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LTX and LSXPutting LT1s, LS1s, and their variants into Third Gens is becoming more popular. This board is for those who are doing and have done the swaps so they can discuss all of their technical aspects including repairs, swap info, and performance upgrades.
Looks fantastic. What's your plan for cooling? I see a stock type rad in there.
Stock rad, LT1 fans. Same setup kept my last combo cool, so theres no reason to change it
Pocket, can you tell me about your choice to make the crossmember union a bolt together affair? To make optioning/modifying it later easier?
I needed a notch for the forward engine location, this was just as much work. Also makes dropping the pan with the engine installed a snap. Unexpected bonus was making the install of solid mounts a 20 min job. I welded internal nuts for all of the bolt holes to further expedite things
With the engine bay wrapping up, I shifted to the fuel system. My tank/sender were junk from sitting too long so I ordered replacements from rock auto. Aside from the goofy packaging, they werent much trouble to use. The tank looked like it was made from the same stamps as oem, internal baffles looked the same too. Sender was top quality. I put my seal of approval on the set. Heres how the juice box arrived
It got a racetronix 450 upgrade. They dont warranty their pumps without their electronics so Im begrudgingly using a hotwire kit too. Full AN6 forward of the tank to a FAST regulator and plumbed to the LS9 rails as returnless. Should put button up the fuel system tomorrow
Have been tidying up the engine bay as best I can with a few bends on the brake lines and fresh loom on the old wiring thats getting reused (headlights and HVAC). I moved the headlight module to under the drivers battery tray and mounted the engine relays under the passenger side
Finished up the fuel system. Really like how the nylon braided stuff goes together over the SS. Still need to switch a few pieces to black because I forgot to order them last time
And for the moment of truth!
Thats tight!
Still may end up shimming the K-member down for a bit more breathing room. Ill be running a power bulge hood and they're slightly higher than the stock 4 vent. Really dont want the hood to press down and vibrate against the lid at speed
On another note, Im trying a new direction with the 8.8 conversion. I picked up a 99-04 GT 8.8 in a lot to convert and its only 1/2" longer than a 3rd gen 10 bolt. I knocked the studs out and mocked up some LT1 disks I had laying around. As luck would have it, they fit! Ill have to make an adapter bracket to bolt to the mustang backing plates. I also found a MM TA at a good price, so Ill try that instead of a fabbed mount on the diff
For this axle, its strait from the mustang, brackets cut off. New will be fabbed and welded on by measuring the existing 10 bolt. The axle flanges will be redrilled from the ford 5 on 4.5" to GM 5 on 4.75". Ill be using LT1 PBR brakes which as the same as late model 3rd gen disks, so I can use stock e-brake cables and clear just about any wheel
Looks good! Love the 8.8 in mine for the last 5 years and pushed 500+ hp on the stock 28spline axles with no issues.
Just picked up and put a bulge hood on my 5.3 with centri and it cleared the stock bulge hood. Idk if they are taller than the 4 cent, the bulge is raise and open underneath but it's offset to the driver side and had cross bracing going across it. I don't think you will gain much.
I picked up a used LQ9 cam for my 5.3 for a smidge more top end when I freshen up the valve train but thinking I might need alittle more like a 218/224 ish.
If the wiper motor wasn't in the way, could you avoid having to mount the engine further forward and the k member notch?
Sans wiper its a standard LS1 swap. Fbody pan will be tight to the stock K-member but clear
Looks good! Love the 8.8 in mine for the last 5 years and pushed 500+ hp on the stock 28spline axles with no issues.
Just picked up and put a bulge hood on my 5.3 with centri and it cleared the stock bulge hood. Idk if they are taller than the 4 cent, the bulge is raise and open underneath but it's offset to the driver side and had cross bracing going across it. I don't think you will gain much.
I picked up a used LQ9 cam for my 5.3 for a smidge more top end when I freshen up the valve train but thinking I might need alittle more like a 218/224 ish.
Thanks, this is my 5th? 8.8 build
Swapping to a powerbulge hood is more for looks than clearance
LQ4/9 cams are the same as Fbody LS1 cams. Better than the 4.8/5.3 cams but only barely. Go with a LS9 if you want a cheap blower friendly cam
Small update on the car: put gas in it and it fired up first try. Its a long ways from the rollers though. Due to an injury, it'll be on the back burner for the remainder of the year. Ill be moving forward with the new harness designs and build up stock for next year
Sans wiper its a standard LS1 swap. Fbody pan will be tight to the stock K-member but clear
Thanks, this is my 5th? 8.8 build
Swapping to a powerbulge hood is more for looks than clearance
LQ4/9 cams are the same as Fbody LS1 cams. Better than the 4.8/5.3 cams but only barely. Go with a LS9 if you want a cheap blower friendly cam
Small update on the car: put gas in it and it fired up first try. Its a long ways from the rollers though. Due to an injury, it'll be on the back burner for the remainder of the year. Ill be moving forward with the new harness designs and build up stock for next year
IDk why you keep blowing up the 8.8s. Perhaps they aren't setup correctly?
LQ9/LS1 cam has no loss in power below 3500 compared to the LM7 cam, but lets the 5.3 rev to 6500 and make 40+hp at 6500 than the LM7 cam on a stock 5.3. Its far from optimal and will prob get a custom cam. But The LS9 is not a cheap swap if you dont have a gen 4 block. Mines a gen 3 so that means I need a new timing cover with front sensor as well as cam gear etc. Cost would be more than the off the self trickflow cam or close to the price of a custom cam.
LS9 cam kit runs about $250 for everything. Pretty good deal IMHO. Any big cam will need better valve springs, $2-300 right there. LS9 is still under .580 lift so the cheapo LS6 springs are still fair game
Alright, got a bit of time to play with the mock-up block in my 91 TA today
Turns out the LS9 fuel rail will NOT work with the wiper motor. Ill also have to keep the 1" forward placement just like the techco setup. If I trim the ear off the SC case, the drivetrain can move back slightly, but would require solid mounts. Any engine rock would smack the wiper
Now lets play with some accessories. Here is a GEN I CTS-V LS6/LS2 PS pump. Fitment is good, almost like LS1 Fbody. GEN II CTS-V's with the LSA use the same PS pump/bracket but a different reservoir for more clearance at the TB. I prefer the LSA version because its black and looks OEM. White sticks out like a sore thumb. I do not believe the CTS-V/LSA low mount alt will clear, but aftermarket brackets exist to emulate the Fbody LS1 position with a common S10/Fbody alt that will fit the same belt path. CTS-V low mount alts use a wider bracket and there isnt much room down low to the steering box
This is an ICT Billet bracket emulating the corvette FEAD. The holley LS bracket is very similar and uses the same alt/PS pump. Notice there is tons of room everywhere
To top it all off, heres the money shot. It all fits under a stock firebird hood, so that means itll also fit a stock camaro hood too. No, the ZL1 lid will not fit, I tried that too, so you leave 20hp on the table to keep your stock hood. Worth it? You decide
To sum up, the LSA SC is a go for 3rd gens under the stock hood. With a stock wiper, you need 1" forward motor mounts, so custom DS, bigger K-member notch and maybe a ding or two in the headers required. Any FEAD on the corvette spacing will work, that goes for NA swaps too
Well, after reading this entire thread from start to finish initially to find info on a 4L80 swap...I find this gem. Way to go Pocket. Good work on this guys. IMO no after market hood looks as good as the factory power bulge style hood so this gives me hope for my future plans on my LS swap.
Finished up the fuel system. Really like how the nylon braided stuff goes together over the SS. Still need to switch a few pieces to black because I forgot to order them last time
And for the moment of truth!
Thats tight!
Still may end up shimming the K-member down for a bit more breathing room. Ill be running a power bulge hood and they're slightly higher than the stock 4 vent. Really dont want the hood to press down and vibrate against the lid at speed
Wont be long until the first fire
Let us know on the power bulge if you have to cut any of the bracing or not. I'm curious if you will.
That combo was completed for a short while. A fellow came by to pick up other parts and ended up buying the engine/trans for his 68 Firebird. Heres how it looked before being pulled. I had about 5 minutes of run time on it
Since then Ive picked up a T56 magnum, true 6.2L LSA, couple more LSA SC kits, Edelbrock E-force and a ton of 5.3's. This car will be receiving an iron 6.0/Magnum topped by either another LSA SC kit like the previous build or E-force. Im leaning towards the E-force because a) it looks badass and is super low profile b) its a bigger more powerful blower and Im feeling a high HP build is in the future
I also picked up a pair of whipple 3.0L head units and am designing a quadrotor assembly (that means two big blowers) based off their BBC marine setup. Thats still in the design phase, so it'll be a long time before anything materializes
Right now, Im in the final steps of a magnacharged 5.3/4L60E into my dads 97 silverado and have another 5.3/4L60E into a 70 C10 slated for this winter
one day, we'll get together on an LSA blown 6.0 for my pickup.
Just get a F150 Ecoboost. Quiet as a church mouse and easily tows anything that you'd be willing to hook to a 1/2 ton truck. Won't overheat and has a fantastic 6 speed auto.
Just get a F150 Ecoboost. Quiet as a church mouse and easily tows anything that you'd be willing to hook to a 1/2 ton truck. Won't overheat and has a fantastic 6 speed auto.
06-19-2016 | 10:19 PM
