89 trans am ls1 swap
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
well i got everything mostly figured out and working on small things. One of the things i am still not sure about is the pcv. I am thinking on putting a breather cap on driver side valve cover and blocking off the line comping on the back side of the valve cover on passenger side. Then running the one on the front of the valve cover to the intake. Not sure if it would work and still doing some research to figure it out. Also looks like need to get longer spark plug wire and mount the #8 coil pack higher on the valve cover
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From: In the Garage
Car: Camaro
Engine: 6.2L
Transmission: T56
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
The PCV issue is one where your going to get many different opinions I can tell you that much. Im running a breather with zero complaints or issues 3 yrs now. Others have had oil blowing out of theirs, bad smell coming out of it, and some believe it will cause damage to your engine. There are guys running stock PCV with no complaints or issues of oil consumption but they are definitely the exception most stock PCV systems are poor to say the least. A common ground approach is to run a decent quality catch can and this seems to satisfy many.
Or you could take your chances with a breather
Or you could take your chances with a breather
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
the cap with the port for the pcv line on driver side valve cover broke during the swap whitch is why i wanted to put a breather on there. I think i will cap all the other ports off for now and will put a breather on the driver side valve cover. Eveentually i will upgrade to a catch can. On a bright side i finally got my custom hot air intake done today. I will order some more pices and will route it trough the battery tray behind the bumper, at least now i can start it up and drive down the street.
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From: Berrien Springs, michigan
Car: 92 Camaro z28
Engine: LQ4 6.0L Vortech w/ aluminum heads
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.42s from 99-02 WS6
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
hi there, your swap seem to be going great i see, I have a question about the picture you have of your engine bay with out the engine in it. i am having issues lining my engine up on the mounts, i have the service manual and from the position you have your mount brackets my book says thats the position for the V6 engine mounts. my concern is if i use that location i might be to far back and my cross member and torque arm would be off. by the way i am doing an LT1 swap but its the same mounts and brackets. any insight would help...thanks and also where did you get those mount brackets, i am using new stock ones?
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
lt1 uses regular v8 mounts, the mounts that i am using are ls1 swap mounts.
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
EDIT: Computer is refusing to send a signal for the fuel pump to turn on. I have vats bypass sending 50Hz signal to the dark blue wire #11 on the red plug to the computer. I used the diagram attached.
Last edited by yevgenievich; Nov 8, 2009 at 03:24 PM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
new fuel pump = start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVhhVDDbyro
still the vats problem i believe with the ignition so starting using a hot wire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVhhVDDbyro
still the vats problem i believe with the ignition so starting using a hot wire.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
connecting the two heavy gage wires on the start relay fixed the starting problem. The main issue i have left is i am trying to use stock tach and speedometer but not sure on how to correctly hook them up. I think it is possible to change the tach signal in the computer trough tune to work with stock guage which is what i was going to try and do.
Can't wait to go for a drive, it's been long enough.
Can't wait to go for a drive, it's been long enough.
Last edited by yevgenievich; Dec 3, 2009 at 10:20 PM.
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
Been driving for a bit after the swap now, took the T/A to San Antonio without major issues. First drive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=118i4Loh9sM
The lower radiator hose is rubbing and i need to find a better fitting one. I remember reading somewhere that certain year f150's hose fits but not sure. Does anybody know the part number that works well?
Driving long distance without exhaust eventually did get a bit annoying so i took it to a muffler shop.
Before:

now:




the muffler is actually little higher than the tip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=118i4Loh9sM
The lower radiator hose is rubbing and i need to find a better fitting one. I remember reading somewhere that certain year f150's hose fits but not sure. Does anybody know the part number that works well?
Driving long distance without exhaust eventually did get a bit annoying so i took it to a muffler shop.
Before:

now:




the muffler is actually little higher than the tip
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From: Bertram (outside Austin), TX
Car: 87 GTA
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
How are you going to pass Texas State Inspection with that exhaust?
Thread Starter
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
no emission test in the county where the car is registered.
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From: Bertram (outside Austin), TX
Car: 87 GTA
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
Same for me here, but it would still fail on the Visual portion. No true dual exhaust passes will legally pass in Texas. In fact....The shop that did it for you, could get fined for doing that to a street car.
Thread Starter
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
it's not really a street car, it's becoming auto-x only car
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
It should pass fine, not illegal, and would pass even in smog country with cats on it.
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Car: 87 GTA
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
No way, no how.....on a street legal car. You can't even move cats somewhere else. They are required to be in a certain location under the car.
Last edited by Stephen; Jan 8, 2010 at 03:35 PM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
My stealth has true duals with two cats and it passes visual with no problem. Stock can only be single
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
And actually...If the 3rd gen came with the dual cat option originally, it cab run a "true dual" exhaust, but the cats still have to be on the same side, like the stock configuration.
I know a guy that had duals cats originally, converted to a single. Failed because of that, despite his #s being within the limits.
He put the stock dual cat setup back on. #s went UP, but still within the limits. And he passed!
See? The laws are not about real results. They are about the governments wallets. If they were really after clean air, he'd have passed the first time!
Last edited by Stephen; Jan 8, 2010 at 06:48 PM.
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From: Leicester,Ma.
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
if he can get it to pas than great for him..i have to get hookups as well because mass is getting more and more strict with there emissions laws
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Car: 98 Camaro Z28
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
If it came that way from the factory, sure. 3rd gens didn't though. I was only referring to 3rd gens.
And actually...If the 3rd gen came with the dual cat option originally, it cab run a "true dual" exhaust, but the cats still have to be on the same side, like the stock configuration.
I know a guy that had duals cats originally, converted to a single. Failed because of that, despite his #s being within the limits.
He put the stock dual cat setup back on. #s went UP, but still within the limits. And he passed!
See? The laws are not about real results. They are about the governments wallets. If they were really after clean air, he'd have passed the first time!
And actually...If the 3rd gen came with the dual cat option originally, it cab run a "true dual" exhaust, but the cats still have to be on the same side, like the stock configuration.
I know a guy that had duals cats originally, converted to a single. Failed because of that, despite his #s being within the limits.
He put the stock dual cat setup back on. #s went UP, but still within the limits. And he passed!
See? The laws are not about real results. They are about the governments wallets. If they were really after clean air, he'd have passed the first time!
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From: Bertram (outside Austin), TX
Car: 87 GTA
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Transmission: 700R4
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Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
G92 was dual cats, on the passenger side. There was no dual cat 3rd gen, from the factory, with 1 vat on each side.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 632
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From: college station, texas
Car: numerous
Engine: ls1, others
Transmission: t56, others
Axle/Gears: 3.23 7.6"
Re: 89 trans am ls1 swap
my impression was that if it came with two cats it doesn't matter where the location is, at least my stealth originally one cat single exhaust, no option for dual but passes visual with dual and two cats. I guess is just most places do not care as long as they see a cat in there
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