Ok, so I'm driving it finally

00fxd

00fxd

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
549
Location
Western Canada
So I decided to change my frame last year. The old one had some cracks. It could have been repaired but my buddy Dan had a real nice one that he had perimiter welded and powder coated so I bought it to use.

VetteFrame1.jpg

I had wanted to install an lsx style engine for some time. So I figured that it would be a good time to go for it. I aquired what was sold to me as a '03 LQ9 became an LQ4 by the time it shipped across the country. Here is the engine before any wires removed :twitch:

EngineWithWires.jpg

Got it installed in the frame

roller1.jpg

Wire harness before sorting

AllTheWires.jpg
 

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I had to keep my Hooker sidepipe headers

Hookers36798.jpg

Scoggins Dickey has some great LS header plates. 7/16 fat

Hookers36799.jpg

MakingHeaderrs5.jpg
 
BodyOnBlocks2_1.jpg

Body drop day. I usually like working by myself but this day I opted to have a lot of eyes there to help. Glad I did.

BodyDrop1Feb2110.jpg

Before cuttin' and solderin'

GettingStarted.jpg
 
Engine in the "cavity". I'm using the covers, I kinda like them - don't have the center one yet

EngRSide.jpg

EngLSide.jpg

Fuse box...

FuseBox1.jpg

Car ready to go... [Needs alignment]

Ready1.jpg
 
So then the car sits for 2-3 weeks before I get a chance to take it for an alignment. Finnaly get it in and my joe cool adjustable control arms are seized to the threaded shafts. F'n lovely

001-1.jpg

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Had to remove control arms from car and heat and/or zip cut sleeves off

004.jpg

Don't know why they seized. I have an alignment 1-2 times a year. Always changin' something. My aluminum tie rod adjusting sleeves and rear camber sleeves turn just fine and they are down in the moisture and road grime far more the the upper control arms
So I ordered replacements. Steel this time.
 
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In an effort to not have my aluminum/steel seizure issue anymore, I disassembled my tie rods and applied a small amount of anti seize. The rear camber struts, I decided to not disassemble, and just back them off as far as they would go and apply anti seize to the exposed threads being sure to not apply to the jamb nut surfaces. So I was cranking away [not very hard by hand] spreading the camber strut on the right side when hear a 'pop'. Couldn't see anything amiss, thought maybe the spring shifting - and finished what I was doing. A few days later driving to the alignment shop [1 block away] all isn't well. Grinding and horrible noises. I look underneath. Shock folded in half rubbing against the 1/2 shaft. Sweet. Now I'm driving around with an aligned car with 3 shocks. New Bilstien should be here this week.
 
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Looks great. It looks like you're keeping the mecfhanical fan too. Those move a lot of air, definitely no worries on overheating....
How do you like the torque range compared to the old motor?
 
You sure did a hell of a project there man, VERY NICE.....sounds like the suspension god is pissed at you though, must have let a spring loose and snapped him in the balls or something.....:clap:

you fought a good fight on all that wiring there, I did the same, so I appreciate your efforts there man...it's a LOT to sort through on a good day....

I hope your fuse block location is nice and dry there....on my shark, I would be unable to do that location due to the a/c box....so I dunno, just looks iffy....

gotta LOVE the paint, the car looks GOOD man.....

:yahoo:
 
Nice!

How did you ever get that wiring sorted? Were all of those wires needed?

Is the fill housing on the upper radiator hose the original (from the donor vehicle)?
 
Garys 68 said:
Looks great. It looks like you're keeping the mecfhanical fan too. Those move a lot of air, definitely no worries on overheating....
How do you like the torque range compared to the old motor?
Click to expand...

Yeh, a guys gotta get lucky some time - look how the fan fits in the shroud.
The torque is somewhat more substantial than the FI'd sbc400 it replaces. Looking foreword to being able to rev thge thing over 5k. Gotta get some miles on it, been raining here constantly for a couple of weeks.
 
mrvette said:
I hope your fuse block location is nice and dry there....on my shark, I would be unable to do that location due to the a/c box....so I dunno, just looks iffy....

gotta LOVE the paint, the car looks GOOD man.....

:yahoo:
Click to expand...

The fuse box is in the same location it has been for 4-5 years while it powered a TBI system. Driven rain or shine and stays quite dry.
The paint on the car is too nice. Can't go anywhere without attracting a throng of fans. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having a good discussion with a knowledgeable guy but they are few and far between. It's the story tellers :bullshit: I truly fear having to stop for gas.
If the paint wasn't so nice I'd scratch it down and flat black it like my buddy Dans.

DanFrank5.jpg
 
BBShark said:
Nice!

How did you ever get that wiring sorted? Were all of those wires needed?

Is the fill housing on the upper radiator hose the original (from the donor vehicle)?
Click to expand...
The wires on the first engine pic is before any were removed. You can see original junction boxes and stuff that all had to go.

The wires in the pic of the engine in frame and in the car is after ac/cruise/trans etc wiring system were removed. And yes I needed all of those wires. :nuts:
I like wiring, it's not the first conversion I've done. There's lots of info on the 'net.
The inline hose rad fill fitting is a Moroso piece.
Frank
 
One other thing. Looks like you're using the Muncie with thre 10 spline input shaft and 621 bell housing. You minght want to post pics and part numbers on LS1tech. Lots of questions over there on that combo.
 
Hey Gary,
I am using the muncie and a standard belhousing. I know that there is lots of discussion about input shaft length. I just used a standard LSx 12557583 pilot [skf6302 2rs] and the long relase bearing [skf n1086sa].
I also bought a bellhousing from this guy:
http://www.thebellhousinguy.com/
He makes 621'S as well as this one here. If you look at it you can see that it has the 2 lower bolts to the pan that the original 621's don't as well as the bellhousing holes to match lsx engines exactly. LSx'x has 2 additional lower bolts to the pan besides the normal bellhousing bolts for structural rigidity.. Most guys can't use them with the normal 621 but this Bell has them.

Bell1002.jpg

I also used a lighter 16lb [orig 26lb] flywheel but can't tell much difference at this time.

So I don't know what to add on the LS1 tech board - there was no drama bolting it all together.
 
What about the pressure plate and 10 spline clutch disk? Are the 26 and 10 spline disks interchangable with the LS1 flywheel and pressure plate?
 
00fxd said:
mrvette said:
I hope your fuse block location is nice and dry there....on my shark, I would be unable to do that location due to the a/c box....so I dunno, just looks iffy....

gotta LOVE the paint, the car looks GOOD man.....

:yahoo:
Click to expand...

The fuse box is in the same location it has been for 4-5 years while it powered a TBI system. Driven rain or shine and stays quite dry.
The paint on the car is too nice. Can't go anywhere without attracting a throng of fans. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having a good discussion with a knowledgeable guy but they are few and far between. It's the story tellers :bullshit: I truly fear having to stop for gas.
If the paint wasn't so nice I'd scratch it down and flat black it like my buddy Dans.

DanFrank5.jpg
Click to expand...

A bit far away but would love to see you guyz at cruise nite some day....

I find the majority of guyz that say anything about cars to me are fairly knowledgeable maybe not on vettes per se, but overall....

I need to do a LS conversion some day....

maybe when other projects are finished....

:rain::twitch:
 
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