66 GMC Long to Short LS Swap

[Duncan K]

I've been plugging away on the frame lately. Really pushing to get all the new cross members done and everything welded up so I can get this thing blasted and lay down some paint. I am really tired of rust, just can't wait to have at least one piece of this truck cleaned up and looking like new! Its been a bit like Christmas for me with boxes of shiny parts showing up at my door. Headers came in as well as my Grand Slam kit from CPP. Got my power steering kit from POL as well.

Finished up the notches for both sides and got them welded in. I'll probably box in the insides for good measure.



Ground the welds flat on the inside of the frame rails where I shortened the frame. Made up some fish plates and welded them in.



Fabbed up a new cross member to replace the twisted and bent one up front. Decided to get a little Tig practice in. Slowly getting better at it.



Mounted up the new PS box and plates and welded them in along with the finished cross member up front.



Just one cross member left to build and that is for the transmission. Got to work setting the motor and trans in. Had to move the stock V8 perches up to the front mounting holes. Bolted up the Speed Engineering LS swap motor mounts and put the old rubber mounts in the rear hole locations to set the motor as far forward as possible and dropped the motor in. As it sits right now the oil pan is sitting on the the front clip and the rubber mounts aren't quite fully seated on the perches so it looks like I will have to shim the perches up a little. I took a quick measurement and the motor is going to be really close to the fire wall, I'll have to throw the cab on to see just how close.
Headers are from Speed Engineering as well. They bolted in and fit like a glove inside the frame rails. I'll have to trim one little piece on the bell housing on the passenger side to make them work.





I am hoping to get the position of the motor finalized tomorrow and start building the trans cross member. Gotta do some homework on setting the driveline angle. Plan is to use a magnetic angle gauge on the end output shaft of the trans. From the reading I've done I need to match the angle of the output on the diff. Should I zero the gauge out on the frame rail before measuring the angle of the diff?

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by Duncan K

I am hoping to get the position of the motor finalized tomorrow and start building the trans cross member. Gotta do some homework on setting the driveline angle. Plan is to use a magnetic angle gauge on the end output shaft of the trans. From the reading I've done I need to match the angle of the output on the diff. Should I zero the gauge out on the frame rail before measuring the angle of the diff?

I set the frame at 0 degrees, put the motor and trans around 3 degrees down using the trans crossmember, and then set the rear end to 3 degrees up.

Its not very hard once you are there doing it.

[1enick72]

Nice work, following.

[Duncan K]

Well I got the motor and trans in their final position. Had the motor in and out several times to change the position of the mounts and the perches to get everything to clear. Haven't had a chance to put the cab back on to check firewall clearance. Judging by the measurements I took its gonna be close.

Got to work building the trans mount. I quiet often draw everything out on my welding table and use that to lay out the parts.



Tig welded the parts up



Centred and squared it up, then drilled it for a couple 1/2" bolts



Right now the transmission is set at 5 degrees but will be easy to shim if needed. I jacked the frame up level and checked the angle of the differential. It is sitting at 10 degrees up. I'm hoping that will decrease a bit when I put the lowering springs in. Then I guess I'll have to shim it the rest of the way to match the transmission.

I'll be getting to work stripping the suspension off and get everything sandblasted. Getting closer to paint and shiny new parts!!!