Sahara54's Formula build thread

[SSlowBoat]

Thats for Harner to have and do, As for the LTX dyno days, Ive decided that end as something Ray and I did...

LTXtech.com is my drug...

but i understand. they were alot of fun and alot of good memories.

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[popo8]

but i understand. they were alot of fun and alot of good memories.

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And thats how I want them to remain... great memory with my LTX family and friends+. All with a great man who made sure we knew what was his, was ours to use...

LTXtech.com is my drug...

[shownomercy]

Organize some sort of get together popo

[Sahara54]

After a 6 month hiatus I'm back. So as you've seen from the last page or 2 I committed the ultimate sin and LS swapped my car (Shame!). To update; I ran the car through inspection in May/June and passed emissions with flying colors then subsequently failed for brakes. It's always had amazing brakes so that was a surprise. Easy fixes and in July the week of my wedding I tried my luck again and got the all but elusive (to me) passed slip with a little note "OK to antique". Paid my money and car is tagged for 2 years. All was well, Car ran and drove great even put AC back in. Here's where my luck showed up; i noticed while driving that my oil pressure would drop into the high teens at idle when hot and hang in the 30's when cruising. Ok..what ever as long as I have the 8psi per 1k I'm ok. Wrong...while taking it out to dinner with friends up north in Delaware City (70ish mile round trip) I accelerated from a stop light normally (3k shift) and I watched my oil pressure hit 0 and she laid over a bit. I freaked out but oil pressure popped back to 30ish and I kept going. Everything seemed normal, arrived at the friends house, ate, stared at the cobra forming a game plan for some upcoming mods. I wanted to let the car warm up a bit so I walked over and fired it up...Uncle Rod-ney joined our conversation. My wife even compliment me that night saying that that I took it very well and I was the calmest I've ever been when the car has had issues. Told her I was disappointed but the 220k LS1 did its job for inspection, no reason to get upset and I apologized in advance for the onslaught of boxes that were due to come because it was go time.

A week later I was able to retrieve the car from my buddy's house. My 2 jobs and trying to find a available car trailer took most of the week. On the same day, I ventured alil farther north and picked up a untouched "5.3" and hauled everything south in one fell swoop. I tucked it away in the garage and with the new engine on the stand I started to tear it down. I pulled the head and was greeted by flat top pistons (It's a 4.8) and by one cylinder full of coolant and rust pitting on the bore and a happy little bend rod on the same hole. It was worth it weight in scrap.

Sorry for the buzz kill first half but there's some sunshine in this story. Version 5 (lol..this is getting silly now) of this build has taken a turn. I now have a LM4 Aluminum 5.3 sitting on the stand to be cleaned up, rotates free and even used a bore camera to check the holes. It's good!! Oh and the complete Huron Speed T4 kit, VS7875, Trickflow SS2 cam and all the necessary goodies are here to slam this thing back together. Still have to get a few things to sort out in the rear, new axles for the 9" and dropping down from my 4.11 to a 3.55 gear but it's gonna go quick.

[popo8]

LT SWAP IT!

LTXtech.com is my drug...

[Sahara54]

LT SWAP IT!

LTXtech.com is my drug...

I mean I still have a LT sitting in the garage...2 of them actually.

[harner]

Great to hear about your plans! I'll continue to let your journey motivate me, haha! Actually, I may reach out when I'm ready to tear into mine again...hopefully soon. Also, if you decide to go 6.0, LMK - I have a lead on some.

[Sahara54]

So like normal the build has gone off the rails. I started with the LM4 aluminum block and tore it all the way down. I found a few of the cylinders weren't to spec, so I pulled the rods and piston and did a quick bore clean up with a ball hone. I didn't like the idea of reusing the stock gen 3 rod bolts as some "felt" off on re-torquing. A set of Eagle H beams w/ ARP L-19's and DSS Forged flat tops were sent home in the block. New Oil pump, LS2 chain and gears, the previously mentioned trickflow cam, Sac City barbell and all gaskets finished off the short block. The heads were very gummed up and got a full tear down a clean up with a valve lapping, valve seals and PAC1218's, fresh LS7 lifters and LS2 trays completed the valve train.

LS Turbo 1.jpg

LS Turbo 2.jpg

Turbo kit was mounted and a few things modified to account for the larger 7875 being used. Oil drain line provided didn't clear the compressor housing so a lower profile line was made. Also with the larger housing the down pipe now interacted with the starter and K member in multiple places. To combat this a BMR tubular turbo K and a LS3 starter were procured...original problems were solved but now didn't clear the BMR engine stands. A simple pie cut and re-weld to the DP was made along with some BFH persuasion. The car was lowered back onto the new K and engine. I will say even with multiple company's parts (BMR K, ICT solid mounts and factory trans K) every bolt lined up and went in perfectly. I spent the rest of the night plumbing the cooling system, fuel lines, PCV catch can, and finished the wire tuck. I'm relocated the battery to the trunk and went with a dyna-batt lightweight battery. Intercooler is mounted and cold side is plumbed and vacuum lines ran, went with hard vacuum line with quick connects all around. Still have to get the suspension back under the front, torque arm and driveshaft, make sway bar spacers. I'm also re-doing most of the aftermarket wiring in the car to make it easier to trouble shoot and wire in additional gauges. I decided to go with the GFB G-Force III boost controller since I can tap into my wideband for the BC to monitor AFR and boost cut if I go lean on a pull. Figure the more safety's the better.
LS Turbo 3.jpg
LS Turbo 5.jpg
LS Turbo 4.jpg

[SSlowBoat]

So like normal the build has gone off the rails. I started with the LM4 aluminum block and tore it all the way down. I found a few of the cylinders weren't to spec, so I pulled the rods and piston and did a quick bore clean up with a ball hone. I didn't like the idea of reusing the stock gen 3 rod bolts as some "felt" off on re-torquing. A set of Eagle H beams w/ ARP L-19's and DSS Forged flat tops were sent home in the block. New Oil pump, LS2 chain and gears, the previously mentioned trickflow cam, Sac City barbell and all gaskets finished off the short block. The heads were very gummed up and got a full tear down a clean up with a valve lapping, valve seals and PAC1218's, fresh LS7 lifters and LS2 trays completed the valve train.

LS Turbo 1.jpg

LS Turbo 2.jpg

Turbo kit was mounted and a few things modified to account for the larger 7875 being used. Oil drain line provided didn't clear the compressor housing so a lower profile line was made. Also with the larger housing the down pipe now interacted with the starter and K member in multiple places. To combat this a BMR tubular turbo K and a LS3 starter were procured...original problems were solved but now didn't clear the BMR engine stands. A simple pie cut and re-weld to the DP was made along with some BFH persuasion. The car was lowered back onto the new K and engine. I will say even with multiple company's parts (BMR K, ICT solid mounts and factory trans K) every bolt lined up and went in perfectly. I spent the rest of the night plumbing the cooling system, fuel lines, PCV catch can, and finished the wire tuck. I'm relocated the battery to the trunk and went with a dyna-batt lightweight battery. Intercooler is mounted and cold side is plumbed and vacuum lines ran, went with hard vacuum line with quick connects all around. Still have to get the suspension back under the front, torque arm and driveshaft, make sway bar spacers. I'm also re-doing most of the aftermarket wiring in the car to make it easier to trouble shoot and wire in additional gauges. I decided to go with the GFB G-Force III boost controller since I can tap into my wideband for the BC to monitor AFR and boost cut if I go lean on a pull. Figure the more safety's the better.
LS Turbo 3.jpg
LS Turbo 5.jpg
LS Turbo 4.jpg

NICE

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[Stormyweather]

Very nice. I need to win the lottery. You are living my dream. God speed man!

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