I've been putting this off long enough and decided that since it's a new month and I've come far on my swap I better share what I'm doing. I purchased a 1972 Cutlass S with a 2BBL 350 with a TH350 in May of 2010. It had a rounded off cam lobe and lifter. The car was from Arizona and has very little rust. I put in a cam and lifters and drove it home from my parents house. Last year I had seen a few cars getting more LS swaps and wanted to do it myself since the Olds was pretty slow and I was having Accelerator Pump issues. Last September I found a guy selling a "LS6 Engine & Trans". Not knowing the difference between an LS1 and LS6, I wasn't sur what it was because I had looked up what block code the LS6's had and it had the same as them, even though some LS1's used the same block. It was an LS1 and 4L60E from a 2000 Corvette and it came with the pedal, MAF sensor, PCM, a brake pedal(which I don't need), the fuel rail covers, and complete engine and trans harness. I knew I wanted to make more power with it since I bought it thinking it would be more around 400HP but turns out its more like 350HP, so I had to upgrade the cam especially if I wanted it to push around my heavy car.
Here's what I got so far.

SLP Cam 51016
SLP Timing Kit and Oil Pump 55002
SLP Valve Springs 53003
SLP Retainers 53104
New Valve Spring Retainer Keys
Misc engine gaskets and bolts
Holley LS Retro-Fit Oil Pan
LS3 Oil tube and dipstick for Holley Pan
Windage Tray for Holley Pan
A-Body LS1 Doug's Headers D3338
Doug's Headers LS1 Adaptor Plates SK100
Jeep GC Steering Gear.
Current Performance Fuse Block SA-1000
PCM terminals for Trans Harness to pin in PCM Connectors
Metri-Pac terminals to make my own Pedal Harness
Spark Plug Wire Heat Sleeves
TCI Flexplate
TCI Breakaway Torque Converter
Cruise Control Switch from fellow member ls1nova71

Here's what she looks like









Old cam left, new cam right


Removing the Springs with the heads on

New Double Roller Timing Kit and Oil Pump



Modified O2 extension harness to have the Original connector end and have the connector I need for the O2 Sensor

Soldering in the Fuse block

Decided to Hydro Dip my Fuel Rail Covers






In the next few days I will be purchasing my engine frame stand and mounts, along with the tranny mount. I also am going to purchase a Tanks Inc kit and a fuel line kit. I think I am also going to purchase the Vintage Air kit for my car to keep it cool in the hot days we've had recently here. I'll keep you informed on my progress and thanks for taking a look.

 

Coming along nicely, good to see another Olds.
Glad to see Vintage Air is comming out with a perfect fit kit. I used a universal Classic Auto Air kit on my 72 Olds and am very happy with it, but the VA kit I put in my 68 vette was a very well designed setup.

 

Thanks. I received my shifter conversion kit today from Shiftworks to keep my old shifter assembly. Now I have to figure out why my shifter pin that rides on the detents hangs below them had doesn't contact them. I will have to look in my service manual and maybe remove it from the car to get a better look. I've heard many ways that its supposed to work. Some say you push down on the ball, some say you push down on the t-handle, but mine only moves the t-handle up which then contacts the detents. Can anyone else with this style shifter in their Olds chime in on how theirs works?

Also, I ran into a small speed bump in my swap. A few weeks back I went to swap in a shift kit and hardened parts, started pulling the tranny apart at work and I find out it was already rebuilt and never ran. . Well... yesterday I go to install my new torque converter and I made the newb mistake of not making sure the converter was in all the way. It clicked once but not twice. I measured the distance like TCI says but it wasn't right. I kept thinking the bell housing they put on the corvette tranny was wrong. I mated the engine and trans and there was close to an 1/8th inch gap between the two. I thought the dowel pins weren't seating so I started tightening some bolts. I heard two pop noise that kinda echoed off the flexplate so I thought it was the converter just hitting the plate. I removed it again and tried reseating the converter and it worked and was the correct distance. I mated the trans and engine together and it mated smoothly. I started my converter bolt and tried turning the motor and it stopped. It then only had and 1/8th of a turn and it stopped and the bolt was now straight up. The tranny guy said it might be because I hand tightened the bolt and didn't get it all the way and I would have to turn it with a screwdriver. Turned it until the next hole was available and it was free again. Try to go to the next and it was tight again. Crap. Took my time and took the bolts back out and got the tranny off the engine. The converter only moves an 1/8th of a turn on the shaft. Took it to work today and the tranny guy looked at the shaft into the pump and he could see the pump was broken. Now tomorrow I will have to tear into it and hope it was only the pump and it didn't take anything else out.

 

I had a buddy of mine break the pump in his freshly rebuilt 4l60e about 2 weeks ago, did the same thing as you. He had to replace that part of the pump, but didn't seem to hurt anything else. He did get the enjoyment of pulling the trans though!

On the shifter, I believe there's supposed to be a spring in the bottom of the lever that pushes up on the T handle, and also the part that hits the detent since they're connected. At least that's how a Nova shifter is, I would imagine your's would be similar.

 

Check over at classicoldsmobile.com, but IIRC, that lower pin is spring loaded and pushing down on the shifter ball (or squeezing the t handle) pushes the pin down allowing shifting.

 

I'm going to pull my shifter tonight and take a look. I does seem like it just hangs down like it's missing a spring.

We had an extra transmission at work and I pulled the pump and started swapping springs. I got both back together and I notice that the one I took from a truck, had a loner shaft than the Corvette shaft. Now I have to find one at a junk yard or online for cheap or spend $350 and buy the half I need. I guess I learned my lesson.

 

So I removed my shifter and it turns out someone had replaced the shifter at some point. I finally found some pictures online of what mine looks like. http://gmpartsbarn.com/pics/ebay_pic...t/100_7348.jpg It says its from a 73-87 console shifter. That explains why the detent pin is worn because it didn't used to have an arched detent and the detent pin rides on top of the detent instead. I don't know what I want to do about this. I don't really want to buy a new shifter but we'll see what I can find. Its kind of wastes the money I spent on the conversion if I don't use the new overdrive detent. But since this shifter has a lower bend it does almost hit the console glovebox when in low gear so it might not work.

Update: Last night I ordered my fuel line kit, Tanks Inc PA-4 kit, Engine frame stands and engine mounts. The holiday tomorrow and my transmission hiccup, will allow me to clean up the unwanted items to get ready to rewire and run fuel lines.

 

That is a nice cutlas you have.. How do you like Current Performance Fuse Block? I'm about to start the wiring stage of my build, and I still need to buy a fuse block and relays..

Thanks

 

Thanks. I like it so far. Haven't got it install in the car but it seems pretty nice. Comes with a list of the wires and what you would typically hook them up to, LS1 and LT1. There is a wiring diagram for the fans and the A/C. There is also one for the fuel pump, starter and ignition. All the wires are labeled and are pretty long and they have some empty spots available for expansion in the future. I cut a few to make all the wires on the harness to block the same because I left the wires from the PCM the same length so I can mount the Fuse Block under the hood and try to mount the PCM inside. The only problems I had with them was they didn't email me that it shipped or anything and so I emailed them a week later and they apologized and it showed up a few days later. Then when the package came they never sent the harness tape and I emailed them and two days later the tape showed up in the mail. I still would recommend them because their price is decent and the fuse block looks nice.

 

Update: Found a transmission oil pump on eBay and it's being shipped to me right now. Hopefully it comes quick so I can get the tranny back together and test fit the engine and tranny. I'm going to swap in my new springs from my old pump and clean it up and it should be ready to go. I also purchased my Vintage Air kit today on my lunch break. Sometime next week that should be here so it should give me enough time to get the old wiring and HVAC box out. This hot weather kind of puts a damper on working out in the garage since I'm working inside a shop in this heat all day. Maybe I can get out there tonight and clean it up a bit.

 

Update: Got my old fuel lines removed up the the rear axles. Cut my old exhaust in half to make it easier to storage at my cousin's. Mounted up my new engine frame stands on the crossmember. Pulled my dash harness and fuse block out. Removed the old relays on the firewall. Last week and this past weekend I ordered my new Griffin LS A Body radiator, Speedhut custom gauges, Jegs battery relocation kit, NGK spark plugs, Energy Suspension Motor Mounts and Tranny Mount, EZWiring interior wiring harness and I found a used shifter from a guy on classicoldsmobile.com. Most of the items should be here this week but I won't be able to get much done because this weekend is Power Cruise up at BIR in Brainerd, MN. It should be pretty cool.

 

Update: I received my new shifter today and as I suspected I can't us the bracket it came with so I'm cleaning up and painting mine. I'll have to post up pictures tomorrow. My EZWiring came the other day. Now I have to figure out what I do and don't need. My battery relocation kit, mounts and spark plugs are here now. My tranny pump came the other day and I swapped the pistons, springs and seals at work and got it reinstalled. Installed my new ShiftWorks cable bracket on while I still had to install the pan bolts to make it easier. Can't wait to get it installed.

Test fitted my adapter plates and mounts the other day and found out I need to put a small notch in the plate for the bump on the back of the Energy Suspension Mount. Kind of sucks because I painted those plates already.

 

It's been awhile since I've done an update since I've been kind of busy. But this weekend is a good time for me to get something done with my car.

Starting to modify my Gauge Bezel with some plastic and paint it so I can mount my gauges to that since they are the style with the big cap that screws on. I have my engine and transmission mated together ready to go in. My mounts are now mounted on my engine and my frame mounts are on the cross member. I have all my dash vents modified for the Vintage Air hoses now and I have the new HVAC box ready to get installed. I'm going to work on my interior and exterior wiring some so that dash can go back in. Test fitted my new pedal location. Still have to brace it or make the firewall a bit smoother so it doesn't rock around.

 

Update: Ordered JEGS 'Quiet Ride' Ultra Sound Deadening / Heat Barrier Kit. Installed it on the inside of the firewall and start the floor and trans tunnel.


Made a firewall block off plate from an aluminum tray, where the old fuse block was and installed a grommet in it to pull the wires through. Installed my EZ Wiring fuse block and got my headlights and turn signals wired up and the wires wrapped up. Installed my main hard fuel line front to back. Pretty tough to get it over the rear suspension mounts like the factory set up.
Finally got around to installing my engine and trans. Kind of difficult to get installed by myself but I managed. Got my headers installed before I put in the engine mount bolts in. They look really good and have plenty of room around them. Installed my new dipstick tube also. I think I may have issues with my tie rod zerk fitting hitting my oil pan. At least it looks to be that way with the wheels off the ground. My cousin's husband is going to help me fabricate a new transmission crossmember because the transmission tailhousing is hitting the tunnel and I cannot get my mount installed.



Tomorrow I plan on rolling it forward and dropping the gas tank to install my Tanks Inc kit. I also am going to mock up my A/C lines so I can take them to a local hose guy to get them Crimped.

 

I got the gas tank out and drained. Got a hole for my harness cut in my firewall also. My right tie rod would hit my oil pan when I had the wheels to the right but it was fine to the left. So today I had my cousins husband make some spacers for my frame mounts(1/4" & 3/8"). I tried testing them as well as I could by myself and was able to get the 1/4" in but I still contact my oil pan with my right tie rod even with the zerk fitting removed. I wish someone would design a new center link with the tie rod farther out. I don't know what I want to do yet. My cousin's husband also modified my trans crossmember. He cut out the mounting location and flipped it around and welded it back in. And then he cut a section out of the support part behind that and welding in another piece of metal. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

 

Gary: how much are you actually limited in turning. Do you have to make a little wider turns or isn't it that much of a difference?

Here are pictures of the crossmember I had my cousin's husband modify for me at his work. I had him measure down 3/4" and cut the mount location out and flip it over and weld it back in. He then welded in extra pieces on the sides. For the back I had him cut a section out of the back and bend a piece of metal and weld it in.


Here's how my tie rods look with the 1/4" spacers.

 

So today I tried to try out my modified trans crossmember. The mount bolted up fine and I almost got a few of the stock holes in the frame to line up so I would be able to use them, but then I looked at the headers. The header pipes will basically need to go through the crossmember. What have you guys done about this? I'm guessing regular manifold exit in about the same location to. I'm going to have to get my cousin's husband to help me custom make one now.

 

Dont worry about turning. That little bit of limit is not at all noticeable.
On the exhaust, my car came with a stock exhaust and I only needed a downpipe fabbed up. Are you making yours from scratch?

 

Love the name

 

First off, I love the car. -I always wished my 69 had that crease above the rear wheels. It looks killer.

My tie rods just barely hit the autokraft pan on my olds. If you notice you hit the pan often, you could just weld up a steering bump stop, but I'm not worried about it-at least on mine. If I had set the engine back just another 10mm I could have avoided the contact completely.


I used the stock crossmember to mount the new T56 and the edelbrock longtubes clear fine. I also used the edelbrock mounts and sank the engine as low as I could. I have a little less than a 1/4''between the pan and frame. this could be the reason I don't have any issues.

With the new crossmemeber, have you been able to check if the engine is at the correct angle? I think I set mine 3 degrees down(front of engine pointing up), and then I set my pinion at zero at ride height.

Just thoughts man, good luck on your build, I can't wait to see the first video.