is this possible? I like the third gen interior a and was just wondering if anyone has done this. Also can I keep my third gen ac?

 

Riverside, CA?

The main issue for California is having all of the emissions systems functional, which technically includes the fuel tank. The LS1 fuel level sensing system feeds into the PCM, and the input to the fuel gauge is serial data. To the best of my knowledge, no one has come up with a serial to analog converter so you can use the stock 3rd gen fuel gauge.

3rd gen AC can use the LS1 AC compressor if you notch the K-member, or install a tubular K-member.

 

Read any of the wiring threads in the swap sticky up at the top of the forum. Lots of info with specifics on what to connect for stock function

 

You can indeed use all of the stock 3rd gen gauges. If the 89 firebird is the car you are going to convert, I can tell you almost exactly what to do for each gauge.

I even have my stock fuel gauge working with the stock LS1 fuel tank sender. I currently have the LS1 tank/evap/charcoal canister installed on mine as well.

The most complicated part is making the fuel gauge work. All you need to do for that though is remove the stock 3rd gen gauge, then remove the stock resistors on the gauge and replace them according to my chart. Mine has been working perfectly for about ~1 month now.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...auge-40-a.html

It's especially neat for shock factor, looks entirely stock until you pop the hood, no need for rewiring or custom gauge buckets for autometers, or converting to a LS1 dash.

No one really seemed to take interest in my thread though, not sure why lol, sure is a lot easier than pulling the fuel pump out of the tank and rigging a 0-90 ohm sender/resistor in there. I'd rather not mess with something that sits in gasoline if there is another way about doing it.

 

Dude, I will be using your diagram on swapping out the guage instead of the fuel pump modual on the LS1 tank.

Im looking to enter the LS1 swap crew as well. I wonder if its the same for Camaros as it is for Firebirds.

 

The Camaro's should be the same (not for sure about the fuel gauge) but the speedo won't since they didn't have electric speedo's until '90 iirc where the Firebirds had them in '87. To be able to use the output from the LS1 PCM the easiest way is to use a CableX box. Just do a google on Cable X and you can find it that way.

 

For the fuel gauge in a camaro I can probably help you figure out a way to mod it if you can remove one and take a pic. I know there are varying styles throughout the years though.

 

Al, you only need to do this if you plan on making the evap 100% functional

 

What do you mean? I have an LS1 tank with pump assembly and everything.
I was gunna tinker with the pump, but possible playing with the guage could be better since I have a 2nd guage pod set up.

As for the speedo, yeah I already have that 350 bucks put into my budget...funtastic.

 

Why dont you just get a newer cluster for the car and then you could get the LS VS sender to work with a factory cluster?

I wasnt thinking properly about telling you you didnt need to do this, I put the grand prix sender in the tank so my dash would read properly. I was already in the tank to put a new pump in it and take the LS fuel pressure regulator out since I was still using a TPI based setup.
Since I am going to LSx now I think I will probably put a stock sender in the tank this time, I just read through $750 L98's post about the resistors and this is a way easy mod and worth the time of swapping back so the PCM will read properly. I can do that for you if you need

 

To replace the cluster to a '90-'92 model, he'll also have to get the dash harness as well to make sure that all the pinouts are exactly like they need to be.

 

You don't need to spend anything on the speedo, 1989 = electric speedo. Have the LS1 computer tuned to work with the factory speedometer and you are golden.

 

I don't have evap 100% functional, I did not route it through the computer. However, with my gauge mod you CAN do that if you'd like, because you just have the computer send the gauge the information instead.

Like I said, mine has EVAP, but not run through the computer, it's passive.

I just modified the stock 3rd gen fuel gauge to work with the 40-250 Ohm sender instead of the 0-90 Ohm.

To me it's safer and easier to mod a gauge than something that will be sitting in gasoline, it also makes it easier to swap in stock 4th gen tank parts when they break.

 

Actually, the speedo in an '89 Camaro is cable driven

 

Right for the cable driven guys you will have to improvise, but the OP has a electric speedo like mine. Nabbing a newer electric cluster would definitely be the easiest option for camaros IMO, but I'm not sure if they changed the dash housing throughout the years. I've only really messed with the newer TPI firebirds.

 

James, Ill hit you up on the BOA about it so I can figure out what is the best approach.

Like I said, I have a second set of guages, so it could be pretty easy. Ive thought about going to a Covan dash...but thats an expensive option.

 

All of my gauges work fine. I do have all electric gauges but Hawksthirdgen sells a digital to cable adapter so you can run your stock cable driven speedo off the LS1 pcm.

As far as your ac goes, you can use all of your stock third gen stuff. To include the compressor if you buy the brackets for the LS1 which Hawks also has. If you look at my swap thread I show how I cut and modified my crossmember to allow use of the stock compressor. I wanted a clean looking install. I had a local shop make custom lines. Hawks sell lines, but they wont work with stock manifolds. I am using stock manifolds thats why I got them made locally. If I could do it all over, I would use the stock ac compressor and ditch the 4th gen compressor. It was allot of added work. Heck, you dont even have to charge your ac, my 3rd gen compressor swung out of the way when I pulled the engine without even cracking a line.

 

Just came across this thread after posting a similar question. Good stuff.

Anybody know if the 87-88 Trans Am digital cluster would be do-able with an LS1 swap as well? I have the entire assembly/harness and was planning on swapping that and an LS1/4L60e into an 88 V6 platform.

 

The digital dash harness must be used in the V6 shell. The engine wiring will need to be set the same as the dash. I didnt see any special notes on the digital dash pinouts different from any analog dashes so they should hook up the same at the body connectors (C100/C207/C221)

 

Thanks for the reply. I've got your other threads bookmarked as well Pocket.

So would I be able to utilize the same resistor trick for the fuel gauge if I want to use a 4th gen tank and whatever other interfaces I need to get the tach/speedo on the digi-dash to work with the LS1?

I'm not too concerned about the DriverInfoCenter, but the tops would be if the mileage could be reset/modified in the eeprom chip, or whatever is used in it. Been so long since I researched the topic as I've had the cluster in my garage for years.

 

I havent read a conclusive thread showing the resistor trick actually works. Only documented fix is to use the Grand Am or similar 90ohm sender

Im really not sure how the mileage thing works, but if I had to guess it monitors the trip-meter and calculates consumption based on fuel level. Crudely...

I cant think of how that would be affected with the swap though, even with the 4th gen tank. Newer cars monitor consumption with a sensor mounted on the fuel lines metering how much fuel goes to the engine vs how much returns. 3rd gens are too primitive for that kind of technology

You wont need any sort of driver for the bird gauges. Only thing of concern is that bird tachs are a bit more sensitive than camaros so they usually require the booster wire. Id recommend this as GP since the booster only makes the signal stronger, it doesnt change it's function. If you have a VSS buffer box, it'll need to be bypassed like a TBI car but nothing extra needs to be added or converted. Coolant gauge can be driven by the 98 LS1 CTS or the stock sender modified to the LSx cyl heads. LS1 oil sender will run the 3rd gen gauge perfectly. Volts are ran off the dash wiring and untouched. Fuel is driven by the tank sender, so once the resistance is correct this will work just like a 3rd gen

 

I've been using a modified resistor gauge for a good while now, works like stock. No one seemed to show much interest in it so I didn't follow it up other than to say I'd been using it for roughly a month at that point.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...auge-40-a.html

 

camaros are different, no resisters under the bucket of fuel guage ,i took one apart ,runs off a thin plastic circuit board ,no idea how to make it work for camaros, this is off a 1991 camaro

 

Can you provide more detail on how your evap is hooked up? This is the only part of the ls swap that has me a little stumped. Thanks.