Guest pionkej Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 I have been browsing this forum alot lately and was looking for some help with my LS1 swap plans. I see everyone say that they have moved back the firewall some in all of their installs. I would like to keep heat and a/c and I know that having to move the firewall is no good for this. So now for my question. Is everyone moving the firewall back only to get the shifter to sit in the factory location?? If it has nothing to do with hood clearance, oil pan clearance, or room in the front for accessories, I would much rather deal with the shifter and keep my amenities. Can someone in the middle or done with this swap confirm for me please. Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pionkej Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 bump....please help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest arz Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 isn't the firewall massage necessary because of the bellhousing for the t56? i thought it was either cut the firewall & tranny tunnel, and have the engine sit low & back, or deal with oil pan & hood issues, having the engine a bit forward.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pionkej Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I don't know. That is the info I am looking for. I would rather not modify the hood at all. I am getting coilovers and full adjustable suspension and I wouldn't mind using washers to lower the whole front suspension assembly for clearance (this is done on the rb25 & rb26 swaps done in the z32). I also could consider modifying the oil pan for clearance (as long as its not on the pick up tube side). But I need some hard clarification if this is what needs to be done to avoid cutting the firewall before I go and buy a ls1/t56 combo. Any further input in greatly appreaciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I remember there was a guy on LS1tech did this swap. He had to cut and moved the whole firewall back. You can almost tell right the way that this was a track car only because the stock dash and all the heat/AC accessories won't fit in the car. Track car or not to me this swap will require too much work and not worth it. If you like a challenging swap then go for it. If not I suggest you to do the swap with another donor. GL OOPs the stock dash should fit back in minus all the heat/AC stuffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9kredline Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 If you want this swap looking clean with the stock hood without hacking the radiator support you WILL be peeling the firewall back to have the T56 lever exit a stock location. If you want to do it just commit. It will look dirty before it ends up clean. Edit: VinhZXT: The stock dash fits just fine with the accessories. The gauge cluster has to go because it's useless after the fact, but the instrument pods on either side will be retained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt114 Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 If you want this swap looking clean with the stock hood without hacking the radiator support you WILL be peeling the firewall back to have the T56 lever exit a stock location. If you want to do it just commit. It will look dirty before it ends up clean. Edit: VinhZXT: The stock dash fits just fine with the accessories. The gauge cluster has to go because it's useless after the fact, but the instrument pods on either side will be retained. why does the gauge cluster have to go? couldnt it be wired custom? and couldnt a custom shaped shifter be made to come out the right location? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted November 6, 2008 Administrators Share Posted November 6, 2008 why does the gauge cluster have to go? couldnt it be wired custom? and couldnt a custom shaped shifter be made to come out the right location? A dog leg shifter just might work. Looked in that myself while mocking up the SBC T-56 Z-32 project. Dropped that project in favor of the VH45DE conversion bolted up the Z-32 5 speed, i.e. no cutting the firewall and I need a home for the VH45DE out of my ’96 Q-45 donor car. Here is pic of a SBC sitting in the engine bay of my Z-32 V-8 mock up mule. With bell housing lined up flush to the firewall, (oil pan sitting ON the rack, crank centerline is approx 1 ½” higher than then VG30DE), firewall HAS to be cut to get the bell housing to fit, and the T-56 shifter is 2” forward of the stock location. Not sure if the LSx T-56 shifter to bell housing dimensions are much if any different. Ron Tyler built a dog leg shifter for a T-56 shifter relocate a while back, (that shifter is somewhere in the shop currently), If memory serves, it was a 4” offset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt114 Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 hmm.. so i read somewhere else that a guy cut and rewelded his subframe two and a half inches lower instead and didnt have to cut any firewall. thats the rout id rather go, but then idk how his shifter lined up... i woner what it takes to just connect the z32 transmission to the ls1. hell id rather take the tranny and motor to a shop and say "make these two connect and work" then pay them and put the think in the car. that seems much easier and cheaper than getting a t56. then i could get motor mounts figured out and all id need then is wiring, exhaust and an intake. then cooling i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1FASTKINGCAB Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 hmm.. so i read somewhere else that a guy cut and rewelded his subframe two and a half inches lower instead and didnt have to cut any firewall. thats the rout id rather go, but then idk how his shifter lined up... i woner what it takes to just connect the z32 transmission to the ls1. hell id rather take the tranny and motor to a shop and say "make these two connect and work" then pay them and put the think in the car. that seems much easier and cheaper than getting a t56. then i could get motor mounts figured out and all id need then is wiring, exhaust and an intake. then cooling i guess. I'd like to see that. and the cadilac CTS-V uses a bumped back shifter like the Z32 5 speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dts300z Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 I've seen a few people use spacers as mentioned above to get the engine to sit lower and further back. The shifter location is kinda trivial, thats something you can make work like Paul said... thats actually what I did on my first swap attempt. There was a guy here in jax that just had the oil pan modified to clear the rack and cross member to set the engine a little lower and further back. The biggest problem is clearance for the radiator and fans and thats why people usually modify the dash for this swap... thats the main reason I did because I had a problem cooling the car before the last attempt. I consider A/C and heat trivial also because if you really want the swap and A/C and heat you can just get creative there too. For example you could find an old air box assembly out of a civic or another lower profile setup and adapt it to fit... its extra work but it also solves your concern with A/C. You could always go dry sump and that would give you a little help. Just some ideas!!! Also keep in mind when you lower the cross member you also change your steering geometry and that has to be fixed in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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