Chevy LS in a Chim/Griff - who's done it?

[Chris71]

Hi,

Started a separate thread from the one in the Chimaera section as this could be a whole topic in itself I reckon! Basically my Chimaera's engine went pop recently. I've yet to get it back to examine the full extent of the damage, but there's a risk I could be looking at installing most of a new engine. In that event I'd probably go for a new or second hand Rover V8 with a few tweaks, but someone did suggest the LS route...

So, how straightfoward is the swap?

Is it difficult to integrate wiring looms, fuel pumps etc? Is the standard Chimaera gearbox and diff up to the job (and, if so, can you get a suitable bellhousing etc. to convert them)?

Probably all a pipedream, but I thought I'd enquire, just in case it's simpler than expected.

Thanks,

Chris

[blackiepaul]

chims and griffs have been done before. There is a Griff being done right now at Topcats which will be like no other LS conversion in that type of car, they are using techniques that are above what I have seen before. The laser cut alternator bracket for example is a work of art - and this just to make sure the engine bay is kept looking good.

[Oggs]

Call Warren at Topcats

[Chris71]

Sounds like a plan.

Come to think of it I saw something (a Sag race car I think?) with an LS engine in last time I was there...

[V8 GRF]

Jon Ellison did it ages ago, not straightforward or cheap, but a seriously nice car.

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests/doc.asp?c=107...

http://www.chimaerapages.com/article_monster.php

[dbv8]

I guess its possible (as most things are), but how relatively simply would it be to fit an LS to a T5?
A bespoke bellhousing or a machined adaptor plate perhaps.

I would prefer to retain the T5 if i could. A slicker gearchange and strong enough certainly for a 'mild' LS. A quaife internalled T5 would take a lot more bhp and torque again

[Chris71]

V8 GRF said:

Jon Ellison did it ages ago, not straightforward or cheap, but a seriously nice car.

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests/doc.asp?c=107...

Beautifully done car, but does sound like a bigger job than I'm really willing to take on.

And I know what my father (who's likely to handle most of the rebuild if we stick with the RV8) is like. He'd do a superb job, but wouldn't be finished in much less than a decade. By then, of course, petrol will be £25 a litre and we'll all be driving around in bio-fuelled cabin scooters.

[V8 GRF]

dbv8 said:

I guess its possible (as most things are), but how relatively simply would it be to fit an LS to a T5?
A bespoke bellhousing or a machined adaptor plate perhaps.

I would prefer to retain the T5 if i could. A slicker gearchange and strong enough certainly for a 'mild' LS. A quaife internalled T5 would take a lot more bhp and torque again

Bellhousings are available to do that.

A Tremec TKO500 has the same face as a T5 I think and would probably be cheaper to buy than rebuilding the T5 with different internals.

[5.0ltr]

Angus, Argoose here I think, has done his Griff which should be on display at Sportmotives stand at Chatsworth.

[dbv8]

V8 GRF said:

dbv8 said:

I guess its possible (as most things are), but how relatively simply would it be to fit an LS to a T5?
A bespoke bellhousing or a machined adaptor plate perhaps.

I would prefer to retain the T5 if i could. A slicker gearchange and strong enough certainly for a 'mild' LS. A quaife internalled T5 would take a lot more bhp and torque again

Bellhousings are available to do that.

A Tremec TKO500 has the same face as a T5 I think and would probably be cheaper to buy than rebuilding the T5 with different internals.

Hi Dave


I have had quotes over £2k to make my T5 as indestructable as possible so i know it aint cheap.
Now can the TKO500 be fitted to the back of a high power RV8. Such as a nitrous assisted example making 600lb/ft

[LordGrover]

Chris71 said:

... we'll all be driving around in bio-fuelled cabin scooters.

Like this?



Maybe not so bad.

[RichardD]

V8 GRF said:

Jon Ellison did it ages ago, not straightforward or cheap, but a seriously nice car.
...

Also, the link below gives detailed info as to what Jon did :-

http://www.freewebs.com/faster-tvr/

[ajp70]

As said, an LS motor will fit because it has been done by others already although I think I'm right in saying that the Chim/Griff chassis is a tighter fit than later cars. This is where you would need some info from Jon Ellison, Steve Heath or Warren Gilbert(Topcats).

The other main influence on what route to take is budget as it sounds that you don't want to spend huge money chasing big 'willy waving' power figures. A second hand LS and T5 'box could be bought fairly cheaply which would give you more power than the RV8 unit and you could get someone else to sort the ECU and wire in the electrics. Another option is to find a RV8 engine for sale which is already tuned for more power and then the swap will obviously be more straight forward and perhaps less money than rebuilding what you have, but the LS solution is very tempting. Go on, do it.

[V8 GRF]

dbv8 said:

Hi Dave


I have had quotes over £2k to make my T5 as indestructable as possible so i know it aint cheap.
Now can the TKO500 be fitted to the back of a high power RV8. Such as a nitrous assisted example making 600lb/ft

Hi Derek

You can buy new boxes for less so talk to the UK distributors for Tremec they should be able to advise you. There is also the TKO 600 as well.

www.realsteel.co.uk

or http://www.roadcraftuk.co.uk/

or http://www.americanv8engines.co.uk/shop/index.php?...

[blackiepaul]

Chris71 said:

Sounds like a plan.

Come to think of it I saw something (a Sag race car I think?) with an LS engine in last time I was there...

That would be the car in my profile

[FreeLitres]

Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear about your engine. I hope you dont mind me asking, but what were the circumstances around the engine letting go?

Do you have another thread running on this matter?

[rev-erend]

Any other aspect to consider is although the engine is cheap to buy for the horse power .. the install costs spiral.

For instance manifolds and exhause system could cost £2000.

Also the finished engine installation is often not as reliable as the mass produced engine bay (car) what it was originally fitted.

It's often little things but these 'development' issues often wear down the owner quickly - as we all want big HP, cheaply, economically for fuel and to be above all reliable.

[Chris71]

FreeLitres said:

Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear about your engine. I hope you dont mind me asking, but what were the circumstances around the engine letting go?

Do you have another thread running on this matter?

I think I've alluded to it in the one in the Chimaera section, but the story is this: Coming back from a very satisfying hoon on the recent Spain trip I started to feel a vibration and a rather unpleasant noise coming from the engine bay. It was within a mile or two of the hotel so I limped back to the car park. By this time the noise had got worse. We had several professional engineers on the trip and all suspected it was something serious in the bottom end, but no one knew exactly what. Two days later, after trailering the car to a specialist in Barcelona, we got the sump off and discovered this:



The crank in itself is expensive enough to replace, and it’s likely to have damaged the journals when it failed, but there's also the risk of further collateral damage or a bigger underlying problem. Apparently it’s not unknown for the imbalanced loads caused by a piston failure to break the crank, and in that instance you can get bits of piston imbedded in the heads and all sorts, as well as damaging the crank, journals etc. It’s all guesswork until we get the engine out, but there is the potential for it to require a lot more than just ‘remove old crank, install new crank, re-balance’...

From what I’ve seen as LS conversion is a just too big a job (financially and in terms of scope) so I’ll be sticking with the Rover V8. Maybe a few cheeky upgrades while I’m there, though. I’ve had a suspicion for a while that the cams are slightly worn (or maybe just that the standard cams are a bit too conservative for my tastes!) so I have a few ideas for the rebuild spec.

[rev-erend]

Plan B could be to just buy a brand new bottom end.

Places like V8 developments do these at fairly reasonable cost.

[rev-erend]

rev-erend said:

Plan B could be to just buy a brand new bottom end. Price is around £3K from various suppliers..

Places like V8 developments do these at fairly reasonable cost.