1971 Malibu 5.3 Turbo Swap aka Dirty Harry
01-28-2015, 11:46 PM
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1971 Malibu 5.3 Turbo Swap aka Dirty Harry Hi, I'm Justin. I'm a new member to the forum, but have been searching and browsing for the last 2 years or so.
After an extended hiatus from the hot rod scene, an Uncle of mine made me a sweet deal on his 1971 Chevelle Malibu. It's a 307/TH350 car with AC, power steering, and 4 wheel manual drums.
I decided before even picking the car up I was going to hop on the LS bandwagon and try to figure the turbo stuff out. I've never done any sort of swap like this and have zero experience with turbos. After tons of research I think I've got a decent grasp on most things, but I'm sure I'll run into several unknowns along the way.
Anyways, on to the good stuff. I picked up a DBW 5.3 out of a 2003 Avalanche in the Fall of 2013. Since then I've been ordering parts and am hoping to get started this week. So far i've got:
Holley 302-2 Oil Pan
Hooker Adapter Plates (stock location)
Comp 918 Valve Springs
Comp XR275HR Cam
Griffin LS Swap Radiator 8-00008-LS
Rebuilt 706 Heads (Found out I had a stripped plug hole during tear down)
Dorman Power Steering Pulley 300-130
Alper Motorsports Head Studs AL1999
Tanks Inc Fuel Injection Tank
Walbro 400 Fuel Pump
Siemens Deka 80lb Injectors
Various Russel Twist Lok Fittings & -6 Feed/Return Lines
Right Stuff Detailing 4 Wheel Disc Brake Kit w/ 2" Drop Spindles
Used 12-bolt out of a 1971 El Camino w/ 3.73s and Posi off of CL
Metrom Dash Insert
Autometer Cobalt Gauges
2.5" Hotside Tubing
3" Down Pipe Tubing
Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Box
Fleabay 14" Electric Fans
The plan is to keep this project a budget friendly sleeper style street car. With that theme in mind, I'm kind of running with Denmah's recipe and plan on using the GT45 68mm turbo. Shooting for 500-600 rwhp on pump gas with an intercooler. No meth injection for now and e85 isn't an option here. Still undecided on which trans to use at this point. I'd like overdrive, but built units sure are spendy. Will probably end up going with a TH400 for now. I'm also planning to have my harness converted to DBC and set up for speed density. A friend welded a -10 return fitting to the timing cover last night so I should be able to get the engine all buttoned up and start pulling the old drivetrain out to clean/detail the engine bay. I've never been much of an active forum member on any site, but will do my best to keep this updated. Looking forward to giving back and sharing my progress with you guys and gals.
Oh, and the project has been officially dubbed "Dirty Harry" haha.
After an extended hiatus from the hot rod scene, an Uncle of mine made me a sweet deal on his 1971 Chevelle Malibu. It's a 307/TH350 car with AC, power steering, and 4 wheel manual drums.
I decided before even picking the car up I was going to hop on the LS bandwagon and try to figure the turbo stuff out. I've never done any sort of swap like this and have zero experience with turbos. After tons of research I think I've got a decent grasp on most things, but I'm sure I'll run into several unknowns along the way.
Anyways, on to the good stuff. I picked up a DBW 5.3 out of a 2003 Avalanche in the Fall of 2013. Since then I've been ordering parts and am hoping to get started this week. So far i've got:
Holley 302-2 Oil Pan
Hooker Adapter Plates (stock location)
Comp 918 Valve Springs
Comp XR275HR Cam
Griffin LS Swap Radiator 8-00008-LS
Rebuilt 706 Heads (Found out I had a stripped plug hole during tear down)
Dorman Power Steering Pulley 300-130
Alper Motorsports Head Studs AL1999
Tanks Inc Fuel Injection Tank
Walbro 400 Fuel Pump
Siemens Deka 80lb Injectors
Various Russel Twist Lok Fittings & -6 Feed/Return Lines
Right Stuff Detailing 4 Wheel Disc Brake Kit w/ 2" Drop Spindles
Used 12-bolt out of a 1971 El Camino w/ 3.73s and Posi off of CL
Metrom Dash Insert
Autometer Cobalt Gauges
2.5" Hotside Tubing
3" Down Pipe Tubing
Jeep Grand Cherokee Steering Box
Fleabay 14" Electric Fans
The plan is to keep this project a budget friendly sleeper style street car. With that theme in mind, I'm kind of running with Denmah's recipe and plan on using the GT45 68mm turbo. Shooting for 500-600 rwhp on pump gas with an intercooler. No meth injection for now and e85 isn't an option here. Still undecided on which trans to use at this point. I'd like overdrive, but built units sure are spendy. Will probably end up going with a TH400 for now. I'm also planning to have my harness converted to DBC and set up for speed density. A friend welded a -10 return fitting to the timing cover last night so I should be able to get the engine all buttoned up and start pulling the old drivetrain out to clean/detail the engine bay. I've never been much of an active forum member on any site, but will do my best to keep this updated. Looking forward to giving back and sharing my progress with you guys and gals.
Oh, and the project has been officially dubbed "Dirty Harry" haha.
01-29-2015, 12:07 PM
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I'd say it's a mix of both brown and purple. It's the original color called "rosewood".
Does anyone have any experience with outsourcing the harness rework? I need to convert from DBW to DBC and get it all set up for speed density. It sounds like Wait4Me is pretty reasonable, but looking for other opinions.
Does anyone have any experience with outsourcing the harness rework? I need to convert from DBW to DBC and get it all set up for speed density. It sounds like Wait4Me is pretty reasonable, but looking for other opinions.
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01-29-2015, 04:45 PM
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Like I said over on Chevelles.com Denmah Aka Matt has used these turbos before and they are proven. I would stick with a stock truck cable and its easy to use your existing gas pedal also just one less thing to go bad. I used a J2 Engineering 31x3x12 black intercooler off ebay.
01-29-2015, 05:33 PM
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Thanks, Steve! Do you have any good pictures of how you mounted your intercooler? Were you able to keep the latch support in tact? I saw a few pics on the Chevelle forum, but couldn't tell where you mounted from.
02-01-2015, 03:00 PM
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Was able to get the motor and new gaskets all put back together today. For anyone who has the Holley 302-2 (Guessing the 302-1 is the same here) oil pan, be sure to check the length of the bolts for the pickup tube. My buddy caught the fact that they're too long when installed that they actually interfere with the timing chain. Not a big deal, and a quick trim job with the cutoff wheel cured the issue, but you definitely wouldn't want to try turning it over with them installed too long.
Otherwise, the only issue I may have will be with my return fitting on the timing cover. I mounted mine on the passenger side and it's tucked behind the balancer a fair amount. I centered it right in one of the bosses cast into the cover. I should still be able to get a 90* fitting hooked up to it, but if not, I guess I'll just pull the balancer and do it that way. Also, the weld looks a little sloppy on the outside, but the inside is welded much nicer and I'm not worried about it leaking.
Hoping to start pulling the old stuff out next weekend and get to work cleaning up the engine bay.
Otherwise, the only issue I may have will be with my return fitting on the timing cover. I mounted mine on the passenger side and it's tucked behind the balancer a fair amount. I centered it right in one of the bosses cast into the cover. I should still be able to get a 90* fitting hooked up to it, but if not, I guess I'll just pull the balancer and do it that way. Also, the weld looks a little sloppy on the outside, but the inside is welded much nicer and I'm not worried about it leaking.
Hoping to start pulling the old stuff out next weekend and get to work cleaning up the engine bay.
03-26-2015, 10:16 PM
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2/23/2015
Well, was able to get the engine bay and floor pans cleaned and degreased this weekend before a big storm blew in. The frame rails and firewall were pretty simple using degreaser and my pressure washer. The floor pans had grease baked on them for the last several decades and the pressure washer wasn't cutting it. I tried switching to scraper, but wasn't having much luck with that either. Ultimately, my angle grinder with a wire wheel cup ended up getting the job done. Talk about making a mess! Was glad I had goggles and a face mask. The only drawback with the wire wheel was that it took the paint down to bare metal in spots.
Luckily, the floors look like they're in great shape underneath. It seems like the factory had it sprayed with red oxide primer. Does anyone have any suggestions how/what to recover the floor pans? If possible, I'd like to stick with the red oxide primer, but don't have any experience with it's protection or longevity. The engine bay will probably get a healthy dose of satin black rustoleum to finish things off.
I got a set of Energy Suspension motor mounts in. Once this storm clears up and I can finish painting and cleaning, I should be all set to drop the motor in. Getting anxious now!
Well, was able to get the engine bay and floor pans cleaned and degreased this weekend before a big storm blew in. The frame rails and firewall were pretty simple using degreaser and my pressure washer. The floor pans had grease baked on them for the last several decades and the pressure washer wasn't cutting it. I tried switching to scraper, but wasn't having much luck with that either. Ultimately, my angle grinder with a wire wheel cup ended up getting the job done. Talk about making a mess! Was glad I had goggles and a face mask. The only drawback with the wire wheel was that it took the paint down to bare metal in spots.
Luckily, the floors look like they're in great shape underneath. It seems like the factory had it sprayed with red oxide primer. Does anyone have any suggestions how/what to recover the floor pans? If possible, I'd like to stick with the red oxide primer, but don't have any experience with it's protection or longevity. The engine bay will probably get a healthy dose of satin black rustoleum to finish things off.
I got a set of Energy Suspension motor mounts in. Once this storm clears up and I can finish painting and cleaning, I should be all set to drop the motor in. Getting anxious now!
03-26-2015, 10:18 PM
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2/25/2014
Decided to use the bad weather as an opportunity to finish a few "indoor" projects last night. Got the sender and pump installed in my fuel tank from Tanks Inc. It seems like a really nice piece and am glad I won't have to worry about a noisy pump rattling my teeth out.
I also made a couple of straps to hold the gauges in new dash insert from Metrom. Still need to do a little filing to clear one of the terminals, but the gauges aren't going anywhere.
Decided to use the bad weather as an opportunity to finish a few "indoor" projects last night. Got the sender and pump installed in my fuel tank from Tanks Inc. It seems like a really nice piece and am glad I won't have to worry about a noisy pump rattling my teeth out.
I also made a couple of straps to hold the gauges in new dash insert from Metrom. Still need to do a little filing to clear one of the terminals, but the gauges aren't going anywhere.
03-26-2015, 10:20 PM
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3/8/2015
Had some gorgeous weather this weekend and was able to make a fair amount of progress. I've found I seem to grossly under estimate the amount of time it takes to finish seeming simple projects. I thought I'd have the entire engine bay wire wheeled in just a few hours. That task, along with removing the fuel tank, fuel lines, steering linkage, and steering box took me 2 solid days.
Aside from that, it's ready for a quickie rattle can job. Hoping to get that done sometime this week. Saturday I'm supposed to head to Albuquerque to pick up a freshly built TH400 and 2500 stall converter.
Had some gorgeous weather this weekend and was able to make a fair amount of progress. I've found I seem to grossly under estimate the amount of time it takes to finish seeming simple projects. I thought I'd have the entire engine bay wire wheeled in just a few hours. That task, along with removing the fuel tank, fuel lines, steering linkage, and steering box took me 2 solid days.
Aside from that, it's ready for a quickie rattle can job. Hoping to get that done sometime this week. Saturday I'm supposed to head to Albuquerque to pick up a freshly built TH400 and 2500 stall converter.
03-26-2015, 10:22 PM
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3/16/2015
More progress.
Started the disc brake conversion yesterday. Need to finish that this week and will see if I can't get the motor and trans put in this weekend.
I also just ordered a GT45, wastegate, blow-off valve, and intercooler today. Hopefully I can start mocking up in the next few weeks.
More progress.
Started the disc brake conversion yesterday. Need to finish that this week and will see if I can't get the motor and trans put in this weekend.
I also just ordered a GT45, wastegate, blow-off valve, and intercooler today. Hopefully I can start mocking up in the next few weeks.
03-26-2015, 10:24 PM
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3/23/2015
Had a pretty productive weekend. Was able to get the disc brakes, new booster/master cylinder, jeep steering box, and steering linkage all put in.
The engine dropped right in, but it's really tight to the A/C delete box. Depending how far the back of the engine drops, it make come in contact with the delete box. I was thinking about removing some material from the corner of the head in question. Does anyone know how much can be cut away without issues?
Also, the PS pulley is super close to the steering box. Thinking about swapping to a button head bolt and doing a little clearancing on the steering box to try and gain some room.
I'm happy to report the oil pan fits with PLENTY of room in all the usual areas of concern. Glad I spent the extra cash to avoid headaches there.
My next task is getting the TH400 hooked up. Still a little confused with regards to spacers and how it all bolts up. From what I've read, I should be able to use the stock 5.3 flexplate if I elongate the bolt holes to match the bolt pattern on the converter. If I go this route, I'll need to get a "crank sleeve adapter" so the hub of the converter sits in the crank properly, right? I'm also considering a 6.0 flexplate with the spacer as it sounds like it has the same bolt pattern as the converter. Just not sure if I still need the "crank sleeve adapter" with the 6.0 flexplate and spacer. I'm looking at ATP Z270 6.0 flexplate on RockAuto.
I'd appreciate any info from someone in the know as to how to get the trans bolted up.
Oh! I almost forgot! Had a fun package show up on Friday too!
Had a pretty productive weekend. Was able to get the disc brakes, new booster/master cylinder, jeep steering box, and steering linkage all put in.
The engine dropped right in, but it's really tight to the A/C delete box. Depending how far the back of the engine drops, it make come in contact with the delete box. I was thinking about removing some material from the corner of the head in question. Does anyone know how much can be cut away without issues?
Also, the PS pulley is super close to the steering box. Thinking about swapping to a button head bolt and doing a little clearancing on the steering box to try and gain some room.
I'm happy to report the oil pan fits with PLENTY of room in all the usual areas of concern. Glad I spent the extra cash to avoid headaches there.
My next task is getting the TH400 hooked up. Still a little confused with regards to spacers and how it all bolts up. From what I've read, I should be able to use the stock 5.3 flexplate if I elongate the bolt holes to match the bolt pattern on the converter. If I go this route, I'll need to get a "crank sleeve adapter" so the hub of the converter sits in the crank properly, right? I'm also considering a 6.0 flexplate with the spacer as it sounds like it has the same bolt pattern as the converter. Just not sure if I still need the "crank sleeve adapter" with the 6.0 flexplate and spacer. I'm looking at ATP Z270 6.0 flexplate on RockAuto.
I'd appreciate any info from someone in the know as to how to get the trans bolted up.
Oh! I almost forgot! Had a fun package show up on Friday too!
03-26-2015, 10:25 PM
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3/23/2015
Well, in doing some more research, I found out the ATP Z270 flexplate won't work for my setup. That flexplate is for converters with the 11.5" bolt circle where mine is the smaller 10.75". Went ahead and ordered the Hughes spacer and will just elongate the stock flexplate holes as needed.
I also did some more research on the PS pulley issue. Thought I had the right part with the Dorman 300-130 pulley, but had to overpress it on the shaft where it still didn't line up. Even at that, it wasn't enough to clear the Jeep box. The diamter of that pulley is 5.781". The factory pulley is 6.5". I found Dirty Dingo sells a pulley that is 5" and should solve my problem. Will get it ordered today.
http://dirtydingo.com/store/product_...oducts_id=1389
Well, in doing some more research, I found out the ATP Z270 flexplate won't work for my setup. That flexplate is for converters with the 11.5" bolt circle where mine is the smaller 10.75". Went ahead and ordered the Hughes spacer and will just elongate the stock flexplate holes as needed.
I also did some more research on the PS pulley issue. Thought I had the right part with the Dorman 300-130 pulley, but had to overpress it on the shaft where it still didn't line up. Even at that, it wasn't enough to clear the Jeep box. The diamter of that pulley is 5.781". The factory pulley is 6.5". I found Dirty Dingo sells a pulley that is 5" and should solve my problem. Will get it ordered today.
http://dirtydingo.com/store/product_...oducts_id=1389