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LSX swap into a vr4

147/1000

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I dont care about your why would you do this to a VR4, the 4g63 is a great engine, the car is precious blah blah blah comments..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Realistically, How hard would it be? Rear wheel drive of course. One big thing I can think of it not enough clearance for the trans. Their are videos of a v8 swaped evo floating around so its got to be possible. But I cant find any info on it.

I have been looking into V8 swaped RXs and 240s but I already have the vr4. I am only tinkering with ideas here.

So what do you guys think? Please keep it to helpful comments. I am not trying to start a fiasco. I just want some helpful info as to how realistic this is. I have been doing some research and cant find much on the subject.
 

3rdstrikedsm

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It would cost a sh*t ton of money since you would have to revamp everything including the irs and weak ass diff that would never hold that type of torque so basically if you owned a chassis shop it would be do able or were one hell of a fab guy.

It could be done but I would guess 20kish to do it on the low end but you could just buy a c5 zo6 at that point.
It all boils down to the cubic dollar!
 

H05TYL

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I'd suggest using a complete 3kgtvr4 rear end - you may find the subframe will bolt into a vr4 with a bit of work.
Cutting out the floor and making a new/larger tunnel isn't hard. Custom engine mounts from the main chassis rails.
Your main problem is the steering rack sits pretty much where the bell housing wants to be.

If you take it to a shop and say "put a v8 in this for me" it's going to be very expensive, but if you can do the fab yourself - even if you just tack the pieces and get a professional to weld them, it'd be do-able for much cheaper.

Round here engine swaps are pretty common though.
 

belize1334

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Seems to me that the LS block would use up all of the for-aft room in the engine bay leaving no room for the transmission. You'd need to cut into the fire-wall and rebuild it around the bell-housing which would, needless to say, require a custom dash assembly. Beyond that, consider that the rear-end would be taking the entire load so axles are gonna start breaking at roughly half of the torque that it takes to break axles on an AWD setup. Plus...with no turbo lag you're gonna have the torque hitting that much harder on launches so you'll be even more prone to axle breaking. I'd say you're in for a custom engine-bay retrofit (lots of welding) as well as a custom rear end.
 

H05TYL

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These might be of some help:

LS1 corvette
ls1measurementsqo5.jpg


LS6
ls6_dim_frt.jpg


ls6_dim_side.jpg


I just had a quick measure and 27.5" is about the same as the distance from the firewall to the forward most of the bolts holding the turbo to the manifold, so if you move the radiator forward under the rad support an LS would fit without having to completely butcher the firewall.
 

GIjoe

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I can't let go of this idea ever since somebody posted a link about the Hartley V8 (only 2.8L!). I wouldn't swap it in a VR-4 though, but maybe a ggsx (with JDM bumpers, Vr4 wing and side skirts). I'd keep the AWD drivetrain and mount the engine transversely. (doubt that it would fit though..)
It would be awesome IMO. If I had insane amounts of money, I'd do it for real.

Quoting 147/1000:
I dont care about your why would you do this to a VR4, the 4g63 is a great engine, the car is precious blah blah blah comments..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Realistically, How hard would it be? Rear wheel drive of course. One big thing I can think of it not enough clearance for the trans. Their are videos of a v8 swaped evo floating around so its got to be possible. But I cant find any info on it.

I have been looking into V8 swaped RXs and 240s but I already have the vr4. I am only tinkering with ideas here.

So what do you guys think? Please keep it to helpful comments. I am not trying to start a fiasco. I just want some helpful info as to how realistic this is. I have been doing some research and cant find much on the subject.

 
Last edited:

boostedinaz

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Apr 20, 2006
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Scottsdale, AZ
Quoting H05TYL:
These might be of some help:

LS1 corvette
ls1measurementsqo5.jpg


LS6
ls6_dim_frt.jpg


ls6_dim_side.jpg


I just had a quick measure and 27.5" is about the same as the distance from the firewall to the forward most of the bolts holding the turbo to the manifold, so if you move the radiator forward under the rad support an LS would fit without having to completely butcher the firewall.



Until you bolt on a T56. The E39 chassis has little room for just a small driveshaft and the T56 is MUCH larger. It will require some type of cutting at least in tunnel area and possibly in the firewall.
 

147/1000

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Hostyle: where did you get those pics of the measurements? Do they have measurements of the t56 or 4l60e? If so can you post a pic or link?
 

381gvr4

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Nov 5, 2007
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Wakefield, RI/Meriden, CT
The issue I see is the great big front subframe that blocks the DS hump. All tube fabrication or nothing!

The VR4 uses a transverse engine/trans configuration while most every chassis to swap ls' into is longitudinal. Id search the v8 civic swaps or focus v8 swaps for ideas and to view the mass undertaking this would be. ANYTHING is possible with enough time and money!!!!! G/L
 
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It would be really dumb. If you want a v8 import, get something where they already sell an LS subframe/motormounts. Like a 240 or a volvo.
 

fivestardsm

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Ian M

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Jan 11, 2002
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Martinsburg,WV
Quote:
I dont care about your why would you do this to a VR4, the 4g63 is a great engine, the car is precious blah blah blah comments.....




Actually,that wouldn't be my biggest critisism. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mine would be why wouldn't you pick a better looking/neater car than a early '90s Galant to put all that work into? It won't be a "VR-4" anymore,the factory AWD and turbo 4g63 is the only thing that makes these cars cool. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

At any rate,it's certainly possible. In one of the newer issues on Hot Rod/Car Craft/Super Chevy,they ran a pic of a mid '90s Saturn coupe with a 5.7l Chevy truck motor and RWD. Looked fairly stock from the outside,even had stock wheels,says he built it for his wife to bracket race (8's in the 1/8 mile). I forgot the budget,but it was like 2k. If you could do it on a relativley tight budget,a LSX powered Galant would be cooler than that I guess. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

I would imagine one way to do it would be somewhat similar to a street rod. A tubular front end to replace the subframe,with Mustang II style rack and pinion steering and suspention in front. For the rear a "9 Ford etc with something like a aftermarket ladder/bar coil over setup. It would work good in a straight line at least.
 
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147/1000

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The only reason I even considered it was I already have the VR4 in my back yard. Otherwise I would definitly consider a different approach. I would do most of the wiring and fab work with friends in my spare time. I am not super serious about it right now, Just throwing around ideas and getting opinions.

At first I was thinking it already has the parts to be RWD so it should be easy. I forgot that its setup like a FWD. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif That would be the main problem in getting it to work. Most cars with V8 swaps start out RWD so its not a huge deal. A 6.0 truck motor,trans and harness can be had pretty cheap. If I did all the work I dont see why it couldnt be be done for ~$10,000. No different than spending big bucks on a 4g build up witch can easily cost over 10k.
 

147/1000

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That was the car I was refering to in my orignal post. It even has an intercoolded procharger setup but I can't find any info on that car besides the YouTube videos. If anyone can find any info on that car please post a link.
 

I had looked into going rwd with an inline 4g63.I can only imagine a ls series engine complicating things. The rear suspension is easy use a ladder bar. The "short" four link rear suspension set ups don't work that well on shorter wheel base cars. So you just need to back half the car and tin the floor and put in wheel tubs. I would just build the 9 inch over the 8.8 or 12 bolt cause in the end if you are starting from scratch a 9 inch is not that much more money plus there are lots of cool aluminum parts for the nine to decrease rotational mass. The PITA is the front suspension it will not work there is no room for a glide or th400 to go. So you would need to remove the stock suspension and cross member and start from scratch. I looked into the mustang II style it would be the most economical and there are variable widths out there. Finally you would need to make a tunnel for the trans so you would need to cut the firewall and floor pan. All this can be done at a high price. I am welder/chassis guy and for the time and $$ it was not worth it. It would be easier in the long run to build a full tube frame chassis and cut out the floor of the GVR4 and drop it over the tube chassis and piece in a floor kinda like a 25.5 car .
 

H05TYL

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Wgtn, NZ
Quoting boostedinaz:
Quoting H05TYL:
without having to completely butcher the firewall.



Until you bolt on a T56. The E39 chassis has little room for just a small driveshaft and the T56 is MUCH larger. It will require some type of cutting at least in tunnel area and possibly in the firewall.



Oh I know, I mentioned a new tunnel would need to be made in my first post, I was merely saying you wouldn't have to box it to get the motor sitting far enough back.

pics were found here link I just googled: lsx engine measurements and that was the first link that popped up.

Someone mentioned going V8 but keeping the transverse 4wd setup - 1UZ would be the best bet for this. I've seen one fitted into an SW20 mr2!
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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Clarksville TN
Do a search on ebay for a trailblazer ss awd powertrain. Ls3 AWD. there was one on there for like 4500 and came with harness trans, front diff ecu and harness. As for the rear end if you can fab you could do it cheap if its hired better have deep ass pockets. Me and another guy put a rear end from a AWD 2nd gen in the back of a fwd convertible second gen in two days but had a lift, welder and a plasma cutter.


I saw a Buick Rendezvous at the yard yesterday still not touch the engine has had glass run through it but the powertrain is all there. Thing is its a 3400 v6 not sure but it is GM and GM is good about having interchangeable bell-housings. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif Make a sick exoskeletion project for sure.
 

JNR

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Apr 23, 2004
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ca
Quoting curtis:
Do a search on ebay for a trailblazer ss awd powertrain. Ls3 AWD.



Curtis, the Trailblazer SS came with the LS2, fwiw...If you go that route (for a swap), remember they are "drive by wire" and the ECU's for autos (least on the GTO, imagine same as Trailblazer) have that torque management system, so a reflash should be in order to get rid of that annoying feature.
 
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