L26 top swap on the SLE
#1
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One of the older members, 1337ssei, called me at 1 am one night earlier this month and asked if I wanted to swap to the L26 UIM. Well, yes! I packed up, left, and arrived at his house just past 2 am. Here are some pictures of the tiny meet. Some may see I haven't yet finished cleaning up and polishing the UIM. That'* because I planned to polish it and have it clear powder coated. However, this aluminum corrodes very quickly. I figured I would get an early start on the polishing, but it looks like I'll just delay the powder coating and leave the polish job half-done. Ultimately, I'll take off this combo and put it into the 94 for what I have planned.
I used the PCM housing as a screw and nut retainer. Everything but the coolant elbows was very easy to do. We tried to leave the rear bracket on the whole time, but it is too hard to manage the engine that way. Odd alignment and a new coolant elbow springing a leak had us put on the same alternator three times! See if you can follow these pictures. The SLE has had a PRJ Performance tune and now uses 92 octane fuel, had insanely hard and fast shifts, and pulls very hard with some amazing power.
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We noticed almost immediately that the L36 UIM had been leaking straight onto the LIM.
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This is not how you relieve the fuel system of pressure before removing fuel injectors:
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The stock fuel lines have a point where they love cracking. Do not remove them from the shown clips, and you shouldn't experience issues.
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It'* not plastic, but Nylon 66. And it cracked. Granted, it was by the throttle body, and most likely due to improper torque specs.
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GM made a big mistake with the coolant elbow, because of which we had to redo the side accessory bracket. In the provided picture, 1337ssei is employing a technique not at all recommended to take out pieces of the broken elbow.
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And now, this is the installation of the ported LIM, L26 UIM, and L67 throttle body.
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I used the PCM housing as a screw and nut retainer. Everything but the coolant elbows was very easy to do. We tried to leave the rear bracket on the whole time, but it is too hard to manage the engine that way. Odd alignment and a new coolant elbow springing a leak had us put on the same alternator three times! See if you can follow these pictures. The SLE has had a PRJ Performance tune and now uses 92 octane fuel, had insanely hard and fast shifts, and pulls very hard with some amazing power.
![Name: DSCF4018.jpg
Views: 265
Size: 59.3 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30190d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4018.jpg)
We noticed almost immediately that the L36 UIM had been leaking straight onto the LIM.
![Name: DSCF4019.jpg
Views: 296
Size: 78.9 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30191d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4019.jpg)
This is not how you relieve the fuel system of pressure before removing fuel injectors:
![Name: DSCF4020.jpg
Views: 296
Size: 76.2 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30192d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4020.jpg)
The stock fuel lines have a point where they love cracking. Do not remove them from the shown clips, and you shouldn't experience issues.
![Name: DSCF4021.jpg
Views: 234
Size: 74.2 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30193d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4021.jpg)
It'* not plastic, but Nylon 66. And it cracked. Granted, it was by the throttle body, and most likely due to improper torque specs.
![Name: DSCF4025.jpg
Views: 276
Size: 75.7 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30194d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4025.jpg)
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GM made a big mistake with the coolant elbow, because of which we had to redo the side accessory bracket. In the provided picture, 1337ssei is employing a technique not at all recommended to take out pieces of the broken elbow.
![Name: DSCF4034.jpg
Views: 209
Size: 77.0 KB](https://www.gmforum.com/attachments/your-ride-gm-pictures-videos-89/30199d1501276420-l26-top-swap-sle-dscf4034.jpg)
And now, this is the installation of the ported LIM, L26 UIM, and L67 throttle body.
![Name: DSCF4037.jpg
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#3
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Talk about the graveyard shift. Great "actions shots" throughout Radomir. So did it make a difference on the ole "butt dyno"?
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With PRJ Performance tuning it, I never got the chance to drive the car with new MAF tables. Instead, it was instantly tuned for maximum performance. I did drive the car with the 99 L36 MAF tables but with the 97 L67 MAF sensor. It was kind of odd, but even then it had more power at some points throughout the RPM range. Pretty much the moment I pulled into PRJ'* garage, the SLE gained even more performance.
The L26 UIM was shown by a gearhead on a couple other forums to have more volumetric efficiency over an L36 UIM, so it is assumed that there is a horsepower gain to using it. Also, it'* a slightly more expensive alternative to an aftermarket L36 UIM made of plastic. I got it so I could polish it up, which can't be done with the black plastic. Well, at least not well. Also, it'* pretty much a perfect match for the L67 TB, which is much better than the L36 TB.
I keep telling people I will upload a video, but it'* too cold and icy here to accelerate at all It only works on the highway, but I want a safer road to try this out with a video camera in hand.
The L26 UIM was shown by a gearhead on a couple other forums to have more volumetric efficiency over an L36 UIM, so it is assumed that there is a horsepower gain to using it. Also, it'* a slightly more expensive alternative to an aftermarket L36 UIM made of plastic. I got it so I could polish it up, which can't be done with the black plastic. Well, at least not well. Also, it'* pretty much a perfect match for the L67 TB, which is much better than the L36 TB.
I keep telling people I will upload a video, but it'* too cold and icy here to accelerate at all It only works on the highway, but I want a safer road to try this out with a video camera in hand.
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02-01-2008 01:45 AM