Simple LS Swap Gone Awry (370/LS3 heads/PT88)
08-02-2012, 01:54 PM
#1
Simple LS Swap Gone Awry (370/LS3 heads/PT88) Had some little problems with the LT1 last year, one of them being the opti (go figure). Took the motor out (greasy pile), and put the car away a little lighter in the front.
I made a list of everything I needed to get that running and do an LE1 heads/cam setup. Then I got talked into doing an LS swap. Made a list up for that and with the figures I came up with it would have only cost a little bit more... went with that idea for a while. Then it got a little carried away.
The motor started as a stock 00 LQ4. Hoped it was going to be good enough to run as a stock bottom end since the guy told me it was good to go… Turned out to have pretty rusty cylinders unfortunately.
So it went to the machine shop and got turned into a 370. Used some Eagle rods, Autotec pistons, and ARP main studs.
Bought an LS3 intake/heads, some ARP studs to hold them down, an EPP blower cam, and a PTM 92mm throttle body.
I also bought a set of patriot dual valve springs when they were on sale but they hadn’t been in stock since January so they offered to send me some of the new BT Racing valve springs for the same price and I accepted. They look pretty nice and I’ve heard good things about them.
I made the decision to go to an automatic (found out I had to anyways… damn long crank) so I sold the t56 and had a built 4l60e lined up (good thing that fell through). The guy sold it out from under me even though I had put money down on it. At that point I decided I would just run a 4l80e. Picked up a 99 with ~90k miles on it and had a local guy rebuild it with some good parts.
I had a Yank converter bought before I even realized that I had a long crank that would only work with a 4l80e. The Yank converter was set up for a dished flexplate so that wasn’t going to work unfortunately. I was able to sell that and bought a Circle D. Chris was awesome to deal with and knew just what I needed. He even had the correct flexplate in stock for me.
Picked up a shiny new BMR cross member for the 4L80e swap
Got some walbro pumps from Sidways240sx and a set of 60lb injectors.
Then there is the turbo kit... Also bought the turbo kit from Sideways240sx. It’ll get modified a little bit, but it was a pretty good start for the price I thought. Going to run a 4” downpipe through the stock K member. Building a custom motor mount for the passenger side to help with that.
Then the turbo… Just your every day PT88. I was happy to see that the blanket I got fits like a glove!
Going to run a RPS 50mm BOV and a Precision 46mm wastegate.
Putting the motor together...
Found this thing AFTER the head was torqued down. That’s got to go. We punched this piece out of the other head before it goes on. Looks like this was possibly their alternative to putting the external plugs on the rear of the heads like they did for the LS6 intakes.
Ready to go!
And it already leaks like the LT1 used to! Hahaha
Decided to go ahead and clean up the engine bay while it was vacant. My dad helped fill in some of the holes that were put in over the years that didn’t belong as well as some that did belong... One of those holes being the one that the factory fuel lines come through on all LT1 cars. Besides that we cut up the radiator support to put a griffin radiator in there stood up.
Before
During
Finished
Last week we got the LT1 K member dropped out and ready to swap in the LS1 K member. I was surprised to see that the two K members are not so different from each other. It appears that the ONLY difference is where the motor mount stands come up from.
Hoping to get the front suspension back in the car by the end of this week and start getting the motor and trans in the car by the end of next week. Just have to press some new LCA bushings in and put the front suspension back together first.
I made a list of everything I needed to get that running and do an LE1 heads/cam setup. Then I got talked into doing an LS swap. Made a list up for that and with the figures I came up with it would have only cost a little bit more... went with that idea for a while. Then it got a little carried away.
The motor started as a stock 00 LQ4. Hoped it was going to be good enough to run as a stock bottom end since the guy told me it was good to go… Turned out to have pretty rusty cylinders unfortunately.
So it went to the machine shop and got turned into a 370. Used some Eagle rods, Autotec pistons, and ARP main studs.
Bought an LS3 intake/heads, some ARP studs to hold them down, an EPP blower cam, and a PTM 92mm throttle body.
I also bought a set of patriot dual valve springs when they were on sale but they hadn’t been in stock since January so they offered to send me some of the new BT Racing valve springs for the same price and I accepted. They look pretty nice and I’ve heard good things about them.
I made the decision to go to an automatic (found out I had to anyways… damn long crank) so I sold the t56 and had a built 4l60e lined up (good thing that fell through). The guy sold it out from under me even though I had put money down on it. At that point I decided I would just run a 4l80e. Picked up a 99 with ~90k miles on it and had a local guy rebuild it with some good parts.
I had a Yank converter bought before I even realized that I had a long crank that would only work with a 4l80e. The Yank converter was set up for a dished flexplate so that wasn’t going to work unfortunately. I was able to sell that and bought a Circle D. Chris was awesome to deal with and knew just what I needed. He even had the correct flexplate in stock for me.
Picked up a shiny new BMR cross member for the 4L80e swap
Got some walbro pumps from Sidways240sx and a set of 60lb injectors.
Then there is the turbo kit... Also bought the turbo kit from Sideways240sx. It’ll get modified a little bit, but it was a pretty good start for the price I thought. Going to run a 4” downpipe through the stock K member. Building a custom motor mount for the passenger side to help with that.
Then the turbo… Just your every day PT88. I was happy to see that the blanket I got fits like a glove!
Going to run a RPS 50mm BOV and a Precision 46mm wastegate.
Putting the motor together...
Found this thing AFTER the head was torqued down. That’s got to go. We punched this piece out of the other head before it goes on. Looks like this was possibly their alternative to putting the external plugs on the rear of the heads like they did for the LS6 intakes.
Ready to go!
And it already leaks like the LT1 used to! Hahaha
Decided to go ahead and clean up the engine bay while it was vacant. My dad helped fill in some of the holes that were put in over the years that didn’t belong as well as some that did belong... One of those holes being the one that the factory fuel lines come through on all LT1 cars. Besides that we cut up the radiator support to put a griffin radiator in there stood up.
Before
During
Finished
Last week we got the LT1 K member dropped out and ready to swap in the LS1 K member. I was surprised to see that the two K members are not so different from each other. It appears that the ONLY difference is where the motor mount stands come up from.
Hoping to get the front suspension back in the car by the end of this week and start getting the motor and trans in the car by the end of next week. Just have to press some new LCA bushings in and put the front suspension back together first.
Last edited by Slow94Formula; 10-13-2013 at 11:01 AM. Reason: title change
I can't wait to see videos of this car in action. 
