[jherrington]

Are you guys ready for this?!? Okay guys. I've seen a good amount of these build threads over the web, JF, WF, unlimited. Some more detailed than others. I have a hard time going through some of the less detailed threads as they don't provide nearly as much info for the swap as others. My plan is to make the most detailed 5.3 swap thread ever. I want someone to look at this thread and when they're done reading, they feel confident about doing the swap. Drove a 6 hour round trip to pick up the engine it was out of the sellers friends silverado that he rolled. 120,000 miles. Inside the valve covers looked pretty spotless. Crank turned, so I picked it up. Wiring harness, all accessories except alt, computer, exhaust manifolds from 97 camaro= $600

I plan on gathering all the needed parts first, then taking ~a week to swap everything out.

 

[Naat89]

I was born ready

 

[jherrington]

the engine.

took off the wiring harness.

 

[George C]

looks like a 99-01 motor by the EGR detail

look for LS3/L99 5th gen Camaro manifolds they fit the best and price cant be beat

you've had enough contact with me to know what parts to pick up

FYI im going on 1000 miles so far on my jeep and no issues has popped up, the ax5 hasn't been acting funny or anything

 

[jherrington]

its SUPPOSED to be a 2002... pistons look oily. when i get it on a stand or something il take compression tests and make sure I'm not putting in a dying engine. Then again the engine has been in storage for a while with AFT in the cylinders to keep it from seizing, so that may be what im seeing on the pistons.

Today i took off the intake and cleaned it. There is SO MUCH CRUSTY CARBON SHIT EVERYWHERE. its all throughout the intake even into the heads.

 

[NYJeep22]

Curious to how this is going to turn out. I've been thinking about doing this to my jeep.

 

[jherrington]

Its going to take a while, and this may turn from a budget build, to a healthy build for the sake of reliability. I don't want to just throw used junk yard parts into it, and have it constantly break down on me because I skimped on money.

 

[jherrington]

This is the valve cover, to remove it take off the coil packs and then remove the four bolts.


TA DA! inside the valve cover looks great. no sludge or crap.

This is the shit in the intake that i dont know what it is. crusted oil?



I'm pretty sure this came out of a 4wd truck. Why? the engine has some mud on it.

 

[George C]

The stock pcv system sucks in so much oil

02 motors don't have egr that one does
Also in 02 they started using mls head gaskets and earlier ones used graphite

You can use kerosene to clean pistons and inside if motor if you disassemble it

 

[jherrington]

Would center dump manifolds work? like these...

LS3 Exhaust Manifold Pair | eBay

 

[George C]

no, you need the LS3 5th gen Camaro ones

 

[jherrington]

or would these work better?

GM LS3 10 11 12 13 Camaro SS Exhaust Manifolds New Take Off | eBay

 

[George C]

those are them

 

[jherrington]

Great!

 

[jherrington]

okay. with the use of the ls3 manifolds, the EGR will be deleted.. This leaves a hole in the intake. what do i do about that?

 

[George C]

if using that intake you can get a soft plug and rtv to plug it. or you can use a bolt in rubber plug or you can buy the factory piece or you can make a piece of metal and rtv and bolt it in place or like I did find a non EGR intake

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxtklein42]

Sub'd I just purchased my LM7 5.3 to swap my JK. I challenge you to the most detailed thread Though mine prolly wont be done till spring it will all be there before long. Good luck man!

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/diy-ls-swapped-jk-310145.html

 

[jherrington]

It's a week to week thing whenever I get funds.

After looking at the two different adapters from Novak for the ax-15 to the 5.3 (gm bellhousing to ax15 and ax15 bellhousing to 5.3 adapter) I've pretty much decided to go with the 4l60e. Both adapters are ~$350 plus I would need their 5.3 flywheel $350, with GM clutch kit $150. So $850 that rout. OR I could mount a GM bellhousing to the ax15.. $100 for used bellhousing, $350 for flywheel, $300 for adapter, $200 for clutch engagement kit from Novak, then clutch kit for $150. ~1000 that rout.

If I went that way, I'd be spending $850-$1000 to mount my ax15 with 350,000 mile on it to the 5.3. Something about that just doesn't seem cost effective.

Throw in a new ax15 from Novak for 1500 and I'm looking at close to $2500 for a new trans.

OR I could spend $1000 on a new/rebuilt 4l60e and shell out the horrid price of $600 for the TC adapter to adapt to the np231. So, $1000 for used, $2500 for new, or $1600 for new...

All in all, it's still a lot of money, no doubt. Someone, try to convince me that I'm right/wrong in my thinking.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxtklein42]

Forget the adapter and just go with the stock tranny. Less headache and it will stand up to the power much better.

 

[jherrington]

Forget the adapter and just go with the stock tranny. Less headache and it will stand up to the power much better.

Exactly what is going through my mind. The only really good thing I can think of about driving a stick is that they last as long as you want them to,(not shifting fast like a race car, letting the synchros do their job. ) and the coolness factor of driving a stick.

Autos have always scared me because of the reliability factor. My ram 1500's transmission started to slip and lurch into over drive at only 120,000 miles.