L33 T-56 8.8 swap 1980 RX-7 SA22C

[SSjon]

I starting a build thread on LS1 tech then found this site, so I am gonna just copy and paste the good stuff from LS1 tech to here and then add new stuff from there on. I have lots of pics to go with since that is all we want to look at anyways haha.

It's winter up here


The run down so far:
Drivetrain
5.3L LM7 from '00 Silverado with 60K Toasted #8 rod bearing journal, looks like debris was the cause
5.3L L33 from '06 Sierra Full refresh after 190K, all new bearings and seals.
MTI Stealth II cam
T56 from '02 Firebird (fresh rebuild)
Ford Explorer 8.8 3.73 with Trac Lok
Granny's Level 5 8.8 Torque arm
Hooker LS to SBC adapter plates
Solid Engine mounts
Trans-Dapt Polyurethane Engine mounts
Modified Truck pan
New LS1 F-body oil pan
Heavily Modified Truck Harness
New LS1 Harmonic Balancer
New LS1 water pump
145 amp 2 pin Truck Alternator with custom low mount F-body bracket
Stock Subfame with added steel
FC subframe swap with Ronin LS mounts
Custom Transmission Crossmemeber

Cooling
Jegs universal Radiator 24x19 #555-52006
Hayden 16" electric fan, no shroud
New LS1 Water pump
Stock Thermostat
Fan programmed for 205* turn-on

Air/fuel
Walboro 190 inline pump
Specter 4" cone filter
MAF delete
C5 LS1 Intake Air Bridge
S10 Fuel filter

Exhaust
Headman Block hugger LS headers (looking for better fit)
LS3 Camaro Exhaust Manifolds! Perfect FIT!
2.5" Stainless duals to Magnaflow Mufflers and turn downs



Photobucket with all of my other pics  http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy122/SS-Jon/RX7/

Facebook photo album
https://m.facebook.com/3800ss/albums/12174940493/?ref=bookmark

I had a chance to pick up a 2000 5.3L LM7 with harness for $150 so the project just steam rolled from there to trailoring my Project RX7 from my parents farm to Moorhead so I can work on it all the time. I have been doing a bunch of research on this project and sadly there is not much specific info on swapping a Gen III SBC into a First gen RX7 SA or FB. So I am taking info for basic LS swaps and older SBC swaps and RX7 purist pages as well. By purist I mean the types that would gut me and stick my head on a spike for doing this, lol. I had plans of running a newer 13b S5 N/A engine in this car but lost interest a while ago. We all know that V8 power is so much more fun!

Pics of the car as it was sitting for the past few years, the 13b was quickly yanked.






Started test fitting just the engine while I was looking for a transmission, debated both a T5 and T56. After some research I did not want to pay $500 for a T5 that I will end up replacing for sure, so Beefy T56 it had to be!

Fresh from the junk yard $150




Started finding other things to work on while waiting for Transmission. Mounted the stock oil cooler up and forward.


bought some oil cooler lines that fit the LS oil pan


Adapted oil cooler lines to stock lines


Modified truck pan




Removed stock inline pump and filter, mounted in new filter and pump with some high pressure hose and clamps.






Got the engine all ready to go, Hooker engine mounts LS conversion.




Rolled it outside and cleaned it up some


Thats enough pics for the first post...

[sciff5]

I wouldent ever worry about the t56 behind a 5.3 in a sub 2500lb car

A world class t5 would even prob handle most peoples needs in a car that weight

[SSjon]

Ok some more pics

The T56 finally showed up so I was excited to bolt it up and test fit right away. I had it tipped so far I thought it was gonna fall for sure haha, got it almost all the way in and found out the stock trans crossmember mounts dont fit at all.





Cutting them off


Left header to steering gear box clearance


I have it tight to the firewall


Got it sitting in there now


Had to cut the shifter hole location back 3"


The steering center link hits right before the locks.... gonna take some metal off the bar for a temp fix


And after the engine going in and out like 10 times I finally have some motor mounts welded in place, turned out nice for using a flux core welder.








Now I have to take the engine and trans back apart and install this http://www.speedwaymotors.com/LS1-and-LT1-T56-Release-Bearing-to-AN3-Line-Fitting,25017.html into the clutch slave cylinder since the stock Camaro/Firebird line and Master cylinder will not work.

Also this is the Clutch Master cylinder I will pair with it http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TIL-75-1000U/

[SSjon]

I wouldent ever worry about the t56 behind a 5.3 in a sub 2500lb car

A world class t5 would even prob handle most peoples needs in a car that weight

It would not hold up with some hard driving. Main reason why the T5 never came behind a 350 TPI

[sciff5]

I wouldent ever worry about the t56 behind a 5.3 in a sub 2500lb car

A world class t5 would even prob handle most peoples needs in a car that weight

It would not hold up with some hard driving. Main reason why the T5 never came behind a 350 TPI

Hard driving is really generic. Tell us more about what your planning to do with the car, how much drag racing, what 60's your looking to achieve, because racing is really where you break shit..

You're not going to see even a fraction of the shock loads on the street with street tires,  compared to pulling some actually respectable 60's at the track.

You also have to remember this is a sub 2500lb car... saying the t5 will flat out break is like (god forgive me for this terrible reference and hope I come up with a better one before anyone reads this) saying under hard driving a rotary is going to break.

[SSjon]

I plan on making this car a fun summer driver and is fully streetable and will also see 1/4 track use.

I agree the weight of the car and tires do have a lot to do with breaking stuff. Regardless you put a transmission that is no even rated to handle a 230 hp 300 ft/lbs  305 TPI engine, behind a 5.3L making at least 285 hp 325 ft/lbs (before I start modding) it will break. All that power is still going through that transmission and it is just not built to take it. The T5 has a weak case design that flexes under load and then the internals fly apart.

In the end I would never run a T5 behind anything I want to put up with my driving, plus having a 6 speed is BA

[sciff5]

Sounds like you have your mind made up and you already put the money into the t56 so run it, but dont worry about it.

Abuse anything and you'll break it though.

How bout that truck oil pan, did you modify it or where did you get it modified?

[SSjon]

I took it to a welding shop here in Fargo that does a lot of aluminum welding. Just told him to cut 3 inches off the bottom and weld a plate on. Cost a bit more than I planned, it would have been cheaper to cut the pan myself. I was unsure that I could make a clean and flat cut.

Due to reducing a 6 qt pan by an estimated 2 qts I feel the oil cooler is a great solution.

[zbrown]

Hey you made it!


man i am a recruiting machine this week, haha




man you have a clean roller to work with, once complete this will be awesome


fab skills look good too, nice work!


so you are coming to the TM 2 day next month?

[SSjon]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction 

Yes I am looking forward to the big Tintmasters weekend at Sabin. Its nice that I live in Moorhead only a few miles away.

[zbrown]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction 

Yes I am looking forward to the big Tintmasters weekend at Sabin. Its nice that I live in Moorhead only a few miles away.

you hope to have the car running/driving by then?

[SSjon]

I could do it, if I had the money for all the parts I still need....

List:
Driveshaft with special order flange to connect to OEM diff for now
PCM reprogram and/or HPT
Clutch Master cylinder, -3 AN line, and -3 AN fitting to stock T56 Slave fitting
misc hoses and wiring
Possibly new clutch and pressure plate
Battery and relocate to behind Passenger seat
Make custom Alternator mounting and idler pulley, belt to fit
Exhaust from headers back

It is slow going right now but I will keep finding all the little things I can do for free while I wait haha

[SSjon]

Ok time for an update

While the engine was out for the last time I pulled the trans back off and replaced the crappy pressure plate and clutch with one in much better shape. $400 for a new one is not in the budget yet.



Engine and transmission is now sitting in there the best I can do for now, its not centered because the left header is to close to the steering gear. i will most likely redo this in version 2.0. I set the Truck intake on just for fun and it almost fit, slight firewall modification would be needed.







Custom transmission crossmember I made from some plate steel, and a fence post lol. I have lots of exhaust room on the passenger side but not much on the driver's... I am not sure what I am gonna do there yet.





So now I was running out of things I can do without buying more parts that I don't have the money for right now. I got to looking at the truck intake and the firewall and grabbed a hammer. I bent down the seem just a bit and the intake fit right on. I routed my wire harness that I had modified myself.

[dream36realms]

I can't believe I missed this thread. Us SA guys are popping out of the woodwork. Actually you posted this the day I was leaving Asia and heading home so that;s how I missed it.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you a million. Seeing your motor mount sollution from above is EXACTLY what I been asking for for a year now. Now I got to see it first hand and know what I need to do. After seeing your mounts, I know my swap will be much easier than I expected.

Good luck finishing up. I am sitting with all these parts now and in two weeks I am heading back to the car to begin the swap.

What are you doing for wheels and tires? I am currently planning on using 16x8 wheels with +20 offset. 225/60 front and 245/60 rear. I will run 35mm spacers at first till I can get an accurate measurement to get the currect spacer sizes.

Also, what are you looking at for suspension? As you know, I am using the respeed R&P kit with respeed coolovers, respeed v8 sway bar grannies level 5 rear end and blah blah blah more crap.

[SSjon]

Your welcome for the mounts lol.  They were not that hard to fab. One trick I learned was to set the engine lightly onto the subframe with something to space the pan from the crossmemeber. I used a carpet floormat and a piece of cardboard. This let the engine sit more level than hanging from a chain.

I have not planned out my rims/tires/suspension setup yet. Most likely swap front hubs to newer style and swap rear end to GSL with LSD or Ford solid 8.8. I just want to get it running and driving for now. Sadly I have never even had a chance to drive the car! I bought it not running and pulled it home. I got to ride in it and steer. I spent  a bunch of time getting the 12A to run. Found the clutch slave leaked all of the fluid out, so I bleed it just to take it for a little drive. The clutch pedal got really hard and would not move so I pushed harder, thinking the pressure plate must be sticking or something... I broke the clutch fork! Tore it apart and found the throwout bearing was completely seized onto the transmission input housing. Then I cam across the 13b and trans... But now I just want to drive this thing before winter.