ProjectWS6

Hey guys, No, i havent done this yet but keep reading.

Anyway, i was running around with my girlfriend yesterday and I saw a z28 that looked familiar. When I pulled up next to it. I saw that it had the same rims of the car me and my brother raced and lost to by about half a car (he drives a modded SRT4). So I just so happen to look to my left and see what looked exactaly like a Turbo TA, I thought nahhh it couldnt be. Well it wasnt but it was a 87-89ish T/A so anyway I asked the dude if it was forsale. As luck would have it, it IS!

We went out and looked it over. The body has large paint chips, but no dents, and one ding above the left rear quarter on the hatch, looked like a hail stone. Well it deffentaly needs a new hood because it looked like the hood was thrown into a metal bender.

The interior was a dark grayishly-black. Cloth. And had power options, It also had a 85mph speedo (ugh). He poped the hood and there was a NICELY rebuilt 406ci motor coupled to a 400r4 tranny. and 3:73 Gears. It fired up after a few cranks due to being carb'd and cold.

Sounded good tho, shorty headers and full 3" exhaust. He said the car would out-run his z28 if the z didnt hook. It has LT headers and full exhaust w/cats.

His asking price: $1,200.00

I think this is very reasonable, considering that i have the equipment to strip/sand/paint a vehicle and i know how to paint. (Im thinking of the Silver Metalic that comes on the New LS1 T/A's and Camaros).

Also by just looking at the engine/trans/headers/exhaust I can tell the System is worth way more than 1200 bucks, I could probaly sell the whole combo, for 3000 no probalem (engine/trans/headers/exhaust).

I have 500 in the bank right now, and Im about to sell my car for about 4500.

So ill have 8,000. I'll spend about 200 (i get discounts ) on paint supplies and 300 on a used stock hood. Strip it, sand it, paint it. And ill have about 7500 bucks left over.

I'll get a complete LS1 Swap (Engine/tranny) for around 3000 bucks.
Spend 1,000 into the interior. ebony seats/carpet/headliner/dash, and 140mph speedo.

I'll have about 2500 left over.

Question is, do you guys think i could make a coustom turbocharger kit? I can have the turbo manifold pipes bent at an exhaust shop and weilded to the flange for about 100 bucks. I'm thinking about 2 T3/T04e turbos. so about 1200 for turbos.

Im sure i could probaly get by with a cheap either front or top mount intercooler for about 500 bucks. I'll have an exhaust shop bend the intercooler piping for me. That will be about 100 bucks. I'll go ahead and throw in a full coustom turbo back exhaust thats true dual, that i can get dont for just over 200 bucks, and a custom intake ( i have here with me).

And I''l have a Nice BOV, probaly a HKS SSQ. thats 200 bucks. Then comes the 2 boost gauges (one for each turbo) Fuel gauge and EGT. And i have a boost controller thats comming off my car.

Hmm seems that i should be able to make it.

I wonder what kinda power i could be putting out with that?

10psi on each turbo. Could the Ls1 withstand 550-600rwhp on stock internals? Because Thats what i might be seeing. But anyway the real question is..





WILL IT ALL FIT?!?!?!?!

Thanks for the time, reading this and hope you enjoy your day.

ProjectWS6 out!

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

I think you're being a tad optimistic w/ your numbers.

You're not likely to get $3K for the old drivetrain. LT1 powertrains don't even get that much $$.

You might score an LS1 powertrain in the $3K range if you want auto trans.

But...you don't have the wiring harness connected yet, your engine mounts won't fit, your 3rd gen fuel system won't feed it, and neither the donor exhaust nor your 3rd gen exhaust will fit. It cost me over $1500 to solve all that ($100 Helms manuals, $40 hack harness, $10 Metri-Pak pins, $15 rad hoses, $1100 exhaust system, $110 fuel pump, $130 fuel press regulator + hoses...) and I did my own wiring harness work.

Then there's the $100 or so trans crossmember, $70 or so for conversion engine mounts, $80+ a laptop for OBD-2 scanner to you can troubleshoot, some $$ to have someone w/ LS1-Edit or HPTuners drop out VATS and a bunch of error checks so it will start and run right.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

wiring harness isnt hard..
engine mounts and trans crossmember are $250 from hawks thirdgen
stock 3rdgen TPI fuel system works with just a regulator.
otherwise, get a walbro pump($100), and a corvette regulator/filter ($35). done.
exhaust needs a custom Y fabbed. you can meet the I pipe to the 3rdgen one.
stock 4thgen radiator hoses work..
biggest cost is HP tuners (or equilvent)

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

I get the impression you're trying to nitpick my points above. Last I checked, you haven't finished (or started?) your swap yet and were giving out incorrect advice on thirdgen.org..."use a 98 LS1 oil pressure sending unit.. this lets you connect the oil pressure wire to the gauge."

For you and me maybe. For this guy, unless you know his skill level how do you know how difficult it will be for him?

How long do you suppose the stock TPI fuel pump will hold up to 58psi operating pressure, given it isn't rated that high by the people that designed and manufactured it?

And you didn't mention connecting the 3rd gen chassis fuel line fittings to the LS1 quick-connect fuel rail.

...and a pair of cats, O2 sensor bungs welded in, weird-shaped LS1 manifold flanges to get the exhaust together. Not sure about the 4th gen lower rad hose, as the hose end was smaller diameter than 3rd gen radiator fitting...wouldn't even fit. I ended up using a 2001 Silverado 5.3L truck hose.

YsoFast

Man you don't want to know how much I have in my car if you plan on sticking with your total cost. I would say I could have had a good stock 2001 by now. I started out with a plan like yours but it got out of hand very fast! Everytime I would call to order parts I would hear about some new part that was either on the way or just planed. The next thing you know you have a full tubular front suspention and coil overs with a new power rack. My recommendation is to set all of your goals for the car first and then build to them and don't keep pushing them up like I did.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I have months of research in this stuff and spoke to a few shops one on one to get recommendations on the fuel system and the harness.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

not really... just giving a general overview... when i do a how-to i go into much better detail.

ah. so you're the same guy who didnt read the rest of the thread and just replied to that... so i got some mixedup info.. it was corrected in the thread.
why dont you write a book on it?

btw, my wiring is done. all plug and play. (plug and pray)


if you can twist two wires together, and read a chart, thats all you need. anyone with any basic wiring skill can do it. they just need to know what goes where. with some research and crosschecking, you can find that out.


donno. how long does any stock TPI pump last. only a few years. when it needs to be replaced, put a walbro in.
btw, just FYI, i know of guys running boost using thoes pumps at 60+psi. sure they may only have a few thousand miles on them so far, but to get a LS1 in and running in a weekend car, thats money that can be spent later. not NEEDED, but nice to change.




take LS1 hardline. the ending section where the hose connects
use metal fuel line splice to put it on 3rdgen fuel line end. (stock end cut off)
use factory LS1 softline between hardline and fuel rail.

take off return line most of the way.
replace fuel filter with corvette filter/regulator (also uses quick connects)
route shortened regulator line from tank to there.

looks factory. works like factory. and its cheap(if that matters).




this falls under fabricate exhaust, but i'll humor you.

use the flanges from the donor car exhaust. O2 bungs are in manifolds. delete the rear cats (along with flag in HPtuners).. its a regular exhaust from there



i was given a "ls1 hose" and it fits. i'll look for a part number for you.


you dont have to be a dick about it. its not like im posting here to mislead anyone... on the contrary, im trying to complie a huge amount of info from tidbits online...

mostly because guys like you dont bother doing that... most of the guys either already have it done and didnt document anything, or they just paid someone to do it.


feel free to pick apart anything i post... but i do pick back.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

anyway, like another dude said that a wise man said....."I'm not arguing with you, I just don't have any tact."

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

O2 bung is not in the pax side manifold. And good luck fitting an O2 sensor into the drv side manifold, front x-member is in the way.

Thanks for humoring me.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

front cross member? mines tubular. i dont have the engine sitting there yet, so everything could change (hence why theres no how-to written yet) but ive been told it'll clear.

this is for the later cast 02 ones... right? not the earlier tubular manifolds..

rather then being a dick, enlighten me.


and BTW, a $3 o2 sensor bung isnt a big deal. esp considering the rest of the exhaust has to be welded on too.

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

Call me a ******* and expect friendly enlightenment?

Not that the name-calling bothers me, but take note I'm not doing the same.

The $3 O2 bungs are a big deal if the guy doesn't know to have them welded in while he's having his y-pipe fabbed. And he wouldn't if he read your posts thus far.

I took notes during my swap and I've answered questions, but I'm not writing a complete do-it-yourself document and taking $$ away from vendors who sponsor this board. Something to think about when you're ready to share your wisdom.

Scooter70

iTrader: (1)

Easy fellas... Do we need a time out?

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

Boring day at the office today.

ProjectWS6

ok ok, maybe ill forget the Turbos. So how about this.

If i bout a Ls1/Auto Tranny, wiring harnes, computer ect. Basicaly yank all the stuff out of a LS1 F-body, fuel pumps and the works. And fabricated a custom exhaust. No cats, No resionators, And piggy back devices for the O2 sensors. Wouldnt i just be able to drop it in, mount it. Hook everything up and go? Or is there alot more i need to know about. Cause i know NOTHING about a 406, All i know about is the LS1.

But thanks for the replies. I really apreciate you guys taking the time on helping me out.

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

Read all the info between the whizzing contest.

Engine mounts are needed, the wiring harness won't connect w/o modding, LS1 donor fuel pump isn't a direct drop-in for the 3rd gen mount, etc.

Remington H.

iTrader: (2)

From all the info I have gathered-dont jump on me im just trying to sum it up for him.

Here is what all you will need to get it done and running and driving
Alot of what you get will pb be best and least expensive route is to get it off of the donor car.

*A way to mount everything-engine, motor mounts from hawksthirdgen-tranny, same place-also a way to hook up your tranny linkage(auto would be easy, manual Im not so sure about) plus the throttle to the skinny pedal
*coolant lines and radiator- a new or used 4th gen ls1 radiator so all the coolant,tranny lines will connect right up along with the electric fans to keep cool.
*wiring- either get a place to redo the wiring harness like speartech or lt1350.com(good and cheap) or some other place. although speartech would be my unquestioned 1st choice if I were to do it again. If they dont install the vats module into the harness, then you will need to have the computer reprogrammed and have the vats disabled(g-force did it for my computer adn charged me $50 for a reflash, those guys are simply badass) And then splice it up to your wiring, I did mine where everything works with my factory gauges. Or you can go a cheaper route, buy a manual and redo the wiring harness yourself although it would pb overwhelm a beginner with the complexity of all of it. I would recommend having someone else do it.
*fuel- an easy way to do it would be to get a truck intake and fuel rail and just cut off the old lines when they get to the fire wall and splice them to a section of the new quick disconnect lines using compression fittings since the feed and return are both different sizes, but the same sizes between the tpi and 6.0 lines (hope that makes sense), another way to do it is to get that regulator filter thing from s&p and mount it, then run the new lines to the intake. Then just run your fuel pump signal wire from the computer to the fuel pump(they will find it for you when they redo your harness and pb install a relay for you. You can use the stocker, but pb wont last more than a few years with the generous driving we are known to have. What I did was get a fuel pump out of a 98 vortec 454 truck and mount it in my tank on the stock sender. Works great and should work with your tpi in tank sender also. Then all you will need is to get all the small electrical stuff figured out, hook up the power breaks to the back of the manifold on a nipple that protrudes for breaks, hook up all lines and your done. If you want to have an a/c system, just get the custom bracket kit from hawksthirdgen so you can use a stock style a/c compressor and use the stock a/c system.

I hope and think that is everything. Good luck, I will pb do this swap this coming summer, sry for the grammar, Im tired.

Remington

ProjectWS6

Thanks rem, ive saved this all to my files, i really apreciate all of you guys's help! this is really would have helped me alot

However... i went up today to buy the car... and it was gone.. it was bullshit. but im saving it to my files anyway because im still looking for one.

agiain, Thanks guys
Cody

badjuju342

iTrader: (3)

on the cost of the swap, figure up what you think you need then multiply it by three. That's the best advice I can offer you.It's better to buy good quality components now instead of later.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

heh, sorry i took so long to reply.. i had to drive 7 hours to go pickup my LS1, party for the new year, and then put it in the car.

your right about the passenger side not being in the manifold.... the reason i was confused was the way it was described to me when i got it...

heres some pics:

in the first one, you can see the manifold with a section of exhaust... thats how i got confused about that over the phone...... pic is below for ref...

next one is me going "f*ck you" to the O2 sensor for being in the way.... turns out, it isnt in the way, but it would be with the stock Kmember...

last one is the engine installed and you can see the o2 sensor clearing the tubular k member and a arm.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

thats a really messed up way to look at things.



edit:



btw, if anyone has any questions or needs any pics or measurements or whatever, id be more then happy to take some... my friend just got a new digi cam, and hes itching to take more pics anyway...

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

May be a quirk w/ me.

Also, congrats on the powertrain!! You're going to love it when it's on the road.