Glock's new project: "Fred" w/ 5.3L LS swap info

[glock35ipsc]

Few more....

[joe231]

Very nice work!!

Have you thought about converting your "LS swap info" notebook into a PDF and sharing it?

[Codys87]

[QUOTE=glock35ipsc;3515966]Thanks! Weeks of planning, and noting what others have done both on here and on a bunch other forums, what worked and what didn't work for them, and putting all that in a three ring binder, made this seem easy.


Thats what I'm trying to do right now. Theres lots of good info here and I'm definetly taking notes from you!



There is a heater hose that runs to a nipple on the original radiator in the 85, so I will put a very short piece of heater hose on there with a 90* brass nipple and run it to that point. It can follow the upper radiator hose back to the engine. I kept all the clamps off the original rad hoses (which I am using) and there are a few that clamp around the rad hose and has a place for a smaller hose to clamp on.

Another option I have that looks a little cleaner, but runs about $35 from the Jags That Run site, is a nice piece that splices in the upper rad hose. I like it because it mounts it as high as possible in the system, and it has a petcock that is used to bleed air. I'll run it to the radiator for now to save $$$ and get it running, but I may try one of these later.

That looks like a really good idea. I may copy you!

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by joe231

Very nice work!!

Have you thought about converting your "LS swap info" notebook into a PDF and sharing it?

Once I get everything done and all the bugs worked out, I am going to do a big write-up on the entire swap, kind of like a how to guide. I'm going to include part numbers and vendors for everything I used, as well as different mods I did. And a ton of pictures. When done it will go in to the FAQ section here on the board.

[mcbassin]

Awesome Progress! How do you tie the speedo up to the new tranny? Is this a plug and play with the electronic instrument cluster? You are making this swap look too easy. I know you did a lot of planning but this is a huge project and your making it look like any shadetree could handle it. keep it up

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Awesome Progress! How do you tie the speedo up to the new tranny? Is this a plug and play with the electronic instrument cluster? You are making this swap look too easy. I know you did a lot of planning but this is a huge project and your making it look like any shadetree could handle it. keep it up

Thanks man, I appreciate it! It's been pretty straight forward so far, I really thought I would have a lot of questions and have things stump me since this is the first time I've ever done something like this. But all the planning has truly paid off! I really do think just about anyone could do this. There is a LOT to be done, but it's not nearly as daunting of a task as I originally thought it would be.

The speedo, and entire gauge cluster, is sourced from a 90-91 Blazer, Suburban or dually. The one I got is out of a Blazer. The electric speedo only needs one output wire fed to it from the PCM. When I got the cluster, I followed every circuit from the pin to see where it went, and made a drawing of the connector on the cluster and noted each pin and where it went. Today when I pulled the original cluster, I did the same thing noting wire color, what is was for, and what pin # it was in. Then I made another drawing of pin numbers, and where I needed to put each wire for the new cluster. The original cluster had 3 ground wires running to it, the new one only needed one, so I cut the other 2 off. That gave me a wire/pigtail I could use to run the speedo output wire to and put it in the right hole on the connector.

[joe231]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Once I get everything done and all the bugs worked out, I am going to do a big write-up on the entire swap, kind of like a how to guide. I'm going to include part numbers and vendors for everything I used, as well as different mods I did. And a ton of pictures. When done it will go in to the FAQ section here on the board.

Very cool!
Thanks for taking the time to do that

[menace121978]

^^^^ X2... thats awesome!! i bet we hear it run in the next couple days!! and i love that pedal mod! nice and simple and looks way way way better than that anorexic pedal! i like some meat on my pedal!

[Driveway Dreams]

Bob, 7 letters for you... A W E S O M E. Fred and The Toybox are really going to throw people off on the 27th. Mine just by looks though. Yours just by being plain out HOT!

[Jonboy]

That's awesome, Bob! Looks like it came from the factory that way.

[JohnC]

Looks great Bob keep up the awesome work.

[rongstad]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

I was talking to an old friend today looking for LS1 parts, a machinist/engine builder by the name of Dave Slatten. Dave is a very well respected engine builder here in town, and has built a LOT of winning NHRA Division 5 drag racing engines. One of the things Dave is working on right now is building E85 and E98 race engines and fuel systems.

We got to talking about a piggy-back system that he has on his truck (a 2002) and has been using it for several years now. He says he has not noticed the power or mileage decreases that the naysayers talk about. He said on his truck, there is virtually no difference in power or mileage, just the cost to fill up. He runs his on E85 when ever possible, only using unleaded if the particular station does not have E85.

It's under $500 to do it, so I'll probably make sure I can make Fred run at all first, then do the E85 piggy-back system. I won't be doing it for mileage gains, or for performance gains, or even to be "green".

I only want to do it because......... well, I'm Bob. That's just how I roll! I just think it would be the nuts to pull up to an E85 pump in an 85 GM pickup and start filling up.

Oof.... E85 in an 85 GM.... there has to be a customized license plate there somewhere!!!!

Bob, Where can I read more about this piggy back system...

thanks

[glock35ipsc]

Here: http://www.ffie85.com/

[rongstad]

I wonder which is better/cheaper...........Diablo Sport sells a programmer which allows certain GM vehicles to use E85.

[glock35ipsc]

I imagine that would really jack up a custom tune.

[bigbadjohn84]

man, I wish they sold the corn fuel around here.. all we can get is high priced race fuel around here. gotta keep your compression in check around here. lol trucks lookin like a super factory install

[glock35ipsc]

Got a couple things done tonight, but no camera.

I picked up a short cone filter today that fits right on the MAF. Made a bracket to hold it in place that bolts to the rad support, it's good and solid.

Also picked up a threaded brass 1/2" pipe plug and a 90* 1/4" barbed nipple. Drilled and tapped the head of the plug, then threaded in the 90* nipple. With a short piece of heater hose I attached that to the heater hose outlet on the upper right tank of the radiator. I then attached the steam hose from the driver head to that.

Picked up a bunch of different sizes of split loom from an old co-worker that owns an automotive electrical supply company and got the rest of the exposed wires covered.

Then I found a place in town that had the smaller FI hose clamps in stock, so I'll get those replaced by the end of the week. Today I returned some 3/8" FI hose that I had ordered, not knowing if the blue hose would work for connections or not. The blue hose worked just fine, so that's $45 back into the budget.

I also went ahead and ordered the tranny cooler line AN fittings so I can have those by this weekend. Then when I get the ones I have coming from the exchange of the wrong ones, I'll just send them back, another $55 back in the budget.

Ordered 2 new O2 sensors, I'd rather have two new matched ones in there.

I still need to add oil and the filter, and do the trans filter and oil too, but at least I have that stuff already. Fan, tranny cooler line fittings, and O2 sensor. That's all now!

[menace121978]

thats awesome! wish i was more edumacated so i could type lots of cool adjectives to explain my thoughts better

i cant wait for pics of the engine compartment buttoned up!! i am going to do this!

[glock35ipsc]

LOL, I can type a great line of bull s%!t, but to hear me try to speak it is absolutely maddening!

i am going to do this!

Don't need no steenking adjectives, this is all that needs said!!

[menace121978]

you crack me up...

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

LOL, I can type a great line of bull s%!t, but to hear me try to speak it is absolutely maddening!

[bigbadjohn84]

[nlped]

Damn it, now I have to go find an '89-91 Jimmy frontend.

[glock35ipsc]

Or Surburban or a dually. Don't limit yourself!!!

[nlped]

Yeah, I just want the GMC grill since it isn't seen as much. Did the GMC suburban's and Duallie's have the same "wide-mouth" grille?

And, I just put the Phantom grille in the truck THIS morning...Damn It!!!