1987 Olds 5.3L LS turbo swap

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FirstClass 383

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Feb 8, 2013
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looking pretty sick, im in the process of doing the same thing to my 87, do you have pic of the frame mounts, the crack head that had this car before me built his own frame mounts and they are pure sh*t no matter what i do i cant get my 5.3 to sit like it is suppose to, not sure of the camschells i need cause of the amount of holes in the frame, I really like how you mounted your inter cooler well done
 
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Injectedcutty

G body LS mafia
Nov 24, 2014
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looking pretty sick, im in the process of doing the same thing to my 87, do you have pic of the frame mounts, the crack head that had this car before me built his own frame mounts and they are pure sh*t no matter what i do i cant get my 5.3 to sit like it is suppose to, not sure of the camschells i need cause of the amount of holes in the frame, I really like how you mounted your inter cooler well done
Fyi....use oem sbc clamshells mounted in the stock position on the crossmember. Only 3 bolts hold em with the front lower part of the mount hanging off. Get some LS swap plates and bolt the factory engine side mounts to them....that's my process but yet to make it far enough to drop the engine.
I think the OP used universal LS mounts and welded them to the crossmember.
 
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GBodyscuffle

Master Mechanic
May 24, 2014
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Keysville, VA
looking pretty sick, im in the process of doing the same thing to my 87, do you have pic of the frame mounts, the crack head that had this car before me built his own frame mounts and they are pure sh*t no matter what i do i cant get my 5.3 to sit like it is suppose to, not sure of the camschells i need cause of the amount of holes in the frame, I really like how you mounted your inter cooler well done

Thanks man I appreciate it. Sorry to hear your previously owner wasn't mechanically inclined along with the idiot that had my car before me. It can be a pain to fix someone elses stuff especially when they didnt know what they were doing lol. The motor mounts i used were the ebay universals, they pretty much are cut to fit and you weld them to the crossmember as Injectedcutty said. Not gonna lie... mine are not perfect but the motor is pretty square and level in the car and it works for me for now. Later on it will get replaced with something better. If you use them remember to measure and measure again. Once you've measured it, measure it one more time lol. Cant hurt to be sure. If you rush bad things can happen lol.


Fyi....use oem sbc clamshells mounted in the stock position on the crossmember. Only 3 bolts hold em with the front lower part of the mount hanging off. Get some LS swap plates and bolt the factory engine side mounts to them....that's my process but yet to make it far enough to drop the engine.
I think the OP used universal LS mounts and welded them to the crossmember.

Yes they were the universal weld-in mounts. I actually plan to redo them later and beef them up further and convert them to a solid mount and delete the poly bushing inside. They will be a no-no with my hotside. Dont want cracking and what not lol.
 
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GBodyscuffle

Master Mechanic
May 24, 2014
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Keysville, VA
Got my IAT sensor installed in the intake yesterday. I welded an aluminum 3/8" bung a couple inches before the throttle body and the sensor screws in. As for the wiring, you just splice into the wires from the maf sensor. No more maf for me. All speed density from here on out. Let the fun begin... Looks way cleaner without the ugly maf now too.

I dont think the fan i had before will fit anymore. So i think i need to start looking for a slimmer fan. The motor on this one sticks out way too far to fit. Any suggestions?

intercooler5-8-17.jpg
 

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Injectedcutty

G body LS mafia
Nov 24, 2014
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Have you mocked up the radiator to see what clearance you have from the rad to the hot pipes? If not, once you drop it in, see what that measurement is. I'm pretty sure my dual electric fans are only a few inches deep including the shroud.
 
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GBodyscuffle

Master Mechanic
May 24, 2014
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Keysville, VA
Have you mocked up the radiator to see what clearance you have from the rad to the hot pipes? If not, once you drop it in, see what that measurement is. I'm pretty sure my dual electric fans are only a few inches deep including the shroud.

I had it mocked up once before. I cant make the fan fit in the center where it was before. It would fit off to one side down low. Thats why i was wondering about some slim fans maybe. Like 2 small ones instead of one big one like i have. I havent really looked at any just yet. Any good brand names for a decent price?
 

Injectedcutty

G body LS mafia
Nov 24, 2014
6,057
22,807
113
Louisville, KY
Have you mocked up the radiator to see what clearance you have from the rad to the hot pipes? If not, once you drop it in, see what that measurement is. I'm pretty sure my dual electric fans are only a few inches deep including the shroud.
I had it mocked up once before. I cant make the fan fit in the center where it was before. It would fit off to one side down low. Thats why i was wondering about some slim fans maybe. Like 2 small ones instead of one big one like i have. I havent really looked at any just yet. Any good brand names for a decent price?
Here is the kind i have for my 87. I had the spal's...but when the cutlass went into resto mode my brother n law confiscated them for his BBC 68 camaro lol! He gave me fair $$ for them, so i bought this setup.

They pull the same cfm and amperage as the spals, just WAY cheaper... $127 shipped vs $2xx!!!

Hit up fleabay, literally search for dual electric fans.
Screenshot_20170508-225436.png
 
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