1952 Chevy Vette Farm Truck Build

[FarmerSid]

Originally Posted by JJorgensen52

Yes, for DBW you will need the throttle pedal and the extension harness for it (there's a connector up under the dash).

The '07 had a standalone TCM, in the '05 it's part of the ECM - so if you get the '05 harness and an '05 ECM, it should be able to control the trans. I had misunderstood and thought you had an '07 ECM.

It would be easiest to use the '05 trans with the '05 harness, because there are a some changes in the way the trans is wired and the sensors - it can get confusing to try and swap them around. Memory says any trans from 03-07 should work, but the earlier ones are different, as are the later ones.

On my '50 project, I'm using a 2011 ECM and TCM and harness with a 2010 trans, which works out fortunately.

If you're feeling brave, check out this page: http://lt1swap.com/2000harness.htm ... TONS of info about the differences in the harnesses for the 99-07 style trucks.

Turns out the L33 is an 06. Should I go DBW or mechanical cable? Maybe I should get in touch with Black Bear Performance and see what they have to say. They can supply a programmed ECM way cheaper than I can buy one up here, send it down to get programmed then shipped back up.

Wreckers here have ECM's but don't keep them matched to the engine. They tell me to get the numbers off the old one and match it up to one on their shelf.

If I remember correctly, Black Bear just needed to know what truck I had and they did the rest.

With so much info out there, my head is just spinning. Almost to a point where I need some one to just tell me what year and vehicle to get a tranny out of and what else I need. LOL!

[aknovaman]

Use DBW. It is easy to wire up cruise control with just two toggle switches. Saves you some $$ if you use a 2003 to 2005 with the pedal and tacc.

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

Turns out the L33 is an 06. Should I go DBW or mechanical cable? Maybe I should get in touch with Black Bear Performance and see what they have to say. They can supply a programmed ECM way cheaper than I can buy one up here, send it down to get programmed then shipped back up.

I agree with aknovaman, DBW has a LOT of advantages ... I would have said something totally different a few years ago but I am learning a lot about these here motors (I'm in fact planning ANOTHER swap, looking for an L33 or L76 to go into a '92 S10 shortbed I picked up recently).

I suspect what Black Bear needs to know is the year of the harness, in this case - some of the pins moved around from year to year. If the L33 is an '06 with the harness, that's perfect and they should be able to flash the ECM to suit. The '05 trans you were looking at should plug'n'play to that harness (as long as the L33 was in an auto truck) and that makes life simple.

A far as it goes, if you don't get the pedal and harness it's not terrible to trace them out and wire it back in. I found that the Corvette pedal fits the AD's way better than the truck one does - same connector but they re-arranged the pins ... go figue

Let us know what you decide! There's a ton of swap experience here on the board, so we can get you through it

[BIGglaSS]

Starterman, thank you for the drawing! At least it is a good starting point. Although, I'm doing a '57.

Sid, I'm not using the flatout kit. Making my own. Previous owner did a bad job of a step notch, so it is coming out. Basically I'm doing a back half. I was wondering what the dimensions were so I could get a good starting point. I'm making temporary brackets to mount it to the existing step notch for mock-up. Then I'll come up with a plan to back-half.

I'm also trying to learn the 5.3 LS. Confusing. The easiest thing would be to buy the ECM already programmed, and a custom built harness. It's all a matter of time vs. money. Given the choice, I would also go with DBW.

[FarmerSid]

Need some help guy's. I was planning to install a new rear cross member yesterday but wanted to ask you guy's if I should put the cross member between the rails or could I put it at the end of the rails. The rear cross sill hangs over the rails and thought I'd put the rear cross member at the end to give the rear sill some support. Will I run into problems later by doing this?






The box side is bolted in the factory holes. This is how the box side sits in relation to the cab.




Thanks all!

[solidaxel]

The only problem I had with the new (across the back) rear X member is it interfered with the license plate cut out but I have a roll pan

[FarmerSid]

Thanks axel. I want to run a tank fill from behind a fold down license plate using a 67-69 camaro.

The reason I ask is I will be effectively lengthening the frame by 1 1/2" if I add the 3 1/2" X 1 1/2" tube across the back of the frame as opposed to inside the frame rails.

[FarmerSid]

I need some of you pro builders help. Having a bit of a hard time maintaining my rear wheel centers due to the rough shape of my box. If any of you could grab a tape measure and see if your measurements match to mine, that would help me a lot. I don't want to spent the big $$ on a box right now as that money is needed else where on the build. All my measurements are taken from the bottom the bottom of the stake pockets.

I have 4 3/8" from the cab to the front of the stake pocket. 13 1/4" from the back of the stake pocket to the fender and 4 3/4" from the front of the rear stake pocket to the back of the rear fender. I also have 2 1/2" from the top of the fender in the center to the bottom of the round bed rail top. Hope that makes sense.

I seem to be getting huge wheel center differences with just the slightest bedside adjustment as well as the question I had in the above post.

The running board is off of the brackets that bolt to the frame. If I center the filler panel between the cab and the rear fender, the rear bracket welded to the running board sits about half way on the bracket that bolts to the frame while the front is centered on top. How much of the rear fender is hanging below the running board on your trucks?

Take a look at the attached picture and see what you think. Kinda at a stand still till I get this figured out. The front of the rear fender pretty much touches the rear side of the running board bracket.

Need some expert eye's to set me straight.

Thanks!

[oldman3]

Sid, NO pro builder here, but I checked by sons truck and here are the measurements I got.

1. From front of bed to cab at the lowest point is 2-11/16" (see arrow and bold black line in the first pic.

2. From front of front stake pocket to cab is 4-5/8".(see pic 1)

3. From back of front stake pocket to fender is 12-13/16" (see pic 1)

4. From front of rear stake pocket to fender is 5 -1/16" (see pic 2)

5. Top of fender to bottom of bed rail is 2-3/8"

Pic 3 is how tire is centered in fender.

All my measurement were taken from bottom of stake pockets as close to the bed as possible.

My sons runningboards line up with the brackets

Hope this helps....Jim

[FarmerSid]

Thanks Jim. I appreciate it. My dimensions are not that far off of yours. The cab is sitting in the factory location and I'm using a factory mounting hole in the top of the frame that the front bed panel and cross sill mount to. The front bed panel is banged up and curved in towards the cab. Didn't think this would effect the wheel center this much. You can see where the fender was before on the bed side before I removed it. Things just don't add up. The rear running board bracket is in the factory location but shows that it needs to go forward about 1/2" and this is with the front bracket sitting centered on the front pad under the front of the running board.

With the fender looking like it needs to go forward, the splash pan would hit the cab and fender. If I had your dimension of 12 13/16" from the front of the rear fender to the back side of the stake pocket, my fender would be sitting on top of the running board bracket.

How far below the running board is the rear fender where the two meet? Any suggestions on how I should proceed?


Thanks!

[solidaxel]

What is the length of your apron, it looks like a 3/4 ton, is it the one that came with the truck........ I think the 54/55 1st are different

[FarmerSid]

I don't have the length if front of me. The aprons are what where installed on the truck when I got it.

[T bone]

Sid your skirts seemed to fit tighter in your initial pictures in post 6. What are you thinking has changed? Cheers

[FarmerSid]

Originally Posted by T bone

Sid your skirts seemed to fit tighter in your initial pictures in post 6. What are you thinking has changed? Cheers

Not sure but now that I've sat back and bolted things together more securely and used new cross sills I had, things are working out. Things were a little sloppy fitting I guess. Had to straighten the front bed panel a bit.

[FarmerSid]

Not much but a bit of an update. Been working on the frame.

First time rolling on it's own! Before the frame was boxed. Epoxy primed. So much win!

[FarmerSid]

[FarmerSid]

A few of my helpers. It's awesome having them down in the barn with me. They wanna help me out and use the power tools. The oldest boy Jake, is just learning to use a jig saw and is cutting everything up in sight. Made himself a wooden gun and one for his brother Nate. Once they hit the belt sander, the part ends up being half the size they started out with. So much better than TV.

[FarmerSid]

[FarmerSid]

The frame boxed, stripped and back up on saw horses for welding on the bottom.

[FarmerSid]

Got a new camera so that's why the pictures a a bit smaller. Could care less right now but will figure it out.

What a lot of grinding but will look awesome in the end. Look at all the grindings on the floor.





Got some more 2X4X1/8 tubing and started on the cut outs for the exhaust pipe through the cross members.


I cut out the outside shape on the band saw and then used a grinding wheel as a pattern to cut out the inside diameter with a plasma cutter. The inside diameter of the opening is 3 3/4".




And a few of the cut outs tacked together. The 2X4 will be welded flush to the top of the frame and the cut outs will be welded on the bottom of the 2X4.

[FarmerSid]

Next is finish welding the inside of the exhaust ports and capping them off. Then determine where I want the cross member to go to tie the frame rails together to stiffen things up.

Maybe tomorrow the L33 5.3 will be ready to pick up. Need it to determine motor mounts and trany mount. So much looking ahead that I hope I don't have to go back and redo.

That's all for now...........Hope you all get a laugh out of my idea's.

[Advanced Design]

Chassis is Looking really good Sid! It is great having the boys in the shop...fun times and making memories.

[FarmerSid]

Thanks AD! It is awesome having the boys out with me. I feel bad asking them to leave when I have to weld. They both want to learn how to weld. My Dad was never into building stuff so I had to figure it out on my own. I really want to pass on what I know to my boys so that hopefully one day they will drag home a bucket of bolts and rust and want their Dad to help them get it on the road.

[oldman3]

Sid, frame looks great, sons in the shop, couldn't ask for more....Jim

[99 to Life]

looks saaawweeeett. Your doing kids right by even having them around this stuff at all, let alone actually getting their hands on it.