Documenting my build : name my car!

[zeeman]

I realize a lot of people say the t5 is a weak transmission, but I figure if you drive it like a normal person it should hold up for a while.

Drive like a normal person.......then what the hells the point?

[zeeman]

Unless you get a wrecked donor super cheap, it wouldnt really pay to do it. You really need a donor to do a swap there is just a shit ton of things you need to change. You CAN do it without a donor but its a huge pita.
I would say turbo. You get the best of everything with a turbo. If you keep your foot out of it you get good fuel miliage. If you want performance you spool it up. A blower is always running, never off. Theyre great off the line but you arent building a dragster.

Just some thoughts.

[zeeman]

I second boost, if it is within budget.

Good luck with the build, honestly its just refreshing not seeing someone swap out the V6 for a V8. These engines are great and very reliable.

This is like saying, " yeah , but she has a great personality"! Lol

[98blackbeauty]

If you pick up a LS1 and tranny combo leaving it stock you'll be ahead of a turbo or supper charged V6. Then in a year or 2 you can build the v8.

[C2YT]

A good turbo setup will do you well. Sometimes it makes more sense to work with what you have.

Yes I agree, a turbo V8 will always pull more power than a turbo V6. But take a look at some of the other cars out there with turbos. Barely any of them a V8s. Heck some SRT-4 guys pull 500+ out of a 4 cyl.

Just weigh your options, that's the best advice I can give. Make a list with costs, goals, goods, and bads.

[Jdseibe]

I'm the guy who likes making lists! haha with that being said its not a bad thing to weigh the pros and cons of everything, even ideas that you wouldn't normally consider.. I know a manual transmission is fun.. BUT if you look for deals and do some hunting/dealing with people on forums/facebook groups/craigslist.. I don't doubt that you could pick up a 5.3 LSx engine and 4l60e automatic transmission for 1k with the wiring harness and ecm.. which means the rest of your budget goes towards everything it takes to mount and fit under your hood..

my car was originally a 305 v8 and the easiest route would have been to just slap a 350 v8 in that was built up.. in all reality, the LSx swap was going to be more reliable and more efficient than anything I could have did to my 305/350 to put in my car (unless I dropped big $$$ on it). I wasn't planning on going LSx. but Greg convinced me it wasn't as bad or as expensive as most people make it out to be (especially if you sell off all the engine stuff you aren't going to be using anymore)

this is the basic idea of an LSx swap (know that this isn't EVERY detail)
-Need engine/trans/wiring/ecm/sensors (can pretty much find this in a packaged deal)
-if you want to fit under stock hood (lsx car intake)
-wiring needs to be modified or replaced to work with your car
-exhaust needs to be updated (truck manifolds wont fit, may need a new y-pipe too, probably would need to do the whole system to get the best benefit from it)
-engine/trans mounts need to be changed to fit new engine/trans
-fuel pump may need to be replaced to support new engine psi (not sure about v6 4th gens)
-fuel lines may need to be replaced (again dependent on how the 4th gens are setup, not sure what psi they support stock for the v6?)
-fuel pressure regulator?
-may need a tune, not sure though if the only thing thats being replaced is the intake?
-oil pan needs to be replaced so it doesn't drag on the ground
-front drive accessories need to be replaced/modified so they don't hit the hood


obviously there is more to the swap.. but this is the basic gist of it.. and with all that being said.. the engine is still essentially just a stock truck LSx engine and isn't any crazy huge power house.. but still an upgrade over the stock v6.. alot of the parts you need for the swap can be bought second hand, and if you take your time you can find good deals on stuff.

just for reference I bought a complete LM7 5.3 engine with 80k miles for $600.. you can get the auto trans for a couple hundred with the torque converter.. its not really as bad as it seems!

[hoogiesngrinderz]

3rd gear is a weak point with the t5

[Megatron]

Finally got the finished valve covers. This guy does amazing work and has excellent communication! Here's the valve covers and a pic of my car again. He got this close of a color match with only setting this pic



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[Megatron]

Got the intake and exhaust port match lines done, gonna do the cylinder side Monday, then the cutting begins!

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[DanDalessandro]

Glad to see updates! You think you're going to make it to the meet and greet?

[Megatron]

When is that again?

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[DanDalessandro]

May 30th out in Milford.

[Megatron]

May 30th out in Milford.

My car definitely won't be ready by then.

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[Megatron]

Got some of the first exhaust port done. Very time consuming, lots of metal to cut out. You can already see how much it's opening up. Have a little more cutting, then some blending, then the mirror finish. More to come!

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[Megatron]

Some goodies showed up today. My new headbolts, valve cover gaskets, upper intake gasket, and my stage 8 header bolts. Still need new valve seals. Still deciding on if i want to just replace all the sensors or not. Hopefully I can get back to the heads tomorrow!

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