I did another leak-down test after lapping the valves. This time the results were better, but pretty inconsistent. The leakage numbers were between 5 and 25%, and you could clearly hear the air escaping past the piston rings. I decided that continuing forward would cost me much more than what I paid for the engine, so it went back to the scrap yard for a refund.

For the next engine I spent a little more and got an L33 aluminum block. These came with 799 heads, which are pretty much the same as the ones that came on LS6 Corvette engine, minus the sodium filled valves. It was a little overpriced at $1200 CAD, but I couldnt afford to sit around waiting for a good deal. The engine looked pretty clean, and only had 80,000 miles.

 

My buddy purchased a soda blaster for his business, which came very handy for cleaning the engine. Definetely not a fun process, but it's worth it. If you are planning on doing this, make sure you do in in a ventilated booth or outside. Lab goggles are also a must!

Before:

After:

Blasted engine block:

 

Haha lets do it! What 5.3 are you using?

 

cold rings probably won't seal consistently.

 

Yeah I was thinking that too. I kinda just wanted to get an L33, so I used that as an excuse

 

A moot point, now that you bought the L33 but when I was swapping valve springs on my LS2 (on the engine stand), I tried to keep the valves seated using compressed air. The first attempt was a miserable failure as air seemed to escape the engine faster than I could pump it in. A few squirts of oil into the cylinders and a few rotations of the crankshaft and she sealed right up.

Not to hijack but whenever there is speak of soda blasting, I have to share my favorite story on the subject (it's not my story, it's just entertaining).

Tipsy

 

I had a little downtime waiting on parts, so I made these RS style door cards. You can see more pics of the process on the blog.

 

No worries, I love that story! I can't see pics in your link.

 

Doh! Fixed. You definitely need to see the pics when reading his tale!

Tipsy

 

Hey guys! Not much to update this week as I’m pretty much waiting on 90% of the parts to finish this build. I’m getting everything shipped to the same location in Buffalo to save on border fees. Once my engine mount kit is here, the build should really pick up.

Here are some pictures of my electric power steering conversion. There is no room in the engine bay to run a belt pump, so this conversion is a must! I am using a Vauxhal Astra power steering pump that I purchased from UK. I believe this is the same model pump as Porsche uses in their GT3 cars. The pump itself was pretty cheap, but it’s the shipping that killed me. The pump fits perfectly in the front trunk, on the opposite side of the brake master cylinder. This is a good location, since it won’t take up your trunk space, and its excellent for wiring.

Things you will need:

• Vauxhall power steering pump. MR2 pump is also a popular choice.
• 8 gauge wire. Not too much, about 2-3 feet, depending on how much cable came with your pump.
• 2 x 8 gauge lugs to hook up the pump to ground and battery
• 16 gauge wire. Buy a decent amount. This wire will be used to run the ignition signal to the pump.
• -6 AN power steering hose. I used Russell 632620. Either way you go, make sure to get high pressure rated power steering hose. The power steering system pressure goes as high as 2500 psi.
• -6 AN Fittings. Russell 620421, 620401, and 648060. The first two are for steering rack side, and the third one is for pump outlet.
• Custom Porsche steering rack to -6 AN fittings. I’m still not sure what to do about this one. GSR offers a set, but they are way too expensive. I might source a manufacturer in China and make a whole bunch if there’s interest. I also made drawings for these if anyone needs them. Just email me!
• Grommets for the power steering hose holes
• 80A circuit breaker
• Basic crimper or solder
• Custom pump bracket

-The 8 gauge wires will go directly to the battery and ground. Put the 80A circuit breaker on the power wire.

-There are three other small wires, but I don’t think the brown/white one is used for anything. You need +12 in the other two wires in order for the pump to run. The best way to do this is to wire the black one to the ignition wire, and the blue/white one the alternator dash light. This will ensure that the pump is on only when the alternator is running. You can also wire one of these to a switch, should you need to turn off your power steering. I used a relay in my setup just to keep the power steering pump separate from the rest of the car wiring.

-You will need to figure out a way to hook up the -6 AN return line to the power steering pump. The easiest way to do this is to cut the stainless housing and stretch out the core until it slides over, and then use a hose clamp. This is a low pressure return, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
-You will need a custom mounting bracket for the pump. I just got nylon working on my 3D printer, so hopefully I can make something with that.

You can see more pictures here. They are not great, but I will update them once the pump pump is in.

 

Just got off the phone with Renegade, and I got some bad news. They had some issues with the flywheel, so they are currently in the process of redesign. I was told that the prototype is nearing completion, but it will be at least a couple of weeks until it's ready for production. Not really sure what I should tackle now... I got 8 packages waiting for pickup in Buffalo, but there's no point in driving down without the kit. I guess I'll take the time off to get serious with my job search.

If you plan on doing this through Renegade, do yourself a favour and order the kit as early as possible. I placed an order at the end of January and I'm still waiting.

Here's a rundown of things that need to be done:

• Pick up the packages from Buffalo. This includes:
  -Low profile LS2 oil pan to improve ground clearance
  -C5 Corvette engine mounts
  -Wevo Boxster S transmission mounts
  -Oil pressure sensors and relocation hardware. Once the intake is flipped 180 degrees, it will not clear the oil pressure sensor.
  -LS1 fuel filter/regulator. The LS1/LS6 fuel rails don't have a return line, so the regulator is located on the filter.
  -Engine parts: gaskets, head bolts, harmonic balancer bolt, intake bolts, remote thermostat housing, LS4 harmonic balancer. There's not enough clearance for a regular harmonic balancer, so you will have to purchase an LS4 unit.
  -A whole bunch of fitting and lines
• Engine. Still waiting on that kit from Renegade. I might just make my own reinforcement plate and weld that in while I'm waiting.
• Wiring. Still looking for LS1 harness and ECU. The harness will need some work to get rid of the unnecessary bits. On the Porsche side, I'm probably just going to make my own harness. It only needs a couple of sensors, so there's no point in ruining a good one. I might just buy an ECU plug from itsnotanova on the 986 forum to make things easier. If you need some parts for your build, he's the man!
• Throttle pedal. I just purchased a cable throttle pedal from an early Boxster. Still gotta figure out how to route it to the engine. I'm looking into purchasing a Mr. Gasket universal bell crank to match the pedal travel to the LS1 TB.
• Brakes. I need to replace all the brake lines and one hard line. I'm thinking about buying a Copper Nickel coil and replacing the hardline myself. Currently designing a tube straightener. I also have to fix the vacuum lines.
• Electric power steering. I pretty much have this one figure out, just have to cut the lines and put everything together. I'm thinking about leaving this one for last in case I have to relocate some stuff. I do still need -6 AN fittings that go into the steering rack. If you have a machine shop, please get in touch with me.
• Interior. The interior will remain mostly stripped, except for the custom door cards. I will most likely get some Rennline stuff for pedals and floor. I'm still looking for some nice budget racing seats.
• Suspension. I think I will keep the stock suspension until I have the car on the road. The rear struts are fairly new, but the front ones are looking pretty rough. Once I have the money, I will probably get a set of PSS9s.

This is all I have for now. Thanks for following guys, and sorry about the lack of updates.
Vlad

 

Did you try Kennedy for the flywheel?
I think they have one that would work.
Doug

 

Hey Doug,
Renegade actually uses Kennedy flywheels. I think they are working on the fix together.

 

Do you know any of the flywheel details? Wondering if those of us that have already installed need to worry?

 

I honestly have no idea. Steven didn't tell me much about it. Maybe give them a call.

 

nice build. I can't believe I missed this. I want to do door cards like that on my bmw. how much weight did you save?

 

I'd be surprised if it's more than half a pound a door card. The stock doors are pretty light. Mine were all faded and salmon color, so I decided to replace them. I like the simple look much better

 

I love the project, wouldn't mind one of these myself, thing that always stops me is the transaxle and the tradeoff that is always needed. E.g., you won't be able to use 1st gear at 3.82:1, 2nd gear looks like will be your first gear. that .84 6th might make it a bit loud over 70mph. Maybe if you run across a cheap 930 box in the future. either way, keep the updates coming!

edit: this guy has an 01e that could probably work as well... http://advancedautomotion.com/shop/p...products_id=29

 

Thanks for sharing the link, it looks interesting. To be honest I've tried not to dig so deep into the details, just so I wouldn't second guess the build. I just saw that it can be done and decided to take a plunge. To me it will be an accomplishment if the car drives, and I guess I'll take it slowly from there.

 

Since you already have the Boxster 6 speed, I'd suggest you work directly with Kennedy Engineering for your adapter plate/clutch/flywheel. I've been to their shop a couple of times; they're really good guys, and know their stuff! They have a very good reputation, and their quality is always highly regarded.

I have a Porsche 914/LS1 with and Audi 01E 6 speed transaxle, but the fabrication required for it to mate up with axles, CV's, and mounting scheme can was a challenge.

Andy1