Vortec 5.3 install on my 84 C10

[Captkaos]

You may want to read my R10 Project post.  I am documenting everything from the time the 305/70R4 came out to the time the motor cranks.  Of course I am doing this outside like a run of the mill swap would go and I only have the weekends to work on it...  Man I need my garage back.

I'd like to go check that out some time. While Earl's just going to get some re-sealing and re-wiring done for the near future, I'm really jonesing to drop something a little more modern under the hood, and would be a lot more comfortable with it if I saw it first hand.

Call/email me, I am at home you can come by and see it.

[Skyshadow]

Ran into a issue dropping the motor in. My motor mounts are not lining up. they are level withe frame mounts but about a inch and half too wide. I'm using the Trandapt plates and stock 84 chevy motor mounts. what am i doing wrong here?

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Link/pic of the mounts youre using?

Edit:

Found it:

Same type I am using, how are they not wide enough?

Next Edit:

Here is what I have bolted up, should be the same as yours and should work fine....

[Skyshadow]

Yea, thats the same set up i have. It's too wide, by atleast a inch. I'll post pics later when I get back to the garage

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Please do, you lost me to how it could be too wide.

[Captkaos]

I am lost too.

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You're killing us on the suspense :p

My pilot bushing should be showing up today, so I will most likely be dropping my 5.3 into my '84 this afternoon.  I still need to start a build thread over here on this truck, but none-the-less I will take pics and let you know of any snags I incur.  Everything really should be same though as your plates look exactly like my setup.

-Matt

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Ok, I *might* understand what you're saying now.  I have the drivers side bolt through the mounts, and the passenger side just doesn't want to drop down low enough to push the bolt through it.  Taking 10 minutes to eat and play with the kids.  But I feel if I loosen the frame mounts it will give enough play to drop it down, then tighten everything up. 

OR It could be I don't have the input haft lined up and its binding is causing the problem.  Im about to remove the driveshaft and and trans cross member to pull it rearward.  Then deal with the input shaft after the engine is sitting happily. 

Meh working alone is a PITA.

[Skyshadow]

Yea man, that's what i got too. driver side went in but passenger side didnt. I have my trans cross member off. I'm going to try loosing my mounts and wiggling it in

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What I ended up finding out:

Pulled both mounts off the frame, and put them on the motor mounts, then got the trans married to the engine, now it looks like the engine will sit about 1" - 1.5" too far back.  I am going to fix this with a 3/8" plate on each side, half bolted to the frame, half bolted to the engine mount. 

[Skyshadow]

Not sure I'm following too well to what your saying. maybe pics will help me lol

[Captkaos]

It should just set down in there and once you get one side "pinnned" (bolt through, but not tight), you have to get it back level to get the opposite side down.

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This is how mine lined up with the engine bolted to the transmission.  The Trans is bolted to its cross-member and both drive-shafts are installed,  so the transmission is in the exact same spot it was when I had the Gen1 360 installed. 



Now, I did pull both drive-shafts and remove the bolts to the trans cross-member to move everything forward so the motor mounts could be lined up, however this will cause too much mi-alignment with the clutch linkage, transfer case linkage, and drive-shafts. 

So my idea is to use a longer piece of 3/8" plate under each motor mount to have everything bolted together and leave the transmission in its factory location. 

EDIT

I really need to make my own thread so I top derailing yours.  But for the record my setup is an LM7, SM465/NP205 in an '84 K20

[Captkaos]

This is how mine lined up with the engine bolted to the transmission.  The Trans is bolted to its cross-member and both drive-shafts are installed,  so the transmission is in the exact same spot it was when I had the Gen1 360 installed. 

That is the issue, the plates aren't designed to put the engine in the same exact spot as the original SBC, typically the trans crossmember has to be moved.

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This is how mine lined up with the engine bolted to the transmission.  The Trans is bolted to its cross-member and both drive-shafts are installed,  so the transmission is in the exact same spot it was when I had the Gen1 360 installed. 

That is the issue, the plates aren't designed to put the engine in the same exact spot as the original SBC, typically the trans crossmember has to be moved.

That's what I found reading up on a little more on those plates.  Wish in one hand sort of deal. 

I still don't think moving the transmission at all is wise.  It will require a shorter front drive-shaft, and something clever for the clutch linkage/shifters.  The rear drive-shaft will probably be ok; as I don't intend on lifting the truck so there should be enough engagement left on the slip yoke to not pull out of the transmission.