When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey all, Im in the midst of my build right now and figured I would start a thread to share some pictures and get some advise from you all on things.
I should mention this is my first Ls swap so Im sorry in advance if some of my questions come off as uneducated but you dont know what you dont ask.
I picked this 67 c20 up last summer and decided to build it. I currently have the old 292 i6 motor and Muncie sm420 pulled out.
my motor a 05 l33 5.3L is about ready to be put to bed in the truck after Thursday. Ill be doing all new seals and gaskets btr stage2 cam and springs new oil pump.
right now Im not sure what to do with the fuel return off my manifold. I will be using a Holley terminator. Do I still need to run a return to the tank off the manifold ? Ill be using the corvette regulator filter as well so Ill have 2 return lines?
also any advise for getting trans lined up in factory location. It is a top shift so I got some adjustable mounts that will hopefully work with my Holley motor perches.
More details and pics please. Looks like a solid truck.
ya the only rust I have found on the truck is under the door sills!
buy here are some recent progress pictures. I got the motor mounted yesterday after 2 days of in and out trying to find correct spacing and height. I really didnt want to buy a oil pan! Its tight but it fits. Next Im going to start working the fuel system
After taking a closer look at the engine pic, it looks like a '99-'02 engine, or at least the intake is. '03-up don't have the threaded inserts for the throttle cable bracket unless it came off a van in which case it wouldn't have the insert for the Vortec cover which yours has. That being said, it doesn't really matter other than you probably do have a return line.
There are a couple ways you could go. Run both a feed and return to your tank, or get a fuel rail off of a newer engine that doesn't have a return. Those are your two good options. Now I'm sure someone will come on here and say they capped their return off and it's fine, but to me that's a bandaid fix. What they are actually saying is it's been fine 'so far'. The cap may hold, but it's the regulator I'd be more concerned with. They are known to leak when they go bad, and they suck fuel into the intake via the vacuum hose. Without the vacuum hose sucking the fuel in. it will have no where to go but all over the intake, which on a hot engine is a recipe for disaster.
This is just my opinion, and I only offer advice, I don't make anybody do anything. It's that whole "lead a horse to water" thing.
After taking a closer look at the engine pic, it looks like a '99-'02 engine, or at least the intake is. '03-up don't have the threaded inserts for the throttle cable bracket unless it came off a van in which case it wouldn't have the insert for the Vortec cover which yours has. That being said, it doesn't really matter other than you probably do have a return line.
There are a couple ways you could go. Run both a feed and return to your tank, or get a fuel rail off of a newer engine that doesn't have a return. Those are your two good options. Now I'm sure someone will come on here and say they capped their return off and it's fine, but to me that's a bandaid fix. What they are actually saying is it's been fine 'so far'. The cap may hold, but it's the regulator I'd be more concerned with. They are known to leak when they go bad, and they suck fuel into the intake via the vacuum hose. Without the vacuum hose sucking the fuel in. it will have no where to go but all over the intake, which on a hot engine is a recipe for disaster.
This is just my opinion, and I only offer advice, I don't make anybody do anything. It's that whole "lead a horse to water" thing.
thats what I was wondering.
Yes the intake manifold is from a 01 and the engine is a 05,
if I run both a return line and feed line from my tank there is no point in still using the corvette Style filter regulator correct? This option sounds safer in my book rather than capping off the return line and leaking.
Are you reusing your original transmission? If so, your best bet is to have the engine and transmission bolted together and dropped in together. Line the transmission mount up first, as that mount will have the least amount of adjustability. Afterwards, the sliding engine mounts can simply be adjusted to their needed positions.
Just get a newer fuel rail with a single feed. Use the corvette style fpr/filter, much cleaner way of doing things. One less line to mess with and you cut potential leaks in half.
Yes the intake manifold is from a 01 and the engine is a 05,
if I run both a return line and feed line from my tank there is no point in still using the corvette Style filter regulator correct? This option sounds safer in my book rather than capping off the return line and leaking.
If you went this route, then no, you wouldn't need the Corvette filter, just use a regular EFI filter off of practically any other car. However if you do decide to get a newer rail with only the feed, be sure to get a good filter/regulator. Either AC Delco or Wix, cheap filters are notorious for having bad regulators right out of the box.
If you went this route, then no, you wouldn't need the Corvette filter, just use a regular EFI filter off of practically any other car. However if you do decide to get a newer rail with only the feed, be sure to get a good filter/regulator. Either AC Delco or Wix, cheap filters are notorious for having bad regulators right out of the box.
thats probably the route I will go. I already have line and fittings to do it this way. Down the road I can always upgrade.
Body looks really straight and clean for an old farm truck.
it really does. I feel very fortunate to have found such a clean truck with really nice patina. There are a few dents and scratches here and there but it just adds to the character of this truck. It definitely has some storys to tell
For fuel rails in my '39 I used an ebay set of LS1 rails (no return). To mount them I just inserted the injectors into the rail and into the intake, measured and bent a set of brackets to hold them down.
67 C20 patina build 
