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Hooker Blackheart 1967-72 C10 Truck LS/LT Swap System Info Thread
Hello to all. In the near future, Holley will begin releasing Hooker Blackheart 1967-72 C10 truck LS and LT engine swap system components that have recently been developed and I will be using this thread as a depository for photos and information related to all of them. Due to restrictions that have been placed on me by new company policies that have been put in place, I cannot post photos, part numbers or pricing information on any of the components (as I have in the past in my other Hooker Blackheart swap system threads) prior to them being released. As each component/product gets released however, I, or another designer who was involved with the development of these components, will provide the same comprehensive level of information and photos as I have in the past.
What I can do in the meantime is provide an overview as to what components/systems you'll have available to you upon the full release, and also answer any technical/design related questions you may have related to them. The treatment of this application closely follows that of what we did on 1973-87 C10 truck LS swap application, but also includes coverage for LT engine swap as well. Please do not seek further information on these products through the Holley Customer Service or Tech Service channels at this time as they have no knowledge of products that are not yet released.
The list of components that have be co-developed for this vehicle application currently includes the following:
Engine mounting brackets (designed for use with GM 4th-gen F-body clamshell motor mounts)- LS and LT engines, provides maximum level of low-mount accessory drive component compatibility Transmission crossmember- compatibility includes 2004R, TH400, 4L60E-4L75E, 4L80E/4L90E, 6L80 and T56 Magnum transmissions Long tube headers- LS and LT specific designs that connect to the below mentioned exhaust systems Dual rear exit and side exit exhaust systems- both 2.5" and 3" systems, design features include tube routing through the trailing arm crossmember and clearance for aftermarket rear track bars, rear frame mounted fuel tanks and 14" wide rear wheel/tire packages Exhaust manifold adapter tube kits- designed to connect Hooker cast iron exhaust manifolds directly to the 2.5" versions of the above mentioned exhaust systems
I have purposely left these descriptions very general in nature as I believe there will be more value to their details if they are provided as an answer to questions that readers here will ask related to their specific swap project. I believe that the first products that will be getting released will be the 3" versions of the exhaust systems, but I can't judge the release order of the other components at this point in time.
Feel free to post any design/technical questions you may have and I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Nice going Toddoky! I bet this swap is/will be a fairly common one. Understandable about pre-release pics/info. Premature info is not a good thing. Things change often and quickly before releasing them.
All I gotta say is you guys are kicking butt on all fronts! Between all the LS swap hardware and the new Terminator X (and Max) engine management hardware/software, it's amazing to me what has transpired in the last couple of years!
All I gotta say is you guys are kicking butt on all fronts! Between all the LS swap hardware and the new Terminator X (and Max) engine management hardware/software, it's amazing to me what has transpired in the last couple of years!
We do have an eager and skilled engineering team that keeps the new product pipeline full and flowing. It does keep things interesting to see all the new products working their way through the process every day.
Will you be offering the trailing arm cross member with the holes for the exhaust? Or will it be up to the builder to cut the holes to match your exhaust?
Will you be offering the trailing arm cross member with the holes for the exhaust? Or will it be up to the builder to cut the holes to match your exhaust?
The discrete location of the holes needed for installation with the stock crossmember will be clearly given in the exhaust system instructions, and we will also be offering gusset plates for the stock crossmember that can be used as a cutting/drilling guide also. The decision has not yet been made by management as to whether or not we will be offering our own trailing arm crossmember. If that does end up being the case, it will be covered here at the time of its release.
The 409SS versions of the exhaust systems from this swap application have been released and are present on the Holley website as of this morning. Here is a copy of the press release and some installed images of the 3" dual rear exit system...
And here are some additional installed images of the 3" dual side exit system...the components are the same as the dual rear exit kit with the exception of the tips and the rear frame mounted hanger brackets.
The engine mounting brackets from the Hooker Blackheart 1967-72 C10 LS/LT engine swap system have been released and are now available (the part number is BHS511). These mounting brackets and the related Hooker Blackheart poly engine mount inserts can be used to install an LS or LT engine, provided the correct Hooker Blackheart engine mount clam-shells (LS or LT) are ordered/used by the installer. I'll post up more installed images of these parts in the coming weeks as a project truck is getting assembled that will be using them. The release of the transmission crossmember and headers should not be far behind.
Couple of questions. My latest hot rod is a 68 C10 SWB with a LS1/T56 magnum swap. Lowered 4" in the front and 6" in the back. Fairly common lowering amount.
When you did the exhaust mock up did you use a 4L60E and T56 transmissions? The reason I ask is because the T56 magnum I have would require the H pipe to have quite a bend to get under the trans unless the headers quite a bit lower than the bottom of the frame rail.
Also per your pics of the oil pan to drag link clearance. Because the length of the T56 it needs to have the oil pan as close as possible to the drag link to the reduce drive line angle. If you are running the T56 the truck requires a high hump trans cover. Also check the trailing arm cross member to drive shaft clearance. I had to clearance the cross member for drive shaft clearance.
It looks like the tail pipe design would clear a pan hard bar that extends to the trailing arm mount. It's typical to ditch the stock pan hard bar on lowered trucks to center the rear axle.
Again very cool parts. Good luck with further development.
Couple of questions. My latest hot rod is a 68 C10 SWB with a LS1/T56 magnum swap. Lowered 4" in the front and 6" in the back. Fairly common lowering amount.
When you did the exhaust mock up did you use a 4L60E and T56 transmissions? The reason I ask is because the T56 magnum I have would require the H pipe to have quite a bend to get under the trans unless the headers quite a bit lower than the bottom of the frame rail.
Also per your pics of the oil pan to drag link clearance. Because the length of the T56 it needs to have the oil pan as close as possible to the drag link to the reduce drive line angle. If you are running the T56 the truck requires a high hump trans cover. Also check the trailing arm cross member to drive shaft clearance. I had to clearance the cross member for drive shaft clearance.
It looks like the tail pipe design would clear a pan hard bar that extends to the trailing arm mount. It's typical to ditch the stock pan hard bar on lowered trucks to center the rear axle.
Again very cool parts. Good luck with further development.
The details of your questions tells me your truck is set-up very much like those the Hooker Blackheart system was designed for compatibility with. The engine and transmission mounting components were optimized for use on trucks that have been lowered up to 6 inches in the rear and to accommodate TH350, TH400, 2004R, 4L60, 4L80, 6L80 and T56 Magnum transmissions. The 4L80 and T56 transmissions do require the use of the high hump floor for installation and the user may have to clearance the trailing arm crossmember for driveshaft clearance depending on how much suspension drop they are using and the diameter of their driveshaft. The exhaust systems are designed for use with all the above listed transmissions and the fore/ aft placement and bend geometry of the crossover tube takes them all into account. The tailpipes were specifically designed to accommodate a rear frame mounted fuel tank and also any aftermarket panhard bar that installs in the stock mounting bracket on the driver side frame rail. I will post up some more specific photos for you later this morning that depicts some of this more clearly.
LS1 TJ, if you are subscribed to and following this thread, these images I'm posting here are for you to support my previous answers. The first two of them depict the clearance around the stock panhard bar and the routing of the right side over-axle tube assembly that has been provided in order to permit the use of an aftermarket panhard bar that mounts to the right side trailing arm (as long as the other end of said bar attaches to the factory anchor bracket on the left side frame rail). The last two images depict the location and geometry of the exhaust system crossover tube and the ground clearance of the system components in the area under the cab of the truck.
The release of the parts from this engine swap system is picking up momentum as the transmission crossmember has been released and listed on the Holley website. The listing can be found here...https://www.holley.com/products/engi...ts/71222024HKR. The crossmember, as listed, is used for T56 installations and will also get listed for use with specific adapters for Powerglide, TH350, 700R4, 2004R, 4L60, 4L80, or 6L80 transmission installations also. This crossmember is visible in post #19 above being used to support a 4L80 transmission in the under-car photo.
05-16-2019, 02:44 PM
Hooker Blackheart 1967-72 C10 Truck LS/LT Swap System Info Thread 
