LS swap, without MII rack

Hi guys, after hearing first hand the success an internet buddy had with his turbo LS swapped Fairmont I believe I'm going to go turbo LS too (actually one of the truck versions). I know its not for the purists but it sure is cost effective.

Anyhow, my plan is to shave the shock towers but avoid any other cutting and a costly MII rack conversion. Dimensionally the LS seems to be in between a 302 and 351w so I believe it will fit with the shave.

Manifolds (reversed for turbo):
http://www.holley.com/8501-5HKR.asp

Oil pan:
http://store.procompelectronics.com/p-2290-ls-series-fabricated-aluminum-oil-pan-front-sump.aspx

I believe the dimensions should be: 10.25" sump width, 9-11/16" sump length, 6" sump depth. I have one on order to confirm.

I want to use a built c4 tranny, its lighter and as good (or better) than a th350 IMO and obviously fits.

Conversion bellhousing:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/jpt-92463

Conversion torque converter:
http://www.winnerschoicetransmissionparts.com/servlet/StoreFront
(this place said they could build a conversion tq converter)

I want to put the turbo where the battery is now and keep it efi. One of my goals it to keep the stock Grabber hood and not cut it, piece of cake with the LS motor/efi manifold.

Thoughts?

 

Go for it, take loads of pics and videos.

 

You will regret using a c4 a solid th350 can be built loads cheaper i put 1k+ through one that was a simple budget build

Gto oil pan and F body manifolds will save you money

 

I could be swayed to use a th350 I suppose, I bought books on building both. I'll really have to do my homework on the tranny.

I looked at sump of the stock oil pans but was worried about the end of the sump hitting the stock steering arms so I snagged that oil pan, but I bought it through ebay for $215 shipped. I think that's pretty good considering it includes pick up.

And don't expect pictures anytime soon, just throwing ideas out and I probably won't really start this until Spring.

 

A turbo 350 would be a great choice but you will have to spend some money on it as well if you plan on pushing the car hard. A good intermediate drum and valve body are a must.

If you take the C-4 route call the guys at Performance Automatic in Maryland. They are the guys when it comes to a C-4. Also with the JW Bell order the complete kit with the flexplate and pilot adapter that way you can use a standard C-4 converter making it easy to replace or try other brands.

 

just out of curiosity why would you want to do something like this? to be different?

 

......

 

I agree 100%. Most of the cheaper "bang for buck" LS swaps I see on the streets just use the or go with a factory type parts/overdrive and keep the factory harnesses/ECM intact.

From there it just gets pricier and more complex with fewer parts available/higher cost to get it all working and tuned properly. Granted.. an electronic OD trans costs more to rebuild and/or upgrade than a TH350 would.. but you still save in the end without as many custom fabricated parts or standalone engine controllers required to get er' done. Not to mention the gas savings alone if you ever did want to just cruise around with the thing. Motor will last longer too.

IMHO, if you're going for the.. "stupid easy way to make big power on the cheap"?.. then using stock parts whenever possible is the way to go. Just get yourself a laptop and the tuning software/wideband O2 sensor required.. or pay someone to dial it all in for you. Bout the same cash output in the end.. but the first option will allow you to make additional changes as you build the motor up and add some boost down the road. And you will. And then don't forget that dyno time is much cheaper if you're tuning it yourself.

 

I'm running a...700R4...no E-tronics..

 

that would be my first choice with a carb too.

Unless you get much beyond 700 horsepower or so.. that trans can easily be built to satisfy.

 

Joe, can you list out what would need to be done to make the th350 live a good long life (measured in years) for a driven a few times a week easy to work then weekly at a test and tune. I'm assuming horsepower will max out at 600 to the wheels, I've seen LS's do higher but I think that's waaaaay more than I'll use on the street and a good practical limit for stock LS internals.

@junrai - Its not really about being different, so many people have done LS swaps they're becoming pretty common. More about cost/performance and since its kind of a common swap a lot of issues have been worked out pretty well (the Mavs small engine bay is still a challenge). If I wanted to be different I'd throw a Stang 3.7 v6 in there. (I still think that would be cool)

 

I like doing things just a tad different that the masses

 

Alto clutches,koleen steels, good drum, a manual valvebody and a kevlar band, run a good hydraulic fluid such as hygaurd and have a converter built for your setup.

I ran 30 psi on my ls with a simple th350 similar to the one above never had a transmission related issue. The stock ls rods starts to explode around 1k-1200 hp
10 psi should make your power goal on pump gas

 

Just a shot in the dark here, but I'm really interested in anyone doing the swap without an aftermarket k-member as well. I can't find a write-up anywhere about it, and i don't have $2,500 to drop on a k-member. You know how it is... budget budget budget. So... anyone have any clue?

Do you need a front sump oil pan if you keep the stock k member?

 

I would say yes. I found an aluminum fabricated front sump on ebay for $200ish. It has more clearance than stock pans.

I'm also getting a Unisteer rack and pinion kit from Kenny's Rod and Custom, they have one on ebay for $1233 right now. It's not quite as comprehensive as the mii kits but it is a true bolt in and eliminates the interference with the stock steering box along with the other benefits of rack and pinion. It will need front sump as the rack and pinion goes in the rear to work with stock components.

I still haven't completed this project and I *might* chicken out and go Ford v8 anyhow.