Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[oldman3]

Dan, like the rest, sorry to hear of your mothers passing. Sounds like a great lady. My son and I have installed 4 LS 5.3's in different cars and trucks. That have all ran great and get good gas milage...Jim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Russ,
Thank you for your condolences. Mom's are the toughest. I guess at some level mom's are still "mommy" to us. At least she was to me.

The fabricator; Mike, just did a round trip to Bonneville last weekend in his own truck with an LS3 in it and claims he got right at 22mpg. I don't know if he's "marketing" to me (probably!) but it sounds consistent with what I've read online about these engines when they're stock.

[BlueJeep]

Mine's been averaging 22mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. Stock 5.3/4L60e, 3.50 rear end, 235/75R15 rear tires on 87 octane gas. Last tank was mostly city driving and was 20.5mpg. It is very do-able, however I believe the 4L80 will drop a couple mpg's from what I'm seeing.

[ChuckDriver]

Dan, check out the October issue of Street Rodder, it has a article on a LS 5.3 cam swap that netted a 70 HP increase!

[ptc]

Dan - late reply... but sorry about your Mom! - lost mine many years ago and still miss her --- missing everything in my life and her grandkids growing up. Now I have grandkids!!! thats life.

and the truck? ---- Make it what YOU WANT---- life is too short to take short cuts, live it FULL and ENJOY every moment like its your last. Life will just be better that way!

Truck is looking good!


p

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the kind and thoughtful words PTC. It's exactly the thoughts you mentioned about life being short etc. That made me pretty much decide just go ahead and do what you want, spend the money if need be, it's a one time thing.

I'm more than a little surprised that many of the the opinions seem to be in favor of the 5.3 over the 6.0. I guess I thought it would be the opposite. Guys trying to talk me into the highest performance or "more exotic" set up.

[Flysocal]

Take a look at blue jeeps setup. The way the truck intake with the vortec cover fills the engine bay looks good to me. The car intake looks too racy for a truck but that's only my opinion. Guys have been able to fit 4l60s into ADs with no firewall mods not sure about yours. 4l80s need tunnels. But a ls3/4l80 will be a kick ass setup no doubt! Can't wait to see more progress. Can you recommend a local painter? I should be ready for paint in 6-8 months I'm doing my own body work.

[Rude Dude]

Sorry about your loss Dan but we move on with the loved ones in our hearts and memories. I recently lost a younger brother who took his own life battling booze addiction. Mom lost him and a sister and brother in a week real hard on that old woman but she moved on.
Now on your truck your worst than me. I would say get frame and engine sorted out first than paint and upholstery last. I know you have the truck at painters but are you not afraid it will get scratched when put on the frame? Well I am little different both mine haven't left the premises and I rather do stuff a little at a time now that I am retired.
The 5.3 motor is a good choice, the 6.0 does eat a little more fuel when punch computer or not. The guys say oh I get 22 mpg, yeah on a cool day with the wind behind your back. The choice on LS motor is good and tranny can't beat, now you will need a new rear end with 3.73 gears to go with over drive tranny. More changes what a nightmare well you will be happy once it done but don't get to crazy a daily driver gets beat up more than a trailer queen.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Flysocal & Rudy!

Rudy, I feel terrible for your mom and for you. Your losses were huge. Losing my mom was hard but she lived a very long life, most of which was good. Only the end months in hospice was terribly hard for her. She couldn't deal with losing her independence and some dignity. But if we live long enough you can bet we'll all lose independence and someone will be feeding us...and worse. I'm glad the hard time is over for her and she rests peacefully.

As to the truck, I can't really say I LIKE the looks of the coils on the valve covers, huge intake/plastic cover things. I've seen guys make them look better but I'm not sure "looks good" applies. Maybe I'm too old school, I like the look of a raw aluminum intake manifold, a finned set of valve covers, air cleaner and Chevy orange otherwise - yeah I know, you young guys are rolling your eyes, lol.

[Nut Case]

Dan

Sorry for your loss, mothers are typically the hub of the family wheel, in my opinion. For me the good memories are the thing that I have focused on that has helped me adjust, with my mothers passing.

It's your truck make it what you want, Ive never heard anyone say " I wish I had used a smaller engine".

Keep on keepin on

Nut Case

[Dan in Pasadena]

Hi Nut case!
You're right of course. Mom truly was the hub of the family, the center around which all our lives revolved. Thank you for the kind words.

I agree, my truck will be built to please me; hopefully long term.

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Hi Flysocal & Rudy!

As to the truck, I can't really say I LIKE the looks of the coils on the valve covers, huge intake/plastic cover things. I've seen guys make them look better but I'm not sure "looks good" applies. Maybe I'm too old school, I like the look of a raw aluminum intake manifold, a finned set of valve covers, air cleaner and Chevy orange otherwise - yeah I know, you young guys are rolling your eyes, lol.

You can absolutely have that too, it just costs more!







http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...&postcount=310

[Dan in Pasadena]

I REALLY love the candy apple red of this truck. I like the cream interior and wheels too. The engine looks good but somehow just wouldn't be for me, at least not in that color but that's a minor point I suppose.

I know the point was to show me a more traditional appearing look for the LS engines. I guess if it were painted Chevy orange or gray and the intake manifold were blasted bare or painted aluminum color it WOULD look a bit more traditional. But all in all - strictly my opinion - the LS engines aren't inherently good looking. At least not like old SBC's to me. Nevertheless, they're the wave of the future, more powerful, more efficient and I suppose more reliable in some ways. I'll be happy with the features, just a little less pleased with the look of it.

[ptc]

This is as "Old School" as you are gonna get with an LS. Block and head and manifold colors are all just a personal preference and/or matching to the vehicle...

This looks really good for an LS! otherwise Im with you on all the plastic and just NON-engine looking parts of an LS in its stock form.

[joedoh]

that intake and vally cover and finned valve covers remind me of a buick motor.

[Dan in Pasadena]

The latest is that I will be renting a flat bed trailer with winch (hopefully) and I'll deliver my frame and core support to the fabricator, "Mike" later this week.

Then I'll head over to the body shop to pick up the cab & front fenders and also deliver those the shop to help Mike revise the front suspension centerline. He has located three 6.0 LS iron block engine & 4l80e transmission combo's. One set will be purchased for my truck. They will be entirely disassembled for inspection and the engine will get new rings, bearings & seals. The transmission gets rebuilt but I confess I don't know enough about transmission rebuilds to state what parts are changed. What I have been told is there are lists of upgrades that can be done to the 4l60e trannies to beef them up, but many fewer ones needed by the 4l80e.

At the same time, Mike will order the Flat Out Engineering ifs crossmember and they will also provide the C4 Vette parts as well. A newly rebuilt power rack will be included.

I'll post some pictures of the parts movement for my permanent record but the "new" parts won't be seen yet.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Drove my big ass dually into work today so that when I leave early I can go straight to the rental yard for the flat bed, and (single handedly!) load my bare frame onto the trailer along w/rear end, core support and driveshaft. That'll be a trick but my HF engine hoist and some furniture dollies will hopefully make it doable alone. I'll drop it off in the morning and two blocks away is the body shop where I'll get pretty much the entire truck body in pieces and take them to fabricator. Pic's upcoming (hopefully). Wish me luck. Hopefully I won't smash my foot or wreck my back!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Frame being dragged onto trailer. Helluva job to do alone but I got it done. I looked like a bucket of water had been poured over my head. NOT a job for an almost 62 year old, but what the hell?!

[oldman3]

Sometimes we surprize ourself, on what we can do by ourself...Jim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ha, yup!

Probably not a smart thing to do on an exceptionally hot day and no one to call 911 if I have a friggin stroke, but I kept drinking water and taking 5 minute breaks.

[ChuckDriver]

Good job Dan! Now take the weekend off!!

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'd LOVE to JJ, but I'm leaving on a vacation Sunday night so I've got to go back to work (at least for a LITTLE while, lol!) Friday.

I'll check in later with some photos of today's activities and if lucky I'll post on a '57 the guy has in his shop that's getting 1000hp! Yikes, that thing is ridiculous!

[Russell Ashley]

Nice work, Dan. I work alone too and sometimes it takes a little thought as to how to get the job done. I can only say thanks for engine hoists and rolling jacks, LOL.

[Dan in Pasadena]

September 1, 2016
I got the frame and & core support and later in the morning, the cab & front fenders to the fabricator's shop today:




My engine and tranny. It's an LQ4 and 4l85e out of a totaled 2006 Isuzu cargo van with 81,000 miles on it. It will be completely torn down, ball honed and new rings, bearings and seals installed. I'm told the 4l85e is a bit of an upgrade over the 4l80e in that being made for the van it will handle more torque. Notice the tail stock mounted parking brake? That'll be swapped out for a conventional tail stock housing.


I mentioned earlier the shop has a '57 in with an LQ4 twin turbo making 1000hp. That's just ridiculous power but I guess if you want bragging rights you'd have them!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Off topic for AD & TF trucks, the owner has a '64 C10 "patina" truck he's built to sell that is also running an LQ4. It's a single turbo and is more "conservative" in that it's making ONLY 620hp per a dyno test done yesterday but he said it ran out of fuel pump - meaning out of fuel delivery capacity. So he thinks when he fixes that it'll make a bit more.



My engine will be totally stock internally but I am considering having him use one of the Edelbrock medium rise intake manifolds like the C10 above just because they look better to me. That plus relocating the coil packs and running either Edelbrock finned covers or Delmo adapters/old style SBC script valve covers. It'll likely make 340-385hp and that's way more that I'd ever considered originally.