64 replies to this topic

[adrianh08]

Guys i've had a bit of a look but I am interested if there is a really comprehensive thread on doing the LS3 conversion into an LX with either manual or auto gearbox somewhere.

I'm still tossing up about stroking the 308 I have or going down the LS3 route.

I am hoping someone who has done it has detailed the process and pitfalls and where to buy the engine mounts/sump etc etc

Hoping one of you forum gurus (with nothing better to do with your time ha ha) would know which would be the best thread out of the 47 million on here for me to have a look at.

Cheers in advance.

Adrian

[myss427]

Dirtbags thread on converting a UC to LX has great info of the LS conversion. Go the LS motor, you will never look back, not easy but worth it.

[adrianh08]

So I can just get you to come and do it all for me Brett? Geez you're a good bloke.

You can throw a splash of paint on it too while you're at it.

Thanks for the heads up mate I appreciate it.

[Redslur]

Ignore the numb-nut above's advice, go the 355 path... :-)

[DanWA]

I regret the LS route and wish i went Chev or Holden based

 

Saying that, it isn't running/drive yet so i may change that when i have some trouble free cheap hp cruising

[adrianh08]

Ha ha I like it REDSLR, not sure if Brett will as much!

 

I'm really torn as to which way to go hence asking for people's opinions and their own experiences.

Edited by adrianh08, 06 December 2016 - 02:28 PM.

[adrianh08]

FLI304- Id be interested in talking to someone who has done it so they can give me the heads up on what does and doesn't work well in terms of engine and gearbox mounts, wiring, getting the computer done etc if I do decide to go down that path.

Edited by adrianh08, 06 December 2016 - 02:28 PM.

[Growla]

LS all the way. They are a pain to fit. But once the key turns all is forgiven.

I've 36000km since my LS1 conversion. If I was to do it again, I would go ls3.

 

cheers

Mark

[IMORAL]

Each to their own but if I had my time again it would be LS. So much cheap and easy HP to be had and mostly trouble free driving. If I did a LS I would definitely change the manifold and hide the coil packs tho. I just cant take to it in early cars but each to their own.

As long as its a V8 ya cant go wrong

[neglectedtorana]

I think start with the attitude nothing will fit and plan to make it all yourself and it will be much easier.

Mine is not finished but I am past the hard bits and my feeling was the bits that don't fit added a lot of disappointment and slowed me down.

I did use Tuff mounts and it only took 2 sets to get the correct ones and I am using the Moroso 20140 which fits ok for me.

Extractors I made and steering column shortened, haven't yet but will make a new gearbox cross member as the one I bought for the T56 hangs very low and will make for even lower exhaust

I am expecting when I do drive it the annoying bits will be forgotten

Have fun

[Holdenbn74]

Just went from inj 304 to LS in my LH, reasonably straight forward just fiddly making things fit like extractors but worth for cheap HP 💪💪😀

[adrianh08]

This is all excellent advice from you all and I really appreciate it.

 

I am thinking for a lowish k motor and gearbox with loom and ecu etc it will be around 8 grand give or take from what i've seen in my searching so far.

 

Then another 2 grand or so for the conversion bits and pieces.

 

A lot of the labour I will do myself in terms of putting it all in.

 

So for a budget of around 10 grand or so, it is pretty cheap horsepower.

 

It would cost me the best part of 10 grand to build a half decent stroker engine with the 308 I have sitting around that probably wouldn't produce the same power that a tuned LS3 would.

 

Still not certain and worried about the "unknown" but I definitely appreciate everyone's advice and sharing of their experiences. 

[Bigfella237]

I would also strongly consider an aftermarket ECU and engine wiring harness such as from Holley EFI...

 

https://www.holley.c...ls_efi_systems/

 

You will spend a little extra initially than if using an OEM ECU but you will save money on the back end as the Holley stuff is all self-learning and comes with all the software and cables needed to do any setup or fine tuning yourself, so you're looking at $1000+ saving on not getting the thing dyno-tuned plus whatever the OEM tuning software (EFILive or HPtuner for example) costs these days.

 

The Holley gear also does Drive By Wire (DBW) throttle (or even multiple DBW throttle bodies) plus you can buy third party cruise control (this is rumored to be included in the ECU firmware sometime in the future) and traction control modules designed especially for the Holley EFI systems.

 

The only things the Holley wiring harness doesn't do are the bolt-on accessories, alternator, starter & air con compressor will all need to be wired separately but no big deal really.

[xu2308]

Stroke the 308, Lot less hassle than a LS1 conversion

[Bigfella237]

I love a Holden V8 as much as anyone but it'd take a very angry 355 stoker to even come close to a stock standard LS3, and then there's so much more you can do to the LS3 after that, plus they're near half the weight to begin with, and you get reliability and reasonable fuel consumption thrown in.

 

It's a "no-brainer" really...

 

P.S. I wouldn't fit an old LS1 though even if I had one laying around, if it was a choice between a Holden V8 stroker and an LS1 I think I would go for the stoker.

Edited by Bigfella237, 14 December 2016 - 12:32 PM.

[Ice]

Honestly go straight to the LS3 yeah might take a bit of mucking around but at the end you will be glad you did
you cant beat a big bore engine

[adrianh08]

OK there are a bunch of you on here that have done it and I really appreciate your thoughts thus far.

 

What I am looking for is a list of things that need to be done for it to all come together.

 

There are obvious things and then the more subtle things (often the hardest) such as modifying the wiring loom and getting the ecu programmed to delete things that will not apply to the torana such as a body control module or anything like that.

 

From what I have gathered so far (Beginning with a full conversion taken from a VF Commodore for example)

1. Sump must be rear hump and oil pick up changed

2. Engine mounts (Heard so many stories about good ones and bad ones that let the motor sit too low or too high etc etc. Who makes the best ones that will fit?)

3. Gear box cross member (Does tunnel need to be modified for the auto? I know it does for the 6 speed manual)

4. Steering column needs to be shortened (Was unaware of this one until reading on here)

5. Custom tail shaft depending on diff and gear box final decision (This is a pretty common thing)

6. Modified wiring loom (Is it better to just buy this or is it doable yourself? What needs to be deleted? What needs to be added?)

7. Custom tune into ECU to suit torana compared to commodore to get it all running.

8. Starter motor? Does this need to be relocated to the other side?

9. What's the best way to go about doing gauges eg speedo, tacho etc etc go new ones to suit the modern set up?

10. From what i've seen the heater box must be eliminated or at least heavily modified to allow the motor to fit.

 

Guys please add additional things that need to be done that I have missed (most likely lots!) and any comments to the things I have listed.

 

This is either going to be a brilliant resource for me or scare me off big time ha ha.

 

Once again I really appreciate everyone's help.

[Bigfella237]

I've not had much to do with autos (personally I wouldn't have one if they were giving them away) but I believe the VF Commodore has the 6L80e doesn't it? I found this photo on LS1TECH with a size comparison between a 6L80e (bottom) and a 4L64 (top)...

 

 

...so I dare say yes, you will be cutting a LOT of sheet metal out of the tunnel!

 

Also don't these transmissions require an TCM to control them? Is that handled by the BCM in a Commodore or can the factory ECU do the job?

 

Another thing not on the list above is the heater core, an old Torana core is only rated at about half the pressure that modern cooling systems run, most people would upgrade that in the course of installing HVAC anyway so the original heater box mentioned doesn't often get reused either.

 

The steering column and starter motor location will mostly depend on what headers you use, I seem to remember someone here saying they were able to use a cast header something like these...

 

 

...and the single pipe gave enough clearance to the stock steering and starter, but if you want to run full length extractors then you likely will need to move some stuff around?

 

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone bolting in a pair of engine mounts without modifying them first, and most people say afterward that they wish they just made their own from scratch, you will likely need to make your own gearbox cross member anyway and that's just as hard as making engine mounts, depends on your fabrication skills I guess, but if you expect to buy everything and just bolt it in then you will be disappointed.