MG Sports Cars

you are making great progress thanks for all the documentation.

Fantastic progress Calvin, looks great! Thanks for sharing!

Hey, Calvin great work as always! Did you trade the front air dam for one of Dave's new bumperless one?

Calvin

Just for reference, how about a pic straight down showing the firewall to engine clearance?

Your work makes it looks like you are in the business!

Thanks everyone for the compliments it helps all of us to keep moving on.

Jim, I will pay the difference for when Dave C sends me the front Valance without the bumper indentation.

Carl the next post should show you what you are looking for at firewall clearance.

This bad boy took two full days to fab up.

Here are the photos for firewall the engine clearance. Have plenty of room to get at the back plugs.

Calvin, Headers are a work of art! What do you plan on the rest of exhaust?

As far as the rest of the exhaust, I'm torn between using round pipe, or oval pipe for more under car clearance. I like a somewhat low ride but not liking the idea of dragging pipes on the ground.

I will probably run along the inside of the frame rail, make 90 degree bend behind frame cross member (towards center of car), then a sharp 90 degree bend into X-pipe, into low profile round or oval Spintech muffler or mufflers, and towards the end glass pack tips to keep sound down being a 2 1/2" will be loud anyway. The bigger the pipe the louder it will be. The ls1 likes to flow lots of air.

Awesome job and great pictures!

Thanks!






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2014 09:00PM by mowog1.

Calvin, it looks like you moved the engine back a bit more compared to the picture on the first page. How much further back did you go?

Great progress. The motor looks wider than I realized... Bet working on the headers was fun.

Scott,

I did move the engine back 1 1/4" and up an 1" for it's final resting place. This will make the steering shaft a true straight shot using a u-joint in the cabin and one at the rack. The shifter is not a problem. Also giving a little more room to work with up front for the intake air run.

Thanks Rob, It is wider than the 302 for sure.

A few have asked how is Brenda's GT coming along, so here is some updates!

Worked on upgrading the LS1 with some good products.


Installed new LS6 ported oil pump along with Cloyes(adjustable) uprated timing gear set & chain. There is a visible difference in chain size for strength and gears are better machined. Set the gears up to stock setting and will let the cam run the advance that is ground in. The oil pump (not shown) will go over the crank small gear to drive it. 4 bolts hold it on.


This is one of the 241 LS1 heads that came off and it is stock valve size.


You can see the difference in valve size to the new PRC as cast 225 heads. These heads will out flow the heads on my TR6 quit a bit. Also you can see the blending of the chamber. These heads are 62cc chamber size. With a stock gasket will get about 10.8 compression.


A 12 pound aluminum fly wheel with ARP bolts. Will be using a spec 2 + clutch and disk. Good for 550 hp.

This is one of the intake ports(of the PRC as cast 225 heads) that show the bolt going down into the intake port. That bolt needs to be sealed good or the engine will make blue smoke out the exhaust on deceleration. With an opened up intake port (cnc or as cast heads for lsx engines) the rocker stand bolt holes go through into the intake ports. That is why my TR6 smokes blue because I need to reseal those bolts again.


Change over to ARP rod bolts (ARP bolts in this photo not stock). This is a week link in the LS1 engine. If you plan on running your rpm up higher than 6500, It is recommended to change out the stock rod bolts. Procedure is to take one bolt out at a time and install a new one in it's place and torque to specs.


New cam is installed. This is a 228/228 duration 588/588 lift 112 LSA from Texas Speed. New LS7 lifters and new uprated push rods. Also installed Comp Cams trunion upgrade to the rocker arms. At higher lift cams or higher rpm will cause a problem with the needle bearings to come out and end up in the oil pan or damage the engine. Highly recommend this upgrade for insurance that it won't happen.


Timing chain(it is bigger and stronger looking than the stock one). You can see the oil pump hole that the pick up tube goes into. The O-ring that goes in there can't be pinched or wrong O-ring, will cause low oil pressure. So care needs to be taken with this O-ring.

All the ARP rod bolts installed and torqued to spec. Both timing cover and back cover are aligned, so that the crank seals won't leak, and the oil pan won't leak when installed.


Next the crank shaft splash guard. You can see where the pick up oil tube will be bolted to, the second stud on the left from the bottom of photo. The oil pick up on a Camaro is in the back portion of the block, great for cross member clearance.


ARP oil pan bolts. You can see where the bolts go for the side main bearing caps. Ls1 aluminum blocks have 6 bolt main caps. 4 going into it and 2 on the sides of the block.


Ls1 oil filter tucked very close to the block, a great swap engine tight and compact. Also a better photo to show the side main bearing cap bolt in the counter sunk bore hole.

This is almost ready to come off the engine stand. You can see my custom fabricated 1 3/4" primary stainless steel headers (these took big hours of work to make). Used new ARP head bolt which can be re-used unlike stock LS1 head bolts. Stock head bolts are stretch to yield type bolts. Used ARP SS intake bolts. Used new ARP header bolts. Found a used Fast 92mm intake that was hand ported by Vengence Racing, from a guy around here on ls1tech.com parts section list. I knew the guy from a previous purchase. New Nick Williams 92mm Throttle body. Will start the engine with the stock 28lbs injectors, but soon after installing 42lbs injectors. I will need to get into the ls1 computer with my HP tuner software and change the numbers for the new injectors. Then flash the new numbers to the computer. Will be changing the ls1 coils to truck coils too. Will keep the stock fuel rails which are good for 500hp.


Photo of the other side of engine.


Will be using Vintage Air front runner assembly which compliments the engine bay real nice. It comes with a ATI super damper on the crank. It is a beautiful piece.


Stock fuel rail with stock fuel injectors, soon to be changed after first start up.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2014 08:57PM by 74ls1tr6.

Looking Good, Calvin appears you have the LS1 by the b_lls, I mean testicles :-)

Here is the Super Damper and using a reusable ARP crank Damper bolt.



Didn't take long to get the car off the rotisserie and the front and back suspension installed.


Installed the engine and transmission all in one. Have some photos that I need to resize of Brenda helping me installing the engine. I'm under the car installing the bolt in cross member I fabed up. I already have the drive line cut down with new u-joints on both ends and balanced. Need to re-size some photos to continue. So the drive train is all done. I used a Camaro 3" aluminum drive shaft. I need to relieve or make a little more space at the transmission u-joint area. It is a roller now.

I'd take the sawzall to my car for that engine! :)

Carl ....plan your cuts!! ;)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2014 09:03PM by 74ls1tr6.