1966 LS swap

[overpaid]

Windage tray cut. Pan checked and installed. Fit is good, holes lined up. Gasket and hardware look nice too. Not much to say until I drop it in the car and check clearance though...

And no there is not a bolt missing, I guess one is not tapped on the block.....

 

[overpaid]

Headers look good. For the price compared to the hooker ones even if I have to massage them I’m okay with that

 

[kmakar]

Looks pretty.

 

[overpaid]

Hoping for this weekend, if not then next one we should see how and if it all fits!

 

[Alwhite00]

Pan looks pretty thin up front, you may be ok.

 

[Jasons69Chevelle]

What oil pump seal did you end up having to use? Did that pan come with a pick up tube?

 

[overpaid]

I just used the pickup and o ring that came with the pan. I did not touch anything with the oil pump

 

[Jasons69Chevelle]

Don’t forget the sealant on the flexplate bolts.

 

[overpaid]

seemed to fit fine. we will see..

 

[cage2592]

When taking pans off and doing VVT, AFM deletes, we use either Melling's 10295 or 10296 pumps

To give an idea on seals:


Also one of these in the pan:

 

[Jasons69Chevelle]

Getting that oil pump o ring right vs wrong is life or death for that engine. Imagine trying to drink through a straw with a hole above the liquid. Pick up tube depth is also important again life or death. May want to look into MLS header gaskets. (GM factory style) oil pump girdle is a add layer of security. If the pick up tube came with 2 bolts attachment a girdle isn’t needed (Holley 302-3 has a 2 bolt setup)

 

[Nashville Cat]

seemed to fit fine. we will see..

The oil pan should come with the correct pickup tube and oring, so I think you're fine.
These oil pans probably come from the same China manufacturer of the Holley pan.

 

[68Chevele]

Where does that new Melling relief valve go?

 

[Jasons69Chevelle]

 

[overpaid]

Engine is in! Okay first things first. I want to say I do not see how I could have gotten it in without that Oberg tilt lift (maybe if I had a helper but this was a one man job). Worth every bit of the 90 bucks I paid! That little guy is amazing, you can tilt the engine back and forth with a 1/2 inch ratchet, almost effortlessly.

Okay so now the good stuff. It was not easy, so if you are expecting it to drop in nicely for some reason like I was be prepared to be disappointed!

Engine/trans went in once and then I took it out, was not dropping on the factory engine mounts all the way. I also could tell there was a little interference with the trans cooler lines to floor and the bell housing to the floor. Also the oil pan was hitting the cross-member, I had to use every bit of back spacing (heads up to firewall) intake had to come off, in order to get it to drop and I will admit I used a bar between the oil pan the cross-member to get it back just enough to drop. Another person helping push the engine back while I was slowly dropping would have helped and I am sure the bar would not have been needed but you can see the one picture where the front of the oil pan is right above the back of the cross member and it just need that little bump to go back in order for the engine to drop.

So after I took it out the first time I took a hand sledge and did some massaging everywhere I saw the trans was coming in contact with the floor. Mainly around the area of the cooler lines and top of bell housing. You could argue maybe it is not needed but I think this was necessary to get the engine to drop on the factory mounts. I think using a jack to bring the back (tail shaft) up and front of engine down was necessary and the massaging gave it some clearance to come up.

Another important point is that I had to loosen the factory mounts where they connect to the cross-member. Three bolts on each side. This helped to bring them up a little so I could get the mount bolts in. I also had to play a little dropping it down and up and then using a jack under the tail shaft of the trans in order to get it to finally take a seat.

Now on the oil pan, I would be surprised if I could get a piece of paper in there between it and the cross-member. I would say the engine needs to go back just a touch more. Maybe the holley mounts do that....? If I knew for a fact the Holley pan has more clearance or the mounts put the engine back just a little I would have paid the extra but remember I opted to not use the Holley engine mounts and cross-member, so I could easily have these same issues with the holley pan, keep that in mind. I used ICT billet plates with energy suspension factory engine mounts. Maybe a lap wheel to the oil pan would help a clearance little, not sure I would want to do that but the final word is that it fits but it is TIGHT to the cross-member. Overall I am still happy I did it this way because I have saved a lot of money.

I am curious for guys that used the holley engine mounts and oil pan if it was literally drop it, easy or you still had to play around to get it to sit??? If you can honestly say that it dropped in easy and no back and forth then I would say it is worth it to go with the holley stuff. And please, not you heard it was easy but only if you yourself actually did the swap, let us know.


Next we will see how these headers fit. Driver's side looks like it will be TIGHT but the passenger side looks like a breeze.

 

[kmakar]

Nice write up. Great info.

 

[Jasons69Chevelle]

Install the headers from the bottom that makes them way easier to install. Did mine in 20 minutes. The first time took about 3 hours from the top and many curse words.

 

[Nashville Cat]

Install the headers from the bottom that makes them way easier to install. Did mine in 20 minutes. The first time took about 3 hours from the top and many curse words.

I always hang mine with string attached to the upper control arms before setting the engine in.
The drivers side is impossible in a 68 Camaro unless you do that.

 

[Alwhite00]

Hows the tie rod clearance? I posted pictures of my -2 oil pan clearance on the first page. 1" setback mount plates with standard frame stands.the engine/trans dropped in with zero issues by myself.

 

[overpaid]

So it just kisses it on the passenger side, it is losing about half a turn on the passenger side. It is odd though because the driver's side there is plenty of space....with all of the extra space on the driver's side I think the engine is cocked a little TBH.