Knowing what I know now, I think I would’ve passed when I came upon an ad for an 109k mile, all-aluminum LS engine for 1000.

But I didn’t know better back then.

And after paying 250 In shipping, I might’ve probably paid more attention to the goofy looking water pump, and the “this don’t look right” bell housing pattern, and the intake manifold with a rearward facing throttle body.
I should’ve stopped as soon as I unwrapped the thing, called the shipper, told them I made a mistake, and bit the bullet, and paid the return shipping to get it back to them.

But, not me…At some point after I had stripped the engine down to bare long block did I start really looking up close…I expected that the only real difference (s) was that I was gonna have to maybe drill and tap the holes that GM didn’t to make a standard bell, and starter fit..

Imagine what the bitch slap of reality felt like when I discovered that none of that stuff was there, and that there was no provision at all for a standard starter, and it was gonna be way more involved than drilling and tapping “ missing a few holes” in the bell housing mating surface.

( I know I don’t have to tell any of you guys this, but It’s my need to add dramatic effect in the story considering that at the time, I was learning this first hand)

I guess I was blinded by the fact that it was a low mile clean aluminum V8, and because I wasn’t intimidated by a little challenge, especially since the last car was a Fairmont with a 2JZ in it, But I decided that I was gonna make this bitch work regardless of the challenge. Since I had stripped it clean of all of the bolt on accessories, I had made it un-returnable. And even if I hadn’t stripped off all of that stuff, getting it back to a freight terminal was too much of a hassle, as I don’t have a truck.

What I do have on the other hand, is a plasma cutter, a grinder, a band saw, and a mig welder.

And time…,I have all the time in the world.





I’ve had it mocked up for a couple of months, but up until a few weeks ago, never actually had it in place permanently. Obviously, it’s a ford starter as they bolt directly to the transmission bell, and not the block.

Speedway sells an adapter plate to allow a V8 bell to Nate up to the v6 pattern that is on the back of an ls4. After that, the lower half requires some degree of fabrication to make it work. The flex plate had to be spaced back, primarily because of the plate between the trans and the engine, but that spacer is an off the shelf part. The trans has to be one with a complete full bell so that there is support for the mount ring, and the 4l60e I’m using has that. You just have to get creative with a sawzall and a die grinder to give the nose of the starter a place to fit, because it don’t fit where the Chevy starter did.




As stated, up until yesterday, All I knew for sure was that the starter would spin the flywheel. But at that time the flywheel was attached to a bare crank. Yesterday I tested it on the fully assembled engine, and everything works just like it’s supposed to. So, I’m calling this mod done.

In an 80 Corvette, ( in any car really,) reducing front end weight is a strong enough incentive to attempt this, and from what I see, an LS4 is often passed by for all of the obvious reasons. But as relatively easy as it was for a garage hack to stick a couple of pieces together to make it work, you’d think that somebody out there would’ve made a kit to do this by now.

 

The reason there isn't a kit for this combo was pointed out by you- you MISTAKENLY bought an LS4.
There are far more normal LS engines than the LS4. It is a white elephant.

 

As I’m well aware. My point was it took almost nothing for a garage hack to put the grey back on the white elephant.

 

This is very cool! I have never seen this mod. I didn’t know the plate existed. Everyone passes right by the LS4 because of this issue, and now it’s not an issue. This is almost sticky-worthy.

 

Very impressive 👏

Nice solution to the LS4 starter issue!

Having a 72 C3, definitely agree getting weight out of the front is very good.

 

can you post the part numbers for the bellhousing adapter plate, starter, and flex plate spacer? thanks.

did you use the flex plate that came on the LS4?
assuming that bolted up to the factory torque converter in the 4L60e?

thanks

 

Nice to see someone not afraid of a challenge. The JY I went to when first buying a donor engine also tried to sell me an LS4.

Curious to see the front suspension height. I dropped in a iron ls, heavier 4L80e and turbo in my c3 and took out 1 coil of spring to get the stance I wanted.

 

I was reading most of your threads but I can’t seam to see what transmission you went with to make the ls4 RWD.. I got the motor for my 1988 Jeep xj 4x4 at a good price and now that I have it kinda just want roll with it and make do with what I got .. I already dropped a 4x4 60 degree 700r4 transmission from a 2.8 blazer out of the junk yard from what I read they’ll bolt up but could you help me narrow down the main issues I’ll need to have figured out for when it’s time to get my project started I’ve seen what you did with the starter provision aswell

 

But why the carburetor?

Andrew

 

Incredible fabrication! Brilliant work, I certainly would have accepted my loss and tried to buy another aluminum LSx engine. I suppose this gives you the right to go to the LS4 performance section

 

Better make a kit and sell it quick

So looks like you had a plate for the ford starter and attached it to the v6 to v8 adapter?

I'm surprised that plate is rigid enough to be happy with that starter

 

Kudos for hanging in there and making it work!

As for the kit... with <85k total produced (many of which are still in their original home), there's not enough popping up in yards. And once you make it easy, they'll go up in price like all the other aluminum block 5.3s. Besides, gotta leave something for the Fiero guys. :-)

 

So true!

 

I'm building a 72 El Camino and wanting to use an LS4. Having starter issues figured out how would one go about the intake and serpentine assembly?

 

Get an LS6 intake as the LS4 unit is the worst one out there for power production. IF you do use it, just turn it back to front
The front of the crank is 10mm shorter than other LS cranks, so you need to use the serpentine system that came on the engine. No other choices here.