5.3 swap done cheap...ish

[Hoooper]

Im running stock gauges. They all work except tach. I have the solution for the tach, I have just been too lazy and sidetracked with other projects to program it and install it.

I think you made the right choice using the F body pan. The LS gets block rigidity from the pan, so if you replace the stock pan with a stamped steel pan you are losing some of the rigidity for the motor. As long as you dont plan on bashing the pan into rocks there is not really a downside to the cast pan. Personally I have never hit my stock 4.0L pan on any rocks so I dont see a reason for me to start doing it with my 5.3.

If you get a car intake are you going to swap to an F body water pump with spacers or try to modify the truck water pump outlet to work?

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Im running stock gauges. They all work except tach. I have the solution for the tach, I have just been too lazy and sidetracked with other projects to program it and install it.

What year is your xj? i was under the impression that my gauges wouldn't work being a renix era xj.

I think you made the right choice using the F body pan. The LS gets block rigidity from the pan, so if you replace the stock pan with a stamped steel pan you are losing some of the rigidity for the motor. As long as you dont plan on bashing the pan into rocks there is not really a downside to the cast pan. Personally I have never hit my stock 4.0L pan on any rocks so I dont see a reason for me to start doing it with my 5.3.

That was a big factor in my decision on the pan. i was really torn which way to go but a deal popped up on the fbody pan that i couldn't pass up. i have hit my 4.0 pan a couple times but nothing an engine skid wont fix!

If you get a car intake are you going to swap to an F body water pump with spacers or try to modify the truck water pump outlet to work?

i will probably run spacers. i would really prefer to run truck accessories for availability. I have heard mixed stories on how much the water pump has to be modified to clear the car throttle body. do you have any experience with this?

 

[Hoooper]

What year is your xj? i was under the impression that my gauges wouldn't work being a renix era xj.

Mine is a 96. I dont know anything about renix gauges but I dont know why you wouldnt be able to get them to work. Getting the speedo to read if you have a cable might be a problem unless you have a transfer case adapter with speed sensor in it. Then again since youre running a turbo350 maybe you can get away with not providing the computer a speed signal. Tach should be easy on a renix by using the GM PCM tach output. Fuel gauge is easy since for a non emissions swap you can just wire the jeep sender normally to the gauge. Water and oil pressure gauges SHOULD be easy, but I dont know how the renix gauges are driven so I cant really say,

i will probably run spacers. i would really prefer to run truck accessories for availability. I have heard mixed stories on how much the water pump has to be modified to clear the car throttle body. do you have any experience with this?

Yeah that is what I did, I am running a pump from a 2000 camaro and spacers off ebay. The rest of the accessories are all truck accessories and the original jeep A/C. Spacer kit like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/Billet-Alum...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ed1e3e01c&vxp=mtr. The spacers are different size depending on whether you use a vette water pump or f body. You also might have to tap a hole for the idler/tensioner on the pump body assuming you arent going to put a/c on it. Mine is a DBW TB so I had to use an f body pump. Honestly I think its the way to go anyway, seems like the radiator hose would be getting real close to the hood and thats definitely not something you want to be rubbing a hole in. Supposedly you can heat the pump around the base of the neck and then just rotate the connection but I am with you on the mixed stories thing, some can do it and some cant for whatever reason.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Mine is a 96. I dont know anything about renix gauges but I dont know why you wouldnt be able to get them to work. Getting the speedo to read if you have a cable might be a problem unless you have a transfer case adapter with speed sensor in it. Then again since youre running a turbo350 maybe you can get away with not providing the computer a speed signal. Tach should be easy on a renix by using the GM PCM tach output. Fuel gauge is easy since for a non emissions swap you can just wire the jeep sender normally to the gauge. Water and oil pressure gauges SHOULD be easy, but I dont know how the renix gauges are driven so I cant really say,


speedo isnt a problem. i haven't ran one in the last couple years and haven't missed it. lol
fuel gauge also is a non issue as i run a JAZ cell and no gauge for it. i have a good idea of how much wheeling time i get and i carry extra fuel.

really all i need is oil pressure, water temp, volts and tach.


Yeah that is what I did, I am running a pump from a 2000 camaro and spacers off ebay. The rest of the accessories are all truck accessories and the original jeep A/C. Spacer kit like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/Billet-Alum...Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ed1e3e01c&vxp=mtr. The spacers are different size depending on whether you use a vette water pump or f body. You also might have to tap a hole for the idler/tensioner on the pump body assuming you arent going to put a/c on it. Mine is a DBW TB so I had to use an f body pump. Honestly I think its the way to go anyway, seems like the radiator hose would be getting real close to the hood and thats definitely not something you want to be rubbing a hole in. Supposedly you can heat the pump around the base of the neck and then just rotate the connection but I am with you on the mixed stories thing, some can do it and some cant for whatever reason.

awesome thanks for the info! :cheers:

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Its out!



I started going through some of the wiring last night. It looks like the only wires from the engine bay that i really need to keep are for the heater blower motor and the headlights. I already have standalone wiring for the e-fan. time for lots of degreasing and scrubbing.

Here is an updated pic of the engine.

 

[yossarian19]

I really like that cleaned up intake. I'm not about to rip mine off my truck to duplicate it, but my next go-round I'm going to imitate that.
Did I miss which headers you are running?

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

I really like that cleaned up intake. I'm not about to rip mine off my truck to duplicate it, but my next go-round I'm going to imitate that.
Did I miss which headers you are running?

It was a lot of work but I'm really happy with how the intake came out. I painted it with krylon wrinkle finish to help hide the sanding marks.


The headers are Hooker block huggers that were given to me with the motor. I know they arent going to fit in stock form so i will either clearance the "frame" or modify the headers to be even closer to the block.

 

[yossarian19]

Gotcha.
I've been looking at headers a little bit; it doesn't seem like Novak could have the only ones that fit but other guys have been down this road before and say that they are.
Anyway, you've got metal skills so it's no biggie

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Gotcha.
I've been looking at headers a little bit; it doesn't seem like Novak could have the only ones that fit but other guys have been down this road before and say that they are.
Anyway, you've got metal skills so it's no biggie

IIRC, the Novak headers are either made by, or design of Sanderson. IF they are then possibly going directly to the source might be slightly less expensive.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

IIRC, the Novak headers are either made by, or design of Sanderson. IF they are then possibly going directly to the source might be slightly less expensive.

I think I read somewhere that they are i fact made by Sanderson, however they will not sell them directly. they are available exclusively from Novak.

 

[Hoooper]

IIRC, the Novak headers are either made by, or design of Sanderson. IF they are then possibly going directly to the source might be slightly less expensive.

Thats the story but as far as I can tell nobody has found them from Sanderson. There was a theory on pirate that the headers were a mixture of left and right from two different sets that sanderson sells. The novak headers start at a little over $300 so even if you somehow get them to sell you the right ones how much are you going to save? Based on Sanderson's website the Novak price is pretty much the exact same as a cheap set of sanderson headers. Novak has some overpriced stuff but I dont think $327 is out of line for a set of shorty headers.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Well..a lot happened over the weekend.

I weeded almost all of the bay harness out. only wires left are gauge signal wires, blower motor wires, and headlight wires. i also got the engine harness and all unnecessary cables and whatnot removed.

heres the mass of wires that were stripped from the bay harness.


3 cans of foaming degreaser and half an hour of pressure washing to try to get the bay clean enough to work in. not fun in 40 degree weather...




I sat and stared at the front of the jeep for a couple hours and a couple beers and the decision was made to cut the front off and go with a tube front. i will reatain all sheetmetal so it still looks like a complete xj.
A couple factors drove this decision.
1. i wanted to redo the coilover hoops.
2. the potential clearence issues with the hooker headers i aready have.
3. i am going with a large griffin radiator that doesnt fit in the factory location.
3. my trac bar bracket was going to be rebuilt anyways.
4. with how i wanted the engine situated it was going to interfere with the steering shaft so the orbital needed relocated.





I capped the "frame" and started figuring out some tube and mocked the motor in place to check clearances. to get the motor as far back as i wanted it ended up being shifted to the drivers side almost 2" the tranny and tcase are high enough for a complete flat belly.







also started on some motor mounts. the front will obviously get a lot more tube but the foundation is there.

 

[Hoooper]

I dont know if you checked at all and its obviously pointless at this point, but the interference issues with block hugger headers is with the Novak mounts usually and not the frame, would have been interesting to see if your headers fit the stock frame with your mounts.

What fuel system are you planning to run or how are you planning to run it? I would suggest at a minimum running new 3/8" line all the way to the tank. 3/8" vs 5/16" doesnt sound like much of a difference but 3/8" hose is more than 40% larger than 5/16". I have mine running on the stock pump and lines (tank regulated for 1996) and it works but theres 100% no doubt that there isnt enough fuel delivered.

I like the paint job on the block, makes it look like an L33 even though its an iron block. All the CJ guys seem to have driveshaft clearance issues with the dana 300 and the 4l60 transmission pan. Does it look like its going to clear the th350?

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

I dont know if you checked at all and its obviously pointless at this point, but the interference issues with block hugger headers is with the Novak mounts usually and not the frame, would have been interesting to see if your headers fit the stock frame with your mounts.

i really wish i would have tried it just for the info for others. :doh: From what we measured they would have been really close to clearing.

What fuel system are you planning to run or how are you planning to run it? I would suggest at a minimum running new 3/8" line all the way to the tank. 3/8" vs 5/16" doesnt sound like much of a difference but 3/8" hose is more than 40% larger than 5/16". I have mine running on the stock pump and lines (tank regulated for 1996) and it works but theres 100% no doubt that there isnt enough fuel delivered.

When i did my fuel cell i ran -10 to the stock hard line. I think i will run a new 3/8 hardline as you suggested. i know these things can have a large appetite for fuel flow. I am currrently running an e2000 fuel pump and it sounds like it should flow plenty for the 5.3.
I plan on running the stock truck regulator on the fual rail. do you think the stock xj return line is big enough?
I have contemplated going returnless with a corvette regulator/filter but I'm trying to save money at this point.

I like the paint job on the block, makes it look like an L33 even though its an iron block. All the CJ guys seem to have driveshaft clearance issues with the dana 300 and the 4l60 transmission pan. Does it look like its going to clear the th350?

i have had people think it was an aluminum block! lol. The pan on the th350 is set off to the passenger side quite a bit so it looks like i should have no problem with clearance on the drivers side. my stub shaft just came in so i will assemble the tcase to the tranny and try to snap a pic of it tonight!

 

[Hoooper]

I don't know on the return line, I guess it depends on what the flow of that pump is at 58 psi. If I had kept the truck intake I would have probably run a new -6an line and used the 5/16 line for a return. My XJ is returnless though.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

I don't know on the return line, I guess it depends on what the flow of that pump is at 58 psi. If I had kept the truck intake I would have probably run a new -6an line and used the 5/16 line for a return. My XJ is returnless though.

I honestly didn't even think about using the old feed line for a return. thats a great idea. thanks!

the pump is supposed to flow 45 gph at 90 psi. so im not sure what it would be at the required 58 psi. sounds like a lot of flow.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

I got some work done on the motor mounts last night.

 

[yossarian19]

That's looking like a lot of secks.

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Got a ton done last night! :roll:
Mostly finished the front frame rails and motor mounts. Got the motor back into place and put most of the accessories on so i can start planning for shock hoops, brake booster clearance, steering, air bumps, and all that other hard to package stuff.

My trac bar used to run behind the axle but is no way going to clear now. there is only about 2" between my axle truss and where the oil pan sump begins. not even enough room for exhaust so that complicates things a little.
The trac bar can easily go to the front of the axle and will actually be better because can make it much longer than it used to be.
It seems like just about everybody has ran their exhaust crossover under the oil pan. has anyone ran it under the bellhousing? i need ideas!

Im terrible at remembering to take pics so there is only one from last night. ill try to get some with the moor in tonight!

 

[NorIdaWheeler]

Hooper what did you do for a throttle cable? I was looking a t a Lokar universal cable unless someone has found a better alternative.