LS1/t56 swap
Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 2:29 am
I wasnt going to post this yet but Im bored so what the hell..
A little bit of history for the people that dont know. I have had this car since the summer before my senior year of high school in 05, it was my 2nd. Bought it for one reason only. To build and race. Specifically for a 3400 swap, it was "the swap" and would be my first ever. Started drag racing with the 2.8 running 17s and got it down to 16.4 with a few minor things. One thing leads to another, im on 3400 #2 and building the first one I had with 3500 top end, custom built 10.5:1 JE pistons, reground cam, and everything between you could imagine.. All in or nothing. stock 3400 was putting down high 14s, the new one after a long time of tuning and finally going with stand alone EMS and made 224.5whp on a dyno dynamics dyno. By this time it was mostly an auto cross due to breaking stuff drag racing.. and those shift cables....... best qtr mile time with the built engine was 13.6@102 with drag radials. I was actually in the process of building a turbo setup with a ball bearing turbonetics 60-1 even. So the more serious suspension came.. konis.. then blew the diff at the end of summer 2013.. rebuilt the diff, then full coilovers with crazy spring rates.. corner balanced. Got my suspension dialed in and then I killed the clutch at the start of the race season after 30k of abuse (clutchmaster stage 3, amazing btw). OH and the wheel bearings.. poor wheel bearings.. last set of Moog bearings lasted 500 miles.. front and rear.. that was my turning point.. especially when I just rebuild the diff 500 miles ago.. and the one of a kind suspension.. I said F@#$ IT. I cant keep fixing this car every time I race and dealing with all the bs thats holding me back from being able to use the car like I want. Im going rwd. I told myself If im going to go through all the trouble of doing this, it will be done right. Built to work correctly. The T5 trans is crap and would never hold the power of the new turbo setup I was working on.. that wasnt an option.. so what do you do.. buy a new rwd car and start over? have a car payment on top of having to drop a bunch of money on it just so I would be happy with it? Even a GTO or c5, which I have always wanted.. just couldnt bring myself to do it.
This is when you buy an LS1 with a t56. As everybody you know tells you that your stupid and you cant do it.. just like all the previous setups.. only motivation I guess.. I havnt failed yet have I? Yes this is happening.
so the parts I have:
-LS1 that will be rebuilt
-LS6 heads that will be CNC ported
-LS6 Intake manifiold
-85mm BBk throttle body
-T56 from an 800hp 04 CTSv with 4k miles, its not a stock trans! bronze pads,billet keys, steel shift fork, bronze shifter cup. I have all the parts to convert it to GTO spec, basically moves the shifter location. Also have an MGW-p short shifter for it.
-front subframe designed to use C4 corvette suspension, built by http://www.flatout-engineering.com
-SPC fully adjustable upper control arms
-84-87 c4 lower control arm
-85 c4 steering knuckles (stronger than 84, go figure)
-Van steel c4 to c6 caliper adapter
-Glabal west lower control arm bushings
-coleman racing custom built 5x114.3 hubs with massive bearings (will be done in a week)
-coleman racing gen4 camaro spindle conversion (drill out the c4 knuckle mounting holes, direct bolt it. and yes c4 OEM bearings suck too.. I WILL NOT have that issue again. ever. will also be done in a week)
-2 turn lock to lock steering rack
-moog ball joints and tie rod ends
-nissan s14 rear subframe and suspension with factory LSD
-4.083 gearing (not installed)
-SPL solid subframe bushings
-SPL solid diff bushings
-TSW Nurburgring 18x9.5 40mm offset wheels
-275/35/18 (crap tires just for rolling use)
-C6 grand sport calipers (6 piston front, 4 piston rear)
-C6 grand sport/zo6 centric slotted rotors that will be redrilled(ok I have one front)
-OMP Champ R seats, Planted aluminum rails
-working on a custom dash, with speed hut gauges
I could be forgetting things..
Planning on getting:
-Koni 2812 double adjustable coilovers
-dunlop zII star spec tires in 275/35/18
-6 point chromoly cage, possibly 8 or 10 if I have head room to do it safely
-integrated frame
-Cam or some sort
-forged pistons built to handle boost, just in case
-forged rods
-megasquirt
-new style interior, since im doing a dash..
-fuel cell
-paint (same colors)
-Better LSD
-SPL titanium fully adjustable rear control arms
-lots more that have yet to be figured out or not set in stone
Im shooting for a 400-450rwhp NA engine, with room to expand. This will be a full interior car, with a stereo.
I would like to add, if it wasn't for all the people that I have met along the way in this world that have helped me learn, I wouldn't not be where I am to day. Im not a mechanic, I worked at a street rod shop for a few years and have a degree in automotive refinishing. Currently just a truck driver, nothing special. The automotive world is my life. If you don't do it, it will never happen.
Back when I got the car. The first time I saw it, I knew I would own it someday.
A little bit of history for the people that dont know. I have had this car since the summer before my senior year of high school in 05, it was my 2nd. Bought it for one reason only. To build and race. Specifically for a 3400 swap, it was "the swap" and would be my first ever. Started drag racing with the 2.8 running 17s and got it down to 16.4 with a few minor things. One thing leads to another, im on 3400 #2 and building the first one I had with 3500 top end, custom built 10.5:1 JE pistons, reground cam, and everything between you could imagine.. All in or nothing. stock 3400 was putting down high 14s, the new one after a long time of tuning and finally going with stand alone EMS and made 224.5whp on a dyno dynamics dyno. By this time it was mostly an auto cross due to breaking stuff drag racing.. and those shift cables....... best qtr mile time with the built engine was 13.6@102 with drag radials. I was actually in the process of building a turbo setup with a ball bearing turbonetics 60-1 even. So the more serious suspension came.. konis.. then blew the diff at the end of summer 2013.. rebuilt the diff, then full coilovers with crazy spring rates.. corner balanced. Got my suspension dialed in and then I killed the clutch at the start of the race season after 30k of abuse (clutchmaster stage 3, amazing btw). OH and the wheel bearings.. poor wheel bearings.. last set of Moog bearings lasted 500 miles.. front and rear.. that was my turning point.. especially when I just rebuild the diff 500 miles ago.. and the one of a kind suspension.. I said F@#$ IT. I cant keep fixing this car every time I race and dealing with all the bs thats holding me back from being able to use the car like I want. Im going rwd. I told myself If im going to go through all the trouble of doing this, it will be done right. Built to work correctly. The T5 trans is crap and would never hold the power of the new turbo setup I was working on.. that wasnt an option.. so what do you do.. buy a new rwd car and start over? have a car payment on top of having to drop a bunch of money on it just so I would be happy with it? Even a GTO or c5, which I have always wanted.. just couldnt bring myself to do it.
This is when you buy an LS1 with a t56. As everybody you know tells you that your stupid and you cant do it.. just like all the previous setups.. only motivation I guess.. I havnt failed yet have I? Yes this is happening.
so the parts I have:
-LS1 that will be rebuilt
-LS6 heads that will be CNC ported
-LS6 Intake manifiold
-85mm BBk throttle body
-T56 from an 800hp 04 CTSv with 4k miles, its not a stock trans! bronze pads,billet keys, steel shift fork, bronze shifter cup. I have all the parts to convert it to GTO spec, basically moves the shifter location. Also have an MGW-p short shifter for it.
-front subframe designed to use C4 corvette suspension, built by http://www.flatout-engineering.com
-SPC fully adjustable upper control arms
-84-87 c4 lower control arm
-85 c4 steering knuckles (stronger than 84, go figure)
-Van steel c4 to c6 caliper adapter
-Glabal west lower control arm bushings
-coleman racing custom built 5x114.3 hubs with massive bearings (will be done in a week)
-coleman racing gen4 camaro spindle conversion (drill out the c4 knuckle mounting holes, direct bolt it. and yes c4 OEM bearings suck too.. I WILL NOT have that issue again. ever. will also be done in a week)
-2 turn lock to lock steering rack
-moog ball joints and tie rod ends
-nissan s14 rear subframe and suspension with factory LSD
-4.083 gearing (not installed)
-SPL solid subframe bushings
-SPL solid diff bushings
-TSW Nurburgring 18x9.5 40mm offset wheels
-275/35/18 (crap tires just for rolling use)
-C6 grand sport calipers (6 piston front, 4 piston rear)
-C6 grand sport/zo6 centric slotted rotors that will be redrilled(ok I have one front)
-OMP Champ R seats, Planted aluminum rails
-working on a custom dash, with speed hut gauges
I could be forgetting things..
Planning on getting:
-Koni 2812 double adjustable coilovers
-dunlop zII star spec tires in 275/35/18
-6 point chromoly cage, possibly 8 or 10 if I have head room to do it safely
-integrated frame
-Cam or some sort
-forged pistons built to handle boost, just in case
-forged rods
-megasquirt
-new style interior, since im doing a dash..
-fuel cell
-paint (same colors)
-Better LSD
-SPL titanium fully adjustable rear control arms
-lots more that have yet to be figured out or not set in stone
Im shooting for a 400-450rwhp NA engine, with room to expand. This will be a full interior car, with a stereo.
I would like to add, if it wasn't for all the people that I have met along the way in this world that have helped me learn, I wouldn't not be where I am to day. Im not a mechanic, I worked at a street rod shop for a few years and have a degree in automotive refinishing. Currently just a truck driver, nothing special. The automotive world is my life. If you don't do it, it will never happen.
Back when I got the car. The first time I saw it, I knew I would own it someday.