Around 6 months ago, bought a 5.3 LM7 from a local member. It was in a Chevelle. I had another build thread but it was kind of sloppy and all over the place. I'll use this one to post progress. So far I've got the motor sitting in the car, and all I really have left to do is the wiring/fuel system.

 

Some progress. Went with the Holley 302 pan, for F-body cars. A little spendy but I didn't want anything hanging under the crossmember. Also welded in a -10 AN fitting for when I go turbo, eventually. Drilled and tapped for an oil pressure mechanical gauge on the crossover right above the oil filter.





Went with the Hooker Mounts, HOK-12623HKR. 1 1/4 inch forward. Using Energy Suspension Universal Motor/Trans mounts.




Had a Truck intake, but it was making it tight under the hood so I decided to go with LS1 intake. Plus it looks a little better. Had my buddy let me use his sandblaster, so I blasted the TB and am currently porting/polishing it. Decided to go with the Holley EFI rails, but they still haven't been shipped. ��

 

Went to the local junkyard and picked up some electric fans off some late 90s/early 2000s Mopar, can't remember exactly what model. Made some nice little brackets that bolt to the front of my radiator.

 

Was trying to avoid having to buy a set of headers because I'm just trying to get it running, but I picked up a set of 5th gen f-body manifolds and it looks like they're going to be snug but I can get them to fit. Only need like a 1/4" of clearance, if that. They'll get ceramic coated too.

 

Went with the Holley EFI fails and they are a really nice piece. Stock truck injectors with some spacers I bought off EBay. Aeromotive 13109 FPR and I put it on the rail.

 

I like where your build is going so far. Looks like your Camaro has a little company in the garage. So what's going on with that firebird in the backround? Any pics of your Camaro as it sits right now?

 

Thank you much! I do and I'll post some here in a minute. Still primer gray, just a kid going to college trying to build up. Yours looks awesome! That bird would be my dads. He's had it for 33 years or something. No LS in her, it's got a 510 Pontiac with a procharger that made 1060@crank.

 

Nice! I remember my first Camaro was a 67 RS/SS 396 that I had back in 2000 when I went to high school, that was after I rolled my 73 Nova. I cruised around in primer gray on my Camaro for quite some time. That bird must be a beast with a Procharged 510.

 

Yeah it's definitely pretty awesome lol the first gens are just awesome in general lol I just need a T56 now. I'm going for the look similar to yours. Love the pro touring setup

 

Do you have any pictures of the oil pan clearance?

 

I do not at the moment but when I get off work I will post them up. Give me like an hour or so. I was really happy with the way that pan fits.

 

Got your pics ryeguy. Plenty of clearance

 

Got a little bit more work done.


Got my headers painted with some brush-on stuff from Eastwood. We'll see how it holds up, and if it doesn't I'm going turbo in the future anyways.




Got my throttle cable ran, went with a Lokar 4' and ended trimming off just shy of a foot.




In the process of making a custom alternator bracket. 1/2" stainless is awesome to work with.




This is a truck bracket I cut the top off, where the alternator would mount. Milled off 1/2" to make up for the stainless alternator bracket. Still needs to be pretty'd up with a sand blaster. Ha




Ended up making my own gas pedal arm, my dad had the throttle cable gas pedal on his 68 Bird so I just took dimensions off that and fabbed up my own instead of paying too much for one online.

 

Excuse my wiring mess. That is next on my list

 

No go on alternator bracket. Making a new one😫 But had a power steering hose made from the local NAPA. Went standard fitting to fit my gear box and took metric fitting off old hose and had them crimp it on. Metric one side, standard on other.

 

That engine looks so good in there. Nice build!

 

Thank you much! It's getting closer to making noise ha. Harness on its way. Was going to rework one but wiring is my weak spot. Weird that I chose to do an LS lol

 

Nice progress. I would reconsider hanging that regular off the rail like you have it. The AN fittings aren't designed to hold weight and will eventually fail from engine vibrations.

Andrew

 

Thanks for the input Andrew. Maybe I'll end up making an aluminum bracket to hold it up. Don't know where or how I'd mount it without it looking big and bulky but I'll figure something out haha

 

Got some more stuff done to her today. More pics of fuel line. Did steam line/vent and mounted air filter


Skipped throttle body.



Drilled and tapped into thermostat housing.



Really wishing that air cleaner was a K&N ha



Took the sump type thing out of tank, welded new 1" stainless pipe 90'd towards driver side in tank. Had a stainless AN elbow fitting welded to pipe coming out of the tank. Return is just -6 with a nut on back. Custom made straps out of stainless scrap we had at work. Walbro 255 pump.