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LS Engine Setup - Primp & PrepSetting Up an LS Engine for a Classic Truck From the August, 2012 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Ryan Manson
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Over the course of the last couple months, I’ve really fallen in love with driving my C10 around, especially now that it’s got the Holley Avenger fuel injection system installed as well as the power steering and resized steering wheel. It actually feels like a new truck and exhibits all the traits one would expect. This makes me feel a little hesitant, perhaps almost guilty, to tear it all apart to install a new LS327 crate engine from Chevy Performance. The stock 307 runs really strong and ticks over like a finely tuned Swiss clock and I’m a bit nervous to mess with such a reliable setup. But I’m a hot rodder at heart and it’s just not natural to ignore something better off left alone. Plus the power and reliability that the LS series engines offer is too tempting not to jump in the fire and experience it firsthand. They’re called crate engines... They’re called crate engines for a reason and when they show up at your doorstep, you’ll know why. This is how our LS327 looked once unwrapped, a pretty exciting sight for any gearhead. When I started the ’68 C10 buildup back in the June 2011 issue, I had two different iterations of what I wanted to do. The first, which we’ve pretty much completed up to now, was to drop the truck and improve the handling and driving characteristics as well as overhauling the drivetrain and interior components to a restored-type status. During this initial segment, I didn’t want to deviate from stock too much when it came to the interior, exterior, or the engine compartment. That meant simple restoration upgrades like new weather stripping, window rubber and felt, a new floor mat, hood bumpers, etc., as well as cleaning up the engine bay and restoring the look back to a similar ’60s factory appearance. Though I did lower the truck and bolted up a new set of rollers, I left the bed long and didn’t alter the exterior appearance other than restoring the two-tone white on the cab and replacing all the brightwork. But starting this month, it’s time for all that to change. I discussed in this month’s Haul Monitor what we’ve got planned for the Laggard Longbed build version 2.0, so I won’t bore you with repeating the details here, aside from the preliminary bit on preparing the LS engine and pointing out a few things worthy of mention. As previously stated, the plan is to install a Chevy Performance 5.3L/327ci LS engine between the ’rails of the ’68, replacing the stock 307ci engine that came with the truck from the factory. Based on the ’99-06 series of GM truck engines, the LS327 consists of an iron block with a 96mm bore and a 92mm stroke, topped with the same production aluminum heads and hopped up straight from GM with a Chevy Performance cam and Grafal-coated pistons. With these simple upgrades, the numbers jump up from a respectable 295 hp/325 lb-ft of torque to a much more impressive 327 hp/347 lb-ft. What makes the swap to the LS really cool is all the aftermarket hop-up products available that can easily take the LS into the 600 hp and beyond realm. We’re not gonna aim that high right off the bat, but we may do something a little more radical in the months to come.  The first thing I’m going...  The first thing I’m going to do is to get the engine in some color. To do so, I carefully masked any openings as well as anything that couldn’t be removed (such as the crank snout and spark plugs).  I’ve had great luck with Summit...  I’ve had great luck with Summit Racing’s line of engine paint and it just so happened that I had some left over from shooting the original 307 that’s in the truck. Chevy Orange will give the LS that ’60s vibe visually, further complementing its similarities to the original 327 engines and their GM Black is a great overall coating for those parts that need a good satin black color with a little temperature protection to boot. Everything that will be getting sprayed will first get hit with Eastwood’s PRE painting prep to ensure that the part’s nice and clean.  After a thorough cleaning...  After a thorough cleaning and four coats of engine paint this is the end result. I installed the crossover steam pipe, spark plugs, and began removing the masking tape.  I masked the area around the...  I masked the area around the intake ports to make cleanup a little easier. I figured the gaskets would have a better chance to seal properly if there wasn’t any paint in the immediate area around each port. Also worth a note is the absence of any water passages at the top of the heads, one of the things that make intake swaps so much easier on the LS-series engines.  For the initial iteration...  For the initial iteration of the LS, I’ll be using a Chevrolet Performance four-barrel cast-aluminum intake manifold. This particular manifold is designed for the cathedral port LS heads and a 4150-style square bore carburetor.  I noticed a couple of things...  I noticed a couple of things right off the bat that were new to me as I’ve got zero experience working with the new LS-series engines. One, everything is metric, which required me to dust off those metric tools that I stashed away many years ago. The second was the low yield when it came to torque ratios on a number of the components, including the intake. Chevy Performance recommends an initial pass using 44 lb-ins on all the fasteners, followed by a pass of 89 lb-ins. Note that’s inch-pounds and NOT foot-pounds. To feed the engine and provide... To feed the engine and provide some pretty decent fuel mileage to boot, Holley recommended a 570 cfm Street Avenger carb with an electric choke. This month, however, we’re going to get our little LS engine prepped and the initial bolt-ons installed before its time to mate the engine to the trans and slip her in the ’68. Over the course of the next few months we’ll keep messing with the combo, whether it’s in the truck or not, to give ya’ll a look at what’s possible with today’s technology. One thing to keep in mind, although we’re using a brand-new crate engine from Chevy Performance, nearly everything we cover can be done on a junkyard GM truck engine for pennies on the dollar, if that’s your thing. The only drawback is that you don’t know what you’re getting when you pull a used engine. But if rebuilding engines is something you enjoy, that would be a great way to put together a stump-pulling Chevy engine that runs like a clock, makes gobs of power, and accepts all the latest and greatest GM and the hot rod aftermarket have to offer. CCT  Although there’s probably...  Although there’s probably enough ground clearance on the C10 to run a full-length header, I really wanted to retain the same ground clearance and drivability characteristics the truck had when the original 307 was in place. That said, I wanted an exhaust that would sound good and tuck nice and high up in the frame so I opted to go with Hooker Header’s cast-iron exhaust manifolds in silver ceramic finish. Designed to work with all GM LS swaps with the exception of the LS7 and LS9, the high-silicon-moly ductile iron used to cast each manifold yields a mellower, quieter exhaust tone than traditional headers, which can have a “tinny” sound. The silver ceramic finish also helps to reduce underhood and operating temperatures.  Here’s a look at the OEM GM...  Here’s a look at the OEM GM truck coil packs mounted atop the factory bracket attached to the plug wires, which terminate under the Hooker manifolds. These coils are what’s commonly referred to as 3rd Gen LS coils and came in ’99-06 GM pickups and SUVs w/ 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, and 8.1L engines. That’s the coolant temperature sensor (CTS) at the left of cylinder number one’s exhaust port.  Wiring the engine is especially easy using a carb and GM’s factory coil harness, mated to MSD’s 6LS timing controller. The 6LS is a very versatile ignition controller in that it can be attached to the factory sensors and used with a carburetor (like we’ll be doing) or can be utilized to work in conjunction with a stock EFI application using an accessory harness from MSD (part number 88862). In both applications, the controller offers several programmable features that allow for RPM and timing adjustments via their supplied ProData+ software and a PC or with an optional hand-held programmer (part number 7550). Timing adjustments and selections can also be made with plug-in modules. Here, the main harness is attached to the controller (right), leaving a few wires disconnected. At the bottom of the photo, the black/gray wire should be run to a good engine ground source, while the pink wire is a switched 12V+ and the yellow wire is the tach signal. The connector at the upper right (pink and blue wires) is for a step retard for nitrous oxide applications and a two step signal to control two rev limits respectively.  At the engine end of the harness,...  At the engine end of the harness, things are nice and simple to connect, just like you’d expect them to be in the 21st century. You can see the two different coil connectors at either side of the intake, the cam sensor (where the distributor should be), and an optional MAP sensor connector (in my hand).  The harness also attaches...  The harness also attaches to the crank position sensor down behind the starter, arguably the most important as that’s how the controller determines timing and thus ignition.  And speaking of starters,...  And speaking of starters, we opted to try out MSD’s Advanced Power System or APS starter. Capable of cranking over the highest compression engines on a hot day in Death Valley, the APS starter is built from completely new components, including its 3hp motor. Reduced 4.4:1, the armature is balanced during assembly and guided by two ball bearings for a smooth engagement and thousands of starts. The smaller housing was designed with clearance issues in mind, but even features a billet mount that can be clocked in different positions to help in even the tightest applications.  Though not completely finished,...  Though not completely finished, the engine is dressed up to a long-block standard thanks to Holley coil covers and the same Classic Industries dual snorkel air cleaner that graced the 307 small-block.  It should be noted that the...  It should be noted that the truck coils (pictured a few shots back) won’t fit under the Holley coil covers, as they require the use of LS3-style coils and valve covers, shown here on an EROD LS3 engine.  And just to give you an idea...  And just to give you an idea what such an execution can look like under the hood of a truck, here’s Holley’s very own version in their ’67 Chevy built by So-Cal Speed Shop.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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