777

Ended up going with the cone grommet. I's origianlly thought I could double up with the battery box grommet in the hole through the panel and the cone grommet to keep the weather out. Unfortunatey the cone grommet kept pushing the battery grommet out, so ended up wrapping the penetration in sliced 1/4" fuel line.
View attachment 2728778

Umbilical under the truck. Looks like the grommet sealed pretty well and is keeping the lines centered. 2" heat shrink around 2x 2ga marine cables, 1x 3/8" nylon DOT air line, 2x 6mm air locker lines.
View attachment 2728776

Ready to go. OBA Passed pressure test and lost 3psi in a closed system in an hour. I'll give that a pass - Way too many fittings to chase down for that small of a loss.

Still some room left for future expansion, too.
View attachment 2728775

Nice work! Can you pls share specs on cone grommet?

 

[Feldrian]

Loosen the bump stop collar bolt, slide the bump stop down 2", then tighten the bump stop collar bolt. That's the fix if I'm seeing it right. Once you install the shock bushings the shock should be close to bottoming out.

Would need a 2x bolt set up for that, at least from what I've seen previously. There's also a couple of button heads that pull the bump stop tight in to the bottom of the cavity of the holder. Assuming to do it right a spacer would need to be fabricated and longer button heads used to allow the top of the bump to be pushed away from the base of the holder.

 

[Feldrian]

Nice work! Can you pls share specs on cone grommet?

This is the cone grommet I used: Seals it GS1003WPT Seals-it Grommet Seals | Summit Racing - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sit-gs1003wpt

 

[Feldrian]

Pulled the rear spacers. Looks like i have 3.5" of down in the rear after the change.

 

[Feldrian]

Ramp tests below. Full compression on the rear is touching the bumper, with a little room forward. May adjust the links, but tbh touching the smooth portion of the bumper isn't the worst contact point.

Didn't flex add much as I'd like, but i have the swaybars attached (including the HD rear). No issues with mechanical contact or any of the lines being stretched.

 

[FMC80]

Is 3.5 down travel going to be enough? I figured the sweet spot is near 6-9 inches of droop. What are your thoughts?

 

[Feldrian]

Probably not, but at this point I'm going to wheel the s*** out of it and rely on lockers when i lift wheels. I figure 4-6" shocks still be in the future with bigger bump stop extensions.

Timeframe i heard for new shocks was pretty nuts and I'm not waiting that long to enjoy the truck.

 

[FMC80]

I wasn’t aware there was a delay in getting shocks but I suppose if it’s going through a port in Cali, everything is delayed. Let us know how she does

 

[Feldrian]

I wasn’t aware there was a delay in getting shocks but I suppose if it’s going through a port in Cali, everything is delayed. Let us know how she does

I've heard 6- 9 months for Fox, Icon and Radflo. A year for King. Although 4WP is convinced they can get me Icons or Fox in a month (probably means they'll take my money and then tell me 6 months).

 

[FMC80]

M,
How’s the cruiser? Have you worked out the kinks with your suspension yet? I’m on the hunt right now, well really window shopping for a lift. Looking hard at the dobbies but we will see.

 

[Feldrian]

I'm likely just going to run it the way it is for now. It's not undrivable by any means, just doesn't have the articulation it's capable of. At some point I need to stop tinkering and just enjoy the damn thing.

The Dobie VTs seem like good springs, just be prepared for them to lift you more than advertised unless you have an 8,000lb truck.

 

[Feldrian]

Cleaned up the engine bay with rail and rocker covers. Does a decent job of covering all of the wiring to keep the crap out. (Also to win a $1 bet with my Nephew who didn't believe me I'd put a "Corvette engine" in the LC)

Before:

After:

 

[FMC80]

SCHAAAAAWING!

 

[on the rocks]

So much to take in here. I hope you keep the pictures and info coming in, especially up skirt shots and adapter/ integration with
OEM info. And most important, don't let that bet slide, It didn't happen without proof you collected on that $1.

 

[GW Nugget]

Nice V8 swap....
For the rear shocks can be extended with 2"x2.5" square tubing & bolts. I did it to my stock shocks till I got new ones.
You can also just put longer bolts & spacers in top mount bracket.

 

[Feldrian]

Nice V8 swap....
For the rear shocks can be extended with 2"x2.5" square tubing & bolts. I did it to my stock shocks till I got new ones.
You can also just put longer bolts & spacers in top mount bracket.

Interesting - How did the assembly hold up?

 

[Feldrian]

New hood liner and under hood lights in. Ignore the second set of rivnuts ... I had a disagreement with the radiator cap and it won.

 

[audi2nr]

Where did you get that A/C fitting on the firewall?

 

[Feldrian]

Where did you get that A/C fitting on the firewall?

Hoses were custom made to fit the stock evaporator threads when the V8 was put in. Not sure who actually made the hoses; my conversion was handled by a shop.