FJ60 LS Swap - From Oil Burner to Gas V8 - Stoffregen Motorsports
- Thread starter Stoffregen Motorsports
- Start date
NCFJ
Adventurer
This is so very true, about all parts involved in swaps and larger builds. I get asked on a somewhat regular basis why I do not do diesel swaps. It is not that I don't, more like I am booked up doing the swaps I already do. Even focusing on LSX based swaps there is constant research to keep up with changes within just this line of motors. I bill for my time in the shop, but I do not bill for the countless hours of research finding all the right parts and then the right price.
Last edited:
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Thanks. I just realized I don't have better pics of the shroud. I do, but they're in my phone, and I think my phone has a virus, so I'm not connecting it to my computer until I get it fixed. I do have some updates though.
BTW- congrats on the sale of your FJ60. Too bad you didn't get to finish it.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
We run things in a very similar fashion. I don't bill for all of my time. Sometimes it just doesn't seem right to put certain things on an invoice.
And...the more and more I hone my craft, the less and less likely I am willing to share my secrets.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Well the engine is in place for the final time. And it's not that far from running either. A lot of the tedious work has already been done, which is a huge relief and a good motivator to get any project done.
First up, build a shield for the Toyota bellhousing. Couldn't use the original one because this is where the crossover pipe for the exhaust goes.
Had some problems with the Marks adapter. It appears it is geared more towards standard small block Chevy motors, so some of the parts in the kit needed to be worked over. The lower bellhousing shield was one of those items.
Then before the engine goes in, I detailed the engine bay and ran the heater hoses.
...using another cool part, spring type hose clamps. It took hours of scouring the web for them, but now I have them in stock and a good supplier for them. They are identical to the OEM Toyota clamps, except for the color and cost a fraction as much.
In goes the engine.
First up, build a shield for the Toyota bellhousing. Couldn't use the original one because this is where the crossover pipe for the exhaust goes.
Had some problems with the Marks adapter. It appears it is geared more towards standard small block Chevy motors, so some of the parts in the kit needed to be worked over. The lower bellhousing shield was one of those items.
Then before the engine goes in, I detailed the engine bay and ran the heater hoses.
...using another cool part, spring type hose clamps. It took hours of scouring the web for them, but now I have them in stock and a good supplier for them. They are identical to the OEM Toyota clamps, except for the color and cost a fraction as much.
In goes the engine.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Still working on the cooling system, trying to detail it out, but close to being finished. It's important to keep the system simple in design and easy to work on and also find replacement hoses easily. The upper radiator hose situation was complicated, since the Champion radiator has the inlet on the opposite side of the engine bay. I could have gone to a Griffin radiator, like Stan uses, but this one was already here and is more than capable of keeping things cool. Also, they are readily available and for a lot less money. That said, I could have modified the upper inlet to make a hose connection simple, but that would make a quick emergency radiator replacement impossible (I hope that never happens, but I plan for all contingencies). Instead I made a custom coolant tube. Using a very tight radius mandrel bend (2 actually), I was able to build the tube to nestle inside the void at the top of the shroud, and it connects to the radiator using a cut down, factory GM LS truck hose on the one side and a short, straight section on the other.
Here are the pics of the thought process and then of the final hose/tube combo.
This was my first thought.
Then this.
But the passenger side routing had the hose rubbing on the shroud, and also took up valuable space that I needed for the intake tube. So I finished with this.
Had to make one side of the tubing accept 1.5" hose (the same as the radiator) so I machined a sleeve and welded it onto the bend.
This is what I ended up with. And it's solid mounted to the shroud too.
Here are the pics of the thought process and then of the final hose/tube combo.
This was my first thought.
Then this.
But the passenger side routing had the hose rubbing on the shroud, and also took up valuable space that I needed for the intake tube. So I finished with this.
Had to make one side of the tubing accept 1.5" hose (the same as the radiator) so I machined a sleeve and welded it onto the bend.
This is what I ended up with. And it's solid mounted to the shroud too.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Next up, intake manifold modification.
More later...
More later...
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Thanks Marshall.
Real time seems to be working. I used to wait until the job was near done or even complete before I started a thread, so I could have better control of the story line, but this way, you guys get to see it with all it's potential pitfalls. The side benefit is that it motivates me to get work done on it so I have something to show.
Matt
Real time seems to be working. I used to wait until the job was near done or even complete before I started a thread, so I could have better control of the story line, but this way, you guys get to see it with all it's potential pitfalls. The side benefit is that it motivates me to get work done on it so I have something to show.
Matt
Adventurous
Explorer
This is beautiful. I love watching it progress as well as you sharing what didn't work.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Thanks.
I guess I hadn't thought about it that way, but you're right. Maybe it's therapy for me to verbalize it.
I guess I hadn't thought about it that way, but you're right. Maybe it's therapy for me to verbalize it.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Getting close now. If everything goes as planned, and nothing ever actually goes as planned, maybe another two weeks before this is running and driving...? There is some other work, not engine related that may hold us up for a few days.
As promised, here are some pics of the intake manifold mods. You're probably thinking performance mods, well...no. When the motor mounts were built, I made the call to have the engine as high as possible. Too many times have I had to build front suspensions around oil pans and front crank pulleys, so whenever possible, get the engine out of the way to make life easier. This truck isn't getting a front 3-link, but it still has a front axle with a diff and a driveshaft plus all the steering components. Anyway...
The intake hit the hood the first time out of the gate, so the engine was lowered almost an inch. Then the engine cover hit the hood, but I didn't want a plastic decorative piece delegating where we put the engine, so that got thrown away. What's left is a manifold that aint too pretty. The car intakes are much nicer to look at. It took about an hour to remove the unneeded pieces and clean up the cuts, but I think it looks good now.
As promised, here are some pics of the intake manifold mods. You're probably thinking performance mods, well...no. When the motor mounts were built, I made the call to have the engine as high as possible. Too many times have I had to build front suspensions around oil pans and front crank pulleys, so whenever possible, get the engine out of the way to make life easier. This truck isn't getting a front 3-link, but it still has a front axle with a diff and a driveshaft plus all the steering components. Anyway...
The intake hit the hood the first time out of the gate, so the engine was lowered almost an inch. Then the engine cover hit the hood, but I didn't want a plastic decorative piece delegating where we put the engine, so that got thrown away. What's left is a manifold that aint too pretty. The car intakes are much nicer to look at. It took about an hour to remove the unneeded pieces and clean up the cuts, but I think it looks good now.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Next up was some detail work. I wanted to use the Toyota temp and oil senders. It's a lot easier to find a home for those than it is to wire in resistors and other doo-dads. On most engines, finding holes for these items is a piece of cake. On this one, not so much. The ECU needed water temp, so the GM sender needed to be in place. I didn't want to use the coolant tube tee style location nor did I want to drill and tap into the water pump, so after some web searching, the best location seemed to be in the passenger side cylinder head.This probably isn't the optimal spot for a sending unit, as the back of the head temp may not be the same as the water coming out of the block, but I figured it's a relative reading and if it works, it saved a bunch of time. Once we fire it up and get it up to temp, we can look at the gauge and see where it's reading. I'm betting it will be close enough so as to be a reliable indicator of normal and high engine temps. If it doesn't work out, we can move it.
First, I had to drill and tap the hole in the head. You only get one shot at this, so I better be careful.
I ditched the rubber o-ring and used a copper crush washer and even went a step further and used a liquid thread sealer to keep the liquids inside.
Finding the proper adapter for the oil temp gauge proved to be fruitless, so guess what...I made one. The block uses 16 x 1.5 threads and I found a 16x1.5 to 1/8 NPT bung from Auto Meter. Then on top of that, Advance Adapters had a 1/8 NPT to 1/8 BSPT that I used to mount the Toyota sender. I think that last piece is for standard SBC engines.
First, I had to drill and tap the hole in the head. You only get one shot at this, so I better be careful.
I ditched the rubber o-ring and used a copper crush washer and even went a step further and used a liquid thread sealer to keep the liquids inside.
Finding the proper adapter for the oil temp gauge proved to be fruitless, so guess what...I made one. The block uses 16 x 1.5 threads and I found a 16x1.5 to 1/8 NPT bung from Auto Meter. Then on top of that, Advance Adapters had a 1/8 NPT to 1/8 BSPT that I used to mount the Toyota sender. I think that last piece is for standard SBC engines.
Last edited:
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
I almost forgot the other manifold mods. A couple small items were purchased to make the job easier.
As part of the ECU wiring and tuning, we no longer needed the EVAP solenoid, so that got deleted. NOVAK sells a delete kit for about $20.
Then the vacuum booster nipple was swapped out. The GM unit is huge, and I hate making in-line adapters. Luckily NOVAK sold me one that goes in place of the stock unit.
Then for fuel delivery, AN fittings are a lot easier to use than the snap-fit connectors. So a snap-fit to AN connector was added to the fuel rail. Also, this fuel system uses a three way regulator so I could delete the return line at the manifold. All that's required there is to remove the vacuum line that comes from the mainfold to the GM regulator, then cap both ends. I may decide to make a plug for the un-used rail in the future, but we don't need it at this point.
As part of the ECU wiring and tuning, we no longer needed the EVAP solenoid, so that got deleted. NOVAK sells a delete kit for about $20.
Then the vacuum booster nipple was swapped out. The GM unit is huge, and I hate making in-line adapters. Luckily NOVAK sold me one that goes in place of the stock unit.
Then for fuel delivery, AN fittings are a lot easier to use than the snap-fit connectors. So a snap-fit to AN connector was added to the fuel rail. Also, this fuel system uses a three way regulator so I could delete the return line at the manifold. All that's required there is to remove the vacuum line that comes from the mainfold to the GM regulator, then cap both ends. I may decide to make a plug for the un-used rail in the future, but we don't need it at this point.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
Sorry for the blurry pics. I still haven't figured out all the nuances of my new camera.
While laying out the wiring, I noticed this huge plug that went along with the trans harness. Couldn't figure out what it was for, then I remembered that I bought two engines at the same time and the custom harnesses are made for each engine. The other swap is getting a 4L60E, so I went and grabbed the other harness and was happy to find that the other harness did not have that plug.
While laying out the wiring, I noticed this huge plug that went along with the trans harness. Couldn't figure out what it was for, then I remembered that I bought two engines at the same time and the custom harnesses are made for each engine. The other swap is getting a 4L60E, so I went and grabbed the other harness and was happy to find that the other harness did not have that plug.
