87 Chevy crew cab build Ls swap with lots of pics

[hwh]

Should be able to start truck next week. More wiring to clean up. Coolant hoses and all power steering hoses. Driveshafts be done next week.

[hwh]

Amp power running boards coming out good considering they don't make them for old crew cabs. I got ones for 99-07 Chevy crew cabs.

[hwh]

Pics

[hwh]

Powerboards are working. Just have to install door switches so they work when a door is opened. There mounted and working.It won't let me post a video showing them working.

[ehjorten]

I may have already asked and you might have it in your thread, but...what motor mount setup are you using, what headers are you using, and you must have relocated the fuel tanks to use the Amp Powerboards, because the tanks get in the way of them retracting.

I have BRPHotrods motor mounts, but they just don't seem to fit that great.  My engine is leaning 2° to the passenger's side and the motor mounts are different heights from LH to RH side.  The driver's side one is tall and the passenger's side one is short.  There is like about a 3/4" difference.  Your engine from the pictures just seems to have a lot more clearance around stuff.

My headers don't really fit very good.  The driver's side is pretty good, but the passenger's side do not, and I don't really want to cut off the transmission ear to make them fit like people say you have to do.  I had a 454 in there with the same transmission and full length headers before with no troubles!

[hwh]

update on truck. coolant hoses all connected, power steering hoses done. driveshafts will be ready to pick up wednesday. if everything goes right by end of week be ready to start the truck.

[hwh]

Enjorten I used the standard Chevy small block motor mounts with the ICT adapters. ICT.com is website. And on headers I used shorty block huggers headers from summit. And on gas tank I got rid of dual tanks. And bought blazer gas tank 31 gallon. I wanted to use suburban gas tank but since made it a short bed wasn't going to workout. And I went to junkyard and got the 2 gas tank mounts of a suburban that go side to side to frame. That gas tank sits on front to back.there the same blazer or suburban. Suburbans are a lot easier to find in junk yards.

[hwh]

On page 2 of my build shows gas tank mounted with the brackets got off a suburban. And welded them from frame to frame.

[hwh]

I saw on one build guy doing a 84 crew and used SS headers and passenger side was hitting frame so he notched it out. I wasn't going to do that. Nice thing about Ls swap being so popular people making so much stuff for the swaps. Don't half to do stuff like that notching frame.

[hwh]

Enjorten I re read your post and saw your header on passenger side ear on transmission. I thought it was hitting frame. Yea mine did same thing about 1/2-3/4 inch had to be shaved off. Don't know of a header that will clear frame and transmission ear. Cause they half to hug block tight to clear frame. I'm sure someone could cut and rebend header to not do that, if you found a really good custom guy. I've seen that done on some TV shows lol. Wasn't on crew cab Ls swap but just in general. I choose that route over notching frame. If header comes out more from block it hits frame then when you notch frame. Won't hit ear on tranny. If they hug block tight to clear frame then it hits eat on tranny. Double whammy lol. But maybe someone will chime in, that has found away to clear frame and ear. But I don't see without some custom work on header.

[hwh]

Antenna is ran for windshield part. Steering hoses are connected. And transmission and power steering hoses ran up front to be connected to the cooler.

[hwh]

Cooler lines

[ehjorten]

Enjorten I re read your post and saw your header on passenger side ear on transmission. I thought it was hitting frame. Yea mine did same thing about 1/2-3/4 inch had to be shaved off. Don't know of a header that will clear frame and transmission ear. Cause they half to hug block tight to clear frame. I'm sure someone could cut and rebend header to not do that, if you found a really good custom guy. I've seen that done on some TV shows lol. Wasn't on crew cab Ls swap but just in general. I choose that route over notching frame. If header comes out more from block it hits frame then when you notch frame. Won't hit ear on tranny. If they hug block tight to clear frame then it hits eat on tranny. Double whammy lol. But maybe someone will chime in, that has found away to clear frame and ear. But I don't see without some custom work on header.

The thing that rubs me the wrong way is that this truck...a 1991 V3500 that came from the factory with a 454, 4L80e, and NP205 had Doug Thorley Tri-Y headers in it with no clearance issues!  So it is possible to fit full-length headers with the earlier 4L80e transmission that has the lifting eyes and ears that stick out of the stock converter cover!

I did talk to a very reputable custom exhaust and custom header builder here in Washington state and they told me they charge $150/hour standard labor rate to build custom headers and it just depends on how long it takes them to build them, but typically it is around $2,000 to $2,500!!!  They require $500 cash at start and full cash or certified check at the end.  They obviously have been burned before.  So...NOPE...no custom headers for me!!!  They did say that they could modify mine as long as they know exactly what they need to do.

What I am starting to understand is that people, or companies that have developed headers for these rigs have done so on ONE truck that they have had in their shop.  Usually they didn't already have a 4L80e in them as they got the transmission from the donor LS.  In the case of the LS 4L80e, it does not have the ears for the 3rd row of bolts that hold on the converter cover.  The LS converter cover only uses 2 bolts on either side of the transmission case.

Additionally...I am thinking that in these conversions, they are using a cable operated transmission range selector, so they are not thinking about clearance to the stock, lever operated range selector.  Since I already had a 4L80e in my square body, it has the traditional, lever operated range selector and the headers are just too high and tight to that mechanism.

[hwh]

Yea you nailed that one on aftermarket world only trying parts on one truck lol. And also a lot people doing 5.3 motor and 4l60e. On c10, not too many crew cabs. May have little to do with it. Just like the flush mount front windshield I bought and didn't work. And was going to cost 294.00 to ship it back, so now I have a 530.00 windshield that I can't sell. Stuck with it. I know exactly what your saying. I'm just picking on this truck so want everything right and factory looking as I can. Some people don't care just do it whatever way and go with it.

[hwh]

Search 85 Chevy crew cab short bed Ls swap. You can see what this guy did. Hard to find Ls swaps on crew cabs. But here's one shows problem he was having with headers.