1991 Chevy Truck Engine Install - When Cheap Ain't Cheap

Our TBI 454 runs an onboard diagnostics system that, combined with the engine management system and standard monitoring for gauges, requires the block, heads, intake, throttle body, and exhaust system (not to mention transmission and transfer case) to have a fair number of sensors. We decided that the best bet was to replace every single one rather than gamble that they might still work. In many cases we had no choice but to replace them since many of the old sensors had been broken. We also found that for every sensor there is also a specific plug on the wiring harness and more than a few of them were broken or cracked from aggressive removal. Unfortunately, a factory replacement wiring harness is no longer available, so we are running our current connectors, but plan on returning to Turbo City in the future to repair any wiring problems.

We decided to cross our fingers and leave the transmission and transfer case alone for the time being, though hindsight proved this to be a losing gamble. We did at least run a tap through the threads into the torque converter/flywheel mounting points, but would recommend that if you don't know the status of your automatic and already have the engine out, you may as well pull the trans and have it gone through.

With the hood removed, the engine is easily inserted into the truck when hung from an engine hoist with a tilting engine bracket. Recruiting a friend or two to keep an eye on all the accessories, wires, and hoses that can get caught and torn doesn't hurt either. Once the engine is sitting in the motor mounts and lined up with the transmission indexed onto the clutch, or in our case the torque converter, it is time to start hooking everything up.

Our cheap truck was missing many parts, not the least of which was the radiator. We ordered one from Extreme Radiator and what arrived looked better than new. We knew it wasn't going to be cheap because the copper brass assembly not only drops the coolant temperature, but also has a built-in oil and transmission-fluid cooler. While we would recommend Extreme Radiator for your replacement cooler needs, they also specialize in radiators for engine swaps for those of you looking to put a V-8 in a Jeep.

In front of the radiator we installed a new air-conditioning condenser also from Extreme Radiator. It fit perfectly, but before we hooked up the A/C system we took the truck to Burbank Radiator to have the entire A/C system flushed and charged. We figured that having a cool breeze blowing would be great for trips to the desert, but again wiring glitches arose and we have not yet gotten the in-dash control to light up right. Hopefully by the time this issue hits the newsstands we'll be chillin.

Another benefit of working with a shop like GM Truck Center is the fact that they have specialized tools on hand that make the job much easier. Here Vachik Rostanlou tightens down the distributor with a set of distributor wrenches. Another expert device we used was a set of exhaust manifold spreaders that, when applied with some heat from a torch, allowed us to easily line up the bolt holes in our split cast-iron exhaust manifolds.

A very important part of getting our low-buck fullsize up and running was finding a quality auto parts dealer to work with. We have some new friends at the local Burbank Auto Parts as we visited daily for this install and they were top notch to work with. It's nice to find a counterman who knows how to find what you want without needing the VIN of your truck just to turn on his computer.