macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

figured i should start documenting this thing lol.

Original car was a 305 / th200c.
Upgraded to a 98 ls1 from a trans am.
lingenfelter GT2-3 cam, new springs and retainers, rod bolts, etc.
short tail th400 out of a pickup truck.

startup the swap last week.

the car


the motor


the drivetrain

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started this weekend with a test fitting. My k-member is killing me right now.





this is keeping me sane right now

klause83z28

Nice to see ls1 swaps in early Z's. Keep up the pics!!! Just wondering though, aside for the ability to handle power, why did you decide on a turbo 400? Why not a 4l65 or 4l60?

Cheers!!!

Rome704

Nice looking build good luck

Spike-Z

iTrader: (4)

Good luck with it!

Id suggest washing your engine bay while the engine is out. Looks so much better when its clean.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

Well it was mostly a cost issue. I bought the longblock from a friend of mine. There was no transmission with it and the the 60 or 65s were looking expensive to pick up. I just happened to know someone in town selling a decent th400 for 300 bucks so i went with it lol. The car had a 3 speed originally anyways so i'm used to no OD.

Yea I intend to rent a power washer before the final fitting (the picture above was from the test fit i did this weekend) and also to clean the driveway from the motor pull.

thanks for the support. any tips or suggestions are more than welcome!

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

actually i thought of something else I came across. does anybody know the size of the thread on the oil level sensor? i need to find something to plug that sensor before the motor goes in lol

bygblok

iTrader: (3)

autometer makes an adapter fitting that takes it from a metric to a standard SAE type. I don't remember the part# off hand but there was a thread either here or over on LS1tech.com Either that or have the local speed emporium guys do some research BEFORE they take your cash for it. I'll be doing the same thing soon when I drop the LS in on my 92. I'm almost done gathering parts and can't wait for it to go together. Keep the pics and info coming!!

Goldie

iTrader: (1)

Good choice on the turbo400, i will be swapping my 4l60e out, they just cost to darn much to build. I am intrested in seeing some more compelted pictures. Its cool to see what otehrs peoples engine bays look like, so i can try to clean mine up more and more.

Klortho

There's a local guy in Knoxville that's running a TH400 behind an LS1 with a D1SC on it ran his first 8 sec run about a month ago in a 4th gen, no weight reduction so the 400 can handle the HP.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

lol yea I need to clean up the old harness a little bit, but I dont want to get into it until i can find some electrical info on the chassis. This is pretty much a weekend deal because of work and school.

as far as quickness goes i'm not holding out for a great deal because I dont want to be disappointed lol. i figure an almost stock ls1 running through ls1 intake and manifolds is good for a little under 300 wheel HP. after i replace the rear with a 4th gen 10 bolt (yea i know, no difference, but its newer, cheap, and has posi lol) this frame should have some traction with a Spohn tq arm, 4th gen LCAs and subframe connectors.

Thanks for the support guys, i'm going to need it when i get to the electrical mess I have.

1982TA

iTrader: (1)

what was in it originally... Crossfire?? Would you still have it?

Goldie

iTrader: (1)

never got mine dyno'd, the dude i bought it from said it ran 8.3's and it was running pretty bad, its pretty much stock, just a 3500 stall. Havent taken it to the track since i have had it but will soon. Hopefully it will put down some better numbers.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

lol no sorry. When I got the car a few years ago it was a Quadrajet carb setup from 84 if i remember correctly...


in case anybody is interested i found the rest of the goodies list

Lingenfelter GT2-3 camshaft ( 207 / 220 .571" / .578" 118.5 centerline )
Comp Cams hardened rods and titanium retainers
Patriot double valve springs
Rollmaster timing chain set

and the th400 has a B&M 3k stall.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

The weekend is here again! Motor and trans are mounted in the car now. Starting the gas tank tomorrow to swap in a 4th gen unit.

Spike-Z

iTrader: (4)

Good job! What did you chose to go with for the throttle cable?

Goldie

iTrader: (1)

Why are you swapping out the gas tank for a newer one?

Mine has a third gen tank in it, fits fine, when it was fuel injected we just ran a walbro on the stock sending unit.

Now we have sumped the tank for a much more powefull setup.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

I heard that the 99 f-body cable w/o traction control fits pretty well, so I got one of those for i think about 10 dollars.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

well the car was originally carbureted. I dont know much about the difference in the tank, but I do know my lines are on the wrong side, and the fuel pump is mechanical on the block. I just assumed the 4th gen tank was a better idea lol.


you've got me thinking now though. Will my original tank work with my 255l?
The 4th gen tank i have now is metal, would it be worth my time to track down an EFI third gen tank and use it with a vette filter instead?


i'm also not very sure on where the return line is coming from, because I thought LS1s were returnless... any help making me less dumb about this fuel setup would be greatly appreciated.

1988RSLS1

i don't think they made 4th gen metal, aren't they plastic???mine is out of 00 SS and it's plastic
and yes, LS1 is returnless, they use a t-junction and run a return line from there, instead of running it from the engine.so you have your evap line coming all the way to the engine, then you have feed line, that goes through the filter and t-junction.if the pressure is too high, the fuel just returns from their to the tank. i suspect there is some kind of a check valve or something, but i couldn't see it.i can put some pictures of my lines, but i have to cut them to fit to the stock 4th gen quick connectors lines...

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

as far as i know they were metal up until 99.

i guess it kinda sucks to drop the tanks on these fbodys huh? Not looking forward to this =D

my problem now is I have a line on either side of my car. Vent line came up driver's side to the charcoal canister, and mechanical pump was on passenger lol.

bygblok

iTrader: (3)

now's the time to drop it if you have to. You have to drop the exhaust out of the way(or in my case, OFF) drop the rearend down all the way(undo the shocks and sway bar to let it down to the floor) and then you'll have room to bring the tank down. I did a carbed setup on mine and instead of screwing with lines out the top, I just came out of the bottom of the tank with whats called a "fuel cell fitting". It's like a bulkhead fitting but doesn't extend so far out the bottom of the tank. You could do the same deal and run EFI using an aeromotive pump designs for EFI. It's easier to do and you won't ever need to drop the tank again even if the pump failed.

J's T/A

iTrader: (2)

your carbed tank will work fine.. with my LT1 swap all I needed was a tpi camaro/bird sending unit. Popped the old one out the top and the tpi sender with a walbro 255 went right in. No need to change tanks unless you really want to.

as for lines originally I went all braided.. with the new setup I got tpi hard lines from inlinetube (i think) and put those in the car.. they were like 80 bucks pre-bent.

PM me if you get stuck, there are a few ways to go with the fuel system and my experience is with the 82 model year even if it is LTx some if not most of the lessons learned translate directly.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

so if say, I had the 4th gen sending unit handy (mainly because i have the tank lol) i could put that into the 82 tank and call it quits?

bygblok

iTrader: (3)

it will work but the sending units use a different resistence on them for the tank readings. Not sure what they've been doing to cure that other than adding a different resistance value in the circuit.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

i guess i'm confused as to, does my tank's sending unit have a space for an electric in tank fuel pump? seeing as how it used to have a mechanical pump on the block?
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like i said i am clueless about how fuel works other than a rudimentary knowledge lol

J's T/A

iTrader: (2)

No, your carbed sender only has the ability to tell you how full your tank is.. If you get a tpi sender it will send the signal to your gauge, plus have the framework attached to put on the fuel pump..it is a direct bolt-in replacement. Like I mentioned, when you switch senders you should get the walbro 255lph unit to replace the stock pump, holley makes a replacement that is in fact a relabled 255.

I am not sure if the fourthgen sender fits the thirdgen tank.. if it does like mentioned above you will have to solve problems with the fourthgen units resistance.

Seriously, PM me, I will give you my #. My life has got so busy I just bought a darned blackberry but I am more than happy to chat with you and share some lessons learned.

Klortho

Get a sending unit from either a TPI or MPFI V6 3rd gen and put it in your gas tank, while you're at it, if you goto a boneyard to get this, also get the hardlines from the tank to the engine compartment it will put the outlet on the correct side of the motor (driver side) vs the passenger side.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

On a side note to this gas tank issue lol

Does anybody know the U-joint I need for my driveshaft to fit a th400 bolt in yoke?

cam-

I believe you'll need a 1350 outer clip to 1310 inner clip u joint.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

Sorry no post from last week on the progress of the swap, but Homeowner's Association called it an eyesore, so I towed it to my parent's house in the middle of nowhere to work on it LOL.

Basically I cleaned up some wiring, took the old exhaust off to get to the tank, attached the throttle linkage and that was all I had time for. Now thats its somewhere where I can work without problems, the gas tank is this weekend. I'm thinking i'm going tpi sender / vette filter and seeing about a braided line straight into the rail from the filter.

lemme know if anybody has a better suggestion.

Klortho

I would have told the homeowners assocation to kiss my ***

If you have to get a tpi sender from a boneyard, grab the fuel lines as I stated, it will make it sooooo much easier.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

lol i did but they had a tow notice for me... so i went ahead and left =D

p.s. if anybody has a tpi sender for sale, i'm looking to buy lol

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

You might want to search on that sender issue. I'm no expert, mind you, but having seen pictures of 3rd gen pickups, and having had a 4th gen pump/pickup in hand, I don't see how there's any way the parts will interchange. The only "solution" I've seen with the 4th gen tank is to modify the sender with a stripped resistor.

cam-

macdaddy All the fuel tank info is covered in great detail if you look at the links in the sticky here where it says "what about fuel"

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


Now just to clarify you now want to run the third gen tank and add in a new pump with the Vette filter correct? If so that is easy and doable although the stock tank is a biatch to wrangle in and out but thats another story. Is your engine a 98? I believe 97-98 had a return at the fuel rail so look closely. The 99 and newer all dead head at the rail because the return is under the rear seat area off of a tee. If you use the Vette filter it is also a regulator and has a return built in. Just mount it somewhere in the stock filter area so your line work is minimal. Yes you could run an AN- type braided line from the filter to your rail but again if you have a return rail then you will have to plumb a return in all the way to it. Hope this is of some help

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

its a 98 motor, but the fuel rail is a 99 so its only a send, no return.

yea my plan (lol) is my new 255l walbro in my old tank, using a TPI assembly, regulated by a vette fuel filter, using 10 feet of hard line I bought today, and making an AN fitting with braided steel to the fuel rail.

Local yards dont carry "assemblies", but they sell tanks that if you happen to find an assembly in it, more power to you... So i've gotta look a little deeper into a larger yard maybe in Bithlo / Orlando or Lauderdale (I'm near Melbourne).

But anyways, this weekend is drop the tank, take out old engine harness, put new cleaned up harness in, attach shifter cable and put the radiator back in. I'll post some pics along the way.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Okay, I lost the bubble on what you were doing.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

to explain:

Thirdgen tank and sender, new 255l fuel pump. Vette filter / regulator, hard line to front of car, braided steel from the front the hard line to the fuel rail (just for looks lol)

cam-

That'll work

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

this weekend I wasnt feeling well so I didnt do much. Just threw the wiring harness in the car, found a plug for the oil level sensor (M20x1.5 pan drain plug if anyone is interested), mounted the starter and halfway dropped the gas tank (got dark before we could finish sunday night).


A question occurs. My driver's side exhaust manifold looks like it puts the o2 sensor straight into my k-member. I dont think theres enough room to clear it. Anyone had this problem with stock manifolds before?

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

this weekend was kind of boring but some cool things got done. got trans lines in, pulled old wrong fuel lines. still waiting on my new sending unit. stuck the radiator, and fans in along with one of the hoses i have to see how it fits. also put the wiring in, havnt connected the fuse box yet though.





it also isnt wrapped yet so it looks very cluttered =D

Spike-Z

iTrader: (4)

Oh Oh! Spaghetti-O's

427z28

Please let us know the curb weight when you get a chance to. I would like to get a ls1 to help bring the weight of my car down some day. I dream of getting it below 3000lbs. A all aluminum engine and 15 degree heads sound great to me. How much did you get the motor for? Well your car looks awesome with that ls1, so hopefully i can get one later on down the road.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

well i bought the motor longblock a couple years ago for about 2k. but they've come down in prices. I've seen longblocks on ls1tech go for 1000 even. Th400 was 300 dollars from a friend in town, and i've probably spent 1500 in fuel, electric, sensors and and suspension.

th400s are heavy, and i have added suspension, but I still think a little above 3k lbs is manageable. I'll be sure when i get it to a track to get it weighed once its running lol.


i have all the components for the fuel system, and I ordered a new fuse block for the car which should be coming in today. I measured the driveshaft and it should be good, just need to remove the old yoke and get new U-joints. Spring break is next week. Hopefully I will have a car started by then =D.


Never let it be said an ls1 cant be put into a third gen camaro in a driveway with hand tools lol.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

hadnt posted in a while or done anything to the car until this weekend. Soldered a fuse box in and got the fuel system done. No pictures because of no camera working, but i'll post em sometime soon.

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

I have pictures of the fuel system now. Its untested for leaks but i used the same as a couple others on ls1tech. I use efi hose and quick disconnect fittings on the filter and rail. and i use pipe fittings to steel line to go between filter and rail.








also we got the engine computer in, and the wiring harness wrapped and soldered a fuse box in. The store i got it from was EZ2Wire (available at http://stores.homestead.com/ez2wire/...ion/Detail.bok)

chevy_camaro_ss

iTrader: (4)

I've done that on my LS1 fuel system and it works fine for now.

V8Rumble

iTrader: (2)

Uhh, I'm honestly not trying to criticize, but I REALLY wouldn't trust those worm clamps for an EFI fuel line...

macdadyZ28

iTrader: (1)

i'm a little skeptical myself, but the disconnect fittings are barbed and the hose is an air tight fitting into those. hell the plastic lines dont even use clamps lol.


we'll see what happens
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you give me confidence.

SheldonZ28

iTrader: (1)

Let me know how that works for you, im planning on doing the exact same setup with the corvette FPR

cam-

Yeah man lose those clamps ASAP do NOT run it with them or you are in for a fire for certain. If you must use rubber hose ( I do NOT AT ALL recommend doing so ) but if you must at least use these;

http://www.cgenterprises.com/fuelfil...tion_hose_.htm

They are smooth and have a contour to them so they dont cut the hose. Plus they grip tight. You should be able to get these at any NAPA or AutoZone

Oh yeah... Make sure you cut the hose ends off where you have those clamps now so these clamps have fresh non compromised hose to grab onto.