Joel's LS1 FC master parts list / swap thread

[frijolee]

TABLE OF CONTENTS / HOT LINKS

WARNING: You may need to set your User CP => Options to view 40 posts per page for these links to work correctly... Permalink is based on page numeration and may not work if you have an alternate page numbering structure from me.

-Cheap parts source for new GM pieces
-Timing chain, cam, oil pump
-Vette to F-body pan conversion, installing rod bolts
-Piston to valve (P to V) checking, upgraded rockers
-Painting brakes, t2 rear end install, swaybar fitment, fuel pump upgrade, finally solved P to V conundrum with the addition of an adjustable timing belt.
-Motor install, shifter boot, header clearancing, power steering
-Exhaust gasket porting, clutch hydraulics install
-JTR radiator install w/ Volvo s80 fan, first pass at fuel system
-First motor firing

Note TOC is ordered as written not always in the order it was built…

-Mazdaspeed lip notes
-Swaybar details (Vette accessories make things difficult), intake fabrication, pcv and steam tubes, oil pressure sender, battery relocation
-Lengthening the throttle pedal
-First pass at preventing diff knock, first pics on 4 wheels
-Brake prop valve clearancing
-Exhaust
-Exhaust materials list
-Splash guard fitment / engine belly pan
-Water temp sender adaptation
-Heater hoses
(if I ever get around to it, I’d like to redo heater hoses via relocation instead)

-Fan wiring,
-Adding to the main fuse block
-Battery relocation redo
-Relocating Vette powersteering reservoir for better hood clearance
-Bench bleeding brake MC
-Driveshaft loop, rear suspension bushing change out.
-Mcleod twin disk clutch, blown up slave cylinder
-Verifying shimming on Mcleod clutch
-Transmission reinstall from below
-Details on the cage:
-Widebody front fenders, longer wheel studs, 17x9 wheels x4 corners
-Fender lining relocation, rolling rear fender lips
-Custom wheel spacers
-Brake system design notes
-Donuts
-Big Brakes teaser
-Big Brake fitment
-Clutch MC rebuild
-Wiring notes consolidated
(see also a few posts following...)

-Some days wrenching don’t go as you plan…
-Oil cooler and Oil pan baffle install


PARTS LIST LAST UPDATED: 5/25/07

My latest pass at a comprehensive master parts list:








Some things are exclusive to my situation (missing bolts because I'm doing this the piecemeal route.)

I'll try to include links to other threads I found especially helpful as I go along. Whether you know it or not this forum's been a great help so far. I started researching feasibility here. I bought my car/engine from an occasional poster back when we were on TorqueCentral and picked up a rolling chassis (for parts) from da club that a TC user pointed out.

A few of the following replies may not make a ton of sense in context as they were answers to questions I've now covered in my list.

I've had the car up and running since December 06. Work plus school plus moving plus being married plus a car project is officially too much to do. With all that the swap took me 3.5 months and probably about 300 hours to get it the way I wanted. I ran into a lot of weirdness using the vette ls1 and mixing and matching pieces from 98s and others years. No regrets, the car rules, and it's everything I hoped it would be. A huge thank you to Dave and Cherrie Ellis, amazing folks who let me use their backyard and basement to do the build. Blessings to you both and good luck to all who follow here...

Before:


After (and in the middle of relocating the brake prop valve for the 2nd time):


Regards,
Joel

Parts list enclosed in zipped excel format below... If you share it with others please give me the credit.

[Danzan]

passenger side cat is smaller. the flange is different though. plaza muffler has flanges.

are you trying to be cali smog legal?

you & brismo7, who lives in orange, are in the same boat. he has spoken for a LS1, & is starting to accumulate parts. he also wants to finish in a few months.

i'll bet he will give you a terrific deal on the harness mod.

[andrewdruiz]

-AC Condensor- Look on grannys site, I believe they have an adapter for using the mazda condensor
-PS Lines- I had to convert mine to manual because the front area of the mounting kit would not clear with the lines there, I believe digital solo had to do the same with his grannys kit
-Grannys rubber mounts- Might have? I'm assuming you think your stock ls1 mounts will work, they wont. Grannys uses some truck engine mounts and special plates that bolt onto your ls1 and then attach from there
-Exhaust- I have a 2.5" stock manifolds- x pipe (magnaflow)- summit mufflers and it sounds pretty good, if you're ever in the riverside area you can come and hear it to get an idea.
-RB Sway bars- Mine cleared with the grannys spacers, BUT I had to move up/down my rb adjustable endlinks for it to clear, so I dont know if stock endlinks will work.
-T56 Tranny mount & Exhaust setup- Most exhaust shops should be able to route the piping over the mount so you wont have to worry about scraping.
-Speedo recalibrate- It wont work on ls1's, you either need a manual driven adapter- electric one to use the stock speedo, an aftermarket speedo, or get a scan gauge (reads obdII readings, coolant temp, air temp, speedo, mpg, only 180 bucks!).
-Tach Recalibrate- I just wired mine up and it seems fine, but I have nothing else to compare it to, it might be for the older sbc's that you need to do this.
-Oil pressure gauge- You can either: Tap the pedistal above the oil filter for oil pressure temp, pop off your intake manifold and get an adapter for where the f-body oil pressure is and run an aftermarket gauge, or I do believe you can find the wire from the pcm and wire it to your stock cluster (right Dan?)

BTW- Who did your cage? And if you ever want to sell it, i'll take it
-Andrew

[Danzan]

Originally Posted by andrewdruiz

I do believe you can find the wire from the pcm and wire it to your stock cluster (right Dan?)

no . the PCM does not monitor oil pressure. guess the GM engineers don't think it is important enough.

[frijolee]

Thanks for the comments. I'll update my list tonight and start ordering soon. I've talked to Brismo about harnesses. I just need to work out a time.

The cage is welded in so it's with me as long as I have this chassis. It was a custom build by a shop outside Dallas. I never know whether to call the thing a four point or six. It's really a roll bar with door beams added however it doesn't use any of the headliner bars. Frankly I really wouldn't want the halo bars in a street car.

[frijolee]

List updated with present progress. Swap starts in <30 days and my living room is starting to look a bit warehouse-ish.

I found a source for great deals on stock GM parts: Dal Slabaugh (no affiliation to me). I ran into him through Brent Franker's F-body links page:

Brent's F-Body Links Page

As an example, F-body oil pans are becoming really hard to come by. Too many folks jumping on the ls1 bandwagon. The last pan on ebay sold for $202 with shipping. Dal quoted me $167.82 for a new pan. Pickup and windage tray would be $28.49 and $27.29 respectively. That's CHEAP for unused new goods.

Dal can be reached at 877-448-5451 (direct phone)
direct fax: 330-658-4065
email: lockitup@ohio.net

business hours 4:00 am to 5:00 pm, eastern standard time zone
phone hours 6:00 am to 2:00 pm eastern standard time zone

[frijolee]

It's begun...

Engine Build Progress

I'm adding a heads/cam package and I felt clever for restraining the engine from turning over while breaking the main pulley free. (I've been defeated on two front wheel drive cars in the past) No air tools required when you can just strap a healthy piece of angle iron to the crankshaft via flywheel bolts.


engine is upside down because I was about to do ARP Pro rod bolts when I changed my mine and bought the Katech's (no rod resizing req'd).



Here's a couple shots of my out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new:


98 ls1 timing chain on the left, ls2 timing chain on the right



stock cam on the bottom, lunati 243/252 0.595/0.595 on top



notice that the lobes aren't much taller (it wouldn't clear the bearings), rather the base circle has to be smaller. Next up: checking pushrod length and piston to valve clearance.



stock 98 oil pump up top, TSP ported ls6 pump on the bottom




And finally... Going going gone!


load leveler's really are a God send...



I think I should have asked more than $400 for my 13b and trans with only 65k original miles. It sold on 'da club' in less than 2 hours.



My engine bay's never looked so good...


Cheers y'all,
Joel

[scubaman]

looks like you're progressing well.

think you'll make it to the bash at the end of october?

[owen v8litew8]

good progress and hells yeah you coulda asked for more but getting it sold in 2 hours is awesome. your car makes me wish my car was white!

[frijolee]

It was only an N/A but I figured they'd be a dime a dozen so I went cheap. Yes, I'm hoping to make Steaks n Beer. DanZan is a cool cat. He and Steve (Brismo7) helped me mod my own wiring harness...