1979 K20 5.3 Swap

[smurfasaur]

Thanks, I would appreciate the pics. No rush either.

The price on the speed engineering headers is very fair imo, so much cheaper than other swap headers ive seen. Ill see if i can get some info on them and let you know what I find. I still havent bought mine but have read that the Camaro headers is where everyone is going nowadays for a more budget friendly swap.

I see you have a 79 so your crossmember would definitely be useless. Im going from 700r4 to 4l60e so in theory everything should land right where it was.

Keep up the good work, and try not to get too anxious, thats where mistakes happen and corners get cut. Im saying that as much for me as for you lol.

FWIW post #24 on this thread - rpcraft is using speed engineering headers on his swap and they look like they fit on his 4x4 really nicely. I knew I saw a picture somewhere before just forgot it was on my own thread lol

Yeah going from a 700r4 should be pretty slick, lucky! I bet the length of the tranny is damn near the same too so I bet your driveshafts will be fine as well.

Doing my best to take things slow and methodical, but sometimes I get ahead of myself. There isn’t a TON of info out there it seems like for 4x4 swaps into squares so some of it has been just a hope and a prayer it all works. Kinda why I thought I should document things on here so people can learn from my eff ups lol




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[Jrgunn5150]

Speed Engineering are the best bang for the buck, they fit as is, and are very affordable.

 

[rpcraft]

FWIW, speed engineering now has C-10 truck swap headers and they come with V-band clamps, so once you weld up the pipe, or use some band clamps to join the pipes together (your choice of course) you don't have to worry about collector gaskets leaking, which has always been a huge headache on any truck of mine with collector flanges. I converted mine over and welded on a set of band clamps but to be fair it was because I already had the headers and it only cost about 30 bucks to buy some Vband clamps, then the I was the welder so I figured I could stack enough booger welds together to live with...

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I don't have any pictures of them mounted right now but its because i kind of pulled them out, with intentions of cleaning the drivetrain better and then painting everything nicely with some good engine paint.

 

[Crispy]

Those short Speed Engineering headers look they'll fit anything and theyre the same price as the ebay Camaro long tubes. While I really want long tubes I'd rather keep my headaches down to a minimum. They are currently back ordered til 4/30 though. So if free market capitalism is your game you may have some expensive pieces of steel on your hands @rpcraft . Thanks for the info, i'm all in on these, hopefully the ship date is accurate.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Those short Speed Engineering headers look they'll fit anything and theyre the same price as the ebay Camaro long tubes. While I really want long tubes I'd rather keep my headaches down to a minimum. They are currently back ordered til 4/30 though. So if free market capitalism is your game you may have some expensive pieces of steel on your hands @rpcraft . Thanks for the info, i'm all in on these, hopefully the ship date is accurate.

There's a guy on the LS swap Squarebody group whos a dealer for them and says he can beat Ebay's price on them.

 

[Crispy]

There's a guy on the LS swap Squarebody group whos a dealer for them and says he can beat Ebay's price on them.

Is this a facebook group?

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Is this a facebook group?

Yes.

 

[rpcraft]

Yes sir, see if this link will get you there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/267895843406925/ Lots of great advice and helpful people (also some retards but I can't help that).

 

[smurfasaur]

Does anyone know if the computer “needs” to know the coolant temp? I initially bought an adapter from ICT billet to run a stock gen1 chevy sending unit but when I started the truck I got a CEL from no coolant temp signal.

If nothing else, does anyone know how I could fool the computer so I don’t get the CEL? I intend to hook up a light for the CEL but I may as well not bother if it’ll constantly be lit from that code


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[Jrgunn5150]

Does anyone know if the computer “needs” to know the coolant temp? I initially bought an adapter from ICT billet to run a stock gen1 chevy sending unit but when I started the truck I got a CEL from no coolant temp signal.

If nothing else, does anyone know how I could fool the computer so I don’t get the CEL? I intend to hook up a light for the CEL but I may as well not bother if it’ll constantly be lit from that code


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Tables add and subtract fuel and timing based on ECT.

Using a 1998 Camaro coollant temp sender is the fix, it has an electric output for a gauge, and one for the ECM.

 

[smurfasaur]

Tables add and subtract fuel and timing based on ECT.

Using a 1998 Camaro coollant temp sender is the fix, it has an electric output for a gauge, and one for the ECM.

Ok so definitely necessary. Thanks man! I already need to go back to the pick and pull to get a different cruise control module so I’m thinking that since I already have the adapter and new sending unit for my stock gauge I’ll snag a regular two wire sender and pigtail from a wreck.

I never went to a pick and pull before this swap but I totally nerd out when I go there now. Just picked up a cruise control module and an auto dimming rear view mirror and was out the door for $35, including the random bolts and stuff I needed that they didn’t charge me for. Frickin love it lol


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[Crispy]

AC Delco # 12551708 for the sensor
Borg Warner # PT217 for the harness.

Note on the harness, AC Delco PT217 is a speaker plug. Other companies make this plug as well, guys on ebay have it for under $10

 

[smurfasaur]

Because LED fog lights are clearly more important than the truck running and driving

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[rpcraft]

Does anyone know if the computer “needs” to know the coolant temp? I initially bought an adapter from ICT billet to run a stock gen1 chevy sending unit but when I started the truck I got a CEL from no coolant temp signal.

If nothing else, does anyone know how I could fool the computer so I don’t get the CEL? I intend to hook up a light for the CEL but I may as well not bother if it’ll constantly be lit from that code


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There is a camaro fbody three wire temp sender that you can use to provide signal to the PCM and to the gauge... This should fit in the original spot on the drivers side head towards the front of the engine. You will need a pigtail as well... Links below:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OVAUN2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Michigan-Mot...rd_wg=Hal3r&psc=1&refRID=PZ5KQTA8JGMG4GH8HBPB


The headers I used are the shorty headers and there were two issues I ran across. One was that they originally had collectors and as they sat it was going to put my O2 sensors in a really bad spot, proactically smashed against things (like the floorboard). Ideally you want the O2 sensors pointed up to keep moisture out and to prevent them from fouling but if you can get them above the midline of the exhuast then that will be fine, so that is why i converted to the V-band clamps. Was just a matter of making it easy to clock them better and also like i mentioned previously, not having to mess with collector gaskets. The other issue I had was that when I got my trans I got an older 4l60E that was from a 1997 Z71. It used the older style one piece transmission body so it had the same bellhousing shape as a 700r4/th400/th350 and as such the ears on the trans come in the path of the headers. I suspect you would run into the same issue with the long tube headers. The easiest solution is to chop the ears off. Not pretty, and stops you from being able to use the stock dust sheilds, but it gets the job done. I'll live with that for a while but once I get my move done and set up my garage I'm just going to find an old aluminum 4 x 4 dust sheild and modify it to make a proper dust shield that makes up for what I trimmed off, just to keep dirt, mud, and whatever else from getting in there when and where I go offroad.

 

[rpcraft]

Photo of my three wire coolant sensor installed. Not sure which wires go where at the moment but its not too hard to figure out if you google it but I think the PCM colors match the original LS harness, then the spare wire just goes to your dash gauge.

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