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It can be done. Just have a helper when pulling it out. Remove hood, pull engine and trans together. Try to get an old slip yolk end and put behind trans, once you angle it to take it out, trans fluid everywhere, ask me how I know ! Pretty straight forward removal. With the V6 like I had, have to go a step further and remove motor mount V6 brackets, V8s don't have it. Once engine removed, have some one hold a wrench on top of frame and you can go under the frame and have Access in between control arm and frame to remove V6 brackets. No need to remove lower control arms to gain access. Then put regular V8 mounts and ur ready to drop in the 5.3 and 4L60 with the dingo mounts.
I can not compare it to the old 4.3. I bought the truck with a bad motor and I never drove it. Mine is stock aside from the PCM tune, no cats, 3" exhaust, cone air filter and Volvo electric fan (moves alot of air). I still got the stock rear end. I don't race or take it to the track. It a good reliable platform that you can mod in the future. I had mine on the stand too. A few good things to replace since it's on the stand, the knock sensors that are under the intake manifold are simple to change, rear main seal if its leaking, and the "O" ring from the oil pick up tube. That last one is a pain to do if the motor is in the truck, while on the stand, a lot easier. Also the 5.3 responds very well with a cam swap, in which I regret not doing. I say say do it ! Like an extra 30 hp or so by simply adding a used corvette cam, but also have to change springs. I know of the guy from "Agearhead4life" YouTube video
Truck pan will have to be the way to go. Maybe have a custom piece of metal welded in front of it on the cross member so that it protects the truck pan. Easier to change to F body pan or ctsv or whatever else may fit your application now, since motor is not in truck. U will need to also change the oil pick up tube. Keep it simple, use the truck oil pan but becareful driving it. Also, maybe get some thicker sidewall tires to help raise the truck a bit. I got a 2/4 drop on 245 45 20 in front, no issues.
@Dgonz
Dude it's been a while. I got my information from ls1truck.com. I printed out a bunch of pages and stuck them in a binder and I went by that. I believe it was the white wire from distributor which I used for ignition, hooked up the custom trimmed LS harness that I did to the c1500 fuel pump with one wire to that, one wire to ignition, one to ground and that was it. Triple check all of ur ground wires when u first turn in the LS motor, that's where I had issues. Also if ur LS engine has been sitting for a while with open fuel lines u may get junk in them and have to either clean them out or get new ones from u pull it like did. My truck sounded like I had a cam in it and ran like crap cause of the clogged injectors. Lmkpulled the motor and trans today. Took about 4 hours with a buddy. Anyways, ill try to get the motor mounts and most of the harness done tomorrow. What wires will i need to keep from the original harness? Also, my neighbors are starting to look at me crazy..You must be registered for see images attach
Btw, if it's was a V6 4.3, u have to remove the V6 brackets and then put C1500 V8 mounts and then bolt on the dirty dingo mounts to the LS engine.pulled the motor and trans today. Took about 4 hours with a buddy. Anyways, ill try to get the motor mounts and most of the harness done tomorrow. What wires will i need to keep from the original harness? Also, my neighbors are starting to look at me crazy..You must be registered for see images attach
Here's a link when I was doing my swap,maybe you can search thru that website and find more of my posts too. Hope it helps...pulled the motor and trans today. Took about 4 hours with a buddy. Anyways, ill try to get the motor mounts and most of the harness done tomorrow. What wires will i need to keep from the original harness? Also, my neighbors are starting to look at me crazy..You must be registered for see images attach
