LSX 1979 Scottsdale

[1nasty86]

doing this swap for my pops... 1979 chevrolet scottsdale. Plans are to fully strip the truck and do a frame up resto on it but not too flashy as it is a hunting truck... motor is a 2005 lq4, 799 heads with comp. 918 springs, 216/224 .585/.585 114+5 cam, tbss intake and going to have full exhaust with a 4x4 80e and connect to the np205 transfer case... more to come... and here are some pics

[Firebirdjones]

I did this swap (6.0/4L60E) in my 72 4x4 blazer with a NP205. You are going to have your hands full trying to squeeze that 4L80E in there.

That's the trans I had here and was going to use at first. But no matter how you cut it, you can't move the engine forward far enough to accomodate it. (I had to move mine 1.5" forward as it was just to use the 4L60E) and that was all the room you'll have because the oil pan gets too close to the front diff.

Only way to make the 4L80E work is to also move the transfer case backwards. It can be done but requires surgery and more money. New front and rear driveshafts will have to be made, the floor will have to be cut because the transfer case shifter will be moved back, and if you have a console (like I do) that is going to cause interference too and will have to be moved backwards. A bench seat might work however.

All of this stuff I wasn't willing to do on my truck (especially cutting the floor on a rust free truck) and a pair of $600 driveshafts didn't excite me on a swap that had already cost me $$$thousands.

You will however have a much easier time mounting the engine in a 79 since you have a fixed crossmember. I had to make a custom crossmember to accomodate the LS setup (72 blazer crossmembers bolt in)

Once it's done you'll love it. Drive mine everyday. Goodluck with it.

[2002ssslp]

I did this swap (6.0/4L60E) in my 72 4x4 blazer with a NP205. You are going to have your hands full trying to squeeze that 4L80E in there.

That's the trans I had here and was going to use at first. But no matter how you cut it, you can't move the engine forward far enough to accomodate it. (I had to move mine 1.5" forward as it was just to use the 4L60E) and that was all the room you'll have because the oil pan gets too close to the front diff.

Only way to make the 4L80E work is to also move the transfer case backwards. It can be done but requires surgery and more money. New front and rear driveshafts will have to be made, the floor will have to be cut because the transfer case shifter will be moved back, and if you have a console (like I do) that is going to cause interference too and will have to be moved backwards. A bench seat might work however.

All of this stuff I wasn't willing to do on my truck (especially cutting the floor on a rust free truck) and a pair of $600 driveshafts didn't excite me on a swap that had already cost me $$$thousands.

You will however have a much easier time mounting the engine in a 79 since you have a fixed crossmember. I had to make a custom crossmember to accomodate the LS setup (72 blazer crossmembers bolt in)

Once it's done you'll love it. Drive mine everyday. Goodluck with it.

Can he get a T-56 in there and just hang a clutch pedal ?

[Firebirdjones]

Can he get a T-56 in there and just hang a clutch pedal ?

Doubtfull. Not only is the T56 also too long of a trans, but no one that I'm aware of would make a bracket that would adapt the tail housing to an NP205 transfer case.

If you want a manual then the factory truck SM465 would be the easier way to go (but you don't get an overdrive that way)

Advance Adapters makes all the trans adapters for swaps like this (to mate to just about any transfer case), but they are mainly for the auto transmission setups like the 700r's/4L60's/4L80's and some of the other brands.

If it were a 2 wheel drive swap then you could put any trans you desire in there, T56 or a TKO600, even an old muncie if you wished. It's the 4x4 transfer case and the necessary adapters that make this swap a little tricky (and expensive).

[Firebirdjones]

Here is what you are up against.

This is a 4L60 adapter setup from Advance.





Here is a different shot showing the speed sensor that screws into the adapter. The output shaft also has to be changed to a shorter piece, (another reason a T56 won't work) which requires the entire trans to be torn down to swap it. No big deal as I was building this one to hold some HP anyway. You can also see the reluctor wheel in this shot that attaches to the new output shaft.



All this is done to mount to this big hunk of cast iron



Another hickup you run into is that brand new transfer case mount you see in the pic above. The adapter kit requires that you machine your original mount. I didn't want to do that because I wanted to keep the factory setup as is (with original trans) Advance Adapters sells these mounts brand new (as you can see in the pic) and will ship them with machine work already done, makes the swap a breeze but adds another $200+ to the swap

[1nasty86]

yeah ive looked at the adapters and im gonna tackle that when the time comes... as for clearance ill do the bmfh'ing as needed