Conversions & Swaps LSX Engines in Non-LSX Vehicles
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Project Blue Balls // Fairmont

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Old Apr 12, 2013 | 08:40 PM
  #61  
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Hotside is all done. Now time to fab intercooler piping and wire up the Microsquirt into the car! Not sure if im going to keep the short turbo dump and run it through the fender, or if I'm going to bend it down and run it under the fender.





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Old Apr 13, 2013 | 12:29 AM
  #62  
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Looking good,pretty similer to how I plan on doing my hot side
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Old Apr 22, 2013 | 11:33 AM
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I have about finished my Microsquirt wiring. The engine side is all done, all I need to do is make a hole in the firewall to run the pcm and connector and put all my power feeds to a fuse box.

It's starting to look like a real engine!



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Old Jun 23, 2013 | 08:20 PM
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Some updates..

Got my intercooler and piping.. scored a Tial BOV for $50! I also started clearing the water neck for the car style intake. Mounted an older 1 wire alternator that just barely fits under the stock hood so I'm happy.









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Old Jul 1, 2013 | 08:16 PM
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Picked up a set of ten holes with new fronts and lightly used 28x9 slicks

I spent a good bit of 3 hours with a sawzall, hammer and grinder to make those tires fit lol



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Old Jul 2, 2013 | 08:36 AM
  #66  
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Glad to see some updates! I followed a minty fresh gold on gold 1980 Fairmont sedan home yesterday and spoke with the owner who had literally JUST bought it from an old lady for $500....I'm gonna find him and offer $750. These cars just look like too much fun to mess with people in.
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Old Jul 2, 2013 | 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted by TopNotchLSX
Glad to see some updates! I followed a minty fresh gold on gold 1980 Fairmont sedan home yesterday and spoke with the owner who had literally JUST bought it from an old lady for $500....I'm gonna find him and offer $750. These cars just look like too much fun to mess with people in.
At time considered finding a 2 door or a mustang and swapping everything over, but in the end I think it will be cool to have a "practical" race car. Bench seat, column shift, four door to haul your buddies, full trunk and enough power to keep you happy!
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Old Jul 7, 2013 | 08:16 PM
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I started working on the wiring harness... all chassis harness is done, microsquirt is done, starter cable and solenoid wiring is done. just have to wire up gauges..

All that is left is plumbing fuel system and gauges!





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Old Sep 9, 2013 | 09:35 PM
  #69  
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Over the holiday weekend last week, I was able to get a lot done. Mounted my vette filter/bosch 044 6AN line feed finished, wired microsquirt into the car. Fixed a grounding issue, aicv vacuum leak etc..

Just waiting on odds and ends. Got a rad hose tee for vent line coming, going to mount transcooler, speedo cable, shifter etc so hopefully i can drive the car this weekend.

The car seems fine with no loud knocks or ticks

Here is 3rd or 4th startup. The first few starts it was dropping injector pulse due to a bad sensor ground, 2nd start it idled at 1800 because I forgot to plug aic circuit, 3rd it fired but at 400 rpm after I adjusted throttle too low, 4th time was decent at around 800 rpm.


Last edited by superbean; Sep 12, 2013 at 08:10 PM.
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Old Sep 9, 2013 | 09:45 PM
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I also noticed that at idle i forgot to re calibrate tps and it was at 8% ish lol. Oops. prob why it died. Can't wait to start tuning on this turd
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Old Sep 10, 2013 | 05:44 AM
  #71  
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Sweet !

Turn your camera sideways next time. ;-)
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Old Sep 10, 2013 | 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by aknovaman
Sweet !

Turn your camera sideways next time. ;-)
Too excited and forgot :p
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Old Sep 12, 2013 | 02:27 PM
  #73  
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Very cool build !!!! Four door turbo sleepers rule....
A few years ago I sold a primered 69 4dr Impala with a Borg Warner S475
blo through.....people laughed hysterically as I idled around the bleach box
and went up to the line w/no burnout and would run 11.4 @ 121mph on 8lbs
w/pump gas. Car weighed over 3900 w/me in it and my only regret was not
using an LS engine...old school 385 stroker w/GM fastburn heads and a lil
218 @ .050 hydraulic cam. Definitely wish you good luck on finishing off the
tune......you WILL embarass some fools......
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Old Sep 14, 2013 | 11:11 PM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by A.R. Shale Targa
Very cool build !!!! Four door turbo sleepers rule....
A few years ago I sold a primered 69 4dr Impala with a Borg Warner S475
blo through.....people laughed hysterically as I idled around the bleach box
and went up to the line w/no burnout and would run 11.4 @ 121mph on 8lbs
w/pump gas. Car weighed over 3900 w/me in it and my only regret was not
using an LS engine...old school 385 stroker w/GM fastburn heads and a lil
218 @ .050 hydraulic cam. Definitely wish you good luck on finishing off the
tune......you WILL embarass some fools......
Exactly!!!
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Old Sep 14, 2013 | 11:15 PM
  #75  
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I worked on the car all day and got a lot done. Mounted my floor shifter, large transcooler/lines, speedo, driveshaft, torque converter bolts, dipstick, filled up trans. Cranked it up, let it run for a few, transmission engages fine and cable is adjusted.

I only need a wideband, oil pressure gauge (for piece of mind), and engine cooling fan to be able to drive it.

Getting close
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Old Sep 15, 2013 | 10:51 AM
  #76  
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I took a 97 k1500 throttle cable and made it work. The factory throttle body end is perfect for an lsx throttle body and the bracket off the truck works when you drill two holes in the side and cut the upper mount off. Even where it clips into the firewall works in the factory fairmont hole. The clip on the rear of the throttle cable fits into the fairmont gas pedal also, you only have to grab an ancor from the tackle box and move the clip up about two inches so pedal has full travel.

In the engine bay its about a foot long but whatever, it's an 81 fairmont who gives a damn how it looks.
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Old Sep 15, 2013 | 07:36 PM
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Took the car around the block for a 2 minute drive.. two issues

Car has a random problem dropping injector pulse, it will run for 5 10 seconds then inj pulse will go to zero for a second then come back.

Starter is also staying engaged for 10 seconds or so after it starts
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Old Sep 16, 2013 | 09:45 PM
  #78  
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Old Sep 22, 2013 | 05:13 PM
  #79  
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I've driven the car a few times now...

Put a 2 speed Volvo fan on it, bled the cooling system (what a *****)

Stayed 185degrees and ran over an hour.

Alignment is screwed since i swapped rack, k member, camber plates and spindles lol. Tires are scrubbing from the toe in!

Still have a few small leaks. One is the turbo drain, but I just need to put teflon tape on it. The other is from the trans-fill tube. Just needs a new O ring I bet. Other than that, it's ready to go to the exhaust shop. I'm going to put some kind of 3in muffler on it, prob a race bullet so it will be quiet. Surprisingly, it's not that loud, but I want to make sure it retains the sleeper appeal.
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Old Sep 22, 2013 | 05:17 PM
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Still has the stock 7.5in rear end unfortunately. I have an 8.8 in the garage ready to be built

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