The Earl Truck: An Even Sloppier LS-Swapped Colorado

84FSP said:

OneSickGNX said:

I don't know if you checked rockauto but they have a good deal for a clutch assembly for an LS7 Vette that's made by luks which make some good stuff. I'm contemplating -3 bulkheads in the bellhousing instead of just holes but, I'm not sure what all I would need to do so.

This was a pimpy upgrade to the crappy dual mass setup on my V.  One of my favorite mods ironically.

I wanted the LS7 kit, but it wasn't readily available when I was buying. I did buy the LUK 04905 which is the "stage 1" option if you buy from Fabbot Fab (the adapter company). It's also just an ls1 replacement. I got mine from Rockauto for less than what others were charging. 

LS swappy things update.

I ordered a ton of parts off eBay to get the build started.

Sloppy Stage 2 Cam:

PAC 1218 Springs:

$160 stand alone ebay wiring harness:

Muscle car oil pan.  Chineseium, of course:

S10 LS Swap Headers for $88:

Then, I got to work.  I swapped the cam using dowel rods.  Pretty easy.  Starring down the barrel:

I can't say I enjoyed swapping valve springs.  I used the compressed air method and changed valve stem seals while I was in there.  The spring compressor tool I used sucked a lot.  Next time I do this, I'm buying a name brand tool. 

After I got the oil pan on and the springs/cam swapped, I put the engine back in the corner.  Pulled out the trans from the blue truck and put on the Fabbot adaptor.

I should have probably cleaned the trans, but honestly I'm tired of cleaning at the point.  I did clean/paint the bellhousing.  All put on:

You can see in the bottom left, I had to use a hole saw to provide access to the clutch line and bleeder.  The swap uses an LS1 style tob.  Accessing the bleeder inside the bellhousing is near impossible, so I sprung for the braided remote bleeder.  I may end up ordering the braided feed line also, but I'm trying to stop buying parts right now and use what I have.

Next step is to clean the garage today and roll in the Earl Truck for 4-cylinder engine removal.  Stay tuned. 

Cleaned out a bay and pulled the truck in to start pulling the 4 cylinder and trans. Pretty straightforward. I gotta say, I was really questioning my life choices taking a truck that runs and drives so well apart as it is. 

Got a good bit of the harness unhooked from the chassis and a few other odds and ends. I really hate draining coolant and just couldn't bring myself to pull the ripcord this weekend. 

 

The best thing about a truck project is all the storage available in the bed. 

Decided to stop early tonight in preparation of the upcoming winter storm. I'm going for the amateur sledding world land speed record. 

Is that an official Super Dave Osborne helmet?

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Nah. Just an $85 special I got with a credit from the Amazonian's. 
 

Love the build, that truck is so clean. In for more updates. 

Whats gonna replace the previous DD chevy 1500?

In reply to nsogiba :

Thanks. Goal is to have the 4 cylinder out this weekend. We'll see. 

onemanarmy said:

Whats gonna replace the previous DD chevy 1500?

Replacement acquired. 2010 Mazda6 Grand Touring. Love this car. 2.7 v6 is fun. I really like the styling. I've read Mazda copied a lot of the body panels from the RX8. 

Scotty Con Queso said:

In reply to nsogiba :

Thanks. Goal is to have the 4 cylinder out this weekend. We'll see. 

Goal not achieved.  Good news is that I have everything (except the 10 things you have to disconnect while operating the engine hoist) off the 4-cylinder and trans to pull as one lump.  The only thing left is the engine mounts.  All the fluids are drained.  I'm super OCD about cleaning up spilled oil/antifreeze so I spent a lot of time doing that this weekend.

Like I said, ready to pull, so why didn't I? Ran out of steam when the snow started.  I don't have enough room to pull the engine with the truck completely in the garage.  I really like to stay warm.  We'll see what next weekend holds.  No pictures.  Nothing to see here.

Until next time... 

Going...

Going...

Gone.

That's kinda where I quit yesterday after I cleaned up. Engine came out easily without fuss.

Cleanest motor pull I've seen in a while - no puddles of coolant and oil under the truck?

That has to be a moment when you question your life choices - pulling a decently happy running motor/trans.  Keep it up as this is a fantastic build.

In reply to nsogiba :

Like I said above, I'm OCD about draining fluids and cleaning up. I tried my best to make sure every fluid was as drained as possible.

Also - these pics make my garage look crazy clean. I mean it's clean, but way dirtier and messier in person. 

Some light progress. I really wanted to get the engine in the truck but failed to do so. I absolutely have to get the engine and trans bolted in by next Sunday as I have another Focus coming to my driveway.

Progress was made in getting the clutch hung and the engine and trans mated. 

No pictures but I did have to trim the frame slightly to get the mounts ready. Speaking of which, these are the mounts I got from Current Performance. Pretty nice and they allow you to move the engine back and forth as desired. 

I then mounted the fan to the stock radiator. Turned out pretty good. Hope this is sufficient. Fan is from an early 90s Volvo (s40 maybe)? It's a 2 speed fan and already has factory relays. Should be easy to wire. 

Up next was pressure washing the bay. It wasn't horrible but I wanted to clean it best I could. Got rid of a lot of thick grease on the cross member and power steering setup. Not instagram perfect but an improvement.  I'm hoping to bend the factory power steering lines to fit the LS truck pump. I've been told it's possible but I'm pretty suspicious.

Right now, my plan is to get the engine in and get the mechanical connections sorted and save wiring for last. I'm going to need your help because I'm wiring incompetent. 

Unt next time... 

Good progress! That does look super clean for a northern truck. Msg me if you want some help when you go to do the wiring.

In reply to OneSickGNX :

Thank you! The truck is from Arizona so it's definitely not a northern rig. I've learned that anything worth building should be bought from far away from here.

Ill take you up on the wiring help.  Did you use a Chinese stand alone also? 

In reply to Scotty Con Queso :

Ah. Makes sense now, Lol. I keep meaning to take a trip to Kentucky to visit family and just look around for older vehicles since they don't get a lot of snow or salt air so I think it could be a good area to pickup projects. 

I thinned a factory harness. I honestly don't think it was that bad but I definitely learned a few things for next time. Are you using a factory ecu or a Holley, MS, etc?

Cool project!  I just found the thread and am excited to follow along.  The Colorado's had not really hit my radar yet...but I can see them being a platform I get into at some point.

In reply to OneSickGNX :

I have a Chinese stand alone LS harness and a reflashed stock ECU. 

If you have a volt meter with a continuity tester it definitely makes things easier if you can't figure out where a plug goes. Most of them are fairly easy to discern though just because of their location on the harness. Are you running a MAF and if so does the harness have a provision for it? Some of the aftermarket harnesses don't as a lot of people run speed density tunes.

Engine and trans are in and roughly bolted in. I need to fine adjust the position of the engine before I lock it in place. Really happy with how much room there is in the bay.

Now it's time to start turning bolts to the right. 

Still making slow progress. Work has gotten out of control and I have no life anymore. So that means I work on this 3 hours a week if I'm lucky.

Anyway,m, I wanted to show how well this adapter lines up when the stock truck. That's an aftermarket poly trans mount but the stock would work. Stock cross member lines up perfect. Clutch hydraulic line, shifter, etc. all line up like stock. 

I then mounted the radiator and fans temporarily. Good clearance. Then the eBay fan zip ties all broke and the fan fell off. Buying a name brand set in hopes of them actually lasting. Did a few other things like install heater core hoses. 

Right now I'm working on mounting a drive by cable accelerator pedal and cable from a 90s blazer as the stock Colorado is drive by wire. 

Looks to have a ton of open bay space there to work in.  Nice progress sir - looking to be quite a clean install.  Will the stock driveshaft and rear end work or are there mods needed?

In reply to 84FSP :

Forgot to mention that I mounted up the stock drive shaft with ease. Not sure how long it will last but an 8.8 swap will be phase 2 of this build.