81 Malibu Budget 5.3 swap!!
07-30-2011, 12:18 PM
#1
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
81 Malibu Budget 5.3 swap!! My 81 Malibu has a tired old 350 that has seen better days.. so instead of taking the time to rebuild 50's technology it's time to upgrade!
My goal is to be able to convert the car to a feul injected ls style motor for how much it would have cost to rebuild the old SBC. This will be including selling the old motor to regain profit and reusing as many old parts as I can.
Old motor coming out!
I called up a junkyard in NH and they sent me a 100k mile 5.3 Vortec out of an 01 Silverado. I got it complete with harness, ecm, intake to oil pan, all accessories. I tore it down to long block, replaced all key gaskets and painted it to spruce it up! Also went with a caddilac CTSV oil pan and pickup tube for optimal clearance as the car is extremely low.
The harness and computer has been sent off to a friend of mine to disable VATS, turn off rear o2 sensors, and clear all of the clutter out of the harness for me.
For motor mounts I went with Carshop 1in setback mounts as they are cheap and i have heard good things about them!
Ill be running a TH350 transmission, so I needed a spacer for the converter snout. This can be fixed by using a 4L80E GM part crank spacer. In this case there is two ways. You can run a flat 4l80e flexplate with the spacer BEHIND the flexplate (as pictured) or use a curved flexplate (stock 5.3) with the spacer IN FRONT of the flexplate.
Also.. make sure to use the longer flexplate bolts.
My goal is to be able to convert the car to a feul injected ls style motor for how much it would have cost to rebuild the old SBC. This will be including selling the old motor to regain profit and reusing as many old parts as I can.
Old motor coming out!
I called up a junkyard in NH and they sent me a 100k mile 5.3 Vortec out of an 01 Silverado. I got it complete with harness, ecm, intake to oil pan, all accessories. I tore it down to long block, replaced all key gaskets and painted it to spruce it up! Also went with a caddilac CTSV oil pan and pickup tube for optimal clearance as the car is extremely low.
The harness and computer has been sent off to a friend of mine to disable VATS, turn off rear o2 sensors, and clear all of the clutter out of the harness for me.
For motor mounts I went with Carshop 1in setback mounts as they are cheap and i have heard good things about them!
Ill be running a TH350 transmission, so I needed a spacer for the converter snout. This can be fixed by using a 4L80E GM part crank spacer. In this case there is two ways. You can run a flat 4l80e flexplate with the spacer BEHIND the flexplate (as pictured) or use a curved flexplate (stock 5.3) with the spacer IN FRONT of the flexplate.
Also.. make sure to use the longer flexplate bolts.
07-31-2011, 10:52 AM
#6
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The plan for now is 98-02 FBody headers to keep cost down
Absolutely! I drive it as often as I can afford the gas!
Thanks for the kind words!
07-31-2011, 10:55 AM
#7
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One dillema I'm having is the heater box situation. The car doesn't and never will have ac, but it has a bulky factory a/c heater box. It looks terrible and will contact the coilpack in the rear. I would like to retain a heater incase I get caught in rain or if it is chilly outside but a blanked out firewall would look so much cleaner. I'm still searching for a non ac factory heater box but they run big dollars and are typically shipped out of arizona.. california and shipping to nc would kill me.
Trending Topics
07-31-2011, 04:14 PM
#11
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For the fuel system, I'm going with an 86-88 Monte Carlo 4.3 TBI/Buick GN Gas tank and Buick GN sending unit with 3/8 outlet and 5/16 return. That way I don't have to sump my current gas tank and run a loud feul pump like the holley blue pump that's on it now. Im going to ditch the return style rail and run a vette filter/regulator combo. That will save appx. 15-20 of feul line, and has worked well for many on this forum. It's cheap at about 40 bucks!
Rock Auto has a new tank availible for $109, Sending unit w/out pump for $102, and I'll run a Walbro 255 or Bosch 044 hv pump. Be around 400 for a complete feul system including lines and clamps.. a little out of my budget, but I don't mess around with gas.
Rock Auto has a new tank availible for $109, Sending unit w/out pump for $102, and I'll run a Walbro 255 or Bosch 044 hv pump. Be around 400 for a complete feul system including lines and clamps.. a little out of my budget, but I don't mess around with gas.
07-31-2011, 05:24 PM
#12
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just notch the heaterbox. I repaired mine in a couple hours with a Walmart fiberglass patch kit. Can barely tell it was touched. I'm about to patch a non ac box that was damaged during shipping to my house. They added an aftermarket heater control switch to it. I'll let you know how it goes if you are still looking for one in a couple weeks.
07-31-2011, 05:30 PM
#13
One dillema I'm having is the heater box situation. The car doesn't and never will have ac, but it has a bulky factory a/c heater box. It looks terrible and will contact the coilpack in the rear. I would like to retain a heater incase I get caught in rain or if it is chilly outside but a blanked out firewall would look so much cleaner. I'm still searching for a non ac factory heater box but they run big dollars and are typically shipped out of arizona.. california and shipping to nc would kill me.
Last edited by labelblack68; 07-31-2011 at 05:40 PM.
07-31-2011, 06:38 PM
#14
You have to modify that Sending Unit to get it to work correctly..look in my thread here and you will see what I did.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-carlo-ss.html
There are some good pics in there of the Heat-only box too.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-carlo-ss.html
There are some good pics in there of the Heat-only box too.
08-01-2011, 02:30 PM
#17
This may have been answered other places, and i dont mean to jack the thread.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
08-01-2011, 06:10 PM
#18
This may have been answered other places, and i dont mean to jack the thread.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
08-01-2011, 07:46 PM
#19
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This may have been answered other places, and i dont mean to jack the thread.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
But Since you seem to have some insite on this, im using a 6.0 in my Nova with a 5.3 Flexplate. and a 4L60E from a 99 4.3 astro. The flexplate holes had to be opened up slightly to allow bolting it up to the Converter, Did i need to use the spacer like you did?
I Havent started my car yet and im sure once i do and rev it a few times i will find out quickly.
Two options:
5.3 curved flex plate, drill out converter holes a tad, crank spacer in FRONT of flex plate.
4L80E flex plate, holes are already correct for converter holes, and spacer BEHIND the plate
08-01-2011, 08:08 PM
#20
^^Exactly^^
On your heater box dilemma... why not do a coil pack relocation instead of modifying the box?
I took the heat / AC box out of my 83 Monte Carlo because it was broken and someone cut most of the wires and vacuum lines. My solution was shaving the firewall, then painting it to match the body... looked great but made for a limited driving season car.
On your heater box dilemma... why not do a coil pack relocation instead of modifying the box?
I took the heat / AC box out of my 83 Monte Carlo because it was broken and someone cut most of the wires and vacuum lines. My solution was shaving the firewall, then painting it to match the body... looked great but made for a limited driving season car.