About to ruin one of the nicest C3500's with an Ls.. Pictures

[louu]

Well hopefully not, I guess I'll start a swap thread here since I have plenty of downtime away from the truck 3-4 days a week with that terrible thing they call work.

I have an absolute beautiful 1986 GMC 3500 with a big ol fo fiddy fo and T400 that's a smelly gas guzzling, gas spewing hunk of oil leaking iron that's gotta go. My daily is a 2002 silverado with a genuine Vortex engine made out of tornadoes and Bruce Lee movies. I put over 360k miles on that bad boy and would love to have that kind of awesomeness in my 86.

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[louu]

I did put the performance fuel injection system on ol blue Betty witch is a lot nicer than a carb but still not that sweet sweet LS power.

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[louu]

So I found me probably the coolest truck on the internet and a true dream rig for a hillbilly like myself on the markplace and drug her on home. This rig fired right up with a new battery. I couldn't believe it but I had to, I was looking right at it. The kid and myself had a blast rippin it down the farm field in her with the doors off and all. The previous owner did America a favor and cut those pesky feline mufflers off to let freedom ring!

This rig is a 2005 with a DBW LQ4 and the 4L80. Perfect for what I want to do.

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[louu]

It was a pice of cake getting the engine out being that there was basically no body on this rig. I saved pretty much everything I thought I would need. It came with a really nice set of headers I'm hoping to reuse

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[louu]

I'm kind cheap when it comes to stuff I can make myself so I spent about a half hour and made up my own lifting plate. I used the old gasket between there to not scratch up the block, it also made a great templet to make the plate.

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[louu]

I think I got a decent start on the millions of dollars of parts I'm gona need. I'm going with the super hip truck Norris cam cus it sounds good and one of the first questions the wife had when I took on this project was is it going to sound the same? There's a pretty good cam in the 454 so I gotta keep it choppy.

I'm new to all this electodigitalms stuff so I know I have a lot to learn. I called Glenn in Florida of Glen's auto performance to order all the is stuff and he was such a helpful fella. His prices are great from what I've seen in the internet for the same stuff.

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[RecklessWOT]

Good luck with the swap, you got a lot of work ahead of you. I won't add my opinion as to whether I think you'd be ruining the truck or not as you've already made up your mind and bought a donor truck. But I will say I hope you plan to put some aftermarket go fast parts on that engine before you snip it in there. An LS swap is not just plug and play, it would be a shame if you were to go through all that hassle and ripping the original heart (and soul) out of your truck to swap in a used LS only to find that the "sweet sweet LS power" isn't all you dreamed it would be. A stock 454 with a 4barrell and an LQ4 have almost identical torque outputs, only difference being higher revs and a somewhat noticeable bump in horsepower. It looks like you already have some aftermarket stuff on your BBC, that might close the gap even more. I know LS swaps are popular these days, just wouldn't want you to be disappointed if it's not the powerhouse you have imagined it will be. It most certainly will get better fuel economy and will not smell the same, though no nothing sounds like a big block, that is one thing you will have to sacrifice. Any plans to sell the 454?

 

[louu]

Right now the block, crank and heads are at the machine shop and the trans is at the trans shop. Hopefully it will all be back soon so I can start putting it together.

The plan is to put the engine together. Then pull the truck in and pull the front bumper off and the whole front clip. Then rebuild the front end completely. Then pull the iron pig out, wash and paint the frame. Fit the engine /trans in and make my own Mounts so I can use the stock AC compressor and hopefully these headers.

I'm probably going to go with the PSI conversion wire harness because they are right here in dirty jersey

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and maybe do the vatsnkats myself.

 

[Old77]

Subbed for progress

 

[Nasty-LSX]

I have the Ls swap transmission crossmember for that truck if you need it. Its from
Tejas steel works. he sent me the wrong crossmember. 2 years later when I did the swap
surprise for me. He sent the wrong part so Now im stuck with it!. Your gonna love the ls
in that truck!

I have done about 30 LS swap for customers. Everyone of those swaps I used PSI with zero issues. The best
in my opinion. DO NOT USE A WORKED OVER FACTORY HARNESS unless your just to broke to buy the real deal.

 

[louu]

Good luck with the swap, you got a lot of work ahead of you. I won't add my opinion as to whether I think you'd be ruining the truck or not as you've already made up your mind and bought a donor truck. But I will say I hope you plan to put some aftermarket go fast parts on that engine before you snip it in there. An LS swap is not just plug and play, it would be a shame if you were to go through all that hassle and ripping the original heart (and soul) out of your truck to swap in a used LS only to find that the "sweet sweet LS power" isn't all you dreamed it would be. A stock 454 with a 4barrell and an LQ4 have almost identical torque outputs, only difference being higher revs and a somewhat noticeable bump in horsepower. It looks like you already have some aftermarket stuff on your BBC, that might close the gap even more. I know LS swaps are popular these days, just wouldn't want you to be disappointed if it's not the powerhouse you have imagined it will be. It most certainly will get better fuel economy and will not smell the same, though no nothing sounds like a big block, that is one thing you will have to sacrifice. Any plans to sell the 454?

Thanks man, yeah it's been a dream of mine since I was about 13 years old back in the early 90s to have a 454 in a square with a big cam but I'm over it now. I'm on the fence about selling this engine and trans I'll make that decision after the new setup is finished. The only thing leaking on it is a few drips from the front cover, not sure if it's the pan or the HD seal.

The only hardware I'm putting in is the cam other than making it like new again. I'm back and forth if I want to learn tuning or just take it to someone. I have a good buddy that's into it pretty good and has the computer setup. I'm hoping to get a lot of power out of it just with a proper tune, get that power enrichment turned on immediately above 70% throttle or something like that

 

[louu]

I have the Ls swap transmission crossmember for that truck if you need it. Its from
Tejas steel works. he sent me the wrong crossmember. 2 years later when I did the swap
surprise for me. He sent the wrong part so Now im stuck with it!. Your gonna love the ls
in that truck!

I have done about 30 LS swap for customers. Everyone of those swaps I used PSI with zero issues. The best
in my opinion. DO NOT USE A WORKED OVER FACTORY HARNESS unless your just to broke to buy the real deal.

I wanna be your huckleberry.

I might take you up on that crossmember. I was thinking I couldn't just use the stock one and drill a couple new holes but I'm pretty far from that point right now.

 

[shanegtr]

Cool looking truck. Keen to see how this turns out

 

[Nasty-LSX]

I wanna be your huckleberry.

I might take you up on that crossmember. I was thinking I couldn't just use the stock one and drill a couple new holes but I'm pretty far from that point right now.

$75 plus $25 to ship if you decide.

 

[akchevrolet]

cant wait to see more. thats a nice truck either way