My version of the s10 swap

[addicted2dunes]

Originally Posted by BlueJeep

And lasty, the fuse panel from the s10. If anyone has a 95ish s10, I'm trying to chase down what the circled items in red are for. A fuse fits in them, so I'm assuming they're circuits that weren't used in my s10, but I'm not entirely sure...and I no longer have that little plastic cover with the labels for all the fuses....

Here is the list starting from the top (your left side). The top of the panel is where the two missing fuses are. If you turn it like this it goes as so:

30 amp Power, 20 amp Power Accy.
20 amp 4WD, 10 amp Something Battery, 25 amp Power Aux, 20 amp Stop/Hazards
10 amp Crank, 10 amp AC Compressor, 30 amp Defogger, 20 amp Courtesy
10 amp Illumination, 20 amp Something FOG, 20 amp ECM Battery, 20 amp Park Lamps
10 amp Air Bag, 15 amp Turn Signals, 20 amp ECM/Ignition, 10 amp Gauges
EMPTY, 25 amp Wiper, 20 amp Radio, 20 amp Engine
10 amp Trans, EMPTY, 10 amp Brake, 20 amp Heater/AC

[BlueJeep]

Thanks! Wiring is coming up here really soon.

OK for my updates. I'd been putting off doing the front body mounts partly because I was still trying to decide how I wanted to do them and partly because I was dreading getting all the front sheetmetal lined up correctly. I wanted to do the mounts differently than any of the other ones I've seen. I believe, like on Jeeps, the original radiator support was mounted near the middle to allow for frame flex, and to not have the frame flex translate into front clip fatigue/cracking. Since I now have an s10 frame and it won't flex like the original one...I wanted more of a modern-esque radiator support. I also wanted to use bushings to mount it, rather than hard mounted like most others.

After quite a bit of staring at it and thinking...here's what I came up with:







What I really like about how I did this, is that I made the mounts adjustable and they also have a captured nut. I can move the mounts around in a circle to make sure the clip is square and aligned properly, and only need a wrench on the top side. Later I'll go back and cap everything off and finish it out, it's just assembled now so I can keep working on other things.

I'll make little boxes in the corners of the inner fenders where I cut them out too, to keep road grime from ending up on top of these mounts.

[bjcaldwe]

I like what you came up with.

[BlueJeep]

The radiator is just a 19x22 cheepie that I found online for $140ish. I used universal isolators from Jegs, and bent up some 1" x 1/8" strap to hold them on the bottom, then sunk that in the new bottom of the radiator support. The top is the same treatment, but with 2" wide straps, so the mounting bolts could fit alongside the 3/4" wide isolators.





The transmission cooler is a 19,000 gvwr one from B&M, same one I've used on projects for years. I made some mounting rods for it from some 3/8" round stock, and it kinda matches the round stock used to support the bottom center of the grille. This was because I was out of 1" wide strap....so rather than run to the hardware store for some more I spent 2 hours making these

Since I'm pretty sure I have ADD, I skip around quite a bit. Tonight I mounted my 88 Chevy bench seat, and surprisingly it clears the doors throughout the whole range of the sliders (though not by much). I'll make some floor reinforcement plates for under the floor later, and will do the same for the seatbelts. I'm going to try to use the OEM seatbelts out of the 88 as well, we'll see if there is enough room for the retractors back there. I wonder about cutting out the support that used to divide the under seat tool box from the gas tank, as I speculate it adds structure to the rear cab mounts.

Next up, I'll finish up mounting my steering column and pedals, and install my new Lokar transmission shift linkage. Then plumbing, wiring, and driveshaft...

[jeffs51chevy]

Blue Jeep,
Very nice - you really worked it out, putting a lot of quality thought into adjustibility. On a very small note, due to clearance issues, I had to remove the captured nuts on the top of the core support (the ones that the rods attach to and then bolt to the lower grill apron). I re-welded them to the front side, thus having to shorten the rods. Not difficult, just a pain. Your design is far superior. Thanks for sharing.

Jeff

[BlueJeep]

Thanks Jeff! My radiator is rocked slightly back at the top, which allows me to use those weld nuts from the rods in the stock position. Actually, I used some longer bolts through those holes up against my radiator tanks to "position" the radiator where I wanted it while fabbing the brackets.

[BlueJeep]

Some additional pics:

88 Chevy bench seat and stock 88 brackets in 49


How they sit on the floor, I'd say about perfect


I used one of these on my dad's Chevelle, and it was pretty slick. I priced out the heims and then tried to figure out how many times it would take to get the "lever arm" length correct on the tranny, and decided it was better to spend $50 on Amazon.com and get this. The "lever arm" is infinitely adjustable, as well as splined for 360* of indexing. Very nice piece for the price.

[BlueJeep]

Pics are kinda dark, but I'm happy with the gaps I was able to get:

[chevyrestoguy]

Very nice! I especially like your ability to use what you have available and make it work. Also, your fabrication skills are very impressive, and you make this swap look easy (I know it's a LOT of work, even with a complete donor truck for parts).

Keep posting pictures!

[OrrieG]

Nice fit especially on the hood. FWIW on th350 trans the mid 70's truck lever arms are longer than the car ones and fit into a slide fitting at the pivot arm. I used one when I replace the PG in my 64 chevelle, got it close and cut off the extra length.

[BlueJeep]

Thanks Orrie. The cool thing about the Lokar rod is that it eliminates that pivot thing entirely. The rod goes straight from the column to the transmission. I had originally thought I'd modify the stock shifter cable (from the s10's 4L60) to mount to the column, but again for $50 this was too easy.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Good price on that radiator. From what I can see so far, that's the size I need also. Mind sharing where you got it?

[code4]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

Good price on that radiator. From what I can see so far, that's the size I need also. Mind sharing where you got it?

I've used these in the past, they are well built for the $$

http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Univ...52961/10002/-1

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

Good price on that radiator. From what I can see so far, that's the size I need also. Mind sharing where you got it?

Looked up my credit card receipt, Competition Motorsports in Missouri is where it came from. I ordered it last summer.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Originally Posted by code4

I've used these in the past, they are well built for the $$

http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Univ...52961/10002/-1

Jegs, Summit, and Speedway all have the same dimensions; if you need 22 wide, the shortest is 19 high. That's why I was curious where he found 17 high.

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

Jegs, Summit, and Speedway all have the same dimensions; if you need 22 wide, the shortest is 19 high. That's why I was curious where he found 17 high.

I mis-spoke. It's 19x22.

[bjcaldwe]

That seat really don't look bad at all in there.

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by bjcaldwe

That seat really don't look bad at all in there.

No, other than the fact that it's blue!

[bjcaldwe]

I was going to try and use my stock seat, but buying a used bench with seat belts would be ahead of the game.

[BlueJeep]

It's much thinner than the stock seat, and allows more room for me in the cab. Also, it's wider which was a plus for me since I'm going to strap two car seats next to me for my 2 year old twin helpers!

[BlueJeep]

OK, it's been quite a while since I've updated my build thread, but with good reason. I've had the truck driving for 3 weeks now. I finished it just in time to catch the last 2 days of GoodGuys Des Moines, here's proof:



I still have a LOT of things to do, but at least for now it's driveable. I'm chasing down a gremlin somewhere with my 4L60E that's keeping me from driving it more, but that'll come.

It runs and drives excellent. I ended up putting 2" drop spindles on the front and the rear is stock s10 suspension. I'm still running 235/75R15 tires which is bigger than most people run I think, but they were free so what can you do...

[BlueJeep]

After I get the transmission figured out, one of the next things I NEED to get figured out are gauges. I really like the OEM look, so I'm probably going to get the New Vintage ones. Not having a temp gauge already bit me once...

Here's the current interior:


And the engine compartment:


The steering shaft fought me, and almost kept me from going to GoodGuys. I learned the rag joint won't take ANY misalignment and the factory upper joint was just out of it's operating angle, because I could steer it pushing the truck around but it had a couple of "hard spots" that I couldn't have once it was a driver. Good thing Speedway Motors is 1 day shipping for me, new Sweet U-joints top and bottom and the stock 95 s10 female DD shaft, and a new piece of male DD shaft and I'm up and running with smooth steering.

[BlueJeep]

So now for my question, is anyone an expert on 4L60E's? Mine shifts into all 4 forward gears nice and smooth when it's cold, but when the truck warms up...and only sometimes....I lose 3rd and 4th gear. When I shut it off, let it sit for a few minutes (like running into a store), and start it back up my 3rd and 4th gears are magically back...for a while. I have no error codes logged in the ECM, I have no slipping in the transmission. My fluid is at the proper level and is not burnt. When I lose 3rd and 4th, it's always when I slow down for a stop and go to accelerate again, I never just lose them while driving in those gears. What it does is just stays in second gear and pulls more RPM's, it doesn't ever slip. Manually shifting through the gears does nothing for me at this point.

Any ideas? Any transmission geniuses out there?

[britnjc]

Sorry no help here, but I just wanted to say its coming along nicely

[higgiec10]

thanks for all the info whating to start on one. that,s a nice truck