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iTrader: (4)

is the lower radiator water pump outlet the same as a f body? I tried the same hose and i didn't seem to work for me.. i also used a stock upper hos which seems to work BUT it would be in the way of the throttle body.. So i'm going to try to your upper hose idea!! Thanks! also the intake would be great but mine need to face the drivers side inner fender..

monteboy84

I'm not sure if the LS3 pump has a different lower hose inlet than the Fbody, but it's definitely angled down more than the truck pump. The hose still isn't a perfect fit, but it's very close and I don't think there's a better one out there.

On the upper hose, I actually made a new coupler this weekend but I don't have the pics uploaded yet. I built an aluminum tube with a temp sender bung welded in to feed the gauge.

Thanks!
-matt

ETA: Since you have to cut the intake tube anyway, it would work for a Driver's side setup just as well.

monteboy84

The car is running! (Finally) Now, to show how it got there....

I needed a high pressure pump and hated the idea of a GN pump, which would starve under cornering and undoubtedly be unreliable. So, I bought a Dorman replacement tank.


I needed to change it, so I cut this lovely hole in it.


To make room for this.


Which would be mounted with this.


Then I welded it in.


and test-fitted.


I needed to bring it to the shop, so I loaded it in the Z06.


Then I put some paint on it.


With it in the car, I ran some lines and installed this.

monteboy84

I changed motor mount plates to move the motor ahead slightly. Here it is, going in one last time.


Happy Happy Happy.


Getting closer.


Oooh


Then it was time to work on a hoist, so I had to get it ready to move. First time it's been on the ground since late 2011.


I needed exhaust, so I decided to make some.


My MIG tacks made my TIG welds look sloppy, thankfully nobody will see this under the car :dunno:


When I was happy with the fit, I welded on some flanges.


To keep it from cracking, I added these snazzy flex-joints, one on each side.


I got as far as the X-pipe before it was time to clean up for the weekend. My car is like sasquatch, every picture is grainy.

RusselBadSS

Hey Matt, great job! I just ran across your build and spent the last couple hours reading it!! I have an '88 Monte SS that will be going under the knife next year. I'm trying to collect all my parts now. Your build has been a great help!

I have a question: why did you pull the motor and change motor mount plates? Also, where did you get the new plates from?

You'll have to let us know how she drove on the road and how the power is with the 5.3! I can get a 5.3 pretty inexpensive...but I'm trying to hold out for a 6.0 or 6.2 for the extra horsepower.

Thanks again for the great write up!!

monteboy84

It's alive! I abandoned the Truck Underhood Fuse Block when after many hours of head scratching I was unable to get power where I needed it to make it run. I used the Dorman fuse block and relays as recommended by lt1swap.com. I also fought and fought and fought with a misfire until I eventually found a broken wire to Injector #2. The car runs and drives now, goes down the road great and has strong, smooth power through the RPM band. The used Aztek pump I had died on the first day, so I replaced the pump itself with a brand new AcDelco. Fuel mileage seems to be poor, but it hasn't been tuned and I don't have a working speedometer at the moment so I can't calculate it just yet. I still have some things to do, but having it on the road and running is a big motivator for completing all of the little line items that I have left.

monteboy84

Thanks! I changed motor plates to shift the engine ahead 1/4", hoping that it would then clear the heater box. Unfortunately it's still touching, so I'll need to pull it back out and clearance the heater box at some point. In any case, the engine fits better now, so it was still beneficial. The new plates were just an ebay item, nothing special.

Here's my thought on the 5.3 vs 6.0 vs 6.2:
It takes a lot of work to properly convert the car for fuel injection and an LS; from the fuel tank/lines/pump to the exhaust, cooling, etc. So, my 5.3 engine cost me $225, it was basically the cheapest part of my swap. It runs good, doesn't leak oil, and makes good power. The total swap has run me north of $2500, due to all of the peripherals required to make it work. Now, I could have bought a 6.0, but that would have been $1200 or more, pushing me north of $3500. All of the items required would be basically the same, but I certainly wouldn't have money for a cam, springs, etc. So, I'm running the 5.3 for now, which has the car back on the road, and at some point in the future I'll swap it for a built 6.0, which will be an easy weekend ordeal since I did all of the other parts right up-front.

monteboy84

We've gotten heavier into road racing as of late and I'm bouncing around the idea of selling this car to free up funds to buy/build a C4 or C5 Corvette track car. If interested please shoot me a PM or give me a call 320-223-8917.

-matt

monteboy84

I sold this car over a year ago, but thanks for the info I guess? Frankly, I have no interest in drag racing, which I assume is what you were doing when your car was 'wrecked'. That's all well and good if you want to drag race, but it has a whole different set of requirements for the car versus one that's street driven or tracked on a road course. The 7.5" diff gets a bad rap from people who want to launch a 3000# car on slicks and a sticky track. Ditto for the flimsy stock frame, it's not great but it works fine for the street so long as you're not launching hard on a strip. That's not what this car was built for, it was build to drive on the street and maybe go to the occasional HPDE if I so desired, and for that purpose, it works perfect.

I'm sure you build great cars, but I'd prefer that you keep your chest-thumping out of my thread. Thanks