95 Tbi to 98 454 vortec motor

[Beefy k1500]

I’m planning on putting a 98 k3500 454 in my k1500 95 350 truck. I’m aware that I will need to find a harness and grab the motor mounts out of the crewcab. I’m putting a Cummins in my 1998 crew cab with an NV4500 so I figured why not throw the perfectly good bb into my old blown out tbi truck. Has anyone done this swap and will know what I need or may run into during the process?

 

[Beefy k1500]

Come on people. Someone out there has to have done this.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Are you going to swap in the 4l80? Or what does the 1500 have for a transmission? Might also need to swap in the radiator from a 454 truck, pretty sure they were bigger. Not sure how well the 10 bolt will stand up to more torque? You'll probably have to replace the exhaust too.

Should be a fun project.

I haven't done this swap, just throwing stuff out there.

 

[Beefy k1500]

Yeah I’m going to throw in the 4l80e with the 454. I’m assuming the transmission crossmember will move back a bit. Then I’ll use the exhaust from the crew cab into my single cab 1500 and just cut it down and stuff. The 10 bolt is a 4.56 and we will see how long it lasts. I’m just most curious to the electronics of it all if I just grab a harness and comp from any old vortec 454 if it’s plug and play or what.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Yeah as long as you keep all the sensors with the 454 and swap in the whole harness, it should be plug and play really. Like i said, cooling may be an issue if you don't swap radiators (or it might be big enough too, I'm just guessing). Then yeah the crossmember will probably move, and you'll probably need different driveshafts? There could be little stuff you'll run in to.

Do the fuel lines come into the engine bay in the same location? You'll need a higher pressure fuel pump, and a regulator to get 58-62 psi. If you have to buy that stuff, you could maybe just go aftermarket?

 

[454Suburban]

I swapped a Mark IV BB into my 91 suburban that had a 350. fairly straight forward. it had a 4l80, so crossmember was fine. Headers are a PITA, finally got a set of tri-Y's to fit. I went to a dynamic EFI for tuning and a stand alone trans controller. I also made flex stainless fuel lines going to a AFPR mounted on the firewall.

 

[Beefy k1500]

I should be able to just grab the fuel system from the 454 truck and switch it correct...? The crossmember shouldn’t be bad and I should be able to bolt my transfer case to the 80e and 454. I may have to deal with driveshafts we will see. I like the flex stainless fuel line idea. That’s badass. Likely what I’ll end up doing with both of my truck builds. Looks very clean and tidy.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Yeah pulling the 454 system should work just fine. I think the fittings are -6 AN for the stock fuel pressure regulator, but I can't guarantee that.

You mean bolt the stock transfer case to the 4l80?

 

[Beefy k1500]

Yep. I mean bolt the transfer case in the 95 onto the donor 454 and 80e. Spline should be the same. I just wasn’t sure on the harness wiring

 

[Christian Steffen]

I would check the transfer case for comparability, I'm not really sure what they ran in the 95 half tons for tcases. It sounds like you're pulling the entire driveline from the 98, so why not just use that tcase?

Wiring for most of the stuff shouldn't be too hard.

When are you doing this? Pics would be fun.