88mm LS1 FD - it caught on fire :(

[SH4DY]

***EDIT: I will update this post with pertinent info as the build goes to consolidate the info. Pics will be posted as the build culminates in separate posts.

Suspension/ brakes:
De-powered/ welded steering rack
Megan EZ Street Coilovers
Stoptech slotted/drilled rotors
Goodridge steel braided lines
Dedicated front and rear Wilwood master cylinders
Tilton brake balance bar
ABS Delete
New brake hard lines
Custom front subframe
Ronin rear 8.8" subframe setup
Powerflex steering rack and differential bushings
ESR SR08 Wheels 18x9.5" up front with 275/35r18 Toyo Proxes and 18x10.5" rear with 305/35r18 Nitto 555r


Drivetrain:
LS1 out of an '98 Camaro
T56 out of an '01 Camaro
Ported and welded 806 heads
Honed and piston ring gaps opened up (.028-.029" top and .030-.031" second)
ARP rod bolts
ARP head bolts
GM Performance MLS headgaskets
Summit trunnion upgrade kit
Trickflow timing set
GM Performance LS7 lifters
GM Performance high flow oil pump
Monster stage 3 clutch and 18lb flywheel
BTR Stage 3 turbo cam
BTR .660" spring kit
Chromoly pushrods
'10 Explorer 8.8" differential w/ Ford Racing Track-LOC LSD (3.55 FD)
VSR 88/83 T4 large frame journal bearing turbo
(2) Tial 38mm wastegates
VSR BOV
Frozen boost type 3 A2W intercooler
4" downpipe to 3.5" exhaust - Vibrant resonator, Pypes muffler

Fuel:
Walbro 450lph in-tank pump (hot wired)
-6AN bulk heads at tank
1/2" feed line to -8AN braided lines
dual -6AN lines to regulator
3/8" return line
FAST Fuel rails
Aeromotive FPR
EFI Source MS Gold 0411 PCM and HPTuners w/ 3 bar SD tune
Deka 80lb/hr injectors

Misc:
Racepak IQ3S
Procar seat

Cage install: http://www.norotors.com/index.php?topic=24020.0

I recently picked up my first FD - A roller that has had kind of a rough life. But for the price and for what I have in mind it was perfect. This is the day I got it home:


A week later later:



The plan is a basic 5.3 (head studs, mild P&P, good cam), BW S480, T56 and 8.8" IRS.
This will be a very long journey but should be a fun one.

[Club_xcursion]

hey good luck with the car! im about 20 mins south of richmond.

[piglet]

for having a rough life, it looks like a pretty solid roller. and it looks like youre diving in head first, good luck with the build.

[SH4DY]

Thanks guys. I've been tinkering a little bit every evening when I can.
Slowly making progress on smoothing out the engine bay:

I'm going to keep the brake booster off and go with a manual setup: 2 x 5/8" Wilwood masters for the brakes w/ a prop valve for the rear and new hard lines. 7/8" Wilwood master for the clutch. Pretty sure I can mount both the brake masters in the stock location with an adapter plate. Should save 5-6" inches of space going that route. ABS had been removed before I got the car.
I'm going through and removing all the unneeded wires. Only the lights and the fuel level sensor wires are left:

I'll be putting the wires in loom eventually. There are a ton of wires I need to get rid of along the firewall and the loop that runs around the front of the car. I plan on running the MS3 gold plug and play box from EFI source so I think the only thing I really need to leave is the wiring for the lights.

I also discovered this:

The previous owner had a T56 mounted behind a 20B and these were the plates they used. Hopefully I can use them. Not sure why the foam is all torn up but I think a mouse had been there at some point. Mouse piss smells fun.

Other than that, sunroof is out and I will eventually be welding it up. I have an idea on how to smooth out the interior. I will need to remove the calipers at some point and rebuilt them I'm sure but that can wait. Need to try and sell some of the stuff I've removed to help fund the project... A little gun shy on the next few purchases as they are all not cheap.

[SH4DY]

I started getting in to the engine bay wiring to clean things up. Had numerous "what the hell am I getting myself in to" thoughts. The starting circuit is giving me the most grief right now but I think removing the clutch interlock portion should help the cause.


Made a little more progress on the engine bay:


Front end is finally on jack stands. Removed the steering rack so I can replace the boots, bushings and convert to a manual rack. Holding off on the tie rod ends until I sort out the engine mounts/ subframe. Should be picking up a junk yard 5.3 next week and ordering an f-body bellhousing to help mock things up. I'm planning on getting a new T-56 magnum so I would need the bellhousing either way. I should be ordering the master cylinders and lines next week so I can knock out the brakes.

[GSXRATED]

RVA as in Richmond, VA? If so, you must be very close to me!

[SH4DY]

Yessir - I posted in the RVA thread on RX7club. I plan on going to a few cars and coffee meets but it'll be a while before the 7 is on the road.

No substantial updates, yet. Undercoated front wheel wells, aaaalllmost done smoothing the engine bay, messed with the wiring a little more.
Helped a buddy this weekend get a Miata with an LS1 swap up an running. Open header - sounds VERY mean. Definitely learned a lot that should help with my swap.
Did make some purchases though: coilovers, 8.8" rear, battery box, rotors, pads, lines, clutch and brake master cylinders are on the way.
Should be ordering the Ronin rear diff kit in the next week or so. Any diff bushings anyone recommends? Whiteline seems to be pretty popular.

I'll update as the parts come in and get installed.

[turbotalon1g]

I see MN plates on that car, where did you get it from?

[SH4DY]

http://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-rx-7-1993-2002-vehicles-107/94-fd-20b-gt4718-1000-whp-t56-8-8-ford-irs-1039154/ This is the car long, long looong before I got it. It was sold, sold again and parted out, and then I bought it as a roller.

[SH4DY]

Made some purchases, cleaned some stuff.
Ford 8.8" rear out of an '08 Explorer - should be pulling the trigger on the Ronin kit shortly.


Engine bay is finally done - not bad for a rattle can job. Sprayed the shock towers with a coat of bedliner before a few coats of the semi-gloss.


Amazing what a little Scotch Brite and Simple Green can do


Sprayed the inner fenders with rubberized liner and wound up going back over it with bedliner because the rubberized layer had a brown-ish tint and was a little too tacky for my liking. Megan EZ Street Coilovers arrived along with rotors, pads and SS lines. Waiting on new upper A-Arm ball joint boots before the front suspension goes back on.
Been working on a dual manual master set-up. Most of the fab work has been done except running the hard lines. I'll post some pictures in the next few days.

[SH4DY]

Decided to de-power the steering rack. A little bit more of a PITA than I had anticipated.


Front suspension and brake test fit.


Front brake lines run. Holy hell what a PITA to flare brake lines. Hopefully they don't leak...


Clutch master and Tilton fluid reservoir mounted.


I got the dual brake master cylinders mounted. Still need to make a bracket to mount the clutch master and mount the reservoir. I got some dry ice to try and get up the sound deadening material but it did not go as planned. Definitely not as effective/ cool as the videos I watched. Still lots of hammer/ chisel work left to do.
Ronin 8.8" rear has been ordered so hopefully the next update will be of that installed.

[SH4DY]

Rear brakes/ suspension on:

Finished running the brake lines. Bled and surprisingly no leaks. I'll definitely need to tweak the balance bar.

'10 Explorer 8.8" rear with Powerflex bushings and Ronin kit:

Mock-up:

Welded and painted:

VERY tight fitment, had to take a BFH and make some room:

Installed:


Next on the agenda is to finish up thinning the chassis wiring, finally pull the trigger on a motor and then start working on the front subframe.

[N2v8fcs]

nice work so far!

[SH4DY]

Picked up an LS1 out of a '98 Camaro. Crap heads, high miles, neglected and had a truck pan- but hey, it was cheap and now its getting good guts.

Working on cleaning up the heads. Mild port/polish. Will weld up the notch as well so I can run MLS head gaskets.

Decided to try and make my own subframe. I had a junk 5.3 donated for mock up purposes:

Subframe coming together. It'll wind up being a lot like the Samberg. I'm using 1.75" .120  DOM tubing. Ran out of wire - damn gussets were a PITA.


I'm hoping to get the subframe and transmission crossmember knocked out in the next few days. The transmission mounting plates that were in the car are not going to work so I had to cut them out and start from scratch. After that it's chop the truck pan, and start ordering more parts. The wiring has taken a back seat for the time being.

Also, not sure on the rods yet but I think I'm going with the Wiseco -6cc pistons. With MLS gaskets I think it puts me around 9.5:1 which may creep up a little with any milling needed for the heads/block.

[SH4DY]

Transmission mount is done:

Subframe is almost done. Still sorting out if I should go with the LS1 pan or hack up the truck pan I've got before I mount the brackets for the steering rack.