Hey guys,

Got some questions on getting a LS1 into a 1980 Formula. I'm sure some of the questions have been touched upon before, but any info is appreciated. As far as motor mounts, I want the car as low and far back as possible. This will let me get the engine in without notching the oil pan. I know it will make the ac and alt hit, but I plan on moving them up top with different brackets. Will S&P's motor mounts work in this application or do they keep the engine too foward and high? Can I keep my existing radiator and just mount the electric fan setup from a new fbody onto it or do I need the whole new setup? I plan on using the 6 speed what will I have to do as far as installing pedals since my car is automatic? Do I need to get all the clutch pedals from a car of my year, or from a new fbody? And what about the booster? Also, If I modify the wiring harness myself, what will need to be done to the computer? One final thing, I'd like to keep my existing Fuel tank, what do I need to do in this case? What new lines do I need to run, what pump do I need, and should it be mounted right near the tank itself? Thanks!

-Brian

 

Let me see if I can get started answering your questions.

Motor mounts: Your best bet is to buy some 1/4" steel and make your own. Then you can change them and put the motor wherever you want. This is what I did. I started out with a copy of the S&P plate, but them modified it to move the motor forward a little bit to clear some things. You just need to watch where the tranny mount and shifter end up so that you can bolt it in and get the shifter thru the console.

Alt bracket: There's a recent post about making an alternator bracket that will mount it on the driver's side head. This is where I'm putting it. You might want to check it out.

Radiator: Some people have used the original one and just added the f-body fans. That's probably the easiest and cheapest way out. I needed a new rad anyway, so I bought a Griffin universal and Flex-a-lite fans.

Wiring and computer: Some people have successfully done their own harnesses, but I felt that it wasn't worth my time and effort, so I sent it to Speartech (a forum sponsor). There's enough info floating around here that you can probably do it yourself if you really want to. If your harness and computer are both from 6-speed F-bodys, you shouldn't have to do anything to get the car running. It will set some error codes, but nothing that will keep the car from running. (Most people will get things like EGR/AIR/rear O2s/all of the other junk removed with LS1Edit or HPTuner so that the computer doesn't keep the errors.) If you don't turn off VATS, you'll need a bypass box.

Fuel tank: I'm using my stock 1970 Corvette tank with a Russell hard tube adaptor going to braided lines to the Walbro 255lph inline pump then '99 Corvette filter/regulator then braided line to a hard aluminim line up to the engine bay. In there, it goes back to braided and another hard tube adaptor on the stock fuel rail. It looks pretty nice. I think my fuel setup should be completed today, so I can shoot some pictures of it later.

My car is still a few weeks to a month away from startup. If you do some searches on specific things, you should find just about anything you need to know. If not, ask away.

-Matt

 

Thanks, this should lead me in the right direction. You said you started out with a copy of the S&P plate, did you actually have a set or just the dimensions and pictures of one? As far as lining the engine up with the rear end, what did you end up having to do? I know the angles have to basically cancel themselves out or the u-joints will goto crap in minutes and if not I'll be messing up gears in the rearend and tranny. I plan on keeping my stock rearend at the moment, do I just measure the angle that it is sitting at, which is probably pointing up just a bit and make the tranny do the same but to the opposite side to make the final angle zero? Is it worth buying the alternator plates from S&P or just make my own?

Thanks!
-Brian

 

I installed my motor as far back and low as possible and may be able to help you out with the motor mounts.My oil pan is the stock fbody and clears the crossmember by about 1/8th inch.
Only thing is that I smoothed my firewall to allow about 3" set back,but the mounts were super cheap.I used the stock ls1 block mount and a Moroso SBC solid frame mount.
Cut the frame mount down the center to allow you to spread it apart to fit the stock block mount.
Bolt the "ears" to the stock block mount and set it on a piece of 1/4"x6" steel plate,got mine from Lowes.Trace the outline of the spread Moroso mount and cut it out and weld the spread Moroso to the steel plate.Now drill the bolt holes through the steel plate.
I then bolted this to the block and set the block on the crossmember with a jack under the trans to hold it "level".Now trace the steel plate to the frame,remove the modified mount,hold it where you marked the crossmember so you can now mark the holes that need to be drilled.
We went ahead and fabbed a trussed "carrier" coming off the back of the crossmember to carry the rear of the motor mount.
I had all kinds of pictures,but my computer crashed about a month ago and still working on trying to retrieve data/pics.
Feel free to email me at jhend95@hotmail.com if you want some pics and or measurements.

 

If you email those pics and measurements to me too, I will put them on the net and lost a link here.
Thanks
Peter

 

Peter,
That sounds good to me,anyway to help others.
I will try to get the pics and info in the next couple days and forward it all to you and Brian.
I have seen you on www.nastyz28.com also haven't I?I like your car,didn't know you were planning to drop in an LS1.Keep up the great work.
Joe

 

Thanks Joe,

Yeah if ya foward those pics and measurements to me that would be great, they will definatly prove useful when I start work on this car If you have any other pictures that might be useful don't hesitate to host them or send them, thanks!

-Brian

 

I just made my own 1/4" adapter plates too. All I used was the stock LS1 mount, scribed out the holes on the aluminum. Then took the 72 motor mounts and scribed its holes so that the bottom hole on the 72's mount matched the hole from the LS1 and made them that way. Kinda hard to explain, if you look at the S&P mounts though, you'll know what im talking about. I moved the mounts on the frame back about 3/4", this give plenty of clearance for the oil pan, and my alternator is in the stock location with no clearance probs. I dont run the A/C so that wasnt a problem for me.
I run a fuel cell so cant help you with the stock tank.

 

Pictures always help!

Motor mount plate: (Note that the hole labled as countersunk is the wrong one. It should be the one just to the left of it. I have to fix that before I put it on my website.)


Fuel fitting coming off of the stock 1970 tank:


Alternator bracket:

 

Thanks scoot!

Pictures do help!

I'll add them to my archive, I can't wait to get started on this project, this summer is coming soon :0

-Brian