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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.
who has modified the original harness bulkhead connector on the passenger inner fender area to allow the LS harness to pass through it to maintain a seal from the outside? I know someone here has had to have done this. Pics?
I did... That sucker was fun to pull apart! I used silicone to fill it up like factory once I had the wires routed through and cut to length.
Sorry I have no pictures... And it's too cold and the car is back together for me to take any lol.
So you gutted it and pulled your wires through? That makes sense. I ran my wiring without doing that so I may gut it, cut one side of it to slip it over the harness and fill it back up with silicone as you did.
I also pulled a bulkhead and used it for my LS harness. It wasn't that hard to pick out the old sealant, just time consuming. There is a comb inside the connector to separate the wires a bit. I use "The right stuff" to fill it back in once I was done. I did have a leak though once I got on the road, the sealant around the wires isn't really an issue for the leak, since water isn't splashing onto it, but running down the sheet metal to the top of the bulkhead. I ran a bead of seam sealer on the sheet metal above it, in either chevron or a long straight bead at an angle, so the dripping water would naturally shed away from the connector. once I did that, the water stopped coming in the car. There is a foam seal around the bulkhead that is supposed to seal it to the body. Since it has been compressed in there for almost 25 years, it didn't like being disturbed. You could do the same as I did, or put silicon around the hole thing before you clip it into the body.
I have found a Tyco bulkhead connector that requires just a little cutting of the sheet metal for a little larger hole. It is quite expensive though by the time you buy the bulkhead and all the terminal pins and get a proper Deutsch crimp tool.
The plastic part of the thirdgen fender/ kick panel pass through is two parts, I was able to just separate it leaving the potting material in place on the wires.
I extended the wires to the PCM buy grabbing a second harness from the junkyard so all the wires are the right color.
Then I just used house silicone to re pot it, I know not quite the same material but it should keep any exhaust and sound out of the car. I also zip tied the two houses back together since one of the tabs broke. I also added a screw top and bottom to hold it better.
Any of the wires for the thirdgen that I needed I just did new wires.
Though since I maintained the 4th gen fuse boxes and all the emission controls my wiring is a little different than most.
Once peice of advice that I would do differently. While you have the engine out re rout the AC/blower motor wires and vacuum lines from the gourmet behind the head to run with the rest of the PCM wires. It will save some space in that area that gets very crowded with heater core hoses etc. Also at least with certain mounting solutions the LS1 will be very close to the firewall.
Thanks for all the info guys! I disassembled my factory bulkhead connector with a heat gun and some massaging. I am going to run my new LS harness through it as pictured above hopefully this week.
