Questions re. LS1 motor & transmission...

[Gosling1]

Hi - normally I cruise the VN-VP forums, but tonight I have some questions about the LS1 motor and transmission - hoping that someone here may have some answers....

In a nutshell - I want to fit one of these motors into a Series 3 XJ6 Jaguar.... (please don't hate me....) - as a tow-car for some historic racing bikes I race. The VN is just not comfortable enough on long hauls to Phillip Island or Eastern Creek. A V8 Jag, with a good-quality LS1 motor fitted, would be heaps nicer.....

A local engineer who can sign off a certificate for rego, has advised that this conversion is reasonably straightforward. I can't use the bigger 6 litre motor, as its over the 10% limit for upgrading engine capacity (from a 5.3l V12 Jag motor, a 5.7 *just* squeaks in).

What I need to know are some simple things, having never owned a vehicle with an LS1 fitted, these might sound stupid, but bear with me......

* Is there any type of electrical issue with fitting a different gearbox (say the 6-speed), instead of just using the 4L60-E 4 speed ? Is this even possible with an LS1 engine in the first place ?

* What sort of costs would I be looking at, for a decent (<100,000) LS1 motor and gearbox ? Is $5k too much ??

* Are there any known issues with these motors that I should be aware of, when checking out potential donor motors ??

* How economical are these motors in the real world ?

* Does anyone know how much one of these V8's actually weighs ??

thanks in advance for any tips or advice about the above questions. All suggestions welcomed ( including the obligatory "Get a VY SS" answers )

cheers
Dave

[dijm8]

most ls1 conversions can cost upto 10k these days m8 just depends where u go etc...best would buy a wrecked car n pull everything out n put in yours rather then buy everything seperate...

they can be very economical if they are tuned right

[HSV99]

Jag + LS1!

Jaguar xj12 reborn with LS1 and 4 speed auto - Australian LS1 and Holden Forums

[Gosling1]

Jag + LS1!

Jaguar xj12 reborn with LS1 and 4 speed auto - Australian LS1 and Holden Forums

Fantastic !! thanks for the tip - it was a pretty safe bet that someone else had already done this conversion .....(but I had no idea there was an entire forum dedicated to these LS1 motors.....) - that story should help heaps.....


and thanks djm8 - The donor motor/box combo's I am looking at are basically all complete running units, including ECU and full harness. This *in theory* should make the actual conversion itself fairly straightrforward........I have done some engine transplants in the past with 308's, and also slotted a 250 2V motor into an XB panelvan many years ago, I am hoping that if engine and gearbox mounts are available from somewhere like Castlemaine Rod Shop, then I will do most of ther hard yards myself.........

[HSV99]

Yeah Castlemaine would deffinately be the place to start. Depending on the popularity of the conversion they might even look into doing a full coversion kit. People have been dropping 350 chevs into XJ6's for a long time now so I guess the LS1's just a natural progression.

I think this is a pretty cool conversion your doing here mate, good luck with it and make sure you post some progress picks as you go.

[VZ SS :D]

mine uses 15-16 in city and around 9.5-10.5 on highway. But ye im gonna say it ya can pick up a pretty gd vy ss for like 18 grand and there great cars!! cheaper, easier and better end result IMO! just my opinion tho

[Gosling1]

Yeah Castlemaine would deffinately be the place to start. Depending on the popularity of the conversion they might even look into doing a full coversion kit. People have been dropping 350 chevs into XJ6's for a long time now so I guess the LS1's just a natural progression.

I think this is a pretty cool conversion your doing here mate, good luck with it and make sure you post some progress picks as you go.

cheers I will post up some pics as I go......here are a couple of the donor car - I won it on ebay the other night for $900, its an electric-everything 1982 Series III Sovereign. The owner has a history of building hotrods, and reckons I have landed a very good example .......will be heading up to Sydney next weekend to pick it up.....





I rang Castlemaine Rod Shop - old mate there said he had done a lot of conversion kits back in the 80's and 90's for Chev and 'other' V8's - but I was the first person to ring up and ask about the LS1 conversion for a Jag ! Its all good though, there is a mob in the US who do a full conversion kit, have contacted the owner of the business, and he has replied with a heap of info, so thats looking very promising....

I have heard that the early LS1's should be avoided, and the best of the bunch is the LS1 fitted to the VZ ???? Any ideas about that ?? I am a *total* novice when it comes to these motors, but want to fit the best one out there....

cheers

[R0d]

i thinks its due to the piston slap some ls1s may have but id say most of the problem motors have been fixed. I think it was due to the oil pump used in series 1 vx ss but was changed in series2. Mines a serious 1 but a mate told me if you wait for the oil light to go off before cranking the car there shouldnt be a problem with series 1. dont quote me tho haha

[HSV99]

Yeah like ROd said the early LS1s were prone to piston slap on start up and can be a bit noisey and rattley but having said that there is still plenty of them still going strong. I'd definately go for a VX series 2, VY or VZ LS1. Bonus is you'll get the LS6 intake manifold as standard on those motors too (better flowing, more power). Either way just look for the lowest km motor you can find.

[S2_VR_]

my ex's father Has an XJ6 with an LS1.. used to haul arse too.. dunno what box he had behind it.. but we took it to byron one day and **** me it was comfy on the highway

[Vt_vic]

piston slap was due to the mexican factory that made the ls1 there was too much clearance at the top of the piston and made the piston slap the sides of the block instead of a smooth ride

[Bravotwozero]

piston slap was due to the mexican factory that made the ls1 there was too much clearance at the top of the piston and made the piston slap the sides of the block instead of a smooth ride

And that's the way Holden wanted them. Reason was apparently due to getting better fuel economy. Way to go Holden

[Sabbath']

piston slap was due to the mexican factory that made the ls1 there was too much clearance at the top of the piston and made the piston slap the sides of the block instead of a smooth ride

That's bullshit. Do your research.

The slap is caused by side clearance, not top clearance. The "Slapping" is caused by the cylinder to bore clearance being excessive. When the engine warms up, the expansion of metals takes out the clearance and the slap will go away.

It's a design flaw/fault with the motor, specifically the piston skirt design/length. The problem plagued LS1 motors right up to VY.

[Vt_vic]

well side clearance then its been over 3 years since i read the thing