Finally Starting My Engine Swap

[HO455]

You can double check it by turning the engine to TDC on the firing stroke and verify the rotor is pointing at #1.

With a new engine I like to pre-time the ignition by setting the timing mark on the balancer to about 8 degrees BTDC on the firing stroke. Then with a timing light hooked up rotate the distributor back and forth watching for the timing light to flash. ( You don't have to have the light pointed at the balancer.)
The rotor turns clockwise when the engine is running, so you want to turn the distributor counterclockwise when looking for the flash. It will take several tries to creep up on the flash to set the timing. If you go too far just turn the distributor clockwise and try again. You do need to have the distributor clamp snugged up for this work.

This will get the engine very close to the correct timing and the engine should fire right up.

[BrentBTK]

Awesome. Thanks! I'm gonna hafta solve this flexplate problem first. This is the one I ordered: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sca-fp-350l-sfi

[BrentBTK]

I've had a night to sleep on it. I'm trying not to be discouraged, these are the things that happen. I've come to terms with the fact that the motor and trans gotta come back apart. Getting the 2 of them lined up and bolted together was a giant pain. The way I see it, I have 3 options. 1. Pull the motor back out. 2. Drop the trans. 3. Pull the whole thing. Trying to line up the motor and trans in the truck yesterday has me considering option 3. The benefits I see are that I can get them together again much easier, and I can really make sure the gap is dialed in. I would hate to shim the plate once and find out I have to do it again with it in the truck. The downside is I am largely doing this alone, and trying to figure out the logistics of each option, this one involves the most heavy lifting and swinging of giant parts. Dropping the trans alone seems like the simplest option weight wise, but I'm not sure getting them back together makes it worth it. I dunno. I'm just spit balling until I get off the pot and make a decision, lol. None of them are great.

[HO455]

You might look into renting a transmission jack or picking up a used one. I'm not a fan of harbor freight but I'm pretty sure they sell them.
In my younger days I wouldn't think twice about replacing the T400 from my GTO with just a cheap floor jack. Now days I got to have that tranny jack.

[Accelo]

Typically pulling the transmission is the easiest. Depending on your tools and ability to work on your back. The tallest jack stands you can find make it much easier.
A transmission jack is God sent if you have one. I have done more than I can count and still had to pull my transmission, on my C10, when I had flex plate issues I didn't plan on.
I have gotten to expect such things any time I move from the GM engineered system even a little.
Cheers you are not alone my friend.

[BrentBTK]

Thanks Accelo and HO. I don't have a tranny jack, and I feel like working on the 2 together outside of the truck might outweigh (hehe) trying to muscle the trans back into place. I'm gonna take a beat today and line my ducks back up. I'm going to have to order some more parts before I can make anything happen anyway. Maybe inspiration or a tranny jack will fall in my lap, lol. Another issue I ran into was the Dakota Digital oil pressure sender won't clear the intake manifold to screw in. I need an adapter for that before I try to crank anything also. Once I talk to Blueprint and Summit, hopefully I can assemble everything I need to finish this.

[Accelo]

If you pull them together you still are stuck working under an suspended motor/transmission. I find planing for that more difficult than pulling the transmission only. If you have a plan for working on them both, while they are out, you are golden.

[Thealien]

Originally Posted by BrentBTK

Thanks Accelo and HO. I don't have a tranny jack, and I feel like working on the 2 together outside of the truck might outweigh (hehe) trying to muscle the trans back into place. I'm gonna take a beat today and line my ducks back up. I'm going to have to order some more parts before I can make anything happen anyway. Maybe inspiration or a tranny jack will fall in my lap, lol. Another issue I ran into was the Dakota Digital oil pressure sender won't clear the intake manifold to screw in. I need an adapter for that before I try to crank anything also. Once I talk to Blueprint and Summit, hopefully I can assemble everything I need to finish this.

Do you still have some of the copper factory oil pressure lines? If you do one of the adapters that fits the oil pressure sender from Dakota Digital fits into the couplings that piece that lying together. You can just make a short few inch copper line with one of those couplings and screw the adapter into that. For testing purposes I split my line at the factory coupling after the couple of coils. It works and I have not changed it yet. I do plan on cutting it back at some point but I know it works.

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by Thealien

Do you still have some of the copper factory oil pressure lines? If you do one of the adapters that fits the oil pressure sender from Dakota Digital fits into the couplings that piece that lying together. You can just make a short few inch copper line with one of those couplings and screw the adapter into that. For testing purposes I split my line at the factory coupling after the couple of coils. It works and I have not changed it yet. I do plan on cutting it back at some point but I know it works.

I do not. But I found this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dak-130070 It allows the sensor to mount at a 45 or 90 so it clears the bottom of the distributor.

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by Accelo

If you pull them together you still are stuck working under an suspended motor/transmission. I find planing for that more difficult than pulling the transmission only. If you have a plan for working on them both, while they are out, you are golden.

Dammit Accelo, I think you may be swaying me, lol. My only real plan so far was to lower the motor onto the crate it came on, put my floor jack under the trans, and pull em apart.

[pjmoreland]

Here's another option to consider:

https://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vbo...d.php?t=736181

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Here's another option to consider:

https://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vbo...d.php?t=736181

Holy smokes! That may be just the ticket! Thank you!!!

[BrentBTK]

I just got off the phone with Blueprint. They were zero help. THey gave me the part number of the flexplate they recommend. I compared it to the one I bought and I don't see any difference. The tech there had no idea either. Jesus, take the wheel.

[pjmoreland]

Could it be that your current flex plate is just mounted backwards? The square bosses around the torque converter attachment holes should be bulging toward the torque converter. What is the part number of your currently installed flex plate?

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Could it be that your current flex plate is just mounted backwards? The square bosses around the torque converter attachment holes should be bulging toward the torque converter. What is the part number of your currently installed flex plate?

I though of that. The bosses are pointing at the converter. The one I bought is the black one on the right. I'm going to order these 2 things. Hopefully between the 2 I can get this licked.

[Grumpy old man]

Don't order parts to shim the flex plate back , Do a little more investigating on what you already have , if you move the flex plate back your starter isn't going to line up with the ring gear and you'll be pulling it all back apart .

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Don't order parts to shim the flex plate back , Do a little more investigating on what you already have , if you move the flex plate back your starter isn't going to line up with the ring gear and you'll be pulling it all back apart .

Well shoot. I hadn't thought about that. If they insist the flexplate is correct, I wonder if it could be the torque converter is wrong? I got this one:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g2699

[Grumpy old man]

Watch this video on Converter install .Are you sure there isn't something / wiring harness/ bolt , etc/etc stuck between the trans and engine ? did the trans line up on the locating studs on the back of the engine ? is the trans and engine bolted together ? Is it possible for you to post a couple pictures from the bottom ?

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Watch this video on Converter install .Are you sure there isn't something / wiring harness/ bolt , etc/etc stuck between the trans and engine ? did the trans line up on the locating studs on the back of the engine ? is the trans and engine bolted together ? Is it possible for you to post a couple pictures from the bottom ?

Thanks. I watched the video. The converter definitely seats all the way. The motor and trans are bolted uo tight. I quit for the day. I'll snap some pics tomorrow. Thanks everyone. This is a head scratcher for sure.

[pjmoreland]

Originally Posted by BrentBTK

Well shoot. I hadn't thought about that. If they insist the flexplate is correct, I wonder if it could be the torque converter is wrong? I got this one:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g2699

Take a look at the reviews on Summit for your torque converter. There are several people who mention shimming it.

[BrentBTK]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Take a look at the reviews on Summit for your torque converter. There are several people who mention shimming it.

Hmm. My next step was to try to pull the converter out and compare it to the old one. Should've done that first. Time to do some converter research.

[BrentBTK]

Alright. Another night to sleep on it. Seems like the TQ is the culprit. Now, I'm wondering if I roll the dice and put the old one back in. I bought this one as it was advertised 17 to 2100 RPM stall and Blueprint recommends 18-2200. I've spent the morning learning how much I don't know about the voodoo that is stall speed. That is a deep rabbit hole of weight, cam specs, gear ratios, and on and on. I know nothing about the current one except it has a date of 9/8/15 painted on it. I think the original motor was worked a bit, so it my already be in the range I need. My choices are to throw it back in and hope it's good, or order another one and hope it's good. If I go that route, I'm thinking a 2,000ish RPM stall speed like this one:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hup-gm20

Or, I could just shim this one with Torque Converter Shims https://www.summitracing.com/parts/chh-4000-6250

That would certainly be the easy route...

[BrentBTK]

Screw it. I'm gonna shim this one. Climbing out of the rabbit hole.

[BrentBTK]

Moving on! Yesterday, I decided to get the coolant fittings and sensors mounted. On my old heads, the temp sensor was in the head above the exhaust manifold. Blueprint does not recommend that, they recommend pulling it from the intake manifold. Here is my issue. I have one port used for the heater hose, and one for the fan switch. (Pic 1) There is another port on the front of the manifold, but it bottoms out. (Pic 2) I see another port on top of the water pump itself. (Pic 3) Would that be an acceptable place for a temp sensor? Or perhaps to hook the heater hose to instead to free up the port on the intake?

[cj847]

Sorry I can't help, but I do have a question. Why does blueprint not recommend the location that Chevy has used on at least 10's of millions of vehicles?