superbean

I have been thinking about the wore out 350 in my 81 malibu and i'm considering going fuel injection for economy and reliability. My main goal isn't huge horsepower or speed, but moreso a smooth running engine that will aide in comfort while going on long cruises and sitting in traffic.

I'm open to any suggestions you seasoned members can provide.

Here are a few things I would like to keep:
The car has a smooth th350 in it, so I would like to keep the transmission at least for now until money allows a 4l60. I have read that I will need a flexplate spacer? Which flexplate and or starter will I run?

I would like to keep power steering also, but that shouldn't be a problem.

The car is a non a/c car, so I can toss all of the air conditioning stuff for simplicity.

Stock manifolds are even fine with me at this point. Stock F body manifolds?

I also have read I will need to use a ctsv oil pan to clear my factory subframe?

Thanks,
Randy

deuce4935

iTrader: (2)

If you just want something more reliable then look for the 4.8 or 5.3's, as long as you arent concerned about high hp parts then you should be able to get the engine and all necessary parts for less than 2 grand. Be sure the engine is complete with all accessories, pcm and harness, and preferably dbc for ease of install. You can have the stock engine harness reworked, and pcm reprogrammed by one of the sponsors here. The truck manifolds will fit without problems, and instead of shelling out the coin for a ctsv oil pan you can get the h3 pan kit for significantly less. Find a Monte Carlo 4.3 tbi fuel tank and sending unit, 3/8" and 5/16" rubber fuel injection hose, 99+ Corvette fuel pressure regulator, 255 walbro fuel pump for a Grand National. You can keep your stock radiator and the fan shroud can be trimmed if need be. This should get you rolling.

superbean

ok that seems to be right along the lines of what I have been reading. Where would you reccomend getting an engine setup? Most everywhere I look want to sell the transmission along with the engine and I do not need it.

2Aspire

iTrader: (4)

I'll have to check how much they are now but it was a little over a year ago that I got my CTSV pan, windage tray, pick-up tube, dipstick tube and dipstick for $144.33 shipped to my door..

deuce4935

iTrader: (2)

Try your local jy's, Craigslist, and Ebay

lamdenali

iTrader: (5)

Do you remember the website you got the pan from ?

00Wildcat

Mines been almost done for over 3 months, I've been waiting on a buddy to do wiring harness as he owes me money for work I've done for him. I bought an '04 5.3 7x,xxx miles w/'07 4l60e w/38,xxx miles, complete exhaust, wiring computer, accessories, pedal, etc... everything for $1000.00 from local yard. before that I bought '04 6.0 w/4l80e just like above similar miles for $1500. I used the stock truck pan and my car isn't lowered. I wouldn't mess with the "hotrod" gm h3 pan. I will probably put a skid plate under it. I went over board a little on fuel system, new speedway double pass radiator and a few other unnecessary items. I'm positive w/manifolds and buying complete this swap can be done for around $1000 over the pull out price. $80 ebay truck cold air intake, $80 drive shaft shorten/balance, motor mount adapter plates $50, radiator hoses $50, 255 pump $100, fuel line and fittings $100, Jim's Performance harness rework and flash ecm $500, Lokar TPI throttle cable $50. I used the stock truck fan/acc. and the stock malibu fan shroud.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

You can keep the th350 you just need the spacer for a LQ4 6.0l with a 4l80e and the longer bolts that go with it. You may need to slightly elongate the converter bolt holes in the flex plate to make that work, or you could grab the flexplate from that LQ4 6.0l and it would be a bolt together. Any of the f-body or truck starters should bolt on and work with either flex plate.

Power steering is a non issue, a little tweaking of the lines and it should bolt in.

The only manifolds that I know of that bolt in (after moving the drivers side O2 sensor) are the 00-02 f-body manifolds but I believe the 98-99`s will also fit, but I have never tried them. If anyone has pics of the truck manifolds fitting I would like to see them. They were several inches too wide to fit my el camino frame, actually they were even too wide for the frame of a 78 buick electra 225 that I did a swap on.

Oil pan is kinda a crapshoot. The f-body pan does not hang below the frame at all, allows you to mount the motor low enough to clear the tall truck intake and alternator with a stock flat hood, but it is fairly expensive. It also forces you to either cut the pan, cut the k-member, or notch the heater box in order to get everything to clear.
The truck pan is dirt cheap but hangs down 3" and you will have to mount the motor slightly higher. You can cut the truck pan 2-3" shorter fairly easily if you have someone who can weld aluminum.
The LH8 hotrod/hummer pan is pretty cheap, but its only 1" shorter than the truck pan.
The CTSv pan is in between the LH8 and f-body pan pricewise and depending on who you ask its flush with the k-member or hangs down slightly (probably due to differences in engine mount heights).

2Aspire

iTrader: (4)

Yes sir..

http://www.enginepartsplus.com/

Part numbers at that time, as per my invoice, were the following:

Oil Pan: 12577901

Pick-up tube: 12621299

Dipstck and dipstick tube ( sorry no part number listed on my invoice but Im guessing since I asked for one for this application, they looked it up and sent me the appropriate one). Worked great..

Windage tray: 12558253

I searched the PDF and I dont see them but as I recall I didnt see them there when I first looked into purchasing from them..

Easy way to find out is to give them a call..

Cheers!

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

I used this..GM 19212593, got it from the Dealership for $150. It's the Muscle Car Oil Pan Kit.

I used the V6 Monte Carlo Fuel Tank and Sending Unit, installed a Walbro 255 to run the Engine.

Here is my thread..

https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-carlo-ss.html

deuce4935

iTrader: (2)

Just for clarification, the gm 19212593 muscle car oil pan kit is the Hummer H3 oil pan, I dont want the op being confused.

Hondo78

iTrader: (1)

I just picked up an El Camino SS w/o engine or transmission, and have a 5.3 and 4L60, I picked up on the oil pan suggestions, as for the Monte Carlo 4.3 TBI fuel tank, I think this SS El Camino had fuel injection, would the tank be the same or is the Monte Carlo tank unique?

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

Monte carlo uses a completely different tank. You can use a EFI el camino tank, but the hard part is finding an EFI el camino fuel sending unit. No one that I found made an aftermarket, and factory ones were a couple hundred $$$ IIRC.

Hondo78

iTrader: (1)

This is the sending unit for the "Fuel Gauge"? or for another purpose? Worst case can we install the Camaro fuel pump and sending unit into the 1987 El Camino 4.3 FI tank?

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

2 wires will power and ground the pump & bracket, the third will be for the Gauge.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

The sending unit is the one for the fuel gauge. The thing is that it also is the holder for the fuel pump. In most cars it sits on the top part of the tank where it is flat. On the El camino tank the sender sits on an angled portion of the tank. So if you use the sender out of a camaro or monte carlo your pump will probably be angled toward the back of the car instead of hanging vertically.

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Oh I was telling the EFI one..my bad..lol..