Newbie With 5.3L Project

[mdmead]

Greetings!

Lots of people have installed 350 V-8s into Astro and Safari vans, but that seemed too easy. No, I had to go and buy a 5.3L instead for my project.

The good news is that I got everything with it including the wiring harness, computer, engine accessories and even the electronic throttle assembly.

Anyway, the project is underway and I've got my subframe removed and will be pulling the V-6 and trial fitting the V-8 soon. I'm not concerned about actually making the engine fit, but I'm nervous about the wiring aspect of the project. And that is where you folks come in! It looks like there are some pretty knowledgeable people here and I'm hoping to gain some wisdom when the time comes.


P.S. I don't suppose anybody on here has done this exact swap already have they?.....

[stec3ve]

Not that i know of but welcome and good luck. im sure the guys here can help with some of that electrical. So is this van gonna get lowered,paint, wheels, and a sound system??? Or just something thats gonna be out of the ordinary?

[mdmead]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(stec3ve &#064; May 16 2006, 02&#58;48 PM) [snapback]53280[/snapback]</div>

So is this van gonna get lowered,paint, wheels, and a sound system??? Or just something thats gonna be out of the ordinary?
[/b]

Funny you should ask....

Actually, it is going the other way. One reason the subframe is out is to fab spacers to achieve 5" of lift to make room for a set of Pro-Comp 31x10.50x15 Mud Terrains. A 2-spd transfer case swap will likely come later.

I&#39;m not trying to build a rock crawler or anything, but want something more capable in the snow and able to handle some light trail duty. (It is surprising how far a stock AWD van can go. The problem is the LOW ground clearance that allows the oil pan and fuel tank to scrape first.)

I&#39;m not forging any new ground regarding the lift or 2-spd transfer case swap. Several have already done this stuff and I&#39;m just going to pick and choose from the best methods to build what I want.

[kwkenuf]

Welcome&#33;
Once you get specific questions regarding the wiring aspects of your swap, just ask away in the LS1 conversions section of the forum. You&#39;ll receive plenty of help. To help make your swap go easier, get schematics for both your 5.3 donor vehicle and your swap project vehicle. (Astro) The wiring isn&#39;t as bad as you might of heard and depending on your conversion harness choice (Allen, Speartech, Painless, or convert it yourself) it can be as simple as a 4 or 5 wire connect.

[docone882000]

Welcome aboard man.

[RedHeartbeat]

Welcome&#33; Good luck with the project. There&#39;s nothing simpler than a 4 or 5 wire harness.

[stec3ve]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MDMead &#064; May 16 2006, 05&#58;16 PM) [snapback]53290[/snapback]</div>

Funny you should ask....

Actually, it is going the other way. One reason the subframe is out is to fab spacers to achieve 5" of lift to make room for a set of Pro-Comp 31x10.50x15 Mud Terrains. A 2-spd transfer case swap will likely come later.

I&#39;m not trying to build a rock crawler or anything, but want something more capable in the snow and able to handle some light trail duty. (It is surprising how far a stock AWD van can go. The problem is the LOW ground clearance that allows the oil pan and fuel tank to scrape first.)

I&#39;m not forging any new ground regarding the lift or 2-spd transfer case swap. Several have already done this stuff and I&#39;m just going to pick and choose from the best methods to build what I want.
[/b]

Oh i see&#33;&#33;&#33; LOL going up with it not down. thats cool man, get some pics together to so we can see progress&#33;

[TxStVanWilder]

nice i saw a similar van on PINKS i think it was... but it was lowered and ran off a bottle..... good luck and welcome

[mdmead]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TxStVanWilder &#064; May 17 2006, 06&#58;21 PM) [snapback]53418[/snapback]</div>

nice i saw a similar van on PINKS i think it was... but it was lowered and ran off a bottle..... good luck and welcome
[/b]

Yeah....... that van is a bit more potent than what I&#39;ll have. I&#39;m not a regular watcher of Pinks, but I caught that episode. It was a very impressive van&#33; Even though the van lost, it made an impressive showing. (If you are interested in excess, a guy on www.astrosafari.com has a daily-driver 502 powered Safari van. Not a racer, and actually has lift, big tires and a 2-spd transfer case.)

As for pics, I&#39;ll be sure to include some as soon as I get a chance to trial fit the 5.3L.

Thanks for all the "welcomes&#33;".

[ducky]

howdy