cutlas69

I have been watching this forum for a while and have a 1967 Firebird that is partially restored with no motor or transmission.
After checking on the cost of putting a 400 Pontiac engine in the car (not made in 30 years) I found out how expensive Pontiac parts are. I have come across 2 6.0L engines from burnt 3/4T trucks at $600.00 a peace and like the idea of using a modern carburated engine. The engines are in good shape and come from a 2001 & 2005 truck. Which engine would be the best candidate for a carbed swap? Are the stock exhaust manifolds usable? What intake would allow me to use a stock hood? Besides the oil pan and the ignition module is there anything I should be aware of?

69LT1Bird

iTrader: (1)

The engine choice to me would come down to mileage and overall conditon.

I used the Hooker headers that are made for the LSx swaps into the first gens and I think they fit great, I made my own block plates so I could put the engine where I wanted it and just used SBC mounts and doghouse brackets. Good clearance to the steering gear and good ground clearance.

I don't see why the GMPP intake wouldn't work, you will probably need a 400 hood if you don't already have one. You may also need an air cleaner assembly that has a low profile to help with hood clearance.

The truck water pump is not the best for the F car engine bay, the water pump outlet to the upper hose is angled upward. I went with F/Y car waterpump. I had to change the entire accessory drive over to the F car style.

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

I have a 68 bird, definately do it! I removed my 400/400 combo to put in my ls1. I used ATS plates to mount the engine. Hooker ceramic coated headers were about $650 but cleared all of the steering nicely. Stock LS1 manifolds i couldnt get to clear the steering box. You will need modified oil pan. A Victor JR single plain intake is $300 new. MSD 6010 ignition box is $340 or so new. The BEST truck engine would be from a Silverado SS, an Lq9. IF not it will be an LQ4 which is lower compression due to dish pistons but will still make massive power.

It will clear the stock hood. My car was orgionally a OHC sprint car. I believe my hood is a 400 hood though, not a ram air though. It clears with a holley 750 on it and a 3" tall air filter. I am putting on a shotgun scoop right now though so it will come through the hood. What transmission do you plan on using? That is really where dificulties come in.

I would use a 1994 Camaro/firebrid radiator. They fit in there great. They are aluminum and the larger cores came on the 94s. Their electric fans also clear nicely.

OldSchoolFormula

Should be easy enough to tell... 400 hoods have scoops.

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Lol well i know my car was on OHC sprint car but i know i also pried 400 emblems off of the hood when i sanded it down lol. Heres a pic, you tell me

http://a654.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...03454f08b5.jpg

Stu Cool

iTrader: (13)

That is not a 400 hood. A 400 hood looks like this:



Someone must had added the 400 numbers some time during its life.

Pat

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

Oh ok! I thought that was the ram air hood. Yeah i definately pried off the 400 emblems lol. It did have a 400 in it. Ran a 13.6 with it with the stock intake, a qjet carb, a TH400, and on JC penny 225 tires from 1982

cutlas69

I am planing on using a th350 for a trans to start. I scored a 3.08 posi 8.5" so should be ok for gearing. I am interested in the Edelbrock RPM for an intake. Will it fit? How much of a problem are the truck accessories. Are they usable with electric fans and the 94 radiator? How about the water pump outlet?

Shawn MacAnanny

iTrader: (12)

You will need a special converter to adapt to the flexplate or spacers to use your TH350 converter. 3.08 wont be bad gearing with the TH350 although LS1s like high rpms (6500+). The Edelbrock RPM is a dual plane rather than the single plane like the victor jr. You would get more low end torque with it and i would assume you would have more intake clearence but i have no seen one in person to compare it to. My stock 400 hood does fit the victor JR with ATS plates which do seat the engine about an inch higher.

I'm actually not sure about the water pump. I'm pretty sure everyone switches over to an fbody water pump for whatever reason. I havent dealt with the truck accessories too much to be honest. The radiator and fans should work fine. I know they were designed for a 350 but they were also designed to maintain temp with an AC condesor in front, and having to draw air from a lower dam so i would think the added air flow of front grill and lack of ac would more than make up the HP difference. The radiator hoses from 99+ camaro will fit perfect too the botton hose will need about an inch trimmed off thats all.

To get your alternator to work you will need to wire an ignition wire to pins b and c (i think) of your truck alternator rather than just pin b (i think it was) with a 460ohm resister in line of the wire to get it to charge.

69LT1Bird

iTrader: (1)

The th350 will work but you will need a car flexplate and a spacer that goes between the torque converter and the flexplate. Search around on here for the details. The truck accessories shouldn't give you problems with the fans, I just didn't like the upper hose routing and the high alternator location.

cutlas69

I had seen a post on here where some one mounted the alternator on the passenger side with some home made brackets. I was going to go this wrought and trim the original mounting bracket. As for the radiator and fans I was wondering if there was enough clearance with the truck accessories. How much room is there with the F series accessories?

EdelExh

Edelbrock Exhaust has developed and released pieces to install the LS series engine for the 1st Gen F-body and 2nd Gen X-Body.

The engine mounting plates are just for the application and set the engine close to OEM location. The plate part #6706. These plates have to be used with Small Block Chevy frame and engine isolators.

The headers are long tube stepped design that work with the adapter engine plates. The Edelbrock headers have 1 3/4" to 1 7/8" primarys at approximatly 29" tube lenght all going to a 3 1/2" collector. The connector at the collector is a donut style to stop leaks not the 3 bolt flat flanges that always seem to leak, and the kit includes a collector extension. Part # 65043

Edelbrock carries a Headerback that bolt to the directly to #65043 headers with all the hardware needed to install the system on the vehicle. This Headerback has 3 different tailpipe option included with it. Part #5793

There is a Kit that includes all 3 of the above systems which is under part #6759

frojoe

iTrader: (10)

With my 6.0/th350 setup it already came with the spacer, I only needed to space the torque converter about 1/8" off of the flexplate with some washers...

blazin

iTrader: (16)

We are getting ready to do the same thing except with a 5.3 we are going to retain all of the truck accessories. I was thinking that you could reuse the stock 5.3 flywheel and just use the crank spacer?

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

Pretty good info on the different carb'd intakes

https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...victor-jr.html

One thing to keep in mind is these LS motors make so much more power at all RPM's than your first gen SBC that you may not need the dual plane intake. Especially with a lighter car like a 67 firebird.

I would go with the open plenum design of the GMPP and take full advantage of the high end breathing of these motors.