We got a lot done this weekend but, again, most of the work doesn't really show in pictures.
I think that's why you never see these projects close out.
We installed the two relays for the water pump and fuel pump.
We made grounding cables and battery cables and ran them where they needed to go. I decided to relocate the battery to the footwell behind the passenger seat. I'll have the upholsterer build a carpeted box that disguises it. This is the optimal position for this install because the a/c heater unit will bolt to the top of the smugglers box making battery access nearly impossible. With it behind the passenger seat, I can easily reach the cutoff switch. I'm using a rennline box but I haven't received the new bottom plate to convert mine from the smugglers box kit so the battery is just sitting on the floor for now.
We also extended a small bundle of 4 wires that were wired to the positive terminal on the original installation. We routed this through the bulkhead in front of the clutch pedal and under the carpet down the side of the tunnel.
We put both relays in the engine compartment. The positive side is wired to the charging post on the alternator. That's a straight 6 gauge wire back to the battery, so it should be fine. The ground is bolted to the engine.
The signal wires for both only reach up to the drivers seat, so that'll take a pigtail.
With all of this we were at the point that we could spin the motor with the starter.
Since the motor has been sitting for awhile (check the original date on this thread!), we decided we'd prelube it.
I purchased a Melling Pressurized Pre-Lube tank. You drain all the oil out of the engine, fill the tank and using compressed air, you pump it through the engine with compressed air.
While it's pumping you rotate the crank one full turn by hand (remove the plugs), this will get oil to flow through the oil holes on the crankshaft and hopefully prevent you from jerking them out of their seats when you crank the motor the first time.
The general consensus among the members on this board that have put LS engines in their car is to buy a new one because all the junkyard motors eat their bearings shortly after being returned to service. I think this is the reason why. Pre-lubing a 350 is easy, you just use an old distributor and a drill. Since the gerotor pump on an LS is crank driven that won't work. The Melling is the way to do it on LS engines (and Coyote motors, too, BTW). We'll see how it works. If this engine spins a bearing, I guess we'll know. (I need everyone to think happy LS thoughts for me. Thanks)
After we turned it by hand, we spun it up with the starter. We'll do it again this way when we start it.
We also tested the relay for the water pump. We didn't run it for more than a second or two but it was enough to verify that it works as advertised. The fuel pump wasn't plugged in up front so we didn't test that.
I'm thinking one more day like Saturday and it'll be running.
Here's a youtube video of the prelube and the starter spinning the engine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyTDe_NBp8&feature=youtu.be
I can't embed video's sorry. At least the link works.
Hal