1972 Highlander 6.0/4L80E/LoMax

[niceguy678us]

I would like to start off by saying thank you to the people of this site that put the information out there for everyone to use freely. Everything I needed I was able to find by using the search function on this website as well as LS1TECH.COM, and LT1SWAP.COM.

I would like to thank my friend Louis who owns Ashfords Automotive. He and I worked together for years in the automotive mechanic industry, and he helped me with finding all the plug pin-outs on his All-Data service that I needed so I could do my own wiring. The pin-out information is also available on LS1TECH.COM, and LT1SWAP.COM.

I would also like to thank my machinist friend B.J. with Dubois Sheet Metal Works. I have been going to him for YEARS with my project ideas, and he has always been helpful and informative with my part designs and producing them with me. Your the man B.J.!!



I ordered my pull-out from http://jjsautomotiveracing.com/index.aspx . I dealt with Brian and he was ALWAYS helpful and informative with whatever I needed and gave me a HELL of a price. In my package I requested every hose be intact and attatched to the motor/trans. I also requested all the wiring be un-cut. Here is a list of everything I received from Brian:

2005 6.0/4l80e 65,000 miles
trans fluid lines
trans to transfer case adapter
oil cooler lines
AC lines
power steering lines
fuel lines
fuel pump assembly
radiator hoses
radiator overflow reservoir
radiator end tanks
intake tubing
engine bay wiring
engine bay relay/fuse box
ECU
under dash wiring
BCM
drive by wire (DBW) pedal
TAC module
gauge cluster

Here it is the day I brought it home



Out with the old 350 (never liked the gold Moroso bling anyway)



My friend Billy


Next I wanted to keep the body stock and not cut any extra holes. And I wanted to use the stock transfer case but I didn't like any of the adaptors/options that were out there. The advanced adaptor is too long and expensive. My np205 leaked from every seam and needed a rebuild anyway, so I looked at the Lo Max np205 upgrade kit. It came with a new case that has all of the different bolt patterns in the front face (like the 4l80e adapter pattern) rebuild kit with new bearings and gaskets/seals new 3:1 gears etc. I have to say that this guy knows his stuff, and he sells nothing but top shelf parts GUARANTEED! I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of JB conversions John in person and here's his site http://www.jbconversions.com/ . VERY intelligent man and he's also a huge off road enthusiast.

I wanted to keep the stock shifter and have it come through the floor in the stock location, so I designed a bracket that would bolt up next to the 2005 aluminum transfer case adapter piece.







Then the motor was ready to slide in for the first time.



I bolted the np205 up in the stock location and assembled the crossmember. Then I got to work on making the motor mounts. I already knew the stock front 72 crossmember wouldn't work, and I knew the LS engine blocks were designed to be a structural part of the chasis they were installed in anyway, so I made my mounts to suit. I can fab up a tubular crossmember later if necessary.





Frame brackets I made

Motor plates I made


Painting everything


Once the motor was in place I discovered that the 4l80 shifter stud was in EXACTLY the same place as the th350 that was there previously, so I just had to bolt up the linkages and VOILA!! Sorry I didn't get any pics of this I was tired that night and didn't think of it again, untill now.

I am going to ust the truck compressor with the vintage air kit, so I hade to make it work. I didn't want to spend a grand or two on a new serpentine setup when all I had to do was notch the frame and re-inforce it. I used a piece of scrap HEAVY wall 3 inch pipe.









Next I got to work on the gauge cluster. I wanted to use the 2005 cluster for a number of reasons, correct mileage for my motor, all the gauges I need are in one package, etc. I never worked with fiberglass before and thought this would be a good time to learn. So I used the old scratched up original 72 cluster panel for my first attempt. Later on down the road when I restore the truck, I will make another one with a new "pretty" panel. It actually came out o.k. and I know what to do, and what not to do for the next one so it will be perfect.








New acrylic face





Ready for glassing

I used felt fabrick from the fabrick store for the "walls"





Then soak the felt with resin




Now you can see the extra that needs to be trimmed/sanded flush with the 72 panel.



Then I used fiberglass cloth and resin to fill what was left of the old gauge holes.



A little bit of bondo/sanding

I used Rust-oleum "Multicolor Textured" (223525 Aged Iron) to get the texture back and top coated with Rust-oleum "Flat Protective Enamel" (7776 flat black). Both are available at any Lowes store.





Next hurdle was the gas tank. I had JUST put in a new replacement metal tank in the blazer and had the old tank's filler neck soldered/brazed (however they do it) to the new tank. I also wanted to integrate the 2005 fuel pump assembly into it for several reasons, fuel gauge to work, correct fuel pressure, etc. My first attempt came out great. I made a mounting ring that had welded nuts on the back side for the fuel pump to slide down into. I then had a machinist buddy of mine machine a little ridge for the O-ring to sit in, and he cleaned up the center hole so the pump assembly would "just" clear it and slide down into it.




Then I made a top ring that would sit on the top of the pump assembly. The bolts (with sealing tape applied) would slide through this piece and squeeze down on the rubber o-ring sealing everything up.



But I found out when I installed it that it hit the floor. Just about 3/4 inch too tall. So I had to go back to the drawing board. Lucky for me the fuel pump assembly's metal rods let it "collapse". So all I had to do was drop the mounting level down an inch or so to have PLENTY of room.



The springing action


Everything bolted tegether



From there I ran my one fuel line to the engine. I capped everything else off except for the vent lines and mounted her up.

Then came the radiator saga. My original plans were to find a radiator company that would make me an aluminum center section that was shorter than the 2005 so I could mount the end caps to it and install it in the 72 blazer core support. Since I had ALL the oil lines and trans lines, this would have been an affordable and EASY way to do this part of the drive line swap. BUT NOOOO, I got laughed out of radiator shops, hung up on, told me I was crazy "your putting a what in a what?" I left messages that never got returned, I got the run around, you name it. Everyone now operates on the "I can't find a part number in my catalog so that means it doesn't exist" philosophy. So I was on my own again..... Plan ""B"

I ended up buying an ebay replacement aluminum radiator.



And I decided instead of buying an expensive quality aftermarket fan, I wanted to use the camaro LS1 dual fans. They can be had ANYWHERE for 100 bucks, and there are affordable replacement motors available to service the assembly, so it's a win-win really.

The bracket I made out of aluminum that allows the camaro fans to slide in and lock just like the stock on the camaro radiator.




Then I made a wiring harness that mimicks the factory camaro wiring all the way to the truck ECU.



Remember that I got the 05 upper and lower radiator hoses with my pull-out and the original plan was to use the stock 05 radiator end caps so everything would be easy? Well since I had to ust the 72 replacement radiator, the 05 hoses wouldn't fit. So I went to my local O'reilly's and spent some time looking at all the hoses hanging on the wall in the back. I have been using that particular store for so many years, they all know me by name and didn't mind me hanging out back there for a while. So I found a few that might just work and they let me bring them home for test fitting. Well I found the perfect two hoses. The upper hose fits like it was made for me, and the lower hose just needed a little trimming.



The two part numbers



With the radiator section done I moved on the the coolers. I bought two B&M supercoolers to mount in front of the radiator, barbed fittings for the trans side and -10 AN for the oil side. I also purchased the Mocal LS series oil thermostat block with -10 AN male ends. Here is the link to the websites catalog http://97.74.103.94/files/newprod.pdf . I am also going to use the vintage air kit so the two coolers had to be recessed flush with the front of the core support for the vintage air parts to clear. In order to mount them flush I had to do two things. I had to move the lower radiator brackets foreward a little bit, space them up with a pieces of scrap 3/8ths plate and tack them down. Then I had to make two holes for the lines to go through and re-inforce them.


I used some HEAVY wall 3" box tubing scraps I picked up from my machinist friends shop.







Routing/making the lines




I hated cutting the core support but it was one of those things that just had to be done.

Next up was the power steering line. I brought the stock 72 high side line, and the 05 high side line to a locak hydraulic shop. The guy put a female swivel end on the 05 hose and brazed a male fitting on the 72 hard line.




Next up was the intake ducting. I choped off the little box off the bottom and fiberglassed up the hole with some extra glass mat and resin I had left over from the cluster project.


I then bought a K&N cone filter to attach to the MAF. Only one problem.... it was just a "fuzz" too big.

so I went to lowes and found something in the plumbing section that would work perfectly.








Allright guys, I need a break from my computer. I'll get to the rest later. I hope you enjoy.