Throwing parts at a 60 build thread. Now Featuring V8 swap

[dbbowen]

What brand is the tent? Looks great

Thanks! Its from Go Fast Campers. They make camper/wedge tents for trucks and also a full aluminum wedge RTT with gas struts that can support like 500 lbs or something like that too. This is the "super light" tent they make. Pretty cool made in USA company

 

[DirtRoads]

You carry a yeti AND a fridge freezer camping?!? Daaaaaaaaang

 

[dbbowen]

You carry a yeti AND a fridge freezer camping?!? Daaaaaaaaang

can never have enough cold beverages!

 

[Slabsides45]

He prolly camps with a bunch of Baptists....

 

[dbbowen]

Found and reserved a donor V8 from a 2004 2wd Silverado. Gen3 5.3 with 4l60e with 70K miles. Hes parting the whole truck, so ill be able to get the harness, computer, pedal, etc all in one go.

Started ordering some parts for the swap.

- Advance Adapters 4l60 tcase adapter - PN: 809-19212593

- Cheverolet performance LS Muscle Car Oil Pan Kit PN: 809-19212593

- Howell EFI Gen 3 Vortec Harness 99-04 5.3 4l60e PN: HVL53T-02

-Hooker Blackheart LS Swap Exhaust manifolds black ceramic coat 2.5 in outlet PN: 8502-3HKR

- ARB 12v Twin Onboard Air Compressor Kit PN: CKMTA12KIT

- Lokar Cable Operated Shifter PN: CO4L60ECXMB


Bought a crossmember/motor mount kit from The LandCruiser Shop. Supposedly you measure out their cross member to a few points on your frame and when the trans is in place, the motor mounts are where they are supposed to be. Its pricey, but takes a lot of the guesswork and hassle out of placing the motor and trans. Planning to do the same route with Cams radiator and hoses for the swap to just make everything easier.




Anyways, went camping last weekend and figured id post up some pics to the dead thread. Stuffed the tire in the fender and got stuck once but overall it was a pretty great trip with some newer model toyotas and with @chazzmatazz and some good folks.

 

[wngrog]

Good luck. It’s going to be awesome I’m sure.

 

[dbbowen]

Really want this to be my new LinkedIn profile picture

 

[dbbowen]

Good luck. It’s going to be awesome I’m sure.

Thanks! i really hope so, my first motor swap ever so trying to make sure everything is all good beforehand. Crystal really wants to do a trip to Sedona AZ in the 60, and i just really dont think the 2f is making that trip haha

 

[offr0adlim0]

Found and reserved a donor V8 from a 2004 2wd Silverado. Gen3 5.3 with 4l60e with 70K miles. Hes parting the whole truck, so ill be able to get the harness, computer, pedal, etc all in one go.

Started ordering some parts for the swap.

- Advance Adapters 4l60 tcase adapter - PN: 809-19212593

- Cheverolet performance LS Muscle Car Oil Pan Kit PN: 809-19212593

- Howell EFI Gen 3 Vortec Harness 99-04 5.3 4l60e PN: HVL53T-02

-Hooker Blackheart LS Swap Exhaust manifolds black ceramic coat 2.5 in outlet PN: 8502-3HKR

- ARB 12v Twin Onboard Air Compressor Kit PN: CKMTA12KIT

- Lokar Cable Operated Shifter PN: CO4L60ECXMB


Bought a crossmember/motor mount kit from The LandCruiser Shop. Supposedly you measure out their cross member to a few points on your frame and when the trans is in place, the motor mounts are where they are supposed to be. Its pricey, but takes a lot of the guesswork and hassle out of placing the motor and trans. Planning to do the same route with Cams radiator and hoses for the swap to just make everything easier.




Anyways, went camping last weekend and figured id post up some pics to the dead thread. Stuffed the tire in the fender and got stuck once but overall it was a pretty great trip with some newer model toyotas and with @chazzmatazz and some good folks.

I’d swap out the Howell EFI harness for a Holley Terminator X Max harness and ECU. It’s self tuning and doesn’t require “Tokens” or a laptop to tune. Also capable of tuning on the fly and is compatible with all of Holley’s gauges and digital dash displays by just plugging into the CAN connector. No adaptors or signal converters required. Also make sure you get a 2wd 4L60 as it has the correct output shaft length needed for the t-case adapter. Budget $1200-$1800 for a full rebuild of the 4L60. It may shift fine now but that is a certified weak link that will show its ugly face down the road.

 

[dbbowen]

I’d swap out the Howell EFI harness for a Holley Terminator X Max harness and ECU. It’s self tuning and doesn’t require “Tokens” or a laptop to tune. Also capable of tuning on the fly and is compatible with all of Holley’s gauges and digital dash displays by just plugging into the CAN connector. No adaptors or signal converters required. Also make sure you get a 2wd 4L60 as it has the correct output shaft length needed for the t-case adapter. Budget $1200-$1800 for a full rebuild of the 4L60. It may shift fine now but that is a certified weak link that will show its ugly face down the road.

So i was planning on trying to keep all of my original 60 gauges to keep it original looking. I am having my tach reprogrammed and reprinted by a restoration shop to run up to 8k rpm. The speedhut gauges seem to use EL lighting that is pretty dim and i wanted to keep the front lit old school gauges. Can that Holley harness still run the old gauges?

Have you ever heard of anyone "beefing up" a 4l60?

 

[wngrog]

If you get a good rebuilt 4l60 and keep it cool it will last a long long time. It’s a great transmission but it needs to be cool and live in the proper RPMs

 

[dbbowen]

If you get a good rebuilt 4l60 and keep it cool it will last a long long time. It’s a great transmission but it needs to be cool and live in the proper RPMs

Good to know. This is my first time messing with any of this GM stuff. Going to try installing a large trans cooler if I can somewhere to help cool it down

 

[offr0adlim0]

So i was planning on trying to keep all of my original 60 gauges to keep it original looking. I am having my tach reprogrammed and reprinted by a restoration shop to run up to 8k rpm. The speedhut gauges seem to use EL lighting that is pretty dim and i wanted to keep the front lit old school gauges. Can that Holley harness still run the old gauges?

Have you ever heard of anyone "beefing up" a 4l60?

Going to need a tach converter to for proper rpm signal. I know nothing about the Speedhut gauges so can’t answer on compatibility with terminator. Holley does have multiple analog style gauges in various sizes that are plug and play with the terminator.

4l60 can absolutely be beefed up. Use 4l65/4l70 planetary and quality clutches. Don’t waste your money on performance clutches and coated steels as they usually don’t live long in a driver. Stock replacements work just fine. As Grogan said run an efficient cooler that is capable of keeping the fluid cool. Use a bar and plate style not a tube and fin.

 

[dbbowen]

Going to need a tach converter to for proper rpm signal. I know nothing about the Speedhut gauges so can’t answer on compatibility with terminator. Holley does have multiple analog style gauges in various sizes that are plug and play with the terminator.

4l60 can absolutely be beefed up. Use 4l65/4l70 planetary and quality clutches. Don’t waste your money on performance clutches and coated steels as they usually don’t live long in a driver. Stock replacements work just fine. As Grogan said run an efficient cooler that is capable of keeping the fluid cool. Use a bar and plate style not a tube and fin.

Damn I sure was looking at tube and fin coolers. I was going to try to just get everything running and then have a trans shop beef up the trans and rebuild it. This s*** is getting expensive haha. I’d like to eventually put a cam and an intake like fi tech on it or something. But for just now, everything stock is gonna have to work. Just hope it doesn’t kill itself.

My buddy is parting his 80 and I’m trying to grab his axles, steering, and linkage because it’s kind of a good situation for me, but horrible timing. Those are probably going to sit for quite a while until I can swap em in. It’s a ff Elocker rear and front with an air locker

 

[YotaJosh]

Use the original Toyota sending units and all your gauges will work fine. Will need some adapters. All that has been tackled by numerous LS swap threads here on Mud.

As for the 4L60E, I had some headaches using the one that came with my LS, and then with the one I snagged from a dismantler. Ended up doing a rebuild myself (pretty easy with a few hours of Youtube training), and did all the common upgrades (sun shell, stronger band servo, 13 vane pump, accumulator pistons, and the Sonnax servo release check valve). I've got 15k miles on it and it's been flawless.

 

[dbbowen]

Use the original Toyota sending units and all your gauges will work fine. Will need some adapters. All that has been tackled by numerous LS swap threads here on Mud.

As for the 4L60E, I had some headaches using the one that came with my LS, and then with the one I snagged from a dismantler. Ended up doing a rebuild myself (pretty easy with a few hours of Youtube training), and did all the common upgrades (sun shell, stronger band servo, 13 vane pump, accumulator pistons, and the Sonnax servo release check valve). I've got 15k miles on it and it's been flawless.

Nice! I was looking at the Marks adapters for the Oil pressure and water temp. Figured those would be the easiest routes to go. I dont care for EL lighting for anything outside of decorating so the Speedhuts are a no go, but I think the OEM gauges will look great and keep it looking original inside for the most part. What did you do for your tach?


Im really hoping i can get at least like 6 months out of the 4l60e before i pull it and try to either rebuild it or have a local shop do it. I know a guy who has one attached to a souped up drag truck so im sure it can handle some abuse. Kinda sucks on the finger crossing that is about to go on with this motor/trans haha. Do you have a build thread on your swap? Had some questions on oil pan/diff and front drive shaft/oilpan clearance and a few other things

 

[YotaJosh]

Nice! I was looking at the Marks adapters for the Oil pressure and water temp. Figured those would be the easiest routes to go. I dont care for EL lighting for anything outside of decorating so the Speedhuts are a no go, but I think the OEM gauges will look great and keep it looking original inside for the most part. What did you do for your tach?


Im really hoping i can get at least like 6 months out of the 4l60e before i pull it and try to either rebuild it or have a local shop do it. I know a guy who has one attached to a souped up drag truck so im sure it can handle some abuse. Kinda sucks on the finger crossing that is about to go on with this motor/trans haha. Do you have a build thread on your swap? Had some questions on oil pan/diff and front drive shaft/oilpan clearance and a few other things

I never got my tach working. Never could find a reliable, tried-and-true writeup about using the OEM one. Most people give up and swap it to a newer, aftermarket one. I'll probably do that one day. For now, I know when it's idling, and the ECM does a good job of enforcing the redline.

If your donor was running/driving and you know the mileage (and maintenance history), then I'd feel better running the trans as-is. If you know nothing other than it's bolted to your motor, and it's a 4L60E, then it's easier to go through it now than to swap it in, test drive, get pissed, and have to pull it knowing the cruiser drove so much better with the new motor and you can't drive it. I speak from experience.

Link to my build thread: FJ60 5.7l TBI to 5.3l LS Swap - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj60-5-7l-tbi-to-5-3l-ls-swap.1000636/

 

[dbbowen]

I never got my tach working. Never could find a reliable, tried-and-true writeup about using the OEM one. Most people give up and swap it to a newer, aftermarket one. I'll probably do that one day. For now, I know when it's idling, and the ECM does a good job of enforcing the redline.

If your donor was running/driving and you know the mileage (and maintenance history), then I'd feel better running the trans as-is. If you know nothing other than it's bolted to your motor, and it's a 4L60E, then it's easier to go through it now than to swap it in, test drive, get pissed, and have to pull it knowing the cruiser drove so much better with the new motor and you can't drive it. I speak from experience.

Link to my build thread: FJ60 5.7l TBI to 5.3l LS Swap - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj60-5-7l-tbi-to-5-3l-ls-swap.1000636/

Ive got a shop that is going to reprogram my stock tach and then reprint the background so it reads in 2k intervals up to 8k rpm. Im pretty sure the ecu of the 5.3 reads a 4cyl signal so im going to try and get them to that, if not i think they have a converter. My buddy was able to get his 86 4runner stock tach to work on the GM ECU. If i get it working right ill remember to document it for you so you can get yours going.

Thankfully the donor truck was running and has a confirmed 77K on the odometer so that makes me feel a bit better about using it. All the parts are coming from the same truck

Did you use the same oilpan that i listed above? Did you have any clearance issues or have to do anything to make everything fit?

 

[YotaJosh]

Did you use the same oilpan that i listed above? Did you have any clearance issues or have to do anything to make everything fit?

Yes, used the same GM hot rod pan. I wish I raised my motor a bit more in the engine bay and moved it back a bit, but I chose not to because I was reusing shortened driveshafts and wanted to keep the tcase in the same place as the previous motor swap did. Now that my swap is done and has all the weight back on the truck, the top of the diff barely kisses a standoff on the oilpan. I'm going to extend my bumpstops to prevent it.

My post about the oilpan, with pics: FJ60 5.7l TBI to 5.3l LS Swap - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj60-5-7l-tbi-to-5-3l-ls-swap.1000636/#post-11176980

I ended up getting a Tom Woods shaft build for the front driveshaft. 2" diameter I think. Was the only way to clear the trans pan enough.

 

[dbbowen]

Yes, used the same GM hot rod pan. I wish I raised my motor a bit more in the engine bay and moved it back a bit, but I chose not to because I was reusing shortened driveshafts and wanted to keep the tcase in the same place as the previous motor swap did. Now that my swap is done and has all the weight back on the truck, the top of the diff barely kisses a standoff on the oilpan. I'm going to extend my bumpstops to prevent it.

My post about the oilpan, with pics: FJ60 5.7l TBI to 5.3l LS Swap - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj60-5-7l-tbi-to-5-3l-ls-swap.1000636/#post-11176980

I ended up getting a Tom Woods shaft build for the front driveshaft. 2" diameter I think. Was the only way to clear the trans pan enough.

Ah yeah the tom woods driveshaft is definitely on my list. Thats a good idea of moving the motor back some. I am curious to see where those landcruiser shop crossmember/motor mounts kit i ordered will sit the motor. If there is room ill definitley try to move it back. The diff smacking the pan is my biggest concern. Im on OME mediums with the add a leafs until i can do the coil conversion and the front end is still kinda lower than id like. Still liking your swap?