Phantom Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 It has been some time since I updated on my LS1 conversion. The car has about 4,000 miles on it now since the conversion and it has just been little things. They include - a thermostat that was sticky so it took 25 minutes to warm up in the winter, a pinhole leak in the radiator that required 8 oz. of coolant in a month, a broken bracket on the climate control system that was pumping hot air into the car continually, an AC system that was weak due to being short about one can of refrigerant, an engine warning light that fell out of its mounting bracket, and a leaky windshield gasket. All those have been fixed. The drivetrain, however, has been absolutely bullet proof. The LS1, T56, R200 LSD have performed beautifully. I was showing off for a new GTO Monday and lit up the rear tires on the 3-4 shift at 90+ mph. At the same time it's averaging about 20 mpg of combined driving in spite of the thermostat. Work still ahead includes opening up the exhaust, sealing a leak around the shifter, replacing the door seals, new Kumho Victoracers, a Porterfield pad upgrade on the front, and brake fluid replacement along with a litany of "make it pretty" items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwik240z Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Phantom, That sounds great. It's reassuring to know that the car is staying reliable. I can't wait to start my swap. Do you have any pics of your car in the install process? Particularly the motor mounts and trans mount. I would really like to see how the John's cars kit looks. I am leaning towards going with his kit but I would really like to keep the stock exhaust manifolds and the stock A/C compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas28O Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 qwik240z If you want to keep the stock ac you might have to mount your motor using the corvette mounts. This is the way that Cyres mounted his motor. The stock Datsun motor mount X-member will have to be cut for the ac to fit. My stock Exhaust manifold fit ok but I wanted the larger headers. Good luck on your swap. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted March 5, 2004 Author Share Posted March 5, 2004 Qwik240z Everyone mounts their systems a bit differently. Lone Star 1 actually mounted his alternator backwards - sticking out in front of the engine to clear his mounts. He also opened up a larger hole in his firewall and moved his steering rod about 3/8" to clear the stock LS1 exhaust manifold. My alternator (Stock LS1) is mounted low on the drivers side and clears the crossmember by about 1/16". The AC compressor is above it in the original power steering pump location. The Japanese compressor is a compact, high-efficiency unit and fits very well. That leaves the "high on the passenger side" idler position available for an ATI Pro-charger at a later date. It also allows using the original serpentine belt. The John's Cars mounts and headers locate the engine so the transmisssion shifter comes up about 1/2" forward of the stock location, the steering gear arm does not require moving at all, and the mounts bolt to the original Datsun mounts on the crossmember. My transmission mounting system is unique. It is a modified torque tube design using C-channel that John abandoned in favor of a simpler cross mount that bolts into your floor pan. Mine bolts the transmission tailshaft to the R200, locking the two units together. The radiator is my original radiator recored to 4 rows. It solves the problem of sealing the mounting area in the front of the car so all the air goes through the radiator rather than around it. It also uses the Z28 fan shroud assembly which, with minor trimming, fits lthe Z radiator like it was made for it. I had a few photos in my album - when I used to have an album. If you'll PM me your email address I can send a few pictures to you. They aren't good enough to build from but they'll give you a good idea of the approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilRufusKay Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I am envious myself. With the long list of stuff I have to do to my car I continuously think about doing this swap. Thats why when my motor fell over I wasn't all that upset. I figured " If its broken I will HAVE to put in the LS1!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 One more item - turns out the frame that holds the shifter boot in place had lost 3 of 4 of its screws. Replaced the weak OEM version with some hex head metal screws about twice the diameter & cranked them down hard. Absolutely no heat infiltration into car now and it is also much quieter. I can talk to myself without shouting now. Hopefully this week I'll get a quote on the exhaust upgrade to 3 1/2" and a set of Victoracers. My Porterfield pads are due in via UPS sometime this week. Getting ready for the big day out at Texas Motor Speedway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CableSrv Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 wow phantom that's awesome!! well I'm on my way to restoring the z i have now, and saving up for the rest. to bad due to my work schedule we couldn't meet would love to see your z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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