Longbed 6.0 build

[tony2tall]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind should I run into problems.

[tony2tall]

Update time.

Well since the column shift wasn't going to work, I went with a Lokar trans mount shifter. 16" midnight series. While it does fit with a low hump trans tunnel, life would have been a lot easier with the floor mount version. Overall very happy with the design of it, but directions weren't all that great. No big deal though.

[tony2tall]

Another shot

[tony2tall]

Also got the headers in place.
Doug Thorley 323y 1-7/8
Did have to grind clearance even though they were bought as part of the CPP kit that included the motor mounts, adapters, trans crossmember, and headers. I think the issue was that I selected their plates that are supposed to move the engine more forward to allow for a low mount a/c compressor. I ended up moving them as far rearward as possible but still had to grind clearance on the engine stands. If everything was moved back an inch or so, I do not believe I would of had to do any grinding.

[tony2tall]

Having to notch the engine stand on the passenger side did not make me too happy.

[tony2tall]

Then just a little bit on the drivers side.

[tony2tall]

So, engine and trans all mounted up and most of the wiring harness done.
Now onto the fuel which has me scratching my head a little.
So I got the 1970 Chevelle EFI tank for under the bed and it came with this fitting. The right side is the 5/16 return and the left is the 3/8 supply. Why would they include a hose barb fitting on an EFI pump?

[tony2tall]

Remove the hose barb fitting and looks like an AN-6

[tony2tall]

Went back to stock plug wires. They clear just fine with these headers. I had bought the wrong ones and they were too short. I probably should have just test fit the stock ones before ordering the MSD wires. Oh well.

[tony2tall]

The trick of removing the plug from the old PS pump and installing it on the new one to be able to use the original connections worked great.

[tony2tall]

Temporarily wired up the ECU and communicated with my Interceptor scan gauge. All seems well, temp sensors gave ambient temp readings, throttle position worked with pedal, etc.

Sending my ECU and TCM to BlackBear Performance tomorrow. They will do the traditional mail order tune and then once I'm up and running they will give a discount to do the Scan Cable tune.

I've read a lot of good thing about them on other forums. I know it's not as good as a local dyno tune, but It will be more than half the price of what I was quoted by West Bend Dyno.

Lifting bed with a couple straps and a cherry picker worked well. Had to use a cinder block to level it out and pick up nice and even.

[tony2tall]

Wanted to double check the gear ratio for the tune. Happy to find 3.73

[tony2tall]

Well, I've been trying out a few different ways of connecting the supply line from the Chevelle tank. I'm not too keen on the barb fitting included with the tank. Tried a 3/8 NPT to AN adapter, but it bottoms out on the other fitting before making a good connection.
So now it's onto this fitting. AN-6 to 3/8 tube adapter. Uses a compression fitting.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-2200075b
Also ordered the Pypes exhaust system w/o mufflers.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pye-sgt79

Will be ordering Magnaflows once I have the exhaust layout setup.

[tony2tall]

Started up first try!
Please excuse the mad scientist laugh. Might of had a few that night.

https://youtu.be/ys30EuOhmtI

[tony2tall]

Back on the road!
Here's the engine bay as it stands right now. I want to figure out something to cover the radiator to protect the upper radiator hose from the edges.
Jegs has this. Might give that a try.

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performan...oductId=814385

Had the ECU tuned at Blackbear performance. I haven't seen a lot of them on this site, but they are highly recommended on other performance truck websites.
Now, I don't have a before experience of the engine but it is very responsive and downshifts with little throttle and gets up and GOs!

I am so happy with the power this 6.0 has! Crusing along at 70 on the freeway, roll into throttle halfway and before I knew it going 98!


I'll catch up here in a little bit of things I did along the way.

[tony2tall]

This is the only picture of the gas tank I took.
1970 Chevelle EFI tank. Spectre Premium brand, painted it black.

I cut off the filler neck part way up the bend and got a filler neck from Tanks Inc that had a 30 degree bend and it worked out really nice.

This picture is not the final position of the tank either. It actually ended up a bit closer to the front.

If anyone goes this route a tip I have for you is, be vary careful with the filler neck. It is kind of flimsy. It developed a crack in the neck weld. Had one of the guys at work fix it up for me.

You can see that the frame is partially coated with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. Did every bit of the frame that was exposed with the bed and front clip off. The cab did not come off, so I did not get every inch of the frame coated.

[tony2tall]

Here's the filler behind a flip down license plate.

[tony2tall]

And then here's the tank from a side view. This is all you can see from a normal viewing angle. I was a little worried because I couldn't really find a good picture from anyone else who had done this tank before me. It's no Boyd's tank, but I'm happy with how it looks.

[tony2tall]

No pictures of the exhaust, but I bought the Pypes system w/o mufflers. It fits OK. Now that I know how its routed compared to the Magnaflow kit, I wish I would have spent the extra money for that kit. But I did use Magnoflow XL mufflers. Sound great. Doesn't drone bad, sounds mellow at idle, but screams when you get on it.

While driving around the other day, was monitoring the trans temp and it was getting up to 220. Too hot for my taste. I'm going to be adding an aux cooler very soon. I am currently running it through the cooler in the radiator. I used Derale transmission line compression fitting to adapt the existing lines.

[tony2tall]

Here's what I'm using for gauges for now. Reads coolant temp, trans temp, RPMs, MPH, Intake air temp, etc from the OBD2
I robbed it out of my 2004 Colorado, so it's about 10 years old so it doesn't have as many bells and whistles as the new one, but it does the job for now.

And then a separate fuel gauge on the other side of the gauge cluster.

Was hard to get a decent picture.

It's an Aeroforce Interceptor

[tony2tall]

I originally tried to have the air intake on the drivers side and keep the battery location, but it just seemed to fit and route like crap.
$40 bucks for this battery tray. Pretty nicely made. Mounted to the core support on one side and made a bracket for the other side with a piece of flat stock bent into an "L".
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/afc-50303/overview/

Keeps the intake nice and simple.

Parts from Intakehoses.com
90 degree short elbow off the throttle body.
12" tube
one sleeve
some t-bolt hose clamps
Then 2 Spectre MAF sensor adapters and a K&N filter.
Nice and simple.

Not the "coldest" cold air intake, but I think it will do fine.