1966 C1434 SWB Custom Cab

[LostMy65]

I'll be watching...

[CustomCab66]

Motor mount plates are made and installed. now on to the tranny cross member. I know I'm re- inventing the wheel here but it's more satisfying when you make your own parts

[CustomCab66]

If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all. Tapping out one last hole for 3/8-16 and broke the tap. Hope I can weld to it and get it out otherwise I will need to redo that whole plate :/

[CustomCab66]

So I came across a little luck because was able to remove the broken tap. Happy to say the motor is in there all bolted up. With the hoist out of the way I'll be able to start the tranny mount, oil cooling lines, fuel lines and connections

[CustomCab66]

Doesn't look like a tranny crossmember yet but I know there's one there somewhere. 👍🏽

[CustomCab66]

Transmission crossmember taking shape.

[scdude37]

love seeing this project. Like seeing the 5.3 coming together and the progress on it. I would like to swap mine out sometime to the same thing you are running.

[CustomCab66]

Thanks, the progress is not quite as fast as I'd hoped but I'll get it evenually

[CustomCab66]

I have the center mount tack welded in place right in the middle so time for test fit #1. So far right in track

[CustomCab66]

I removed the center of the arches and from there I'll Just go straight to the frame. Welding it out now so all I need is about 3 inches of straight pipe on each side. To Be Continued

[53chevyforever]

Originally Posted by duallyjams

super nice
you can add a vacuum gauge to fill out the gauge panel
Attachment 1303930

Here is mine.

[CustomCab66]

Originally Posted by 53chevyforever

Here is mine.

Nice!!! I want a Vac gauge

[CustomCab66]

Headers are here and they fit!!!!! Wow impressed with them so far. These are the LS swap header for C-10 trucks from Speed engineering specifically for 60-66. Not bad for headers made for these trucks with an LS.

[bj383ss]

Those look really good man!

Bret

[53chevyforever]

Originally Posted by CustomCab66

Headers are here and they fit!!!!! Wow impressed with them so far.

Awesome headers!

[CustomCab66]

Now that the headers fit I'm back on the tranny mount, now I have it the width of the frame. Notice I cut the humps off and ran it straight out from there to the frame. It should end up in the center of the frame rail. Frame is 29 inches from the inside of one frame rail to the other. All that's left is to fab the mounting plates that I'm gonna use to secure it to the frame

[CustomCab66]

No pictures this time. I'm gonna try and run my driveshaft down to scotty's drivetrain and machine here in Austin. Those guys said they would shorten the driveshaft for 89. They tack on more for new u joints and balance job. I'll have them spin it first to see if it is even worth even messing with it or if the tube needs to be replaced.

[CustomCab66]

My LS has a drive by wire throttle body. I'm debating where I want the wiring at this point but I mounted the pedal assembly on the floor where the wires feed the tail lamps. I cut the pedal off of the pedal switch and welded a piece of the original pedal fulcrum to it. I pushed the pedal and it moves freely the entire rotation of the throttle switch. I've been warned when welding on items with electronics that the arc surge will cook the electric circuit. Tip is to ground as close to the area that needs to be welded so I used the ground clamp to hold my peices together. Cooled them shortly after in some water to prevent heat damage to the switch. Hope it will work

[CustomCab66]

He biggest hurdle in this whole swap has been the tranny mount itself. I checked the frame side to side checked the driveline angle over and over. None of the original holes in the frame are square, the driveshaft loop same. Blah blah blah. Over and over. So I eyeballed it so that the mount looks square with the tranny itself with the motor bolted down. I centered the tailshaft of the tranny between the frame rails and boxed the frame in. Drilled the mounting hole and welded nuts inside the boxed section. This will aid in removing the cross member in the future because I will not need a back up wrench. Hope it all works out. If I made it square it would have looked bad out of square. Only time will tell

[CustomCab66]

Separated the motor from the transmission so I could replace the front and rear main gaskets and seals and the pan gasket. So far so good

[CustomCab66]

Splashed a fresh coat of VHT black engine paint on the lower portion of the block. I found out that the rear cover had stripped bolt hole bosses on the oil pan flange. Got a NOS part coming from EBay. Do it slow and you know it's right

[CustomCab66]

My rear cover showed up today so I finished sealing up the motor. Got ahead of myself and before I knew it I had it back in the truck. Time to start with all the small stuff like wiring and plumbing the tranny lines.

[northern 85]

Looking good!!!

[CustomCab66]

So wiring day is close. I used the instructional at LS1 Swap.com to convert the original harness to a stand alone harness back when I first bout the LS combo. Yesterday I installed the harness and hooked up all the sensor related stuff in the engine compartment. I ran the harness into the cab using a stock grommet hole for the original engine harness. Time to bust out the soldering iron and shrink wrap

[CustomCab66]

Also I have the pre and post fuel filters and necessary fittings on the way from Summit Racing. To Be Continued