LS1 V8 fd conversion progress thread

[SmbFD3S]

I\'ve been reading this with much interest as am planning to do something similar myself in the near future, and am impressed with how you\'ve got on so far tbh...
 
I see you\'ve not posted for a while and was just wondering if everything\'s still going ok or if you\'ve hit a few problems??

[Spartacus]

Well work goes on but not that much of it is related to the swap. Things like new brakes, underseal, converting the rear fog lamp, sound deadening, battery relocation etc etc. All this is while I\'m waiting for a short shift kit for the gearbox. Once it arrives (should be soon) the engine and box can go in. With any luck this should be next week some time, and with that I\'ll try and post a new raft of updates. I think I have worked out all the wiring. Originally I anticipated that some guys in the US would have their GTO motors running by now and would publish a walk through but as that hasn’t happened I’ve searched the web for circuit diagrams etc and I\'m 95% sure that I now know what needs to be done. If it works out I\'m happy to publish what’s needed for anyone else.

[Spartacus]

Just to show that I’ve not been sitting around, well not much anyhow, here are a few pics of what I’ve been up to with the conversion.
As most of the interior is out I thought I would add a few kgs of Dynamat extreme under the bins and in the doors for now.



I’ve also done the battery relocation into one of the bins. The main supply will now go straight to the LS1 starter via a 200A fuse and a 150A circuit breaker, then onto the alternator and finally the original Mazda main/secondary fuse box.



The rad I will be using is from a mid eighties Corvette which just fits and believe it or not a Volvo S60 fan and shroud after a bit of dremeling here and there and some ally tube for spacing.



I’ve have been waiting for a short shift kit which apart from sharpening up the changes will also help me be able to adjust the position of the gear lever. The pre 2004 box\'s put the lever right at the front of the Mazda opening and the post 2004 right at the back.
Well it arrived this morning so that has just been swapped and now I\'m just about ready to drop the engine and box in.

[banned advertiser]

Dynamat extreme, dosnt this stiuff wiegh a lot?

great project by the way, be good to se it in the flesh

[Spartacus]

Dynamat extreme, dosnt this stiuff wiegh a lot?

great project by the way, be good to se it in the flesh

According to the web site it\'s 2.20kg/m2 and so far I\'ve used about 3m2 but I have ditched a heavy battery in favour of a light weight:Santa

[marco]

that battery relocation looks very nicely done! any chance of a few more details, like where you got the bits, and what wnet where? I am thinking of doing exactly the same in mine in the next few weeks so opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

[RobMatthews]

Why have you used a fuse and circuit breaker?

[Spartacus]

Why have you used a fuse and circuit breaker?

The circuit breaker is safe to use for general overloads but should there be a complete short of the main cable (especially as it now runs through the car) the current could jump across the contacts or even weld them closed hence the fuse of a higher rating. The circuit breaker is also handy to have to isolate the battery easily now that it’s in a bin.

[Spartacus]

that battery relocation looks very nicely done! any chance of a few more details, like where you got the bits, and what wnet where? I am thinking of doing exactly the same in mine in the next few weeks so opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

The battery is a varley redtop 40 (http://www.varleyredtop.co.uk/products_30.htm) not cheap but it fits really well, it\'s light and should provide all the power you would ever need. I used flexible 50mm sq cable to run to the starter then 35mm from there to the alternator and from the alternator to the Mazda Fuse box\'s. If you were just doing a battery relocation I would run it to the main fuse box after you have cut off the existing battery terminal to keep it neat (circled in red). The circuit breaker is a 150 amp Stinger SCB150 and the fuse holder and fuse are a generic ANL 200amp. The cable, lugs and battery I bought over here but found all the rest much cheaper in the US.
If you need some links for the UK suppliers let me know and I\'ll dig them up.

[marco]

I have found a battery ( i think)
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/xstatic-x800-p-3719.html
and I guess I can pick up cabling, circuit breaker etc from say demon tweeks? or is there somewhere a fair bit cheaper?
i take it you drilled the floorpan to pass the cable to the starter, did you use some kind of protective sleeving for the cable under the car? I was thinking of doing the same thing. the circuit breaker and fuse combo (which I will probably shamelessly copy off you) will provide the starter motor with protection and then from there the main fuse block can do its normal stuff, the other way would require a much longer run of cable, which cant do that much good surely!

[efiniste]

How come you\'ve put a fuse AND a circuit breaker?

[Spartacus]

I have found a battery ( i think)
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/xstatic-x800-p-3719.html
and I guess I can pick up cabling, circuit breaker etc from say demon tweeks? or is there somewhere a fair bit cheaper?
i take it you drilled the floorpan to pass the cable to the starter, did you use some kind of protective sleeving for the cable under the car? I was thinking of doing the same thing. the circuit breaker and fuse combo (which I will probably shamelessly copy off you) will provide the starter motor with protection and then from there the main fuse block can do its normal stuff, the other way would require a much longer run of cable, which cant do that much good surely!

I got my battery from here https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/
For the cable etc have a look through these links, I used most of them for bits and pieces.
http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/
http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/home/homepage.php
http://www.power-store.com/view-item.asp?itemid=285&id=63&page=2&
http://www.shop.pcscables.co.uk/products.asp?SubCategory=10

The Cable run to the starter was through the front side of the bin and under the carpet to the side following the other cables. Once you get to under the seat I used one of the floor hollows/grooves to roughly the centre of the pedals. If you pull back the carpet from behind the pedals you will find a large grommet, I used this to get me into the right hand chassis rail with the help of some 15mm plastic water pipe about a foot long to protect the cable as there are various box sections to go through. There are various ready made holes along the side of the chassis rail in the engine bay and I used one of these with a grommet to come out near where the starter terminal is.
Just a tip I would defiantly get the flexible cable as it’s much easier to follow the curves and bends of the car.

The earth cable went through the inner side of the bin where you will find a large tapped hole which is used for the rear seatbelts when used. Make sure you remove all the paint before bolting the lug to there though.

To be honest for you I would have thought it would have been easier to run the cable from the passenger side bin and go straight to the main fuse block leaving the rest of the Mazda wiring intact. I only did it the way I have done for my V8 conversion. You wouldn\'t be saving much on cable and it would make it a lot easier I would guess.

I\'ll pop a pic up of where my cable comes into the engine bay next time the cars out.

[Spartacus]

How come you\'ve put a fuse AND a circuit breaker?

Answered in post 98 :Thumbs-up

[efiniste]

Just spotted that, sorry!

[RobMatthews]

A piece of advise from experience carry a spare fuse and correct allen key just in case you do blow the main fuse! i had a set up in a previous car with the battery\'s in the boot and had a short and cut all the cars power,problem was i was over 100 miles from home and rac man was not very helpfull when he seen i had a modified car.:p