My LS3/6L80e Engine Swap…..no haters please.🙏

[Oldtimer]

She also has not figured out that I bought a Miller MIG welder.

For you thats a medical expense, not Bronco expense

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Order placed for the Atlas. Good news is that their leadtimes are back in good shape. Delivery is early March.

Bad new is that they don't think the cable shifter will fit. They believe that there is too much interference and that the cables won't work. ???

 

[Yeller]

Wonder what they are doing then…. The normal shifter takes up a lot of space in the same real estate.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Making progress by spending money.

I'm working with Dan at Car Parts for a custom floor console that will tie into my Tuffy center console. Thanks to ba123 for getting me hooked up with Dan. This will include a Lokar SS shifter for the 6L80 and a JB Fab cable twin shifter for the Atlas. Jon at JB said his cable shifter works fine.

Dakota Digital RTX gauge & Vintage Air from Wheels of Time.

Wild Horses M1A1 23 gal EFI fuel tank.

Sanderson LS10 1-5/8" shorty swap headers

I need to get a Aluminum Radiator with spa fan. Any suggestions on who has a good one that fits?

 

[Yeller]

For a radiator you have some options. This Wild Horses Radiator with this fan will work. This is the radiator that we used on my last swap, griffin universal , it has the outlets in the correct location and correct diamter. Either radiator will work, plumbing on one is easier, and mounting on one is easier, its your choice. In my opinion the Griffin unit is cleaner looking final install, but the OEM unit is easier to install, bolts right in.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

I called earlier today and talked with Griffin's tech support. They suggested that their existing Ford Bronco could be modified (hose connections) to fit the LS size. That would maintain the Bronco hose connections with driver on top and passenger on bottom. LS normally has them both on passenger side. Their concern with traditional LS setup was the Trans cooler and steam connections being on the drivers side, while the Ford style has it on the passenger side. They stated that created routing issues.

I prefer the universal Griffin for the LS. What am I missing about the trans cooler and steam connection issues?

 

[Yeller]

The trans cooler, no idea, I never order them with one and use a large external cooler. The steam port I have no idea what they are talking about. At any rpm over idle it should be under positive pressure from the pump. I’ve mounted them several inches below the exit point from the head without any issue. If not planning on snow wheeling or driving when it’s well below freezing I would even bypass the throttle body. The throttle body is heated with coolant from the factory. Mine is bypassed and I’ve not had any icing issues, yet anyway, and I’ve run it several hundred miles down the highway when it was 20*f. I don’t think it matters where the steam line is connected as long as it is connected to the radiator or radiator piping. In theory higher than its highest point in the system for the steam line but I’ve seen no issues from not doing that.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

I’m hearing differing results with the LS3 stock oil pan. I guess it’s totally dependent on what the LS came out of.

Any thoughts? Mine is coming out of a Pontiac G8, but it was also a modified LS.

 

[Yeller]

It completely depends on your mods, lift is a big factor. The one I did that was fairly stock, stock front D44 and 1.5” of lift, I had to go to a steel pan and cut the bulge and corner of the pan off to clear the front diff. Also had to relocate the drain plug. This is The pan that I’ve been using, they have added the rear drain plug since this pic was taken but I think it’s still in the way. Unfortunately I do not have a pic of the modded pan but you can also see the interfience issue with a stock truck pan. Which may or may not apply to a G8 pan, I have no experience with that.

That steel pan is what I use on most all of my builds, I’ve impacted too many cast pans and cracked them, it has never been with the ground, rock hung in a skid plate, log flipping up and wedging where it can’t get to. Take a bad hit after a jump and get suspension impacts where suspension stuff can’t get to but it did. The steel bends and survives the cast cracks and best case leaks, worst case fails and drains all the oil like a bottomless bucket.

 

[Speedrdr]

For you thats a medical expense, not Bronco expense

I’m thinking I need to bounce more potential purchases off the brain trust that’s here on the Forum! It’s obvious to me now that I’m such a novice at the “necessary purchases” rationale.

Randy

 

[chrlsful]

“...Swap…..no haters please."
Upon seein that I almost said “ ’N so Y post it here? ” aahahahaa
Rarley I’ll swap components (a 9 inch ina Dodge, etc). Well, heck
I put a 12v ina cheb but tried everything else to improve it’s haulin.
OK, I’ll let ya (ey, who I think I yam? not my jeep!)... lotsa others
I’d rather tho (4.9 is 1st off backa my head)~

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

I made some progress yesterday as I started my initial teardown. My instincts are to remove everything that is coming out and being replaced, now. My engineering brain says do it a step at a time. The benefit of doing all I can first is then I can spend more time cleaning and prepping the entire bronco. The engine pull is scheduled for Friday 2/2. I will be doing all of this in my garage with help from friends and this great Bronco forum.

Yesterday I got my center console mocked up to mate up with my Tuffy center console. Dan Carr at CarParts is custom building my “floor” console which will house my Lokar SS shifter and JB Fab Twin Shifts, both cable drive. I also pulled out my gauge cluster and put it up for sale.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Making progress. Lots of parts have shown up this week. The FedEx & UPS guys like my project!

The tear down has begun. I’ve got one week until we pull the motor & trany.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Yesterday was engine pull-out day, and it went great. The biggest challenge was getting the engine motor mount to come loose from the frame. The best part of the day was finding a buyer form my engine and transmission. I gave the guy a really good deal, selling it for $1500. It was gone by the end of the day. We started around 10, and finished around 3:30. We had 4 guys in total working together.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Back on my motor mount journey. Yeller, I'm not following your comment about cutting a v notch in the frame. Now that I've got the engine out, maybe I will be able to visualize what you're suggesting. I know you don't have any pics. How about a sketch?

 

[Yeller]

Back on my motor mount journey. Yeller, I'm not following your comment about cutting a v notch in the frame. Now that I've got the engine out, maybe I will be able to visualize what you're suggesting. I know you don't have any pics. How about a sketch?

Post a couple of pics of your engine bay, and a close up of one of the frame horns for the motor mount and I’ll sketch up what I’m talking about on them.

 

[WPS 73 Bronco]

Hope these work.

 

[Yeller]

perfect, let me get a chance to sit down and work them over, may be tomorrow but I will do it.

 

[TX SS]

Here are pictures of driver's side motor mount on mine from top (pic 1) and front (pic 2). Yeller can describe further.

 

[nvrstuk]

I called earlier today and talked with Griffin's tech support. They suggested that their existing Ford Bronco could be modified (hose connections) to fit the LS size. That would maintain the Bronco hose connections with driver on top and passenger on bottom. LS normally has them both on passenger side. Their concern with traditional LS setup was the Trans cooler and steam connections being on the drivers side, while the Ford style has it on the passenger side. They stated that created routing issues.

I prefer the universal Griffin for the LS. What am I missing about the trans cooler and steam connection issues?

Without going back and re-reading what trans you are putting in (I never saw you post it but I think Steve recognized it as a 6l80) AND so if anyone is installing a 6r or GM's variant (does a 6l80 use 3/8" or 1/2" coolant lines) it's vitally important to use 1/2" (8AN) size coolant lines if that's OE and not choke them down to go in the radiator which Griffin does. I have talked to them several times about going with 1/2" coolant lines inside their radiatora tanks for newer trannys but they won't do it. Oh well..

All that said, in a Bronco the Griffin needs as little bracketry as possible to keep it from leaking in a Bronco. Like Steve has shown on his cool truck build, I built a single mount at the top- it's in the middle so when your frame racks a little it doesn't "rack" the alum radiator also. I have gone thru 2 of them where they can't be fixed unless the entire tank is taken off- not cost effective for sure.

Just a heads up, you need the coolant flow capacity with the newer tranny's. Would OE spend the money on 1/2" lines and cooling capacity inside the rad if it wasn't needed? Not at all.