Parts you found out you didn't need for your swap afer you bought them?
12-14-2010, 12:22 PM
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Parts you found out you didn't need for your swap afer you bought them? Hi Fellas,
I thought I'd ask what are some parts you bought for your cars to do the LSx swap only to find out you never needed them in the first place.
I thought of this because of a major mental lapse I had last week. On my engine there is a unit that sits on the top of the front of my intake manifold right behind the throttle body. I though that it had a barbed fitting on it and since the tube appeared to be cut I thought I would just yank it off and put a good tube on later...turns out it was not a barbed fitting and I broke the thing off (First lapse). In doing hasty research on here I mistakingly ID this thing as the vacuum source for my Fuel pressure regulator. Since my car is not in my garage for me to "just check real quick" I head out to Chevy the next day (broken part in hand) to see what this thing is and what it will cost me.
So I go and the parts guy finds a part number for me and that it costs $30. Since I was so sure it was my regulator vacuum source I bought it and forgot to ask what it really did (second lapse). When the part came in a week later I had come to my senses and asked what the darn thing is when I came in to pick it up. Parts guy says "EVAP Tube", I said "Great! Can I return it?", "Sure, 35% restocking fee" replies the man at the parts counter. So since I don't want to just donate my hard earned money to GM, I decide to keep it and maybe sell it or repurpose it.
Does anyone need an EVAP purge tube for a truck intake? I am keeping the system has been on my Monte since 1987.
Lesson learned: Read more, order less.
What else have you guys bought that turned out to be completely unnecessary, never used and that is probably still sitting on a shelf in your garage? Hopefully some others can learn from the rest of our mistakes.
-Mike
I thought I'd ask what are some parts you bought for your cars to do the LSx swap only to find out you never needed them in the first place.
I thought of this because of a major mental lapse I had last week. On my engine there is a unit that sits on the top of the front of my intake manifold right behind the throttle body. I though that it had a barbed fitting on it and since the tube appeared to be cut I thought I would just yank it off and put a good tube on later...turns out it was not a barbed fitting and I broke the thing off (First lapse). In doing hasty research on here I mistakingly ID this thing as the vacuum source for my Fuel pressure regulator. Since my car is not in my garage for me to "just check real quick" I head out to Chevy the next day (broken part in hand) to see what this thing is and what it will cost me.
So I go and the parts guy finds a part number for me and that it costs $30. Since I was so sure it was my regulator vacuum source I bought it and forgot to ask what it really did (second lapse). When the part came in a week later I had come to my senses and asked what the darn thing is when I came in to pick it up. Parts guy says "EVAP Tube", I said "Great! Can I return it?", "Sure, 35% restocking fee" replies the man at the parts counter. So since I don't want to just donate my hard earned money to GM, I decide to keep it and maybe sell it or repurpose it.
Does anyone need an EVAP purge tube for a truck intake? I am keeping the system has been on my Monte since 1987.
Lesson learned: Read more, order less.
What else have you guys bought that turned out to be completely unnecessary, never used and that is probably still sitting on a shelf in your garage? Hopefully some others can learn from the rest of our mistakes.
-Mike
12-14-2010, 01:27 PM
#2
Nothing because I was having a perfect streak when I built my last car! 
(I actually did get very lucky)
On a friends build however we took the body off the frame and he had the frame and suspension powder coated black. After getting it all back he tells me he wants to mold the frame and fill all the unnecessary factory holes, then paint it and the floor to match the body.
While disassembling the axle for the powder coating process I notice a couple of chipped teeth and a lot of slack and wear on the gears. My friend purchases new gears for the axle and we reassemble it with the new goodies. Now he can't have a black powder coated axle since the rest of the frame and suspension is painted body color or chromed. Needless to say the axle gets massaged along with a few coats of the proper paint. During final assembly he decides he wants to purchase a Ford 9" because they are more durable and he likes the look of it better, so the time I spent setting up gears was wasted along with his time sanding and smoothing the original axle.
This is not even the executive brief of all the things that changed during the build on that car. Short version is he could have built the car twice for the money and three or four times for the time invested.
Something to be said about having a plan from the start!
(I actually did get very lucky)On a friends build however we took the body off the frame and he had the frame and suspension powder coated black. After getting it all back he tells me he wants to mold the frame and fill all the unnecessary factory holes, then paint it and the floor to match the body.
While disassembling the axle for the powder coating process I notice a couple of chipped teeth and a lot of slack and wear on the gears. My friend purchases new gears for the axle and we reassemble it with the new goodies. Now he can't have a black powder coated axle since the rest of the frame and suspension is painted body color or chromed. Needless to say the axle gets massaged along with a few coats of the proper paint. During final assembly he decides he wants to purchase a Ford 9" because they are more durable and he likes the look of it better, so the time I spent setting up gears was wasted along with his time sanding and smoothing the original axle.
This is not even the executive brief of all the things that changed during the build on that car. Short version is he could have built the car twice for the money and three or four times for the time invested.
Something to be said about having a plan from the start! 
12-14-2010, 03:31 PM
#6
A set of the old-style Yellas for a 98 LS1. This wasn't my error, but I'm not blaming anyone either. Well, OK, maybe I am.
The perimeter bolt valvecovers on the 98 don't have enough room underneath to accommodate the wide shoulders on the rockers. The business which sold them said that they would fit, and follow-up calls & emails to headquarters in USA & Australia put me in touch with people who didn't know their product.
Lesson learned: Read more, order less....In your words.
The perimeter bolt valvecovers on the 98 don't have enough room underneath to accommodate the wide shoulders on the rockers. The business which sold them said that they would fit, and follow-up calls & emails to headquarters in USA & Australia put me in touch with people who didn't know their product.
Lesson learned: Read more, order less....In your words.
12-14-2010, 05:56 PM
#7
Yeah... a 454 BBC. Then before I even get installed, change direction and go LY6. the engine was about the same $ to. If I would of known swaping a LSx was as cheap as it is ( FEAD/harness/fuelsystem-etc...) I could of just bought a L92 and convert it to L99
and go LY6. the engine was about the same $ to. If I would of known swaping a LSx was as cheap as it is ( FEAD/harness/fuelsystem-etc...) I could of just bought a L92 and convert it to L99 Last edited by Jimbo1367; 12-14-2010 at 08:01 PM.
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12-14-2010, 06:55 PM
#8
Nothing much really. The only thing thats laying around is two outer tie rod ends for the 1980 Trans Am, which did need them, but went ahead and ordered the whole replacement kit. So hopefully it keeps going that way since I'm only doing replacement parts, suspension, and brake upgrades at this point. The fun stuff should start here pretty soon.
So hopefully it keeps going that way since I'm only doing replacement parts, suspension, and brake upgrades at this point. The fun stuff should start here pretty soon.
12-15-2010, 11:45 AM
#9
I have a set of stainless lines for a 95 caprice that i thought i needed but it tuned out a fitting was loose, sold the car 4 years ago still have the lines.
For the LS I bought ls6 fuel rail covers and then put a supercharger on it (covers dont fit! )
For the LS I bought ls6 fuel rail covers and then put a supercharger on it (covers dont fit! )
12-15-2010, 07:25 PM
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lol @ this thread! story of my life..
i got a trickflow intake and hooker headers for the 5.0 in my 65 mustang, and then decided on different headers, tri-ys, and then decided to do an ls swap.. Luckily i can still use one set, but ive definitely grabbed other 5.0 crap that ill get to sell discounted..
I also just told my mechanic to replace the rubber in my front end while doing my kmember/engine swap in the TA; turns out rebuilding factory a-arms cost as much as new adjustable bmrs... I guess i have the quieter option, but I wouldnt have minded some more foresight there..
i got a trickflow intake and hooker headers for the 5.0 in my 65 mustang, and then decided on different headers, tri-ys, and then decided to do an ls swap.. Luckily i can still use one set, but ive definitely grabbed other 5.0 crap that ill get to sell discounted..
I also just told my mechanic to replace the rubber in my front end while doing my kmember/engine swap in the TA; turns out rebuilding factory a-arms cost as much as new adjustable bmrs... I guess i have the quieter option, but I wouldnt have minded some more foresight there..
12-16-2010, 08:36 AM
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I hate it when I find out I threw something away that I could have used! Maybe it was something I tossed years ago on another project, only to find that I needed it later.
12-16-2010, 08:58 AM
#15
Oh boy, let's see...
On my car:
BIG box of AN fittings, -3 through -20, probably 30-40 fittings overall.
BIG box of AN hose, -4 though -20, probably 40-50 feet in small sections.
Box of stainless bolts, random tube and other fabrication parts.
3" 4 ply silicone couplers w/ t-bolt clamps
Big *** K&N filter
LS1 coil covers
truck coil brackets
Evap system, PCV system, cats, stock manifolds (from 3 different types of chassis), nitrous system...
On my buddy's car we're working on:
Methanol system, more AN fittings and hose, box of 4" mandrel bends, 4" straight pipe, T-Bolt clamps, 2 brand new K&N filters, I'm sure there's more.
My issue (and my friend's) is that I tend to change my mind a lot, often half way though a project. This leads to lots of not cheap spare parts.
On my car:
BIG box of AN fittings, -3 through -20, probably 30-40 fittings overall.
BIG box of AN hose, -4 though -20, probably 40-50 feet in small sections.
Box of stainless bolts, random tube and other fabrication parts.
3" 4 ply silicone couplers w/ t-bolt clamps
Big *** K&N filter
LS1 coil covers
truck coil brackets
Evap system, PCV system, cats, stock manifolds (from 3 different types of chassis), nitrous system...
On my buddy's car we're working on:
Methanol system, more AN fittings and hose, box of 4" mandrel bends, 4" straight pipe, T-Bolt clamps, 2 brand new K&N filters, I'm sure there's more.
My issue (and my friend's) is that I tend to change my mind a lot, often half way though a project. This leads to lots of not cheap spare parts.
12-16-2010, 09:36 AM
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12-16-2010, 06:07 PM
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) then ditched that can for a dual can setup.. haha Last edited by Irish350; 12-16-2010 at 06:13 PM.