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

[menace121978]

hahaha! thats sweet Bob. i felt something move below my belt line when i seen that overhead view! i feel better now

this thread is chocked full of great info and pics! excellent job buddy.

[glock35ipsc]

LOL @ Dennis! Thanks man!

Cody - you did not dissapoint brother! Thanks for getting that info! And I think you are right, since mine sits lower I should have a little more room between the block/fittings and the under side of the frame rail.

I'm laying in bed on the Blackberry right now, so I'll check out those part numbers tomorrow. See if I can find who has the best price.

G'nite all!

[JohnC]

Yeah this is a very resourceful thread for LS swaps. If anything it is the iconic one. Soooo much information.

[menace121978]

just a thought... if someone were to go with the BRP kit for $450 they wouldnt need to get a different compressor or anything? only because the kit sits the motor higher up? it would end up almost a wash compared to buying the high mount a/c kit right?

[glock35ipsc]

The mount, and it's interference with the compressor and bracket, is a only one issue. The other is how and where the fittings connect to the compressor and what is in the way.

The problem with the compressor used on the 03 and up motors is that the only blocks that I can find available have threaded fittings that project straight up from the compressor body. Now, with the one Cody is using (99-02), there is a manifold available that has the threaded fittings exiting toward the rear:

Manifolds for my compressor (x2):

Manifold for Cory's compressor:

The adapters for my compressor are about 1-3/4" tall, NOT including the 90° fitting that threads on to it, and I only have 2" from the compressor body to the under side of the frame rail for the discharge fitting. All moving the compressor up does (where my engine sits -vs- Cody's) is give me less room under the rail.

At least with his compressor, he will be able to have 90° fitting that come straight up from the compressor, then loop over toward the inner wheel well, completely missing the edge of the frame rail.

[glock35ipsc]

Mike, that's awesome!! I'll get something drawn and send it to you.

[glock35ipsc]

Hmmm, how's this? The female (top) is 3/8NPT, and the male threads are M12x1.5 and about 1/2" or so long. It is of course drilled straight through too.

It's about 1.75" tall (not including the 1/2" of male threads), and I think I used a 7/8" wrench to tighten it.

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Hmmm, how's this? The female (top) is 3/8NPT, and the male threads are M12x1.5 and about 1/2" or so long. It is of course drilled straight through too.

It's about 1.75" tall (not including the 1/2" of male threads), and I think I used a 7/8" wrench to tighten it.

This will work for the geometry. What about the pilot hole that runs through the metric side? Did it have an O-ring groove too?

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

This will work for the geometry. What about the pilot hole that runs through the metric side? Did it have an O-ring groove too?

Actually, yes kind of. It has a brass washer instead of an o-ring but there is something of a groove between teh last thread and the base of the adapter.

Well.........

I got one of the tanks installed tonight, and did a pressure test of all the fittings. 55psi with key on and no leaks!

That's the good part. The bad part is I tried to fire it, and nada. I've got power to the fuel pump, power at all 3 ignition points on the fuse block, and power at the 1 battery hot point on the fuse block. I didn't really get into it beyond that, or else I may have been there all night until I found the problem! I don't have the passenger side O2 sensor yet, so nothing is plugged in there, but I don't think that would keep it from starting.

So I'll finish installing the other tank tomorrow after work and then leave it until Saturday. Maybe I will be able to come up with some ideas by then. I'll probably take up residence on top the engine with a wiring diagram and a DVOM and start checking all the sensors.

Now the real fun begins!!!!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Hmmm, how's this? The female (top) is 3/8NPT, and the male threads are M12x1.5 and about 1/2" or so long. It is of course drilled straight through too.

It's about 1.75" tall (not including the 1/2" of male threads), and I think I used a 7/8" wrench to tighten it.

I was a machinist in the Air Force for 13 years and worked at the flight test center repairing and building test aircraft parts & equipment and have made & redesigned many things like that over the years. There are a couple minor things you may want to fix if you are going to make a new one.

Where the small metric male threads transition to the hex stock put a 1/4" fillet radius there. It will increase the strength of the part tremendously.

It doesn't need to be that long either. Less length will put less load on the threads if you accidentally lean against it while working on the truck. It would suck to snap that thing off flush with the head. The closer you can get the sensor to the head the better.

If you can make it out of brass or aluminum bronze that would be much better too.

The stainless will need antisieze compound on it to keep from galling the threads and getting stuck in the head plus the galvanic corrosion from the dissimilar metals will cause the aluminum head to oxidize around the fitting possibly causing it to leak down the road.

Aluminum bronze or brass will only need Teflon tape as they are much closer to aluminum in the dissimilar metals range chart.

You could make it out of round stock and just put a set of wrenching flats on it to use more common scrap material.

If you did strip out the threads on the head you can always tap the head for the 3/8" pipe threads of the sensor and be done with the adapter. Just put some grease on the tap drill and on the tap and they will collect the shavings so they don't go into the water passage.

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

I was a machinist in the Air Force for 13 years and worked at the flight test center repairing and building test aircraft parts & equipment and have made & redesigned many things like that over the years. There are a couple minor things you may want to fix if you are going to make a new one.

Where the small metric male threads transition to the hex stock put a 1/4" fillet radius there. It will increase the strength of the part tremendously.

It doesn't need to be that long either. Less length will put less load on the threads if you accidentally lean against it while working on the truck. It would suck to snap that thing off flush with the head. The closer you can get the sensor to the head the better.

If you can make it out of brass or aluminum bronze that would be much better too.

The stainless will need antisieze compound on it to keep from galling the threads and getting stuck in the head plus the galvanic corrosion from the dissimilar metals will cause the aluminum head to oxidize around the fitting possibly causing it to leak down the road.

Aluminum bronze or brass will only need Teflon tape as they are much closer to aluminum in the dissimilar metals range chart.

You could make it out of round stock and just put a set of wrenching flats on it to use more common scrap material.

I really don't think we can put a .25 radius in the corner. If I'm not mistaken the seal is made on the face of the metric end. Also, I think the length needs to be pretty close to what he purchased because the length of the original sender has to fit inside. I like the idea of using brass. I had thought about the dissimilarity of the metals too. It may cause corrosion in the future.



Bob,
Great progress! You have that puppy just about ready to roll! congrats I know you have some serious time invested.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

I really don't think we can put a .25 radius in the corner. If I'm not mistaken the seal is made on the face of the metric end. Also, I think the length needs to be pretty close to what he purchased because the length of the original sender has to fit inside. I like the idea of using brass. I had thought about the dissimilarity of the metals too. It may cause corrosion in the future.



Bob,
Great progress! You have that puppy just about ready to roll! congrats I know you have some serious time invested.

It sounds like it is an O-ring type fitting then if it seals to the face of the adapter. Maybe the O-ring is missing and this is why the adapter is leaking now.

It sounds more and more like tapping the head out to 3/8-NPT is the best way to go.

The tap drill for 1/4-NPT is very close to the size of the 12 mm threads so it could even be tapped for the smaller senders too if needed. My Auto Meter temp gauge uses an 1/8-NPT sender.

[glock35ipsc]

Mike - PM me an email address, and I'll email you a .DXF drawing. It's not to scale, but it should give you what you need.

[glock35ipsc]

Thanks Travis! Even got the spider webs in the pic!

[STOCKISH]

Man, that thing couldn't look more at home in that engine bay. Great work.

[tvblazer78]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Thanks Travis! Even got the spider webs in the pic!

Is that what that is.

[glock35ipsc]

I thought about this last night laying in bed. I need to check for spark of course, and that I'm getting the proper power and ground signals from the PCM to the injectors. But I feel fairly confident that the injectors are plugged. It's not uncommon at all for the injectors to plug if the engine has not been ran in a month or so, and this one has sat in my shop for a month now, and who knows how long it sat at Rancho. Plus I'm sure California puts about a million different additives in their fuel, so that's just more reason to think they are just plugged.

So if all the electrical tests check out, I'll probably pull the injectors and send them out to be ultrasonic cleaned, rebuilt and flow tested.

[menace121978]

Bob, Right on with no leaks!! I think your on the right path w/ the trouble shooting... of all the start-up threads i have read its 1) bad ground on the electrical 2) fuel pressure not between 58-61psi? and 3) there were a few with the clogged injectors and if i remember right they just lightly tapped on each injector while firing??..

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by menace121978

and 3) there were a few with the clogged injectors and if i remember right they just lightly tapped on each injector while firing??..

Makes me wish now that I hadn't turned them 180° so they wouldn't be visible!

[glock35ipsc]

After a phone call to my old drag racing buddy Dave Slatten, I found out this guy in literally right down the street from me: http://www.totalinjection.us/

And I mean literally, right down the street! I can see the shop from my parking lot here at work!! I will probably be talking to him today!

i know what ya mean... if it will make you feel any better i'll put mine in turned around like yours before the 1st fire up

That would make me feel a little better!

[rongstad]

Originally Posted by menace121978

Bob, Right on with no leaks!! I think your on the right path w/ the trouble shooting... of all the start-up threads i have read its 1) bad ground on the electrical 2) fuel pressure not between 58-61psi? and 3) there were a few with the clogged injectors and if i remember right they just lightly tapped on each injector while firing??..

Dont forget a couple have been vats not being disabled...

[menace121978]

i know what ya mean... if it will make you feel any better i'll put mine in turned around like yours before the 1st fire up

[glock35ipsc]

True, but my experience with VATS is that it will start, but die shortly after.

Short of checking spark and power/ground to the injectors, I am leaning towards stuck injectors.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

True, but my experience with VATS is that it will start, but die shortly after.

Short of checking spark and power/ground to the injectors, I am leaning towards stuck injectors.

When I put a 93 LT1 & 4L60E into my 67 Chevelle the VATS was not disabled in the programming at first. It would fire while in the start position but die as soon as the key was transitioned back to the run position.

You could spray a little fuel in the throttle body and it would fire up and run for a second.

After getting the chip programmer to do it right the thing fired right up.

My motor had been sitting for close to two years with no injector clogging issues.

VATS may not be disabled in your PCM.

[JohnC]

Making good progress man. It's looking amazing. Getting all giddy waiting for it to fire up.

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

True, but my experience with VATS is that it will start, but die shortly after.

Short of checking spark and power/ground to the injectors, I am leaning towards stuck injectors.

The old VATS would do that, but I think the newer ones just crank, and never turn over. I wouldn't think this is it though. The guys that did your pcm and such are pretty good, and VATS is usually a big priority to be disabled so I'm sure they did it.