The thread has had some activity while I've been dealing with finals. I'll try and catch up now...
Could you post more pics of the engine in it? Preferably showing how tight the fit is. Maybe a rough size of the 5.3 (length, width, height). Do you think you're going to run into issues with the hood?
My friends camera got stolen, but has someone bring one by occasionally, so I'll see what we can get during the next opportunity. Size wise, I don't have the engine here, so I can't help much with that. I'll see if I can come up with something for you. I don't anticipate hood issues with the body lift I have.
I ran into the same exhaust hang up on mine with my 318. Look into different factory manifolds, they put those engines in a lot of different things, I'd look at car manifolds (GTO, F-Body) or maybe Hummer H3 manifolds. For my 318 I found grand cherokee manifolds that tuck in tight enough. Loving this build.
Thanks for the input. I was looking at some LS1 manifolds the other day with thoughts of sugarplums...I have another plan. I won't be posting what it is until I have pics though, gotta keep it under wraps. I will say we are retaining the stock exhaust manifolds, though. We'll "work around" it...
I ran into the same exhaust problem putting in a 350 SBC into my D50 4x4. I put a body lift on it and used block hugger headers. Your problem is no one makes a smog legal block hugger headers that I could find. Is the 5.3 longer than the 350. Reason I ask is I was able to install a large aluminum radiator and mechanical fan with shroud without cutting away the radiator support like you did.
I already have a body lift. I HAVE to so I can keep the engine under the hood and the trans under the tunnel. We MAY end up cutting the tunnel and fabbing a new one even with the body lift. I don't know how big the pick-up engine bays are, but there was no way to get around cutting something, and taking out the radiator support was much less involved than modifying the firewall. I also don't know how the newer 5.3 and older 350 match up, sorry. Finally, there are smog legal "block hugger" headers available from Gibson and JBA. The problem is they don't dump center block like I need them to. Everything on the market dumps to the rear where the frame interference is. We'll get around it...
Trucks have longer engine bays than monteros.
The gen 1 Mighty Maxs have a smaller engine bay then the gen 2 Mighty Maxs. Some people have told me that the gen 1 has a curved firewall (I dont really see it but it is for sure smaller) that sizes down the motor bay. Putting a big motor in a gen 2 is pretty easy more then one guy has sneaked in a 350, 351, 318, 360 just about anything into the gen 2 Mighty max
Thanks Curtis and Kerby. I know nothing of the trucks.
