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Project Pissed Wife Phase II 5.3L Vortec and 4L60e install!

212K views 1K replies 66 participants last post by  august4936 
#1 ·
This is the second phase of my original build ( in my sig) that I finished in 2010. Everything has been great with the rig except for one thing. The power level of the 4.0 has always left me wanting more. Which brings us up to today.

So I stoped by the junkyard to talk with a buddy of mine that runs the sales department. He made me bring this home:


and this:

and these:


It is a 2001 5.3L with a 4L60e and some Tj front drive shafts to elimanate the front disco crap.

I spent a few hours tearing a bunch of crap off the engine along witht the wiring harness and ECU.



The wiring harness is getting sent of tomorrow to get torn apart and a bunch of unneeded emissions sensors deleted. The ECU will also get programed.

Today I ordered an Advance Adapters kit to adapt the 231J to the 4l60e and to add a VSS sensor between the tranny and transfer case.

More to come In the next few weeks. I plan to cover everything with the install.
 
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#194 ·
8pitcher said:
How many exhausts you buyin? Haha lookin good though.
Just 1. The part I just bought was the down pipes that connect the 2 manifolds and the go back to the muffler. I had previously bought the tail pipe.
 
#195 ·
Why J? said:
Just 1. The part I just bought was the down pipes that connect the 2 manifolds and the go back to the muffler. I had previously bought the tail pipe.
Oh ok and 2 manifolds just seemed like a lot more.
 
#196 ·
Got a few hours in today between the baby napping. I was able to finish getting all the wiring harness plugged in, got the grill, rad and trans lines finalized.

There is plenty of room for the mechanical fan.


Trans lines.


I just stuck a length of trans cooler line hose on the hard lines.

I realized that I dented the crap out of my trans pan so I pulled it and hammered the dents out. Also I found that the upper trans cooler fitting in the rad is screwed up. I called Superior rad today and they sent me out a new rad with a return tag for this one. That is some awesome customer service.
 
#200 ·
I used your idea and picked up a cold air tube to start with. I found an Airraid 200-912 tube for $112 delivered. It should clear the fan and rad hose since the tube is made for a 2001 Silverado with a 5.3.



What are you doing for an upper rad hose, stock is going to hit the alternator for me.
 
#201 ·
So I have been bustin *** since Friday to get all the little crap squared away. I have installed the new radiator, plumbed the trans lines and the vapor line, installed a new starter and wired it, wired the alternator, mounted the ECM fuse block, oil in motor, oil in trans and I have started wiring the fuel pump relay, ECM block relay and a brake switch relay, and finally got the Camero manifolds installed.

I lack radiator hoses, coolant, air intake, fill tcase and exhaust.

I have some pics and more info to post up on all of this just don't have the time right now. Ill get that up in the next few days. I did however get the motor turning over and the trans pumping fluid threw the trans cooler. I'm close, should finish wiring tonight and then I just have to wait on the air tube so I can hook up my MAS sensor to get this thing started!
 
#202 ·
Finished up the wiring. Funny thing is that I wire up 1.5 million dollar machine all day at work on the fly with nothing but spools of wire, a solder gun and some heat shrink. Wiring this thing was very intimidating for me. I spent more time researching the wiring than everything else put together. I just tackled 1 thing at a time, had a plan going in and it was fairly simple. By far the most extensive wiring I have done on my Jeep, but if you can wire a set of fog lights or a radio you can do it.

Oh it helps to have the fuel pump wiring plugged in if you want the pump to prime! Stumped me for about 10 minutes. But just getting the red MIL light on was awesome!

I noticed 2 things. 1) my alternator hums. Is this normal?
2) The idle air motor makes some noise at key on and then key off. Is this normal?

Im off to drink some whiskey or gin to celebrate. I could probably fire it up but the kids are sleeping and I wouldn't dare let them miss it.
 
#204 ·
snail81 said:
I am at the building motor part of my 5.3 build. But in the back of my mind the wiring is my fear also. I am going to modify my harness also. Good luck
I can't say if it had to do it over again I would have done my own harness. I can't say that I wouldn't have either. It is one of the purchases I don't regret. For the cost it was worth it. With that said I could have done it my self it's not the complicated.

The small fuse block Wayne uses you can grab at Advanced Auto Parts in the electrical section. I saw it there yesterday. After that you just need a relay to power the block, a relay for the brake switch and wiring in the fuel pump relay.

You still have to have the ECM tuned, which is why I had my harness done. They fixed a few messed up connectors and re loomed the whole thing. I probably would have had a $100 in by the time it was all said and done. So the extra $150 not to mess with it was worth it for me. Now the 6 weeks I waited I could have done without and several times I wished I had just done it myself.

Overall it was worth it, great quality work and awesome after the sale support.
 
#205 ·
Very, very close now. All wiring is loomed and done. I got everything just the way I wanted it. It looks very factory.



The wiring around the battery has been cleaned up since I took this pic. I ended up adding in 2 relays. One for the brake switch signal to the trans and one to power the ECM fuse block. I mounted the ECM fuse block on the driver side fender. The 2 relays are mounted under the brake booster. I reused the stock fuel pump relay in the PDC. I just ran a signal wire from the ECM to the battery + side of the relay and grounded the other side by splicing into a ground already in the PDC. The ECM is going to be mounted in the stock location under the brake booster.

I'll try to put together some wiring diagrams on what I did and post those up in a few days.
 
#206 ·
Build is looking great, your doing a good job. I plan to start my LS3 swap in the near future so reading eveyones swaps helps us all out.

Out of curiosity, if you put the exhaust manifolds in backwards (facing forward instead of rearward), would it be easier or harder to route the rest of the exhaust? I was thinking about it as I see thats how alot of folks with LS engines do turbo builds...
 
#207 ·
DLWRUBI said:
Build is looking great, your doing a good job. I plan to start my LS3 swap in the near future so reading eveyones swaps helps us all out.

Out of curiosity, if you put the exhaust manifolds in backwards (facing forward instead of rearward), would it be easier or harder to route the rest of the exhaust? I was thinking about it as I see thats how alot of folks with LS engines do turbo builds...
I have seen that with turbo builds and I'm sure you could do it here. But I don't see what it would help. It seems to me that the exhaust would be dumping rightoin top of your front axle and I don't know If you want to do that.
 
#252 ·
I only mentioned it as I see other builds where they use rear exit exhaust, then on the driver side they route the exhaust forward around the oil pan and over to the passenger side to a merge. Thought reversing it might simplify it but could be wrong. Wouldn't think the the front end would be an issue as you wouldn't route it down there. Anyway, sounds like you got it covered, how did you route the exhaust? I'll see soon enough myself how to best accomplish it but like to get your perspective on the easiest route.

After reading the issues with the junk yard engines, although more economical and easier on the wallet, I'm glad I went with a new E-rod LS3 with the warranty and the CARB number, got a decent price too..
 
#208 ·
So nothing really going on, been topping of fluids, changed the spark plugs and installed those. Been checking over all the wiring. Just waiting for my intake to show up so I can mount my MAF and start this pig up.
 
#210 ·
just an fyi. you can pull the rubber coupler off the maf and stick the small end in the TB to test fire :) done it a few times myself. im really interested in seeing if your intake design fits...not that i'd want to spend another 100+ on the stupid intake..but fitting in the engine bay itself seems to be a different story...dont forget the truck was a lot wider than our engine bays
 
#209 ·
One thing. I have to give the trans a brake signal. It wants to see + all the time except when the brakes are applied. Which is completely oppsite of what the brake switch does. The brake switch is open until you apply the brakes. Not a big deal I just tapped into the brake switch + out and ran a line to a relay that I wired 87a as the out put. Easy.

One problem. The brake light flash when the emergencies are activated. So the relay kicks off and on with the flashing lights. I tapped into the white output wire from the brake switch. Any got any ideas? I realize that I will likely not be using my flashers while driving but it does happen and my torque converter will be bouncing in and out of lockup with the lights. Cant be good for it.
 
#211 ·
BionicOnion said:
just an fyi. you can pull the rubber coupler off the maf and stick the small end in the TB to test fire :) done it a few times myself. im really interested in seeing if your intake design fits...not that i'd want to spend another 100+ on the stupid intake..but fitting in the engine bay itself seems to be a different story...dont forget the truck was a lot wider than our engine bays
The yard cut the rubber coupler or I would have done it already.

I hope the tube works. I think worse case is I may need to cut the tube down. My brother has a stock filter housing from a GMC he has a few years back that I may try to add to the engine bay.
 
#215 ·
So in my excitement in hearing the motor run and thinking I may have a miss on the passenger side. I ran the motor for about 30 seconds here and there with no coolant. I did this maybe 5-6 times over the course of 2.5 hours. It never got hot. The block and heads were warm when I would touch them but not hot.

You don't think I could have damaged anything? The video above is a good representative of the amount of running the motor did.
 
#217 ·
Since my replacement radiator was wrong I couldn't hook up my radiator yesterday when I was starting my motor for the first time. The radiator that they sent me had the wrong size ports in it. Which were to large for the hoses I had planned on running. Sooooo I went without and then though later that wasn't such a good idea.

After thinking it over I decided that I only ran it for a short time and it never got hot so I think everything is fine. I tend to dwell on things and worry until I figure it out. So I have been thinking on this all day.

So tonight to relieve my mind I went to the auto parts store and picked up some hose to make this radiator work until the correct replacement gets here.

After working the hoses out, replacing the thermostat and getting the system filled I fired her up. She ran beautifully. Took 30 minutes of idling to come up to temperature and everything went great. I didn't find any oil in the coolant, nor any coolant in the oil and no leaks. So good news there. The whole thing was rather uneventful.

Left on the list is exhaust. I have all the parts just need to get it all hooked up.
 
#218 ·
glad to see it went well. i dont think you'll have hurt it with a few seconds of running. they aren't made of paper ya know:thumbsup: still im way behind on mine *funds* but it is what it is... part that sucks is a project isn't worth crap...even if it does run :( oh well... it'll be finished or sold someday lol :rofl:
 
#219 ·
BionicOnion said:
glad to see it went well. i dont think you'll have hurt it with a few seconds of running. they aren't made of paper ya know:thumbsup: still im way behind on mine *funds* but it is what it is... part that sucks is a project isn't worth crap...even if it does run :( oh well... it'll be finished or sold someday lol :rofl:
Funds? That's what they make credit cards for! jk. I have been selling lots of knives for funds.

What do you lack? Last time I saw yours it looked close to being done.

I sent you that EGR and wiring you should have it soon.
 
#220 ·
Been working on exhaust. The Muffler I bought is waaaaaaaay waaaaaaay way to big. So I need to figure something out for that.

Anyone have a recommendation for a muffler? I want something with a nice tone but not loud.

I also found the where the transfer case mates to the adapter is leaking. So I have been pulling the tcase. I hate doing things twice. But I found that the bottom 2 tcase studs are too short with the AA trans mount on there. So the case has to come out so I can lengthen those. Tried to do it with the case in but that's a no go.

I'm so close to being done but the project is starting to wear on me with the completion date I have set for my self which is 2 weeks out.
 
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