1984 Trans Am LSX 5.3 Swap

[firebirdat]

Finally Starting a build thread, Started off with my 1984 Trans Am. Bought it off my parents in 2009 with 58,280ish miles on it the week before my senior prom at the age of 18. Bone stock LG4 with T5 drove it all summer back and forth to work and girlfriends house, even went drag racing at Island at the F-body vs Mustang night. Ran a pathetic 17second flat 1/4 mile. Week after that i started college, where the car sat parked for 4 and a half years because of a blown head gasket. In my down time at college i spent a lot of long nights drooling over LSX swaps on here, LS1tech, and thirdgen. Finally bit the bullet probably 6 months ago and bought a 5.3 from a 2003 Express Van. Halloween night i moved the car for the first time in 4.5 years to a rented garage to start the swap. Thats the story of my car. This is my first engine build, so be gentle and just looking for any help and advice from those who've done it before me. Heres some pics of the car when i first got it

Glen

[firebirdat]

As previously said the 5.3 LM7 came out a 2003 Express Van with a supposed 5600 miles on it. got it cheap, tore it down after sitting outside for awhile, to find pitting and water in cylinder number 7. Sent it out to Haledon auto parts and waited for a month, got it bored out 20 over, hot tanked, new freeze plug.

Specs on the motor:
LM7 5.3 bored out 20 over
Sealed power Main bearings
Sealed power connecting rod bearings
Sealed power speed pro pistons
Hastings piston Rings
Factory crank just polished and cleaned
F-body Oil Pan, wind age tray, pick-up tube and dipstick
Factory 5.3 heads
Comp Cams Custom Grind cam of 226/226 with 111LSA
Texas speed Chromeoly Pushrods
PRC .650 Dual Valve Spring kit
LS6 Oil pump and Timing chain
LS7 lifters
Stock rockers with Comp Cams trunnion upgrade
SLP 160 Thermostat
All new sensors

As for installing the motor in the car i have
LS1 F-body Clamshells
Hawks Motor mounts
Hawks T-56 Trans mount
LS1F-Body Electric Fans
Hawks"Budget" Stainless steel swap headers

Have loads of crap for this swap just cant remember it all right now. Onto the pics... How does one imbed the pics rather than doing file attachments but not having to worry about photobucket saying ive used up all my space or whatever it is they say?

[firebirdat]

more pics. Sorry for the crappy cell pics, i have to upload them off the camera which is sitting in the battery tray right now
Glen

[V]

Let me know what you think about the Hawks parts. I'm doing an ls1 swap soon and I was considering some of their stuff. But i was gonna do the spohn k member just to make it a little easier.

[sweetbmxrider]

Nice build. What are you doing for wiring and gauges?

[Blackbirdws6]

Looks like a good time. Are you leaving it NA or looking to boost it down the road?

[BonzoHansen]

cool swap and 84 was a good TA year. watch out for sinkholes lol

[firebirdat]

Originally Posted by V

Let me know what you think about the Hawks parts. I'm doing an ls1 swap soon and I was considering some of their stuff. But i was gonna do the spohn k member just to make it a little easier.

So far the motor mounts are spohn pieces, quality seems real nice, got the black powder coated ones. As for fitment have yet to install them. Gotta clean my dirty cross member and bay, then trailer it to work to chassis save the engine bay and undercoat it. Would have like to do the tubular k-member but to keep it more budget friendly sticking it out with the factory one.

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Nice build. What are you doing for wiring and gauges?

As for wiring, been talking to the guys at PSI Conversion in Toms River. Haven't ordered the harness yet but plan to probably in the next couple of weeks.As for gauges looking at sticking it out with the factory gauges for the simple fact i like the looks of them but i know its probably going to be the hardest part of this build aside from finding a T-56

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

Looks like a good time. Are you leaving it NA or looking to boost it down the road?

Looking to leave it NA for awhile, just trying to keep it a clean daily driver that looks factory.

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

cool swap and 84 was a good TA year. watch out for sinkholes lol

ahaha thanks for the advice

[sweetbmxrider]

Have you checked out speartech?

[greenformula92]

Looks like a fun build. And it should be fun once she's up and running

[firebirdat]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Have you checked out speartech?

Looked into speartech, pricing is the major concern. from research on LS1tech, both have good reviews. Any experience with them or is it the same stuff just more money?

Originally Posted by greenformula92

Looks like a fun build. And it should be fun once she's up and running

i hope so, definitely wont be disappointing if its got the same oomph as my silverado if not more

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by firebirdat

Looked into speartech, pricing is the major concern. from research on LS1tech, both have good reviews. Any experience with them or is it the same stuff just more money?

I only know of speartech from my friend's swap. It was well laid out, labeled, looks like oem, and they label the leads for gauges and power.

[firebirdat]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

I only know of speartech from my friend's swap. It was well laid out, labeled, looks like oem, and they label the leads for gauges and power.

Didn't know that! Will definitely look into them a little more

[firebirdat]

alright after months of little work here and there finally have some worthy progress. Engine is fully assembled minus intake. Finally got my hands on the Hawks budget stainless steel headers, battery tray cut-out and installed new sheet metal, as welll as painted, new brake lines run, chassis saved and undercoated underneath, bolted motor mounts in, and plopped an engine in. Progress is a little slow because of work, but mostly because of money, but you know what they say if you cant afford to do it right the first time you cant afford to do it a second time. Now onto the goodness known as pictures.

[firebirdat]

pictures continued...

[ar0ck]

What did you end up using to coat the underside? Progress looks great!

[TAdan]

Nice looking 84, the body really reflects the low mileage. Glad to hear you'll be keeping the stock look.

Good job on the engine compartment and undercarriage. Cool project, I look forward to watching your progress.

[greenformula92]

Looking good man

[BigAls87Z28]

I know it's a big chunk of change, but the Speartech harness is really worth it.
I would also be careful in bolting the motor mounts down till you have the engine in there and sorted out. I have the problem where the engine is slightly angled which caused some issues with the ds and trans lining up.
I believe Firebirds have an electronic pick up on the trans earlier than Camaro, so it's easier to play with gauges than on Camaros.

[firebirdat]

Originally Posted by ar0ck

What did you end up using to coat the underside? Progress looks great!

I did it in two steps actually. i scuffed up underneath with a red scotchbite pad and wire wheeled any rusty looking spots,then used chassis saver(basically like POR-15, just a single application rather then a three step process), let that dry overnight and used Medallion Rubberized Undercoating. could get you more info on it if you wanted.

Originally Posted by TAdan

Nice looking 84, the body really reflects the low mileage. Glad to hear you'll be keeping the stock look.

Good job on the engine compartment and undercarriage. Cool project, I look forward to watching your progress.

Ehh pictures tend to hide alot. Its definitely in pretty decent shape for the most part, being garage kept for 18 years definitely has its perks, but its definitely not a virgin car, drivers door was reskinned years ago and driver fender painted at the same time, that door has some bubbling going on that will probably get re-skinned or junkyard door possibly, and the passenger quarter was repainted as well. but like i said overall its definitely a good looking car not show quality but in good shape. As for the stock look its going to stay that way with maybe bigger wheels and just maybe a little lower, gotta keep it tasteful

Originally Posted by greenformula92

Looking good man

Thanks!

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

I know it's a big chunk of change, but the Speartech harness is really worth it.
I would also be careful in bolting the motor mounts down till you have the engine in there and sorted out. I have the problem where the engine is slightly angled which caused some issues with the ds and trans lining up.
I believe Firebirds have an electronic pick up on the trans earlier than Camaro, so it's easier to play with gauges than on Camaros.

I have noticed the engine is slightly angled little worried about that but like you said nothing is bolted down permanently until i get my hands on an overpriced T56, almost as if the engine is tilted in the cross member, took a bit of a struggle to get the passenger side bolt through, might be cause theres no transmission on there but i shall see eventually. What type of issues did you run into with yours that i should be on the look out for? gotta find your thread on here if its still around. As for the gauges i believe i am SOL, if i recall that magical goodness started in 87 correct me if im wrong, not 100% on that i recall reading it somewhere

[BigAls87Z28]

I have noticed the engine is slightly angled little worried about that but like you said nothing is bolted down permanently until i get my hands on an overpriced T56, almost as if the engine is tilted in the cross member, took a bit of a struggle to get the passenger side bolt through, might be cause theres no transmission on there but i shall see eventually. What type of issues did you run into with yours that i should be on the look out for? gotta find your thread on here if its still around. As for the gauges i believe i am SOL, if i recall that magical goodness started in 87 correct me if im wrong, not 100% on that i recall reading it somewhere

You are going with a T56, so I don't know of anything down that road, but the issues I have are gauges and exhaust.
1: You have two ways to go about doing the gauges. One is to get a box that converts the electrical signal from the output to mechanical so you can connect it to the back of the tach. The other is to go to a digital tach. How you do that is entirely up to you. Maybe see if you can buy a dash from a later TA so you can use the electric tach. I picked up an Auto Meter one that looks similar to the factory Camaro face.
2: I'm not familiar with your headers, but if they are long tube units, you might run into y-pipe issues. I've seen some crazy ram's horn-esque designs for y-pipes.

Also: Fuel system. I'm not sure of the LM7, but LS1s don't have a return line and since the pressure is regulated differently from cars to trucks, you might have to go with an in-line AFPR or do what I did and put in a C5 Corvette fuel filter that self-regulates and does not have a fuel return line.
If using the factory fuel tank, upgrade the pump. If you decide to go to an 4th gen unit, there are several modifications you have to make to get it all to work. I went with the factory tank and upgraded the pump.

[sweetbmxrider]

Your corvette fuel filter has a return line. You put them on backwards first go around.

[firebirdat]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

You are going with a T56, so I don't know of anything down that road, but the issues I have are gauges and exhaust.
1: You have two ways to go about doing the gauges. One is to get a box that converts the electrical signal from the output to mechanical so you can connect it to the back of the tach. The other is to go to a digital tach. How you do that is entirely up to you. Maybe see if you can buy a dash from a later TA so you can use the electric tach. I picked up an Auto Meter one that looks similar to the factory Camaro face.
2: I'm not familiar with your headers, but if they are long tube units, you might run into y-pipe issues. I've seen some crazy ram's horn-esque designs for y-pipes.

Also: Fuel system. I'm not sure of the LM7, but LS1s don't have a return line and since the pressure is regulated differently from cars to trucks, you might have to go with an in-line AFPR or do what I did and put in a C5 Corvette fuel filter that self-regulates and does not have a fuel return line.
If using the factory fuel tank, upgrade the pump. If you decide to go to an 4th gen unit, there are several modifications you have to make to get it all to work. I went with the factory tank and upgraded the pump.

From my understanding and research the headers are the same as the stainless works units just not as expensive and not as great quality; but ill find out in the long run with them i guess. The y-pipe is going to be ball-buster, Ive looked on thirdgen.org and everyone has done it differently so I'm not sure which way that's going to go.

As for the intake i would like to get my hand on an LS6 intake but it all depends on price and availability otherwise its going to be a ye olde LS1 intake. And as for the fuel tank, upgrading it to a 1985-1992 sending unit(as long as there's no other unforeseen complications from it) and i think i am going to invest in the racetronix unit. What pump did you end up using? I already have the C5 filter so no AFPR unit for me i believe

Tachometer is another debacle, i would love to keep the factory one but that box is a 300 dollar piece, whereas a tach would probably be less.

[BigAls87Z28]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Your corvette fuel filter has a return line. You put them on backwards first go around.

Sorry, let me clear that up. The engine doesn't have a return.

Originally Posted by firebirdat

From my understanding and research the headers are the same as the stainless works units just not as expensive and not as great quality; but ill find out in the long run with them i guess. The y-pipe is going to be ball-buster, Ive looked on thirdgen.org and everyone has done it differently so I'm not sure which way that's going to go.

As for the intake i would like to get my hand on an LS6 intake but it all depends on price and availability otherwise its going to be a ye olde LS1 intake. And as for the fuel tank, upgrading it to a 1985-1992 sending unit(as long as there's no other unforeseen complications from it) and i think i am going to invest in the racetronix unit. What pump did you end up using? I already have the C5 filter so no AFPR unit for me i believe

Tachometer is another debacle, i would love to keep the factory one but that box is a 300 dollar piece, whereas a tach would probably be less.

LS6 intakes are pretty easy to come across as they were pretty much standard issue on LS1s after 01 IIRC. The issue is getting the lower plate that has the PCV tube.

Sounds like you are on your way. Good luck with it!

[greenformula92]

Any updates on this one?