** LS Swap update **

[droopyzda1]

Hey guys. Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to give an update about the swap I did a year after it has been done. I still have a few bugs to fix but otherwise here goes. The vehicle: 1994 Chevy C1500 W/T (work truck, plain jane model) single cab short bed. All original body and interior with 4.3L with 4l60e. Swap info: stock 2002 iron block 5.3L dbc with 125k miles With 2003 4L60e. 200k miles Both bought off Craigslist. factory rear end. Dirty dingo mounts, upgraded fuel pump to '96 & later one, dual electric fans, all original gauges work, I personally modded harness from lt1swap.com as well as have brendan from that website remove vats and do a simple tune. General swap took 9 months on and off (my mom was in hospice the latter part of swap, God rest her soul). I had a broken head of one of the bolts on the exhaust manifold and was going to weld a new one and remove that way till my old man tried to help and ended up drilling all around the bolt and made it down to water jacket. Long story short, I had to get another set of heads, take to machine shop and put new head gaskets on. That one bolt ended up being a $400 mistake. Meanwhile I said to myself since I am rebuilding this thing, I should put all new seals, new oil pump & pick up tube O ring, pan gasket. I did not touch the block or timing chain. All that was within factory tolerances. I originally put the 1994 trans with the flex plate spacer and the trans would have worked if it wasn't for it having bad clutches ( I did not know it was bad cause I bought the truck a non runner.) Found out it was toasted after I had swapped everything in. I found engine for $400, then another $400 to rebuild and $200 on seals. trans for $150. Sold old 1994 4l60e on Craigslist for $150 so it was an even wash. Until the truck died on the road 2 months cause I installed the trans converter incorrectly and did not seat properly, cracking the oil pump. I said screw it and put in the corner of garage to rebuild it later on and tried my luck again on Craigslist and scored a 1997 4l60e with 120k miles from an astro van which I had upgraded to a corvette servo and fresh oil filter, trans oil, gasket, front and rear main seals. Let's just say I am an expert at it and can drop the trans in my driveway and have the new one put up in about four hours. Third times a charm i hope. It's been holding up ever since. I do not take it to a track or race but punch it once in a while. I do notice that it feels a bit weaker and shifts slower than the 2003 one. I did not have to retune the ecu every time I changed the trans. I have the original 1994 a/c compressor with a modded bracket to fit on the 5.3. But have some slack on the belt and it squeaks some times. I had a custom Y Pipe & exhaust made front to back 3" with one outlet. Egr, rear O2's, and cats deleted. It smells like hell and I get a headache. I may just do high flow cats in the future.
I have been driving the truck on weekends since the swap and for the past 2 months its been my daily driver. I get about 14-15 mpg mixed driving but that's cause I punch it often and with ac off. I have put around 3k miles on it. Just enough power for me. Not a corvette but more hp than any 350 I have encountered.

Bugs to be fixed: When starting in the morning or after sitting most of the day, you have to give it a little gas till operating temperature or it shuts off. It idles at about 450-500 rpm which maybe too low. Also I do not have the steam lone connected. Don't know if that has something to do with it.

Trans shifter: When I had the original one or the 2003 one the shift pattern on the column shifter was working great. Now for some reason, the shift pattern is reversed. R on the shifter indicator is drive and D is reverse. Park is like L1.

Alternator: It charges fine but the unit gets really hot to the touch.

Pics below. VIDEO at the end.

[Blasphemy]

That's a damn clean swap! And something else I was thinking of, I don't think I've ever seen a shortbed Chevy W/T, are you sure someone didn't just put the decals on? Otherwise, nice work, I'm almost finished with the swap in my '98 ECSB, and I can't wait till it runs!!

[droopyzda1]

Thanks. I have seen a few w/t. It has only W/T decal on the tail gate. But I think it had to be one. It has rubber floor mat, Manual windows and locks, no power door locks, no tilt, no cruise. I guess it made the swap that much easier.

[Blasphemy]

what I meant to say was that I've never seen a shortbed version. I've seen plenty of longbed W/Ts though

[droopyzda1]

Oh I gotcha. Maybe it's a cheyenne series then ?

[Skylark]

For the longest time our local animal control had a pristine, 91 standard cab stepside C1500. It was a 5.7, NV4500, 3.73, smooth chrome front bumper, painted rear bumper, composite headlight, tow hook, chrome mirrors, a/c, rubber floor, vinyl seat, manual everything truck. It was badged as a W/T on the tailgate! I tried like crazy to buy it...

[gagliano7]

What did you use for the pcm bracket?

[droopyzda1]

Used one off an s10 or a blazer. Don't recall which one but it was a 1995 and model year

[droopyzda1]

Sorry. I actually got the pcm mounting bracket off It a 96 & up suburban.

[88blazerboy]

Yep. Your engine space looks clean and minimalist. Not a lot of crap in there like I got. I think you have a bit more space in your engine compartment than I do.