Pete B's Build Thread

[Eric McClellan]

From what I have seen, putting the LS motors in the car are just as much work as a different type of power plant. From all the pictures I have seen, just seems like its packed full in the back end of tanks, wires, exhaust, cables, etc.

I think putting a old engine would be easier if you were going to a V8 type, anybody remember a carburetor?
Distributor? Less wiring, no ECU, just my thinking, but my rotary does have a ECU but not much more then half dozen wires from the motor to the ECU.

I have to disagree here. After doing my first LS swap I'm never going back to anything with a carb. The computer learns how you drive, adds a diagnostic feature (CEL) and are extremely reliable. These things barely ever leak (which my SBC did all the time, no matter how hard I tried).

I did an article a while back about yanking a 130,000 mile LS motor, doing literally nothing to it, putting 16lbs of boost to it, making 830hp and the motor went on to do a year of drag racing with that setup with virtually no hiccups.

I'd be hard pressed to say that you could do that with a standard SBC tree-fiddy.

Did I mention you can get these things by the dozen for cheap these days? Almost every GM car with a V8 has it for the past (almost) 15 years... that's MILLIONS of motors for dirt cheap.

The power potential with the LS series is just plain ridiculous with how easy it is. I was talking with the guy who's helping me with a motor and I actually had to tell him to tune it down to not make over 600hp. And that's not even a fancy version.

 

[PeteB]

Guys, if you want to debate engine choices how about starting a new thread? I'm using a LS3 because it was the choice I liked the best.

 

[Bill Musarra]

Garry,
All most modern engines today use FI, and are controlled with an ECU. Once the engine is tuned, you almost never have to tune it again, as the ECU keeps it where it should be and even compensates for variables like changes in altitude, barometric pressure, temperature, etc. There are problems that will come up no matter which system you chose. The complexity of what you had running, lends itself to the new age of electronics in automobiles, and should be a piece of cake to learn. I know my ECU from FAST even has classes on how to tune and setup their system that can control a multitude of features on the engine and the car in general, like traction control, power boosters, pumps, fans etc., etc.
I originally had just the electronic ignition on my engine with no distributor at all. Had it running for about a year, then I ran into a wiring issue and decided in the end to go with both the electronics and the distributor and MSD box. The distributor is locked out and serves to do one thing, distribute the spark to the proper cylinder. The MSD box serves to supply the spark, and the ECU controls the rest, timing, AF ratio, and a whole host of other variables that will keep the engine running at peak performance. It also allows me to drive to the track, change the total setup for the track, and then when ready to go home, change it back to the street mode, and go home, all with a few clicks of a mouse. No fuss no muss, and I don't have to get dirty do do it. Tuning is done in the comfort of my home and/or in the driver's seat of my car. Can even do it that way while on the dyno. All I have done is trade time, and trial and error for accuracy, simplicity(once learned), and of course money. I look at it as a good trade off and money well spent. I am tired of building and working on the car, and would rather be driving it and enjoying it, but not worrying about it. My $0.02

Bill

 

[Jack]

Totally agree with the LS comments. That's why I sold a never run crate 383 stroker SBC and purchased the LS.

 

[Garry 20 B]

I understand, I totally like my engine, and the electronics, but it is quite a bit simpler then what I see being built on here, there wires everywhere on the builds, I guess I just like the KISS principle and can do everything my self, cause im cheap also.

 

[Alex]

I like cake

 

[PeteB]

Anyone else want to participate in the hijacking of my build thread? You could bloviate on which is better, Coyote or LS, or bluster on about the benefits of an aftermarket EFI system vs the GM controller, or WTH why not a Hemi?

epper::annoyed:

 

[PeteB]

As promised, exhaust pics. Still need to figure out what mufflers to get.

Headers modified to clear the axles:






Cats and V-clamp to connect to the headers:








And the air intake:

 

[PeteB]

1st start! Not as loud as I was expecting considering I have no mufflers. Not sure why the tires were spinning, I had it in neutral.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5F2dcbnGN8&feature=youtu.be

I'm glad I made an access panel for the fuel system. At first I was getting no fuel pressure. Went back and looked at my build pictures and figured out I had the lines to the filter/regulator reversed. Opened up the panel, swapped the lines, and 65 psi.

 

[Jack]

Sounds good to me! Congrats..

 

[Ed Davis]

My wheels turn a lot more than yours in N, but hit the brakes and they stop with no RPM drop.

 

[PeteB]

Important safety tip with fan wiring:

The ISIS manual on page 24 states "Cut the cooling fan wire to length and strip it 1/2". Crimp the butt-splice connector for the cooling fan trigger wire to the fan output from the GM fuse box..."

DO NOT DO THIS!!!! The fan output from the current GM control box is a 12V power wire and will fry the #1 fan circuit in the mastercell if it is connected directly. I've verified this experimentally

I "fixed" this by bypassing the ISIS system for the fans and are running them directly from the GM box.

 

[Allan]

Important safety tip with fan wiring:

The ISIS manual on page 24 states "Cut the cooling fan wire to length and strip it 1/2". Crimp the butt-splice connector for the cooling fan trigger wire to the fan output from the GM fuse box..."

DO NOT DO THIS!!!! The fan output from the current GM control box is a 12V power wire and will fry the #1 fan circuit in the mastercell if it is connected directly. I've verified this experimentally

I "fixed" this by bypassing the ISIS system for the fans and are running them directly from the GM box.

ISIS had a bad batch of harnesses where the inverter was left out of the circuit. Everyone should check their harness to see if the little inverter is in there and then test the circuit if it is in there. It is supposed to be located about 6 inches back along the wire that is added to the master cell connector. There should be a bump in the harness where the inverter is.
It should work as the manual describes but the inverter has to be in there.

 

[PeteB]

Put the rear clip back on to check the fit of the mufflers and air intake. Discovered that a hole has to be cut in the diffuser to clear the back of the transaxle.





The air intake needs some more work as it's hitting the body. Didn't get to the muffers.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Pete, very similar to the Gallardo

 

[Garry 20 B]

Has anything been done to the engine, or is that how they sound stock?

Sounds really healthy, nothing like the sound of a V8 idling ruff.

 

[PeteB]

It's a totally stock LS376/480. The LS376/480 is a LS3 with the Chevy Performance "Hot Cam" installed by Chevy.

 

[David]

Sounds great. Go Hawks!

 

[Eric McClellan]

Pete, you have a PM

 

[PeteB]

Well, after a long winter of not working on the car much, I got back to it in the last few days. I finally got the driver door on. It was driving me mad because I'd get it lined up pretty well, tighten down the hinge mounts, and then when I connected the door shock, the door would be pushed to the rear so far it wouldn't close. I finally figured out the aluminum plates that connect the door to the hinge were bending. I fabricated some new plates out of steel flat stock, and it works now. Don't know why the passenger door worked fine and I had so much trouble with the driver's door.

Latest installs were power door locks and latches for the front of the nose.

For the power door locks, I discovered there is a little hole in the door latch exactly in the right spot that if you stick a small rod through the hole, it will block the latch from opening.

Locked position:


Unlocked:


To mount the actuators in the doors, I made a stud plate and bonded it to the inside of the door:





For the front of the nose I bought some Quik-Latch Minis

Installed: