xschop

Yes, crate motors are just a way to drop a few extra grand if you are in a hurry or looking for an extra tax write off. I spent $700 total for my long block, access, harness, and ecm when I installed the 5.3 in the 944. With an off-shelf Z06 cam, I was walking on my friend's C5 vette.
I'm surprised your not looking into the LS4 accessories to see how much front engine spacing you can achieve.

martsink

Actually I have to use an LS4 harmonic balancer. Other than that nothing fits. I believe people tried using LS4 water pump, but its a no go. Have to go with remote electric water pump.

xschop

I was wondering about the actual LS4 WP clearance near upper drivers side firewall.
Remote WP is a good idea.

martsink

Hey guys! Not much to update this week as I’m pretty much waiting on 90% of the parts to finish this build. I’m getting everything shipped to the same location in Buffalo to save on border fees. Once my engine mount kit is here, the build should really pick up.

Here are some pictures of my electric power steering conversion. There is no room in the engine bay to run a belt pump, so this conversion is a must! I am using a Vauxhal Astra power steering pump that I purchased from UK. I believe this is the same model pump as Porsche uses in their GT3 cars. The pump itself was pretty cheap, but it’s the shipping that killed me. The pump fits perfectly in the front trunk, on the opposite side of the brake master cylinder. This is a good location, since it won’t take up your trunk space, and its excellent for wiring.

Things you will need:

• Vauxhall power steering pump. MR2 pump is also a popular choice.
• 8 gauge wire. Not too much, about 2-3 feet, depending on how much cable came with your pump.
• 2 x 8 gauge lugs to hook up the pump to ground and battery
• 16 gauge wire. Buy a decent amount. This wire will be used to run the ignition signal to the pump.
• -6 AN power steering hose. I used Russell 632620. Either way you go, make sure to get high pressure rated power steering hose. The power steering system pressure goes as high as 2500 psi.
• -6 AN Fittings. Russell 620421, 620401, and 648060. The first two are for steering rack side, and the third one is for pump outlet.
• Custom Porsche steering rack to -6 AN fittings. I’m still not sure what to do about this one. GSR offers a set, but they are way too expensive. I might source a manufacturer in China and make a whole bunch if there’s interest. I also made drawings for these if anyone needs them. Just email me!
• Grommets for the power steering hose holes
• 80A circuit breaker
• Basic crimper or solder
• Custom pump bracket

-The 8 gauge wires will go directly to the battery and ground. Put the 80A circuit breaker on the power wire.

-There are three other small wires, but I don’t think the brown/white one is used for anything. You need +12 in the other two wires in order for the pump to run. The best way to do this is to wire the black one to the ignition wire, and the blue/white one the alternator dash light. This will ensure that the pump is on only when the alternator is running. You can also wire one of these to a switch, should you need to turn off your power steering. I used a relay in my setup just to keep the power steering pump separate from the rest of the car wiring.

-You will need to figure out a way to hook up the -6 AN return line to the power steering pump. The easiest way to do this is to cut the stainless housing and stretch out the core until it slides over, and then use a hose clamp. This is a low pressure return, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
-You will need a custom mounting bracket for the pump. I just got nylon working on my 3D printer, so hopefully I can make something with that.

You can see more pictures here. They are not great, but I will update them once the pump pump is in.

halo777

Very cool!

PorscheDoc

Here is the link to the GSR kit for those that want to easy route. Not cheap, but seems nice.

http://store.gsrautosport.com/gsrele...p/gsrpskit.htm

martsink

Just got off the phone with Renegade, and I got some bad news. They had some issues with the flywheel, so they are currently in the process of redesign. I was told that the prototype is nearing completion, but it will be at least a couple of weeks until it's ready for production. Not really sure what I should tackle now... I got 8 packages waiting for pickup in Buffalo, but there's no point in driving down without the kit. I guess I'll take the time off to get serious with my job search.

If you plan on doing this through Renegade, do yourself a favour and order the kit as early as possible. I placed an order at the end of January and I'm still waiting.

Here's a rundown of things that need to be done:

• Pick up the packages from Buffalo. This includes:
  -Low profile LS2 oil pan to improve ground clearance
  -C5 Corvette engine mounts
  -Wevo Boxster S transmission mounts
  -Oil pressure sensors and relocation hardware. Once the intake is flipped 180 degrees, it will not clear the oil pressure sensor.
  -LS1 fuel filter/regulator. The LS1/LS6 fuel rails don't have a return line, so the regulator is located on the filter.
  -Engine parts: gaskets, head bolts, harmonic balancer bolt, intake bolts, remote thermostat housing, LS4 harmonic balancer. There's not enough clearance for a regular harmonic balancer, so you will have to purchase an LS4 unit.
  -A whole bunch of fitting and lines
• Engine. Still waiting on that kit from Renegade. I might just make my own reinforcement plate and weld that in while I'm waiting.
• Wiring. Still looking for LS1 harness and ECU. The harness will need some work to get rid of the unnecessary bits. On the Porsche side, I'm probably just going to make my own harness. It only needs a couple of sensors, so there's no point in ruining a good one. I might just buy an ECU plug from itsnotanova on the 986 forum to make things easier. If you need some parts for your build, he's the man!
• Throttle pedal. I just purchased a cable throttle pedal from an early Boxster. Still gotta figure out how to route it to the engine. I'm looking into purchasing a Mr. Gasket universal bell crank to match the pedal travel to the LS1 TB.
• Brakes. I need to replace all the brake lines and one hard line. I'm thinking about buying a Copper Nickel coil and replacing the hardline myself. Currently designing a tube straightener. I also have to fix the vacuum lines.
• Electric power steering. I pretty much have this one figure out, just have to cut the lines and put everything together. I'm thinking about leaving this one for last in case I have to relocate some stuff. I do still need -6 AN fittings that go into the steering rack. If you have a machine shop, please get in touch with me.
• Interior. The interior will remain mostly stripped, except for the custom door cards. I will most likely get some Rennline stuff for pedals and floor. I'm still looking for some nice budget racing seats.
• Suspension. I think I will keep the stock suspension until I have the car on the road. The rear struts are fairly new, but the front ones are looking pretty rough. Once I have the money, I will probably get a set of PSS9s.

This is all I have for now. Thanks for following guys, and sorry about the lack of updates.
Vlad

JBsZ06

Exciting read....looking forward to your progress as the parts become available. Thanks for sharing.

tcsracing1

going to be expensive for what it is when completed...
But kudos for trying!
It is like watching monster garage!

clearwaterms

why do you say that? The LS motors make good power and are reliable motors. I would argue that other than the weight it is an all around better motor than the m96.

martsink

The weight difference is actually negligible. Both motors weigh around 420 lbs.

martsink

It will be a little more than I expected, but I don't think $15,000 CAD ($12,000 USD) is all that much for what it's going to be. I could buy a decent condition S for that money, but it definitely wouldn't be as reliable or make as much power. Plus, to me its all about having a fun project.

clearwaterms

Doesn't the LS carry the weight higher in the chassis being a 60 deg. v instead of a 180 deg. flat 6. I imagine that most people wouldn't notice that but I remember it being mentioned in the renegade you-tube videos.

martsink

Yeah, you are right about the center of gravity. I spoke to a few people about it, but nobody noticed any difference in handling. I tried doing some research to find out the centre of gravity of both engines for comparison, but couldn't find anything online.

white out

Great build! I'm interested to see how tight the fit is in a 986.

If the engine is still apart, update the valve buckets to LS6 style.

I did the swap on my 996 (fbody LS1), feel free to ask me any questions.

As for harness, contact PSI and tell them you need an elongated harness (to the fuse box/PCM) for a Porsche application.