Unreal!

 

^^^ I know I have seen 5.3 aluminum blocks before, but that block was a iron block.... The funny thing is that at the end of that article they found out it was a 4.8L

 

There are both iron and aluminum 5.3s out there. Both are very stout, specifically the GenIV blocks. If you want go big cubes (>427), stay light by using an Al block, and not break the bank with an aftermarket block, a re-sleeved LH8 or LC9 block is the ticket

 

keep this info coming, for my next project shalt also receive the v8 swap

 

Damn Cass,

Love the way the car sounds.

 

Unreal! So, where can I find one of those motors for $500 like they said in the article?

 

Junkyards pretty much give away 4.8's. Everyone opts for the 5.3 or ls1/2/3/6/7. You can even find 5.3's for way under 1000.

 

Thank You Sir

I'm driving the car every chance I get right now. Highest oil temp I've seen was 180*F while idling for 15 minutes in a line at the bank. Zero cooling issues and it was high 60's for several days.

The shifter is still notchy as hell and I'm afaraid to beat on it fully since I don't want to break it already or have the clutch fail. It gets looks everywhere I go and people have asked to see under the hood when I stop for gas.

Going to Hill's a week from Tuesday to get it up on the lift and check all the bolts underneath and get the aluminum under tray mounted. The pass side header may be rubbing the front brace under load, so it may require further grinding (see the build thread for the issue).

Finally, I advise everyone to buy an additional piece of rubber or a rubber washer to fit in between the stock rubber shift boot and the smaller SIKKY shifter. I can feel the heat coming up through the shift boot and on the bottom of my metal ****. The day I was idling forever at the bank it started getting rather warm.

Overall... I LOVE IT!!

 

^you have solid mounts or the urethane inserts?? also my shifter is super notchy. hope that goes away after everything is broken in

 

The SIKKY kit looked like urethane around solid aluminum mounts I believe. I can feel just a hint of torque flex, but really not much more than the VQ.

As of now I do not expect the shifter to get much better. While its on the lift I may try to loosen the back end and get a wand inside to spray some lubricant. I didn't put really any grease or silicone on the ball mechanism when installing it. Why not??? Oh, I remember... because there was no freaking instructions

 

I've taken the sikky shifter completely apart and built my own using the guts of theirs, Sikky has grease all over in the insides of the urethane bushings of the shifter.

What are instructions?

 

Don't expect the sikky shifter to get any better thats the biggest complaint i have about driving the car. I have been driving it for a couple of months and i thought it may have been my Tick-performance stage 2 trans breaking in but after you guys have posted you have the same problems I'm even more aggravated. When i called sikky a couple of weeks ago they acted like no one else was having this problem, by far the worse customer service from any manufacture :/

QTB - do you have any pictures or anything of the modified shifter you built?

 

The only thing I modified was mainly the length to fit the T56 magnum. I haven't done anything to improve shift quality. I'm guessing a notchy feeling translates into a very short throw. Which could be changed by adjusting the mount locations of the link bar. This could get very spendy to do though. I have access to a machine shop and a very nice machinist.

Pics: http://s483.photobucket.com/albums/r...Z33/?start=all

Goto the very bottom

 

You know what guys I think Sikky have noticed this about the shifter cause, they have redesigned a new one, which I am waiting for. will let you know more later

 

Awsome read on HR! Thx

 

cass, they had 2 version mounts. 1 with a urethane bottom insert, then a solid aluminum one.

and i would hope they would swap out their poor designs for some better working parts. the mounts and oil pan are beautiful. the stupid small annoyances of this swap couldve been made easier if they would've chimed in a bit

 

^^ I agree with you

 

chris, at least your enjoying it! I cry my self to sleep every night. lol

 

Ill gladly send them in this POS short shifter for a new revised one this thing is a POS and i have hated on it from day 1.

 

Mine are solid centers withthe green urethane around the outsides.

+100 on some instructions making things easier.

Iteresting... can't wait to hear more. It would be great if they could offer a swap out for the old unit.

I can't say I hate it, its just the one thing that feels less than stock. Mine has ~3" of travel or more in it from left to right... while it engaged in gear. Occasionally it woun't engage reverse and I have to roll a bit to make it go in.

Where is everyone's clutch engagement point? Mine is all the way at the top of the pedal... I mean the very top. Its like playing just the tip with the wife Any idea if this is adjustable?

Hang in there brother... Franz is just a phone call away if you every get tired of waiting. I am really looking forward to seeing where your numbers come in so we can get an idea on what heads and a cam can put down.