5.3 swap into '94 Full Size Blazer - aka Big Ugly - build thread

[Skylark]

Degreaser doesn't do squat for our mud either. Try spraying it with armor all wait 5 minutes then spray again. Then hit it with the pressure washer. It works on our mud.

[ibelonginprison]

I'm not worried about the dirt that much, all the layers of mud are long gone, that's just a coating that stained everything and it's not really in the way of anything.

The section I'm trying to get cleaned up is where mud and years of leaking ps fluid are caked on together, then baked to perfection.
I think this is the automotive version of teflon coated cooking pans... nothing seems to phase it. I'm actually impressed.

But, when the motor is out I'll give it another try.

[ibelonginprison]

Ordered a few more parts today for the build.

Dual electric fan setup. $150
http://www.amazon.com/Depo-335-55042...l+Fan+Assembly

I called and added two relays to the wire harness (additional $100)

Fuel filter, since I'd rather have a new one on there. $9
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ignition coil, hoping this works like OEM, to replace the one that we broke getting the motor out. $24
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


So that was another quick $283.

So far here's what I've got:
Motor / trans - $1000
Misc parts - $1262
That brings me up to a total of: $2262

There's still:
$500-600 in AC stuff depending on how much lines are to have made.
$250 for a tune
$200 ish for exhaust work
$150-200 for misc items
Meaning I'll be about another $1100-1200 into the swap (making for about $3500 total, give or take.) I plan to buy these things after I sell the motor, trans, other transfer case, and misc items I pulled from the Suburban that I don't need.

[ibelonginprison]

Harness shipped and will be here Monday.
Dual electric fans showed up yesterday.

Booyah!

Have to swap the drivers side hub assembly on my father in law's F250 Saturday morning, then do some work on my boat to get it ready for lake season... but I hope to have enough time to pull the motor and trans from the truck this weekend as well.

[ibelonginprison]

Worked on the Blazer this past weekend and got some more parts in, just now getting around to posting updates.

OK, so – spent another 5 hours getting the engine, transmission, transfer case etc. yanked and then everything cleaned up for the day. All wire connections on the existing harness marked, fluids drained correctly and WITHOUT MESS (hence why it took 5 hours, because I let everything drain slowly into a pan and would give it 20 minutes to finish.) Cleaned up as I went and in general just took my time. This second half to the process could have easily been done in 3 hours had I put the attention to it, but since getting the motor out was my only goal for the day, there was no need to do that. I just wanted to put a focus on NOT crawling around in fluids and dirt, (like when we pulled the 5.3 from the Burb) and make sure that everything was labeled correctly and went back in place for when I do a test fit of the new motor this upcoming weekend.

I snagged a pressure washer from my father in law - who, by the way, has actually been a tremendous help in keeping me on task (ADHD is a mother f***er sometimes) – and have spent about an hour on the engine bay, and about another hour cleaning up tools and organizing bolts, test fitting the transfer case to the new transmission etc.

So I put about 7 hours on the project this weekend total. No money spent (thank you, sweet 8lb 6oz little baby Jesus) and so far in the project zero specialty tools needed.

I called S&P about the temp sensor adapter and the oil sending unit adapter last week and spoke with Tom. They need specifics as far as which sensor I have – and I haven’t taken the time to pull them out and measure them yet. But the adapters are roughly $20 a piece. These adapters supposedly make it where you just run your existing temp and oil press. sensors and it makes wiring up the gauges a snap. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

OK… not as many pics, because there’s not a lot to document. Everything was pretty straight forward. I will say that it would be easier to drop the transmission support and lower the rear of the trans/transfer case to get to the top bolt on the transfer case… but it’s not bad where it is, just can’t get your eyes on it where it sits.
























Then the next day, pressure washing…






















And at the end of all this noise, I decided to be nice to my neighbors and ziptie the grille back in place so at first glance down my driveway, it doesn’t look quite as much of a disaster as it really is.

[ibelonginprison]

And the “semi dramatic transformation shots”

[Blasphemy]

BADASS! Hey, while you're in there that deep, why not throw a solid axle on the front? lol

[ibelonginprison]

BADASS! Hey, while you're in there that deep, why not throw a solid axle on the front? lol

You have no idea how much I want to do that right now while its torn apart.
I've been hitting Craigslist every couple days for the last 2 months looking for a drivers drop D44. (I already swapped in a 9.5" 14bolt in the rear)

I really don't want to do a d60/10.5 14b swap...
The transition to 8 lugs, new wheels, new tires, you know I'd have to re-gear all of it... too much cheese.

A good friend of mine is in the middle of a ridiculous build on his '14 Rubicon. Should have it done in a couple weeks.
Yanked the rubi axles, doing trussed D60, trussed 10.5 14 bolt, arb's, hubs, knuckles, high steer, 42's... it's a money pit with no bottom in sight. He's probably between 8-10g's into it... and I'm not trying to follow those footsteps! Lol

[Blasphemy]

I can't remember if you mentioned getting a cam or not but you definitely should before you drop that engine in. It's worth it to save up and get the cam you want even if it's a used cam out an LS6.

[ibelonginprison]

Ha, well... this is the cam I want.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cc...make/chevrolet
With ls6 springs and trick flow pushrods.

We'll see what the budget allows. :/