jakebdb56

iTrader: (25)

I've thought up a good winter project recently, here it is.

I've got a decent fresh smallblock 350 in the dune buggy with some decent specs. I figured out how I can retrofit the gen I motor with a newer style ls-based MPFI system using stock parts and a few custom fabricated parts.

basically I have a lq9 78mm tb, lq9 injectors, the rails we're going to custom fab, the intake is a rpm air gap, tb will be mounted with a custom elbow, we'll have a MAF at first to make things easier to tune. i'm going to run a truck harness/pcm and truck coilpacs. The only difficult thing about the whole setup right now is trying to figure out how to fabricate a reluctor ring and make it work with the crank sensor. the cam sensor we think we've got down thus far. we can drive the cam location sensor off the stock dist since it's the same ratio from the genI:genIII.

I apologize if I made anything confusing, I'm still a little new to teh LS-based motors, but I really wanna make this thing happen, and I know it's possible

any suggestions/comments would be awesome.

thanks a bunch,

jake

btw, i have a thread on perftrucks.net ( http://www.performancetrucks.net/for...20#post3472720 )

350SS

iTrader: (38)

I'm interested in this thread but not quite sure what you're trying to accomplish. When you say retrofit, what exactly are you trying to adapt? I think you mean using the LSx pcm for fuel/spark control, since obviously you can't adapt the LSx sytle intake to a Gen I engine. What are you looking at as the possible benefit of this swap? I can give some input as to what you're going for but need some more details...

Fast355

I would honestly use a Vortec 305/350 Reluctor ring, Timing cover, crank sensor, and distributer. I converted my TPI 305 to the LS1 style "Silver" 12200411 PCM used in a 2001-2002 Express van. Just use an Express wiring harness, ditch the coil packs, and retain everything else.

I actually borrowed the pictures from the threads on TGO.









This is S10Wildside's test engine. Mine looked almost identical, although it is much tougher to see everything installed and on it(1994 G10 Van, TPI 305, 4L60E).

http://www.eficonnection.com/12200411/12200411.mpg

jakebdb56

iTrader: (25)

that's pretty much exactly what I wanna be able to do.
to be able to control fuel/spark I can do all sorts of mods in the future, also the ability to control it precisely will benefit me majorly in the power area (hopefully).

I currently tune my truck with HPTuners, and I can tune the setup on the dune buggy with hptuners, as far as I know.

does the sensor output the correct pattern for the PCM to recognize crank position? if so, that'd be so much easier.
also, how about the cam position sensor? how'd you rig that or did you even need it?

how're you able to control spark with the dist setup?
i want the coilpacs b/c the pcm will control my spark rather than a dist.

350SS

iTrader: (38)

Hmmm.

I just give you some info on what I know and my 2 cents on the swap you're doing.

If you wand a coil per cylinder ignition system you will have to duplicate the crank reluctor ring and the cam reluctor. The LSx style engines use a 60-2 crank reluctor and a 2x cam sensor. The cam sensor wouldn't be terribly hard to duplicate, but the crank ring is pretty complicated.

An easier way to go about it on a Gen I engine would be to get a crank sensor/reluctor setup from a vortec (96-98) style engine which is a 4x/rev ring, along with a vortec distributor that has the cam sensor/reluctor built in which is 1x/rev and run a FAST eDist box that will fire the individual coils with just these two inputs and the timing input from the PCM. Like fast355 said, you can use a pcm from a 01-02 express van tuned with HPTuners to control the setup.

I'm not totally sure that for the trouble and added cost of the indivitual coils and edist box or adapting the LSx style reluctors for the crank and cam, that you would see much of a power improvement over say, a stock vortec distributor system which is completely pcm controlled also. If you wanted to go that route, you'll still need the gen 1 vortec crank/cam sensors/reluctors, but would be completely tunable with hptuners.

The other thing that I wanted to ask about was the decision to run a dual plane intake. I would think a single plane with more equal runners would be more beneficial to a fuel injected setup.

Hope this helps.

jakebdb56

iTrader: (25)

we've got it all figured out now with the Crank pos sensor. cam pos sensor is easy cheesy.
im sticking with a stock truck pcm/harness and coilpacs. all i need now is to get the pcm/harness/coilpacs and in about a month we'll show yall how it's done.

350SS

iTrader: (38)

Keep us posted, I'm interested to see what you do about the crank reluctor...

jakebdb56

iTrader: (25)

its a secret lol.
i'll keep yall updated on the fabrication of the intake parts and everything. i think i might have found a good donor pcm/harness. once I have the pcm/harness/coilpacs in my hands it'll be done pretty quick. I guess I do need to get a throttle sender unit(pedal assembly) for use with my ETC 78mm tb.

jakebdb56

iTrader: (25)

btw, here's a few pix of the buggy from about 6 months ago ,the pix are a little outdated. everything is complete and installed and runs damn good right now. I really need to get out there and take a few more updated pictures. I can't wait to get this LS350 done

350SS

iTrader: (38)

Just wanted to correct myself here, I was looking through some papers today and recalled that I gave you some misinformation.

The LSx engines (at least the first several years) use a 24x crank sensor and 1x cam sensor. Although I'll stick by the statement that the crank reluctor is somewhat complicated to duplicate