Making the best out of a bad purchase - LS Swap

[S.A. supra]

always sucks to see how quickly people's readiness to dive in head first quickly fades to unrestrained frustration and abandonment (not of the car, just the temperamental 7m)

there's a reason for it, but I wont state the obvious......

Good luck with your build. There has been more then a few that start this build, but very few complete. My current car was supposed to be a LS swap, but the guy I bought the shell from abandoned the idea. Im sure your bad ass skills will make the swap a lot easier.

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

no doubt about there being a reason, I stated the reason, although buying a car with a broken engine doesn't help, also not addressing the engine's weakpoint(s) will get you nowhere real quick

don't get me wrong guys, it's not his fault, I would say it's bad luck, but I don't believe in that. He can do whatever the hell he wants with his car, and it's a super nice car at that... will be one hell of an awesome build too

I have to say though... the turbos you are planning to use are totally excessive... unless you're building a full blown drag car... even then... :dunno:

 

[adventr]

I have to say though... the turbos you are planning to use are totally excessive... unless you're building a full blown drag car... even then... :dunno:

GT35s are also an option, and the final decision will be made based on the transmission that I pick (manual vs auto).
It's been my experience with these engines, that GT35s will run out of steam quicker than you expect, but will spool nicely on a manual gearbox.

Running an auto (3k stall) will load the turbos better, and allow you to step up in size.

Certainly not building a full blown drag car, but more of a pro touring car. Goal here is 700whp. I have no doubt that I can achieve that, but I want to keep the full package (driveability, handling, comfort).


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[adventr]

Hey if your just gana scrap all the turbo stuff im looking to get a hold of pretty much all of it. Let me know?

I've had a few questions about all of the 7m stuff. I definitely don't want to mess with shipping anything, but if someone is local to Northwest Arkansas or Southwest Missouri, or even Northeast Oklahoma...... I'd probably trade it all for a set of 89+ tail lights and a case of beer. Lol



*edit* NOT Oklahoma beer either...


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[Insidious Surmiser]

thing is though... I know the v8 breathes a lot, but a single gt35 should be able to make 700hp... I'd personally recommend going with a supercharger, since the v8 will have plenty of oomph to spin it, you'll get great response, and won't have to worry about your turbo setup spooling too hard (too soon or too late) that's what I'd do anyhow... as far as turbos... I suppose you could go twin gt35... I always think of the larger counterparts, but I suppose a .63 A/R t3 setup might work decently (probably see max boost @ 3,800 rpm or so) I've got to say though, I've been quite impressed by the powerbands I've been seeing from the borg warner turbos like the hy35 and others

in any case, I think you're going to have some traction issues especially running an auto (torque multiplier)

 

[MNBmk3T]

That is gonna be a monster car. How much power you gonna make you think?

Also, those are some of the nicest welds I've ever seen. That CAD work is awesome too, hopefully it fits just as well as the CAD work said it would! Goodluck with the build.

 

[Nick M]

5.3 Iron Block
6.0 Heads (drops CR to 8.2:1)
LS9 Camshaft
LS9 Headgaskets
Head Studs
Stiffer valve springs

Good to see you did your homework. Those LQ4 LQ9 engines have the head that became the LS1 Z06 head. There is also the L92, but you would want more displacement with that head.

 

[adventr]

Thanks for the comments, guys! I'm still making progress on this... I really need to find someone to take my 7M engine (or scrap it) so that I can measure out/model up the engine compartment. That will help me out.

As far as the CAD stuff goes, at this point, it's really just a way for me to organize my thoughts/ideas. Once I get the 7M out and the engine compartment modeled, I'll be able to design some engine mounts and get them cut on the jet.
I also need to do some measuring on the trans tunnel and see what kind of work it's going to take to make the 4L80e fit in there. That's another area that I'm still up in the air on! I really like having a manual gearbox in a sporty car... however, I'm not really a fan of the T56. Keeping the R154 (which is in good shape) would certainly be the easiest route, and one that I may persue to get the engine in and running. If it blows, then I can work in the 4L80e. We'll see what I decide on... LOL

Per the transmission decision, a turbo decision will be made. Manual gearbox = GT35s ; else = 62mm or 67mm.



It's going to be a tight fit, but I'm confident that we can make it work, and keep it clean:

 

[DeMoN2318]

Very nice CAD models....You do this in SolidWorks?

 

[adventr]

Very nice CAD models....You do this in SolidWorks?

Thank you. Yeah, I've been using Solidworks daily since 2001.


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[DeMoN2318]

Thank you. Yeah, I've been using Solidworks daily since 2001.

Very Impressive!

I look forward to seeing the engine bay model

 

[adventr]

I want to get the 7MGTE wiring harness trimmed down this evening.

I want the factory gauges to work, so review my plan, and if you see any issues let me know!


- Isolate coolant temp sensor wiring
- Isolate oil pressure sending unit wiring
- Discard all remaining wires in 7m harness

I'm assuming that the 7m ecu will need to remain in the car for the oil pressure gauge and coolant temp gauges to remain working?
If so, the ecu will still need power and ground.

Does the fuel level gauge happen to go through the ecu?


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[adventr]

Ok, got the engine harness pulled out of the car.






I'm guessing that I need to keep the smaller group of connectors (the ones that don't plug into the ECU):






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[Dan_Gyoba]

I do not believe that the 7M ECU is needed for the oil pressure and water temperature gauges. There is a separate water temp sender for the ECU. The oil pressure sender also connects to the ECU, but also connects directly to the gauge. http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TSRM/MK3/manual.aspx?S=D&P=7

The radiator level switch, brake fluid level switch, ebrake switch, fuel level sender and low fuel light switch, tail light failure sensor are all not connected to the ECU either.

 

[A. Jay]

Is an aluminum block available for the 5.3? That'll make a huge difference in handling. Also, have you considered going single instead? It's half the stuff to go wrong.

 

[adventr]

I do not believe that the 7M ECU is needed for the oil pressure and water temperature gauges. There is a separate water temp sender for the ECU. The oil pressure sender also connects to the ECU, but also connects directly to the gauge. http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TSRM/MK3/manual.aspx?S=D&P=7

The radiator level switch, brake fluid level switch, ebrake switch, fuel level sender and low fuel light switch, tail light failure sensor are all not connected to the ECU either.

Excellent! Thanks for that link. I'll spend a few hours going over the diagrams and make a list of what I need to keep.
Just wanting to make sure that I keep everything working. According to that diagram, I can leave the boost pressure sensor in place and even keep the stock boost gauge working! Lol


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[MightyAl]

All the sensors work direct with the gauges in the dash. Check out my thread on attaching the r154 to an LSx engine.

 

[adventr]

All the sensors work direct with the gauges in the dash. Check out my thread on attaching the r154 to an LSx engine.

Perfect. I've read through your thread, and if I go that route, I'll be hitting you up for one of those pilot bushings!


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[adventr]

Is an aluminum block available for the 5.3? That'll make a huge difference in handling. Also, have you considered going single instead? It's half the stuff to go wrong.

Didn't see this post!


Yes, an aluminum block was used in ~25% of vehicles. It's known as the L33. While it is lighter, the weight difference is less than 70lbs, so not really enough to justify it's extra cost. Also, at higher power levels, you'll tend to spin a main bearing due to the block flexing.
I did consider a single turbo setup, but there's enough room in the engine bay for twins.

 

[MightyAl]

That SW engine model is awesome. Did you make it up yourself?

I would be in your debt if you would send me a copy. I have been looking all over and haven't had the time to try and model it myself.