5.3L in a 89' Caprice 9C1
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
What a nice weekend, two days in a row tempearture in the high 50's.
Drive shaft is in, torque converter bolted up, starter, tranny cooler lines, fuel lines, power steering lines, intake bolted on, wiring harness/pcm is done.
I pulled the headers off my 67 and they fit great in the 89 caprice. So far these modified 79-93 mustang 5.0 headers have fit everywhere stock manifolds have not. I think i'm going to make another set for this car and drive around n/a for some time. All the parts for the turbo are adding up and i'd like to be driving it sooner. Now it looks as if the car needs at least 1 new ball joint, and 2 outer tie rod ends...more $$$
I still have to get:
intercooler, all plumbing for exhaust & intake piping.
Drive shaft is in, torque converter bolted up, starter, tranny cooler lines, fuel lines, power steering lines, intake bolted on, wiring harness/pcm is done.
I pulled the headers off my 67 and they fit great in the 89 caprice. So far these modified 79-93 mustang 5.0 headers have fit everywhere stock manifolds have not. I think i'm going to make another set for this car and drive around n/a for some time. All the parts for the turbo are adding up and i'd like to be driving it sooner. Now it looks as if the car needs at least 1 new ball joint, and 2 outer tie rod ends...more $$$
I still have to get:
intercooler, all plumbing for exhaust & intake piping.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
In other news....
drove the car home from friends shop tonight. its open headers..going to get some exahust hopefully in next few weeks...plans are to run n/a untill the track opens up in late Feb, going to get some base lines on the stock 5.3L
ran pretty good, the TH400 shifts on its own way too fast..no manual gears...no sifter yet...got to get a cable tomorrow.
i'll keep this updated as things progress...i'm mocking up the turbo manifolds and turbo on a 6.0L a friend of mine has on the engine stand. right now i'm having 3/8 thick flanges made to bolt up to both manifolds and the turbo.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
got the shifter fixed tonight, ahh..first gear...feels much better....one legged wonder with pedal on the floor...need a posi or a mini spool...
I did put about 30 miles on it today, everything seems to be great. This whole swap just kind of fell together, no big hurdles....it was nice for a change.
Anyone got a 8.5 posi unit? i've got a gov lock unit from a pickup, but i don't like them too well....
I did put about 30 miles on it today, everything seems to be great. This whole swap just kind of fell together, no big hurdles....it was nice for a change.
Anyone got a 8.5 posi unit? i've got a gov lock unit from a pickup, but i don't like them too well....
I like this. I'm going to pull the LT1 out of my Impala, and stick my LS1 in there. Looking good!!
4 Doors are the BEST!
*Edit* How low did those Hawks headers hang down below the frame? Any?
4 Doors are the BEST!
*Edit* How low did those Hawks headers hang down below the frame? Any?
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
I got the intercooler installed today, its 31" wide, 12" tall, 4" thick, 3" in & out. I had to remove the hood safty latch & spring, going to find some flush mount hood pins for safty reasons...
Here's a few pics...I spent about 30 minutes installing it. I took out the stock oil cooler to make room. (not using on the 5.3L)
Here's a few pics...I spent about 30 minutes installing it. I took out the stock oil cooler to make room. (not using on the 5.3L)
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
I never got a great look, I was too busy trying to make the passanger side header fit, but it never would....I think with some minor notching on the frame the passanger side would have cleared... ( I did not want to touch the expensive header to try to make it fit, they weren't mine)
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo No problem. Thanks for the reply. What you are doing now was my plan with mine, but I figured I'd just keep it simple and swap the LS1 and not worry about a turbo. I think we are moving at the end of spring, so maybe I will just start the swap then. By that timeyou should have figured out al the kinks for me!! LOL.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
Yeah Yeah..i know..its been a while...
Work keeps me busy, 2 year old....and side work....seems don't have a lot of time to work on it..also trying to build a shop so I can get my projectes inside out of the rain.
anyways, since last post...
Engine has been pulled out, taken apart, new rod bearings and arp bolts. Ported out the oil pump and put some new headgaskets & bolts in. Cleaned everything up mostly. I picked up a 4L80E trans real cheap....will probably wait to put it in, it needs rebuilt.
I changed up the mounts, I needed to raise the motor some so oil pan would clear the inner tie rod ends, also gains ome on oil pan to ground clearance. Did a quick polish of valve covers, will probably do it a little better...also did a custom a/c delete..still need to finish.
anyways...plan to get this going soon..drag strips open and I want to see what it will do!
Work keeps me busy, 2 year old....and side work....seems don't have a lot of time to work on it..also trying to build a shop so I can get my projectes inside out of the rain.
anyways, since last post...
Engine has been pulled out, taken apart, new rod bearings and arp bolts. Ported out the oil pump and put some new headgaskets & bolts in. Cleaned everything up mostly. I picked up a 4L80E trans real cheap....will probably wait to put it in, it needs rebuilt.
I changed up the mounts, I needed to raise the motor some so oil pan would clear the inner tie rod ends, also gains ome on oil pan to ground clearance. Did a quick polish of valve covers, will probably do it a little better...also did a custom a/c delete..still need to finish.
anyways...plan to get this going soon..drag strips open and I want to see what it will do!
My Merc is supposed to be pretty much a 77-80 B-body frame-wise, I'm interested in these swaps. What oil pan did KC Henry use? Looks like the swap is straightforward except for the oil pan?
busta9876 used the truck pan works good clears everything nice you just have to watch ground clearance but I looked at busta9876's setup a couple days ago and I have to say it is looking nice...the motor mount setup he used is great for this swap it put the motor right were it should be...I am not sure what he did he found a combo that went together nicely on the motor mounts but you'll have to ask him for the specifics
Last edited by twisselman1968; Jun 20, 2008 at 11:20 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 558
Likes: 6
From: West Plains, Missouri
progress is slow on the 89 caprice, summer is almost here and I find myself being pulled every other direction. I did manage to get a little bit done on the caprice. The mounts are now welded in. I also put in a set of new knock sensors and repaired the knock sensor harness and sealed it all up. Intake is now bolted back on.
I hope in next few weeks I will get to do more, I'm dead set on welding up the exhaust my self, and need to buy a welder. Looking at a Miller 140, somthing to work on 110 volt.
36-1 Ignition trigger wheel & sensor mounted as seen in picture. This will be used for Megasquirt. I plan on dual controllers. Stock PCM & Megasquirt. Megasquirt is very easy to get going with boost, but I'd like to learn boost on stock pcm's as well, so both are going to be wired up with a big selector switch to switch between them. Got a wide band O2 kit a few weeks ago, so slowly parts are coming together.
Anyways, here's some pics.
I hope in next few weeks I will get to do more, I'm dead set on welding up the exhaust my self, and need to buy a welder. Looking at a Miller 140, somthing to work on 110 volt.
36-1 Ignition trigger wheel & sensor mounted as seen in picture. This will be used for Megasquirt. I plan on dual controllers. Stock PCM & Megasquirt. Megasquirt is very easy to get going with boost, but I'd like to learn boost on stock pcm's as well, so both are going to be wired up with a big selector switch to switch between them. Got a wide band O2 kit a few weeks ago, so slowly parts are coming together.
Anyways, here's some pics.