Conversions & Swaps LSX Engines in Non-LSX Vehicles
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1981 C10/5.3L Build Thread

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Old Jan 22, 2015 | 03:25 PM
  #101  
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Thanks man I appreciate it. It will suck with the humped bed, but I have an older Yukon I sort of use as a truck so this will just be for fun
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:24 AM
  #102  
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:25 AM
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:26 AM
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:26 AM
  #105  
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:27 AM
  #106  
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 08:28 AM
  #107  
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Old Mar 21, 2015 | 07:31 AM
  #108  
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Wow, I super jealous of that back half...

Nice job. That's almost exactly how I planned to set mine up later down road.
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Old Apr 4, 2015 | 12:38 PM
  #109  
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Very nice build, i have a 87 GMC stepside that i bought a ls1 for, plan on turboing it sooner rather than later, hope i will have the time to do a 1/4 of what you did (5 kids)
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 12:34 PM
  #110  
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Awesome truck, I love the stance and wheels. What backspacing are they? sorry if you said already
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 12:59 PM
  #111  
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Thanks guys.

Army - I have a 5 month old and that has limited my garage time quite a bit, so I can only imagine how limited time would be with 5 kids!

408Fairmont - the wheels are 15x8 3" BS in front and 15x10 4" BS in rear. The fronts I need to roll the fender a little more though as they rub on the outside if I hit a big bump. They are cheapo Circle Racing wheels, series 25.

I am waiting for my denny's shaft to get back from getting shortened and need to put in my wilwood combo/prop valve and then I'll be hitting the road.

My Circle D converter should arrive this week.
Also, I have a little snail on the way.......
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Old Apr 6, 2015 | 01:04 PM
  #112  
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Nice work, love the stance!
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Old Apr 7, 2015 | 09:35 AM
  #113  
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My 4door needs some of that! It looks great and you do good work. when you get it done you"ll still find stuff to do/change. I started putting mine together in summer 06 still hasnt seen driving time.
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Old Apr 7, 2015 | 09:49 AM
  #114  
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76Larkman, I know what you mean. With this truck I have typically taken it down for 6 months for a portion of the project then I get it on the road and drive it for a month or two. Then I take it down again for the next portion.

That way it keeps my interest as well as lets me fix the different bugs. I wouldn't feel comfortable going straight to 650+RWHP without first testing that everything holds up NA first.

I should be on the road soon and will hit the track NA in a month or so. In the mean time I am piling up turbo parts so I'll take it down again in a couple months...

After all that I will still have an ugly *** truck so will need to do body work and paint it at some point. I'm afraid this will never end haha
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Old Apr 7, 2015 | 06:02 PM
  #115  
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my truck is just getting a stock 5.3 iron block. Going in miles unknown but guy got it from had ran truck it was in so not coolant/ oil user. tranny I took off 4L60E has Jan 2011 marked on it by a local tranny rebuild shop. convertor is light blue so non original but someone rebuilt unit. pcm I had LT1Swap do it with street tune. truck has 3:73 12 bolt posi(truck 12 bolt). I just need to pull trailer here there some otherwise a driver. All from pieces frame 18"3inch long shortbox with 4 dr cab.
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Old Apr 8, 2015 | 12:53 PM
  #116  
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Old Apr 8, 2015 | 03:41 PM
  #117  
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I like the torque convertor has 2 bolt patterns. Looks expensive.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 08:29 AM
  #118  
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Some small progress but not a ton...
Threw in my 80lb injectors so I could get it tuned for the injectors before I throw the turbo on. Turns out I can't get it to idle at the right AFR with the 80lbs without dropping the fuel pressure. With the injector values changed my VE tables (outside of idle) are basically right on.
I have been working on my fuel system so will be able to drop the pressure which should hopefully fix my rich idle.
Got some fragola -8 feed and -6 return along with all the fittings, filter, extra walbro 255, Holley dominator FPR, etc.

Been working on building a custom aluminum fuel tank to fit in the back between the frame rails. In the back of the tank I'm going around a bed support and the front going around my sway bar, but it calculates out to 18.75 gallons so should be pretty good.

Been a bit of a pain honestly, I'm using 0.1" thick aluminum sheet so my harbor freight pan brake couldn't handle it. I borrowed my friends much larger harbor freight brake and it couldn't handle it either. So I ended up having to weld supports and extensions and stuff on the brake to make it work, then use two people to make the bends.
Also I'm not very good at welding aluminum so that has been a bit of a struggle too..

Some in progress pictures of the tank...

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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 10:17 AM
  #119  
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I also swapped camshafts to the LJMS Stage 2 turbo cam and did the BTR trunion upgrade as well as the trick flow timing chain dampener.

Weighed the truck at 3768lbs without me in it, so close to 4000 with me in there.
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Old Jan 6, 2016 | 10:18 AM
  #120  
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Made an aluminum radiator shroud and got two cheap amazon fans, works great
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