Ikes 91Z

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So, I decided I should probably write out my LS Swap. Finally. As of now, it isn't complete but getting much closer. This is my first swap, and really the first time I have been this involved with a car. Needless to say I love the tinkering and learning as I go. Which gets expensive unfortunately. But let's begin.

I bought the car in 2001 and ended up parking it in the garage at my parent's house in 2005 during a bad snow storm in Indiana. And the garage is where it sat for 7 years...

Towed it down to Arkansas in 2012 and gave it a bath, and started cleaning the interior. Exterior didn't look too bad for not being touched in so long. Oh the old 305 tpi looked so clean sleeping in the bay....

I did a tune up to the 305 to start. New plugs, wires, distributor, injectors, battery, fuel pump, and trans filter. Ran into all kinds of problems with broken bolts, gas tank rusted through, and headaches. Finally got it all put back together and got it to fire up. It was a glorious sound after 7 years of not even looking at it.

Drove it around town for a little while (like 50 miles tops) and it started acting funny. So I got home, popped the hood, and saw antifreeze pouring out of the back of the passenger side head. Blown head gasket. Awesome.

Ikes 91Z

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Well, since the car hadn't moved in so long, there was standing water in the trunk (don't ask me how it got there because I have no clue). The trunk pull down motor didn't work, and the carpet was torn, stained, and almost unrecognizably grey. The sad part is, I took good care of the car. All the stains, tears, and abuse were from the first 1o years of its life.

Ripped out all of the seats, the carpet, and the plastic trim. Found lots of goodies, like mice nests, giant hoop ear rings, and name plates like you would find at any corporate office.

Once I got all the carpet and pieces out, I went with the preformed carpet and sound barrier from Hawks. Came in and I let the warm Arkansas sun heat it up to make it a little bit more flexible. My intention with the interior is to keep it as close to stock as possible. Got the trunk carpet in, and started working on the front area......

Remember that head gasket I said blew? This is where hindsight kicks in. I decided to go ahead and rip the old engine out before the interior was done.....

Ikes 91Z

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So without the interior done, I start ripping out the old engine. Again, here is a dirty pic of what the old used to look like.

The engine bay clearly needed cleaned, and repainted while it was empty. After a lot of cleaning and rag time, the engine bay cleaned up pretty well.

There was not a lot of rust in the engine bay (surprisingly) outside of the batter tray. I first put a coat of primer on the engine bay, and finished it off with a nice gloss black finish. Definitely not the best engine bay I have seen in a thirdgen, but a helluva improvement from how it started...

Another hindsight moment, and a newby mistake, but I brushed this on. Should have sprayed it. Would have looked TONS better. Next time the engine comes out, so will the spray.

Ikes 91Z

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Once the engine bay was done being painted, it was time to go shopping for the front end parts. Here was my list of things to go for.

I went with the BMR tubular k member, as well as the A arms.

The amount of room after taking out the old clunky k member is unreal. The new k member bolted up without any fuss. I went with the red k member due to the engine bay being black, and car itself will eventually be a dark gun metal gray. I figured it would make it look pretty clean and pop out when its all said and done.

Ikes 91Z

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Now it was time to start shopping for the engine. Throughout this whole process I was continually searching for the right engine. Here is what I was able to find...

A complete LS1/4l60e with accessories, harness, and PCM from a 2001 Trans AM. It was freshly rebuilt to factory specs and has less than 1,000 miles since the rebuild. I even have the paperwork showing the rebuild from the dealership. Prior to the rebuild, the engine had about 127k miles.

Why would someone sell this you ask? Well, this pour soul, after getting it rebuilt, was t boned in the rear quarter panel. Car was a complete loss, except for the engine/transmission.

Only problem was this was in Alabama. That's an 8.5 hour drive one way to get it. So what did I do? Took an emergency vacation day, drove to Alabama, loaded up the engine, turned around and drove straight home. I was not going to let this engine pass me by.

Ikes 91Z

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After doing some minor cleaning to the enginge, it was time to bolt it in. I went through the top of the bay instead of the lowering the car on the engine. I just didnt have enough room in the garage, or have something that could roll with the engine/transmission on top of it. Made for some headaches, but good friends are never far to lend a helping hand.

I used the solid aluminum engine mounts from Hawks.
http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/98...r-mounts-pair/

Getting the engine positioned between the k member was a headache, but these bolted right up and look real clean once installed.

Ikes 91Z

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Once the engine was in, it was time to start putting together the radiator hoses, heater hoses, steam port, fuel lines, headers, and throttle cable.

Jbenge did a post on his 91 z28 swap that was very helpful in getting everything hooked up. It included part numbers, pictures and a general how to. Many thanks to him for the help! I had this link pulled up for days on end as I was reading, reviewing, and copying

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...-ls1-swap.html

For the headers I was able to get a set of the Racing Innovations 1 3/4" primary long tube headers. Their website said they were out, and had for weeks, but one day I called them just to get an idea of when they might get more in. Turns out, they just had a shipment arrive that very day. So I place my order over the phone before hanging up. $300 shipped to your door is a steal.

I fit them in with very little clearance issues. The passenger side is slightly touching the frame rail. Not sure how I am going to correct it just yet. Any ideas?

Bolting the headers in was a slight PITA too. The last bolt closest to the firewall on the driver side was too tight for my bear claw to get back there. Had to have my wife come out in a dress, sit on the fender, and she was able to hand thread it within 2 seconds.

Ikes 91Z

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Next up was getting the front suspension completed. Came home from work one day and it was like Christmas.

New rotors, coils, struts, and steering components.

I went with OEM for now. Once its running, and I get some other stuff done, I will go back and upgrade some of the front suspension (struts, and to lower it).

I went with the Spohn steering component package they have for like $300. Everything went in without fuss and looks great.

The paint drip on the fender well has since been cleaned up, just ignore it

Ikes 91Z

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I am still working on the wiring harness. I originally sent the LS harness to Speartech thinking I would get a complete plug and play harness back. When it comes to this swap, my brain has completely fried in how I need to get it done.

I then reached out to Pocket to help. Who was a lot of help and was willing to build me the remaining portion of the harness to complete the harness. More hindsight was learned as I sold the old tpi harness with the engine when I got rid of it!

I ended up going with a used harness I got from JohninRI. Got to the house quickly and I started tearing it down.

I was able to get it cut down in about 5 hours of work. I also extended the LS harness to reach its factory location. One wire at a time. Cut, strip, solder, tape. Over and over again.

Thankfully, I have a buddy who worked on aircraft in the military (specifically wiring). And he is going to come by and help me put the finishing touches together and mate these. Like I said before. The wiring has been the absolutely worst thing I have dealt with on this car. Once it is done, its time to turn the key.

jbenge

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Looks like your swap is coming along nicely, I'm looking forward to seeing you progress through it. All the trouble will be well worth it once you get it back on the road. Too bad Speartech doesn't do the full plug and play harness for thirdgens anymore, I think I got one of the last ones.

Glad my thread was helpful, I'll be updating it soon with a head/cam swap this winter.

Ikes 91Z

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Appreciate it! The Speartech harness looks really good, everything is there for me, this was just one of those hindsight moments.


I am sure I will be looking at the thread after the head/cam swap. Once this gets back on the road, this will be one of the mods I will be doing.


Working on the wiring today. Hopefully can finish it up and turn the key.

Ikes 91Z

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Hey jbenge, how did you swap out the shift arm? Everytime I try to unbolt it, the arm moves with it. Do I just need to hold the arm as tight as possible to keep it steady? I only ask because I don't want to break/hurt the tranny.

jbenge

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Yes try to hold it best you can you don't want to put and extreme amount of torque on the stud that comes out of the transmission but there really isn't any trick to it. You might want to spray it with some penetrating oil and let it sit for awhile if it's seized on there for some reason.

Ikes 91Z

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Sounds like a plan. I thought that was it, just wanted to make sure.


As a small update, finally figured out that my HVAC harness was missing from the car. Went online and found a used one that I am going to plug into it. Also, going a different route with the wiring harness. Pocket is making a brand new one. It will be much cleaner than what this harness was starting to look like.


Can't wait to get it in, should be sometime in the next week or two I hope. Maybe a Christmas present???

Pocket

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Just got to loom and test it, so should def be in the mail monday

Ikes 91Z

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Fantastic News. Thanks!!

Ikes 91Z

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So I got the 4l60e shift lever off, and am looking at putting the 700r4 lever on. When I look at how the shifter cable attaches, it seems like there would be a lot of play within the slot by just simply using a bolt/nut. Am I missing something simple?

Ikes 91Z

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Sorry, some pictures might be beneficial...

Pocket

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The slot is for adjustment. You need the 700R4 cable/bracket as well

Ikes 91Z

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That is the 700r4 cable/bracket. Or at least the one that was on the car. Do I just need to bolt it to the shift arm? It just seems like I would be able to put it in drive, and not back in park as it would slide around. I don't know, probably overthinking it.

jbenge

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Put the shifter inside the car and transmission in the same gear. Bolt the bracket to the transmission if it isn't already. Attach the shifter linkage to where it wants to hold the lever in the correct gear and not between gears and tighten down the nut. Shift it through every gear and make sure it feels right(doesn't bind) and in any position and it will be fine.

I like to mark it using a marker or paint pen with a circle around where the nut sits on the bracket, that way if it ever moves you will know it and you will know where to put the adjustment next time if you have it apart again.

Ikes 91Z

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Pocket, got the harness in Wednesday and is installed. Works perfectly! Thanks!


One question I had was the AC Sensor connector. Its a 3 wire, how do I hook to the third gen connector? Is there a pigtail that will convert from a 3 wire to a 2 wire?


Jbenge, on the shift arm, I got it and the bracket installed, but when they are in the same gear, I am about 1 inch shy of reaching the slot on the lever to slide the bolt through. I quadruple checked to make sure I am in the same gear and its just no dice. Any thoughts?

Pocket

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The 3rd gen 2 pin unit is a pressure switch to kick on the secondary fan. Unscrew it and replace it with a 3 wire sensor from a 4th gen. Dont worry, the PCM controls both fans still

Ikes 91Z

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So I went to start it today. Put some fresh gas in, hooked the battery up. And turned the key.


I heard the fuel pump kick on, started turning over, but wouldn't start. I checked all the grounds again, checked the ignition wires, everything looked good. Are there any common oversights with this swap I might be missing?

Ikes 91Z

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Further research. Hooked up a fuel pressure gauge. No pressure at the rail. I clearly heard the fuel pump kick on when turning the key to the ON position. There are no leaks in the fuel lines. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

jbenge

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Are you sure you have the bracket bolted to transmission using the correct holes? I attached a picture showing how my bracket was mounted.

R13_Braz

I didn't see... what filter are you running?

Ikes 91Z

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I am using the Corvette filter. It was Wix #33737.

Tonight I was going to unhook the fuel lines from the filter to see if I may have gotten the send/return lines criss crossed while the whole system was apart.

I mirrored this set up, Post 120.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...s1-swap-3.html

R13_Braz

That's what I was thinking. Have a buddy doing a swap and he got the lines crossed and had the same issues. Definitely something to look at.

Ikes 91Z

iTrader: (1)

So the lines weren't criss crossed. When I disconnected them, there was no gas in the lines, and after I reconnected them, I still had no fuel pressure.

Couple questions: 1) should I cap the evap line? I took out the evap canister in the engine bay, could this be causing the lack of pressure? 2) I tried finding a diagram to make sure all the lines are correct, is there a diagram to label each line off the sending unit? I really am trying to avoid dropping the tank....AGAIN.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

1) Yes, the vent will handle positive and negative pressures
Doubtful its causing you any problems
2) The threaded 3/8" is feed, cant mess that up
5/16" right next to it is return
Vent should have a vent attached to it
Evap is usually 1/4" or 5/16" line not next to the two main lines

If you're sure its got gas in it and the pump is running, then you might have blown the rubber hose off the top of the FP

Ikes 91Z

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So. Bit of an update, and am kind of puzzled. The FP still had the black hose attached. I am going to replace just in case there is a slice/crack somewhere that I can't see.




Is it possible I have a bad FP? It is a brand new FP, but before taking the tank down again, I stuck my head down by the tank while someone turned the key. I could clearly hear the FP kick on. Maybe its an internal FP issue? Anymore help would be appreciated.

mwfrels

Just a wild thought on my part but it's DC power to the pump. It will run in reverse...

M

Ikes 91Z

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I checked all the wiring on the sending unit and to the pump. Everything was right and not reversed. Not sure what else could be causing it to run in reverse. If it even is.

Ikes 91Z

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Triple verified. Mine is bolted the same. I have tried multiple gears/lever locations to try and get it installed. No go. Not sure if I have an aftermarket cable, or what the deal is.

Ikes 91Z

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Finally figured out the FP issue. Apparently, on the 255lph turbine pumps, there is a purge hole on the bottom of the pump. The rubber grommet that racetronix sends with their kit has to have a hole cut in it to breath. I was unaware of this, and the instructions weren't included with my kit. Needless to say, after cutting the grommet, fuel pressure was there!


Only problem, once I started the car (first time hearing it run since putting the new engine in), the adapter on the regulator failed. I have the plastic clip kind. But, new fittings are on the way. It was just good to hear it run, and it sounded great with the open headers!

jbenge

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Glad you got it figured out. It's too bad Racetronix doesn't include directions. I think I reused the original rubber piece on the bottom of the pump, the one supplied by racetronix didn't seem to fit well so I got lucky. I didn't even remember re-using the stock grommet until reading your post.

Ikes 91Z

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I was planning on lowering the car before getting an alignment. With the aluminum engine, it is def sitting higher than the stock ride height. I see a lot of different kinds of options. And I was thinking the eibach sport lines, and umi LCA's. Should I get the bolt on or weld type? I dont plan on racing the car. Just a fun weekend driver. I will be adding some engine upgrades later, so more power will be there. This will also be the first time changing the control arms. Are there any tips or insights? Seems pretty straightforward but just wanted to be sure.

Pocket

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Weld on SFCs for sure. Dont matter brand, or driving style. All 3rd gens can benefit from them

The rear suspension is a cake walk. For quietest ride, go with a set that has rubber/poly bushings on both ends, not rod ends. I like the founders package, namely the single adjustable, but nearly any brand will be just as good. These are not needed for a cruiser/mild build

I prefer a single adjustable suspension component over double. Sure they take longer to setup, but its a set-it and forget-it kind of thing. Dont want to worry about a jam nut loosening up and the adjustment changing unbeknownst to me

Ikes 91Z

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I was under the impression new LCA's are needed for lowering a third gen. Or is it just the relocation brackets that are needed?

I already have the adjustable panhard bar, so I just need the LCA's at this point.

jbenge

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Adjustable panhard rod is needed when lowering to re-center the rear end. LCA relocation brackets are needed after lowering to get the angle of the LCA back to where it should be(rear slightly lower than the front). You don't have to have to have adjustable LCAs in most cases but you often can't get your alignment 100% without them. For a few dollars more the adjustable ones are worth it to be able to square up the rear wheels with the front IMHO. I prefer the double adjustable ones because they are easier to setup, I've never had issues with them coming loose and getting out of adjustment.

Ikes 91Z

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Small update for now

Went and ordered the Founder's LCA's and brackets. Everyone seems to love them, and the price is fantastic. Will get some pictures up once they are in and installed.

Also got the new fuel fittings in for the filter/regulator. Going to put those on in the next couple days and hopefully get it fired back up.

The 4th gen ac pressure switch came in as well. Getting the third gen switch off took some time since I didn't want to bend the aluminum tube. But the new one went on without fuss.

Also decided to refresh the rear diff fluid. I know this hasn't been done since 2001 at least (when I bought the car), and after sitting for so long and the non stock power the LS will produce I thought it best to change it out.

Surprisingly the bolts came off pretty easily for as rusty as they were. The gears looked very clean as well without and damage. Eventually the stock gears will be changed to 3:73's until the rear end completely goes. Tons of fun scraping off 25 year old gaskets though....

Ikes 91Z

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Little bit of an update, and need some help/insight


I got the car started with the new fittings on the regulator. I used Russell stainless line with 6an fittings. It was my first time building these lines, so I may not have done it properly. While the car was running, they started leaking slightly out where the hose ends were put on. They were only leaking where the sending unit meets the lines, and at the send/return side of the filter/regulator.


I assume they didn't seat right when I was screwing the end on the hose fitting, or the line starting pushing out the back side. Do you have any secrets or tips to keep that from happening?

jbenge

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Check out page 2 of this link. That is how I assemble them and haven't had any issues. The tapered punch is important to so you get a smooth transition from the ferrule to the teflon.

http://www.classicperform.com/Instru...F/Aeroquip.pdf

Ikes 91Z

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Thanks for the link. Very helpful.

I had to order some new ferrules for the fittings. Some of them were bent up a little bit. Tapered punch worked great.

Hooked all the lines back up, and again, no fuel pressure. I didn't touch anything but the lines. It's just not making sense to me...

Ikes 91Z

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I wish there was a delete button. Got it figured out. Human error....

mwfrels

Don't tease us. Share so the we(I) don't make same or similar mistake.

M

Ikes 91Z

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Well, I got the send/return ports on the regulator backwards. Fixed that, and it fired right up. Go figure

mwfrels

That makes perfect sense. The fuel pressure was actually forcing the regulator shut. They only work in one direction.

M

Ikes 91Z

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Yep. Like I said, human error!


Now I am fighting with 25 year old extremely rusty LCA bolts. Probably going to have to get out the angle grinder and cut away.