88 FJ62 gets 5.3L Vortec-built 4L65E lots of pics

[i4c4lo]

Wow - that is awesome work! Great job!!!!

I would love to have an 80 Series again with that motor. Just need to figure out how to register in California.

 

[RMP&O]

Wow - that is awesome work! Great job!!!!

I would love to have an 80 Series again with that motor. Just need to figure out how to register in California.

Do the 5.7L vortec and you are legit. My Cruiser is a Cali truck, fully smog legal with engine swap door sticker. The 5.3 is a better motor but if all you can do to keep it legal is go older, the 5.7 is not a bad engine at all. Eventually I will swap to a 5.3L but my 5.7 runs so darn good I have no idea when that will be. Kind of waiting until my 5.7L gives me major issues. My conversion was done in Auburn but I don't know who did it.

Cheers

 

[60Dan]

This is a sweet build! This engine, with a 60 or 62 body style is sick!
Put it on an 80 frame and what a rig it would be!

I like how all your work is neat an meticulous - says a lot about a person.

 

[NCFJ]

Thank you for the kind words guys

The newer LSX motors can be made legal in CA and CO as well. The guys doing swaps on the west coast have figured it out and have been doing it for several years. The information I have read all pints to it being very county specific as to what the "referee" expects to see. I have even read where a swap was failed because the CAT was farther away from the exhaust manifold on the swap than in the donor vehicle.

Dollar for dollar I think that the 5.3 is currently the best bang for your buck. I get a chuckle when I read guys talking about how they NEED 400HP from the swap or it is not worth doing, in a 60 or 80 series for **********************. The Vortec motor in the LC is pure and simple, a game changer. You ask most any LC owner and if they are honest, with themselves and you they will tell you the biggest draw back to their truck is it being under powered. A V8 with in many cases more than double the HP of the original tractor motor makes the owner have to look for something else about their LC that might be a drawback. The truly funny part is, LC owners go ga ga over one with a Vortec and that low hot rod rumble while soccer moms across America take their kids to school in their Tahoe and think nothing of it. Guess it all depends on what you have grown accustomed to :smiley_drive:

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Awesome build!!!!! pretty much my dream truck.

 

[NCFJ]

Well, the time has come for Ranger to go home. He has had a good many shake down runs and is running well. This is a good running FJ62. With the stock gearing in the axles and these tires it is geared pretty close to the Silverado 3500HD Trailering package. It really pulls hard out of the hole through all 4 gears, I am going to miss this truck.

[video]https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=915276661836559[/video]

[video]https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=915298461834379[/video]

 

[NCFJ]

 

[NCFJ]

 

[NCFJ]

My wife made a movie :wings:

[video=vimeo;118292356]https://vimeo.com/118292356?utm_source=email&utm_medium=clip-transcode_complete-finished-20120100&utm_campaign=7701&email_id=Y2xpcF90cmFuc2NvZGVkfGYzMWJhNDc2NDM2ZDE0Z DUwNDRjYzk2OTBmNTEyZmQ3MzF8MzY5MjI3Mjl8MTQyMjY1NTM 1MXw3NzAx[/video]

https://vimeo.com/118292356?utm_source=email&utm_medium=clip-transcode_complete-finished-20120100&utm_campaign=7701&email_id=Y2xpcF90cmFuc2NvZGVkfGYzMWJhNDc2NDM2ZDE0Z DUwNDRjYzk2OTBmNTEyZmQ3MzF8MzY5MjI3Mjl8MTQyMjY1NTM 1MXw3NzAx

 

[1911]

Nice work Stan!

 

[NCFJ]

Thanks much, I already miss driving it :smiley_drive:

They are always fun to test drive.

 

[NCFJ]

Update

I spoke with the owner this week and he reported 16.5 MPG around town, no real highway use at this point.

 

[1911]

Stan, would that same 5.3L Vortec fit in a 40? Assuming that AA makes an adapter plate for the H41/42. Might have to get creative with air cleaner versus battery placement.

 

[NCFJ]

I would assume that it would, I've not looked into it myself. The older small block 350s have been swapped into 40s so I am guessing that the proper adapters are available. I'd guess a Vortec swap has been done already, I've not searched the subject. The air cleaner placement can be run to either side so that really should not be an issue. The VSS pickup is where you may run into issues depending on the T-case that you use. I know there is a set up that works on the split case, not sure about earlier cases. George at Valley Hybrids probably has the answers to al of the above.

 

[1911]

Thanks for the reply!

The VSS pickup is where you may run into issues depending on the T-case that you use.

An Orion; alas, no speed sensor. There is supposed to be one in my stock speedometer, but it's got some strange pulse count per Toyota.

George at Valley Hybrids probably has the answers to al of the above.

Georg is a great guy and I have bought stuff from him before, but you are a lot closer and I really like your sanitary work. I have always been a 2F fan and never seriously considered a v8 conversion, but seeing the ones you have done has got the wheels turning.

Lee