How would you layout this LM7 5.3 setup?

I have an LM7 5.3 from a 99 Silverado and PSI harness. It was a total mess when I first got it, but I managed to do a few things. It took me a while to get the intake situated properly beneath the radiator hose, and I got the relays and fuse blocks wired up and mounted on the driver side onto the silver metal plate.

However two problems with the current layout:
1) with the cabin side / PCM of the PSI harness is situated on the driver side with the relays and fuses mounted on plate "B", the PSI harness is under tension and some wires are tight; my concern being once the car gets driven a bit, the wires will come loose.
2) The Dorman overflow tank I was going to use at "A" doesn't fit there and needs a place, and I am thinking of moving it to where the cold air intake is. Or I can change the tank design to one which is flatter like the Mazda 3 one that is currently hooked up (need to change the overflow design to just one line running to the bottle).

I am thinking of moving the intake to the driver side where the relay / fuses are at "A", and move the harness / relays / fuses to the passenger side at "C" which would give them plenty of slack, and installing the overflow tank where the intake currently sits.

However the power steering fluid reservoir is in the way of where the intake would install; how are your power steering fluid reservoir setups looking?

It took me a while to get to where I am now, but I would rather take more time and have it setup right. Excuse the messy wiring I unmounted stuff and need to complete the looming. I have seen people have their intakes on both the driver side and passenger side, trying to figure out what is best to do in my situation here.




Power steering:

Well I decided to keep things pretty much in place for now, however the power steering pump reservoir needs to move. Has anyone seen remote design like this before on an LS? Was it a factory? I am trying to figure out why the prior owner would have gone this route instead of the PS pump with the built on reservoir for a cleaner setup and more room for other things.

64nailhead said:

I’m a firm believer in get it running and driving to work out all of the electrical kinks. Then clean it up from there one piece at a time.

I practice what I’m preaching.


Regarding the PS pump, head off to the junk yard and grab a stock PS setup. You might have to buy a couple of aftermarket PS fittings (Dorman) from a local parts store. I’ve used factory Ps pressure lines. The return is what needs an aftermath fitting into the gear. ⚙️ f you need to love the ECM, then adapt and overcome

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Agreed. I am going to keep everything in the same general area for now just to get it running and slowly move things around when time permits.
Have you ever seen a PS setup like this with the remote reservoir on an LS? I haven't on any of the swaps I am seeing online.

64nailhead said:

Yes, but not when using a truck alternator and power steering pump bracket. If you're using the big bracket, then I don't understand why you would use a factory pump that includes the reservoir.

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I am new to these LS swaps - is the bracket I am using considered the "big" bracket? If so does that mean I should be using the factory pump that includes the reservoir?

doood said:

Cold air intake looks like it belongs there, although you're supposed to have several diameters of straight pipe before the MAF to get the flow developed. I wouldn't use the dorman overflow tank, use the original or find an original; not sure what that is getting you. Also, if the wires are under tension, you should incrementally move things to relieve that tension, even if it means making a bracket or using zip-ties. That swap looks good - you're like close to done.

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Thanks. I have the original tank I may put back. I was going to use the Dorman as it is newer and smaller so I could place it out of the way behind the headlight incase I ever decided to move the PCM over to where the overflow tank was.

I didn't know that about the MAF, so it should be further back from the air filter?

Cleaned up some more wiring, mounted the relays / fuse block:



Found the old overflow tank and cleaned it up. Used sand / hot water / bleach / degreaser to clean the inside grim out of it: