Sn95 Mustang Ls1 Swap... Help

[m98alissa]

Hey guys,

I am new to this forum but I wanted to ask about some things for a build that we are doing.

My brother and I are building an sn95 for drifting. Our final power goals are around 550-600whp but we are staying at 300-350whp for a start until everything is sorted out. We found and bought an sn95 (might or might not be a Saleen because it looks like one but the previous owner doesn't know a lot about cars) for cheap but it had some problems. Both the transmission and the engine need to be replace or rebuilt soon. And since we don't have the budget right now for an engine and transmission rebuild (the budget is all going toward suspension and 'beefing up' the chassis first) we decided to swap in an LS1 (taken out of a fifth gen Chevy/Holden Caprice) that I found for $600. We still have to look for a transmission to bolt up to the engine. We are using the UPR LS swap kit for this which includes the k-member, A-arms, motor mounts, coilovers, optional bumpsteer kit, and hardware.

What we are doing for the suspension and chassis is:
- Eibach pro-system handling kit.
- A chassis stiffening kit from LMR.
- A roll cage
- SR performance caster camber plates


Now my questions are:
- What is the best spring rate to pick for this sort of build?
- Can the stock transmission be temporarely bolted up to the LS1 until we find a different gearbox?
- If any of you are familiar with LS1s, what sort of internals should we go for when we turbo the engine in the future?


Now the pictures:
*It is getting repainted and maybe even getting rid of the Saleen body stuff

 

[VOORHEES]

to an LS1 swap.

 

[MustangIIMatt]

LS1 (taken out of a fifth gen Chevy/Holden Caprice) that I found for $600.

What we are doing for the suspension and chassis is:
- Eibach pro-system handling kit.
- A chassis stiffening kit from LMR.
- A roll cage
- SR performance caster camber plates


Now my questions are:
- What is the best spring rate to pick for this sort of build?
- Can the stock transmission be temporarely bolted up to the LS1 until we find a different gearbox?
- If any of you are familiar with LS1s, what sort of internals should we go for when we turbo the engine in the future?

1. Pics of the engine, want to verify what you have, because the only Caprice that came with an LS-family engine has only been out a few years and $600 is an unbelievably good price on it. The old LT1s from the '94-96 models, on the other hand are dime-a-dozen, and for a good reason.
2. Okay plan I guess.

For your questions:
1. No idea
2. No. Completely different bellhousing bolt patterns, input shaft diameter/spline count, etc. By the time you bought or paid someone to fabricate adapters and modify the driveshaft, you probably could have bought a used T56 and modified the driveshaft the first time around.
3. Stock is actually fine with reasonable boost levels. They're overbuilt with 6-bolt mains, powdered-steel rods and strong cranks from the factory.

You'll find most around here will hate the idea of LS-swapping a Mustang. I'm not one of them. My '99 GMC Sierra made me a believer in just how ridiculously good the LS engine family is. If my Sierra had been totalled when I owned it, the LR4 (4.8L LS-family V8) from that truck would've been swapped into my Mustang II.

 

[mogs01gt]

First and foremost, that could be a saleen.
Tel: 248-743-4800.
([email protected])
http://www.saleen.com/location_contact.asp

Check first because you could get a bit more money and sell it, then use the money to dump into your "drifting" project.

First off:
Your suspension set up wont work. There will be too much bind with the existing live rear axle. You'd have to swap to a 3 link but your car would still drift like ass. You'll need an IRS out of a 01+ Cobra

questions:
1.You'll want to switch to coil overs in the front, Also, it sounds like you do not know too much about drifting or mustangs. Maybe these will help. Basic Drift Chassis Setup - Tech - Modified Magazine

Race car stiff is out — for drifting, you want to use spring rates that are only a little stiffer than typical high-performance street coilover spring rates.

Understanding & Upgrading your Mustangs Suspension R E A D
2. Ford and GM transmissions cannot be swapped without adapter plates.
3. You are seriously asking a Mustang website about internal components on a LSx engine?? Again, you may want to just start off with a simple mustang or camaro and learn about these cars before working on them. But I will answer your question. The current craze in the LSx world is taking a 4.8 v8 out of a truck and slapping a turbo on it. The 4.8 has stronger internals than the 5.3 or Ls1.

 

[m98alissa]

1. Pics of the engine, want to verify what you have, because the only Caprice that came with an LS-family engine has only been out a few years and $600 is an unbelievably good price on it. The old LT1s from the '94-96 models, on the other hand are dime-a-dozen, and for a good reason.

It turned out that the engine was just a short block. The owner said that he is selling the whole engine for $1100. It is taken out of a 2002-2006 Caprice LTZ (he didn't say what the year was specifically). Unfortunately, I don't have pictures because the engine is about 200Km away (125 miles) and I didn't go to check it out.

 

[mogs01gt]

It turned out that the engine was just a short block. The owner said that he is selling the whole engine for $1100. It is taken out of a 2002-2006 Caprice LTZ (he didn't say what the year was specifically). Unfortunately, I don't have pictures because the engine is about 200Km away (125 miles) and I didn't go to check it out.

The engine out of a 2002-2006 Caprice(which was only available in the Middle East) is an LT based engine, not an LS.

The Generation III 5.7 L shares little other than similar displacement, external dimensions, and rod bearings, with its predecessor (LT1). It is an all-aluminum 5,665 cc (5.665 L; 345.7 cu in) pushrod engine with a bore of 3.898 in (99.0 mm) and a stroke of 3.62 in (92 mm).[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_small-block_engine#cite_note-6

 

[m98alissa]

The engine out of a 2002-2006 Caprice(which was only available in the Middle East) is an LT based engine, not an LS.

The second generation of Chevy small block engines was the LT engines. The third generation is when the LS engines started.

LT engines (Gen II) were stopped in 1997 and replaced by the LS engines (Gen III).

 

[m98alissa]

Hey guys,
Some of you might have seen my previous post about LS swapping a 96 SN95. Our power goal is 550-600whp.

Sn95 Mustang Ls1 Swap... Help | Mustang Forums at StangNet

We still didn't buy the engine because we want to find everything first before being stuck with an incomplete engine. But we also have different options and your advice would be appreciated.

First option:
A friend is selling a 1JZ-GTE + 6266 precision turbo with a W-58 transmission and a spare automatic transmission because he is upgrading to a 2JZ. All of that is for about $2400.
The good thing about the 1JZ is that it would be able to handle the power with stock internals.
However, I don't think that the W-58 would be able to handle the power for that long. There is also going to be a lot of fabrication involved in putting the 1JZ in the Mustang.

Second option:
I have found an LS1 short block for $600, but the owner said he will sell the whole engine + wiring harness for $1100. We would still have to find a transmission to bolt up to the engine. We are going to use the UPR LS swap kit if we went with this option.
However, we would also probably have to build the engine and there would be a lot of fabrication involved when going turbo. Parts are also going to be expensive because we would have to import the UPR kit and the forged internals and shipping is expensive for car parts since they are heavy.

Third option:
The orignal owner said that he swapped the engine from a new edge into this which means that it already has the PI heads but I don't have any way of verifying it.
My plans is to build the engine and order the On3Performance single turbo kit. We would also have to rebuild/replace the transmission since it grinds in 2nd gear and I'm sure it is not going to hold up against 550whp.


Questions:
1. Which one seems like the best option to you?
2. How can we check if it actually has the PI heads?
3. If we kept the 2v, what inexpensive forged pistons and rods are there? (Doesn't have to be bullet proof since 550-600 whp is more than enough for us)
4. Are there rebuild kits for the transmission of does it have to be replaced?

 

[B.erazo712]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xtr-BiQK0E


Everyone and their mothers do LS swaps. I think it'd be pretty badass if you went with the 1JZ, then again there is going to be those people that over react because someone put a Japanese motor in a muscle car, vise versa. Whatever you feel is the best, don't make the car for anyone else other than yourself because in the end it is YOUR car.

 

[madspeed]

did you juat pull the power goals number out of a hat? Have you ever owned or driven a 500+ horsepower car??

 

[m98alissa]

did you juat pull the power goals number out of a hat? Have you ever owned or driven a 500+ horsepower car??

I have driven a Nissan Patrol making 480whp all motor owned by my brother (who is the owner of this Mustang and I'm helping him with the build). I haven't driven anything that's making that kind of power with forced induction though.
However, this Mustang is going to become a TRACK ONLY car and it is NEVER going to touch the streets again when it is done. That's why we are aiming for 550-600whp, we aren't stupid to drive it on the street.

 

[Mattstang04]

Given your options, I would just forge the bottom end of your 2v. No fab work. Readily available parts. Slap a Tremec trans to it, boost it, go racing.

Don't forget the level of attention the car will need after you complete the build. Stuff breaks. If your entire power train is made of fab parts and things never intended to be in the car, it gets frustrating and complicated. Your goals are achievable with what you have. Why make Frankenstein when you can build a terminator? Terminator was a much more reliable and efficient killing machine than Frankenstein.

 

[Noobz347]

I don't mean to sound inhospitable however, I also do not desire to have half a dozen threads spread all over the place about LS swaps.

I recognize the theoretical economy of such a swap but I also recognize that this seemingly cheap and easy route ends up being not so cheap and easy. Don't get me wrong... I've seen a couple of LS swaps done right but for the most part, they're shade tree hacks that end up as the next guy's project.

The trouble is that generally the initiator of these swaps hasn't the love for either the car or motor so the result (the ones that don't disappear into internet oblivion) ends up being half-assed.