L29 454 swap

[marauderprime]

That's incredibly half-assed on their part. I'm not sure that you can disable alternator control within a 2000 PCM. They left a wire out of the engine harness and told you to jumper the damned thing instead of doing it right or offering you a corrected harness.

I have used Howell harnesses in the past and had good luck, when I first started talking to my g-body buddies about this swap they all said Howell. I will say this experience has been less stellar than the experiences I have had in the past. Wrong connectors all over the place, no option for electric fan plug, even though my truck had a factory electric helper fan, and the computer controls it. I will say that they have responded to every issue I have had, although they flat out didnt even have the correct CS144 alt connector (they sent me one for the CS130 which the base models had, but the tow packages got the bigger 140 amp alternators), so I had to purchase that on my own and splice it in. The way it routes is not my favorite at all, but on the bright side, the wires were loomed well, they were identified correctly. I wouldnt say this has soured my opinion on them, I just get the feeling that they have done 10,000 TPI harnesses, 10,000 LT1 Harnesses, probably 30,000 LSX harnesses, and i feel like maybe 10 or 15 of these 7.4 harnesses lol. I work in the service industry, I know how difficult it can be to make all of the people happy all of the time.

Realistically, I should have put a 6.0 in this car. I had a 5.3 in my last one and it was great, but this was just a whim thing. I had always wanted a big block, this swap didnt require any chassis or mount mods other than the g-force crossmember which I would have put in anyway, and the price was right. All in, with everything said and done, I would be willing to bet I don't even have $1800 bucks in this swap, and I went from a maybe 200 horsepower leakier than the exxon valdez carburated targetmaster 350 and TH350 to a modern EFI touch the key and start every time, toughest automatic ever made, 320 horsepower (probably close to 500 ft lbs) of torque motor that dropped right in. I am happy with the swap, and I know ill get these minor issues sorted out.

I certainly appreciate everyones help guidance and support that ive gotten on here.

 

[marauderprime]

It was the exciter wire!!!!

got it figured out. Now i just need to finish hooking up the gauges, figure something out for the shifter, hook the exhaust up, put the interior back together, and figure out the a/c situation.

Also my new projector HID headlights came

 

[marauderprime]

HID’s are in, adjusted and awesome. Drove it to work, its been as reliable as my 2018 charger.
Got the gauges mostly working, then got more working.

every gauge now works except for the speedo and the gas gauge. Both of which baffle me.

the howell harness literally has a labelled wire that says vss wire to electric speedo. The gauge instructions for vss equipped vehicles says hook speedo to vss wire. They are hooked up and nothing.

similar story with the fuel gauge. The old factory gauge worked pretty decently. New gauge hooked up to sending unit wire doesn't work. Weird.

Took it to the exhaust shop to get my collectors with 02 bungs installed attached to my stainless mandrel bent 2.5” exhaust.
Exhaust guy puts it on the lift and chickens out. Says the drivers side manifold is too close to the frame. Its close, but i didnt think it was that close, so he tells me to find a better drivers side manifold and come back. While its on the lift, i discovered the oil pressure sending unit had come undone, the wire loom around the knock sensor wire melted off, and there were chords hanging out and splitting on the very inside of my front tires.

i fixed the issues, then took it to discount tire.
$250 later i had brand new 235/50/17 tires up front. They clearly need to be aligned asap, which i will do just as soon as the car is on the road again. It already felt much better going from the 215/55/17’s to the 235/50/17s even without the alignment, and check out that tuck!!!!!! No rubbing at all.

I picked up a different dorman bbc exhaust manifold On the way home that didnt work, even after i “clearanced (with a sawzall)” my drivers side motor mount.

i took it back, and was going to get a 70 chevelle manifold, then i just said screw it, and ordered a set of Doug’s 318 g-body swap headers, with 2” primaries and 3.5” collectors.

overkill on my motor, but room to grow.

i disassembled the drivers side, and then dropped 2 important tools down the hood latch hole into the sealed SS airbox.

i cussed. Alot. And haven't touched the car since last Tuesday. Thanks to Covid, they apparently shipped my headers from Georgia (1 state over) in a row boat.Tomorrow is 11 days since i ordered them.

i ordered the Doug’s because i didnt like that hooker’s swap headers used slip tubes. 4 days after i ordered them i figured out the doug’s headers do too. Then i found that hedman makes g-body swap headers with no slip tubes and 1 7/8th” primaries. Oops. Should i send the Doug’s back and get the Hedmans?

i really want to drive the car again because im completely addicted to the big block already, but i also want to do this right, and cuss less.

ive never heard anybody say anything bad about Doug’s headers, quite the contrary actually, but still. Slip tubes. Geesh.

any feedback or anecdotes about headers are welcomed and appreciated.

more updates to follow.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Unless you're making huge HP numbers,those 1 7/8 headers are all you really need.
The smaller primary tubes might make for easier spark plug access and also more room by the lower control arm brackets.
A magnetic pick up tool might help retrieve your lost tools in that airbox.
Or next time you take the engine out LOL
Guy

 

[fleming442]

Usually, electric speedos need programmed. I don't know what gauges you have, but there seems to be a COMM issue.

 

[scoti]

As long as you can return what you don't use (& since it might be a min before you get the Doug's headers), why not try the Headmans?

 

[marauderprime]

Got my garage set up, and my “clearancing tools” ready.

giggity.

 

[Supercharged111]

Which are these again? Curious to see how they hang. Mine are low. Too low.

 

[marauderprime]

Which are these again? Curious to see how they hang. Mine are low. Too low.

Doug’s.

theyre in!
I cracked my a/c box following their instructions. Ugh. I was so close to a/c.

they clear the frame and the body though. They are big. Everything in the engine bay is either millimeters away or or gently touching it. I have to relocate my oil pressure sending unit, and plug the old location. The starter wire is ridiculous. Im probably going to have to redo it and find new routing for it. It has heat shielding on it, but with the current routing i dont think its designed to deal with the kind of heat that would be involved in the starter cable snaking through the primary tubes.

otherwise, im excited to finish buttoning the thing up.

 

[Supercharged111]

How low are the collectors?