That's awesome, Steve! I am so happy for you, because I remember the days. When you're painting parts, that means you get to start sticking them back together real soon! Thanks for the update! If your truck looks as awesome as your chassis, you'll have a kick but truck!
I don't know Steve... but I think you should jump into the fracas with Zig and I, and make it a 3-way race! Keep up the good work, I managed to get a few hours in on Penny last couple days.
Me? I'm just driving mine. Took a late evening cruise about town last night with my wife as a passenger. She kind of likes to roll around town in it with me. Soon she will be driving it, as soon as we can make some time to go to the high school and let her get the feel of shifting it. (She used to dive a 5 speed, and my old 3 speed 64 Chevy all over, so it shouldn't take long.)
Sorry guys... No real post-able progress. If this was a truckers forum, I suppose I could post some dash-cam video of hours of boredom, with a few seconds of harrowing, heart stopping, close encounters with stupid four-wheelers. I've been tethered to the Kenworth... Here is all I've got.... F-body oil pan, windage tray, pickup tube. UPS man did all the work so far... Mixed-up set of Sanderson headers, to get them to work. Oh, and the B&M mini-starter. These were discussed in the other "header" thread... Steve.
Looks like I need to get my lazy self BACK out to the workshop, and stab the drivetrain in (soon)! Don't feel too bad about the hours of boredom- that's why they call it WORK. Because although it pays the bills, it sure the heck gets in the way of wrenching (and hunting and fishing too). Heck, Zig is a schoolteacher- all that time he spent with the grinder was just to get the pesky-student-frustrations out! Keep it up Steve- looks like you and I are neck-and-neck!
Wow Steve ~ Looks amazing and thirsty too . I often wonder why OTR Driver's don't go berserk from the idiotic things cagers do . OTOH , I also have ' fun ' with many Big Rig Drivers who simply don't care and cause all manner of traffic problems by rude and careless driving..... I ALWAYS offer road courtesy and so few bother to notice these days .
I hear ya, Nate. Truckers with "rude and careless" driving, is common everywhere. Actually, that description is being alot more polite than I would normally be. I especially love the ones, in company trucks with speed limiters, attempting to pass one another...for 14 miles! I don't try to have "fun" with them. I just try to stay away. I don't even talk on the CB radio anymore. There are some real loonies out there, in every kind of vehicle. The most dangerous thing on the road today is people who CANNOT-PUT-THE-SMART-PHONE down, and drive. Steve.
AMEN! Cause they can't drive with that @/$$ thing in their hand. Sorry I'm on the road 5 days a week as a rep. Papy
Every month, at our "staff meeting", the boss goes over the obligatory "Safety Tip of the Month". The winner? Distracted Walking Yup, I am surrounded by Zombies at work. My state finally passed a hands-free law last summer. Now, you just see folks staring down at their lap at traffic lights. "No officer, I wasn't posting to Facebook, I was just checking to see if my fly was down" And if THAT isn't enough, there's always VAPING. Whew, I gotta go take some blood-pressure meds!
All the respect in the world for the big riggers running the roads for us. Except for the ones who think they are driving on DRY pavement in a snow storm. I've seen a couple videos of massive truck/car pileups due to whiteout conditions. WTF are (these, idiot) truckers thinking??? Safe travels always, Steve.
"Distracted walking"!!! I'm speechless, That means people could walk out into the street in front of me... That's just it, Zig, they are not thinking. Guess they think they are immortal. Most people drive too fast on snow, it's just that some drive 3,200 pound automobiles, and others drive 80,000 pound trucks... One thing is for sure, with so many low-performance drivers on the road, when it snows, there is a 100% chance someone is going to screw up. Then, even IF no one gets hurt, the road is blocked and everybody suffers. Steve.
Steve, Looking at the pictures of the rear of your intake, did you get the vacuum line to go to the brake booster? Or, if by some chance the LQ9 came from a truck (with Hydroboost), is there a plug where the brake booster source is? Just comparing what you have to what's in my shop.
Mike, The black plug, with the red ring, at the rear of the manifold is just simply that, a plug. I really had not thought about what it was there for. I've never noticed if the LQ4, in my driver pickup has it or not. My 2500HD does have hydroboost brakes. The LQ9 engine I have in the '5o, supposedly came out of a Cadillac, Escalade. I don't know if they are equipped with hydroboost, or not. They must, because the PS pump on the LQ9 has the dual return hookups. I found out one thing about 2001, LQ4's. The throttle body on them is different than one on a 5.3, and is cable pull. It is also unavailable from GM, or, reman from any of the local parts stores. The 2003, up, T-bodys, (electronic), are available from just about anybody. Seems odd to me. I wanted one for my '50s, engine, so I could get the thing running with a FAST EZ EFI. Searched the salvage yards and finally found one cheap, so I bought it. I plan to only use it to get the thing running and see what I've got. Then, probably go for a FAST manifold and a big mouth T-body. Since the things are so unavailable, I'll have it as a back-up for my driver truck. Trying to decide if I'm going to go with the filter/regulator, like you did or full length supply/return, like was stock on this engine. Haven't been able to work on mine lately, a welding job for my brother, trailer tire change outs, and a troublesome air dryer that required way too much time, took up extra time this weekend. Steve.
Steve, Where did you get the f-body pan from and how much did it cost you? I think I am going to need one. Also, here is this "header" thread you mentioned? I couldn't find it. Could you also give me a good comparison if the truck pan vs the F-body pan? The online diagrams show the distance from the front of the pan to the sump but they only measure at the bottom. I am concerned that the pan might be to low where it slopes from the front to the sump. By the way, your project is looking good.
Root, For all the oil pan info you'll need (and probably more) GM LS-Series Engine Oil Pan Dimensions I am running the Cadillac CTS-V oil pan in my install. I got mine from Pace Performance | Chevrolet Performance but check out places like Amazon (as well as Summit and Jegs). Note that the "windage tray" in a vortec truck engine may be the same as what comes with a different oil pan. Check part numbers before you order. In my case, I did not need to replace it, but some (particularly aftermarket pans) need to.
Greg, Mike's link above is a really good source for info. I had never seen all the different oil pans shown, on one page. Here are some pics. of the F-body pan I bought. I bought mine from Super Chevy Performance, in Kansas. The pan: $198.99, windage tray: $18.49, pickup tube: $35.01. Free shipping. Indiana in 2 days. They say you can trim the truck windage tray to work. I did not order the dip-stick, or tube, because i figured I'd need some sort of custom one for my headers. My "header" thread is in the "engine, performance" section, on this forum. Kind of a rambling discussion between Lakeroadster, and myself. Long story short, I had to use headers from two different Sanderson header part numbers. The left one is their LS-158 header, and the right one is their CC1 LS1, block hugger, of course both have 1,5/8" tubes, 3" collectors. You CANNOT use a factory starter. See pictures above. You can order these by contacting Sanderson direct, ask for "Donna". She will put them together for you. A real nice lady, eager to help. Sanderson's phone: (800)669-2430. They are in San Francisco. Steve.
The website I linked was invaluable in determining which pan would work for me. Unfortunately, all of our "situations" are different- be it an LS conversion in a stock frame, or an S10 framed, offset right-low-aft mounted application. You'll need to look at your situation, and pick a pan accordingly. Thanks GM for all the options! If it happens to be a stock Truck vortec pan, I believe we have you covered in spades!
Thanks Steve, Those were the pictures I needed. Looks like you got a good price on that pan too. Thanks for the exhaust part numbers. That will come in handy later. I am dieing to hear my motor run and I know its probably redneck but I think just to hear it fire I might bolt my stock manifolds on upside down so they exhaust up in the air (like turbo guys do). Haha! Just for the first fire up to hear it run for motivation. I'm pretty strapped for cash and still need a waterpump and fuel lines to get to the first fire. I could fire it with the truck pan since the motor is in but I'd rather change the pan before I fill the motor with oil. I'll be swapping pans for ground clearance. Thanks
