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80 k5 - frame off 6.0 LS swap

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cool.


headin to the craft shop tomorrow to cut and modify some track bar mounts.

thanks for the help today too.
 
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mike has been trying to teach me to weld.

this gives me a new appreciation for the perfect dimes that i've got around the blazer, such as the TNA welding, the ORD welding, and a new disgust at the dirty dingo welding.

some of you might know i'm OCD.. so my welding right now bothers the **** out of me!
 
I understand how that OCD can make your build harder on you.:doah:
 
That's a different TNA crossmember than mine. Haven't seen that one before. I'm hoping I don't ha e any clearance issues with my 5.3l.
 
mine is the 2nd gen TNA..... the first gen has been used with several LS swaps already with as much clearance as mine
 






little bit of progress throughout the week.... engine mounts permanently affixed to the new angle mounts, and the cross member / angle mounts / engine mount lowers all painted up and assembled.

dropping the lq4 and the 4l60e in this weekend, hopefully permanently.

the entire process i took;
1. new angle mounts (with no previously drilled holes, and a completely flat surface to weld to) and cross member assembly from Totally Naked Auto.
2. mount the transmission to the engine.
3. lift the engine over the frame with the transmission attached and engine mounts (upper and lower) completely attached to the engine.
4. set the engine in where it wants to be, and line the entire thing up with the transmission cross member so you can keep from moving your t-case around. (this will push your engine mounts forward... but doing an LS swap with e-fans like i am you have plenty of room forward)
5. make sure the engine is level left-to-right, and a slight angle front-to-rear. (sloping down towards the rear)
5a. learn how to weld. a buddy like heavyleft might help.
6. tack weld the engine mounts.
7. disassemble the entire thing, finish your welding, paint your engine mounts, and then start reassembly.
 


this is my pure bred basset hound helpin me work on the truck.



crazy army story, me and my buddy dustin joined the army on the same day, went through basic training together, we were both 17 when we graduated so we were held at basic training until we turned 18, then we were sent to our first duty station in korea together and served in the same platoon, split ways for awhile, he went to iraq, i went to afghanistan, finally ended up at campbell in the same platoon again, deployed to afghanistan together, and tonight we are going to the VFW to celebrate 10 years of service together. for those of yall who ain't in the military, the odds of everything workin out like it has is almost damn near impossible...


(gettin ****ered up tonight!!!)
 
Pretty awesome. I never heard of Totally Naked Auto. Thanks for sharing
 
yea. darren (TNA) is awesome. i'd recommend his work to anyone.


does anybody have any experience with torquing the bolts down to a torque converter to the flex plate? my 4l60e has a solid bell housing, no removable bottom... and i can't see any possible way to get a torque wrench in between the transmission and the engine. reaching in behind the starter, i could BARELY get the bolts in and started with my fingers... a straight on socket would never work.. i can reach them with a wrench. i literally need a wrench capable of measuring torque cause i gotta get em to 44 foot lbs. crow's foot attached to a torque wrench maybe?



dropped the engine in yesterday, got the torque converter installed, and the transmission bolted up today.

the torque converter manual reads like an EOD manual.... they make it sound like the most fragile thing you have ever handled, any wrong move will make it blow up.


as much as i HATE bleeding a clutch.... dealing with this torque converter makes me wish i had one



having it done now... i can see how installing it could be easily messed up. i thought i was good to go, so i turned it and pressed on it and lifted it a few more times... and it slid back and locked in even more.


if i can offer advice to ANYBODY thinking about doing an LS swap - a test fit will do wonders for you. i thought everything was going to be competely bolt in for me.... but it wasn't. doing the test fit with the engine mounts, the transmission temporarily bolted up, the transmission cross member, i knew EXACTLY where everything had to fit. (i also know my exhaust will fit into the whole entire picture)
 
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does pulling the starter give you access to the torque converter bolts so you can apply the proper 44 ft lbs? from my reading, it seems that pulling the starter is neccessary.... i'm gunna give it a shot.


so, next question,
GM 700 R4, 4L60E, 200-4R = 1.125" from bellhousing to converter pads.

what are the converter pads? are they talking about the diameter of the bellhousing inwards to the torque converter bolt holes?



and,..finally..,
http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/transfercasemounts.htm

do the steel components need to be painted? they are steel for sure, they look like bare steel?
 
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drew4x4 said:
does pulling the starter give you access to the torque converter bolts so you can apply the proper 44 ft lbs? from my reading, it seems that pulling the starter is neccessary.... i'm gunna give it a shot.


so, next question,
GM 700 R4, 4L60E, 200-4R = 1.125" from bellhousing to converter pads.

what are the converter pads? are they talking about the diameter of the bellhousing inwards to the torque converter bolt holes?



and,..finally..,
http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/transfercasemounts.htm

do the steel components need to be painted? they are steel for sure, they look like bare steel?
Click to expand...

Yes you will need to pull the starter to get access to the bolts.
As for the transfer case mounts, you can paint them if you wanted
 
was the convertor on the tranny before you bolted the convertor on...?


going through the starter hole sucks, but that's how it's done...


those bolts loosened up on my 99, I learned the hard way.
 
For the 1.125 measurement, they mean, if you put a flat edge across the face of the bellhousing, the pads should be 1.125 inches rearward of that flat edge. Like this,

guide-25301-03.jpg
 
Teck said:
As for the transfer case mounts, you can paint them if you wanted
Click to expand...


Thanks Teck! My question was more do they NEED to be painted? I can't have bare steel exposed... they aren't aluminum and they aren't stainless steel so i am thinking they NEED paint or they are gunna start rustin right away.


62 fat guy said:
was the convertor on the tranny before you bolted the convertor on...?

those bolts loosened up on my 99, I learned the hard way.
Click to expand...

yes. i watched about 20 youtube videos about installing a torque converter before i put mine together. my torque converter bolts came with some gel locktite. i'm gunna double check them and add more locktite if i need before i torque them down for good.
the only thing i didn't do was pull the starter... which is why it was so hard for me to get my torque converter bolts started.

y5mgisi said:
For the 1.125 measurement, they mean, if you put a flat edge across the face of the bellhousing, the pads should be 1.125 inches rearward of that flat edge. Like this,
Click to expand...

thanks a lot for the pic... i didn't measure it that way, but i did measure my distance from the pads to the flex plate. my distance was perfect, exactly what the manual said. and it spun freely. it was centered in the transmission, it didn't wobble at all. hope i'm good!
 
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