5 day ls swap...can it be done

[homemade87]

Originally Posted by aknovaman

Timing light to verify spark, then a squirt bottle of fuel into opened throttle body and it should fire. Seems like i have been getting stuck injectors in all my latest junk yard engines.

Salute and carry on soldier.

Ill 2nd the stuck fuel injectors . I made me a homemade injector cleaner with a 12v battery and carb cleaner and a syringe and cycle cleaner thru them . I do this on every injector I use . I am sure it saved me a lot of headaches .

Things are looking good .

[aknovaman]

Here is one of the testers i built to pulse the injectors.

https://youtu.be/tGueD00e4WU

Built a better programmable one this fall.

[Ackattack]

Good news, I got the engine to fire for a few seconds with some starting fluid. I took off the fuel rails and there was definitely some nasty gas in there. So I removed the injectors and they're soaking. Hopefully this will work!

[clemsonteg]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

Good news, I got the engine to fire for a few seconds with some starting fluid. I took off the fuel rails and there was definitely some nasty gas in there. So I removed the injectors and they're soaking. Hopefully this will work!

Search youtube for homemade fuel injector cleaners. Pretty easy to make with either a large syringe from the pharmacy or a valve stem with the core removed.

[MalibuSSwagon]

I built a harness rig with a 12v wall transformer to cycle injectors. Just a push button and an EV1 plug. Had some nasty gummed up injectors on my old TPI swap.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by clemsonteg

Search youtube for homemade fuel injector cleaners. Pretty easy to make with either a large syringe from the pharmacy or a valve stem with the core removed.

yep, did that last night.

Luckily I have a injector plug, so it should be pretty easy

[Ackattack]

Good news: I got the injectors cleaned and they seem to be working good.

Bad News: I tore 2 o-rings trying to install them back into the fuel rail at 9:55, so I didn't have time to run to the parts store to get new ones tonight. Hopefully tomorrow night will be the night it will run on its own!

[Cobalt964ruf]

i use a small dab of grease on the orings when re installing them. have not tore one in 25+ years and injectors slide right in.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by Cobalt964ruf

i use a small dab of grease on the orings when re installing them. have not tore one in 25+ years and injectors slide right in.

I used just a dab of vasoline and it worked good.

Good news: The engine fired up and runs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sPBHONcfyo

Bad news: it seems the thermostat is stuck closed. I put 1 gallon of coolant and about 3/4 of a gallon of water in the radiator a few days ago, and once I started it up, the level didn't drop as I was expecting. Watching the temp reading on the computer, it got plenty hot that the thermostat should have opened. So I got another task to take care of before its maiden voyage.

It also idled really high (1700 rpms) for quite awhile, and then finally slowed down once. I looked for vacuum leaks, but didn't find any. I'm kinda thinking the computer is doing something. I also need to do some additional tuning, as I didn't turn off any of the emission stuff that I don't have, so I get all kinds of DTCs.

[homemade87]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

I used just a dab of vasoline and it worked good.

Good news: The engine fired up and runs

https://youtu.be/4sPBHONcfyo

Bad news: it seems the thermostat is stuck closed. I put 1 gallon of coolant and about 3/4 of a gallon of water in the radiator a few days ago, and once I started it up, the level didn't drop as I was expecting. Watching the temp reading on the computer, it got plenty hot that the thermostat should have opened. So I got another task to take care of before its maiden voyage.

It also idled really high (1700 rpms) for quite awhile, and then finally slowed down once. I looked for vacuum leaks, but didn't find any. I'm kinda thinking the computer is doing something. I also need to do some additional tuning, as I didn't turn off any of the emission stuff that I don't have, so I get all kinds of DTCs.

If all you did was fill the radiator , that wont get it .The coolant will not enter the system . You will have to remove the upper radiator hose and fill until full . This will fill the block and heads . Also remove the steam line is best also to purge air as it fills . Your thermostat should be fine .

These things are not like the small block days .

[MalibuSSwagon]

Might be airbound....all stock cooling in the truck right? Took a few days of the truck just sitting for the air to bleed out. Basically I filled up the rad and ran the truck a bit, it did get real hot once. Refilled the rad and then just kept adding fluid to the overflow tank. It would bubble into the tank by itself and I needed to keep refilling the tank until the engine bled itself. I'm sure the pros on here have a faster method.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Originally Posted by homemade87

If all you did was fill the radiator , that wont get it .The coolant will not enter the system . You will have to remove the upper radiator hose and fill until full . This will fill the block and heads . Also remove the steam line is best also to purge air as it fills . Your thermostat should be fine .

These things are not like the small block days .

Ahh yes I forgot about that. I did the initial fill thru the upper hose, then filled the radiator. After that it was just keeping the overflow tank filled until the engine burped out all the air.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by homemade87

If all you did was fill the radiator , that wont get it .The coolant will not enter the system . You will have to remove the upper radiator hose and fill until full . This will fill the block and heads . Also remove the steam line is best also to purge air as it fills . Your thermostat should be fine .

These things are not like the small block days .

Ah, that make since. Don't know why I didn't think of that. I'm pretty sure I didn't do that on my 68 a few years ago when I put it together.

[aknovaman]

Turn your camera sideways next time. Sounds good. If will burp air but its best to fill block before startup. I remove top radiator hose at radiator and fill block till it runs out of radiator.

[Ackattack]

Filled the engine with coolant through the upper radiator hose and it works now! Thanks for the suggestion.

I also figured out the high idle issue: the tab on the throttle body was bent, holding the TB open at 3%. Bent it back a little and now it idles about 600 RPMs.

I have to change out the gasket between the transfer case and tranny, connect up the fans, and the VSS, and then I think I'm ready for a test drive.

[65standard]

Nice job on the swap. How did you download a tune to the pcm?

[aknovaman]

Great!

5 days, right on schedule. Good job.

My latest 5 day project has turned into almost a 2.5 year project. Important stuff in life gets in the way of projects.

He used hp tuners software.

[Nodnarb76]

Congrats good job!

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by 65standard

Nice job on the swap. How did you download a tune to the pcm?

Yep, I have HP tuner. I don't have a lot of experience with it, but good enough that I had my vette running low 12s and getting 33mpg

At this point my tune is a stock tune with the DTCs turned off for the crap I don't need and VATS turned off.

[Ackattack]

I got the transfer case input seal changed as well as one of the rear wheel cylinders that was leaking changed. Added some tranny fluid, connected up the VSS, and went for a cruise tonight (no fans needed when its 22 out )

So I drove it pretty easy initially, and didn't really have any problems. I made it to town (about 5 miles away) and it was idling pretty low, so I tweaked my tune real quick to have it idle at 600 rpms when warm and came back to the house. Added a little more tranny fluid, and took it for another spin.

This time I got on it a little more. This engine has way more power than the 454 had (which isn't saying a whole lot....). I did notice that the tranny shifts at 3500 rpms which is right when the LS engines start taking off; I'm hoping once I have the kickdown switch hooked up I'll get some more RPMs out of it. I got out on the interstate and up to about 85. The engine just purs along about 3500ish rpms just happy as can be. Then I headed back home.

One thing that I did notice, my speedo and speedo on HPtuner is not working any more. I'm wondering if when I took out the TC if I got some dirt in the connector so its not getting a signal any more. I'll have to check that out. The TC was filthy dirty from probably years of leaking and driving down dirt roads. I probably removed 10 pounds of oil mud cake from the TC skid plate.

So left to do includes the fans and mounting/hooking up the AC compressor. I'm planning to use the compressor off the 454, so I'll have to come up with a custom bracket and do something with the belt tensioner.

I also will probably change the alternator, it sounds like poo, like the bearings are shot (its still charging). I guess I'll check on the price, and maybe I can replace the bearings in it.

Oh yeah, I also need to figure out something with the temp gauge. I've just been using HPtuner while I've been driving around.

Otherwise, I have some stuff to take care of on the truck itself: New interior door handle, new door locks (I don't have a key for them), passenger seat belt, fix some of the wiring on the front axle (not sure if 4wd is actually engaging).

So it took me a little longer than 5 days, but overall, I would say that I swap into a 88-98 chevy pickup has to be about the most straight forward LS swap there is.

[aknovaman]

Use a 98 Camaro temp sensor. Two wires to PCM and third goes to dash gage. No mechanical mods needed. If you use a spare TPS pigtail to your harness, it will plug into sensor but be sure to use correct wire connections.

[72MARIO]

Glad to hear its better than the old 454. I just bought a 2003 truck with a 4.8 to swap into our 1968 suburban this spring in place of the original 327. I was hesitant to use a 4.8 but after reading about them there not a lot of a difference between the 4.8 and 5.3.

Have you played much with the governor spring and weights on a T400 ? That's the best way to tune shift points pretty easy as well.

[MalibuSSwagon]

You could also take the gauge temp sender from the 454 and turn it down then thread for 12x1.5 mm and put it in the passenger side head, worked pretty good on my swap. I even bought 12mm copper washers to seal it. Dash gauge reads right in the middle (210) when engine is up to temp at 190.

[Ackattack]

Originally Posted by aknovaman

Use a 98 Camaro temp sensor. Two wires to PCM and third goes to dash gage. No mechanical mods needed. If you use a spare TPS pigtail to your harness, it will plug into sensor but be sure to use correct wire connections.

I had already read about this method, and it seems the most straightforward.

Originally Posted by 72MARIO

Have you played much with the governor spring and weights on a T400 ? That's the best way to tune shift points pretty easy as well.

I haven't done anything with the transmission, so we'll have to see. And quite honestly I have never messed with a non-electronically controlled transmission other than taking them in and out.....just another thing to learn.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Ackattack

Otherwise, I have some stuff to take care of on the truck itself: new door locks (I don't have a key for them)

If the door locks are in decent shape check to see if there is a code number stamped on them. If there is I can cut a key for you.

LockDoc