944V8inDFW

OH yeah the really cool thing about doing a conversion the right way is that all your Porsche controls works the same, including your AC and cruise control.

Conversions to any car have got a bad name because the ones you hear about or see non finished for sale are the ones that have been butched up because the misguided builder never took the time to understand, in this case, how the Porsche and GM systems can be made to work together.

Reimu

Hey 944v8 you seem to know your stuff... How well do the gauges work with the v8 in? What's required to get them working in a late 944?

944V8inDFW

The major thing for guages are getting the tach calibrated for a V8 several people that do it well. And getting a sender that is compatible with the temp and oil pressure guages. VDO makes the sensors and are around $25-$35 each. Some people have even used the origional 944 senders.

With certain computers of the LSx engine you generally dont need even have the tach converted.

Speedo and rest of your guages work as Porsche intended.

Dont't know who said this to me, but plan your work and work your plan.

As mentioned before the 944v8s conversion manual is a great step into planning your work. I have no affilation with the author or financial intrest in the book. I have done many conversions and bought the book anyway, because no matter how much or little experience you have there is always a tidbit that makes you say: Wow I didnt know that, or that is a far simpler solution to what i have been doing.

gt1scca

For the LS engines:
2 VDO senders...

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-360009/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VDO-323421/?image=large

The 944 tach is wired with a 4 cyl. "pulse" signal (factory output on the LS engine PCM) from the GM LS computer, and the speedo continues to operate on the Porsche pulse sender.

I know just enough to be a "Desert Rattler"...

968ls1

When you space the X member down you add bump steer, you might not feel it but it is there. On a street car it's not really an issue because you don't induce the excessive loads that occur with track use. On the track with stock aluminum control arms, soft spring (>250lbs) and lowered ride height it is an issue; if the car is lowered the A-arms will not be level at ride height and the ball joint pin can/will contact the area around the ball joint on the arm (I believe this is what happened on Marks car and why he put longer ball joint pins in-I am not crazy about them either). This problem can and does occur even on non-V8converted 944's that have been lowered. Notice on Tony's car he runs Racers Edge control arm that offer longer pins to correct the geometry change and 19mm race type ball joints that will not contact the body of the arm like a stock arm. Higher spring rates can offset some of this issue but not totally. Spacing the X-member down moves the body up so to get it back down you run a coil over shock or shorter spring: now your control arms are point up on the wheel side making the pin closer to the body of the arm; you hit a bump/rumble strip hard and the pin is forced outward contacts the arm and BAM you are OC!. Ask me how I know-I have been there. The spacers change geometry, add bump steer and move the roll center. All of this said, they can be run safely with aftermarket arms or even early control arms that have a ball joint with more articulation that don't run into the arm body. In the more than 10 years that I have been building and driving LT-1/LS1converted cars I have spent a lot of time on this issue and to ignore it or say it isn't so is asking for trouble; it might not come right away but it will. If you are going to do serious track time with spacers do what Tony, myself (8MM spacers) and many others have done by running aftermarket arms that won't have the interference issues a stock arm has. Nothing is free if you move one suspension pick up point it affect the rest of the suspension pick up points. Raising the body/moving the X-member down raises the center of gravity, changes the roll center, bump steer and camber gain. A good cost effective solution for early offset cars is to box the stock steel arms; they have a replaceable ball joint that offers more range of motion and won't run out of travel. I have never seen on of these ball joints brake and ran them for many years on my old LT4 car. I hope this info is helpful and might possibly keep someone from getting hurt in the event of a failure. It is great to see newer guys like GT1SCCA and XSCHOP continue to open the eyes of the consumer as well as developing new and improved solutions for these conversions. To do them right costs money but in the end if you do a quality conversion it is money well spent. I have been to many track times over the years where I spanked race cars or cars costing 3 to 4 times what I have in mine and it is very satisfying. Last spring we ran Road Atlanta and I turned consistent 1:33's battling with a new ZR1 on Hoosiers; I can't tell a lie, it was damn hard to wipe the smile off my face on the way back home.

gt1scca

Thanks Tom,
I was trying to "rattle" someone...

I did forget about the arms on Tony's car. I did not know MarcA changed the ball joints...

DVC

The V8 manual is well worth the money.

968ls1

Greg-Hope you rattled um-keep up the good work!! If I can ever help give me a shout.
Tom

gt1scca

You already have, but you may not realize it yet...
You talked me into this about, oh 5 years ago?

You created a MONSSTAAA...

Thanks Tom!
I'm not that far from R/A.

968ls1

I remember just didn't realize it was you and the bug bit you hard!!. I have a group of V8 944/968 conversion guys (5 of us) here in B'ham planning on taking our rides on the HOT ROD Power Tour this June, anybody want to join in?

xschop

Dropping the X-member only changes the angle of articulation limit on the alloy arms and bump-steer. It doesn't lower or raise the car. The modded RX7 arms and Bump-steer drop pins on my car take care of all these issues at a 1.25" X-member drop. I always thought, why lower the car and shorten the spring/strut travel when you can just lower the X-member and Engine itself and still keep the same suspension travel. But to each his own, there is more than 1 way to skin a cat or run over one....hehe

gt1scca

If I can get MY car together...manual rack conversion, Tilton Dual MC brakes, Wilwood clutch master...The list goes on.

Need a "fill-in" driver, just in case I drag my feet?
(HeHeHe...)

968ls1

XS measure your ride height W/O the spacer. Then add the spacer the fender/body will be raised equal to the thickness of the spacer. I saw your post on drop spindles was that not to lower the body back down rather than shorten the spring to return to the original ride height and correct bumpsteer? I agree that there is more than one way to skin a cat but in my experience the less you change the factory geometry the fewer mods will be needed to make a correction.

968ls1

Get to work man! My 11 year old son has dibs on the passenger seat but if you have a skateboard and a ski rope we might be able to work something out. Oh yea, bring your helmet too. haha
Tom

gt1scca

Funny...

My helmet is for SCCA duties, guess I'll get busy!