Hey jim! Build thread on the ranger? Yeah - if you went from the 4.0L V6 to the LS3, well, let's just say that's a big difference.

 

Hi Micheal,, I just put up a build thread, LS3 sure makes for a fine ride https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...l#post19775375

 

Just testing out directly embedding a picture in the thread. This was the wreck (pickup sideswiped me coming AT me) that began the 'restomod' process in earnest, 16 years ago.

 

WHEW!! I first saw that and thought "Aw ****, Michael bent his Volvo!" But it's ancient history Awright!

 

All's well....

 

It would appear so.... have a good weekend man!

 

[QUOTE=Michael Yount;19787757]All's well....



Michael, very impressive job!

do you think I can do E-Rod LS3 crate engine? Will it be doable?

TKO tranny is what I think I might do, do you to the fact it’s more compact.


can you please tell us little bit about yourself, you skills and qualifications and how did you reach this level of comfort with engine swap practice?

Rabee
San Diego ( this is why I’m looking for a smog legal swap)

 

I'd make a separate post to others on the Conversions forum about the E-rod package. Most of the snags I've read about have to do with, ironically, the bits GM supplies (harness, ECU, gas pedal, etc.) not playing together well. Those who have actually done it will be your best coaches.

While I've had many, many engines/trannies/rearends in and out of various cars in my life, this was my first swap -- where I picked the pieces and fab'd the bits that needed to be fab'd. Skills/qualifications? 45 years of playing with cars. Pretty much self taught. Level of comfort? There was more than once where I shook my head and said "what the hell have I gotten myself into?" But persistence and realizing that many, many others have figured it all out before me made it relatively straight forward to get through the process.

The TKO is more compact than the T56; the T5z is marginally more compact than the TKO.

 

I would appreciate it a lot if you can make this separate post/article for E-rod people.

Can you also please elaborate more on the modification you have done to the steering column and the front crossmember. I can clearly see the pictures but if you just tell us about it more.

 

I think you may have misunderstood -- mine is NOT an E-rod package. Mine was just a stand-alone LS3 crate engine. I purposely chose NOT to use the E-rod package because 1) I read multiple instances where people had a number of bugs/trouble-shooting problems on first start up, and 2) where I live I don't have to pass an emissions test (even though I believe I could). I was suggesting that YOU start a NEW thread where you ask people who HAVE used the E-rod package to post about their experiences for your benefit.

More detail to the pics on the cross member. I simply removed about a 4" section a little wider than the oil pan, boxed in either side, added a 1.75" piece of mild steel tubing between the boxed ends, and then made a piece that bolts in between those boxed ends after the engine is in place.

The steering column changes involved cutting the splined ends off of 2 Volvo lower steering shafts. The splined bits are hollow and .497" I.D., so a piece of .500" shaft works perfectly to make a new steering link. I used the stock Volvo U-joint at the pinion and further up the shaft. And I cut up a stock aluminum Volvo steering ujoint for use as a 'coupler'. I attached the coupler to the piece of the stock shaft that sticks out of the firewall, and also inserted a piece of .500" shaft into the other end of the coupler effectively EXTENDING the stock steering shaft about 4" further into the engine compartment. Then the stock Volvo U-joint and the new .500" lower piece from that U-joint to the pinion. By extending the stock shaft a bit longer and using .500" shaft -- I created more room for the exhaust manifold.

A word of caution -- the detail on those two changes (crossmember notch and steering shaft) are only useful if you are somehow able to fab your motormounts and tranny mount EXACTLY as I did (unlikely since I don't even know what the dimensions are - I just built them to fit), use the same oil pan I did and the same exhaust manifolds. If any of that changes -- then you're simply going to have to mock up your set up and then determine what you have to do to make yours work. That was my biggest single learning doing this swap -- that all the work others had done to make things work was almost meaningless when it came to the details of doing what I wanted to do on mine. It's enough to know that it can be made to fit -- but you'll have to mock yours up to see what you'll need to do. Some more pics below on the bits.







Here you can see the steering shaft mocked up with 1/2" wooden dowels -- easier to play with different lengths with wood than steel. Up at the firewall you can see the "coupler" I made out of a stock Volvo aluminum steering u-joint. And you can see how extending the length of the stock column created more room around the exhaust manifold. This pic is with the stock LS3 crate manifolds -- I ended up using Speedway Motors manifolds which required me to adjust the length of the various pieces you see in the picture to create the clearance around the exh mani I ended up using. Using the pic below, imagine one steering shaft running from the pinion all the way to the firewall -- with a u-joint right at the firewall. That's how the stock Volvo set up is --- AND the shaft they use is MUCH, MUCH larger (rectangular cross section) than the 1/2" steel shaft I used. You can see how that would have interfered with the manifold.

 

You are a such helpful person!
thank you for people like you gracious gearheads

 

It's all about gracious gearheads helping out other gearheads! lol

 

Happy to help if I can. After doing this one, I came to characterize swaps as "slow death by a million details". So thanking us before you start is a good idea -- as you'll likely be cursing us for encouraging you once you're in the middle of it!

What car are you thinking about swapping? What engine? There's a lot of good LS swap info on various Volvos that have been swapped on www.turbobricks.net. Although I learned pretty quickly -- 1) seems like most folks there weren't willing to do much other than post up their build thread; and 2) in the end, it didn't much matter how they solved the problem. I had to find my own solution, because moving the engine tranny even as little as a 1/4" up/down/fore/aft/side-to-side could result in a different solution being required. There's also a "V8 Volvo" facebook page where a lot of folks that have swapped or want to swap gather.

 

E-Rod ls3 into volvo wagon 240, of course with a manual transmission TKO or T56.

Yes I named myself the swapper, Which is ironic because I don’t even know how to weld or build an engine.

seeing the Darkside of engine swap and reading about it online I quickly realized that this is a very very difficult accompanied with extreme frustration process.

I have also noticed that most of the successful and great engine swaps made by the DIYer, I’ve actually made by people who knows how to weld and fabricate and don’t be afraid of cutting this and that and customizing this and that.

Which made me stop the process of buying any car or any engine before I get comfortable with welding and fabricating.

Hence I decided to read learn read learn study research read and learn before spending any money.

I wanted to see if I shop can do the swap for me just to get an idea about the pricing, So I called the guy who has a shop here in Southern California and I asked him about LS3 swap in at 240 Volvo wagon just so that it can run without any major modification, He said this will roughly be $40-$50,000.

Just to give you an idea of how valuable is when you know what you’re doing.

Again thank you very much for posting and teaching us.

 

$40-$50k estimate means 1) they don’t have experience with it and 2) they really don’t want to do it.

 

$40-50,000 says, "Stay away from here, and me!"
A good shop will do it for far less.

 

swapper - keep in mind something I said earlier -- different parts = different approach. If you use a Holley 302-1 oil pan and Hooker cast iron exhaust manifolds you'll have to set the engine a bit higher than I wanted mine. However, that approach will allow a MUCH smaller notch in the cross-member -- perhaps requiring no notch at all. I tried the Holley pan first and was able to install/remove the LS3 and tranny with out any mods to the cross member. It was tight - but workable as long as you have a engine/tranny tilting device for install. That approach likely allows you to use something like the STS mounts -- and the vast majority of the cutting/welding fabrication goes away. However -- that approach also places the engine higher in the car - something I was trying to avoid. Almost all of my notch is there mainly to allow ease of installation/removal with the engine/tranny together. If you're willing to drop the cross member out the bottom each time or remove the tranny from underneath and just remove/install the engine alone -- notching the cross member isn't necessary for a number of aftermarket oil pan applications.

 

One last thought -- I'm pretty sure for the E-rod package to be smog legal in where ever you are -- you can't alter the location of the factory cats. I'm VERY doubtful that the factory manifolds with the cats in the stock location will fit between the frame rails on the 240. I believe you'll have to relocate the cats to make it work -- so you're gonna wanna check about passing emissions where ever you are if you relocate the cats.

 

I think with the E-rod, in a swap, as long as the cats are located as close as you can to the intended locations, it will be inspected by a referee who will make a judgement call. I think as long as an honest effort is made to locate them as they should be, you should be OK.

 

He's in California --- nothing is easy. From this post --- https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...s-ca-smog.html

Multiple responses:

Quote:
Originally Posted by 71403 View Post
What's the "proof" that you have an erod?

Personally I'd be asking if the tank has to remain in the stock location.
The executive order from the CA resource board specifically lists the exact part number for the erod version of the LS3. Only that part# is exempted.

You would not believe how picky they are about things. If the cats are rotated the wrong direction, if the evap canister is not in the stock location (even if in your particular car there is no room to put it there), etc. they will fail you.


Quote:
Originally Posted by badazz81z28 View Post
I want to know how in the heck they would even know if the gas tank was from the donor??
We're talking about a smog ref, not a smog station employee. They inspect everything in great detail and know what they're looking at.

Quote:
Originally Posted by stangtrader View Post
Try a different smog station and if they ask tell them the tank was transplanted. I dont think cali smogs to tough to get past.just find the shady smog station.I have alot of friends in norcal with there stuff no where emissions compliant and they get thru
Well, you might be able to find a lenient smog station, but since this is an engine conversion it MUST go through a smog referee first. That's a whole different ball of wax from your standard smog station. These are state employees who go over every little detail, and often have students there as observers so they don't let anything slide.

And no, there's no way you could just go to a regular smog station after an engine conversion - no matter how lenient the station may be they're not going to pass something that is completely different from what's supposed to be in there. And even if I could find a smog station that is *that* shady, my car is coming from PA which normally necessitates a smog ref to inspect so that you can register in CA, and even if I were to try and skirt that it absolutely must have a law officer inspect to confirm the VINs and they would note the mismatch of VINs and require the smog ref.