LS1 Conversion, A Retrospective Build Thread Options

[andys]

Here's the start of a retrospective build thread of my LS1 conversion. It took a few years to get it done mostly due to not wanting to be a slave to the project, and work on it for the enjoyment; and of course when family obligations allowed......teen daughter and high maintenance wife (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

What I started with was a local orignal owner '75 2.0 with 139K miles. The original owner "drove the heck out of it" until something died in the electrical system and he parked it in the garage for 14 years, as evidenced by the renewal tags. Only body damage was when he submarined the rear of a Mustang and creased the hood and flattened the left signal light pod. Otherwise, it was a good condition rust free (SoCal) car.

Brief specs are: '01 LS1 Z28 motor, Audi 01E 6 speed tranaxle, 911 front suspension, custom made rear trailing arms, Koni shocks, 993 wheels, and AC.

Below, are photos of what I started with, and what I ended-up with. I'll do my best to re-trace the build process, so if you have any questions along the way, please ask.

BTW, how does one place text between photos in the same post?

Andys

[andys]

Well, the car is done, but then again, they are never really done-done.

I changed the header tank coolant routing from the hot side to the cold side, which necessitated re-routing some of the coolant lines. Took more work then I expected, but got it done.

The steam vent lines I originally installed are nylon. I did this because the 1/8" diameter tubing lends itself well to the tight spaces they pass thru. I always knew the nylon may be an issue, but took the risk anyway. What's happening, is that I am getting some slight weeping of coolant right at the compression nut, which goes away when I snug up the nut. Over time, the weeping returns, so I will probably re-configure it with small diameter braided hose.

The trans has developed a leak. I'm pretty sure the input shaft seal is the culprit. This repair obviously requires me to drop the engine/trans. Bummer is that I can only do some short drives around town. Think I'll wait till the weather cools a bit before tackling this job. At least it will give me the opportunity to inspect stuff as well as clean-up some of the wiring.

Andys