I'm so glad I found this thread. I'm about to begin a project of my own but with a lesser budget. Got an aluminum LSX block that I want to put in a Boxster S. The only minor problem is that I'm still looking for a roller :)

Hey John,

It's been a few weeks since we last communicated so it's about time for another visit. What is a good day and time. Don't want to crowd your space or irritate your boss :)

Randy

I have my 01 S Roller. Looking for the right LS. I agree with 376's logic on the crate LS but would prefer a more economical option. Commentary on other LS options? Seeing L33 pullouts on EBAY ~$1-2K. Anybody thought about LFX?

I got a 5.3L LM4 Aluminum truck engine for $500. It came on 03-04 trucks. Gonna need to swap out some parts to Camaro/Corvette, but it seems like a great start for a budget build. I might get 799 heads and an lS6 cam if I have some extra $.

Greetings all,

Cheaper motors can definitely be found out there, but don't forget that generally you get what you pay for!

This is one you may want to keep an eye on, 50K miles motor and trans no reserve... only @ $400 with 2 days left~
1998 Camaro Engine LS1 and 4L60E Tranmission LS2 LS3 LS7 LS9 LSX 69 Camaro | eBay

One suggestion is trying to find a C5 Corvette motor as it may save you a bit. It is a bit more money, but it is a bit more motor too~ You will need to swap out the oil pan to a C5 pan, plus if you can get the aluminum motor mounts with it that will save you about $300-$400 all together. Here is one on Ebay for $3400 with ECU & wiring~ 2000 Chevrolet Corvette C5 LS1 5 7 Liter Engine with ECM 87K | eBay

Hopefully i'll get the motor back in the car tomorrow and try to start figuring out the wiring~
More to come~
Thanks!
J

Is the clutch that comes with the kit proprietary to the kit, or can I get away with the stock Boxster clutch? I'm about to place an order with Renegade and I'm trying to figure out what I need and don't need. My engine is a pretty stock 5.3, so I don't think I need a performance clutch just yet. Thanks!

Quoting Renegade the stock clutch "will work" but really not going to take much abuse so unless you want to do a clutch job soon after your new install I'd go ahead and get the upgraded clutch... it is simply a Kennedy Engineered product...


Made some more progress as things are really starting to come together, although there is quite a bit left to do to get it running, feels like we are getting somewhere. Motor is pretty much in its final resting place as all I need to do is make a few more spacers for the transmission mount to lower it a bit, but everything now has clearance clarance!

Bought time to shell out some more dough to get this bad boy running! I've got some adapter plates being made for the throttle body, pretty sure I'm just going to use some piping with a 120* bend for the throttle body adaptation, didn't really get into any of that in the new video but check it out and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
J

http://youtu.be/qC2iBviLzrg

Sheetmetal Cutting Questions!!!!
 

Does Renegade cut the same amount of sheet metal when they do the conversion? Is it necessary to cut so much? The spacers you made for the trans mount ,did they tell you that it was needed? If so shound'nt they have been included???

I dont have a "Dog in the race" but the more I read and follow this thread the less impressed I am with Renegade and the more impressed I am with you BoxsterLS

If they are going to sell a turnkey kit it should be just that with complete detailed instructions on how and what is needed for this undertaking.

Hello,

Guess that depends on which sheet metal you are referring to and what kind of accessory setup you are running, water pump, alternator etc... With regards to the front of the engine compartment where the emergency brake is relocated then definitely some needs to be cut if you are running the Renegade water manifold as the motor tucks in far enough that you have to cut the area where the shifter cables go through to make clearance for the manifold. Metal is also cut away where the ebrake holder is so that need to be relocated unless you don't want an e-brake which is possible if it is a race car I guess~

Also the sheet metal where the front motor mounts hang, you could probably trim less depending on the accessory setup, but with the Renegade A/C and alternator mounts that area needs to go~

On the back on the engine compartment I probably cut more off then they did but I looked at the area and it basically only serves as a drip tray so I cut away whatI thought was unnecessary and can weld back something if needed.

Regarding the spacers etc.... this is a custom installation and in no way did I jump into it thinking it would bolt right up. There are several things along the way which I feel should have been disclosed from the onset when I was asking very specific questions. Small things like spacers and bolts were expected, I think the biggest thing which pissed me off was the motor mount situation as I asked very specifically about anything else I would have to buy, and no mention was made by them until I has a long weekend to get the motor sorted out and found out I didn't have everything I needed :barf: Come to find out that the WEVO transmission mounts were even a custom application for this exact install - V8 to Boxster conversion, but yet I didn't find that out until I called and asked about them specifically after seeing them in their pictures on an installed car:mad::mad::mad:

All that aside they have still been helpful and responsive, but I would really think for $7K it wouldn't be that hard to make this kit/install a LOT more user friendly...
:dance:

Thanks much for the compliment! I'm hardly reinventing the wheel here but definitely pointing out some shortcomings of the kit and hopefully helping folks to understand what they are getting into before getting $20K in the hole on a project~ Like I mentioned they don't really advertise it as a "turnkey" kit, but they do offer a turnkey package which will cost you $30K and now after going through the process, I can definitely see why. It is a lot of work. But if I do this again it will go much much smoother, plus this is a side project and not something I can just sit down with for a few weeks and bang it out, although I'm sure it could be done.


Quick update too, I had some time to test fit one of the axles and it really appears to fit quite well, geometry dosn't look too bad either so hopefully nothing to worry about there, just have to see if they can harness the ponies :) Also found a place that specializes in LS wiring harnesses so i'm gonna call them and see what they can offer to make this a smoother install~

Thanks!
J

Hey bud,

Where can I get the motor and transmission mounts from? Direct from Renegade? I wish they told me that I needed the weld in crossmember in order to keep the e-brake =( Guess I'll be ordering that.

Spacers
 

When you finish maybe you can make up a extra set of spacer,and or whatever's needed I would gladly pay you for them ,thanks.

Greetings,
You will actually need 3 different bits here, the aluminum motor mounts from a corvette which I sourced used ones from Ebay for about $100~ as they are not available from GM anymore. The actual motor mounts are urethane mounts available from Hinson Supercars, don't have the part number on me but you should be able to find them on their website.
The transmission mounts are available through Windrush Evolutions - AKA WEVO~ Again i'll have to look for the part numbers when I get home unless I already posted them, but that took some back and forth as well as it seemed noone really knew what was going on and it took like 4 phone calls to get them ordered so you may be better off waiting til I find the part number :D

Hello,
I may be able to do that for ya, I have made up some temporary ones for now but I think about 1/2" of spacing is about right. I'll just order some aluminum bar stock, drill some holes and cut them to size. If you don't have the tools available you a machine shop could probably make them for you too, or possibly your local metal supplier could cut them to size then all you need to do is drill the proper hole size. I'll get some finished up this week and post pics/dimensions.

Thanks!
J

According to my invoices the Hinson Supercars part number is #4050 and the WEVO transmission mounts were listed as WEVO Boxster BLUE

Thanks brother! You're the best. I'll keep you posted on my build!

Your info make it possible !
 

Thanks ,without your direction, taking on this project would be scary.

Hey, what are you doing about the EVAP canister and oil separator. Are you keeping or deleting?

AC compressor which one?
 

Do you use the boxster ac compressor or LS3 ?

You are welcome - definitely keep us posted!

Glad I could help!!

Haven't made it that far into the thought process yet but my initial thoughts are that if the Chevy motor dosen't need it then it goes bye bye. I know the oil seperator is integrated into the Porsche motor so that garbage isn't coming back for sure, perhaps a catch can of some sort will be in order, but most definitely not the Porsche unit... :)

The renegade mounts utilize the Porsche A/C compressor, although I'm sure you could make a chevy compressor work with some effort.


So I had a bunch to do this weekend but still managed to spend several hours trying to figure out the mounting situation for the gas pedal. I think I have a good setup figured out and made a prototype which is probably a bit sturdier then is necessary, but it shouldn't go anywhere! I'll post some pictures this week but essentially I just bent a piece of steel to make a "U" shape, or an "n" shape to be more specific, then made provisions on the legs of the "n" and bolted angle iron to them with some adjustability. With some more work it could be made better but will definitely get the job done.

Also regarding the wiring for the gas pedal, luckily I have some friends who work at a stereo shop and I was able to get a bunch of wire to extend it pretty cheap!! The one thing they didn't have which has slowed me down was EMI/RFI wire shielding! I figured since chevy thought enough of it to have it in place I should probably do the same thing to my wire extensions~ Couldn't find a local source so I ordered some online which should be here this week. Not sure exactly how much extension is necessary yet but i'm going to make it a bit longer then necessary so i have plenty of room to route it safely - but you should figure a minimum of 4-5 feet. I'm going to run my wire along the top edge of the engine compartment so i'll probably give it a good 6 feet to be safe but i'll give you an exact figure once it is in place.

Hey John why can't you use the Boxster accelerator pedal assembly - it is drive by wire isn't it? Seem like the wires would be the same or at least similar enough. What am I missing?

Hey Randy,

Yes the porsche pedal is drive by wire, well the pedal itself is actually mechanical but it connects to an electric motor mounted in the dash. It is also a 6 wire setup like the GM unit, but i believe that the problem is in the voltages that GM uses vs. what Porsche uses, they no sprecken well~ Probably need a series of resistors or something - i'm sure you could make it work but when it comes to the throttle i'd like to keep it as simple as possible to avoid any potential issues.
J

Gottcha. Just seem simpler to use as much as possible but if no work then it no work.

I want to drop in and see the beast - when is a good time this week?

Any day either mid morning 10ish~ or after 3pm would be best.
Thanks!
J

To whom it may concern,

The first Boxsters had full cable throttle bodies, I decided to go with a cable actuated throttle body for more throttle body options. I picked up an early Boxster floor pedal off of eBay for less than 100 bucks.

JJ - I sent you a PM

Got your PM - Sorry been a hectic week but will call you next week~


Uploading a new video now which will be available here in a few hours - http://youtu.be/8iZO-lNw5Hc

I was hoping to have the parts for my intake in by now but unfortunately took longer then expected due to the custom size - guess 3.5" 120* mandrel bends in stainless steel aren't that common :/ Anyway that along with my 4" intake piping and couplers should all be here Monday.

Been keeping on moving with little things and continued on with more wiring. Got the cable for the throttle pedal extended as well as the gas pedal mounted! The wiring is somewhat non standard as the pedal cable is not only wrapped like the rest of the harness but also has an additional layer of EMI/RFI tin/copper sleeving over it so which I found at a place called wirecare.com. Ordered 10 feet of it which cost about $27 with shipping which is a lot cheaper then some places were offering it.

The throttle pedal itself could probably be done a thousand ways, but in lieu of spending waaay to much time creating a masterpiece that no one will ever see except you all I tried the KISS method. I made the mount with a flat piece of steel which I rolled the edges to a 90* bend on and a piece of angle steel bolted to the sides and viola! I also opened the holes in the sides of the main mount to give some adjustability to it. On the floorboard there are two small raided channels which I welded the side plates to on the left, then on the right side it was close enough to the center tunnel that I just put one longer weld on it. Bada-bing - we got gas!

Always open to ideas and suggestions so feel free to chime in... Here are a few pictures until the vides finishes~
Thanks!
J
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424562846.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424562911.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424562970.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563072.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563152.jpg

Pedal porn~
 

Here is my pedal mount stuffs~
Thanks
J
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563392.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563471.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563587.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1424563698.jpg

Transmission mount spacers~
 

***EDITED 4/12/2015***
DO NOT USE THESE SPACERS - OTHER CLEARANCE ISSUES ARISE
MY BAD!!!!
BoxsterLS376
J
**********************
For these who wanted to know more about the transmission mount spacers I made here ya go~ These are a bit crude as I could only get 1/2" aluminum plate and not a bar but they will do the job. Just basically drilled the appropriate sized holed in the drill press then cut the spacers to size. I'll probably make another set later once I get some aluminum bar or may make some out of round bar... hmmm yeah I think i'll make the next ones round to match the mounts!

Thanks
J

would a stack of fender washers work ?? , you could tailor the thickness

What are you working on that you have 10mm fender washers laying around from?!?! ;) Just kidding~ Yeah as long as they are large enough I'm sure that would work! I started off going that route but decided to go with a chunk of aluminum in the end for a bit of an easier installation and somewhat cleaner look :)
J

Here...good stuff

Metric Flat Washers: Large OD - Stainless Steel A2 | Mr. Metric

Question... What is the "custom throw out bearing" from Renegade? I hope it doesn't mean I have to get the clutch from them... I was going to buy a Spec clutch. :ah:

I think custom just means it is going to fit the high performance clutch setup~ not that there is anything really custom about it... if memory serves I believe it is just a new Sachs unit for a 996 but didn't really think about it.

You may want to contact Kennedy Engineered products before getting a SPEC clutch, they make the adapter plate and may give you a better price if you call them direct.
J

Another quick update and video~ Spent some time working on relocating the throttle body and intake system... I think it's gonna work but i'll know for sure this weekend~

Video available here when it is done uploading - http://youtu.be/iyI4i_ilrIs

Goodnight folks~
J

Excellent video as usual. Where can I access these intake requirements from GM?

Also, have you considered mounting the TB on the intake manifold and using something like this tight elbow http://www.intakehoses.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=I&Screen=PROD&Category_Cod e=CHEW&Product_Code=90CB40 Do you think it would clear?

Those Cobra head elbows are pretty cool and **I thought at first it would work - but it won't**.

A few problems - Fitment and how/what you are attaching - these are rubber hoses which means you are intending to just mount the throttle body in the factory position. On my current mounting setup with the Renegade kit, I have right at 7" inches from the intake manifold to the absolute back of the car. Once you add the throttle body onto the manifold you lose an additional 2" inches of clearance leaving 5" inches between the furthest point a hose will fit onto the throttle body and the rear firewall... Looking at their measurements figure "C" is the most critical and as you can see it is 6.44" inches long which just won't work.

Ok so I thought just make some flanges to attach to the intake and remote hang the throttle body like I did (although it would be hanging by rubber and not a metal pipe so you would need to make a support bracket). So you would still need to make flanges and weld them to at least a short section of pipe in order to attach it to the intake plenum and the throttle body with hose clamps. I think that may work... but again now you have a different problem - the intake to throttle body pipe is 3.5" inches and it does not look like they make a 3.5" cobra elbow :( Perhaps a different option?

Plus I'm not sure how much those cost, but in all reality the way I did it is fairly inexpensive... I bough extra of some things as it work out cheaper in the long run - but here is a quick breakdown of my costs off the top of my head:

$30 - Custom flanges cut by local fabricator (had 4 made for $60 - have 2 extra ;D )
$49 - 3.5" 120 degree mandrel bent stainless steel pipe
$52 - 4" silicon coupler kit with clamps (5 couplers and 10 clamps, should only need 3)
$22 - 1 foot of 4" straight stainless steel pipe
$44 - 4" Aluminum 90 degree mandrel bent pipe

So I've got about $197 plus time, cutting and welding materials/tools~

Hope this info helps and good luck with your project!!!!
J

[QUOTE=martsink;438566]Excellent video as usual. Where can I access these intake requirements from GM?
QUOTE]

Got so involved with the cobra head thing I forgot to address this! THANKS! I realize I'm no Jeremy Clarkson but if they can help you out then they have served their purpose :)

The requirements came with the GM crate motor stuff but could probably be found online if you look hard enough... but this picture may help - bottom left~
Take care~
J

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1425483561.jpg

[QUOTE=BoxsterLS376;438842][QUOTE=martsink;438566]Excellent video as usual. Where can I access these intake requirements from GM?
QUOTE]

Got so involved with the cobra head thing I forgot to address this! THANKS! I realize I'm no Jeremy Clarkson but if they can help you out then they have served their purpose :)

The requirements came with the GM crate motor stuff but could probably be found online if you look hard enough... but this picture may help - bottom left~
Take care~
J


Thanks so much!

I STAND CORRECTED!! Good option for intake!
 

Hey everyone,
So apparently my head was up my butt this morning when I looked at these Cobra intake hoses but this could very well be a viable option for this swap!! Vlad was kind enough to correct me without making me feel too bad :) But this is good info so wanted to make sure I wasn't spreading bad info out there.

I stand corrected and here is some good info
Thanks Vlad! :cheers:
John


Hey Vlad,

Wow I dunno what I was looking at this morning - my only excuse is that I'm at work and too much multitasking got my eyes confused :p

You are totally correct - for some reason I was thinking the "C" measurement was the "G" measurement. DOH!!

Ok so taking that into consideration it may work but will be VERY tight. In looking at mine I think it will clear the fuel line which mounts on that back wall but you could always relocate that if needed. Also you may want to check on the measurement for the throttle body you are going to be using. You may also be able to shorten the "B" spout to get a bit more clearance.

I just noticed the price on the site too... for that price I don't think you can afford to not try it!

I'm going to repost this into my thread anyway as it could be useful to someone else!!

Thanks!
J

Cheers!!! :cheers: