LS3 Build Thread - S13 Hatch - Hate the V8!

[Pstl_pete]

After getting rid of my previous 240, an SR-powered S14, I jumped over to an EVO X (now sold) and it was a pretty awesome car in every aspect but I missed the fun of RWD bad enough to convince myself to buy an S13 and build me a proper daily driver.

This time around though, I wanted to do something different with the motor. I thought long and hard about a 2JZ swap but ultimately chose the LS3 V8 because of the reliable power and stock driveability I can get out of it. Plus, the plan was for me to CARB it but after talking to a lot of the Hot Rod guys, Carb has yet to approve the LS3 E-rod package and running aftermarket headers is a big no no so I think that idea is gone. Ill still check the stock header clearance just to be sure but Im 99% sure it aint gonna happen.

Anyways, I picked this chassis up from Drift Freaq and was pretty happy with what I got. A clean, straight shell.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx202.jpg

Since the paint was bad, I began tearing it down to prep it for paint.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx205.jpg

Decided now would be a good time to roll the fenders BEFORE paint. Having an Eastwood roller handy makes this job so much easier than a baseball bat which Ive used in the past.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx206.jpg

I pieced together a complete Kouki Type X areo kit minus the front lip which I havent been able to find yet.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx207.jpg

This is how she looked before heading to paint.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx208.jpg

Visited the paint shop a couple of times, Donylson Auto Concepts up in Eaglerock, CA. I was happy to see that they were actually welding up the signal marker light holes rather than using bondo.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx209.jpg

Came back several weeks later and the car was done. Man, was I happy. Not a sign of any orange peel whatsoever!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx219.jpg

Shits glossy!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx225.jpg

I didn't ask for them to paint my engine bay but they did it for me anyways. Its nice and clean looking now just like the paint.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx234.jpg

My E-ROD LS3 engine package is on back order right now but I've got the hot cam version sitting at the office which Ill be using as a temporary mock up.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx236.jpg

Dropped a Deatschwerks 300lph fuel pump into the tank which should be adequate enough to handle the LS3's stock 430hp.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx241.jpg

I slowly started putting some of the exterior pieces back on the car like the kouki taillights. I dont want to jump the gun and throw the rest of the aero on just to have it scratched during the swap and other work being done on the car.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx242.jpg

Threw the car up on jack stands where it will sit until everything is installed.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx955.jpg

Removed the rear Hicas subframe. I thought about getting a stopper bar but instead ditched the whole system for a non-hicas subframe.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx243.jpg

Got some Circuit Sports arms for the new subframe.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx244.jpg

Then it was off to TechnoSquare with my diff...
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx248.jpg

To drop a Quaife diff into it. Since I plan to use this car mainly for the street I opted out of a more aggressive diff and figured this would be perfect for what I need.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx260.jpg

Howard was great, he cleaned my old housing and put a lot of time and care into installing the Quaife.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx264.jpg

Only problem was my LSD output shafts wouldn't work in the Quaife diff. Had to source some NON LSD ones, luckily a buddy had a set lying around.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx279.jpg

Picked up front and rear Ichiba hubs despite the warnings of the poor bearing quality. I guess Ill find out first hand how long they last. Im so short on time that even though I would have liked to go to an OE S14 setup, this would be the easier route for now. I pressed in some ARP long studs as well since Ill be running spacers.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx994.jpg

Oh and Im hoping to retain my ABS so I pressed the ring off the old hubs and onto the new ones.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx998.jpg

Then came the Wilwood big brake kit. Im keeping OE rear brakes for now but will eventually go to a Z32 or Evo rear brake setup.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx306.jpg

I've been running KW coilovers with a lot of success on my other cars so I decided to give them a try on the 240. My only concern is how low they can go but I really have enjoyed the ride quality of these on my Integra and Im hoping the same compliant ride will carry over into the 240.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx292.jpg

Ill be running a set of Enkei NT03M 18x9.5 +27 wheels all around with some Bridgestone Potenza S04 235/40R18 tires. Tested fitted them to see if they will clear the coilovers without spacers and they just barely touch.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx332.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx336.jpg

My stock carpet had a rather ugly looking coffee stain in it so I ordered a new carpet from stockinteriors.com and thought oh this will be easy.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx346.jpg

WRONG! You have to cut every hole in the carpet and trim it to size. This took damn near a day to do and I still have some minor trimming to finish. Not sure I would go this route again.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx352.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx358.jpg

The stock seats were junk so I replaced them with a set of Corbeau GTS II seats which are pretty damn good. Im going to have to shave the bottom cushions out quite a bit to make them sit at stock ride height but they should work out just fine.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx362.jpg

So that's where the car sits right now. I'm feverishly waiting for my engine to arrive, Ive got all the Sikky conversion parts ready to go so once its here, I'll be dropping that shit in STAT. Im also waiting on my rear ARP studs which have prevented my from re-installing the subframe. They should be here in 2 weeks.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx993.jpg

More to come as I keep plugging away on this car.

UPDATE: I've put together a full how-to LS swap guide on my site: http://speed.academy/nissan-240sx-v8-ls3-engine-swap-guide-how-to-part-1/ Now it's easier than ever to swap a V8 into your 240!

[GeneralLee562]

Bravo! Thats the only true right way to do it...from scratch. Nice build up, great quality pics and discriptions. Keep it up man. Once shes done there better be a vid on the first drift hehehe.

Good luck.

[ILoveMyRHS13]

I just want to say THANK YOU for taking proper pictures of your build.

[jdizzy204]

build looks to be top notch. very clean so far. Keep up the good work!!

Also, that is quite a shop you have at your disposal

[hessianben]

ah so.....

this is how a build is sposed to be!

[future]

Nice build so far. Threads like this keep us going

[CamryOnBronze]

Awesome progress, Pete! The wheels look awesome on there- hopefully GM stops screwing around soon and your engine shows up!

[Nick_04K]

This is going to be a great build.
Ls3 e rod plus black kouki type x is the business.
And I like your wheel choice too!

[97240TB]

I'm pleasantly surprised in the recent uptake in nice build threads. This is bye far my favorite though, big engine little car, Type X, with great wheels.

This car has trogdor written all over it...:trogdor:

Keep up the great work.

[Persona]

Great looking build, great looking garage to work in!

[taran!]

Great Build! I'm Definitely looking forward to updates!

[StReeTz]

Wow great build so far! That looks like a dream shop.

[RussellM]

Finally some pictures! Glued to this thread now.

[tricky_ab]

I'm pleasantly surprised in the recent uptake in nice build threads. This is bye far my favorite though, big engine little car, Type X, with great wheels.

This car has trogdor written all over it...:trogdor:

Keep up the great work.

This times a milli...Thanks for sharing and taking great pictures!

[tac 1]

Nice build. I thought e-rod would pass carb, I was just watching about it on spike last week end, guess not. Donylson's price is up there but quality is one of the best, pretty cool guy too (Francis). I remember my friend and I picked up his wife's ride and he'd mentioned that his wife was at the hospital giving birth. Francis gave some cash for the baby and took out the deductible on top of the little scratches he fixed for free.

[sc400rada]

Nice work Paint looks good.

[ZilviaKid]

when i read your user name i immediately thought of this.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Li0Ssy1CODY/TJlmWz3tENI/AAAAAAAADrQ/zz9oSUqKoeg/s1600/Texas+Pete+Buffalo+Wing+Sauce+1b.jpg

nice build, keep it up!

[Flicktitty]

Clean car. it's gonna be badass! keep it up.

[JaredP]

very nice man, paint looks top notch. cant wait to see it on the road!

[Killa_D]

looks like a good start i should of painted my engine bay lol

[Backintoans13]

Wow....looks like its going to be a sick build.....even if its "another" V8 build lol

[STL240SXDRIFT]

Nice build man!!! Can't wait to see it on the ground!

[Razi]

Awesome work!

How much did the paintjob cost you?

[Imarvin240]

cars looking good, should be a fun car when shes done

[Abravo]

Looks like monster in progress.
hows suspension so far?

[s13coupedrfter]

Awsome build....wish you didnt go with the Ichiba hubs though. The first ones I got lasted a day before the bearings failed. I retorqued to FSM thinking that would cure the problem but it made no difference. Returned them for another set and the bearings lasted 2 days. My spindles were not the problem. I used a calibrated torque wrench from work each time. I ended up going OEM s14 without any problems.

Moral of the story....FUCK ICHIBA.

[JaredP]

for what its worth, you can get any oem s13 bearing, and press the bearing part out of it, and press it into the ichibas. a buddy of mine did this and never had a problem again

[CamryOnBronze]

I've had my Ichiba hubs on the car for about 18k miles or so without issues. It sounds like it's all by the luck of the draw, though.

[kraven9]

Your build looks top notch. GL wih everything.

[NewS13Guy]

Sweet build...i was waiting for someone else to do a lsx swap in a S13...build looks good! Subscribed!

[da_crew10]

Nice I want to do a v8 in my type x soon!

Keep up the good work!

[NewS13Guy]

update?????

[jdm_rydaa]

its lookin good bro. cant wait to see it as it gets done. keep us updated

[Broadfield]

Hey Peter, looking good so far. I heard through the grapevine you had a build thread on here.... I said no way. Low and behold here you are.... and it looks as though you are definitely going to be done before me. I hate you! :-)

[Gjohnson7]

Looks great man! Keep the pics and updates coming!

[singlecamslam]

i wish i had money.

[Pstl_pete]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I was on vacation for the past week so I didnt get much done. This weekend Im going to tackle a lot including banging out the firewall, getting it ready for the LS3 and will get more of my interior back together.

Ill leave you with the photos of my new Cibie headlights that I got from clearcorners.com. After doing some research I decided on these over the ebay projector headlights because of the OEM beam pattern vs a blinding projector on the ebay headlights.

Im eager to test these out as I know the stock headlights are very poor in brightness. You cant really see in this photo but its approx half the thickness.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/cibie1.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/cibie2.jpg

Oh and the Corbeau seats do sit a bit high with the stock cushion so I ripped apart the stock S13 seats and reused the lower cushion, cut it down so there would be less material and have dropped it off to be wrapped. I should be at stock ride height with the seats after this.

Here's the seat with the S13 cushion being test fitted.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/corbeauGTS375.jpg

Side by side comparo with the stock cushion and the modified S13 one.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/corbeauGTS376.jpg

[future]

How much where the headlights from there? I was going to buy them off another site

[s13silvia_R]

Wow Peter, the car is looking damn good. The LS3 is going to be a beast.
What do you plan to do with the rear seats? have them re-wrapped to match the Corbeau? I love the attention to details you deliver in building your cars, pure awesome and clean.
Are those the same Enkei you had on your DC2 when you were still in Toronto? If they are the same one, they were pretty aggressive on your DC2.

[CamryOnBronze]

Good luck over the weekend PT! Hope you finally get some free time to get stuff done.

[Pstl_pete]

Damon- Link me to photos of your TEs!!! I saw you got them on the car. I need to see more. By the looks of it they look beyond awesome. Super JEALOUS!

S13silvia_R -Thanks for the props. No the wheels on my Integra were SSR Type F's. I have since gone to 15's on that car since its my track beater now.

As for the rear seats, I opted out of the rewrap since its much easier to paint it.

I used the Dupli-color Vinyl/Fabric paint and found it to work really well. The feel is a bit harder than normal but it doesnt rub off or anything like that.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/interior377.jpg

As you can see the seats were faded and stained pretty badly.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/interior378.jpg

And after paint. Much better looking despite the photo not being the best. Its a bit over exposed so it doesnt show the proper black color. Ill get some more pictures of it when they are installed.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/interior379.jpg

[Dax]

sick build Pete. Can't wait til it's done. Good idea on the rear seats too, I need to do that to mine. lol

[D1S13]

hell ya! looks good, keep us updated.

[jrizzo_240lsx]

sic build man... wish i had access to a shop like that

[edsones14]

Nice build, cant wait to see it done. Paint looks really good too! Lol i use that dupli color shit all time and had no issues. Shits awesome, did my whole interior with it.

[future]

I'm going to do that to my interior

[GSXRJJordan]

Wow you waited a long time before starting this thread, we were emailing back in what, January?!

I thought it was awesome that my FD is in background of this pic from Donlyson:
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240sx219.jpg

Sucks the engine's on backorder, but gives you time to prep. Regarding the Ichiba hubs, I always just bought OEM S14 stuff. I think the last time I did I got the whole set for $400ish from Ray @ WestCo.

Hey Peter, looking good so far. I heard through the grapevine you had a build thread on here.... I said no way. Low and behold here you are.... and it looks as though you are definitely going to be done before me. I hate you! :-)

Hahaha, I thought the same thing.

[azndoc]

With the subframe off are you thinking of using PBM subframe riser or SPL ones?

Awesome build so far by the way.

[hybrid_eg]

very nice build, keep in mind KW's will not go that low they will bottom out.. so watch how you set them up, i'm running clubsports on mine, however with aero it looks plenty low, with your kouki set up and 18's you will be just fine! Def wanna make sure you get full travel on those shock and not just slam it like fanboys do riding bumpstops till it blows.. lol

[Pstl_pete]

Jordan - So thats your FD! I was eyeing it at the shop, it looks like its going to be an awesome car once its done.

azndoc - I dont want to do metal subframe spacers, Im trying to keep this car as civil as possible so I have kept the Energy Suspensions poly subframe inserts and will be using those. I have a set of Circuit Sports metal spacers that I may go with it I find theres still too much slop with the poly inserts.

Before I could get to working on the 240, I had to show some love to my Integra, which needed a set of new balljoints.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/integra001.jpg

I decided to throw in some Buddyclub extended balljoints to help fix some of suspension geometry issues.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/integra380.jpg

More so, I was hoping it would relieve some bind that Ive been experiencing with my clutch pack diff during low speed cornering and sure enough they helped out a ton! I wish buddyclub would make these for the 240.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/integra381.jpg

Ok onto the 240. I decided that I would put the entire interior back together last night. Its always so easy taking it all apart when you dont need to remember which bolts and clips go where but putting it back together is always taxing, even when I labelled a lot of the clips. Im still missing a bunch.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX86.jpg

The black painted rear seats match up with the black carpet pretty damn well IMO.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX85.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX87.jpg

I then jumped into the engine bay for a split second to hook up the Sikky LS power steering lines that I've been meaning to install for a while.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX82.jpg

ARP finally sent me my rear studs (Mazda Miata knurl size) for my Ichiba hubs. They've been on back order for 3 weeks. Of course there had to be an issue. They only set two packs (4 in each pack) meaning I could only install one side on the subframe.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX83.jpg

I also installed re-maned rear brake calipers and new rotors (nothing fancy). Once I get the other studs in I can finally get the subframe back into the car. Its been WAY too long.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX84.jpg

There's not much left I can do on the car until I get my engine. I've been trying to do a lot of little things here and there, like pounding out the trans tunnel.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX89.jpg

I had to bang it in about a full inch. Im hoping it will clear and I wont have to hammer it in even more.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX90.jpg

After a lot of thought, I decided I would wire up my own alarm system. With the dash out it would prove to be a piece of cake. I picked up a Viper 3303 system with some goodies from Broadfield. Thanks again for the hook up Toby!

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX88.jpg

Things were going well until I hit a snag with the power door locks. There's something very WEIRD going on with my door locks. If I try to lock the drivers side door, it resists and just unlocks, while the passenger side does the exact opposite and locks!!!

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX91.jpg

So that's where Im at, trying to trouble shoot these damn door locks. Its proving to be a headache and a half!

[GSXRJJordan]

Yup, that was my FD. Looks a lot better now that the kit's mounted, but remember it's a "street" car! I'll drive it over there if I get it out of paint before your LS is rolling.

The door locks are a master/slave system ~ you either need to completely bypass the factory system and put your own door poppers in there, or just put a popper on the driver's side and wire that into the passenger side as well.

I believe the passenger side is the one that came with a popper, so that if you lock/unlock the driver's side, the passenger side locks/unlocks as well. It's been a few years since I had a S13 though :)

[Pstl_pete]

Didnt get much done today...too much running around.

Only progress to report of is installing the rear valence. I was suprised that these didnt fit 100% flush. Are JDM rear bumpers different than the USDM ones because I had to work really hard to fit the side valences with little gap. Seems a bit off considering these are factory pieces.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX700.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/240SX701.jpg

[maplejesse]

oh goodness

http://static.tumblr.com/vdg4gjy/QsClhuoqt/me-gusta.jpg

very good work so far sir, your integra is beautiful and your plans for this are very promising!

[CamryOnBronze]

I think most people have an issue with the rear valences... I know mine don't quite fit perfectly, but I have sort of started ignoring it, haha. I haven't seen a hatch with the stock rear seat belts in place in a long time! lol.

Nice progress, Peter! And thanks for passing that Evo picture along to me!

[CrimsonRockett]

I think most people have an issue with the rear valences... I know mine don't quite fit perfectly, but I have sort of started ignoring it, haha.

I'm almost 99.9% sure both of you are missing a few small little brackets. I managed to collect them all from various sets of valances I've gone through. Now, they fit 100% spot on.

Definitely want to check this car out in person once it's put together. Been wanting to drop off my car at Donlyson Auto for paint. Just haven't seen any of their work in person.

[JDM RPS13 RHD]

where did you git those tailllights? ive been looking on craiglist all day and coudlnt find them are they jdm? can you tell me how much they cost?

[CamryOnBronze]

I'm almost 99.9% sure both of you are missing a few small little brackets. I managed to collect them all from various sets of valances I've gone through. Now, they fit 100% spot on.

I think you're right, Johnny. One side of mine has a bracket that the other side does not have. I thought about trying to fix it this weekend, but laziness kicked in. You should post pics of said brackets in the Kouki 180 thread sometime. :D

where did you git those tailllights? ive been looking on craiglist all day and coudlnt find them are they jdm? can you tell me how much they cost?

Those are the stock tail lights on the JDM RPS13 RHD edition.

[tricky_ab]

That Integra looks familiar. I believe I had seen it before you flew south...And for Modified?

[kalypso123]

nice...

not to exciting about the wheel selection. but its not my car :wan:

[jonathan.bayspeed]

siiiiiiiiccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[Pstl_pete]

I bought the valences brand new so they came with all the brackets and what not. They still didnt fit like I want them to. Im over it, there's a smidgen of a gap but Im not going to complain about it.

Crimson- If you want to come by to see the paint job you are more than welcome to.

My other ARP wheel studs finally got here so I threw the subframe onto the car and installed the rear KW coilovers.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/S13subframe702.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/S13subframe703.jpg

Also got my works bell hub parts and Momo steering wheel.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell704.jpg

Simple, clean, understated design. Love it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell705.jpg

I know a lot of people omit installing a horn when they're doing a steering wheel install but its really not difficult at all and Honda has an OEM tab (Honda part number 35259-SH3-A02) that works amazingly well for aftermarket wheel installs.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell706.jpg

Finding the horn wire is fairly simple too, just search for the 12v source in the plug that goes to the steering wheel. It will be the only one with a 12v signal, I dont remember the wire color but I believe it was blue/white.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell707.jpg

Bolting on the rest of the Works Bell parts, I will say as with most legit parts Im very impressed with the quality and fitment. I have an NRG hub and QR on my integra and the Works Bell is by far a much nicer and snugger fitting part. You get what you pay for.

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell708.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell710.jpg

The wheel looks good, too bad the rest of the interior is all ripped up still!

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/worksbell709.jpg

I also REALLY want to buy these wheels now. Too bad they cost a fortune though! I think they would look sick on the car, black Nismo wheels YES PLEASE!
http://chrisnz.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/nismo-r34-gt-r-z-tune-exterior-shot.jpg

[drftwerks]

your acura integra looks cool, what kind of cool stuff is on it?

[CamryOnBronze]

Rear suspension looks awesome... I am jealous of how clean the underside of that car is!

[blueshark123]

Damn i tought i was the only person running a titanium ball knob with a ls1. I hate you lol jk. Did u have them get the right thread pattern for you i got mine from rndfactory which i know supplied aspec? I also have the same drift knob.

Oh and how much that honda tab cost. I was going to go to the hobby shop and buy a strip off brass metal and run the same setup like that but the honda tab looks easier to do

oh and you should get this to match my setup http://ballerbolts.com/burnt-titanium-steering-wheel-bolts.html

[WISH ONE]

Wow, awesome build. Great work!

[310R]

Did kw coils come with camber plates on them?I was told they come without them.I am interested in running them on my s13.Also where did you get them at?

[GSXRJJordan]

Did kw coils come with camber plates on them?I was told they come without them.I am interested in running them on my s13.Also where did you get them at?

Some models do, some don't. They're available from a variety of suspension manufacturers, but I know Tein has them packaged separately for sure.

[Fred Allen Burge]

I think I saw this project in a magazine at B&N this weekend, am I crazy??

[xSoCalxRiderx125]

where did you git those tailllights? ive been looking on craiglist all day and coudlnt find them are they jdm? can you tell me how much they cost?

Those are the stock tail lights on the JDM RPS13 RHD edition.

:picardfp: ....lol

[tricky_ab]

I think I saw this project in a magazine at B&N this weekend, am I crazy??

Not really...I think he works for Modified...

[rb25crazy]

is this car going to get carb'd and bar'd since you are throwing in an erod ls3??? i'd like to know more about that since i live in cali toooo !

[drftwerks]

so acura integra.

[Pstl_pete]

your acura integra looks cool, what kind of cool stuff is on it?

The Integra has a K20 swap with bolt ons, roll bar, Recaro buckets and a MFactory clutch type diff with a shorter final drive. I love driving it on the track and abusing more powerful cars with it. The teg is about a second slower than my Evo X (2-minute flat time) at Buttonwillow raceway with half the power.

The KW's are the Club Sport edition which is why they have the upper mounts. They can be purchased anywhere really, you just have to ask for them. The reason why they dont come with them on most of the suspensions KW offers is because it has something to do with TUV approval in Germany and the longevity of solid spherical upper mounts.

That Honda Brass Horn tab cost like 5-10 bucks online.

Yes, if you buy the latest issue of Modified Mag (July) you can follow this build in more detail.

As for the CARB deal, I am going to try and pass it but from what Ive been told its going to be very difficult since you are required to use the stock LS3 headers and by the looks of it there's no way they will clear.

[bikrman2]

I'm in NY so I don't know much about carb rules etc but what if you used a set of carb approved headers?

[GSXRJJordan]

As for the CARB deal, I am going to try and pass it but from what Ive been told its going to be very difficult since you are required to use the stock LS3 headers and by the looks of it there's no way they will clear.

The real problem is the new requirement that you pass something like 8 of the 11 OBD tests, whereas before you only had to pass like 4. You used to have to pass 4 or 5 I believe? Anyway, the only way you can get that many systems to pass is by using the Chevy fuel tank/sensors, which obviously doesn't work.

The common advice now is to check with the ref to see what they think. Some are cool passing a car that meets the 'previous' requirements.

[bikrman2]

The real problem is the new requirement that you pass something like 8 of the 11 OBD tests, whereas before you only had to pass like 4. You used to have to pass 4 or 5 I believe? Anyway, the only way you can get that many systems to pass is by using the Chevy fuel tank/sensors, which obviously doesn't work.

The common advice now is to check with the ref to see what they think. Some are cool passing a car that meets the 'previous' requirements.

If that's the case you wouldn't need the tank. you could just get the fuel tank pressure sensor and wire it in. for the refrence have the top of the s13 tank drilled and tapped for a vacuum fitting and run a hose to the sensor. you can make all of the evap crap work too. They're a pretty simple system if you get it all from a truck as it's pretty much all self contained. We have the same problem here with 1996 and newer cars. we actually have to plug the inspection computer in to the obd2 port and it checks for readiness. up to 2000 you are allowed 2 not ready and 2001 and up you are only allowed 1.

[Happy240sx]

Yes Pete...looking good.

You're going to love this thing. I love my LSx setup that I am now converting my car back to a street car just to rip it daily. haha.

[Promise Land]

The wheel looks good, too bad the rest of the interior is all ripped up still!

I also REALLY want to buy these wheels now.


What is the thickness on the wheel grip (~1" +)? My Nardi is pretty small and gives my hand a cramp eventually. The MOMO looks pretty good.

How much are the NISMO wheels? Got a part number for them? I don't remember seeing them in the USDM catalog.

[Pstl_pete]

Danno - Good to hear your S14 is still alive! Im hoping to daily mine as well. If I ever get this damn motor that is. Still waiting on it!!

What is the thickness on the wheel grip (~1" +)? My Nardi is pretty small and gives my hand a cramp eventually. The MOMO looks pretty good.

How much are the NISMO wheels? Got a part number for them? I don't remember seeing them in the USDM catalog.

I didnt measure the wheel but its over an inch for sure. Its a nice grip definitely not too thin.

The Nismo wheels are about 900-ish/wheel. Too rich for my blood.

[Acecool]

Nice build thread! If you are still having issues with the door locks. There are 2 separate wires you tap into, and you send a ground signal to it to change locks.. I could look in my s13 to see which wires I tapped into.

[mlee4984]

Nice quality build! 2 Thumbs up!!!

[joel.e.krueger]

Hey random questions about the seats, this seems like a pretty serious build, so why didn't you go for a more bucket/racing style seat? I know those are probably pretty comfy, but still.

[Pstl_pete]

The power door locks turned out to be a crossed wire on the door actuator. After depinning and swapping the wire, the locks worked perfectly.

The reasoning for the seats is I wanted a stock like look which would draw less attention to the car and I don't plan to do any track events with this car so there's no need for bucket seats that will be a pain to drive long distances in. My main intention is to build a fun reliable street worthy ride.

[Pstl_pete]

It's finally update time. I have practically finished everything I can do on this car other than installing the engine setup, which I am still waiting for.

Today I said screw it, Im tired of waiting around and not working on the car, Ill just install the LS3 that I have sitting here and then when mine arrives Ill swap them out. This way I could start test fitting some parts and see what needs to be moved or rearranged.

I yanked the LS3 off the pallet and began swapping over the necessary Sikky parts to make it fit.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS325.jpg

The Sikky mounts are so nice! Billet cut goodness.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS322.jpg

The Sikky oil pan allows you to retain the factory crossmember without cutting it out to make the pan fit. And its baffled inside, which is a nice touch.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS300.jpg

I was really happy how well the pan and mounts fit. I was worried about fighting to make both pieces mount up but man the quality on these parts is great.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS321.jpg

As you can see in the photo above I decided to try the truck manifolds out first to see if they would clear the steering shaft, but even without the motor in the bay I knew it wasn't meant to be. I had to try it anyways just to prove it to myself.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS313.jpg

Im a one man team but surprisingly enough the motor sayed really level so I didnt have many problems mounting it up.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS301.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS315.jpg

Yep, no clearance on the header. My only reasoning to run the stock headers is to try to make it pass through carb, but this isnt looking good.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS318.jpg

Next I tried the other OEM headers I have, Im pretty sure they are C6 vette headers. The exit before the steering shaft but its so damn tight in there that I doubt Im going to be able to make them work either.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS303.jpg

Thats about as much room as I have to work with. I think I can fit a flange and a 2.25' pipe in there but I ran out of time to find out today.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS312.jpg

I didnt grab photos of the other side, it fits better (obviously) but I had to remove the ABS bracket to make room for the header.
Im going to play with the setup a bit more but it's looking like the Sikky headers will be the way to go to ensure a trouble free setup.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS333.jpg

Back with more updates when I have some more free time.

[Broadfield]

Looking hella good homes! I can't wait for this day on my own build.

[CamryOnBronze]

Nice job PT! Looks like it came that way from the factory. Hopefully the header issues work out for you!

[CrimsonRockett]

I definitely need to stop by and check this thing out.

I'll hit you up when you have the exterior of the car put together.

:)

[wacko2]

car looks really good

[boost infested]

Looking very good so far, I have a question for you.

With Sikky's oil pan how low does the front of the oil pan hang? pass the cross member? Any chance that you can take a picture?

thanks in advance.

[GSXRJJordan]

Looking very good so far, I have a question for you.

With Sikky's oil pan how low does the front of the oil pan hang? pass the cross member? Any chance that you can take a picture?

thanks in advance.

No it's above the crossmember on all the ones I've seen.

[silvias15ricer]

this car is going to be amazing. very nice build.

[NismoTuner21]

Build is lookin great man! Quality parts.

And that teg is minty fucking fresh!! I can always appreciate clean, well done Honda.

[Pstl_pete]

Looking very good so far, I have a question for you.

With Sikky's oil pan how low does the front of the oil pan hang? pass the cross member? Any chance that you can take a picture?

thanks in advance.

I can get you a photo but the pan sits just a hair above the crossmember so its the first thing to hit if you bottom out will the the crossmember not the pan.

Hope that helps.

[600SX]

Great build... Subscribed. I too am very happy with all the Sikky parts, they fit great.

[future]

So your in modified building the 240. Then your allso the one in modified with the k swapped gsr? And you also have the evo?

Sorry for the questions but either way great build. We will keep our eyes on this

[Royal_T]

sexy sexy build bro... nice job

[Pstl_pete]

Thanks for the great comments guys. Im pretty much at a bit of a stand still with the car until the motor and trans arrive. Then I should have the engine swapped and running in a matter of weeks.

So your in modified building the 240. Then your allso the one in modified with the k swapped gsr? And you also have the evo?

Sorry for the questions but either way great build. We will keep our eyes on this

Yes, you can read about this build in much better detail in Modified Mag. Same goes for my Integra and my Evo X.

[Pstl_pete]

Well I havent done much lately to the car. Build is practically at a stand still while I wait for my transmission and engine :mad:

I decided to use the '10 Camaro K&N intake and after some cutting made it work.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX69.jpg

As it sits out of the box the intake is too long and will hit the rad support.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX71.jpg

Went out and bought a Spectre 90deg silicone 4-inch coupler that help reduce the angle quite a bit.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX73.jpg

Then I cut most of the bend off the intake.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX81.jpg

Voila! Fits like a charm.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX75.jpg


I also installed my Mishimoto radiator and fan shroud.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/mishimotohosesLS324083.jpg

I ordered some Mishi GTO rad hoses and suprisingly enough the top hose fit with a little bit of trimming.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/mishimotohosesLS324084.jpg

I also cut the lower GTO rad hose up and with an adapter was able to make a hose that fits spot on.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/mishimotohosesLS324085.jpg

With nothing else to do, I fitted the rest of my JDM aero.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/JDMs13aero.jpg

[s13silvia_R]

Damn Peter, this LS3 s13 of yours is coming along nicely.

[Evolutionz]

this is an amazing build.

Im working on getting my 350 sbc into my s13.5/ Im in florida so we dont have to use stock exhaust mannys. the impala style go perfect. Im still having tons of issues with gauges and stuff. but its a super minimal harness etc. I think im going to shoot myself with this painless wiring switch panel hookup.

anyways, Nice build!

[JMJS13]

Awesome build.
While you wait for your motor and tranny, go ahead and remove the helper springs in the front and rear of the KWs because they won't go low if you don't.
GL and will be looking forward to any updates.

[zooopreme]

While you wait for your motor and tranny, go ahead and remove the helper springs in the front and rear of the KWs because they won't go low if you don't.

:picardfp:

please don't.

[thursdaymike]

I just bought a l99 longblock to go into my s13. This thread will prove to be pretty useful for me. The fact you already experimented with headers will probably save me some time. Great thread!!!!

[Turbozx]

think[/I] I can fit a flange and a 2.25' pipe in there but I ran out of time to find out today.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/240LS312.jpg


Do you think that you can fit the E-Rod's stock cat (like in the pic below) in there? It looks really tight, but if you could, that would seem like the biggest hurdle to get CA CARB approval. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you as I really want to have a CARB approved set up in my S13.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5923220274_0a9915f682_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/5923220274/)
ls3 erod (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/5923220274/) by gnakata2007 (http://www.flickr.com/people/20440660@N08/), on Flickr

[CamryOnBronze]

Awesome as always Peter! I hope your engine shows up soon. This car is going to seem like the lovechild of Toby and I's cars when it is done! lol.

[Pstl_pete]

Do you think that you can fit the E-Rod's stock cat (like in the pic below) in there? It looks really tight, but if you could, that would seem like the biggest hurdle to get CA CARB approval. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you as I really want to have a CARB approved set up in my S13.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5923220274_0a9915f682_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/5923220274/)
ls3 erod (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/5923220274/) by gnakata2007 (http://www.flickr.com/people/20440660@N08/), on Flickr

Sadly no. There is no way to fit the cats in the setup that comes with the E-rod engine. The only hope is to fab up a custom exhaust system that keeps those cats as close to the original OEM position as possible. At that point its going to come down to the inspector and whether he feels its a proper setup that can pass CARB.

The more I look at it the more I doubt it can be a passable setup. However, its luck of the draw in my opinion so I may get lucky and pass while others may not with a similar setup.

[cured13]

Pete why don't you take that plastic p.o.s and replace it with a proper and a bit longer intake pipe
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ls3intake240SX75.jpg

other than that - how long do you think will these multilink pieces last on a regular roads when daily driving?

oh, and please don't make it worse than your previous 240 - raise the standards a bit

Cheers

[Pstl_pete]

Pete why don't you take that plastic p.o.s and replace it with a proper and a bit longer intake pipe

other than that - how long do you think will these multilink pieces last on a regular roads when daily driving?

oh, and please don't make it worse than your previous 240 - raise the standards a bit

Cheers

I didnt know plastic intakes were POS, must be that damn plastic slowing down the air flow!!
How much farther do you want me to move it? Like 3-4inches? I can see a cold air making a difference but extending that intake aint gonna do shit. And the K&N has a CARB sticker, which helps in Cali.

As for the multilinks, Im not sure how long they'll last? Are you suggesting I should have gotten a better set?

I'd also love to hear your critiques of my old car to ensure that I build this one to 'better' spec. While you're at it can you post your car so I can ensure mine will be up your standards.

[kornmanz]

Sick build man keep it up. Shits legit.

[cured13]

Oh no, nothing wrong with plastic just the one that you put there is a p.o.s in my opinion and yes you should move it 3-4 inches and maybe fabricate heat shield for the filter.
I didn't know that you guys can't use clean/plain straight plastic pipes for the intakes and if the sticker make a difference then put the damn sticker on the new pipe.

For the daily driven car multilinks I'll rather expect from you some kind of hybrid - plyurethane/greasable bushings on adjustble arms - solution from you.

As for your old s14, I'm rather complementing it as it was really nice build car. I saw it on the Bing's meet in Niagara Falls and remember your articles about it in Modified. I also believe that Sasha from SG Motorsports in Toronto was a big part in leading you in the right directions with that project (I see lots of awesome cars coming out of that shop).
When I heard about your new 240sx project I got excited and I'm sure you could agree with me that this one should top the previous one.

You are god damn car mag editor and have much better resources than 99% of guys on these forums. Best shops are happy to jump-in and help you with this project for their own benefits I would believe.
That's why I want more, I want best daily 240sx from you not just another s13 with random bolt-ons.

I'm not hating just hoping that this build end up being better than what I lately see here.

[Pstl_pete]

Haha, we can debate on the intake all we want. Simply put, its an intake and works. If I had more time I would build a heat shield but Im busy enough already, let alone meeting deadlines and trying to put together this car.

I didn't even know they made adjustable multilinks that were polyurethane.

And yes Im a magazine editor with tons of resources BUT I dont have my cars built by anyone else, I build them myself. Aside from the paint, everything you see in these photos has been done by me, which means that with my time schedule and life, I dont have the luxury to spend weeks shaving an engine bay or fabricating my own intake, etc. Unfortunately I have deadlines to meet and this car happens to be on an editorial schedule that makes it difficult to do anything ground breaking...sorry to disappoint.

Anyways, I hope this gives you a small glimpse into why this car is built the way it is.

[stoneysideways]

Subscribed!!!. I really hope you are successful in getting this to pass CARB. I want to do a simular build one day.

[Turbozx]

The more I look at it the more I doubt it can be a passable setup. However, its luck of the draw in my opinion so I may get lucky and pass while others may not with a similar setup.

Crap. I keep looking at this picture below:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2609/5816446213_ef15d89190_z.jpg

and this picture of my engine bay before I dropped the SR in it

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2216/2483076990_618fb643bb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/2483076990/)
DSCN1538 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20440660@N08/2483076990/) by gnakata2007 (http://www.flickr.com/people/20440660@N08/), on Flickr

and keep scratching my head trying to figure out how to make it work. But like you said, we'll probably have to fab something up. I'll at least try to do it super clean and try to make it look OEM. I might have to find some used GM cat assemblies and use the piping to bend and weld something to E-Rod cats to make it look OEM like.

[The Dude]

That's why I want more, I want best daily 240sx from you not just another s13 with random bolt-ons.

What else exactly were you hoping for? A goddamn 50 cal mounted to the top? Jesus.

[Pstl_pete]

I had my T56 fully rebuilt by RPM Transmissions out of Anderson, IN and they just sent me some pictures of the the work they did and what it looks like.

I must say that Im super happy with the outcome and I havent even received the trans yet. It looks brand spanking new! And judging by all the photos they sent me, the right care and time was put into the rebuild. I dealt with Jeremy there and he was quick to answer all my questions and kept me updated as to how the progress was moving along. Just based on their customer service I highly recommend them.

Here's the trans in pieces, torn apart and ready for re-assembly.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/rpmtransmission54.jpg

Coming together...
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/rpmtransmission72.jpg

Damn it looks so pretty! Im not sure I want to install it haha.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/rpmtransmission76.jpg

Im also using a Quicktime bellhousing instead of the stock one which I hope will have better clearance through the tunnel. Ill report back when its installed.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/rpmtransmission85.jpg

[CamryOnBronze]

Wow, that looks awesome Pete!

[taran!]

wow that looks amazing! I would just put that in a showcase and keep it in my room! its soooo clean, looks great!

Any word on when the motor is coming? Or how soon it will be in?

[JaredP]

curious how much the trans rebuild cost you?

[240sxvaj]

This is amazing. if you get this CARB/smog approved, im definitely going to do something similar. Goodluck!!

[Promise Land]

Peter,

I am looking for a new carpet. You said "got mine from stockinteriors.com but probably wouldn't go this route again." What would you have done if you knew the ordeal with their carpet ahead of time?

[GSXRJJordan]

curious how much the trans rebuild cost you?

There's a guy up in Norcal that sells rebuilt T56's for $1800, he's got a few left. His name is Mark, very cool dude, goes by GNX7 online. PM me if you need his number/etc.

[Pstl_pete]

My engine has finally arrived. I just havent had time to post any photos of everything. SOON!!

The problem is there's really no other solution out there. I was a bit harsh on the carpet since Im on a deadline and cutting carpet to fit for 6 hours wasnt my idea of fun but if time is on your side then this really shouldnt be an issue.



Peter,

I am looking for a new carpet. You said "got mine from stockinteriors.com but probably wouldn't go this route again." What would you have done if you knew the ordeal with their carpet ahead of time?

[Chase Bays]

If you need any other swap parts like power steering or harness let us know.

-Logan

[email protected]
205-623-2188 ext.1
Add us on Facebook
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[Pstl_pete]

Logan - Thanks for the offer. Right now I need to use the factory harness with the setup but I'd love to do a harness in the future. As for power steering I have a line from Sikky that Ill be using.

JaredP - Call RPM and ask them. Every application is different and I got a great deal on mine.

[Pstl_pete]

Alright time for a big update.

Motor finally arrived.

This is what it looks like and it's shipped freight so having an actual fork lift helps a lot.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS393.jpg

After cracking open the box, Im glad to see everything is unharmed and in one piece.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS394.jpg

I proceed to yank out the old (but new) LS3 that has resided in my engine bay and put everything back to stock.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS390.jpg

You dont see something like this everyday. Makes me want to take the other one home for a different project but I dont own it so away it goes into storage.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS388.jpg

I proceed to install my Sikky oil pan onto the engine.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/oilpan95.jpg

But make the proper modifications needed to the windage tray.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/oilpan97.jpg

Then I plug the factory dipstick hole.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/oilpan96.jpg

Installed and ready to rock, or lubricate?
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS389.jpg

Then I throw both Sikky engine mounts onto the motor.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS391.jpg

I went with a SPEC stage 2 clutch setup as it's supposed to feel like the stock unit.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/sped99.jpg

I install it and realize...
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/t56trans07.jpg

SHIT, I forgot to put the trans mounting plate on. Everything comes off and gets put back on again, I curse many times for my error.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/t56trans08.jpg

I sourced a brand new stock GM slave cylinder as I heard its the best to run. Sikky once again makes a bolt-on kit that mates to the slave with little fuss.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/specclutch98.jpg

Working solo, I spend the next 45 minutes breaking my back to mate the transmission to the engine. I stop and stare at my minty looking RPM transmission.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/t56trans09.jpg

I finally figure out that the slave cylinder is touching the pressure plate and without an extra body I can't compress it to slide in completely. I thread some bolts and slowly tighten it all down until its proper.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/t56trans10.jpg

MSD hooked me up with one of their smaller but stronger starters.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/MSDstarter17.jpg

The engine is starting to look quite colorful between the red starter and lime green mounts.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/MSDstarter19.jpg

[Pstl_pete]

This is the GM e-rod kit. Comes with all the necessary parts to have a turn key engine setup. MAF, ECU, pedal, harness, o2's, etc.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/e-rod00.jpg

And the key to making this car CARB legal, the OE cats. These will have to be placed as close to the engine as possible. Ill be cutting them up to fit of course.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/e-rod99.jpg

I had heard that the factory power steering on the LS setup is too light when mated to the 240 rack so I called turn one steering for a restrictor pill and instead they sent me an entire power steering pump assembly that is beefier and made to handle the abuse of drifting and tracking the car.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/gmpp12.jpg

Problem is my LS3 PS pump is different and at this point I can't make the LS1 style pump work on this setup. Ive been trying to source an LS1 power steering bracket but they are damn near impossible to find.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/gmpp13.jpg

This is my CTS-V accessories kit that is needed for the LS3 engine. It includes the PS pump, alternator, AC, and all the brackets.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/gmpp11.jpg

This is how the engine now sits. Waiting for the PS pump and then its ready to drop in.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/LS392.jpg

For my drive by wire pedal setup. I needed to build a bracket that I could attach to the factory mounting holes and still keep the pedal in the stock location. This is the bracket I started with.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal01.jpg

Here is the pedal mounted to the bracket.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal05.jpg

Not the prettiest deal but I'm short on time and its under the dash so I left it unpainted.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal04.jpg

This is what it looks like mounted up. It sits just about where the stock pedal was.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal06.jpg

I had to shave the pedal stopper down just a tad to ensure it would depress 100% and hit the stopper.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal02.jpg

Good to go!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/dbwpedal03.jpg

Thats it for now. Next step is to do the fuel line and drop the motor in and then the fun stuff begins.

[ka-titties]

I'm jealous based purely on the fact that the parts you're dealing with have no dirt/oil/muck on them. Keep on keepin on, man.

[GSXRJJordan]

Wow, finally got it! Ready for the wiring party?

[kyles1988]

keep up the good work pete! looks good

[alexanderig]

i love this build. car looks great dude cant wait to see the finish product

[CamryOnBronze]

+1, glad to see things are coming together for you PT. Nice work!

[Flicktitty]

Unreal, car looks great.

[Chase Bays]

Our harnesses are plug and play just like the stock one that you are using. And it uses your chassis plugs to get power for all the correct things like fuel pump, starter signal ect. so no splicing and cutting for you to do. The are also 100% brand new, connectors, plugs and wires just like the one you have.

Thanks,
-Logan

[email protected]

[Chaluska]

sick build bro!

<jealous of aero/LS :(

[tricky_ab]

Damn, here's to puttin' in work. Looks good so far...

[Pstl_pete]

Time for another update.

I got the fuel system done and used all Earls fittings to mate it all up. The saving grace was the tiny fuel filter, without it I would have had to mount something bigger and just didnt have the room in the engine bay since Im keeping ABS.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly20.jpg

Got a nice Fuelab FPR and mounted it on the firewall. As you can see there's a TON going on in that area but it was the only sensible place to put it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly21.jpg

Then came the moment of truth.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly22.jpg

Dropping in the engine through the top proved very cumbersome and painstaking but it's very doable.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly23.jpg

Unfortunately, I didn't bang out the firewall enough that meant I had to pull the motor again. This time I said screw it and dropped the subframe which proved to be a MUCH better idea. If you're doing this swap then remember to REALLY bang the hell out of the firewall to avoid having to do what I did.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly24.jpg

I have to once again say that the Sikky mounts both engine and trans lined up exceptionally well and the engine sits in a great spot.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3engine.jpg

Hooked up my fuel feed line to the engine, despite being a tight fit on the exhaust side it looks like my custom fuel lines should work without issue.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly25.jpg

Jeff Jordan came by and gave me a hand with wiring the harness into the car and some other stuff. At first we were a bit worried that the harness would have to be extended to get it to fit but surprisingly enough almost all the lengths were perfect.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly26.jpg

Jeff shortened some wires for aesthetic's sake, I was really impressed with the time and care he took into all the connections. Thanks again Jeff. I hate wiring and thankfully Jeff took care of it. It took the better part of a day and we still have some minor odds and ends to finish up but Im just happy I had someone who knew the S-chassis really well, it would have taken me days to do what we did in 8 hours.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly27.jpg

My MGW Shifter. A few people recommended this shifter for the swap and now I know why. Great piece and clocks the handle to the 6-oclock position aligning it like a stock shifter.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly28.jpg

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Spot on fitment.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly29.jpg

I even got the rubber boot to work with it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly30.jpg

To get my OEM gauge to read engine temp, I needed to buy an adapter fitting and drill it open to fit the OE Nissan temp sensor. Much more work than I anticipated but thanks to my buddy Gary, it was easy work since he did it for me!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly33.jpg

Drilling the adapter so that the OE sensor will fit. I drill press came in really handy here.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly31.jpg

Then threading it to fit the sensor.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly32.jpg

I also had to add a provision onto my Mishimoto radiator to run a line for the LS3 steam ports. The prevent the top of the heads from heat pockets that create hot spots.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly34.jpg

Here it the finished product with the barbed fitting in place.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly42.jpg

At this point I decided to test fit the hood because I was worried the PS pump reservoir wouldnt fit and sure enough the cap was resting on the hood before it would even latch. I had two options here. Cut the hood's inner skeleton or relocate the PS reservoir. I really didnt want to mess up the hood so I went ahead and moved the reservoir. I had to fab up a bracket so that it would mount on the shock tower. My TIG welding isnt the best but Im slowly learning.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly35.jpg

Here it is fitted. I made sure to position it higher than the pump so it would draw fluid without fuss. Found some hose at Pep Boys and it was good to go.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly36.jpg

I also hard mounting my filter relocation kit just below the PS reservoir.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly37.jpg

I had to fiddle with the K&N intake some more but I got it to clear the PS pump pulley so it's good to go.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly38.jpg

This is how it sits now. There are a couple small things to finish up but it's starting to look like a real engine bay now.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly39.jpg

I dropped the car to see where the suspension would sit and the front wheels have a bit too much poke for my liking and I'm maxed out on camber. unfortunately I have to run a 10mm spacer so the 18x9.5 wheels clear the coilovers. Otherwise, they'd be almost perfect.
The car is also too low for me (probably not low enough for most of you). I want to drive this thing daily without worrying about ripping off my front bumper of hitting the transmission (the lowest part under the car) so Ill be raising it a bit.

I also wish I really got a front lip but that can always come later.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly40.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly41.jpg

The car is off to the body shop this week to get it all assembled and hopefully he can massage my front fenders a bit to address the poke.

Then Ill be welding up the exhaust and heading to the SMOG ref to see if all this time and effort was worth it.

[future]

I find your updates on here alot more informing then the articles. And this is way ahead of what we get in modified. Great work

[tdiazsch]

sickest thread build ever.

[codyace]

I hate this build, as it makes me want to sell my SR

:D

Good stuff Nice to see someone with taste modding a 240 again, as most kids are more focused on battleship dropping their cars on orange wheels.

[Pstl_pete]

I find your updates on here alot more informing then the articles. And this is way ahead of what we get in modified. Great work

Haha, well if I had 10 pages in the magazine then I could expand on everything and show 30 photos. Unfortunately, thats not the case and that's why I have this thread.

However, you get a nice structured story in the mag as opposed to small tid bits here.

Anyways, I'm glad you still buy the mag to read the stories though.

[future]

I've had a subscription to modified since day one lol, hook it up with a cheaper renewal for being a loyal member (: haha. Either way I love your work. I wish my ls swap couple even be half as good. I'd love to get a chance to see it in person since your in socal

Great update

[CamryOnBronze]

Crazy progress, Peter- looks like things are moving right along! Is that the Hassler-man hiding behind the cherry picker? lol...

I actually really like those wheels on there a lot. I think it looks pretty tough...

[Broadfield]

Is that the Hassler-man hiding behind the cherry picker? lol...

Haha, look at the rings and bracelet... it has got to be!:D

[EnjukuBG]

Great progress, looks like it'll be a lot of fun to drive.

[datsunnazi]

Subbed...

Msg length...

[CamryOnBronze]

Haha, look at the rings and bracelet... it has got to be!:D

The hands weren't holding a cup of Starbuck's, so I wasn't totally sure! :keke:

[Broadfield]

The hands weren't holding a cup of Starbuck's, so I wasn't totally sure! :keke:

LOL, touche!

[Pstl_pete]

LOL, touche!

Haha, you guys met him for the better part of 2 days but have described Nate so well!

[GSXRJJordan]

Wow you've made some solid progress in the past week or so! Once we finish up your dash I think we can start it, I'll bring some pins for that connector off the fusebox.

Looks GREAT on the ground!

[boost infested]

so the tranny hangs lower than the front cross member?

[JDM SPUG]

very nice. I was thinking about doing an LS3. but opted for a 2JZ instead

[Pstl_pete]

so the tranny hangs lower than the front cross member?

Yes, if you look at the shot of the engine and trans you can see my aftermarket bellhousing and the way its shaped means it produces beneath the crossmember. I figure that problem doesnt happen if you are using a stock T56 bellhousing.

[K_style]

I have been missing this !!!! seems the end is a few moments away..

[onequartlow]

wow....all I can say. Mad props on the build.

[chwks13]

Sick build man! Love it

[Pstl_pete]

Well the car just got back from a cut and buff at the paint shop. Shit is so clean and reflective that I dont think I want to drive it ever. I should seal this car up right now and crack it open in 20 years....mmm nope.

Ill get some better photos tomorrow. Here's one from the phone.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/photo1.jpg

Oh and I need some trim parts!! Painter lost some of my shit!
http://zilvia.net/f/wanted-buy/402932-ca-wipers-arms-door-trim-pieces-more-if-you-parting-s13-look-here.html

[GSXRJJordan]

Wow, I'm glad I took all my parts home when I took my trim/interior apart at Donlyson lol.

Can't wait to see this paint! Car is sexy as f*ck with those wheels and that motor!












... just needs a cam :)

[CamryOnBronze]

Stoked to see more- looking good!

It might be worth shooting Toby a PM- I think he has a spare S13 shell he is trying to get rid of. Maybe he would be willing to part with some of those items- not positive, though.

[Matthew Murphy]

a cam sounds fun haha. But bad ass job on the swap, can we see paint now?

[tricky_ab]

I had seen this build in the latest issue of Modified...It's going to be a treat to people who are not a part of Zilvia...

[cole shoes]

so awesome.

[Pstl_pete]

I dont have any pictures to share right now since Im dog tired from working all day but here's a little video of what's to come. :)

LS3 running - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGcfEZUX3P4)

[CamryOnBronze]

Sweet!!! Congrats man- sounds gnarly!

[towlie]

Sounds raw!

[s13_rb25]

good stuff! i have z32 rear 5 lug hubs if your still running those ichibas ;)

[GSXRJJordan]

I dont have any pictures to share right now since Im dog tired from working all day but here's a little video of what's to come. :)

LS3 running - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGcfEZUX3P4)

I'd like to thank my Mom, my family, and of course the Academy, for the gracious awards you've all placed on me for my performance behind the wheel in that fine film.

Glad we got everything sorted today Pete! Nothing about this car is individually super crazy, I mean LSx 240's or clean black hatches aren't 1 in 1,000,000... but the overall impression of the car is more than the sum of it's parts. This car is fucking sweet, for the type of person that chooses an gunmetal Aston Martin over a yellow Lambo. Understated, but extremely well-executed, and owned/built by a true automotive enthusiast.

I had a great time working on it.




Oh, and guys, look forward to my FD being featured in an upcoming issue of Modified lol. Feel free to use my copy above in the magazine. :kiss:

[future]

Nice. Hopefully I can join the ls3 s13 list sometime soon too

[Om1kron]

a cam sounds fun haha. But bad ass job on the swap, can we see paint now?

Not when you need to pull the motor again to install it. Wonder how I missed this thread! Tell Nate I said hi =)

[GSXRJJordan]

I took this vid today, first drive! Sounded great for no o2's or exhaust.

JIRIFgNvbAk

[NewS13Guy]

Very nice!!!! (said in my borat voice)

[Pstl_pete]

About 4 days ago the car came back from the painter looking really good. Almost too good. I dont even want to touch it since the shine it as perfect as it will get.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv851.jpg

The engine bay was coming together really well. Not much was left to do. Just some wiring and small odds and ends.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv852.jpg

I got hooked up large with some Amsoil products, including the break in oil which Ive never used before but it seems like a great product. I put ATD fluid in the trans after reading some good reviews on it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv853.jpg

I also got a shitload of vibrant piping for fabricating my exhaust system.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv854.jpg

I was going to use the Vibrant cats but found out that I needed to use the GM supplied cats to pass smog so I began cutting them up to make them fit.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv855.jpg

There's not a lot of space for the cats but with lots of test fitting I found a suitable spot for the drivers side and began to build my pipe from the OEM manifolds.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv856.jpg

This is what I ended up with.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv857.jpg

I then proceeded to do the same on the other side and managed to fit the cats almost identical to the drivers side.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv858.jpg

Here you can see the fitment around the steering rack is actually quite good. It's 2.25-inch piping FYI.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv859.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv860.jpg

Jeff showed up saturday to finish up the wiring which included all the dash related items.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv861.jpg

Then it was to the underside to get the alternator wire powered up.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv862.jpg

Fancy loom and some sweet placement on the alt to starter wire. I dig it!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv863.jpg

I dont really have photos of us starting the car, as we were both concerned about checking for leaks, temps, etc. I will say that we ran into an electrical issue with the factory relay box not having a pin properly mounted which resulted in a couple hours of headache chasing down the problem. Thankfully Jeff was on top of his game and figured it out.

After that the car fired right up and Jeff and I shook hands, he left after a job well done and I loaded the car up on the hoist again.

Today, I spent the majority of the day welding up the exhaust. I started off by attaching some Vbands onto the cats piping.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv864.jpg

The GM cats are mild steel so I mig welded everything up to the Vbands, then I switched over to TIG for the rest of the exhaust. Ill end up painting the front assembly so it never rusts. The rest of the system is all SS vibrant piping.

Here's the making of my merge collector. The cat's entry was 2.25-inches so the exhaust from the header is that size, on cat exit it goes to 2.5-inches which I am running and merging to a 3-inch collector.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv865.jpg

And here you see the piping mocked up. I feel kinda jipped since the piping looks so simple in these photos but it literally took me HOURS to make this section. I knew building an exhaust would be time consuming but not like this. Especially tig welding it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv866.jpg

Another V-band connector on the 3-inch side.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv867.jpg

And here is how it sits. I probably have an easy 10 hours into this system and considering the great access to tools I dont know how some people build exhausts without a hoist.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/240sxv868.jpg

You guys should have seen the mess after 2 hard days of work but I know my shop foreman would flip if he saw it so I tied up and called it a night.

Hoping I can get the rest of the exhaust built and finished tomorrow night.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IMG_8103.jpg

[GSXRJJordan]

Saw your post on Facebook but damn, your forum posts are awesome. I got some pics like that last one when I was there, where you just look at it and go, "damn, I REALLY wish I had a work area like that" lol.

People buying the magazine should get an insert card with a link to this thread.

[Om1kron]

You are brave as shit getting the paint finished before the mechanical stuff. especially black, and welding around it.

Would be a good idea to put some heat wrap around those oil lines by the cats on the driver side. The hose on the inside will break from the heat over time. I've gone though about 4 earls hoses now because I'm just too lazy to put my sleeving on. LOL

[junn]

Glad to see another ls powered s13 out in the streets of socal
Great job

[stockbee]

I took this vid today, first drive! Sounded great for no o2's or exhaust.


Hey I've been in that building before! Love that place!

[kyles1988]

awesome work as always pete.

[murda-c]

Doesn't increasing the distance from head to cats cause problems with smog?

[GSXRJJordan]

You are brave as shit getting the paint finished before the mechanical stuff. especially black, and welding around it.

Would be a good idea to put some heat wrap around those oil lines by the cats on the driver side. The hose on the inside will break from the heat over time. I've gone though about 4 earls hoses now because I'm just too lazy to put my sleeving on. LOL

Actually, he used some of the silver fiberglass-backed heat wrap around the oil lines right at the 90's. I was thinking the same thing.

Hey I've been in that building before! Love that place!

Hell yeah!

Doesn't increasing the distance from head to cats cause problems with smog?

Yes, in the sense that all emissions equipment (including cats) must be in the same place as it was in the original configuration... but we don't know what that's going to mean for the E-rod setup, since it has a CARB EO. Because he's using C6 Corvette manifolds instead of the E-rod manifolds, his cats are actually right where they would be with the E-rod's (E-rods exited right into the steering shaft). So we'll see.

[Pstl_pete]

You are brave as shit getting the paint finished before the mechanical stuff. especially black, and welding around it.

Would be a good idea to put some heat wrap around those oil lines by the cats on the driver side. The hose on the inside will break from the heat over time. I've gone though about 4 earls hoses now because I'm just too lazy to put my sleeving on. LOL

Everything Im working on is under the car now so there isnt much that can happen to the paint.

And yes, I did heat wrap the lines, as well as many other items under the car, everything is so DAMN tight under there that I wonder how it will hold up to all the heat.

[Pstl_pete]

Doesn't increasing the distance from head to cats cause problems with smog?

The cats are actually closer than they would be with the original e-Rod rear exit manifolds so I know Im in good shape with that.

[Pstl_pete]

I finally finished welding up the exhaust system.

Made the rear section with some more vbands so it would come apart easy if need be.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust69.jpg

Then lined up my muffler but made the mistake of not lowering the car to see how it would look on the ground. From above it looks perfect but its a little off when you look at it on the ground. Not a big deal but it kinda bugs me so I may fix it later.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust70.jpg

Being the genius that I am, I cut the OE rear exhuast hanger off the car when I originally started working on it. For some reason I thought it was a tow hook. I had to whip up a new bracket and found some holes under the car to make it work.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust76.jpg

The muffler that Im using is a Tomioka Racing dual tip can off a Subaru that I pilaged from EDO Performance when I was there. I was going to use a Vibrant stealth black muffler but the tip was too short and this muffler looks SO stock.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust71.jpg

Looks like its lined up perfectly no? Wait till I get photos of it on the ground. You'll see that its off a tad.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust75.jpg

So after tacking the entire exhaust I forged ahead with TIG welding it all up. This took me FOREVER, like 4 hours easy. Now I know why a custom exhaust costs 1K+. Yes my welds aren't great but I'm still a rookie at it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust72.jpg

I painted the mig welded portion of the exhaust with the cats. I thought it would help it look better instead now you can see how ugly the welds look! FAIL.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust73.jpg

And that's its. Exhaust is done!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust74.jpg

The next day took the car into my local GM dealership for a learn procedure that had to be done in order for the check engine light to go off. GM has a coupon for the procedure so its free but the stealership still charged me $130.00 for the damn labor.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust78.jpg

The best part was when I pulled up though and the guys working their couldn't believe what was under the hood. Ofcourse, they had to drive it to the back and I told them to be careful. I watch the guy round the corner and down a ramp that proceeds to scrape the exhaust on the car. Seriously, I dont think I have EVER been to a dealership without some incident with my car. I'm so glad I dont own anything with a warranty.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust77.jpg

I have my state REF on monday to see if all this work pays off or the state of California is going to screw me and tell me this swap is no go.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ls3exhaust79.jpg

[junn]

Good luck
I'm kinda curious on what they say

[future]

Keep us posted. Great work

[eklipse38]

Awsome build, hopefully the smog ref will take it easy on you.

[tricky_ab]

Good luck
I'm kinda curious on what they say

Same, I hope this passes. Good luck...

[Turbozx]

Did you install the GM evap fuel tank kit that comes with the eRod setup? Good luck with the ref and congrats on getting the cats done OEM style.

[Turbozx]

Btw, how does the car drive and feel on the road? Have you had a chance to jump on it yet?

[stoneysideways]

Hope it passes, good luck.

[blueshark123]

good luck if not move out of cali

[kalypso123]

such monster engine work, but please do not keep those wheels.

:(

[Matthew Murphy]

^^^didnt he relocate the bitch about this department? the car looks amazing man, how does it sound with that subi exhaust?

[FunnyVictor86]

The swap looks really clean, good luck with the REF.

[homeslicej2]

Have you thought about using reflect-a-gold or other heat shielding on the floorpans/rails near the cats (maybe even fab a heat shield/partial shield you could weld/bolt to the underbody & then cover it with reflect-a-gold)? I ask bc I assume the cats will transfer a lot of heat through the floorpan under your & your passenger's feet, plus the cat on the passenger's side is really close the fuel hard lines. Car looks great, I love the exhaust. GL with smog.

[Royal_T]

So nice and clean

[aoiken3]

cant wait to hear the new from the ref. good luck!!

[k240sx]

good luck !!!!!!!!!!

[slow92]

Good luck with the ref. I have a friend that is a smog guy and he tells me all kinds of stories about California. The state is getting so bad that you can't even put a big block motor in a car anymore because that engine wasn't offered in that car. So good luck but if you installed all of the smog equipment you might have a chance. Cali is gay when in it comes to cars and it really sucks. That is why I moved to Nevada, no smog unless you live in Reno or Vegas.

[Dub's]

Wow im jealous nice route.

[k240sx]

Any news??

[da_crew10]

Good luck bro!

[Emeru]

car looks gorgeous, i can imagine the techs faces lol. goodluck with the ref!

[wacko2]

did ur car pass smog

[blueshark123]

im guessing he didnt pass since he didnt update it by now

[Broadfield]

im guessing he didnt pass since he didnt update it by now

That's a real logical assumption:rolleyes:

[Pstl_pete]

Sorry for the delay guys. My life has been chaos for the past week and I havent had a chance to post an update until now.

I took the car to smog last week and unfortunately it failed. Not because of the engine or the cats, charcoal canister, etc. The ref was actually very cool and explained to me that everything is perfect with the way I have built the setup except ONE thing.

Are you ready for it? The adjustable fuel pressure regulator that I used is NOT legal. No adjustable fuel pressure regulator is legal on a California emissions equipped vehicle. The ref stated that in order for me to pass I would have to change the regulator to a fixed pressure regulator. The only options are OEM units as the aftermarket doesn't make any non-adjustable regulators.

After hearing the news, I asked if I could simply weld the nut onto the regulator making it non adjustable... The answer was no. This frustrated me to no end because technically speaking there's no working difference between the regulator I have vs an OEM unit.

But because its the wonderful state of California, where no common sense exists I am left with a perfectly clean running vehicle that is deemed non streetable.

However, its a simple fix I just have to redo all my AN lines and use an older generation Corvette/Camaro FPR.

I'm pretty bummed that GM didnt include anything in their instructions about the FPR other than stating that fuel pressure has to be set to 60psi. I've already mentioned it to them and I hope they add some notes to their instructions that state running an OEM FPR is mandatory if the car is to be smog legal.

So that's where the story ends, almost. Because of some recent changes in my life I have actually moved out of California and taken the car with me and what better way to test how well it runs then drive it 2500 miles through 120 deg desert heat right?

Ill leave that story for another post but lets just say that it looks like Ill be redoing my fuel system whether I want to or not.

[future]

Why do it if your going out of state where it probably will pass

[Darren]

Why do it if your going out of state where it probably will pass

Sounds like there was some sort of problem, or failure

[WoolyS14DET]

thats not as bad as i thought it would be....there is still hope after all !! I hope all is well for the recent changes and look forward to reading you next update.

[SR20PWRALTY]

Maybe a stupid question but are you able to retest or is the car deemed non street-able in CA forever? Did you tow the car over there or drive it since it legally isn't suppose to be in the streets?

Great build, this thread has been very helpful to me and what I am try to accomplish as well.

[kingkilburn]

Why do it if your going out of state where it probably will pass

It sounds like he plans on driving it to his new location so he would need it to be legally registered and insured.

[GSXRJJordan]

However, its a simple fix I just have to redo all my AN lines and use an older generation Corvette/Camaro FPR.

Yes, that's a very simple change too!

So that's where the story ends, almost. Because of some recent changes in my life I have actually moved out of California and taken the car with me and what better way to test how well it runs then drive it 2500 miles through 120 deg desert heat right?

What?? Bummer! Wish you the best, hopefully all's well!!

Maybe a stupid question but are you able to retest or is the car deemed non street-able in CA forever? Did you tow the car over there or drive it since it legally isn't suppose to be in the streets?

You can retest. Nothing is permanent, but sometimes you have to go to the state ref if you fail at a regular smog station.

[ShimiBoi]

Damn, sorry to hear about all the trouble the FPR gave you. I wish we could have passed it when you came in for inspection. That would have opened the door to so many 240 enthusiasts! I was hoping to see your car come back fixed so we can put that CARB sticker on it. Haha oh well, maybe later down the road. Good luck where ever you are going! Clean ride, and even better in person!

[SuperBlackS14]

I was watching this thread very closely. I was super surprised to see it on here after I read it in Modified! I was interested then too! So disappointed to hear it failed for a small technicality, but that's how these things are set up.

Damn fine work so far! Please keep us updated. If it ends up being viable for OBD-II as well, I might be able to work it into my '96. With 430 horses, I wouldn't even mind emissions inspections :D

Anyway, awesome build/thread. Thanks for letting us all see it.

[jk26]

So how low did the kw's go its the only thing holding me back from getting a set. Thanks

[DinoMan]

Woooooow i feel like an idiot :facepalm: ive been reading this for awhile now and seeing everyone talking about it being in modified and thinking to myself i wish i had that copy. When it was right in front of me on my desk....I read it like 2 months ago and forgot all about it. But too bad about not passing smog. Hopefully you got everything sorted out and driving it fine nowadays :)

[SR20PWRALTY]

Yes, that's a very simple change too!



What?? Bummer! Wish you the best, hopefully all's well!!



You can retest. Nothing is permanent, but sometimes you have to go to the state ref if you fail at a regular smog station.

OK.... I'm confused I thought he went to a state ref. to get this legal not a regular smog place.

[GSXRJJordan]

OK.... I'm confused I thought he went to a state ref. to get this legal not a regular smog place.

I don't know which, but with a CARB EO# on the engine package, you may be able to smog it without a ref. Knowing Peter, I'm guessing he went straight to the ref.

[ShimiBoi]

He did see a ref. He came in to see the referee at El Camino College a couple of weeks ago. I know because I work for the ref.

[Ni-Shi-Sero]

really diggin this thread.

[Giebs]

He did see a ref. He came in to see the referee at El Camino College a couple of weeks ago. I know because I work for the ref.

haha, I was actually wondering if he did go there. That ref is cool, talked to him during class. I've seen a lot of interesting things come through there when I was taking auto classes there.

[DamianN.]

I miss NC, no smog.

[SR20PWRALTY]

When doing a swap like this, would it be smart to go to the ref. first or just drive the car until you get sent to a ref?

Where do you get in contact with one? I heard somewhere there should be one in your local community collage.

[Pstl_pete]

To answer some questions:

I drove the car over with a one-day permit. I wasnt expecting to take the car out of state hence why I went through all this and it's for a magazine story so I needed to see what the ref would say.

I can always change the lines up and have it retested, even if it were to fail. That's what I understand.

The ref was really cool, I dont blame him one bit for failing the car. He was doing his job, it's California's smog regulations that are beyond comprehension but Im not going to go into a whine fest about it.

This car is 99.8% Carb legal and it goes to show that you can buy this setup and drop it in as long as you do exactly as I did, using the same GM parts EXCEPT the adjustable FPR, then the car should pass.

For the record, this is the regulator you want to use: GM Filter / Regulator Fitting Kit (http://www.purechoicemotorsports.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=293/category)
It's a late model Corvette and Camaro regulator.

If you do this swap you need go to a ref, theres no other way to register the car really. Why wait until you get caught. If you have everything done legally then it makes sense to go pass it and then drive around without hassle.

As for the KW coils. They will drop the wheels beyond the fender line so they will go low but Im not sure what your definition of low is since everyones is different. All I know is that they feel really comfortable and Im really glad I went with them. My old Tein Super Streets I had on the S14 rode WAY harsher than these.

[Matthew Murphy]

kw coils are the best

[SuperBlackS14]

Your Super Streets rode harsh? I just got a set for my S14, and I haven't had a chance to install them yet, but I figured they were set up for street use and to not be overly firm for dailys.

What was your experience with them?

[aziza z]

Beautiful car. Very very clean!

[Pstl_pete]

Alrighty...

Before you read this, there are probably many grammatical and spelling errors but I just dont have the capacity to read through this novel that I just wrote so you've been forewarned.

So at the beginning of the month, I decided to drive both the cars that I own (with my brother and his GF driving the other car -my Integra) back to Ontario, Canada instead of shipping them back since it was going to be 1K, each car and I couldnt load up my stuff in them if I shipped them.

I said screw it and decided to take the risk of driving my 240 that had less than 300miles on the engine and a minty fresh new paint job. What's the worst that could happen right?

What I failed to realize was just how hot the desert was at this time of year and not having AC in either cars was bad but there was much worse to come.

We left LA at 6am in the morning and got a good run outside the city heading towards Arizona on the 40 east. Things were all fine and dandy. This is the first gas station we stopped at.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive225.jpg

I taped the entire front end up in hopes of avoiding any serious chips. Ofcourse this drew plenty of attention from the general public. I must have been asked whats the tape for about 40 times on this trip. At every gas
station at least two people would ask me that.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive223.jpg

When I was inside the gas station I asked the attendant how hot it would get and he laughed. "Boy, its gonna get past 124 today." I though, shit not good. The last thing I need is a torture test on this car but there was no turning back now.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive222.jpg

At around 2pm it scorching hot, my balls are past the point where they are sticking to my leg, I'm dying of heat but that's not my main concern. I am watching the engine temps on my OBDII reader like a hawk and not liking what I see. They are a steady 220-224deg F for the majority of the time. Unfortunately, we get into some hill climbs and I watch it rise even further, 226, 228, 230... I had spoken to the GM techs and they said the engine can run up to temps of 240deg F so while I am still ok, its getting close.

Then climbing up a rather steep hill I suddenly lose all power and pull off onto the side of the road. SHIT, what the hell happened? I jump into diagnostic mode and the first thing I check is fuel pressure. Nothing. Ok we got a failed fuel pump, Im fucked time to call a tow. Before I do so, I sit around and talk to my brother what the options are. About 15mins goes by and just for kicks I go to see if for some miraculous reason the pump works.

Holy shit it works! I fire up the car and start driving away, my brother hi beams me. Now what! I stop, shut off the car run back to him. The Integra wont start now!! I laugh in rage and tell him to jump out. I get behind the wheel start rolling the car backwards and bump the K20 engine to life.

At this point you know whats going to happen. I go to start the 240 and yep, fuel pressure is 0 again. We sit around for another 25min letting the car cool while the integra idles, rad fans a blazing. Finally it starts and off we go.
Another 3 hours go by and the car seems to be driving fine, we've cleared the ridiculously hot desert and are nearing flagstaff, AZ, its still hot but by now its 5pm and starting to cool off. Just when I think things are going my way the car dies again and Im forced to pull off.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive229.jpg

This time I rip apart the trunk to get to the fuel pump and see what the hell is up. As soon as I touch the fuel pump assembly I feel how bloody hot it is! Something can't be right but my mind is wandering and I really don't think about the root of the problem too much, I concentrate on how the hell we are going to make it another 2 days of driving with a car in this state.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive228.jpg

As the car cools off, I call the NAPA in flagstaff which is 10 miles away about a stock fuel pump, they have one in stock thankfully. Im almost out of gas so we need to stop soon anyways.

We roll off at the first sign of fuel pressure and I cross my fingers hoping to make it to flagstaff.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive232.jpg

When we get to NAPA, I rip apart the fuel pump assembly which thankfully is super easy to get at. When Im pulling off the fuel hose, theres still some pressure and the gas sprays out a bit. Its SUPER hot and so is the tank assembly, thats when I begin to realize the problem.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive234.jpg

Because the catalytic converter on the right bank of the engine is about 4-inches from the fuel lines, it must have been heating up the fuel on both feed and return sides obviously. If it weren't 120degs out and I wasnt driving for 8 hours straight then it wouldnt be a problem but due to those reasons the fuel was slowly getting hotter and hotter in turn the fuel pump was heating up and eventually it would cease to operate. Once I let it cool down then it would work. To make matters worse running on an close to empty tank would speed the process up. Hence why the car was dying only when the gas tank was near empty.
I pulled the poor overheated Deatschwerks pump out and it looked like hell.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive239.jpg

In went the NAPA pump which I figured would suffice in flow as long as I didn't get into it.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive240.jpg

It was about 7pm now and we decided that driving at night would be greatly beneficial to our journey since we would stay out of the heat. We had already been on the road for 13 hours but decided to drive until we couldnt drive anymore.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive243.jpg

The pace was slow but I figured as long as I kept the tank topped up and monitored the engine temps we would be fine. At this point engine temps were near 120deg max.

We drove for the next 7 hours until we hit Amarillo, Texas. Once night fall came the car ran flawlessly further proving that the fuel heating up due to the hot temps was the problem. I dont have any photos from that night because as you can imagine all I wanted to do was sleep and forget the day ever happened.

Leaving Amarillo around 1pm we had hoped to have beat the hottest part of the day, which wasnt the case but at least we had about 3-4 hours of hot temperature driving then it would start to cool off.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive263.jpg

At this point the drive got somewhat uneventful, it was much flatter so there were no hills to worry about. However, the temperature was still a worrying 100degs but we continued to soldier on.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive284.jpg

About 5 hours into the drive I thought, wow theres a strong side wind because I can feel the car pulsating a bit, you know that feeling when a strong wind feels like it almost slows the car down well this began to happen. About 10 minutes later I thought, ok somethings wrong its getting worse and I pulled off at the next gas station. Before that, I saw a rainbow...uh huh.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive305.jpg

Sure enough, the fuel was super hot again and I think the NAPA pump was dropping its pumping capacity resulting in uneven engine operation. I decided we needed to do everything possible to try to get rid of the heat under the hood. This time a trip to autozone netted some washers and longer screws.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive324.jpg

Off came the hood and in went the washers.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive322.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive325.jpg

A sizeable stack indeed. I was hoping this plus me running with the heat on would help a bit and it did. If you've ever driven in 100deg weather with your heater blowing you can agree that when I say I was really starting to regret making this journey and hating life.

But the engine temps stayed around 210-214 so it was worth it in my mind. For the next 5-6 hours, I dont really remember the car ran just fine. We stopped at a gas station where I snapped some shots. I was really hoping to document this trip better but with all that was going on my camera was the last thing on my mind.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive328.jpg

I should say that mentally I was beyond exhausted. You know that sinking feel in the pit of your stomach when you know that somethings about to go wrong, yeah well I had that for the ENTIRE road trip. It was rotting my mind. Thankfully the roads were straight and I didnt have to concentrate to hard on my driving.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive329.jpg

I also forgot to mention that we loaded all the heavy items up into the Integra, why I dont remember but it took this road trip like a champ. Ive got a shorter final drive in it so it drove the 2400mile trip at 4-4.5K without skipping a beat. I still think to this day that Honda builds the best 4-cylinder engines in the world.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive332.jpg

This is the last photo I took on day 2 of our drive. We managed to make the rest of the drive without any issues. Again, as soon as night hit the car ran better then ever. We ended our journey in St. Louis, MO having driven 13 hours.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive334.jpg

We slept a miserably short 3 and a half hours and got on the road by 6am. I hadn't been happier to see rain in a long time. No sun in sight meant colder weather.
The car ran like a champ.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive338.jpg

For my route planning I used Google maps since to this day it has yet to lead me astray. Well for some dumb reason Google routed us off the highway and onto a single lane road just before we entered Ohio. This tacked on a nice hour onto our drive where I saw more police officers in the same of 40miles than I had on the entire trip.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive376.jpg

The end of the journey was beginning to near. Welcome to Ohio! Only 3 hours from here.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive382.jpg

Then there was Michigan, shitty, pot-holed roads and all. I had bad memories of driving these roads when I was younger and bending rims and shattering windshields. Thankfully, it looked and felt like the roads are in better shape now.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive392.jpg

The border crossing proved to be easier then I thought as I entered Canada without any hassle. When I got home, I couldn't be happier to pull into my driveway.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive398.jpg

I have to say once again that my track prepped Integra surprised me how well it took the beating of such a cross country trek.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive396.jpg

As for the 240, it made it in one piece, peeling tape and all.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive399.jpg

However, even though my trip came to an end the 240 didn't walk away completely unharmed but that will be for another post as Im sure this one is BEYOND long. Shit, if half of you made it to the end then thumbs up!
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LS3drive400.jpg

[StReeTz]

At least you made it back in one piece! You needed some water wetter!

[Broadfield]

Good lord Peter:ugh:

[ShimiBoi]

At least you made it back in one piece! You needed some water wetter!
Water Wetter FTMFW!!! well now u know how the car handles heat...not well :( but at least it made it there in one piece.

[JaredP]

Good job making the trip in one piece pete. I don't think anyone I know of has had issues getting into canada either lol

[homeslicej2]

Glad you made it home. I had previously posted about the cat being so close to the fuel lines, but I didn't think it would effect it as much as it did. Do you have an idea as to what you'll do to remedy the fuel situation? Also, yes, I've driven in ~100 degree heat with 90+% humidity and had to turn the heat on full blast for a good amount of time. It was horrible. That was before I made an alum. plate to put b/t the underside of the bumper & radiator core support to make all of the air coming through the IC go through the rad (instead of under it as it had been).

[CamryOnBronze]

Wow PT, I knew it was bad, but damn! Glad you made it out here dude. Looking forward to seeing this thing! The temps out here should be much nicer for the car, lol.

[JDM Sil4ty]

good stuffs dude! at least the cops didn't hassle you. blue tape and all

[Pstl_pete]

I had water wetter, proper ducting, even wrapped all the fuel lines in heat shielding material. Trust me I prepped this car for the trip.
I would have never experienced this problem if I hadnt been driving for 8 hours. I made sure to drive the car for 2+ hrs in Cali before I left and it ran perfect.
With that amount of operation time, plus the stupid hot temps, the fuel had no chance of cooling off. I talked to Deatschwerks and they told me that a good amount of the fuel is being returned to the tank during cruising and very little of it is actually being used hence why this became such a problem.

Most people dont drive their swapped V8 240s this long or have cats so I dont think its an issue for 90% of the cars out there but if you are doing this swap with cats then consider these problems.

As for what Ill be doing with the system, it will get a OE Corvette style filter/regulator and installing it at the back of the car so there will only be one feed line running to the front. Ill be tackling that job early October when I get back from LA.

I also have a fuel pressure problem right now so the car isnt running right at full throttle, it just bogs out. The small Earls fuel filter that Im using seems to be the culprit as I cleaned it out and it seemed to have worked but the problem is back again so I have some more diagnosis to do to figure out the exact problem.

[Black240Ct]

road trips with 240 are never fun.. i used to drive to drift events and my mind was on edge listening to every sound and bump and vibration.. exhausting.. i cant imagine driving that far in it..... nice update

[MyblackS13]

That looks like quite a trip. The single lane road just before Ohio looks like highway 24 to me, did you go through or around Fort Wayne, Indiana on your way?

[SuperBlackS14]

Great Update.

Thanks for posting all this; it's like a complete guide for what to worry about when doing swaps of this nature. All things I'll be looking out for at some point now, thanks to you!

[GSXRJJordan]

I knew you made it from your Facebook, but damn I didn't know it was that hard of a trip!

Glad it held up for the most part, and especially glad I didn't get any panic calls about wiring on the side of the road in some godawful part of the country (Amarillo comes to mind).

Keep in touch, let me know if I can help :)

[tricky_ab]

Welcome back to Canada! (Well the GTA)... Good to hear that both of your cars made the trip...

[dftsilvia]

wow what a crazy trip. the furthest road trip i have taken my rb s14 on was from ny to kentucky. 8 1/2 hours. ran beautiful

[WoolyS14DET]

Glad to here you mad it. What was the whole reason for moving back to Canada?

[96Turbo]

that's so funny, I've had to replace a fuel pump in Flagstaff before too! In the Jack in the Box parking lot. Only my car was dead so I had to get a taxi to autozone & shit, what a mess.

glad you made it back safely!

[future]

Damn that's crazy. Why not just remove the cats? Since your not gonna be in Cali anymore

[Pstl_pete]

I moved home for family reasons...

I like the idea of having a legitimately clean running street car so those cats wont be coming off. If I did, I'd have to get the ECU tuned since the rear o2s would throw a code and Im not about that right now. Maybe in the future but for now the 430hp is plenty.

Once I get my fuel system rebuilt (should have an update at the end of the week) Ill hit the dyno since Im curious what this puts down to the wheels with the cats in place.

[Pstl_pete]

Yesterday I went ahead and finally tackled rebuilding the fuel system after having heat related problems with the current setup.

I decided I would install a Corvette fuel filter/regulator since this is what GM recommended using with my V8 e-rod setup. I also purchased some fittings to adapt the stock hardline to this setup.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem401.jpg

The Corvette filter/regulator is great because its two parts in one which means no need for a regulator and filter. Its set to 57.9 PSI which is what the LS engine needs for fuel pressure.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem403.jpg

I began by pulling both feed and return lines from the undercarriage. I'll be using only the feed line because I plan to mount the FPR at the back of the chassis right infront of the fuel tank.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem412.jpg

To adapt the OEM hardline to the new FPR fitting, I measured it and cut it to length.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem414.jpg

The flare tool came in real handy and I had my new fitting in place.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem415.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem416.jpg

Here's the feed fitting in place, for the record I bought all these fittings and adapters at Pure choice Motorsports out of Phoenix, Arizona.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem423.jpg

I mounted the unit just to the left of the diff and used an existing bolt hole to secure it in place.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem418.jpg

You can see the other adapter on the feed line. This will link my AN feed to the flare end fuel hard line.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem420.jpg

I weighed my options as to what the best solution was for the fuel pump assembly to FPR lines and after toying with the idea of running hard lines I scraped it and went with good ol' fashion high pressure rubber fuel lines. I also flared the FPR fitting ends to add a lip like the OEM lines have, don't want any fuel leaks here.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem424.jpg

Here you can see the hard line and how it mates to the FPR.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem425.jpg

A quick turn of the wrenches to ensure everything's tight and just like that the FPR is done.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem433.jpg

This is what my old setup looked like. A Fuelab FPR and Earls fuel filter on the feed. The return ran directly back under the cat hence the need to change things up.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly21.jpg
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ls3assembly20.jpg

I pulled the FPR off and the filter, these will be used for my next project.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem407.jpg

I wanted to reuse the fuel lines that I already had since it would be a waste to scrap them so I kept the feed line and replaced the Fuelab FPR with an Earls fitting that has a port to accept a FP gauge. They don't make it in black so a quick blast of some black paint did the trick.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem406.jpg

Unfortunately, the fuel pressure gauge would not line up properly for me when I tightened it so I accepted a sideways mounted gauge (not very pleasing to the eye) and moved onto finishing up the system.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem435.jpg

Here's what it looks like completed.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem437.jpg

http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem436.jpg

This is where I was about to start the car and check for leaks but curiousity had me wondering why my fuel pressure was dropping under heavy load so I decided to crack open my Earls fuel filter and see what was inside.

Yep, that right there is a nice mount of dirt. No wonder the engine was starved for fuel, that was probably choking it up at the first sign of increased fuel needs.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem439.jpg

At this point, I knew the fuel tank had to have large amounts of debris because I had just cleaned this filter several weeks ago and with that much buildup being deposited in a matter of days there was surely more.

Draining a tank is always fun when you have to siphon gas. I wish that stupid pump worked better, POS sprayed fuel everywhere multiple times while I tried to get it to start draining the fuel.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem440.jpg

This is the only picture I got of all the nasty stuff in the tank. Now Im not sure if this is from years of buildup or someone dumping shit inside the tank but there was ALOT of brown looking debris that I removed.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem441.jpg

Finally, it was beginning to look clean in there. A shop vac and some rags did the trick.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem442.jpg

I also plucked the plastic siphon that feeds the fuel pump chamber to see how dirty it was.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem444.jpg

Yep, pretty damn dirty so that also was cleaned.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem445.jpg

I poured the gas back in and tested the system for leaks. Found one at an AN fitting up front and had to replace the fitting on the line to make it stop leaking. Finally, I was able to fire the car up and it was all good, no leaks, 60psi fuel pressure.

Took it for a test drive and the car feels great, like it should with 430hp. I still need to take some glam shots then I hope to get it to a dyno before it snows here to see what it puts down to the wheels.
http://www.petertarach.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LS3fuelsystem447.jpg

[future]

I was not saying to take them off for more power. More of a way to fix the fuel problems. But seeing that you already have your fuel problem fixed you should be fine. Nice update

[niscur29]

Yea my tank was loaded with shit like that for a florida car. The outside is mint but the previous owner let it sit with just a little fuel in there and the sides rusted...Royal pain in the ass to get the gas out. I ended up dropping mine acid washing it and redkoted the inside...Much better...

[Broadfield]

Awesome Peter, it's always such a good feeling fixing problems. For some reason I love having issues just so I can trouble shoot them and then fix them. Of course I trouble shoot issues at work all of the time, so I get off on it:)

[DownSouthSlider]

holy crap im poor


awesome build dude!