LS1 / T56 Swap Questions

[75Cameron]

Hey everybody!

After much thought and deliberation, I decided against the L28ET swap and am going for the LS1 with T56. I'm extremely excited, I haven't been this happy since I lost my virginity! I got a '00 LS1, T56 (out of the same car), harness, ECU and fan assembly (the only part out of a different vehicle, but also an LS1, just a different year) on hold for me to order when I get paid on the 1st. I will be rebuilding the engine and transmission prior to installing them into the car. But here comes the hitch and where my questions come in.

 

I have read that I should get the kit for the LS1 from JCI and based on what I have read, and the lack of experience that I have with working on engines, it sounds like a good plan to me.

 

The trick is, my 280z is my only car and is my daily driver. So, based on that, I really would like to try to get the swap completed in 3 days, so I will only have to call in sick 1 day. 4 days would be a max. Is this possible? Or am I seriously smoking something?

 

I have read the JCI site, but it is difficult for me to tell exactly how much work is actually involved that isn't included in the parts list from the site. I live in Cali, so I won't be able to use his headers, and I heard that the stock ones won't fit, so what will? Please try to keep in mind that I am a college student, so I'm trying to keep the price down as much as possible.

 

What parts would I need in advance to make the swap take as little time as possible? (and keep my fingers crossed that nothing hidden comes up and suprises me along the way).

 

Thanks a ton.

 

~Cameron

'75 280z - White

Tokico Lowering Springs with Illuminas

Shortened Factory Shifter

Aftermarket Sway Bars & Strut Braces

 

P.S. I am certain that some of these questions have been answered over time through the search function and I honestly have looked, I just never have good results with it and can't find what I am looking for, but I did find quite a bit of information so I'm not 100% ignorant.

[Tim240z]

3 days, while not impossible (nothing is impossible), is highly unlikely. You have exhaust issues, wiring issues, driveshaft fabrication, PCM reprogramming, fuel system upgrade, etc, etc. Putting the drivetrain in the car is quick and easy, it is all the ancillary stuff that takes a bunch of time. If you had someone helping you that had done the swap already, you may be able to do it in a week or two.

[titanium]

I'm in the middle of my swap right now, its actually an LQ9 (possibly first one?) same as an ls1 but with more nitpicky problems. Once I get the headers in the mail I'll let you know how things work out but I bought some universal mounts for less then half the price of the JCI ones. It takes some cuttting and welding but in the end I'll enjoy the saved money.

[Dan Juday]

...my only car and is my daily driver. ...would like to try to get the swap completed in 3 days...4 days would be a max. ...am I seriously smoking something?

 

You are seriously smoking something. Without a doubt. Seriously. Smoking something.

 

If you cannot afford to buy a beater to drive while you do the swap then you cannot afford to do the swap.

 

Don't try to do this to yourself. You will be very sorry. I've done two EFI V8 swaps and I doubt I could do it in four days with help from another veteran swapper. JMHO

[75Cameron]

Yeah I figured. What parts am I going to need aside from the kit in order to get it together (the link to the kit is here if you don't know about it already: http://www.brokenkitty.com/zcar/zcar.htm)? Again just trying to keep the time down to a minimum, if I order the radiator and headers in advance, I assume it would help bring the time down a little bit. But it sounded like with the JCI kit there was no driveshaft modification, I am going to be purchasing the complete kit, not just the engine mounts. (but I maybe will be ordering the radiator seperately, in order to decrease the down time.)

 

Ok with risk of sounding MORE like a complete idiot. Aside from headers what exhaust issues will I be running into? I am getting the complete stock wiring harness, won't that avoid most of the wiring issues? Fuel system upgrade? Well, while I'm not certain what you meant, I am trying to keep the LS1 as close to stock as possible. I will be making changes to it later when I have more time and money, it will be (like most others seem to have) a constant work in progress. I don't mind a minor sacrifice in power for some time, the increase in power over my stock L28E will be a huge as it is.

 

~Cameron

[DaleMX]

Well for what it's worth I dropped the LS1 in my car on the 4th of July. It took me until August 12th to go for the first drive. I only have my evening's and weekends but I put alot of time into it.

 

I assume that you will be deleting the power steering pump so you will need to modify that.

 

Also you need to come up with a clutch cylinder and improvise a way to mate up to the T56. PM me and I'll show you how I did mine, and a new way over on LS1Tech.com

 

Just to get the car ready took me 2 months. Engine removal, engine bay cleanup, Tranny tunnel mods, Fixing up a throttle cable (I used an LT1 cable and it fit fine). Fitting and wiring an electric speedometer and tachometer. Running all the needed electrical for the fans and fuel pump.

 

Take your time estimate and multiply it by 10. Then take your expected cost and multiply it by 2 or 3.

 

The exhaust will have to be custom. You will have to weld on O2 bungs since all the aftermarket shorty headers dont have them.

 

You have to have a good fuel pump to feed that hungry monster at 58 psi. If your not going to install an LS1 fuel tank then that means you need an aftermarket pump and regulator.

 

You will need a good wiring diagram of the 280.

 

Oh yea, remove the front bumper when putting the engine in or you will really have to fight it. That plus raise the whole car at least a foot off the ground with jackstands.

[silicone boy]

You can actually get it done in 3 days. However, you'll have to get Chip Foose's crew at Overhaulin' to do it and it'll be done in a snap, especially if you have Courtney Hansen helping you.

 

Seriously, as someone who has had the drivetrain in and out of the car several times (I once was able to take my SBC/T56 from the garage floor and bolt it into the car in 45 minutes!) I can tell you there are other issues that will hold you up, such as wiring (keep as much of the original engine harness as you can), exhaust (have someone else fabricate it--trust me), cooling (fan, radiator) that will draw this project out.

 

In order to make this the most time efficient, I would make sure you have all your parts lined up and stick to a checklist. In other words, exactly the opposite of what I did.

 

Also, I wasn't sure, but is the rest of your car optimized? I hate to see brakes cry under the strain of double the horsepower they were designed to handle. I'm a fan of brakes/suspension first, then engine.

[LS1 240Z]

not to hijack the post but will the T56 fit into a 240Z without modifying the sheet metal? and where does the shifter come out... further forward, same place or farther back than the stock hole..

[silicone boy]

The shifter comes out in the same place. The tranny fits just fine in the tunnel, especially if you use a sledgehammer to help it a bit.

[Guest speedmon]

Good question on the shifter location.....I'd like to know that too. Does it pop out of the same hole? Dale's shifter looks like its in approximately the same place.

 

Dale had in his list of mods

Tranny tunnel mods

 

What mods are necessary to the tunnel?

[qwik240z]

My LS1 240Z took way way longer then 3 days. It also cost about 50% more then I had originally planned on.

 

If you don't have the money to do it right, save up the money and enough to rent a car for a month or buy a beater to drive.

 

As for the shifter, if you use the JCI mounts the shifter comes up through the stock location perfectly .

 

 

I was even able to use the stock rubber boot to cover the shifter.

[Guest speedmon]

David,

 

Thanks for the picture......that is so cool, the way that fits right in.

 

Did you have to make any changes to your trans tunnel or did it slide right in?

 

On 1 Tuff Z's album, which is almost an illustrated step by step guide, he removes the crossmember ears......is that what is referred to as the trans tunnel mod?

[75Cameron]

So, if I get my radiator, headers fabricated, aftermarket fuel pump/regulator, and PS pump removed prior to the install, I will cut the time down a little bit, but I'm still looking at a long time. Which I totally understand, and can save up the money to deal with. What else am I missing? *begins making a checklist*

 

My suspension is already done, but I'm going to do the 4-piston Wilwood kit from arizonaz for front and rear after the engine swap.

[Workinprogress]

Is it me or does that lower shifter seem a bit high in the chassis? (this comes from someone who's never seen an LS1 conversion...) It seems it would make the shifter sit WAY high, unless you had an ultra stubby one.

[Guest speedmon]

Definitely an opportunity for the "short shifter"

[280Z28]

I wouldn't even try a head swap in 4 days if I didn't have another car to drive.

 

I know for a fact it's possible to do in 1 day.

 

I know for a fact that a single "little problem" can cause a 1 month delay. I've been there. It sucks. In fact, I've had this happen every time I've tried something for the first time. Head swap on the Z (result 7 weeks), head swap on the TA (almost 3 months), limited slip install on the Z (4 weeks), it goes on...

 

Edit: I'm going to go into detail on a couple of these:

 

Head swap on Z: simple SBC head/cam install. "Very easy." Problems:

1) Intake was a late style bolt pattern, a few days to redrill the holes

2) Intake didn't line up with head ports, had to shave the base

3) New heads were angle plug, old headers didn't fit. Long delay - getting (and having to pay for) new coated headers

4) Intake leaked once installed, got to pull it and reinstall

 

Head swap on TA:

1) Didn't like one aspect of the new heads, so I took it for additional valve work. 1 month.

2) Couldn't get the power steering pulley off. 3 weeks. No joke.

3) Headers were a ***** to work with. At least a weekend.

 

Limited slip install on the Z: I forget, but it took a long time and cost more than I expected.

Wait no, it was the CV boots were a freakin' pain. Makes me even now thinking about it and it was over a year ago.

[ULISES]

Here is another picture of the shifter on a ls swap.

 

[qwik240z]

David' date='

 

Thanks for the picture......that is so cool, the way that fits right in.

 

Did you have to make any changes to your trans tunnel or did it slide right in?

 

On 1 Tuff Z's album, which is almost an illustrated step by step guide, he removes the crossmember ears......is that what is referred to as the trans tunnel mod?[/quote']

 

 

 

Different year 240's have different style ears for the trans mount. I did remove the trans mount ears but after fitting the trans they may not have needed to be removed. We did need to do a little pounding in a few areas to gain some clearance.

[qwik240z]

Is it me or does that lower shifter seem a bit high in the chassis? (this comes from someone who's never seen an LS1 conversion...) It seems it would make the shifter sit WAY high, unless you had an ultra stubby one.

 

 

Yes, the shifter does sit up a bit. We cut down the upper portion of the shifter handle and it now falls in a great position that is very comfortable and still allows access to the stereo even in 3 gear.

[DaleMX]

If you dont mind a little bit of a rough rider then I would recommend a drivers side Poly engine mount to keep exhaust movement to a minimum. I put one on mine and it does transfer vibration to the frame, but the engine is rock solid in the bay so my exhaust never bangs under the car.