Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all

A quick question how hard is it to put a LS1 with a 6 speed manual gearbox into a classic rangie? I heard from someone that u can put the motor in but wat about the gearbox?

Its from a Holden VT Clubsport and i can get it quite cheap and how much would it cost to put in and wat needs to be done to make it fit?

Cheers Azza

wolfengo wrote:Hi all

A quick question how hard is it to put a LS1 with a 6 speed manual gearbox into a classic rangie? I heard from someone that u can put the motor in but wat about the gearbox?

Its from a Holden VT Clubsport and i can get it quite cheap and how much would it cost to put in and wat needs to be done to make it fit?

Cheers Azza

No adaptors as far as I'm aware for the 6sp manual. You can get one for the 4l6x trannies as well as the 4l80. Only installs that I've heard of are just about completely custom and apparently a tight fit.

IMO would be cheaper to source a wreck with an auto if your really keen on doing it. That and ls1 motors are dirt cheap atm. You can also pick up a new 4l65e tranny for under $2500.

If you want prices of new stuff see here:

http://holmart.com.au/online/category6_1.htm

New 4l65e transmission $1980
New 6.0L L98 (Gen IV) long motor $3990
or if you've got a bit more
New 6.2L LS3 $6750

With these sorts of prices for new kit then second hand prices of complete motors and wrecks should all be dirt cheap. I'm spewing I don't start work to Feb next year (finally finished uni after next weeks exams) and the poor Aussie dollar will have eroded the cheap prices on crate motors from the US.

Motor and gearbox is the cheap part..

fitting - exhaust - wiring- compliance.. would hate to know how much that would end up being

Still love to put a 6.0 in my rangie one day

Camo

V8 Rangie wrote:Motor and gearbox is the cheap part..

fitting - exhaust - wiring- compliance.. would hate to know how much that would end up being

Still love to put a 6.0 in my rangie one day

Camo

Exactly. The only feasible way that I could see doing it is completing the wiring myself and tacking new mounts for the motor and tranny in place to be welded up by a pro. IIRC discokid had to have custom headers fabricated to clear the chassis rails in his defender. I might have this wrong but.

But yeh paying someone to do it would be pricey. I would guess around $10k to have it all fitted and complianced in a reasonable state. That's not including parts though. A lot of man hours involved that's for sure.

I did some research on this a while ago.
AFAIK there is an adaptor for Small block to ZF. Small block is the same as LS1 except you leave out one bolt.
There is an adaptor in US for LS1 to small block mounts, just a plate that bolts on the block sides, and there is a kit for small block to RRC .
So LS1 to RRC should be possible without welding.
By using the Delco ECU , it should be plug and play, and there are boxes to disable the Body functions.( Castlemaine)

The biggest problem is to get the ZF to live with the LS1. A have been told by Auto Tech in sydney there is a guy who will do it for 5K.

Other probs you need a rear sump, but I believe a Camaro sump and pickup are the go.
Exhaust manifolds same.
Regards Philip A

armbrup wrote:I did some research on this a while ago.
AFAIK there is an adaptor for Small block to ZF. Small block is the same as LS1 except you leave out one bolt.
There is an adaptor in US for LS1 to small block mounts, just a plate that bolts on the block sides, and there is a kit for small block to RRC .
So LS1 to RRC should be possible without welding.
By using the Delco ECU , it should be plug and play, and there are boxes to disable the Body functions.( Castlemaine)

The biggest problem is to get the ZF to live with the LS1. A have been told by Auto Tech in sydney there is a guy who will do it for 5K.

Other probs you need a rear sump, but I believe a Camaro sump and pickup are the go.
Exhaust manifolds same.
Regards Philip A

I while ago (well 2+ years ago) I emailed Castlemaine rod shop and they had zf to ls1 adaptors (they list it as p38 to ls1 kit). But like you say the problem is getting the zf to handle the power. Cost's I've heard thrown around to get it beefed up go right up to $8000+. Combine that with how easy it is to get power out of the ls family of engines and its easy to see why its a problem. Interesting about the ls1 to small block adaptor though.

Not sure what Delco ECU you are referring too. There's quite a few variations of the pcm's, most of which are all very tunable and customisable. Things like the body control modules are a thing of the past. Most functions can be disable/enabled by a competent tuner. You can get the cable throttles working with the later gen IV blocks, and, if you want,you can get the by-wire throttles on the earlier gen III blocks.

www.ls1.com.au (have to sign up to get a lot of the technical sections) has just about everything you need to know about tuning and modding the ls series of engines. The sponsors on that site should easily be able to get the pcm's modded/supplied to run manual/auto, eliminate BCM's etc.

If it's of any help, there's a write up/diary of my conversion here...

http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/for ... .php?t=194

You should have more room in a Range Rover. Going auto is probably the only thing that will save your axles/diffs although, were I in a country where they were easier to get hold of, I'd change to GQ axles and get a nice shiney atlas transfer box.

armbrup wrote:I did some research on this a while ago.
AFAIK there is an adaptor for Small block to ZF. Small block is the same as LS1 except you leave out one bolt.
There is an adaptor in US for LS1 to small block mounts, just a plate that bolts on the block sides, and there is a kit for small block to RRC .
So LS1 to RRC should be possible without welding.
By using the Delco ECU , it should be plug and play, and there are boxes to disable the Body functions.( Castlemaine)

The biggest problem is to get the ZF to live with the LS1. A have been told by Auto Tech in sydney there is a guy who will do it for 5K.

Other probs you need a rear sump, but I believe a Camaro sump and pickup are the go.
Exhaust manifolds same.
Regards Philip A

DELPHI ecu not Delco

Its merely a drag down menu and disable vats, to remove security, no boxs needed

$$$$$$to make a ZF live, if you abuse it, the are physically small and need alot of outsourced components

Thank fellas for the advice the only reason i did ask is cos i could get a motor and gearbox (done bout 130,000km and not thrashed either) for 3 grand.

Might do it a bit later on when i got a bit more $$$$ laying around. In the mean time im just goin to put a new cam in to get a bit more power.

Cheers Azza