When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've run a 1987 944 Turbo as a street legal track car for the last 9 years. It's been good to me and I've got it setup to be a perfect dance partner. I've kept up on engine maintenance over the years, rod bearings, head gasket, fresh head and turbo etc. A driver side balance shaft leak and a few others have been getting steadily worse, so I really need to pull the engine and address it. That prompted action on an LS swap that I had been considering for a few years. But first a little bit on the car, and the pieces that will remain after the swap.
Front Suspension:
400in/lbs springs
Racers Edge Camber Plates / High Strung 44 Control Arms with monoball bushings
Ground Control coil over / Koni Sport
30mm front sway bar
Rear Suspension:
650in/lbs springs
Elephant Racing Poly Bronze Bearings / Solid torsion carrier mounts and monoball bushings
Ground Control coil over / 30 series Koni
19mm adjustable rear sway bar
Weights:
Corner balance:
818.....810
782.....747
Cross weight 50.4%
Total weight 3157 including half tank of gas and 215 for driver (2942 without driver)
Update Summer 2019: The car was scaled again after swap at 2935 without driver
Brakes:
Front:
996 GT3 4-Piston calipers on 330 Cayenne rotors
Pagid Orange pads
944 Turbo Cup cooling ducts and 968 air spats
Rear:
Stock 944 Turbo calipers and rotors
Pagid Black pads
Safety/Interior:
Heigo bolt-in rollbar
Cobra Evolution GT halo seat
Scroth harnesses
Momo Mod 07 wheel on NRG quick release
I found an engine locally that had been used in a hobby vehicle and then removed. It was a 2008 build by Turn Key Engine Supply, a 5.3 litre aluminum block with an LS1 intake and their standalone harness (5-wire hookup) and MEFI-5a ECM. So me and my 6.0 LQ powered 2500HD went to get it. I gave the engine a good cleaning and wipe down, pulled the pan and valve covers to take a quick look, all seemed OK. The headers have been sold and the LS3 style (I think) water pump will also be sold. I pulled the crank pulley to replace the seal, I'll do the rear main seal as well and likely use a fresh oil pan gasket.
Update Feb 2018: Turns out the used engine was a dud, knocking with low oil pressure on first startup once swapped into the 944. A fresh built LS2 long block was sourced, the harness and MEFI ECU were carried over so the original purchase wasn't a total loss.
I placed an order with Kent at Texas Performance Concepts for most of the major pieces to make my life easier when it comes to the swap, an example of some of the puzzle pieces...
Engine is pretty much ready to be pulled. Bellhousing, clutch and flywheel are off the back, torque tube pulled back as far as it will go. Engine wiring harness pulled, came out clean with no wires cut.
This little puzzle piece also arrived, M16 Male Metric Straight Thread x M18 Female Metric Straight Thread Adapter. This will let me run the stock 944 oil pressure guage off the opening behind the LS intake on the top rear part of the block.
Put the LS on some storage legs so I can work on the back of the engine. Pulled the old rear main seal and installed a new one, used a couple "special tools" for the job. Next job will be installing the adapter and pilot bearing that fit in the back of the crank.
Are you going to adapt to the tube with a corvette bell housing ? I remember seeing someone made the adapter to go from it to the 944 tube.
Yes that's exactly the method. C5 Corvette bell housing and a special adapter that mates it to the torque tube and mounts an internal clutch slave and throw out bearing.
I have a C5 bell housing if you dont have one yet-$100 plus the freight. I have done about 10 of these swaps on 944 and 968 makes for a great combination.
I have a C5 bell housing if you dont have one yet-$100 plus the freight. I have done about 10 of these swaps on 944 and 968 makes for a great combination.
Thanks for the generous offer, that's a good price, I've already got one though. Glad to have you checking in on my thread, it's nice to have someone with experience looking things over.
12-24-2016, 09:03 AM
1987 944 Turbo --> LS2 
