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Project "Yay another Ls Fox...but with a sprinkle of Incon"
So I've been a mustang guy for about 20yrs now and although I am pretty much the last one to show up at the Ls-Fox party, I can honestly say I've been wanting to put an Ls in a mustang since about '00. Fox body's aren't for everyone, but they just seem to fit me and my butt pretty well...plus I may be going through an almost-mid-life-crisis.
Things started to fall in place when I scored a test engine from my old job...it was ridden a little hard but the oil was changed ridiculously frequently (as to not alter test results) and it had an easy life all things considered. By the time I sold some of the unneeded parts off the engine, cost to me was a few hundred bucks all said and done. Low hours box stock Ls2.
Shortly after this, I bought a 2 owner '89 5.0 LX 5spd from a guy right down the street. After a little bit of elbow grease, it was a running/driving fox. Needed paint (still does) but otherwise a solid car and very straight with a clean interior.
A buddy of mine hooked me up with cobra knock-offs, lowering springs, 5-lug axles/rotors and cobra brakes up front. I also rebuilt the rear while putting in some "give-a-way" new FMS 3.73's.
The mustang guy in me had a tough time pulling a good running 5.0 car apart, but we all know stock 302 blocks like to split when the power just starts getting fun, so I sold everything and recouped a good chunk of my cash....anything for the sake of the mighty Lsx!!
Easy as 1...
2...
3...
The above has "only" taken me a year to complete, (kids, wife, changing jobs, lost interest, waiting for the planets to align, yada, yada, yada), and I owe many thanks to my BFF for housing this thing, a bunch of parts and letting me use his garage & tools for so long. I am moving into a new house the first of the year with a 2 car garage, so progress should improve once we get settled in. It will be much easier for me to slip into my mancave when it's right down the hall.
As for the actual build, my "plan" has been everything under the moon and back, at different times depending on the day...from stock Ls2, to huge cam'd all motor, to nitrous, to S/C, etc. You name it, I was definitely doing it for at least a day or two.
The overwhelming winner is sort of a blast from my past. The most fun street car I've ever owned was an '87 GT 5-spd with an Incon TT kit on a basically stock 302. It wasn't a serious street car by any means, but had gobs of torque with almost zero lag and was just a lot of fun to drive.
So I plan to tuck two smallish turbos next to this Ls2, aiming for 550-600rwhp max and a metric ton of TQ with a T56 behind it all. I plan to copy the intercooler set-up from Incon as well. I am not sure why their configuration isn't used much but it worked great and didn't block the radiator. The intercooler was horizontal between the bottom of the radiator and the front of the K-member. The air damn was then relocated to the intercooler (k-member side) to help direct air up through it.
FWIW, when my Camaro had the stock TTi single kit on it, I moved their intercooler from in front of the radiator to this horizontal location and reduced my IAT's substantially.
Anywho, here is a pic of the Incon kit on a 302 fox. Shoehorning turbos in there and then making tubular headers is going to be uber fun, I just know it! I am hoping between the taller Ls deck and being able to lower the turbo centerlines a touch, I won't have to be as aggressive with the primaries as Incon did. Changing plugs on my old fox was a complete SOB. It was also hell on plug wires unless you did things just right.
I have been searching for the specs of the Incon turbos for awhile now and although some of the sizing info is conflicting, I believe I have enough to get something in there that will work, preferably with internal wastegates.
A fellow member on here had recommended BW S256's w/.76 A/R exhaust housings as he has made very good power on an Ls2 with these. They are physically larger in size which won't help and will require an external WG...but in the end, a better turbo then the ones I have been looking at on Ebay and half the price of the Garrett units I really need.
There has been some other work on the car but nothing worth posting. I will say making a standalone harness wasn't anywhere near as frightening as I once thought...thank you Lt1swap.com.
Thanks for reading my novel, hope to have more action pics and less blah-blah-blah in a couple of months.
that mounting location is definitely harder to setup but makes for a super clean engine bay. there is at least one build thread with it being done in a fox, probably a few others. the one i recall the guy used 2010 camaro manifolds which worked very well and without too much modification.
ive never tried this but i have thought about it and my suggestions is to cut the lower firewall/trans tunnel/ and leave it open till mock up is complete, then weld the chunk back on but recessed however much you need. also instead of BW units, use $140 ebay ones then once everything is installed and tuned swap to the garrets you want.just buy the ebay cracker jack turbos that physically match up with the garrets you ultimately want.
I have in Watched list on eBay a couple of turbos...one of them is a china copy of the Garrett turbo I need, crazy cheap, so I may just do what you suggested so I don't get too bogged down.
Maybe my search-fu is lacking, do you have any pics of the Incon-ish set-ups? I would love to use some factory manifolds if I could but haven't seen anything other than the C6 that I used back in the day that would put them close to where I want them.
ya some of the best advice Ive taken from this and other sites is to get it together and running as fast as possible. that will keep you motivated.
i'll see if i can find that thread. check out the 2010 manifolds though they work well because unlike other ones they have a very thick flange on the exit. they sit the turbo lower and farther back which is a much better location
Hey man, thanks for the link! Sweet build for sure and it gives me some good ideas. That car made great power to boot.
I've been doing a lot of research and some light tinkering with the car but hopefully things will move faster after next week.
FWIW, trailblazer SS manifolds fit a fox and clear the steering shaft.
Your story sounds ALOT like mine. Been a mustang guy for a long time after owning, modding, trading, drag racing through about 10 foxes, I swore them off for about 4 years now. Did a frame off restoration on a 1970 GTO and LS swapped it. Now Im hooked on LSx platform.
Back in March I met my fiance. On our first day I drove the GTO because I was told she liked drag racing. That night me and a friend with a modded silverado decided to run each other. So as she was setting next to me during all this I said "this doesn't bother you?" She replied "no I love it!" Huge smile on my face! So I said "what kind of cars do you like?" She replied again " I like the fox body mustangs!" I was in heaven! A hot woman that likes fox body mustangs! I knew then what I had to do. Buy me another fox and LS swap it! This summer we bought a 2.3 Fox and we have a 5.3 we are building now to drop in it. Sorry to hijack your thread with my story but when I read yours I said to myself "I know exactly where this guy is coming from!"
I have one of the first Speartech/Incon kits. They were tiny T25 turbos with T28? Being an upgrade. Sadly this was waaay back before you could find much info on the Internet and DFI was DOS based with no info available on how to tune them short of callin Duttweiler on the West coast and begging lol. Changing plugs and keeping plug wires alive was near impossible and the manifolds weighed a metric **** ton!
The intercooler position was pretty neat, there was a sort of shield above it to guide air and prevent heat from above. Below there was a large metal sheet that sealed much of the front of the bay with a cut out for the intercooler. Air was scooper with a rubber air damn formed In a sort of a C shape, the rubber was fiber reinforced and sturdy stuff!
While compact they did space the engine upwards to fit it with spacers on the engine mounts. The turbos were one stay too small and their silly injector controller for a 9th injector had a fuel hose that popped off on me at least once - thankfully on a cold start with the hood up :-O I actually still have all of it though probably missing some of the cold side piping and a stud or two needing replacement on the turbos. Personally I would advise not trying to make things that compact, having things that tight is a nightmare and a decent sized single will spool just as quickly with potentially less hassle and cost. Good Luck!
Orbitorange
I don't consider that thread hijacking so no worries, thanks for the story and congrats on finding a great WOman! My wife digs my mustang as well so I can assure you that's 95% of the battle...the rest is time and money...minor "details" lol! Good luck with the build and keep us up to date (with both "projects" ;-)
BLKMGK
You are right about the plugs/wires...I remember that being such a huge PITA, and one of the reasons I lost interest in the kit & car. If I am unable to fix this with my LsStang build, I will either move the turbos up similar to CXRacing's mustang kit or just go single as you mentioned.
My Incon kit must have been a later version as the intercooler set-up was a little simpler. There was a shield above the core (parallel to it) to help direct exiting air, but the only thing on the bottom side was the stock splash/rad shield that was relocated to the back of the intercooler. My kit didn't have a 9th injector but, just 36# injectors and a matching MAF tube.
I do wish I knew about meth/water injection then as it would have saved me a few head gasket swaps, oh how fun!
So I have decided to just focus on getting this stupid car moving under its own power, before I lose my motivation, then turbo'ing will be easier since all the detail stuff will be done.
A good friend hooked me up with the magical rainbow colored unicorn they call a T56.
Clutch master tacked while I wait for a new gas regulator before bracing and finish welding it all up. #ihatefluxcore
"Fuel system" done for penny's minus the regulator and gauge...aka thank you nice coworkers.
And I'm going to Microsquirt this thing along with a standalone knock box/warning LED's unless anyone can talk me out of it. Just looks ubber simple and seems to work great.
I'm dizzy from putting this pedal assembly in and out to test fit lol.
I took a guess on the stroke, and made nearly the full length of fox pedal travel equal 1.12" at the master. Ideally I wanted the "swing" of the lever arm more centered, aka rotated CCW but that put the master cylinder even lower towards the floor.
I am using the shaft that used to drive the half moon thingy that pulled on the cable clutch. I've never driven a fox with a hydraulic clutch, that in itself is going to be great. The factory cable clutch is a very good leg exercise ha.
I made sure to keep it at or above the height of the factory floor vent dicky do, so I am hoping I won't notice it once in the seat.
Thanks Jimbo, yes I like the setup as well...my friend definitely hooked me up.
The original-original idea was a light all motor T56 car to rip on and have fun with at the track...somehow it is morphing into a turbo car.
With that said, this will have a little less power than my old Incon 302 car and bit lighter...so I may be quite content as is, especially since the fastest car I have driven in 7 years is my wicked 1.7L Honda Civic...all motor of course...I mean stock.
RICE ETR,
Mind sharing the price on what you paid? I'd love to find on just like yours, Gray or dark blue, your wheels and a LS3.M6. That would be a fun DD
I paid $1800 for the stang, just had to fix a fuel line that a chipmunk had chewed through to get it going. Other than that it was a solid 5.0/5spd car, 140k miles. The paint isn't as good as the picture looks fwiw. Solid car though, no wrecks
The turbo thing will just have to wait, I just want to get this turd running.
Finished the clutch hydraulics, works great
Got the stock mustang cable to work with the China TB. Wish I had a TIG to fuse the bracket pieces together...I butchered it with the MIG....nothing a few coats of Rustoleum Hammer paint won't cover up.
Used the stock shifter out of my SS,fully disassembled it, cut and rewelded at an angle then threw on a hack piece of AL...not pretty but at least it fits the console.
12-09-2015, 09:06 PM
Project "Yay another Ls Fox...but with a sprinkle of Incon" 
