My first LS build

EGarner said:

Ray we are gonna have to rebuild to keep up now!!!! :****:

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Right!!...keeping up with u guys is killing me lol

Had a lot of family stuff going on but worked on the build for a few hours this week. Getting into the time consuming stuff now. Got the starter on but going to adjust the depth into the flywheel some. Used an oil accumulator to prime the oil system then used jumper cables on the starter to spin the engine over. In just a couple revolutions of the flywheel we got about thirty pounds of oil pressure.

I am sure it has been noticed that the cam was not degreed. My timing set is not adjustable and I did not want to drill and pin it for a half degree or so. We looked real close to the timing events at TDC, BDC and before on both events and marks were where they should have been so I am going to trust the cam company on this one. If this were a boosted engine certainly it would have an adjustable double roller set up and I would have dialed it in.

Moving the build from JR's shop to one of our barns for the finish. We wanted to get the intake on and a couple of items addressed before leaving JR's but the intake does not line up with the heads. These Trick Flows were 69 cc's from the factory but have been cut to 59 cc's. When heads get cut it moves the center line down towards the pistons and changes the mounting angle because of the wedge shape of an engine. You can get away with a little cutting and still get a good seal but at some point the intake has to be cut to get it back in line. I have ran into this before, even having to use spacers on a tunnel ram I bought that had been cut so much it fell between the heads. Guess I will call FAST next week and ask about the gasket recesses and how to go about machining the surfaces.

Couple of these going in a boat. BDS 8-71's dominators X 2 per engine


Teaser pictures, can you smell what The Rock is cooking?

Thanks to everybody for their thoughts and prayers while my dad was in the hospital. He is at home and doing pretty good except being cooped up in the house. I have taken on all the farm duties and haven't had much time for the build. Once he got home I did make time to see what is up with the intake. I think I have it figured out. Apparently I don't read instructions well. The shop/ barn has really good lighting so I could see what I thought was the valley cover bolts touching the underside of the intake. I removed those bolts and the intake sat down pretty good. A reread of the instructions I found in bold type, replace OEM bolts with supplied cap heads...... Not out of the woods yet it still appears the top of the gaskets are touching more than the lower area is. Remember the slight degree of angle change I spoke of earlier this is where it shows up, hopefully it isn't going to be a problem. FAST reminded me if the intake were to be milled the gasket recesses would be removed, duh......
FAST ships these intakes with a couple of common ports opened but the MAP sensor and a couple of others have to be drilled if you need those ports. The upper shell has to be removed for drilling and cleaning and reassembled using RTV in an area around the back corner, guess they have a sealing issue there. I should get the MAP tomorrow along with new FAST injectors. I hope to spend a little time on it this weekend. Picture just to compare bolt head heights and a useless one looking under the intake.

Was able to spend a little time on the LS today. The intake is torqued to specs and looks like it pulled down. I am plumbing all four steam ports, spent most of my time getting a combination to work with the intake and not real happy with it. Probably change it later. Fuel rails and injectors are in place. Mocked up fuel plumbing and fittings, changes will have to be made but gives me an ideal of direction I need to go. Heat is greatest at the back of an engine, I plan to bring the cool fuel into the rear of the rails first, split into each side exiting the front and into the regulator. Waiting on adapters for those FAST injectors to plug into my harness.

FAST says proper installation is to have the logo turned out. The only way that is happening is for the harness connection to face the intake, in that configuration there is no way to plug the connector in. Anyone have an opinion on this please fell free to weigh in.

I've got a fuel cell for your run stand in the bed of my truck waiting for you.

Thanks JJ I will make a plan to get over there to pick it up just in time too.

I put in a few hours today working by myself kinda sucks but I win most of the arguments that way. Way back in this thread I posted that this is just a redneck build, some of these pictures will prove it.

First up, engine mount plate provided by Patooyee Parts, both sides fit perfect. Thanks JJ. When I knocked off last night I was not real happy with the steam cross overs but once I got them all hooked up they kinda grew on me. Probably change the rear to one from a later model Blazer, should exit tighter to the cross over, will at least look better?

Steam pipe ties into the front, I think it will work out fine, if I have to buy a radiator I will plug the water pump tap and plumb into the top of the radiator.

Moving it of the stand it has been resting on for so long.

I would be lying if I said I was not nervous about this, sketchy to say the least.

First LS on the cranking stand, had to make some adjustments to the frame and had to index the pilot pen hole on the cast iron bell housing.

It took a lot of doing to get it off the rope but I got it. I was being lazy by not removing the intake, using the 2x4's with no pivot point really screwed up a usual easy operation. I had to jack it as high as I could and work the stand into place around the cherry picker, it was insane.

The rear is bolted up but engine needs to move forward about two inches to keep from building new mounting brackets on the stand. I slotted the rear bolt holes so mount can be slid forward and back for old school engines. May have to slot it a little more, I will try to get it done tomorrow evening before Street Outlaws come on.
Roll Tide

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If you need another set of plates for the buggy let me know and I'll bring them with the fuel cell.

Thanks JJ, I only plan on a tacking angle to the plates should be a clean removal. I will let you know. Will you have time to weld a bung into those valve covers you welded up for me? I want to adapt a -10 fitting for crank case evacuation using filters for now but probably exhaust extraction later on. If Summit Racing has the bungs I can bring the covers and bungs when I come get the cell later this week. If you are too busy Toney will burn them in but you did an outstanding job on the coil pack mounts so.....

Re: Re: Re: My first LS build

mna0121 said:

Thanks JJ, I only plan on a tacking angle to the plates should be a clean removal. I will let you know. Will you have time to weld a bung into those valve covers you welded up for me? I want to adapt a -10 fitting for crank case evacuation using filters for now but probably exhaust extraction later on. If Summit Racing has the bungs I can bring the covers and bungs when I come get the cell later this week. If you are too busy Toney will burn them in but you did an outstanding job on the coil pack mounts so.....

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Yeah, we can do that. Just bring the bungs.

Got back to work on the build. This thing should have been fired up weeks ago but a lot of distractions keeping me from working on it. This morning I started working on a air cleaner adapter because the ones you can buy at the parts house only have 4" holes. This is only for the cranking stand, not worried about the restriction this will cause. Started by machining a PVC collar down to 4 1/4"OD to stretch a flexible hose over, I scored it from a yard sale intake system. Inserted a 3" piece of PVC into the collar, the air cleaner will slip over this piece. Put the pipe in the milling machine and milled a flat thinner area and drilled a hole to put the MAT sensor in.

Sawed a little length off, installed MAT. Just need an air cleaner.

Back in the barn. Engine is sitting on the stand supported by the engine plates and some channel. If you notice boards under the oil pan they are not touching. I used Summit brand fittings to plumb the fuel system. I usually hate fooling with this things but these worked well and quick. A little advice, rap electrical tape around the braided hose center your cut on the tape, have a good pair of wire cutters handy. Before removing the tape trim all the rough wires as uniform as you can. The trimming will keep the braid from snagging the cup and unravel the ends.
Just going to drop a couple of pics of the engine on the cranking stand. I think the front view one with the exhaust sticking under is cool?

Well I thought we would get to hear it run sometime this weekend? I am on a time crunch, I have the manifolds and cats borrowed. The engine they go on got sold and I have to return them Monday. Firing the engine today all hinged on getting the injector adapters in the mail today, they did not show up and I can not find the throttle body gasket. With my work schedule it will be next weekend before I can get to the salvage yard to hunt for exhaust. I have manifolds but I want some noise dampening so I can hear sounds of trouble. Lot of work to do but getting closer.
Couple more. Regulator and support for the electric water pump and regulator.