1986 blazer Tbi swap

[86blazer32]

I've got an 86 blazer in the yard I've been looking to get working on. It needs a new engine and wiring harness. There's a Tbi 5.7l engine on craigslist with all the top end on it and I was wondering what was needed to do this. I know I'm gonna need a new harness and electric fuel pump but is there anything else. Will I need a new ecu? What harness should i use? Will I still pass smog in California? Will it match up to my 700r4? Working with about a 2 grand budget give or take, can I do it with this budget.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

What worries me here is the emissions inspection. It should pass the sniffer, but what about visual? You’d need an ‘87 fuel tank for the pump baffling, the 7747 ECM, an O2 sensor bung, and a factory engine harness from a junker or an aftermarket one. I know @gmachinz makes them, but I don’t know what other options are out there. I don’t know what people do for fuel lines. Braided, perhaps, since you already have an inlet and return in your current setup. Everything’ll match up fine, and it’d be a lot of plug and play. Like I said, emissions is what worries me. I’m assuming it has the CCC system on it since you asked about keeping the ECM and not diesel so it won’t be exempt.

 

[Charlie]

 

[Old77]

Moved thread to an more appropriate sub forum

 

[74 Shortbed]

Welcome to the site..

 

[4WDKC]

honestly if I were you Id look into what it would take to make an ls swap work and pass emissions for you. I wasnt happy with the lack of power mine had and decided to do cam and vortec heads and its better but now I am fighting with tuning the tbi just to get it to the hp level of a 5.3. The 4l60e behind a 5.3 is a direct bolt in. Just something to think about.

 

[86blazer32]

Would it be possible to do a ls and tranny swap with a budget between 2-3 grand, I would prefer the ls but money is the real issue. Just want to get this truck goin again, I miss wheelin her.

 

[4WDKC]

Would it be possible to do a ls and tranny swap with a budget between 2-3 grand, I would prefer the ls but money is the real issue. Just want to get this truck goin again, I miss wheelin her.

AS long as you dont mind doing all the work yourself, reusing the donor harness and dont go overboard they claim it is. For example use a 5.3 and 4l60, the 60 will work with current tcase an not need modify driveshaft. Most will think "if im going to do the hassel of all this I will use a 6.0" then its "the 60 might not hold up to the power so ill get an 80" now they need different tcase, shorten driveshaft/lengthen front shaft. etc and snowballs paste your budget.. Sit down and be honest with yourself about what you will use it for and what you can do yourself. A stock ls swap daily driver wont kill the 60 they way a wheeler/hot rod or tow rig will.

 

[86blazer32]

Well I found a 5.3 for 1300 with the full top end and harness(80,000 miles) on Craigslist just have to find the 4l60e. But before I commit to this I need to know if my np208 tcase will mount up to it. If so what modifications will need to be done to make it shiftable and will my speedo work.

 

[4WDKC]

Well I found a 5.3 for 1300 with the full top end and harness(80,000 miles) on Craigslist just have to find the 4l60e. But before I commit to this I need to know if my np208 tcase will mount up to it. If so what modifications will need to be done to make it shiftable and will my speedo work.

If you cant hear it run I would be very leary about buying an engine for that much, you can usually find them with under 200k mi engine and tranny for much less than that. Also with 03 and newer is drive by wire and you may need to get the gas pedal from the donor car. Have read you can have the ecm flashed to work with a drive by cable just not sure on cost or harness modifications. The 700r4 and the 4l60 are the same with the exception of one being electric and the other mechanical, it should bolt on with no mods needed unless you position the engine differently.

 

[86blazer32]

If you cant hear it run I would be very leary about buying an engine for that much, you can usually find them with under 200k mi engine and tranny for much less than that. Also with 03 and newer is drive by wire and you may need to get the gas pedal from the donor car. Have read you can have the ecm flashed to work with a drive by cable just not sure on cost or harness modifications. The 700r4 and the 4l60 are the same with the exception of one being electric and the other mechanical, it should bolt on with no mods needed unless you position the engine differently.

Well the problem is I can't find any 5.3s with any 4x4 4l60e's near me. It seems like it would be cheaper to actually buy them separate. I found a guy selling a 2012 Silverado 5.3 (30,000 miles) with all smog equipment, harness and a chiped ecu for 1200 on Craigslist and would just have to buy the 4l60e separate, I can't imagine it's very hard to marry the 2 but if I'm wrong let me know, also wondering if I do go through with this if there is a specific year range of tranny I should look for or will all 4l60es mate up just fine and how's the difficulty level installing the harness, I have a basic understanding of electrical and have done some electrical jobs myself but nothing this big. It comes with everything so I'm assuming it's all intact (hopefully) if so it should just be plug and play right? I know this is a big job and some may say it's too much but with a little motivation and research I believe I can get it done.

 

[4WDKC]

Well the problem is I can't find any 5.3s with any 4x4 4l60e's near me. It seems like it would be cheaper to actually buy them separate. I found a guy selling a 2012 Silverado 5.3 (30,000 miles) with all smog equipment, harness and a chiped ecu for 1200 on Craigslist and would just have to buy the 4l60e separate, I can't imagine it's very hard to marry the 2 but if I'm wrong let me know, also wondering if I do go through with this if there is a specific year range of tranny I should look for or will all 4l60es mate up just fine and how's the difficulty level installing the harness, I have a basic understanding of electrical and have done some electrical jobs myself but nothing this big. It comes with everything so I'm assuming it's all intact (hopefully) if so it should just be plug and play right? I know this is a big job and some may say it's too much but with a little motivation and research I believe I can get it done.

make sure what you do buy came with a 4l60, not sure when they started using the 6spd auto. Didnt realize you were in komiefornia...look for wrecked vehicles so you can get every possible part you would need for the swap to make it legal there.