Vortec Swap

[radioridge]

As "The Mule" Hugh's epic tale of how to build a 40 comes into its final chapter i thought you might enjoy some lite reading. A short story if you will. (at least i hope its short) About a year ago i picked up a 5.7 vortec in a trade with one of my customers. It was from a '97 tahoe with unknown miles but it was cheap. I then sent the engine to a machine shop in chattanooga for a complete rebuild.

After it came back from the builder i started bolting on the accesories and cutting down the wire harness.

There's a lot of wire that can be removed from these. (trans,t-case,cruise) The only things from the engine i'm deleting are the egr and post cat O2 sesors.

pics of egr block-off plate i made and plug from summit

 

[radioridge]

couple pics of the engine complete and ready to drop in.

 

[radioridge]

old V-8 ready to come out. may try to clean and paint the firewall before the new one goes in.

 

[radioridge]

Not much progress tonight. Got the steering out of the way and removed almost everything from the firewall.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Real nice Clark... real nice.

 

[Elbert]

looks like a good start. If you have any questions that I can help out on...let me know or post up and I'll respond here. Looks clean so far.

I've acquired a few spare items ...every now and then I'll surf around on ebay looking for "stuff", if you get stuck on some missing part, let me know and I'll look though my spare junk.

One thing I would do different on mine is allow for more room between the radiator and the water pump. I went into my swap pretty green and so learned a good bit along the way. I have a mark's adapter which locked me in to a certain location (that's the idea with using one of those) anyway on my 60...I would like the engine to sit back from the radiator more and one day I may do that. Makes it a reall challenge to setup radiator fan and cooling options.

I've noticed a few good threads on the 40 and 60 sections about engine swaps (V-8) was a real detailed one dealing with a ram-jet 350 in the 40 section and one or two on the 60 section dealing with the 5.7 vortec.

what is cool...is that you have power, you can actually pass someone, your truck will start first time around no matter the temp and will run no matter the angle, spare parts are everywhere.

Challenges: cooling, PCM programming, wiring.

 

[sk8salomon]

wow, looks awesome. something i would like to try someday.

 

[radioridge]

got a little more done today. Trans and t-case are out and the firewall is ready for paint. Got to take the kiddies trick or treating maybe i'll be able to paint after they get their candy fix.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

wow, looks awesome. something i would like to try someday.

But you can't because your a total fag.


I'm all and about this thread...

 

[Elbert]

Man...what's taking so long, I thought the engine would be running by now?

 

[radioridge]

Man...what's taking so long, I thought the engine would be running by now?

I hear ya. I had to stop for a couple days too much real work getting in the way.

 

[sk8salomon]

i just noticed all the speakers and enclosures behind the engine in the 1st pic. next meeting i'll bring pictures of all the old systems i built in high school and we can laugh at them.

 

[Elbert]

what you gonna do for VSS?

 

[radioridge]

i bought a vss made for the toyota t-case from jagsthatrun.com

 

[Elbert]

i bought a vss made for the toyota t-case from jagsthatrun.com

Post up a pic or two on that if you get the chance... I'll hunt around the web site.

 

[radioridge]

got the first coat of color on

 

[radioridge]

Post up a pic or two on that if you get the chance... I'll hunt around the web site.

elbert i'll get u a pic as soon as i remember where i put that d..n thing

 

[radioridge]

clear coated. now i can finally start putting this thing back together.

 

[radioridge]

Got a little done over the weekend

 

[radioridge]

now the fun starts.