Spdrcr
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Posts posted by Spdrcr
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I said I wasn’t gonna do much to the engine. but figured a new water pump would be a good idea.
And of course needed a new oil pan since somebody broke my old one.
got the mounts on
and broke out the wire wheel to spruce up some things
JCI oil and water adapters are in.
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Hey guys. I still need to figure out a shifter solution for my ls1 with 4l60e. Most of the threads I see are pretty old so I wanted to check if anyone has an update. I am looking for a cost effective (cheaper) solution like a stock used shifter.
im leaning towards a c6 corvette shifter. I already have the transmission in so I would also like something that can be done from mostly up top. Can I do it without welding?
let me know if you have any good solutions.
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WIRES EVERYWHERE! started to root around in the wires leftover. I plan on replacing the old fusable links with blade fuses. I read a bunch of threads of the pros and cons and decided to ditch them. I may need to upgrade to blade type fusables in the future. We’ll see. I also cut a ton of wiring out that I won’t be using again. Identified key hot and start, temp, oil, etc.
I stared at this so much I was dreaming about it. To be honest I got a bit frustrated and just cut a bunch.
got those funky frame rails painted up. Nothing fancy here. Just sanded them clean. Etching primer and chassis paint. I want to save as much orange (persimmon red) as I can.
I also hit the crank balancer while I had the paint out. Poor thing look like came from the swamp or something.
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Hey where did that old engine go? Oh it turned into money? What to do now? Order more parts!
got a set of bushings mostly so I can do the steering bushings while the engine is out. I will deal with the rest later.
and here is the JCI kit.
also ordered up some 280z speedhut gauges. Went with the non gps speedo with turn signals and high beam and a tach. I am using the vital fluids from JCI to retain my factory small gauges. Some dummy let the oil and temp sensors leave with the old engine.
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Wanted to flip the fuel rail so the inlet was on the passenger side where the fuel line will be. Threw on some new o-rings.
That stupid quick connector! I bought the special tool. Too cheap!
Had to buy a metal one cuz the plastic one was too flimsy. Popped right off after that.
Threw a new fuel level sensor in the tank. Now I can see how dumb I was to have a full tank when I need to drain it to pull the old pump.
got a new fuel pump and corvette filter. Pretty usual stuff I think.fuel pump mounted up. Don’t laugh at my bracket. Fabrication is not my thing. Still have to mount the filter regulator somewhere. Ordered some fittings and fuel line too.
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got the wiring harness off.
the oil pan was moist (what a gross word) so I decided to change the gasket.
Figured I’d do the rear main seal too
oh snap! Seriously though. I broke the pan. I was even very careful and went round 3 times. Just touching, snug, and then tight.
turns out I left a piece of the old gasket on there on accident. I thought it was part of the pan.
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Here’s the old junker. LS1 and 4l60e out of a 99 firebird. 150k on it... allegedly. This is another slippery slope. I decided to not mod it and get it running first. If I actually want more power down the road, that is for future spdrcr to worry about.
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engine bay is a mess! Someone spray painted the radiator and fan shroud. I think a lot of the black is overspray. Very rough to the touch and will not clean. I tried every cleaning method I could think of. You can see the clean squares. I had use sandpaper!
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It’s out.
empty bay
not bad shape! -
First order of business is to get the poor old L28 out of the car. Not much really to say on this. Just disconnect and unplug anything and everything. Then pop it out.
all hooked uptime to dangle
Definitely take the time to seal up the end of the transmission. I taped a plastic bag over the end but didn’t do a great job. I paid for it.
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***NOTE: I will update my parts list as I go along. Hopefully, this will help plan and see how much the total cost is.***
Hello everyone. Figure it’s about time to start a build thread for my ls1/4l60e swap. I haven’t really posted much on here yet. Mostly been creeping around looking at the good info here. I’ve been through a bunch of cars over the years including C3 corvettes, supercharged civic, supercharged C5 corvette, GTI, 3rd gen camaros, and a classic Mini Cooper. My next car after those was a hard choice and it took a while to settle on the 280z. During my search, I did learn I DO NOT fit in a Lotus Elise. Nope not one bit. A C7 Z06 was also high on my list but dang $$$.
Anyway, I bought the 280 earlier this year with the intention of doing the swap. Could’ve bought one already done but I’ve always wanted to do an engine swap. Found a 78 down in FL with a new cheap paint job, fairly rust free, and running OK. Drove it around all summer and decided I don’t like manual cars anymore. Ten years ago I would never dream of owning a fast car automatic, but it ain’t ten years ago. I wanted a sunroof and mine has duals, yea! Also had a very huge muffler with a 4” tip that was booger welded (no judgment, I can’t weld) onto the stock exhaust piping.
Goal for the car is to be multipurpose for cruising around town, going to meets and shows, maybe the track, and look good while doing it all. I want to pull the old engine and drop in the “new” as quick as reasonable possible. I do not want a long term project sitting in the garage. Want to drive it! I also plan to do wide flares, wheels, spoiler, air dam, etc.
I went through a long process of deciding which engine to buy. I wanted aluminum block to save weight. Looked at truck engines but the aluminum ones aren’t all that cheap. Then I started making up random HP numbers that sounded good on paper. 500rwhp, that’s my need! Or is it? Eventually, I came back to earth did a bunch of spreadsheets, of course, and settled on the old 350hp LS1 with the 4l60e. I would’ve liked a ls3 crate motor but then there’s a lot of things in life I would like to have. Everything I need can come from one car without having to piece together car intakes, oil pans, pcm, throttle bodies, etc. Bought a drop unit off eBay from a yard across town and they delivered it to my garage the next day. Game on!
first look in person. I’m not mad at it.
gotta look back every stop
Car
1978 280z $11,500
Shipping $600
DMV $645
Engine
engine ls1/4l60e $3,150.00 ebay
engine taxes ls1/4l60e $189.00 ebay
engine delivery+tip ls1/4l60e $120.00 ebayJCI swap kit LS1 $1,150.00 JCI
JCI fluids vital $105.00 JCI
serpentine belt Bando 6PK1395 $12.00 amazon
belt tensioner 38195 $37.00 amazon
idler pulley dayco 89015 $16.00 amazon **washer needed**
egr plate xussbop13 $5.00 ebay
oil pan gasket GSFX-0381868021 $23.00 Amazon
rear main seal 40640 $20.00 Amazon
oil pan 12628771 264-331 $101.00 Amazonoil galley seal 12573460 $9.00 amazon
throttle cable jgn8564365 $22.00 ebay
pcv valve fv391 $5.00 amazon
oil pressure 800-048 $30.00 zcardepot
motor mount Anchor 3064 $41.00 advance
synthetic 5w-30 super tech $15.00 walmart
oil filter fram extra guard $5.00 walmarttach and speedo gauges $420.00 speedhut
Intake
air inlet temp delphi ts10072 $14.00 Amazon
3.5-4" 90 elbow SH-90D-R-3.5-4-BK $21.00 Amazon
K&N air filter rg-1001rd $29.00 AmazonTransmission
torque conv bolts 14099 $6.00 advance
cooler 90 6an-3/8 2az111an6d90 $17.00 amazon
trans 1/4npsm-6an 551114 $12.00 amazon
fittings on rad derale13004 $20.00 amazon
trans rubber hose 8' trans line $16.00 advance
drifeshaft shipping usps $30.00 usps
Cooling
radiator sdd-ra280z753 $129.00 ebay
16" cooling fan er9805 $32.00 amazontemp sensor 800-693 $22.00 zcardepot
water pump aw5081 $89.00 amazon
lower rad hose 22478 $14.00 amazon
upper rad hose gates 21588 $20.00 Amazon
bypass hose 87629 $7.00 Amazon
rad overflow tank FS00483BK-1 $27.00 Amazonsteam vent coupler AN627-20X125 $15.00 Amazon
prestone dex-cool af888 $32.00 advance
Fuel
speedway pump/reg 91012810 $196.00 amazon
fuel level sender 800-974X $80.00 zcardepot
30 fuel clamps $9.00 ebay
5' 3/8 fuel line hbd 24088 $11.00 ebay
5' 5/16 fuel line hbd 24078-5 $10.00 ebay
fuel prefilter K&N 81-0300 $7.00 amazon
10' braided line GCR424 $23.00 amazon
3/8 6an to barb 98200 $8.00 Amazon
3/8 line to 6an x 2 CS00017D0 $16.00 Amazon
line clamps R038CLS $10.00 Amazon
fuel line tool $7.00 Amazon
fuel tank vent Attwood 1607-3 $9.00 Amazonfuel rail oring set es 70599 $12.00 Amazon
36" throttle cable jgn8564365 $22.00 ebayWiring/PCM
6 way fuse box PSZACCEPS051H $10.00 Amazon
Relays AE-001-1 $12.00 Amazon
fuse box 6+6 $14.00 ebay12ga wire 100' $15.00 ebay
18ga wire 100' $8.00 ebay
loom tape 4 rolls $8.00 ebay
wire loom alex tech $12.00 Amazon
ECM program brandon $75.00 LT1 Swap
ecm shipping usps $13.00 usps
OBD 2 harness 13500 $10.00 Amazon
Exhaust
manifold bolts rogue $10.00 ebay
manifold gasket ms92467 $13.00 amazonheat barrier 13575 $23.00 Amazon
exhaust wrap HMHRT25017 $16.00 amazon
Miscengine hoist 61858 $90.00 craiglsist
engine stand jegs 80040 $70.00 ebay
load leveler 63098 $40.00 harborfeight
dollies x 4 60659 $32.00 harborfeightEng stand bolts 4inch $12.00 lowes
bushing kit 14-2002 $158.00 amazon
paper and paint $20.00 advance
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On 12/2/2020 at 1:21 PM, NewZed said:
The two pronged sender on your 78 is a combined switch and sensor. Two devices in one. One prong is the switch for the relay and the other is the pressure sensor for the gauge. So you could use the sensor prong for the stick 78 gauge and leave the other disconnected. You don't need to buy a new sending unit.
You might search the site and/or the internet for "ford inertia switch", it's a popular safety device around the modded car world. Although the Nissan design is better for mechanical malfunctions like if a fuel hose pops off and the engine stops running.
The problem is I didn’t save the old sender. I ended buying another dual. I may wire the fuel cutoff into the new wiring.
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12 hours ago, NewZed said:
If you disconnect the oil pressure switch on a 78 the fuel pump will run whenever the key is on.
Exactly right. I am not going to use any of the original fuel wiring or relays. That was why I was going to eliminate it out of the oil sender as well.
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12 hours ago, Whitley_280z_2+2 said:
Ok correct me if I’m wrong but you are going to be installing the JCI sender down by the oil filter right? If that’s the case can you just leave the stock oil pressure sensor and then wire the JCI one to the gauge. That way the ECU will still know the oil pressure.
I got rid of the original oil pressure sensor and installed an auto meter one in its place. Then I just had to have my ecu programmer “disable” that function.
Yes the Datsun sender will be down by the filter. That one will send signal to the gauge.
The LS1 unit will remain in place and run to the ecm.
I just don’t know if a one wire sender will go with the factory gauge. I could just go with the duel unit but I won’t use the fuel side.
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Hello! I am putting a LS1 into a 78 280z. I have the oil adapter from JCI. My original sender had 2 wires which included the fuel pump shut off. I am buying a new sender and would like to get the single wire unit. Can I simply wire the oil pressure side to the gauge and remove the fuel side?
I am not using any of the old fuel wiring; putting in a new new relay for the fuel pump.
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I found a fix for my problem. Now I have a whole lot of new ones!
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Awesome. I will give it a clean and see if that helps.
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Hello. Just got my 78 a couple of weeks ago. Had few problems I have been fixing with help from the site like horns, shifter bushing, gauges, wipers, etc but have one I haven’t seen before.
Car runs fine, maybe a tiny bit rough when cold but smooth warm and a slight trouble hot starting (couple of extra cranks and a bunch of pedal) but neither are too bad. Car idles fine and revs all the way through. Sometimes when I push it hard, there is a slight backfire from the exhaust.
The problem I have is when I reach cruising speed and begin to feather the gas pedal to maintain speed. The car will cut out like the fuel has been cut or the throttle has snapped shut. first time I thought the engine had died completely. As soon I push on the pedal it kicks right back in and drives normal. I don’t have to give it much gas to get it on again. It seems to happen in any gear and any speed. It’s that fine tipping point when I am just barely on the gas. The cut out seems more pronounced than when you just let off the pedal to decelerate. Makes you kinda lean forward from the quicker slow down.
I already started adapting to it by reaching my speed and then it cuts out. I will let the speed drop off a few mph then slowly speed back up and when I ease off it cuts out again and I do it over. Back and forth. it always comes right back when I push through it though.
I thought the throttle linkage might have too much play in it and was snapping back when I eased off but the play doesn’t seem too much.. Maybe there is a dead spot that causes the computer to lose signal completely and cut out at that exact throttle position?
I see there are a bunch of adjustments to things like the TPS but I wanted to ask before I started monkeying about with things. I tried to search but have no idea how to word my problem much less find it.
Does anyone have a guess?
Also a free pic just because -
That looks about the same as mine. I thought it was too far back as well. I want to add a passenger side mirror but have been pondering if the driver side was wrong.
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SPDRCR LS1 and 4l60e Build Thread
in Gen III & IV Chevy V8Z Tech Board
Posted · Edited by Spdrcr
The engine came without a tensioner pulley so a new one of those. I also picked up a rIbbed idler pulley. The new belt route put the ribs on a flat pulley. I didn’t read up enough and forgot to get a washer to go behind the new pulley. It needs to be a specific size and I got tired of fiddling with it. I’m just gonna run the flat pulley for now. Maybe I will figure it out one day.
forgot who made this original information. But here’s a shoutout.
