Richard Oben LS1 series 1 240Z build

[Bo Jassim]

So cxracong engine mount, which headers was that? 

And did you order jci kit through his weird form and pay check method? 

 

[Landistitman22]

Who made your axles and what are your lengths?  I just installed a 8.8 and I am measuring 13.5 for axle length.  Every time I search for custom 930 axles all I get is the off road stuff.  15 5/8th is the shortest I can find off the shelf.  Depending on the cost of custom axles I may just go the intrepid outer route.  

[Richard Oben]

Landistitman  I can't remember who made them.  I will try to find the receipt, I looked once and had no luck.  I did it both sides the same sides, which now I have the Z car depot it is a tight fit on the driver side.  I agree with you finding off the shelf stuff is a no go.    

 

Bo, all CX racing.  I have a T56, no idea if the auto would work.  The whole kit, Headers, mounts Exhaust all the to the bumper.  JCI is a bit weird about payment, once the initial purchase is done, ac mount for me.  He was very helpful with the rest of the stuff.  Like senders etc.  

 

 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Richard Oben
Clarity

[Richard Oben]

Someone asked before.  We found the receipt  RBP manufacturing out of Anaheim.  $290 Dollars.  HTH.  Richard. 

[Richard Oben]

Update time.  Over the last few weeks, we replaced all the struts, all the springs,  added rear stubs from a 280 (28 spline vs 24), added rear discs, added adjustable rear arms, shortened the driver side axle and got it all back together.  Holy cow was it a lot of work.  Pulling apart old (really old) stuff was easy when I was younger.  I try to post a pick or two.  

 

My question is every LSZ tail happy? 

 

We used Eibach springs, KYB struts, Big front bar that came from another Z and an ST rear bar.  This has alway been a street car, just trying to make it a little more predictable.  May have to mess with alignment some more and/or remove rear bar, lower rear pressure.  Any thoughts.  I posted here as we are the LS Z crowd.   

[Richard Oben]

Here are the pics of the progress.  Sorry so few, there was a deadline to get it all done.  

[Richard Oben]

Thought I would give this an update.  I had been chasing a vibration for a while, since I first drove the car.  Changed Diff, changed rear outer stubs, put struts and springs on at the same time.  See above.  All kinds of stuff, tires were swapped, everything but the inner stubs. 

 

Could not find the vibration.  Well, we put the car on my lift with the tires just off the lift and ran it.  (Scary stuff for sure).  We found the issue, the inner new DSS stubs were jumping a lot.  Some one once said new and good are two different things.  Sent an email to DSS asking the run out spec, .020 max, ours were almost double that.  Took them to a machine shop and they put them on a lathe. Once on the lathe it was easy the see the parts were bent.  I can tell everyone we did not bend them, no idea how I could if I tried.  The machinist thought it was a result of an incorrect heat treatment process.  Sent a bunch of videos to DSS and a few other car guys I know.  Everyone agreed, bent.  

 

Sent them to DSS, they grumbled a bit about the age, 3 years since purchase, but only 1,700 miles though.  And the fact they were bent, I just can imagine any way to bend them, without major trauma like an axle breaking.  The stubs are in some pictures above.  Both were bent.   

 

To DSS credit, they did a full warranty on 3.5 year old parts and replaced the stubs at no cost.  

[Richard Oben]

Update time again.  We have been driving the car without vibration for a few months (woo hoo).  All is going well.  Going to re-balance the tires before the upcoming trip to Branson for Z con. 

 

We dug up the file and for those who asked what it costs to do a V8 LS1 T56 Z, I have MY answer, not THE answer.  

 

We started with a $1,000 240Z shell, and a $3,200 Donor car that consisted of a 2004 GTO.   Bone stock LS1, LS7 clutch, T56 CXRacing kit, 8.8 out of a Lincoln, with mounts, 930 CVs, custom axles, AC, rear discs, etc. yada, yada, yada.  A lot of explanation is above.    

Grand total 16,888.00.  

We think we got everything, but may have some ancillary parts we forgot.  

 

Do yourself a favor get a Camaro or Firebird, replacing parts on the GTO was not worth the extra money.  Pan, alternator, shifter, etc.   It was wrecked hard enough I couldn't and didn't take the time to part it out completely, never found the clutch master cylinder!!  Did part out some of it and used it to pay to fixed the head on the driver side that was smashed in the wreck.  The up side is the car had to be low mileage, everything was very clean inside and out, no issues so far.   

 

We have not painted the car or finished the interior (have the parts here so they are in the above total).  No Stereo yet, either, thinking Box in the back and blue tooth. 

 

In short this is not a project for the faint of heart or wallet.  For the $17K I could have bought a used C5 corvette or a 996 Porsche.  So plan wisely, double the budget, I hoped to be under $10k, and double the labor time.  BUT I would not trade the car for the fun it is and conversations I have had with it and about it.  We did everything on the car, from welding the bad dog rails in to wiring the car and connection to the paid for cut down harness.   

 

HTH, Richard.     

Edited June 22, 2019 by Richard Oben
added clarity.

[Whitley_280z_2+2]

Nice build! Definitely an inspiration for my build. I have a couple of GTO related questions if you don't mind. I saw you installed an A/C compressor... how did you get the A/C system to work since the GTO ECU doesn't have a request A/C pin? Also, what did you do for cooling fan control? Since the GTO computer only has the high speed cooling fan control, i am trying to decide if it is worth reprogramming the computer again to enable the low speed fan or if I should just use a thermometer controlled fan.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Richard Oben]

We used the John's cars compressor kit.  We also had the LS1 Wire diet guys do the wiring of the computer. If they are not listed above I have the receipt, found them on eBay.  There is an AC request on all LS1 computers as far as I know.  We sent the Vintage air 12 volts to that, used the trinary switch from the GTO to talk to the computer.  The computer then sends a 12 v signal to the Under hood fuse panel that has a relay.  We just put a relay on the fender by the compressor with 12V from the battery.  Works fine.  We did have to get a fitting and TIG in the trinary switch though.  Used the one from the GTO and used an in line port fitting.  

 

The advantage is the computer runs the AC, WOT cut out, under or over pressure, over 40 MPH no fan, over 4000 RPM cut off.  Lots of good stuff happens.  GM engineers are a lot better at this stuff than we are.  This may help on the pin out info.

 

http://lt1swap.com/2004gto_pcm_pinouts.htm

 

 

We had the LS1 diet guys do the fan control also.  They gave us Fan out, fuel pump out, OBD 11 out, AC out, great work on their part.  We used a Z shroud (came with car) and some brackets to mount a fan from one of the suppliers, 3000 CFM single speed.  Works great.

 

HTH, Richard.  

Edited June 23, 2019 by Richard Oben
added link

[Whitley_280z_2+2]

Thanks! I think I'm starting to understand how it works. On the 04 GTO pinouts there is no A/C request pin... if you look at pin #17 it is empty. I'll talk to the guy who programs my computer and see if he can enable that function. Without that I don't see how the ECU would know to give power to things, adjust idle, etc. I might consider running A/C independent of the GTO ECU if things get overly complicated. I also like the idea of a single large fan. 

[Richard Oben]

It could be pin 45 in the above diagram.  They were a bit surprised we wanted it but once explained they totally understood.  

 

When we built an FFR GTM, we did it this way.  

 

On the Hot Rod power tour the painless guys were confused also, they just let the AC be the AC and ECU be the ECU.  Which makes no sense to me but who am I.  Oh yea the guy that never blew up a compressor from over revving, or bad pressures.   

[Phantom]

We used the John's cars compressor kit.  We also had the LS1 Wire diet guys do the wiring of the computer. If they are not listed above I have the receipt, found them on eBay.  There is an AC request on all LS1 computers as far as I know.  We sent the Vintage air 12 volts to that, used the trinary switch from the GTO to talk to the computer.  The computer then sends a 12 v signal to the Under hood fuse panel that has a relay.  We just put a relay on the fender by the compressor with 12V from the battery.  Works fine.  We did have to get a fitting and TIG in the trinary switch though.  Used the one from the GTO and used an in line port fitting.  

 

The advantage is the computer runs the AC, WOT cut out, under or over pressure, over 40 MPH no fan, over 4000 RPM cut off.  Lots of good stuff happens.  GM engineers are a lot better at this stuff than we are.  This may help on the pin out info.

 

Fortunately my 280Z already had factory AC when JCI was developing their components on it so it was just a matter of making the compressor fit and then work with the Datsun controls.

[Richard Oben]

Small update on LSZ as my wife calls it Leslie, other woman etc.  My wife drove the old girl to Branson Z fest from home.  3.5 HOURS each way, No issues, AC running all good.  Now the list, needs tunes, cruise control and a cup holder.  I trailered the yellow car down as it was too close not to attend a national event.  Richard. 

[Richard Oben]

No updates for a while.  We had a small vibration, not really bad, just annoying, and of course right at 65-70 MPH.   When my wife drove the car we had the 3.07 differential in it, one attempt at finding the vibration.  We put the 3.73 back in (whole chunk, nothing is shared between the two).  And the vibration came back.  Drive shaft out, re balanced, re tubed, trans out, looking for something, anything that may cause vibration.  Half shafts out, again.  Trans UP diff, down to get angles better.  They were not far off before.  All in attempt to cure this vibration.  

 

Called a local guy I know, who does a lot, I mean a whole lot, of Ls stuff.  He said "poly mount", I said yes.  He said swap it out for a rubber one.  Thought he was CRAZY, we have built a ton of cars with poly mount.  Well, we were dead wrong.  There is a whole thread on LS tech about poly mounts.  Like 5 pages.  Apparently T56 transmissions are very pick about the mount used on them.  I have it on the lift with half shafts out, and the vibration appears to be gone.    

 

Not complaining about anything just trying to help others that may run into a problem.  3000 miles fighting this vibration, hope it is gone for good.  R 

[Richard Oben]

Update again.  Even with Rubber mount, still could hear the shifter rattle at 2000 RPM of engine speed about 1100 drive shaft speed. 

 

We had the drive shaft re tubed by the group that did the shaft originally.  Better but not right, blurred rear view mirror at 65 mph.  Took CVs off so all we had was shaft trans and differential.  Still vibrated, this is when we did the rubber mount above.  Took shaft out again and had it balanced, better but still not good.  Took trans out and had the rear housing replaced (stripped drain plug) and some other stuff done.  Mainly had the main shaft triple checked.  Back together and still a small but annoying shifter rattle.  

 

In a last ditch effort before ordering a CV drive shaft we had the shaft remade by another vendor.  Voila, finally can drive the car at any speed with only a minuscule vibration and they just be the LS as I can hear the same harmonic in a lot of You tube videos.  Took multiple attempts but putting the miles on now is much more pleasant.  

 

Sad this forum isn't busier.  Richard. 

[DonH]

10 minutes ago, Richard Oben said:

Update again.  Even with Rubber mount, still could hear the shifter rattle at 2000 RPM of engine speed about 1100 drive shaft speed. 

 

We had the drive shaft re tubed by the group that did the shaft originally.  Better but not right, blurred rear view mirror at 65 mph.  Took CVs off so all we had was shaft trans and differential.  Still vibrated, this is when we did the rubber mount above.  Took shaft out again and had it balanced, better but still not good.  Took trans out and had the rear housing replaced (stripped drain plug) and some other stuff done.  Mainly had the main shaft triple checked.  Back together and still a small but annoying shifter rattle.  

 

In a last ditch effort before ordering a CV drive shaft we had the shaft remade by another vendor.  Voila, finally can drive the car at any speed with only a minuscule vibration and they just be the LS as I can hear the same harmonic in a lot of You tube videos.  Took multiple attempts but putting the miles on now is much more pleasant.  

 

Sad this forum isn't busier.  Richard. 

Nice way to dig into this... Curious as I have a polly mount on my LS Z but only put about 30 miles and never gone above 50mph. Ill report back to you if i dont have these vibration issues.

[Richard Oben]

DonH, Thanks, it was a pain, 3 years or more of fighting this.  Two problems, both on NEW parts, almost burnt it down.  The rubber mount came from searching LS1 tech website and from a local tuner who is big into LS cars. 

 

On a the plus side, go drive yours, the car will be a blast, just crazy how much fun it is.  Torque on demand, 70 MPH is 2k rpm even with 3.73 gears, AC and tunes.  Not modern comfort but not a bad place to be.  R  

[DonH]

On 10/5/2021 at 5:58 AM, Richard Oben said:

DonH, Thanks, it was a pain, 3 years or more of fighting this.  Two problems, both on NEW parts, almost burnt it down.  The rubber mount came from searching LS1 tech website and from a local tuner who is big into LS cars. 

 

On a the plus side, go drive yours, the car will be a blast, just crazy how much fun it is.  Torque on demand, 70 MPH is 2k rpm even with 3.73 gears, AC and tunes.  Not modern comfort but not a bad place to be.  R  

Just got her back from paint! Putting her all together again. Can’t wait! 
 

[idahoskiguy]

Thank you keeping this post active.

 

I am swapping a LS1/T56 into a 1974 260Z that was swapped "back in the day" with a gen1 SBC and TH350 automatic. The 260Z was a barn find that was parked when it quit running in 1988, 33 years ago.

 

Have completed upgrading to billet suspension, adjustable BC coil overs, Wilwood disk brakes front and rear and 17" staggered 8" & 10" wheel and tire package.

 

Need to get a build thread started.

 

Thanks for the inspiration.

Edited November 12, 2021 by idahoskiguy