5.3L LS checklist with part numbers

[Bextreme04]

I got Dakota digital pass through vss I atleast need my odometer to function.

What Taylor said. I have an electronic speedometer from a 90-91 squarebody. No cable. The vss from my T-case goes into the 0411 computer and then I have a speedometer output from the 0411 computer that runs to the gauge. I can then change the output from the computer in order to have the gauge read correctly. The odometer runs automatically from the speedometer. If your speedometer is that far off, your odometer isn't properly keeping track of miles anyways.

You lost me there, also I assume you meant 91”, but are you using a completely different gauge or? My speedometer doesn’t read correctly but I can tell how fast I’m going from around anout where it’s at. It starts around 100 so 0 is roughly 50 mph. I reckon I can start looking into a throttle cable, I need to figure out what the end of the cable looks like. Do you have a rough idea of how long it needs to be? I assume slightly longer than my current cable. For the steam port, I thought you wanted it to exit at the highest point possible since air rises? I have a new radiator I can look into seeing if it’s got a nipple anywhere, if not I may need you to further explain what you mean. You mean use where the heater core would usually return into the radiator under the cap with some sort of reducer ?

The steam port is an exit from the motor. You need to run it to the suction side of the cooling system or it will do nothing. Every squarebody radiator I've ever seen has a nipple at the top of the passenger side tank that you normally run the heater hose to. It should be very close in size to the steam port size. Just run the heater lines to the appropriate ports on the LS water pump and then run the steam port to the nipple on the radiator... done.

If you run the steam port to the upper radiator hose you will be running a pressure port to a pressure port and you will have zero flow, or even worse you will be shoving hot coolant INTO the steam ports.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

My speedometer works fine, the needle is just clocked wrong. My odometer tracks accurately enough to know I’m averaging almost 9mpg with an edelbrock currently. When I had the dash apart I must’ve spun the speedometer somehow because it originally started it was straight down at 0 and somehow it’s now almost at 100 at 0

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Also about steam ports, how big are these lines? I thought the heater core hoses were like 5/8” hoses? I assumed steam port hoses were maybe 1/4 or 5/16

 

[Camar068]

Also about steam ports, how big are these lines? I thought the heater core hoses were like 5/8” hoses? I assumed steam port hoses were maybe 1/4 or 5/16

correct. I was wondering the same thing when he posted that. I had a barbed fitting welded into mine centered between the cap and the heater core hose fitting. Thats the location it is on vehicle I got the engine from.

Since I recently broke one of the fittings off, while at the radiator shop for repair, I asked him to remove the heater core fitting and block it off with metal. Before I just had a rubber cap w/clamp to hold it.

 

[Elliot W]

Nice to see you’re going manual on the LS. Do you need an adapter for it? Mine is 2wd so not familiar with the sm465. Depending on how the LS mounts you may need to move the trans position and change out driveshaft lengths. Are you keeping the mechanical clutch? I went hydraulic but if you stay me ha I am you’ll need that pivot ball in a specific location on the block for the z bar.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Sorry for late replies, I worked all weekend. I plan on trying to get a barb the correct size a clamp it in a piece of hose at the heater core spot on radiator. I did have intentions of keeping the mechanical clutch so atleast something would still be simple hopefully I never thought about the pivot ball on the block, is there anyway to retain the mechanical clutch?
Edit: also @Elliot W what adapter would I need? I’m not sure what you’re referring to. I assumed you have an sm465 unless you swapped in an nv3500/4500.

 

[Elliot W]

Sorry for late replies, I worked all weekend. I plan on trying to get a barb the correct size a clamp it in a piece of hose at the heater core spot on radiator. I did have intentions of keeping the mechanical clutch so atleast something would still be simple hopefully I never thought about the pivot ball on the block, is there anyway to retain the mechanical clutch?
Edit: also @Elliot W what adapter would I need? I’m not sure what you’re referring to. I assumed you have an sm465 unless you swapped in an nv3500/4500.

Full disclosure I went hydraulic clutch and am running an NV3500, so I can't definitively tell you exactly what you need. The only reason I brought it up is because when I was doing my research on keeping a mechanical clutch and a 4 speed linked with an LS, it would require adapters. I've seen the pivot ball for sale on a few websites....here is the link to what summit is peddling:

Chevrolet Performance SDCB Chevrolet Performance Clutch Pivot Ball Brackets | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Chevrolet Performance Clutch Pivot Ball Brackets with qualifying orders of $99. Shop Clutch Linkage Pivot Ball Brackets at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

As for the trans goes, again I'm not familiar with the SM465 or 4x4 in general, but if it has the same bolt pattern to the bellhousing as the muncie, then you'll probably need a BBC bellhousing. At least thats what I gathered when I was looking at muncies. People online said all the bellhousing bolts matched to the LS block except the one at the top peak of the bellhousing (it doesn't exist, but there is a hole for it on the block). The BBC bellhousings go for around $125 online from what I saw. The NV3500 has a built in bellhousing and was mounted to the 4.8 blocks from the factory, so it definitely mates up to the 5.3 block.

Lastly, I applaud your efforts on the budget build as that was/is my goal too. You seem to be on the right path so keep it up!

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Yes the bell housing should bolt right to it minus two I believe there’s one extra on the block and one ear on the bell housing that doesn’t go into block, but don’t quote that. Yes I’m definitely on a budget I just need this truck reliable since it’s my work teuck and I admit 9mpg is the better end of what I’ve seen it make. I’ll look into the adapters.

 

[Bextreme04]

Also about steam ports, how big are these lines? I thought the heater core hoses were like 5/8” hoses? I assumed steam port hoses were maybe 1/4 or 5/16

Yes. Get a brass reducer and plumb it right in. $7.99 from amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMPZWX4/

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Gotcha, I ordered a clutch pivot ball bracket from kegs and a steam port kit with two pieces, a line connecting them and a barb to send a hose to the rad.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’m going to go through and edit the first post here in a couple days since I’ve had to order some extras and I didn’t include them in the original post, I went and got the engine yesterday and heard it run. I put my fuel tank together this morning aiming to complete the swap as soon as I get some nicer weather for a few days.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

We’ll day four into the swap and I’ve got the engine in, that’s about it. It’s going absolutely terrible. I had to remove the exhaust manifolds to get the rear of the engine to drop between the frame rails then I finally got the passenger side clam shell to drop onto the motor mount but I had to pry down on the clamshell to get the bolt in I had to rock the truck back and forth to get the dowel pin to line up, I’ve got one bolt started in the bell housing the drivers side I can still put my finger between. Putting the exhaust manifold back on the down pipe hits the frame and I broke a spark plug wire taking it off. The only thing I haven’t absolutely struggled with is lining the clutch spines up. Put the truck in third and turned the crank until the truck started moving forward, turned crank back a little and put truck back in neutral. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Is there any cheapish headers that someone can confirm fit correctly? I’ll start on wiring tomorrow but I don’t have the bell housing and block mated completely and I don’t know how to bring them together. I’ve heard not to use the bolts to bring them together so I don’t know. I need help sos lol
Edit: also it hasn’t been nicer weather if you’re curious it was <35° the last four days smashing a finger hurts a little more

 

[Bextreme04]

We’ll day four into the swap and I’ve got the engine in, that’s about it. It’s going absolutely terrible. I had to remove the exhaust manifolds to get the rear of the engine to drop between the frame rails then I finally got the passenger side clam shell to drop onto the motor mount but I had to pry down on the clamshell to get the bolt in I had to rock the truck back and forth to get the dowel pin to line up, I’ve got one bolt started in the bell housing the drivers side I can still put my finger between. Putting the exhaust manifold back on the down pipe hits the frame and I broke a spark plug wire taking it off. The only thing I haven’t absolutely struggled with is lining the clutch spines up. Put the truck in third and turned the crank until the truck started moving forward, turned crank back a little and put truck back in neutral. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Is there any cheapish headers that someone can confirm fit correctly? I’ll start on wiring tomorrow but I don’t have the bell housing and block mated completely and I don’t know how to bring them together. I’ve heard not to use the bolts to bring them together so I don’t know. I need help sos lol
Edit: also it hasn’t been nicer weather if you’re curious it was <35° the last four days smashing a finger hurts a little more

What motor mount adapters are you using? It sounds like you might have one side in the wrong holes and that is twisting the entire setup. Generally most of the swap mounts have multiple positions you can install them in.

Generally when I'm mating an engine/trans, I would jack up the trans as much as possible and then put the engine in. Get it bolted together and then try to get the engine mounts in. Usually if the rear of the trans is mounted it lets you drop the engine right in where it belongs. This would also have the added benefit of letting you know where those engine mount brackets need to go so that you aren't changing your driveline lengths.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Motor mount adapters are the aluminum ones and the clamshell is at the exact same spot as it was on the 350. 13-3/8” from the bellhousing. Both clamshells are in the farthest forward spot. I got both motor mount bolts in drivers side wqs easier than passenger side, I got caught up on the fins coming off the side of the motor mount(frame side). I lifted the trans to get the input shaft to go in but I let it back down. I got one bolt threaded in by the starter but there’s still a gap big enough that the bolts won’t reach on the drivers side. Can I rock the truck in gear to close the gap? Or can I use a longer bolt to pull it together? Or?

 

[Elliot W]

We’ll day four into the swap and I’ve got the engine in, that’s about it. It’s going absolutely terrible. I had to remove the exhaust manifolds to get the rear of the engine to drop between the frame rails then I finally got the passenger side clam shell to drop onto the motor mount but I had to pry down on the clamshell to get the bolt in I had to rock the truck back and forth to get the dowel pin to line up, I’ve got one bolt started in the bell housing the drivers side I can still put my finger between. Putting the exhaust manifold back on the down pipe hits the frame and I broke a spark plug wire taking it off. The only thing I haven’t absolutely struggled with is lining the clutch spines up. Put the truck in third and turned the crank until the truck started moving forward, turned crank back a little and put truck back in neutral. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Is there any cheapish headers that someone can confirm fit correctly? I’ll start on wiring tomorrow but I don’t have the bell housing and block mated completely and I don’t know how to bring them together. I’ve heard not to use the bolts to bring them together so I don’t know. I need help sos lol
Edit: also it hasn’t been nicer weather if you’re curious it was <35° the last four days smashing a finger hurts a little more

Dude thats rough! I got my headers on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/313394910904 Looks like they are out of stock but you may be able to find a similar seller.

I wouldn't recommend mating the engine trans with the bolts. Are you sure the clutch is clearing the bellhousing? Maybe check for wires that couldv'e fallen between the engine bellhousing (sounds dumb but it happened to me a few times). Also these are the mounts I used that worked https://www.ebay.com/itm/313394910904

When you go to replace the spark plug wires you'll want an angled or shorter wire that doesn't hit the headers. I just got these but haven't put them on yet. (the original wires work but will melt since they touch the headers.) https://www.ebay.com/itm/284974365592

Tough to keep it going but don't get discouraged its a big project.