Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Hello All, a few people have asked me to make a separate thread detailing my LS swap. Its a little different. First off, I've been trying to make power out of the VQ since06, bunch of cams, and other stuff and the VQ is just stubborn to make NA power. When I finally spun a bearing mid 2013 I decided I was going to do the swap.

For those that know me and my Z, Spartan is an understatement, My Z weighed just under 2700 pounds with stock sheet metal. It was beyond gutted.

I knew the T56 and LSx swap was just about 40 pound heavier than the VQ/6MT. I'm not the biggest fan of the T56, we have one in our LS1 swapped MKIII Supra and just not a fan. There IMO needs to be something between 4th and 5th gear. So as I was shopping I found a Tex racing T101a transmission at a decent price. NASCAR changed the spec a few years ago and these transmissions are coming down in price. The caveat is its only a 4 speed, but it is magnesium case and straight cut gears. The whole transmission weighs just under 40 pounds, you can curl it

Part of the decision tree was just how hard to swing the cow bell, and after all is said and done Christopher Walken would be proud.



The most asked question I've heard is why RHD? Well my answer(s) are:

• Most of the tracks I drive are predominatly Right hand turn track, so that moved my mass to the inside tires (more often than not)
• AS much as I instruct it puts my student on the 'native' side of the car, which means novice students to not need to interpolate anything
• cool factor was deffinitely a deciding point
• honestly it has been a great boon, after modifying the corss memeber, so much off the shelf corvette stuff has fit
  • C5 Z06 oil pan, which is pretty awesome for a road race car
  • C5 Z06 headers, nice not having to make headers
• WHY NOT, SRSLY

So here are the bullet points and goals for the build:

• Road race car, no frills
• LS3 with Corvette Cam
  • LS1 PCM (Lingerfelter translation box for reluctor difference)
  • Used and verified Chasebays harness, thanx BrewHAHA
  • JBA 1.75" headers
  • C5 Z06 Batwing oil pan
• Tex Racing T101a transmission
• RHD conversion
• 18 Gallon ATL fuel cell
• Fire suppression system
• Accusump
• ~some body modifications

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Just finished the rear subframe and suspension last weekend. Removed the oem saddle tank. Also swapped diff bushings to solid.

Waiting on JDM steering rack for RHD conversion.

Just about to order mock up block for all of the prototyping.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Yeah my interior is very spartan. Just a few gauges and no dash. So I ordered a steering rack from Japan. Also running a tilton pedal box attached to the cage.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Just making a road race car. My z has been stripped down for years and getting by with NA VQ power. Finally spun a bearing...

Going with LS3, T101 combo. Batwing oil pan and accusump, will swap the cam to shed some of that torque. Already swapped the final drive from 3.91:1 to 3.31:1 for the four speed.

Will make a cross member, mounts, and exhaust. Want it as low as practical.

Hoping to keep the low end torque under 450 Whtq. I fear it will be in modulatable if more than that. Don't care how much HP I make up top I can modulate that.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Slight update. Modified the X-member for the RHD rack, we flipped the Xmember and mounted the rack on the front side. Mostly to leave more room for the rear sump, we are planning on running the batwing oil pan. I just ordered heim joint and clevises to make tie rod pickups.

The motor and tranny will be solid mounted so that will help with the structure of the car. Once we get the mock up motor and such we will modify the "V" bar to work or just get the roadster reinforcement bars. have welder and will use it. just taking our time and working friday nights.

Completed so far:
rear sub frame bushings swapped to SPL solid
Diff bushings swapped to SPL Solid
rear knuckle bushings swapped to SPL monoballs
SPL lock outs
X-member flipped and notched.
RHD rack installed.
edit: swapped final drive gear from 3.91 to 3.31 for the T101 transmission

To do: a LOT!

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

RHD conversion - basically flipped the front X-member and swapped a JDM steering rack into place. Bolted right up, had to notch Xmember for pressure lines to clear.






















18 Gal Fuel Cell Only had to slightly notch the rear subframe, just the two front corners of the cell was hitting the subframe.



Mock up block + T101 trans + Batwing oil pan. We since we made room by flipping the Xmember and steering rach, we now have room for the batwing oil pan.



The motor and tranny are sitting in there, the crank pully is flush with the sway bar , but I still need to clearance the tunnel for the external shifter linkage on the T101, plan on the motor going back another inch or so and down 1/2 inch or so lower.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Thanx, I need to pull it back out and clearance the tunnel, the external shifter linkage of the T101 is hitting the side of the tunnel, once that is clearanced and we can center the motor in the engine bay, we are pretty certain we can get at least 1 inch if not 2 inches further back and probably 1/2" or so lower, I'd like to reuse the OEM front cross bar (suspension pickups) and not have to re-invent that. Also today I found out that the JDM steering rack effectively turns the front wheels opposite (since i mated the tie rod ends to the front of the hubs), hopefully I can stuff the USDM guts into the JDM rack to straighten oout the steering, if not a gear box is in order....

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

How do you accessorize? Corvette Alternator, Z33 p/s pump and a boat ton of idlers, lots of belt wrap. The blue aluminum is the leftover carcass of a harbor freight jack












Motor mount mock ups, after we weld them al lup, I'll swiss Cheese them to shed some pounds, might even send them out to get made from 7075 or 6061, depends on how much weight I can drill out of them and still feel safe

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

the solid motor mount design I'm thinking of.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

How do you accessorize? Corvette Alternator, Z33 p/s pump and a boat ton of idlers, lots of belt wrap. The blue aluminum is the leftover carcass of a harbor freight jack












Motor mount mock ups, after we weld them al lup, I'll swiss Cheese them to shed some pounds, might even send them out to get made from 7075 or 6061, depends on how much weight I can drill out of them and still feel safe

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Motor mounts after some cut down and re-gusseting. Will stat the Swiss cheese later this week.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

full frontal nudity






got belt wrap?




New PFC rotors


I borrowed a buddies Stock C5 Z06 Exhaust, and low and behold it clears everything






















And then lastly I modified my Momentum Performance Control arms, to get rid of the machined piece that was the ball joint replacement, I swapped it out for a cone made of 4140 and then a Grade 8 1/2" bolt :P

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

We had to "clearance" the tunnel for the external linkage on the T101


Mildly modified X-member




Pretty solid tranny mount


This is how far back she is sitting






Lots of room for headers

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Christmas update, sorry its been a while since I've updated anything, but being sick, holidays, and getting ready for ZDayZ 2014 has kept me busy

the great thing about this swap was all of the HARD stuff was done in the RHD conversion, I've been able to run pretty much stock C5 Z06 stuff. These are off the shelf JBA 1.75" headers.

Driver's side (right side )




passenger's side (left side )




The collectors bending nicely about the bell housing, the JBAs came with Marman flanges and clamps. Good enough for me. We'll merge the dual 3"s into a single 4" and side exit somewhere


Belt drive and accessories and finally done.

Belt wrap on the water pump


had to make this funky belt setup, ironically for all of the LSx swap brackets out there on the market, no one makes one to mount a 350Z P/S pump in the Right side of the engine. so in order to gt enough wrap we had to think outside the box.


Alternator Belt wrap


Full frontal nudity


Belt track highlited for clarity


Seats are mounted and all, picked these up on the cheap while I have my Ultra shields made.


This is how far back I plan on sitting, when we put the cage in, I'll put the pedal box where I want it and we are making a steering column while its at the cage shop

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Holy Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, wow.


When I read the RHD conversion part, I thought it was going to be a silly poke and stretch show car build.

Bmurray350z

iTrader: (34)

Nice Bryan. I check this thing out everytime i'm at CIN lol

bgood

iTrader: (10)

i can't wait to see this thing on the scales. pushing the motor that far back will help allot!!

graffkid732

iTrader: (44)

NICE!!!!

Diode Dynamics

iTrader: (6)

I can't wait to see the final numbers and see some videos. This is going to be a fun build to follow.

What is your target curb weight for this build?

Nick C.

Lightning Guy

iTrader: (8)

Hoping for ~500 whp and 2800 pounds.

I've removed the ABS system, the IDPM, the BCM, VDC, and now my chassis harness consists of three conductors:
Brake light positive
Fuel pump positive
Ground wire.

That took a bunch of weight out. Damn ABS pump was pretty heavy.