Conversions & Swaps LSX Engines in Non-LSX Vehicles
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LQ4 into a 3rd Gen/1972 Nova

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Old 02-25-2009, 02:37 PM
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[QUOTE=mikem77;11120636]Do the short and wide mounts use different mounts on the frame? [QUOTE]

I can't comment definitively on whether or not they use a different frame-side mount, but the short&wides are about 1/2" wider than the frame-side mount, in the direction of the horizontal bolt. On my setup, this allowed a bit of room for the engine to slide back and forth. I would imagine that the tall&skinny engine mounts would not have this extra room, but would still fit the same frame-side mounts.
Old 02-25-2009, 11:20 PM
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[QUOTE=frojoe;11128261][QUOTE=mikem77;11120636]Do the short and wide mounts use different mounts on the frame?

I can't comment definitively on whether or not they use a different frame-side mount, but the short&wides are about 1/2" wider than the frame-side mount, in the direction of the horizontal bolt. On my setup, this allowed a bit of room for the engine to slide back and forth. I would imagine that the tall&skinny engine mounts would not have this extra room, but would still fit the same frame-side mounts.
If I understand what you are saying, if your tranny mount was un bolted, the engine would be able to move fore and aft? If that is the case, you may want to use a bushing or spacer of some kind on the mount bolt to prevent this, or you will tear up your transmission mount.
Old 02-26-2009, 10:29 PM
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[QUOTE=Marktainium;11132188][QUOTE=frojoe;11128261]
Originally Posted by mikem77
Do the short and wide mounts use different mounts on the frame?

If I understand what you are saying, if your tranny mount was un bolted, the engine would be able to move fore and aft? If that is the case, you may want to use a bushing or spacer of some kind on the mount bolt to prevent this, or you will tear up your transmission mount.
Good call. Since I've now decided to boost the engine and throw in a T56, I'm going to be re-making and strengthening the motor mount adapters, the transmission mounts/cross-member, and possibly the motor mounts themselves... so thanks for bring that to light

I'm am slightly bitter right now, please refer to this thread I created on my local 240sx car forum, check out post #13...
http://bc240.com/index.php?showtopic...041&#entry4041
Old 02-27-2009, 08:28 AM
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Just to save everyone from having to go to a 240sx forum (kidding):

MMmmmm a nova.

Hopefully you're wheel choice for you s13 is better than that on the nova....excuse me being blunt but those are horrid....especially on that car.


On a more positive note, what motor/tranny combo are you thinking for the nova....i find it far more interesting than whats to become of the s13 lol.

EDIT: ewwwww just read it, you put the damn 6.0 into it! a NEWER gm motor?! if you were gonna go that route should have just done the 5.3, way more reliable. Well, to each their own, good luck with the time bomb....the only thing more unrelaible is the 8.1.


As for a tranny, you may be able to source a factory option 6M from the states. Theyre rare but their out there. And theyre strong.
wow.

EDIT: there's a guy at work that stuffed an LS1 in a 240sx. it's a pretty sweet setup. he kept the fart can-style exhaust (albeit with 3" pipe) to 'make the car a sleeper'. which i find hilarious.

Last edited by hookemdevils22; 02-27-2009 at 08:56 AM.
Old 02-27-2009, 07:56 PM
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[QUOTE=hookemdevils22;11141175]Just to save everyone from having to go to a 240sx forum (kidding):





What a tool!! (the guy on the 240SX forum that is)
Old 02-28-2009, 03:41 PM
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[QUOTE=GuySmiley;11145231What a tool!! (the guy on the 240SX forum that is)[/QUOTE]


It's OK, he posted agian a retracted some of the stuff he said. I have no problem with him, it's just annoying when people come out so strong at first, then become nice in the next post, I try to be nice in every post
Old 03-11-2009, 07:18 PM
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Default power steering

I was at princess auto and I thought of your power steering problem...as in too easy. In their hydraulics section they have flow regulators, semi adjustable from 39 bucks. You just need to figure out what the gph is for your powersteering box.
Old 03-11-2009, 08:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Marktainium
I was at princess auto and I thought of your power steering problem...as in too easy. In their hydraulics section they have flow regulators, semi adjustable from 39 bucks. You just need to figure out what the gph is for your powersteering box.
Thanks for lookin out for me! I did actually check out Princess a while ago, but I remember not being able to find the flow adjustment I wanted for the high PS pressures. So I actually ordered a Heidt's one, nice peice, internal bypass type so it diverts extra flow into the return line once the set pressure (adjustable) is exceeded. Very compact, intended for my exact situation, adjustable between near-manual to cadillac-like feeling, cost around $89, so I was fine with that!

Last edited by frojoe; 03-12-2009 at 12:07 AM.
Old 04-24-2009, 07:31 PM
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Got a better radiator to replace the 37 year old copper one, and includes an engine oil cooler! It's from a mid-90's S10, and it's brand new/never had fluids through it. It'll fit height-wise and will also fit the sub-frame rails with about 1/2" clearance.




Also, got a little something to start a new direction of the build... 24"x12"x4" core, 3" inlet/outlet. Oh jeez I think it's all downhill from here...

Attached Thumbnails LQ4 into a 3rd Gen/1972 Nova-good-1-p4240039.jpg   LQ4 into a 3rd Gen/1972 Nova-good-2-p4240047.jpg  
Old 04-24-2009, 08:11 PM
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hey i like your swap im just about to start a 6.0 lq4 swap im my 73 nova what motor plates did you use?
Old 04-25-2009, 07:40 PM
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haha. turbo that b*tch and grenade that corporate 10 bolt!
Old 04-25-2009, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by hookemdevils22
...grenade that corporate 10 bolt!
Haha still not sure what I'm going to do there. I have a couple 8.5's that I'm going to assemble into one with some larger axles, probably all I'll be able to afford for now. Oh and did I mention I'll be putting in a T56 once I can locate one? Poor 10bolt....
Old 04-25-2009, 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by 73 nova guy
hey i like your swap im just about to start a 6.0 lq4 swap im my 73 nova what motor plates did you use?
I used the Carshop/S&P-style ones, but I think I'm gonna make some custom ones to offset the engine as far back as possible, to gain as much hot-side piping clearance as possible in front of the engine.
Old 04-25-2009, 10:56 PM
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Im just curious but why does everyone like the T56? I understand the 6 speed, but everything from what ive read is they only handle 400-450hp.

Ive talked to two people that have these things and they both said they never put them into 6 gear.. Am I just missing something? or is it because everyone has deep gears currently?

Im running 3:55's and bought a TKO600 just for the added strength, I figured a sixth gear would hardly ever be needed with that gear ratio.

just curious, maybe i dont have all my info correct
Old 04-26-2009, 12:46 AM
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i am going to start my ls swap in a few weeks and this is the problem i am thinking is going to be major. my car is air bagged so my cross member sits like an 1/8 inch from the ground and i see the oil pans is very low even when its modified its still pretty low any ideas for a pan for a nova that will stay above the cross member? i also asked about motor mounts is there a mount to keep the turbo 350 in the stock location? so i don't have to have the drive shaft lengthened? i don't really care about headers fitting im making custom headers. i figured since there is a small nova gathering here i could ask some nova questions
Old 04-26-2009, 01:11 AM
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I decided on a manual, and am leaning towards a T56 because it would bolt up to an LS1 easily (of course).

I considered a 4speed, but would like at least 1 more gear. Considered a 5 speed, but the T5 sure as shat won't hold up, and I don't know much about the Richmond or other aftermarket 5spds. Also thought about the Richmond 6 speed if I were to just buy a new tranny outright, but still not sure about that due to money.

I'm between a rock and a hard place because used T56's are non-existant as far as I can see here in BC, Canada, so it'll likely have to be ship a used one or buy a new trans... both expensive options for a student like myself
Old 04-26-2009, 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted by 73 nova guy
i am going to start my ls swap in a few weeks and this is the problem i am thinking is going to be major. my car is air bagged so my cross member sits like an 1/8 inch from the ground and i see the oil pans is very low even when its modified its still pretty low any ideas for a pan for a nova that will stay above the cross member? i also asked about motor mounts is there a mount to keep the turbo 350 in the stock location? so i don't have to have the drive shaft lengthened? i don't really care about headers fitting im making custom headers. i figured since there is a small nova gathering here i could ask some nova questions
It didn't occur to me at the time to measure exactly how much the mounts moved my engine, but from my recollection my Carshop/S&P-style mounts moved the engine forward 3/4" to 1". I would recommend using the Hooker mounts as they claim to move the engine back 1" compared to the others, so that should put the engine back in the proper place.

Also, since I want to make the car even lower now, I'm going to probably chop the pan even more. The first modification was to cut 2.5" off the bottom as a conservative mod relative to oil capacity, but I think I'll cut anoth 1-1.5" off to get in level with the cross-member.
Old 04-26-2009, 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by strtlegal
I'm just curious but why does everyone like the T56? I understand the 6 speed, but everything from what I've read is they only handle 400-450hp.
Keep in mind, that's in stock form. From what I understand, if you replace just a few parts, they will take quite a bit more - the one going into my car was advertised to handle 700 lb-ft of torque (which gives me a little "room to grow" )!

Originally Posted by strtlegal
I've talked to two people that have these things and they both said they never put them into 6 gear.. Am I just missing something? or is it because everyone has deep gears currently?
Quite possibly - I've run the numbers, & for what I want to do (high speed on the salt), the six gears with a 2.73 rear are perfect.

But for the 99% of the time that I won't be on the salt, I've decided on a Ford 9" with a 3.90 gearset if/when my 9-bolt "goes to differential heaven"...

Originally Posted by strtlegal
I'm running 3:55's and bought a TKO600 just for the added strength, I figured a sixth gear would hardly ever be needed with that gear ratio.
From everything I've heard, that's a good transmission, I imagine that you'll be happy with it.
Old 04-27-2009, 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by frojoe
Haha still not sure what I'm going to do there. I have a couple 8.5's that I'm going to assemble into one with some larger axles, probably all I'll be able to afford for now. Oh and did I mention I'll be putting in a T56 once I can locate one? Poor 10bolt....
At least they are decent in stock form and can be built to handle some power. I heard the LS camaros came with something like a 7.5" ring. And I thought GM learned that lesson back in the late 60s/early 70s!
Old 04-27-2009, 05:39 PM
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Originally Posted by frojoe
It didn't occur to me at the time to measure exactly how much the mounts moved my engine, but from my recollection my Carshop/S&P-style mounts moved the engine forward 3/4" to 1". I would recommend using the Hooker mounts as they claim to move the engine back 1" compared to the others, so that should put the engine back in the proper place.

Also, since I want to make the car even lower now, I'm going to probably chop the pan even more. The first modification was to cut 2.5" off the bottom as a conservative mod relative to oil capacity, but I think I'll cut anoth 1-1.5" off to get in level with the cross-member.
ya i am pretty close to the ground when its parked.. a year ago i had the sbc in the car with a sock pan and we were going down the nice main street in OC Maryland with the bags all the way down and i hit a man hole with the oil pan nut and lost most of the bolt! so i would like to make sure the pan is up out of harms way!

thanks for the idea with the motor mounts


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