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Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 10:05 am
by coryh8504
What engine software are you running?
I'm looking to ls4 swap my old beretta and leaving it fwd. I was going to pull everything off and run the holley terminator max stand alone system.
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Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 12:09 pm
by woody90gtz
Factory truck. PCM, wire harness and fuse block were free from the donor...and I'm tuning it for free with LS-Droid and TunerPro.
The Holley is great, I have the HP setup for my EFI conversion SBC Camaro, but free is nice too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXfN8isphhM&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3xdQ-FMNnU&t=0s
Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:33 pm
by coryh8504
Nice. I'm going mostly for the convenience factor with the swap. Holley has everything needed without splicing wires or anything along those lines. Only keeping the wires needed for the headlights and such.
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Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:32 pm
by woody90gtz
It's in, and this will be final placement - offset to the pass side. Figuring out radiator, fans and hoses. Just bought the Camaro steering rack too. Need to cut the firewall and floor out to fit the trans and weld up the engine mounts. Probably should wash it too. haha
Gotta keep making good progress to get it done before June. haha
https://youtu.be/T87LyyP1CSA
Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:29 pm
by woody90gtz
Keep plugging away at it. Sawzalled the firewall and floor out to mock up the trans and the 5spd fitment could be better...that's for sure. Working on a solution to that right now.
https://youtu.be/qDjVmT1ggmM
Re: Budget LS swap 5spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 10:04 pm
by woody90gtz
More solid progress this week...and a huge upgrade! Screw the budget, I'm going t56 6spd. I mocked up my Camaro trans just to compare and it fits basically perfect. And every single thing about the t56 is better than nv3500...shift feel, strength, aftermarket, gear splits, highway rpm... Just price is the only issue. And it looks like I've found a nice solution to that, buying a Tick Performance level 2 for my Camaro and using the stock Camaro trans in the Beretta. I'll have to swap input shafts, front plates and bellhousings...but well worth it to upgrade both cars at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI4HAS2zp7A
Got the motor mounts all done. The subframes will become one piece with a C channel crossbar for the steering rack up front, and a skidplate/brace in the back under the oil pan/bellhousing.
Got my brake math figured out and the Wilwood pedals and Afco masters ordered. Next step is to make them coexist with the steering column.
Bought a rockauto full-aluminum radiator and pushed it forward for some more fan and water pump room. Looks like it will work pretty mint.
Also got the crossmember in and the back half of the raised floor mocked up. Not too far away now! Just trans mount...torque arm mount...front floor...tunnel...pedals...steering...wiring...
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:58 am
by Rettax3
Nice progress -I had figured you would make a linkage for the NY3500's shift, maybe similar to an old Saginaw or a Mopar A833 4-speed... But heck yeah, T-56!! Definitely jealous over here -you seem to have the best luck for manual transmissions -a T-56, NV3500 for cheap (even if you aren't using it here), the six-speed in your Silverado, and even the five-speed Blazer... Very cool. I'll be watching for the next step, keep it coming!
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 11:47 pm
by woody90gtz
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Mon May 09, 2022 10:13 pm
by woody90gtz
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:28 pm
by woody90gtz
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:04 pm
by woody90gtz
Got it all connected from V8 crankshaft to rear tires. Put the Camaro clutch in it, fixed the trans yoke that Texas "fixed" and put it back on the ground.
The old man has to get a junk Cuda parted before Mopar Carlisle, so he needed his lift. The nerve!
Getting it outside really shows how high the front is with less weight in front of the tires. RWD distribution is so much better... Gonna have to cut the coils though.
Still fighting with the steering. And I'm at the point now that I might be cutting out the engine mounts I welded in to fit the rack better. I knew it was going too smoothly. haha
https://youtu.be/eY5Lu1RB3zk
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:56 am
by Rettax3
REALLY nice progress. I guess it must feel like two steps forward and one step back, but even that is one step farther than most of us make on a project like this. I haven't even STARTED on my twin-engine Z-26 idea or finished the GTA yet. So nice work, kudos.
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2022 9:43 pm
by woody90gtz
Doing some math to figure out spring rate with cut coils.
According to rockauto, a 96 Z26 has 150lb springs, and according to the picture, I would call it 5 active coils, because the tangential end top coil doesn't do much...nearly touching the other coil at rest.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... 12&jsn=911
And when I plug the info in the calculator, the math checks out pretty well:
https://www.blueovaltrucks.com/tech/coilspringrate.htm
stock setup
Coil Spring Wire Diameter (d) .593
Coil Spring Mean Diameter (D) 6.1
Number of Active Coils (n) 5
Coil Spring Rate (lb/in) 153
If I cut the "dead" coil off the top, and one additional active coil, that should bring my spring rate to just about 200lb, which is where I want to be
cut 2 coils - one "dead"
Coil Spring Wire Diameter (d) .593
Coil Spring Mean Diameter (D) 6.1
Number of Active Coils (n) 4
Coil Spring Rate (lb/in) 191
I may need to use an additional spring isolator to get ride height back up to where it needs to be with two coils cut, or it may be perfect as-is. And if the free-fiddy fix doesn't work...I can always use some Afco sleeves and do actual coilover springs in the front, too.
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2022 11:39 pm
by woody90gtz
Re: Budget LS swap 6spd RWD Z26 project.
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 10:16 am
by EPfiffner
Your first solution would have been much easier to implement, but I can see what the issue was, you needed to bring the rack back much closer to the headers. I gotta get caught up on your vids!!