my ls1 ar5 swap build up!

[bulszewicz]

here is my current project, I bought the car about a year ago, 06 NA 2.4 5-speed.

scored a ls1 from a vette on craigs list and i am bolting it to the stock ar5.
this is my winter project so i will update as i make progress.

motor out!



the new motor


torn down for new bearings, rings, ARP hardware etc..


Z06 cam


ls6 springs


re-assembly

[bulszewicz]

How to connect the transmission!

well after researching forever i couldnt find much info on this setup so i'll try to give as much info as i can.

i am using the bellhousing adapter from advance adapters for a jeep ax-15 to chevy w/ 168tooth flywheel

i had two tabs welded to the lower portion of the bellhousing to allow it to bolt to the motor with more bolts

the bellhousing


tabs i had welded


the trans needs to be spaced 3/8" from the motor so a 3/8" spacer from summit was used. the spacer does not connect the entire circumference of the bellhousing so i cut some steel to extend the spacer the complete 360.

here is the spacer, see how it does not make a complete circle



the bellhousing needs to have a hole made in the side for the internal slave cylinder line to pass thru. *note: the slave from the na solstice will not work it is too tall, i had to order the gxp slave, it is shorter.

also the side of the bellhousing needs to be ground slightly around the starter for clearance



the bellhousing came with a new pilot bearing, however you must use a roller pilot bearing for a 2004 2.8l chevy colorado. it fits in the outer ring of the crankshaft allowing the input shaft to fit perfectly inside it. a needle style pilot bearing will sit too far inside the crank and not come in contact with the input shaft

bearing


the slave cylinder will need some spacers placed behind it, 3/4" for it to be completely compressed when the trans is mated to the engine.

I am using a LUK clutch, pressureplate for a Z06 vette with a 168t flywheel


the two attached


side view

[bulszewicz]

the motor i am using has the batwing style oil pan from a c5 vette, which would come in contact with the factory solstice motor mounts, so rather than buying a new oil pan i just cut the stock mounts completely off and made some new ones



i also notched the frame rails to clear the bellhousing, and spaced the rack and pinion about 5/8" foward to clear the balancer

the c5 exhaust manifolds would not clear the lower crossmember, so i bought a used set of camaro manifolds on ebay



they are very shiny

test fitting


installed!


i test fit the hood the other day, its a tight fit, had to cut the middle rib from the throttlebody, other than that plenty of room!

[bulszewicz]

still a lot of work to do, next on the list is to order a radiator $$$$$$, build an exhaust, do some plumbing etc.

relocated the battery to the trunk today, some allthread and scrap aluminum turned into this

[noted000120]

WOW!!!!!! I admire your vision for the build and will keep a close eye out for any updates. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product. How long would take to complete? Thanks for sharing.

[bulszewicz]

thanks, my plan is to have it done before spring next year, the only reason it will even take that long is because i am buying things as money allows, but all to be expected. cant wait to drive it again!

[Valhalla]

looking great so far! let me know how the wiring part of it goes!!

[cdflint]

I love to see at home V8 swaps. I'm in.

[brap]

Cool. In for updates.

What is your expected power output with that cam? Custom driveshaft?

[llllfly]

I am copy this to JohnRR we are working on His
73 big block. 454.
Great post.
LLLFLY

[LowLife1]

Subscribed (pics?)

Does modified 3/8 bellhousing spacer mean no one offers a complete 3/8 bellhousing spacer?

[TomatoSoup]

This is FASCINATING! Thank you for the thread & photos. I'll love to follow along.

[wspohn]

Just curious - are you a V8 fan and just wanted that in there? A tuned LNF would easily equal the LS1 output, otherwise, and would be dead easy to bolt in there. Although I know a lot of guys (self included) enjoy the fabrication exercise.

Anyway, nicely detailed swap thread, always nice to see good pictures and descriptions.

[rob the elder]

I am interested in how you are planning on tuning the ECM. Which ECM are you using? One of the bigger challenges others doing swaps have had is getting the ECM to talk with the engine and the BCM. There are still issues with the cruise control for example.

When DDM Works started doing LS swaps, they initially could get the engine to run or the AC to work but not both at the same time. They also had to build a custom cable with specific pinout changes to get the BCM and ECM talking.

[Jebsmith]

How can the engine not run, but the AC work?