Here's mine

[Firebirdjones]

I actually finished this back in the Spring. My daily driver, so far racked up 9,000 trouble free miles, 17 mpg around town and 22 mpg highway.

It's 72 4x4 blazer with a 2004 6.0, and a built 4L60E behind it. Converted the AC to 134 with a new Sanden compressor for comfy cruisin. Tuned myself with HPtuner, ditched the MAF since these pics were taken and went SD tune. Runs great. Getting ready to install a Magneson for a little more get-up-and-go
Been asked several times to post this up. I didn't even know there was an LS swap section here. I rarely leave the blazer section of the board Enjoy the pics, Photobucket doesn't seem to leave them up for long.....

[nibs]

Very nice!

[72gmcshorty]

Where's the details on your build? Saved the pics, hopefully mine comes out as clean as yours

[Firebirdjones]

What is it you would like to know?
I never posted anything in here about it.

Just your usual adapters and mounts to get it in there. Some of the unusual things I did....

I moved the battery to the driver side so I could use the original 2004 battery cable setup with the factory junction block (red box in the picture for later additions). It's actually made for a dual battery setup, I just have the extra cable hidden.

I went with a dual electric fan setup from a 4th gen LS1 camaro, so I could get rid of the huge fan shroud and clean up the appearance a bit and free up some space.

I didn't use the 4L80E that came with the engine, as I didn't want to move the transfer case, and I didn't have enough room to move the engine that far forward, so I built a 4L60E with the best parts available to hold the power this thing should make under boost. We'll see....That allowed me to keep the transfer case in it's orignal spot, so I only had to move the engine forward about 1 1/2 inches.

I had to re-bend all of the front brake lines, since I had to move the holes in the frame forward from where the hard lines pass through to the rubber caliper lines. The new mount system was in the way of the originals. This necessitated the addition of longer caliper hoses, so I went braided steel lines for a lifted truck to gain some added length. Mine is still stock ride height.

I've driven it everyday for years with the stock drivetrain, the trans slipping motivated me to finally do the swap.

[Slowtruk]

sub'd

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by Slowtruk

sub'd

Love the pickup in the picture. I'm partial to those too.

I have a 79 C30 single axle 454/400 turbo that's unrestored. I just installed a GM crate 502 in it. The 454 spun a bearing this past summer.
I'd have to dig around, I don't even know if I have a picture of it.

[Firebirdjones]

Here's the only crappy picture of it... I took pics of the new engine and the engine swap I did to send my father, but it seems I don't have the whole truck for some reason

[72BlckButy]

Love the install.

Had this been put into a 2wd blazer, truck, suburban, would you have used the 4L80E instead?

Can you post more pics of your install? Any/All would be great!

As far as the wiring, did you purchase a kit? Modify the original?

Which engine/tranny mounts did you use?

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by 72BlckButy

Love the install.

Had this been put into a 2wd blazer, truck, suburban, would you have used the 4L80E instead?

Can you post more pics of your install? Any/All would be great!

As far as the wiring, did you purchase a kit? Modify the original?

Which engine/tranny mounts did you use?

Absolutely, I'm a huge fan of the 400 turbo and the subsequent 4L80E's, and it would be a piece of cake to use it in a 2WD application. I just couldn't bring myself to move the transfer case, cut the hole in the floor for the shifter, possible console interferance, possible longer/shorter driveshafts, blah blah blah....So the 4L60 made the swap easier.

For the wiring, I went through Howell Engine Development out of Michigan. I used them in the past for other retro swaps. They custom make the harness to any particular application. In my case it was made for the LS1 electric fans, the 4L60 trans, cruise control, etc....and made long enough to mount the computer under the dash, which is what I requested...
Nice kit, everything labled, just plug and play

For the tranny I used Advance Adapters, that was pretty straight forward. For the engine I used Pacific Fab for a cross member. They are made now for the 4x4 applications and they clear the front differential with the stock ride height. Very slick. It uses 73 and up style motor mounts and comes with the LS block plates to adapt it all. Pricey but made the swap easy.

I'll post more pics, just give me a couple hours to find them all.

[Firebirdjones]

I'll skip the transmission specifics since that's been done many times.

Here is the gutted engine compartment waiting for me...



Factory gauges in the truck work. I had to tap the passenger side head to 1/2" pipe thread. I left the original driver side sensor intact for the computer to do it's thing. Oil pressure was even easier. I removed the factory oil cooler (might reinstall later) and installed the factory plug adapter, and simply tapped it for the 1/8" line. Here are a couple of pics.







Here is the crossmember installed on the engine and then set into the engine bay for mock up. Hugs the oil pan nice and tight and still clears the differential with room to spare.



In this shot you can see I already have the new transmission installed, so I can take measurements. Since the transfer case/transmission dictates exactly where the engine will sit.



A few more to come.....

[Firebirdjones]

Here is the custom made harness I used from Howell, complete with drive-by-wire setup...



I have the engine in at this point, and mocking things up and fabbing stuff where needed. Looks like I already have the battery moved here, and the radiator and fan assembly in.

[Firebirdjones]

Another shot. On the top radiator hose you can see where I spliced in the steam line.
That's an obstacle with LS engines everyone will have to deal with. The factory originally runs these to an overflow tank. Since 72 Blazers don't have one (as most old cars) you have several options.

Most will tell you to drill and tap the top of the water pump. Makes a nice clean install. I didn't like the idea simply because if I ever needed to do a roadside water pump replacement (we've all been there ) Drilling and tapping another water pump wasn't my idea of an easy roadside repair. Even a repair shop might look at you funny and may not guarantee the work....
It's also beneficial to get this steam line as high as possible. Preferably higher than the radiator. Makes it much easier to bleed air out of the system.
So I made a fitting for the upper hose from parts at the local hardware store and just snipped the hose in a convenient spot.



Here I have the new Sanden compressor installed with a bracket kit designed to work with the truck accessory drive. From Kwik Performance. All runs with a single belt.

[BR3W CITY]

thats alot of orange! Nice build man.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

thats alot of orange! Nice build man.

Should see the rest of it. Factory orange truck with optional white/orange highlander cloth interior

[lolife99]

Great LS install.
Thanks for the detailed info.

Which radiator did you use?

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Great LS install.
Thanks for the detailed info.

Which radiator did you use?

That radiator is a cheap aluminum Champion 3 core that you can buy from Ebay.

For an aluminum radiator they are cheap, but I'm not too impressed with quality. Works fine, but the cores are small, no bigger than a copper radiator. Sort of a boxy design too that doesn't fit into the rubber insulators all that well....If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought an LS specific radiator with both connections on the passenger side. Unfortunately I had installed the radiator long before the LS swap was planned. Good thing GM did the same thing for a few years, so the radiator hoses are already made for LS engines with old style radiators. Another tip that makes the swap easy.

I generally use a better quality aluminum radiator for other cars. Griffin is my recommendation and first choice. I've used Be Cool as well.
I prefer the Griffin because they produce their radiators with factory looking tanks, so you can paint them black for a stealth look in a correct style restoration and nobody knows the difference.

[lolife99]

Thanks for the input on the Champion radiators.

You need to post a few "outside pics" of the complete blazer.
(interior pics would be great also)

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lolife99

Thanks for the input on the Champion radiators.

You need to post a few "outside pics" of the complete blazer.
(interior pics would be great also)

Give me a few....

I've been thinking about buying the pickup style side trim and breaking up the orange with a little white down the side to go with the top...

[Firebirdjones]

I don't have too many good outside pics other than our off roading adventures.
Here's one though back at the house....



Here is a quick shot of the interior. Although originally Highlander (plad design) I redid the interior with houndstooth pattern.



This is for all you metal fabbing guru's out there that love repairing the rust...
This is what is underneath the carpet of an Arizona born and raised truck....original paint still on the floors (and firewall in previous pics) Only the outside of the truck was repainted back in 92. That's when the CST wood trim panels were removed. Trim holes were simply mudded over. I may still add that one day, but I think the trim would be worthy of a better paint job first.

[72BlckButy]

Uh-oh... where'd those pics go???

Couldn't check your photobucket settings could you?

[Firebirdjones]

Figures....I've had that issue for a while. Seems the more pics I put up the shorter the time span before they dissappear.
I'm sure I have a setting wrong somewhere, I just haven't figured it out.

I hope you got to see it all before it vanished.

[72BlckButy]

Hopefully someone... right-clicked and saved them. I was short on time and didn't when I had a chance.

Anyone?

That's why I shy away from photobucket... I only have the pics supported on the board.

[Firebirdjones]

Actually, I prefer to link pics directly to the board. It's much easier and less hassle to deal with.

Unfortunately most boards won't support the size of the pics I have, and it's even more trouble to resize them, so I don't bother.

I could try to link one here and see if it works,,,give me a minute....

[Firebirdjones]

Picture????

[Firebirdjones]

Hey it works here,,,,how about that...