My New Truck

[Factory Guy]

Bought some new head gaskets. and bolted on the heads.

[Factory Guy]

Some more pics.

[Factory Guy]

Now the latest debacle.

My engine came with the 4L60 Flex plate, with a 6.0 LQ4 (yes I know rather odd). Rather than drill it out I decided to get the correct 6.0 LQ4 flex plate (Silver one-pictured below)

I bought the, what I thought was correct 4L80 flex plate. A Chinese 6.0 LQ4 ATP flex plate.

After I get it and get it installed (now, its beyond the return period) then I read various sources who say, ATP flex plates (read Chinese) are junk and they SHOULD not be used, as you risk serious transmission damage if used.

https://youtu.be/sp6Wjtve3D0


So now, I had to go out and source a better flex plate. Thus I stepped up and bought a TCI flex plate.

[Factory Guy]

Last Summer ls1nova71 pointed out to me that my digital dash I was building wasn't going to have the same font spacing on the speedometer like I had originally thought. SINCE I am switching to a LS I am going to need a digital Speedometer.

You can read all about ls1nova71 sweet inexpensive Digital Speedometer conversion at:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=512751

So the original Squarebody Speedometer look like this

[Factory Guy]

Just realized the S-10 Digital Speedo is just way to big for my Squarebody instrument cluster housing as it would require cutting out the plug, that powers the entire instrument cluster. Time to look for another option...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Factory Guy

Just realized the S-10 Digital Speedo is just way to big for my Squarebody instrument cluster housing as it would require cutting out the plug, that powers the entire instrument cluster. Time to look for another option...

Ahh man..... After that effort!?

[evan]

I was looking at the oil pan pictures again and wondering about ground clearance. Do you know how far it will hang below the factory crossmember?

[Factory Guy]

Just did a great Brake upgrade to my truck, I am elated with how happy I am, and how it turned out (especially for the money spent!)

If you want to see my post of it:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=834273

[Factory Guy]

Stepped up and bought a new factory dash pad (not one of the Cheap ones from LMC or Classic truck parts), from Cobin's Custom Upholstery.

This was a GM OEM metal dash that got recovered (not one of those Urethane dashes), although the color is slightly different I guess I will live with it since it looks so much better than the other cracked mess.

I was going to redo my own, but since I am so far behind on my projects, I decided to farm this one out.

Got it installed today.

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by evan

I was looking at the oil pan pictures again and wondering about ground clearance. Do you know how far it will hang below the factory crossmember?

I do know this if you use the TEJAS steel works engine mounts, and the factory style (Anchor brand) Motor mounts, the oil pan, the engine and everything will sit nearly in the same position as the small block V8 the LS is replacing. Plus with the Tejas mount you get to keep the AC compressor and ITS FACTORY mounting location so you do not have to buy a $1000 bracket to mount your AC!

If you use the other brands you end having to buy a new oil pan.

pic is the TEJAS steel mount.

[TKCR]

Dash looks good!

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Ahh man..... After that effort!?

Looking now at swapping in a 1993-1997 Chevy G10-30 Digital van Speedo.

The first picture is the van speedo (0-85mph), yes I will have to get the graphics redone (like I did with the Tach) to match a Square. But the layouts pretty much mirror each other. 2nd picture is the Square's face on the van Speedo.

Now to figure out a way to make a nice cut in the back of the Square plastic gauge housing to fit the much smaller van speedo. It still will require a deeper hole than the Squares conventional Speedo. Versus the very large S-10 speedo.

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Dash looks good!

Thank you

[Factory Guy]

The latest debacle:

I went to start the engine and primed the engine with oil prior to starting it about 2 days later (Still have not started it yet), I noticed a pretty good sized oil spot (10" in diameter) under the power steering pump area (if it was installed). Upon further inspection I am finding that the oil seems to been leaking between the oil pan and the block right below the negative ground cable bolt? See yellow arrow in picture.

So now I am pulling the oil pan and installing a new gasket. Thank God the engine wasn't in the truck.

This why I like running them outside the vehicle BEFORE installing them!

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by Factory Guy

The latest debacle:

I went to start the engine and primed the engine with oil prior to starting it about 2 days later (Still have not started it yet), I noticed a pretty good sized oil spot (10" in diameter) under the power steering pump area (if it was installed). Upon further inspection I am finding that the oil seems to been leaking between the oil pan and the block right above the negative ground cable bolt? See yellow arrow in picture.

So now I am pulling the oil pan and installing a new gasket. Thank God the engine wasn't in the truck.

This why I like running them outside the vehicle BEFORE installing them!

Engine Oil leak was probably my fault not the gasket or anything else. The oil pan bolt in that area was not even close to being tight. Anyway I replaced the oil pan gasket and cleaned all of the surfaces, just to be safe. Oil is in it, just waiting on a nice day to start this so I can get it installed. All oil pan bolts are now torqued to 18 ftLbs.

[hewittca]

Truck looks excellent! Keep up the nice work.

[Factory Guy]

So if enough wasn't going on with my truck I decided to add something else.

Since my truck didn't come with Cruise or Tilt, I decided to add a new steering column to correct that. And since I do NOT want any after market stuff. I had to add a GM Tilt/Cruise unit to my truck.

So the process has started.

I bought a used unit from a fellow member here on 67-72chevytrucks.com, this unit came out of a 1977 Camper Special. But since I didn't know the history of this steering column, I decided it needed to be rebuilt. I knew IT WASN'T going to be me.

So after a bunch of research I decided to have Steering Columns galore do the rebuild. Here's the new (to me) unit installed on the first day.

The process has started.

[ShortHaul]

Another fine upgrade. Tilt column is a nice feature… and just yesterday I was kicking myself for not adding cruise. 120 mile round trip and cruise would’ve made it that much sweeter.

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by hewittca

Truck looks excellent! Keep up the nice work.

Thank you!

[Factory Guy]

Tilt AND Cruise Column now installed.

Since somebody had cut the cruise wires, inside the steering column, prior to my purchase of the column. It was necessary to buy a new Cruise Switch (see photo's below-somebody cut it so close to the stalk it made it unusable). The place where I got my Steering Column redone, Steering Columns Galore (SGC) said they had no sources for new Switches. I finally found a repop that looks identical to the factory units. Once the LS goes in it will get wired up.

EDITED: 3/13/2023

So i go to wire up my ignition switch, nothing matches the old stock non tilt/non cruise ignition switch. So long story is the wiring loom under the dash to the IGNITION SWITCH remains the same (it is NOT necessary to re pin or anything), the wires AND connectors just get moved.

So in the Ignition switch photo below (the blue ignition switch=not mine just one I grabbed on the internet). The rear plug "POS 1" needs to be moved to "POS 2", AT the SAME TIME they get inverted (turned over and plug right into the ignition switch with NO REPINNING required. The front plug POS 2 needs to be moved to POS 1 AND INVERTED, NO REPINING REQUIRED.

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by ShortHaul

Another fine upgrade. Tilt column is a nice feature… and just yesterday I was kicking myself for not adding cruise. 120 mile round trip and cruise would’ve made it that much sweeter.

Thanks! Yes you are correct. Is your LS Drive by wire (DBW)? If so adding cruise wouldn't be hard if you have the factory ECU. If its cable driven its a lot harder.

One of the main reasons I went with DBW.

[ShortHaul]

Originally Posted by Factory Guy

Thanks! Yes you are correct. Is your LS Drive by wire (DBW)? If so adding cruise wouldn't be hard if you have the factory ECU. If its cable driven its a lot harder.

One of the main reasons I went with DBW.

I’m DBC on the Cheyenne. I have DBW on my 62 Impala 6.0 swap and I’ve always felt like there’s a tiny delay in throttle response. You can barely notice it… but it’s like when you’re watching a movie and the sound is off by just a fraction of a second… you hear the words and the actors mouth is just slightly off? Lol same feeling and it drives me nuts. So I went DBC on the truck.

[Factory Guy]

Originally Posted by ShortHaul

I’m DBC on the Cheyenne. I have DBW on my 62 Impala 6.0 swap and I’ve always felt like there’s a tiny delay in throttle response. You can barely notice it… but it’s like when you’re watching a movie and the sound is off by just a fraction of a second… you hear the words and the actors mouth is just slightly off? Lol same feeling and it drives me nuts. So I went DBC on the truck.

Yes I agree DBW always seems to have a lag. If your running the stock ECU I understand the can write some of that lag out. We will see. For me its more of the challenge to put it on the truck, just like the Tilt feature.

It didn't have it, but the only way I was going to do it was with a FACTORY unit.

[Factory Guy]

Needed to add the photo's since I can't do it in my old post...

Originally Posted by Factory Guy

Tilt AND Cruise Column now installed.



Since somebody had cut the cruise wires, inside the steering column, prior to my purchase of the column. It was necessary to buy a new Cruise Switch (see photo's below-somebody cut it so close to the stalk it made it unusable). The place where I got my Steering Column redone, Steering Columns Galore (SGC) said they had no sources for new Switches. I finally found a repop that looks identical to the factory units. Once the LS goes in it will get wired up.

EDITED: 3/13/2023

So i go to wire up my ignition switch, nothing matches the old stock non tilt/non cruise ignition switch. So long story is the wiring loom under the dash to the IGNITION SWITCH remains the same (it is NOT necessary to re pin or anything), the wires AND connectors just get moved.



So in the Ignition switch photo below (the blue ignition switch=not mine just one I grabbed on the internet). The rear plug "POS 1" needs to be moved to "POS 2", AT the SAME TIME they get inverted (turned over and plug right into the ignition switch with NO REPINNING required. The front plug POS 2 needs to be moved to POS 1 AND INVERTED, NO REPINING REQUIRED.

[Factory Guy]

The ENGINE now runs! Started it on the stand to see if it would run and it did! so now its time to start the transplant.