First time swap. LQ9 into 95 OBS

I had read that you can completely get rid of the DRAC. I know it's a little late now but maybe it will help others.
You have the VSS connected to the PCM right? What year is your 6.0? The PCM has vss in and has a 4K (what our 95's speedo needs) vehicle speed output circuit as well. So you can just splice the speedo input whire wire to the PCM speed output and the gauge should work. Then the speedo calibration can be done with the tune. I got all this from lt1swap.com which is what I used to rework my harness. Sorry I saw so late, been crazy busy with my last term as an undergrad.

i thought for sure the pcm could only control the 96 and up speedos. otherwise i would have just gone that route. lol oh well. i got it calibrated so im good with it but if it goes out, i know what to do to fix it. thanks

Awesome write up, I am doing a twin turbo lq4 swap into my 95 gmc Suburban 2500. I got a low mileage lq4 out of a 05 Denali Yukon XL, got to take a vid of it idling in the donor vehicle and robbed a lot of parts all the way to the efans. I am prepping the engine now so when I pull the engine out of the truck I can make quick work of the swap. I am looking forward to upgrading from my Whippled 454 TBI. Your thread has cleared up a bit for me but some things are a little bit foggy but I will handle each concern as they come up so it doesn't start getting overwhelming.

for sure man. good luck on the swap. dont think it will be a quick swap tho. it will always take longer than you think. and yeah, the foggy things will make sense when you actually come across it durring the change over. any questions just ask. there are a lot of little things learned along the way that i didnt post about that may help you. have fun. and most definately start a thread of your own. i want to see how you do the turrbo setup as thats coming up in the near future for me and i have no idea about FI. lol so ill probably be coming to you with some questions!!

Fyi my 1999 5.3 pcm controls my 1992 speedometer.

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Originally Posted by kewljay223

for sure man. good luck on the swap. dont think it will be a quick swap tho. it will always take longer than you think. and yeah, the foggy things will make sense when you actually come across it durring the change over. any questions just ask. there are a lot of little things learned along the way that i didnt post about that may help you. have fun. and most definately start a thread of your own. i want to see how you do the turrbo setup as thats coming up in the near future for me and i have no idea about FI. lol so ill probably be coming to you with some questions!!

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ok now i just feel like an idiot now that i have two of you telling me i could have done it the other way!!! i dont know where i got my info from but OBVIOUSLY i was wrong.... lol should i leave it now that i got it correct or is there any beneficial reason i need to change it?

I would leave it. If it works, don't mess with it. For what it's worth, my '99 PCM does control my '94 speedo.

Just make sure you have the vss going to the computer so the pcm knows your speed. You can leave your speedo the way you have it.

yes pcm is getting the signal. thanks.

been a while since ive updated. havnt really done anything too it due to work and funds. but im getting a shipment of parts today and will be starting the 80e swap next week. so more updates then

but i have a slight concern that i just noticed today. the other day when i was getting on the on-ramp to the fwy, i punched it pretty hard, reved up to about 6k or so im sure (tach only goes to 5k) and it just cut out. so i let off the gas and punched it again and she woke upand went. havnt had that happen since. but the other day i notced when i turned to motor on, it kinda stumbled and its done that once or twice since. so today, just for the hell of it i checked my fuel pressure gauge, which is at the rail, right when i turned the key. shot up to 60 like it should and shut off after 2 sec like normal AND THEN IT INSTANTLY DROPPED TO 20 PSI!!! and it continues to fall but very slowly.

i remember when i first got her running, the pressure would hold for quite a while. and this is im sure why she hesitates when starting if i wait to crank more than a couple sec. im correct in assuming this is not normal right??? so i tried it a few more times and same thing happend. i listend/smelled for leaks throughout the engine compartment and nothing. i think i may have smelled a SUPER SLIGHT smell of fuel but it could be just from the TB. idk.

i still need to jack the truck up when i get a chance to finish looking at the rest of the lines. but until then, any idea why its not holding pressure? if i cant find anything, do you think its possible its in the tank?? and BTW, while the motor is just idling, the pressure is at about 50psi. i thought it was supposed to be at 60 no matter what.... please help!

I had the rubber hose connected to my fuel pump come loose and I was only getting 20 psi. Suprisingly the truck still ran like that but it would die if I went full throttle.. I had to go back in the tank( I take off front 6 bolts of bed and leave the 2 back bolts by tailgate loose and than I use my hoist to pull bed up like a dump truck to get to pump) and fix hose. That really sucked but I made sure that will never happen again. Your fuel pressure should be 58 psi.

which sending unit do you have?? this is the same pic from post 95 or something.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-54-24_344.jpg

the one on the right is the newer style which i tried but wouldnt fit. so i had to keep the older unit but put the 381 pump on. look at the next pic. closer view and has a short hose. how could that fall off? im not saying your wrong, but i just dont understand what could have happend....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-36-32_327.jpg

as you can see, there are the two white clamps that came with the kit which i sinched down as tight as i could. and yes the short hose also came with the kit so all of that is fuel rated.

if i dont find any signs of leaks, would it be ok to detach the hoses from the sending unit and apply 60psi of compressed air up to the rails and see if it holds? if it does then i would know for sure the problem lies in the tank... :(

Not sure where you could be losing pressure. I'm using the same setup(left) and haven't had any problems. When I stripped the donor, I also took the fuel pump(right) and modified it to fit onto the older assembly. The truck ran but didn't start easily when hot. Took a couple of seconds longer before she would fire. After switching to the older setup with a new pump, the truck fires immediately cold or hot.

I would have to think there must be a check valve in the pump somewhere that holds pressure while the engine is off. I could be wrong.

Mine came loose where the rubber hose is attached to the pipe on your second picture. I had clamps on there good but the rubber hose must have shrunk or the clamp loosened and hose was loose. I replaced my clamps with the fuel injection clamps. The way I new it was in the tank I put a gauge before the fuel filter regulator on line from tank and pressure would only go up to 20 psi so I new it wasn't my fuel filter regulator.

You could also have an injector or two that are leaking. Any crap in the tank or lines could be keeping the injector from closing all the way. Also, what rev limit did you set in the tune?

yeah i finally got around to checking on it a little bit today and was going to ask if it could be a stuck injector or a busted pressure regulator. what leads me to believe that it could be an injector is that it runs a little rough at idle. almost like theres a bit of a lopey cam in there. and im also getting a code for o2 sensor. i thought it was due to my exhaust leak but it might just be all the unburned fuel a leaky injector is dumping on the exhaust stroke. so my next question is this.... since im gonna turbo it, im gonna need new injectors anyway. im thinking i should just go ahead and get some bigger ones and throw them on there. looks like the 76mm is what most guys are running for a stock setup and ill only be going to about 5psi. what would be a good injector size for this? and will in need to upsize the pressure regulator in the rail?

im thinking this might be a good route to go now since im in the middle of doing the 80e swap, i have to get the pcm tuned for the trans, might as well put the new injectors on and have them programmed in at the same time. and that leads me to one last question... bigger injectors just ALLOW more flow when needed correct (for under boost)?? they will still perform "like stock" without boost in which it wont be dumping more gas than usual and cause emissions issues. what im asking is will they pass the emissions test? im pretty sure it will, just want to confirm... thanks!

Make sure you don't run with the new injectors until it is tuned for them. You can wash down your cylinders in a very short time because to much fuel will be dumped until it is tuned. As long as the injectors are programmed correctly it will run like stock. Make sure you get injectors that have all the proper data so they work correctly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gagliano7

Make sure you don't run with the new injectors until it is tuned for them. You can wash down your cylinders in a very short time because to much fuel will be dumped until it is tuned. As long as the injectors are programmed correctly it will run like stock. Make sure you get injectors that have all the proper data so they work correctly.

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yeah i know im not supposed to run them without the pcm knowing. just seeing if they would be ok not on boost and you answered that. thanks! im new to the boost game but im learning... i can see that im going to be addicted once its on tho...

There's a bunch of 4l80 swap parts in the classifieds. Check out the thread (99-06 parts). Figured I'd give you the heads up.

thanks for the heads up. yeah i saw that. i have an obs so theres not much i can use besides the harness, but i can re-pin mine and get the vss conn from the local JY for a lot less than 50 bucks. lol all i really need is flexplate and dipstick tube but i can pick those up anytime locally.

im trying to decide if i should get a stalled TC that will work good now and later with turbo (which i can always upgrade if need be) or just wait until i get the snail and have some dyno numbers... decisions decisions!!

i know this doesnt pertain to the swap but i pulled off my ugly rusty drums and sh**** autozone brakes that are basically new. they squealed like crazy!! and that kinda thing drives me nuts. spent a lot of time removing rust which i absolutely dreaded doing and sprayed them with 3 coats of black caliper paint. its cool to have some shinny 20's but not cool when there is a huge chunk of rusty steel that they are bolted to!!!! i replaced the shoes with raybestos shoes, lubed the contact points with this stuff creates a "membrane" and wouldnt you know, they are quieter than a mouse!!! the expensive shoes and the time to make the drums "hide" was worth every bit. something so simple but im so happy i did it.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-03-06_453.jpg

little update. got some parts in the other day. as i stated, trying to go through with the 80e swap. should be pulling the 60e tomorrow. figured while i was at it might as well add the trans cooler. read great things about the tru cool 40k but as im trying to do this on a budget i couldnt afford it. :( so i got the dimensions of it and matched it with a summit brand cooler for almost half the price. figured this was the next best thing. also got required hoses and fittings to get it hooked up.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-15-52_468.jpg
i wanted to keep an eye on the temp so i got a gauge for it too. then since i need a place to put the new gauge i figued i might as well get the piller pod to hold it. and since im putting a turbo, might as well get one that holds all the gauges i need along with a boost gauge. i havnt got the third gauge yet but i plan on getting an A/F gauge to keep an eye so i dont go lean. so i got 3 pods instead of two. but i couldnt afford the A/R gauge and sensor yet so i will get that later once i get the turbo.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-16-41_677.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-58-40_172.jpg

obviously the boost gauge wont be hooked up. just getting things ready. its funny how one thing leads to another... and boy does it start getting expensive!! lol but hey, power cost money right!!

anyway, that is it for now. tomorrow i will be parking the truck and pulling the tranny. also hope to finish getting the shift kit installed. would like to get the 80e in by the end of the week. durring that time the pcm will be sent out to get reprogrammed for it along with some 50# injectors from a forum member. so hopefully i can have this thing running again in the next few weeks.

im also talking to chris at circle d right now and ill probably be putting in a new TC at the same time. still waiting for a reply from him tho. so thats where im at now. ill keep updating as things progress.

i was able to get the new trans cooler installed the other day. that took a lot longer than i thought but it doesnt leak anywhere which is great! havnt got the temp gauge in yet so i dont know what its running at. im waiting until the 80e is in to hook it up. i made the brackets out of some super light scrap aluminum tubing i had laying around. i wanted to keep as much airflow as possible and they worked out perfect. i also kept it about a half inch away from the ac radiator to help airflow. and the latch doesnt budge an bit. the whole thing is very sturdy. i didnt really want to paint it but i have a phantom grill so it needed to hide away. that grill also gives me tons of clearance in there!!! i could probably fit another one if i wanted to...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-24-27_519.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-25-53_440.jpg

i decided i will be getting the new torque converter now. so i will be purchasing that in the next few days.

i also finished the shift kit install. that actually wasnt that bad. just have to pay close attention to the instructions. i replaced the rear seal on the tailshaft and when i pulled the front off to replace it, i checked the bushing on the pump cover and it was shot. so i had to pull the cover off. i will be stopping by a trans shop tomorrow to get the old one pressed out and get a new one pressed in. and while its off ill be drilling out the oil drain hole to 1/4". then that should be it for the trans.

another update. 50# injectors are on there way. 80e flexplate is on its way. both thanks to a couple forum members. and also got a 2800 stall circle d verter being made at the moment so hopefully they will all be showing up in the next week or so! all i need now is the 2nd vss plug which i plan on getting at the JY AND getting my driveshaft shortened to fit along with a reflash.

i cant wait until the new tranny is in cuz i can tell a HUGE difference in the way the 60e is shifting now compared to when i first got it running.... im not going to lie, ive been giving it hell lately with all the new power and the clutches in the trans are.... well... pretty much gone!! it is slipping like crazy.

more updates soon!

another update. parked the truck the other day. pulled the 60e and the pcm out. pcm is on its way to get a flash for the 80e, 50# injetors and the stall. also recieved the new injectors/adapters and 80e flexplate. those will be installed tomorrow. if i have time im going to drop the tank and see why the line isnt holding pressure. hopefully its just that the short hose moved and ill clamp it down with some better clamps than the plastic ones that came with the kit.

i was also looking around the engine compartment trying figure out how i am going to finally permanantly mount the pcm and fuse block and a few other things. i am going to be installing a dual battery setup so i need to make space for the batt also. so to make life easier on me and just do it right the first time, i ordered a set of 16" efans, smaller overflow tank that i can tuck away, and a CARB legal spectre CAI kit. that way i can see how i will fit everything in there. the CAI will only be used when smog time comes around so i dont really care if it gains me any HP or not. it was cheap and comes with a sticker! thats what matters. lol but i do know taking that clutch fan off will at least help some.

anyway, all these parts will come in this week but ill be installing them next week. ill be taking a few days off to get the install finished. and once all thats done, its time to take it to the ref and get this thing passed so i can start getting a list for the turbo!!!

im super stoked ive come this far in such a short amount of time. if you saw my first post, i was a total newbie and had a lot of goals that i thought would take forever to accomplish. im already about half way there in just 3-4 months. i want to thank everyone here for that. its been a while since i posted any pics but like i said, i havnt done a whole lot to it. but i got boxes of stuff ready to go on!! THANKS!!

hey its been a while. i been kinda busy lately so not too much has happened. but im still wrenching when i can. i go t a few things done but no pics yet. hopefully tomrrow. i got a lot of stuff in the mail recently to hopefully get this thing going again. pcm is back with the new flash for the 80e and bigger injectors. got the CARB legal spectre intake. got the new 2800 TC from circle D was able to get some new zirgo 16" efans and made a shroud for them. got the replacement pump bolt o-rings for the 80e but havnt put them on yet. got the tripple pillar pod painted and ready to mount. made a battery tray for the second battery for a dual setup. made a box that will house the LS fuse block and pcm. there are a few other minor things i got finsihed as well. no pics yet as nothing is permanent untill painted and mounted...

tomorrow i should have a more finished setup so i should have some pics up then. i wish it was moving faster but i know you all know how it is... lol. it takes longer than you think. anyway here is the only pics i got so far.

new TC http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-15-41_874.jpg

efans mounted on my "shroud" http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-36-38_500.jpg

so i got a little done recently. this trans swap is really kicking my ass. i know nothing about them and didnt want to take it apart but i figured id give it a shot. thats how you learn right? well it has fought me the whole way through and at this point, i think from now on i will be taking any trans i have to a shop. its just too much headache for me until i have time to really concentrate on how it completely works. but anyway, i finally have it all buttoned up and ready to install.

the most recent problem i had with is was with the neural switch shaft. the one that it came with was the shorter kind. so i had to swap it out for the longer one. i was able to stop by a local trans shop i trust and got the shaft, new seal, nut, and retaining pin for 10 bucks!! the shaft alone new is 50 bucks!! what a deal. heres the diff.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...812_121244.jpg

one thing the shift kit doesn mention and idk if this just happened to me or what, but the new seperator plate cover the retaining pin hole. this will not allow you to put the pin in after the valve body is on AND the pin sticks up high enough to hit it if your put the pin in prior to installing valve body. i thought i could bend it up out of the way but then this would cause interference with the "piston" (idk what its called) that moves in/out of the VB. so i had to take some tin snips and cut the corner off for clearance.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...812_132137.jpg

heres a shot of the new shaft on allowing use of the neutral switch
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...812_171242.jpg

and heres the new circle D TC installed. this was the last step of the tranny update. im so releived that it is now ready to install! im pretty sure its seated all the way.... first time stabbing a stall.... well see when i try to install it... lol
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...812_171355.jpg

more pics when i can....

Looking good, man. Keep it up. :thumb:

another update. things are finally moving along. i was able to get the tranny installed yesterday after one hell of a long day. chris at circle D did an awesome job on the TC. its built for the 80e with the longer snout and it has the bolt pattern for the 60e so i was able to use the original dished flex plate without spacer. as i stated before i was very confused on the flexplate/spacer setups but now completely understand how it works. mostly thanks to the guy above this post "bstill"

so my problem yesterday which took hours to figure out what that the converter wasnt seated all the way. it was only 1/16" out too far but due to that, the TC was binding on the flexplate when i went to install it. so i had to take it back out and try and reseat it. i took the TC off and on a million times and it just wouldnt go down anymore. i called chris a few times and he was very patient with me and gave me a few things to try and mesure. i confirmed he built it to the specs so something was wrong on my end and one of his suggestions was when he asked if i took the pump out, which i did. and he said sometimes people accidentally put the pump gears in backwards.... i was sure i installed them right but after looking inside, sure enough, thats what i did. so i opened the pump, turned them around and walaa.... the TC fell right into place!! what a rookie mistake!!! after that i had about 3/16" of clearance from the flexplate. so i used the thicker washers chris supplied to make up for the gap which closed it to about 1/16" PERFECT!!!! chris is the man!

after that, slid the crossmember back to the new location and drilled new holes in the frame to mount it. OBS crossmembers are a piece of cake compared to the NBS trucks!! haha.

i got the intake all bolted in place. i got a 6" extension tube and flipped the bent pipe upside down so it routes UNDER the coolan hose instead of above. this will allow me to install the A/C pump up high on the passenger side. I just hope the REFEREE doesnt say anything about modifying the intake system...SSSSHHHH...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...814_140410.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...815_165830.jpg
i got my new small coolant overflow tank mounted on the intake heat shield. again hope the REF doesnt trip on that...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...814_152048.jpg

you can also see the enclosure for the LS fuse block and PCM next to the filter. the fuse block sits underneath.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...814_140505.jpg

today i just finsihed up the rest of the wiring. got the new efans/relays hooked into the pcm, added the second vss connector and swapped the white/brown wires in the round trans connector for the 80e. just about everything under the truck wiring wise is secured and ready to go. looks very factory which im super proud of.

i got the trans cooler lines hooked up along with the T-fitting for the temp sender. took a little bit of tweaking of the lines but because im using the early 80e, the in/out ports are still up front, i didnt have to extend the return. so i was able to keep the flare fittings and not have to cut and use compression fittings. i really didnt want to have to do that due to possible leaks. i forgot to snap a pic of that but ill get one posted next week.

while i was under there, i dropped the tank and checked the small hose on the fuel pump and it looks like it didnt move... so i dont know where the leak is from but i replaced the plastic clamps with some worm clamps. so that along with the new injectors, i hope i dont have the pressure leak anymore. ill find out next week when im ready to fire her up.

so at this point, all i really have left to do is get the driveshaft situation taken care of. ive been researching and i just cnat figure out what i need. i have a local shop i can take it to but idk what to tell them i need done. i know i need a new yoke and joints but im not sure if i need to get it shortened or not. some people say it needs and and some say no because the 80e is only about 1/4' longer than the 60e..... i also have the 2-peice driveshaft so do i just get a bolt on yoke or do i get a slip yoke. aparantly there are like 4-5 different output shafts and idk which one i have... oring, 5"splines, short splines... i dont want to take the shaft housing off as the trans is already installed... ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE I SHOULD GO FROM HERE????

so i was able to look into the rear seal and see that i had the full 5" of splines. so i went down to the local driveline shop and explained what i was doing. i left my driveshaft there and they let me borrow a yolk to make sure it was the correct one. which it worked out great. then i used it to get a measurement for them to shorten my driveshaft. picked up the finished product the next day. all new u joints, carrier bearing, fresh greased expansion joint, new 80e yoke, and shortend/balanced for just under 500 bucks. i figured nows the time to replace all those 20 year old parts. and it fits like a glove. super happy with their work.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_131930.jpg
they also had this laying on the desk. TALK ABOUT A U JOINT!!! i thought it was out of some massive truck but aparantly its from a windmill.... who knew?
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_125954.jpg

so i got the trans swap all done to find out i got a junk trans.... im sick of dealing with this trans swap. its just been hard the whole way. so long story short, truck is a the local race shop getting the trans fully rebuilt. should be back to me by wed/thurs. almost there.

but brendan did get the new new injectors programmed as it seems to be running nice and smooth. and also the new efans kick on low speed right when they should and temp sits right at 190. so at this point swap is done. just waiting to get it back from the shop. super excited.

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Originally Posted by kewljay223

well i got some more done today. was able to get the oil cooler lines ran, fuel lines ran and power steering lines too. after that it was on for the exhaust. im not pro so it took me way longer than at a shop but hey, didnt cost me anything but my time and i like welding so no big deal. was able to get everything up to the 2nd o2 sensor. still need to get the hangers mounted but im done with it for now until i hear what it sounds like as is.

im happy cuz all the major stuff is finally over. now its just a bunch of little things that im going to try and bust my ass on tommorrow cuz id really like to fire her up by the end of the day. wish me luck!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-48-50_356.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-49-39_255.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-04-56_152.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-34-16_785.jpg

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what are the part numbers for the adapters going to the engine oil cooler on theradiator? Thanks

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Originally Posted by chevy_addicted

what are the part numbers for the adapters going to the engine oil cooler on theradiator? Thanks

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oh man, you dont even know how long it took me to figure out what the threads were!!! i searched sooooo much and this question was asked ALL OVER the net but nobody had any answers. i planned on posting it once i figured it out just for that reason but i guess i forgot!!!

anyway the thread pitch is a 20MM x 1.5 thread pitch http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-9919fflerl

there ya go bud. all i used was some teflon and it works great. no leaks. good luck

so i finally got the truck back from the trans shop the other day. IT RUNS AWESOME!!! all that ls power is finally getting to the wheels. the 80e is a beast!! it holds so good in every gear! aparantly i got all the wiring hooked up for it properly since it shifts just like it should so that was a relief! ive done multiple 50' burnouts.... haha so bad ass. they guys at the shop who test drove it were giving the truck all kinds of compliments!

the worm clamps on the rubber hose in the tank is what i think did the trick. fuel pressure is still at 30psi after 3 days of just sitting. so be warned, DO NOT USE THE PLASTIC CLAMPS THAT COME WITH THE PUMP. THEY DO NOT WORK!!

there are ZERO leaks on anything. the only codes i have is the o2 sensor out of range wich i still believe to be caused by the exhaust leak so all i need now is to get the exhaust system fabbed up and i should be ready for referee testing.

i also have something up my sleeve for mounting the AC compressor up high using the stock bracket from the old motor which everyone seems to think is impossible. once i get it all layed out, ill post how i did it. cant believe nobody has come up with my idea yet.

anyway here is a video clip of the truck going from a 20 roll to 80 on a freeway onramp. this thing can move. sorry its taken so long to get a video up. the dual bullet mufflers dumped sounds sooooo good. kind of hard to tell in the video tho.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...30831_3683.jpg

Glad to see you finally got her where you want it to be. Lots of effort and cost but she finally made it. Congrats!!!!!

thanks mikey. u helped out a lot. i sent you a pm with another question. haha. talk to you later

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kewljay223

oh man, you dont even know how long it took me to figure out what the threads were!!! i searched sooooo much and this question was asked ALL OVER the net but nobody had any answers. i planned on posting it once i figured it out just for that reason but i guess i forgot!!!

anyway the thread pitch is a 20MM x 1.5 thread pitch http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-9919fflerl

there ya go bud. all i used was some teflon and it works great. no leaks. good luck

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Thanks man!

ok so like i mentioned before i figured out a way to use the original bracket from the TBI motor to keep my R4 compressor. i didnt want to go searching for the s-10 or spend hundreds of dollars on a kit. although i did just come across a holley kit that looked great and i think it was only 130 bucks or so. but i wanted to see if i could make this work for a few reasons. to save some money, just to see if i could actually do it, and possibly give a simple solution to others on here wanting A/C using the r4 compressor form their old motor. which this doesnt cost a thing with the exception of buying a few bolts and a new longer belt because everything is from one or the other motors. that being said here we go...

first we have to trim some fat off the bracket. first take off the tensioner and idler pullies and set them aside. then cut the lower and side portions of the bracket off and discard. i have a portable band saw which makes this really simple but a hack saw or sawzawl will work too, just takes more time im sure.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_111550.jpg

next you will need to notch the bracket. this will give clearance for the LS tensioner which is what will be used. this is where some of you may need to get creative. i used a hole saw (i think it was 2-1/2"). this was the most difficult part of the modifiction. i wish i could give an exact spot where to start the drill but just make sure outside of the notch ends up close to what you see in the pic. some touch up grinding may be necessary for clearance. i cut all the way to the back wall of the bracket. and no this dis not take away the structural integrity of it. it is still very sturdy.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_112006.jpg

Next you will need to remove the tensioner from the LS motor and take the pully off. this will need a trim also. first is the extra chunk on the front which normally sits behind the grooved pully. but we will be putting on a smooth pully from the old motor which will hit this unless cut off. again, portaband made this easy.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_111936.jpg
you can see where i cut above the pully
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_111844.jpg
see how the front is all flat now?
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_111948.jpg
pulley now has the clearance it needs

next will be to grind the back support down to about this angle. it clears fine with this little bit left. i left it because i wanted to keep as much support at possible
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...821_112141.jpg

thats all the trimming needed, they are ready to go but we need to make a support brace first. it will be going from the pump bracket to the head. at the moment i am only using one brace and it seems to be very strong. but i may end up adding another going rearward if i start to see problems. i have all kinds of scrap metal laying around so i dug through and found a piece of 3/16-1/4" flat stock. i cut it around 6" long, drilled a hole in each end for the bolts and put about a 7/8" offset in it.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...904_165301.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...904_165134.jpg
the third hole in the middle there was already in the steel but it doesnt affect anything.

now your ready to install all your parts. only other things you may need to buy if you dont have a pile of bolts by now is......
1- M10 x 1.5 x 90mm bolt (3 washers are required otherwise bolt will bottom out or you can cut tip off bolt)
1- M10 x 1.5 x 20mm bolt (i had this from some part off the LS)
1- 995k6 serpintine belt

you can now reinstall LS tensioner on water pump. you can leave the pulley off for now. next install 20mm-ish bolt trough brace into far right bolt hole in head and do not tighten yet. next put 90mm bolt (and washers) through bracket and install into top left bolt hole in head as shown. leave it loose also.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...904_190814.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...904_190748.jpg
this is the reason for the big notch. fits nicely around the tensioner housing.

next put pump in bracket and push the three retaining bolts through. slip other end of brace over right hand side retaining bolt and install all three nuts. you may now crank everything down. this is what the brace looks like on the back of bracket.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...904_190858.jpg

now for the pullies. take the smaller idler pulley from the old motor, not the larger tensioner pulley, remove the bolt and spacer from it and set them aside. place the pulley where the grooved LS tensioner pulley went on the water pump. you will see why in a minute. the bearing diameters are the same so it will slip right over the boss and you will re use the LS bolt. but i had to put a washer on the back to space the pulley forward a bit because it was slightly touching. now take the grooved LS pulley, the bolt/spacer that you just set aside, and install it right where the old idler went. basically your just swapping the two pullies. tighten them down.

now your almost there. the last piece of the puzzle which took me two days of trial and error of different pulley configurations, and going in and out of two different autozones countless times trying to find the right size belt... ALL the work has been done for you! install the 995k6 belt with the following routing....
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...906_142905.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...906_142831.jpg

it does get really close to the coolant hose. so a support will need to be made.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...906_142947.jpg

now turn it on and enjoy your A/C!!!

Nice write up 'Jay. You definitely were creative when it came to clearancing the old bracket. Looks great though. I'm sure others will be looking at this closely so they can use the original compressor if their systems were still in working order.

You should make a thread for this so that it can be stickied in the conversion section. Good job. It's nice to see someone think outside the box and save hundreds in the process.

thanks for the compliments guys. i thought about doing it before but wasnt sure if a starting a new thread was neccesary. but if you think it will be stickied, ill go ahead and do it. ill definately make some changes to it also with more detail and clean some confusion up.

so its been a while since i posted. just wanted to update a bit. havnt done much to the truck since getting the a/c working. my main concern after that was getting my exhaust completed and getting the CEL cleared so i can make an appointement with the REFEREE. i have had so many issues with getting the exhaust finsihed it was a nightmare. i wasnt sure what i was exactly allowed to do and so i finally went to the local ref station and walked right up to him and asked what i was supposed to do. he basically said i needed the stock exhaust and if it doesnt fit (like most jeeps dont he said) then im S-O-L. some miracle happened and i was able to find and snatch up the correct cats. i took them to the shop on firday and had the rest of the system finished up. looks really good and fits great, with a little tweaking of course.

that fixed one of my codes for o2 sensor out of range. funny how a super short exhaust can mess with the o2 sensor. but i still had two more.... the dreaded p0171 AND p0174.... i checked every vacuum hose possible and sprayed half a can of carb cleaner trying to find the damn leak(s). only thing i found were two small leaks on the #1 & 2 injectors. they are used #50ers that i installed and i didnt know at the time that the orings were supposed to be replaced when injectors were changed and that your supposed to lube them with a little bit of oil before installing.... well i had to force them in which stressed a few of them and casued the small leak. so i pulled the fuel rails and replaced all the orings and installed them the correct way this time. that fixed those leaks but i was still getting codes...

so i sacked up and bought the REDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED intake manifold gaskets. 80 bucks for the pair.... i figured i might have some leaks under the intake that i couldnt get my cleaner to. so thats what i did today. not hard and i could probably to it in half the time but i went real slow making sure i dont screw something up. well i just got back from a nice little cruise trying to get the readiness codes set and wouldnt you know it says im ready for testing!!!!!

so this week i will be cleaning up some things so it looks good and legit, and i will be making an appointment for this week or next. im super stoked but also nervous. i know everything on the truck works like it should and is what is required. but i just know that he will find some small thing to make me change just to show authority. so im not expecting to pass first time. but i know i can make this happen. i will def keep you all updated on the procedure.

here is what i did today. man it was super dirty under the intake.... cleaned up real nice though.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...103_144642.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...103_145132.jpg
yes i know this isnt the ac-delco one from the dealer with the green gaskets. they are closed on sundays and ive never had a problem with FEL-PRO on any of my other vehicles. they seem to work great so far though!
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...103_145143.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...103_170712.jpg