E-Rod in 99 Mustang
05-15-2010, 11:14 PM
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E-Rod in 99 Mustang Hello all, I'm brand new to this forum and my first post is going to be a long one; Let me give you some background on my project:
I bought a 99 mustang body in white a few months back. I've been slowly swapping parts over from a 96 GT donor body. Currently, I have a fully tubular k-member and coil over, and tubular control arms. I have a 8.8 rearend, which I am going to upgrade to 31 spline axles and LSD. I'm working on getting the brakes and body set-up right now, but now it's engine planning time. After going through months of 4V love, I priced it out it came to over $20,000 to get it the way I want it.
I just discovered the E-Rod after watching an episode of Horsepower TV a few weeks ago. If you're not farmiliar with it, it's basically an LS3 kit with ecu and wiring. It also comes 50 state emissions rated with headers, cats, and other emissions gear. This seems like the best option for me right now, if i can get it to work fairly easily. This ends up being more than half the price of the blown 4V.
I've been doing some reading on this forum and havent found anything with a swap LS3 and the gm performance engine controller into a stang. So here are some of the concerns I have at this point.
-I'm pretty sure that the LS1 will bolt right up to my k-member, but will the LS3?
-Is it very difficuly to wire up my existing key starting mechanism, and gauges? I dont really want an fbody gauge cluster, but will if I have to.
-I assume I will have to remove my mustang ECU, if so will this affect my airbags? And how will this affect the warning lights on my gauge cluster?
-I want to use a t56 built for LS which i believe uses a hydraulic clutch, but mustangs are cable. Will it be hard to convert? Possible use a fbody clutch?
I think this is all i can think of for now.
Thanks all!!
Rich
I bought a 99 mustang body in white a few months back. I've been slowly swapping parts over from a 96 GT donor body. Currently, I have a fully tubular k-member and coil over, and tubular control arms. I have a 8.8 rearend, which I am going to upgrade to 31 spline axles and LSD. I'm working on getting the brakes and body set-up right now, but now it's engine planning time. After going through months of 4V love, I priced it out it came to over $20,000 to get it the way I want it.
I just discovered the E-Rod after watching an episode of Horsepower TV a few weeks ago. If you're not farmiliar with it, it's basically an LS3 kit with ecu and wiring. It also comes 50 state emissions rated with headers, cats, and other emissions gear. This seems like the best option for me right now, if i can get it to work fairly easily. This ends up being more than half the price of the blown 4V.
I've been doing some reading on this forum and havent found anything with a swap LS3 and the gm performance engine controller into a stang. So here are some of the concerns I have at this point.
-I'm pretty sure that the LS1 will bolt right up to my k-member, but will the LS3?
-Is it very difficuly to wire up my existing key starting mechanism, and gauges? I dont really want an fbody gauge cluster, but will if I have to.
-I assume I will have to remove my mustang ECU, if so will this affect my airbags? And how will this affect the warning lights on my gauge cluster?
-I want to use a t56 built for LS which i believe uses a hydraulic clutch, but mustangs are cable. Will it be hard to convert? Possible use a fbody clutch?
I think this is all i can think of for now.
Thanks all!!
Rich
05-19-2010, 09:26 AM
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Ok since there are no responses, I hope this post will be able to help people in the future who might be doing a similar project.
I went the the GMPerformance parts website and I found a few good manuals that answered some of my questions. The e-rod comes with a pretty complete ECM and wiring harness that can basically run the entire engine without me doing very much wiring at all. It even comes with a MIL light on the PCM, and another redundant one which comes in with the DBW wired do you can put it on the dash. The PCM has an environment sealed case, so it can be places inside the engine bay, so hopefully I can leave my mustang OEM unit in place if I find the airbags go through that. The instructions are quite detailed and informative. I'm a little confused about the vehicle speed sensor on the transmission however. It seems like VSS needs to go through the PCM first, then out the speedometer. Is this normally how automatic cars work? Maybe when the manual version of the e-rod comes out, this feature will be a little different.
I would have liked to be able to use the cruise control buttons that I have on the steerign wheel, but it doesn't seem like this feature is in the PCM yet. Or at least it wasn't mentioned in the manual. Hopefully that feature will come later with updated software. I don't see why GM can't do this, it has a DBW throttle body.
From other LS Stang projects I have read, it seems like the you can use 4.6 engine mounts on the LS block with minor alteration and it should bolt right up to the k-member.
Also, the T56 magnum transmission from keisler comes with two (possible 3) shifter positions, so I hope one of these positions will fit through my floor pan without any cutting.
I went the the GMPerformance parts website and I found a few good manuals that answered some of my questions. The e-rod comes with a pretty complete ECM and wiring harness that can basically run the entire engine without me doing very much wiring at all. It even comes with a MIL light on the PCM, and another redundant one which comes in with the DBW wired do you can put it on the dash. The PCM has an environment sealed case, so it can be places inside the engine bay, so hopefully I can leave my mustang OEM unit in place if I find the airbags go through that. The instructions are quite detailed and informative. I'm a little confused about the vehicle speed sensor on the transmission however. It seems like VSS needs to go through the PCM first, then out the speedometer. Is this normally how automatic cars work? Maybe when the manual version of the e-rod comes out, this feature will be a little different.
I would have liked to be able to use the cruise control buttons that I have on the steerign wheel, but it doesn't seem like this feature is in the PCM yet. Or at least it wasn't mentioned in the manual. Hopefully that feature will come later with updated software. I don't see why GM can't do this, it has a DBW throttle body.
From other LS Stang projects I have read, it seems like the you can use 4.6 engine mounts on the LS block with minor alteration and it should bolt right up to the k-member.
Also, the T56 magnum transmission from keisler comes with two (possible 3) shifter positions, so I hope one of these positions will fit through my floor pan without any cutting.
05-19-2010, 09:32 AM
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Oh and one more thing, Keisler has kits avaliable which comes with everything needed for a transmission swap...including a hydraulic clutch pedal assembly. So i would just need to find a place for it under the hood.
05-19-2010, 10:24 PM
#5
question.. are you trying to make this Smog Legal and what state are you in ?
I'd do more research o what the E-Rod would be legal for swapping into and making it pass a CARB Cert Test.
My understanding that it was intended to be smog legal for kit cars (and pre 75 smog cars), "Speical Construction" as they put it. For a Kit car (Cobra and others).. it has to be registered for the years smog requirement you attempt to register it and be current for smog equipement. But I don't think the E-Rod setup is intended to be for post 75 Smog Cars/Trucks.
If you find out, I'd like to know.
I'd do more research o what the E-Rod would be legal for swapping into and making it pass a CARB Cert Test.
My understanding that it was intended to be smog legal for kit cars (and pre 75 smog cars), "Speical Construction" as they put it. For a Kit car (Cobra and others).. it has to be registered for the years smog requirement you attempt to register it and be current for smog equipement. But I don't think the E-Rod setup is intended to be for post 75 Smog Cars/Trucks.
If you find out, I'd like to know.
05-19-2010, 11:46 PM
#6
The E-rod is 50 state smog legal in any year car. I have a 75 Delta 88 and it doesn't need to pass smog in California, but I plan on putting an E-Rod in it. I'm going with the E-rod for simplicity. If I decide to put it in my 96 Impala SS it would still be smog legal as long as I use all the components that comes with the kit and keep it tuned to the E-Rod's specs.
05-20-2010, 11:55 AM
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question.. are you trying to make this Smog Legal and what state are you in ?
I'd do more research o what the E-Rod would be legal for swapping into and making it pass a CARB Cert Test.
My understanding that it was intended to be smog legal for kit cars (and pre 75 smog cars), "Speical Construction" as they put it. For a Kit car (Cobra and others).. it has to be registered for the years smog requirement you attempt to register it and be current for smog equipement. But I don't think the E-Rod setup is intended to be for post 75 Smog Cars/Trucks.
If you find out, I'd like to know.
I'd do more research o what the E-Rod would be legal for swapping into and making it pass a CARB Cert Test.
My understanding that it was intended to be smog legal for kit cars (and pre 75 smog cars), "Speical Construction" as they put it. For a Kit car (Cobra and others).. it has to be registered for the years smog requirement you attempt to register it and be current for smog equipement. But I don't think the E-Rod setup is intended to be for post 75 Smog Cars/Trucks.
If you find out, I'd like to know.
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06-06-2010, 01:00 AM
#8
ok. bring this backup.. I was at the Goodguys today.. and was talking to the GM Sales and Tech Rep's that were there to answer and market the ERod...
It is legal to swap or convert any current smogged car/truck that pre-91 (91 and older).. or ODB I only (not to be legal on any ODB II car) .... or is to be used in any new kit car that will be registered as a car/truck (2010 year).
Also, It would not be legal to swap it in as a kit into any 4th gen F-Body/ODB II. (just buy a LS3 long block or?? and use it in place of the current LS1, cheaper and most likely would not even be flagged as being mod'd.. as the GM Rep stated.)
It is legal to swap or convert any current smogged car/truck that pre-91 (91 and older).. or ODB I only (not to be legal on any ODB II car) .... or is to be used in any new kit car that will be registered as a car/truck (2010 year).
Also, It would not be legal to swap it in as a kit into any 4th gen F-Body/ODB II. (just buy a LS3 long block or?? and use it in place of the current LS1, cheaper and most likely would not even be flagged as being mod'd.. as the GM Rep stated.)
