ls1 e28 build

Stealthfighter: Don't be nervous....just go for it. The only way I have been able to do these swaps is I just go for it and MAKE it work. I did the m42 swap and many people said it was WAY to much work. It was simple. I had a running/driving car is under 30 days and I have had to do nothing to it sense. I have put on around 6k miles.... If there is any tip I say, plan plan plan, lots of research, and google images :)

Thanks for all the nice words guys. The motor mounts are done now. Letting the welds cool off a bit and I will work on the trans mount. The goal for the day is to have the engine mounted and sitting in its final home.

Oh yeah...the hood closes!!

It doesn't look like a very big update from the pictures but the motor mounts are done. I was hoping to finish the trans mount too but that didn't happen.

I did put in a 2002 brake booster and it clears everything but I am not sure if the master cylinder is going to end up clearing the exhaust manifold or not. I actually think the stock e28 booster would go back in now and miss everything. I have a couple options for brakes now so I am not too worried...either a vacuum booster, or remote booster. If the MC is close I might just move the booster over a little bit.

On to some pictures

Plate bolted to the block and another bolted to the mount drivers side passenger side

cardboard template...will this hold it?

transfer to metal in the bandsaw

a little bit of trimming here and there and weld....BOOM! I am going to have the mounts powder coated. Should I go with something simple like...black or should I go bright and show them off. Help me choose the color.

in place - drivers, exhaust will either snake out in between the block and steering box or out the front between the mount and the alternator

passenger side

sitting on mounts

under - I wish it could be a little lower but the trans is just a tiny bit above the support bar that goes from side to side. Also the steering track rod is about 1/2" away from the bottom of the oil pan. But this way the oil pan is up above the subframe. I can install the under body plastics someday...if i buy them.

shifter centered in console

2002 booster with e28 master cylinder

Hoping to find time tomorrow to do the trans mount and measure for the drive shaft. My wife is off work starting tomorrow so we will see what can get done in the garage.

jakeb wrote: oooo flooring? can a mod delete that?

Que? I can delete anything, but I'm not sure what you're asking me to delete.

haha sorry, I cut and pasted from another forum (bimmerforums) and there was some spam. Edited and removed. So I guess you could remove this post and yours...if you want.

You make it look so easy!

The way the shifter is centered in the factory console is just fantastic. What a great detail!

This is one helluva project.

Another small update.... I didn't get a TON done today but made some headway and the engine is now 100% mounted and its weight is supported by the car.

I was also busy making the parts needed for m42 mounts. I sure do love my band saw.

Trans mount was a bit tricky because each side of the body is at a little different angle and height. It is only tacked right now. It will get fulled welded when the engine comes back out. I will also trim a lot of the extra angle off it and add some gussets between the angle and the flat bar. I might see about drawing it in cad and have a piece piece cut and bent.

I will need to "clearance" the tunnel in a couple spots

This is the skip shift solenoid, it will get removed

Sitting down on all 4, no weight on the lift

peaking out...

A few more general pictures of the engine...man I am happy how it looks in there

I got a set of vette manifolds to try. The driver side manifold on the drivers side will not fit for sure. The outlet is directly on top of the steering box. But....the passenger side on the drivers side does fit and the pipe can go out between the motor mount and alternator. With some heat shielding. It is still pretty tight but juuust might work. I have a couple other ideas to try. I might try a 02 camaro passenger side on the drivers side and also might check on an escalade drivers side on the drivers side. There is one brand new at the local advance auto for only $80. Worth looking at.

Brake master cylinder clears...close but clears. That is still the 2002 booster...going to try the stock one again and if that doesn't work I will run a porsche 944 booster.

I tracked down an e31 rear diff cover and going to see if I can mount that up so the diff is supported from both sides.

Drive shaft length is figured out so I can order that. Really all that is left to fab and figure out is the exhaust, coolant lines,`electric (fan(s)), AC stuff, wiring (which is all pretty easy and documented already)

Soon everything will come out and the suspension will all come down to get powder coated, etc etc. The t56 needs some work to the reverse gear syncro. Then it can all go back together.

So far so good!!

Bet you could use truck manifolds mounted upside down, and they would dump out in front just perfectly for a pair of turbos....

What is the suspension like on those e28s? Can they be made to handle well?

haha yes there actually is room for turbos... No turbos on this car. It will have enough power for awhile.

Yes you can make them handle pretty good. They are similar to an e30 in the rear but have a true coil over in the rear. With a trailing arm setup.

Right now it has bilsteins and eibach/cut 535 springs. I am debating going coil overs or not. I like the idea of being able to adjust the height for summer vs. winter

I would like to know why the e30 did not get a true coil over out back. It's not the end of the world, but it is kind of annoying me.

I agree it is a little strange why the e30 has the spring and shock separate.

jakeb wrote: I agree it is a little strange why the e30 has the spring and shock separate.

And the E36 and E46 too. I don't know about the E9x cars.

Great donor chassis, awesome drivetrain, completely unassuming good looks? Love it! Digging the super beefy overkill engine mounts and tranny crossmember as well, nice to see someone that didn't use wet cardboard, JB Weld, and a prayer.

haha, yeah I normally go overkill with the mounts. I was going to use some sort of square for the engine mounts but everything I used I already had and didn't have to run out to the metal shop.

I tried a truck manifold just for the heck of it and it is a no go. I might look for an 02 camaro passenger on the drivers side. There is a yard about 30 miles from that has one for $50. Worth a shot

Now you start to enter the 'nickle and dime' stage of the build.

I remember with my eg33 impreza, I had the motor mounted and bolted up and able to start for about $1200.

Now I'm close to $2500 and I still need a y-pipe.

haha yes I am getting to the nickle and dime...more like the $1 and $5. I am at around $2200 for the engine/trans and the purchase/shipping of the car itself. That is after parting out the camaro. I am guessing I will have another 1-2k in parts.

But I am replacing all the brakes, lines, powerder coating everything, coilovers, etc etc etc so I am going to be sun 5k for a car with all the running gear and around 350hp. I think I am doing pretty good.

Some work done today (morning was spent making m42 mounts for people).

I picked up a set of CTS-V manifolds yesterday to test....they didn't fit. The c6 vette manifolds fit but are REALLY close to the frame rail. I also have to run the passenger side on the drivers side and then would have to loop the pipe back around the motor mount. So....I have a set of 98-99 camaro manifolds on the way that are stamped steel that I can cut up and fit how I need. I am hoping they are here by the end of the week....we'll see tho.

On to the pictures and update...

Bought a new "toy/tool" yesterday

Dropped the gas tank...it wasn't leaking but it wasn't far off. 26 years is pretty good on a tank I would say.

Dropped the rear subframe and all the front suspension. Still debating what I am going to do for suspension. A lot of the parts are already new which is excellent! New bilstein sports, etc. Either stick with the springs that are on it...eibachs in the back, cut 535 in the front or go with an adjustable coilover setup. It is getting rear subframe adjusters from Ireland.

I am really happy with how little rust I am finding. The worst of it is in the front corners where the jacking points are. There are some spots that need to be cut out and new stuff welded in. I am thinking I will clean it up as much as I can without getting too deep into it and then take care of it the right way this spring/summer.

A couple pictures showing how solid it is. Any small spots of rust will get cleaned up and painted with some POR type paint.

The diff mount has seen better days...I doubt these get changed very often.

The rear subframe assembly is pretty much all apart. The plan for the next couple days is to get everything taken apart and ready to go to the powder coater. I am hoping to have the exhaust manifolds by the end of the week so I can get that figured out. Then the engine can come out and I can clean up the engine bay while I wait for parts and the parts to get coated. The goal is to have it running by early February.

How hard was it to drop the gas tank? Mine is starting to rust and I'm afraid of the day that I have to drop it.

Not hard at all...only 3 bolts holding it in. Three vent lines at the filler neck and two fuel lines off the pump.

I do have a lift and a rolling trans jack so it makes things a little easier. But I wouldn't think it would be too bad with just a jack either.

Love this thread. You are inspiring me to do a LSx swap into something, sometime.

The cosmoline on the hood just bothers the hell out of me...

Looking forward to progress updates. Keep up the good work.

Back to work so not as much can get done....but here is a small update.

Struts are all broken down, reinforced the sway bar connection. Rear trailing arms are all broke down waiting to go to the powder coater. Ireland subframe adjusters are on the way

The pressed steel 98 fbody manifolds got here and the passenger side is a PERFECT fit. I may still add an extension and a vband connector rather than the HUGE GM flange.

I cut the drivers side manifold up and added a 2.25" bend/downpipe to get down past the steering box. There will be a vband at the bottom where it can tie into the rest of the exhaust. It was a bit tricky to make it so I can get the manifold in and out with the engine in the car but it is working out.

Here are a couple pictures of the exhaust manifolds. Passenger side

Drivers side.... only the flange cut off, dumps pretty much directly into the steering box. not going to work...

A bit more "trimmed" and things are fitting better

Where it will exit

Then I will tie the other pipes in..

The drivers side isn't optimal but it will work. Not too many options on the drivers side. The heat shield will go back over the drivers side manifold to give a little heat protection to the master cylinder....as it is close.

The engine will come back out this weekend. I can finish welding the transmission mount. Make the engine and trans mounts look a little nicer before they go off to be powder coated. Front subframe is going to get reinforced where the steering box mounts (common braking point) then it will go to the coater. About to put in a big order with blunt....

A bunch of wiring to start on...clean up the engine bay. Figure out if I should stick with the stock e28 AC condenser or get something updated...

Coming along tho

Would it be possible to use a passenger side header on the driver's side, and then loop the exhaust pipe forward and down then back? The battery tray probably gets in the way but if I remember you're moving it to the trunk anyway.