im going to do a Base to Turbo swap, with a few questions from anyone who has done this before.

besides obvious driveline things like the rear end, drive shaft and axles.

i have a microtech LT8 i got a good deal on im going to use instead of the stock ecu. what else will i need to modify to have a running car? the engine is supposed to come with a wiring harness i can use for the standalone, but if not i can get one from another friend of mine. i know ill need to build a custom downpipe being careful to keep it reasonbly sized to avoid creep (plan on porting the wastegate anyway). ill need upgraded brakes (already 5 lug swapped, but single piston fronts for now, got the vented rear though!). i plan on front mounting the top mount to avoid hunting out a hood, and to make the intercooler upgrade easier later on. i have manual steering so i wont need the powersteering pump or any of the associated electronics. i know ill need the clutch slave cylinder, but the engine/trans combo hopefully will have one i can just rebuild. i already have a turbo fuel pump from my roommates 87 TII (GT35R set up for 400whp).

are there any details im overlooking?

ask kompressorlogic, hes done it and hes been helpin me out alot lately. the reason i think everyone says not to is the higher compression and the better risk of detonation then.

jdm12a, it sounds like he is doing a turbo engine swap, not turboing a NA.



If you are going to a standalone, if you want your gauges working on your dash, you will need to rewire them to your sensors on your engine. I just run after market gauges, so I didn't care about those (except for the tach, which is a yellow with blue stipe wire on the trailing coil I think, its been a while). Since you have the LT8, you have to use your stock ignition so you dont have to remove that stuff, just have to figure out what wires connect to where.



I am not sure aout the exhaust. All the setups I have seen/done have replcaed the entire system.



I think that you have thought about everything. A t2 drivetrain will benefit you the most with a good clutch while your down there. You should be able to get it running no problem.

wow your right, im retarded, it was way to late when i posted that, i needed sleep

jefraney has a '91 na swapped to T2 running the LT8...so he will have the most relevant info on the swap regarding the LT8. I have done the SE (base basically) to '91 Turbo swap ..but i did it the long expensive way of actually swapping in the stock harness, ecu, dash harness, gauge cluster, etc. If you plan to use the standalone, you will avoid most of the hardships of the swap. If you don't currently have a harness for the LT8, you can fab up one relatively easily w/ the stock connectors for the sensors/injectors and the ECU itself uses a normal plug you can pick up at a computer hardware shop...

BTW, the swap itself is one of those deals where you won't know exactly EVERYTHING you need until your doing it... each conversion i've done/seen has been different in one way or another...



OH, AND BAH for you for swapping out to the 5 lug, lol... I'm representing the 4 lug turbo!

ok, really, its 4 lug still, but i have all the parts to do it with.

the harness i have on the microtech is from an NA, but ill end up making a new one.

Are you going to a S4 turbo engine or S5 turbo engine?

well, i dont know, odds are better for an S4, but the importer kind of lumps them together. if he gives me a choice... probably an S4, more pros than an S5.

why? something i should know ?

ill probably (carefully) run premix instead of oil injection anyway (if that was the point..) i dont think the octane change will make a big difference until i get higher into boost anyway.

What kind of pump is it? You may need a FPR or want to run one. The FMIC is going to be a bitch for you unless you are very diverse or buy a kit. If you run the TII tranny with it and NA rear you will need a custom drive shaft and the slave for the tranny.



The hassle part is it is generally easier to just buy a TII.



The biggest problem I had on my first one was I took a non running car and unknown Jspec motor and tried to make it run and FMIC off the bat. I also received a lue of 4 or 5 dead ECU’s so that adds to some head scratching.

yeah, im aware about the custom driveshaft, but i plan on acquiring a rear end before i attempt to swap the engine. the fuel pump is a stock piece, i meant i got his old one since he upgraded his. im hoping this will turn out well, (as did everyone else who has done this).



im waiting to buy the engine until i finish the body work (this weekend, finally!) and get another job. being in school 2:20pm to 9:05pm makes it tricky to find one.



who wants before (during) and after pics of the body work? (whole quarter panel replacement)?

If you plan on doing premix any ways, its no big deal. The S5 has an electric OMP, so if that what engine you get, you would need to ditch it.



If you are going with a T2 rear end (which you should) then you wont need a custom driveshaft. If you need any parts, I may have some. Just tell me what you need.



Post the pics up

jefraney, where are you located? because i will need a rear end and driveshaft. and hey, if youve got 4 pot calipers and the brackets..

currently, i live in Tennessee, going to NADC, but my (parents..) house is just west of Atlanta.

I would go w/ the S4 motor.



Keep the oil injection if you use the S4 and plan to run the car daily, just because it's easier and one less thing to remember. You can run a lil premix if you want to feel safer. I know guys that have run everything from 90:1 to 150:1 (what i use) in their cars... I am not using the electric OMP at all though.



Definately get the T2 driveshat, and rear end.



And yes, mine is still 4 lug. I like it that way.... https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png for a while i wasn't going to touch the body because it's more fun to be rocking phone dial 14" alloys, NA hood, etc w/ 400hp under the hood...but that idea got old.. and isn't practical anymore for me...

The brake options are much better with the 5 lug too. If it wasnt for better brakes, i wouldnt have changed over.

Brakes aren't that complicated if your willing to spend a little $$.. i'm sourcing the parts right now to fit the porsche 6pot up front. All you really need is a good machine shop and good measurements... no biggie.



Wheel options aren't that bad either.. i still managed to get 18" gram lights that i wanted....

I am in VA



I have a T2 rear and driveshaft.

where in VA? there are a couple guys in my class that are from VA. only one is buddy though, the other one is a douche, but thats beside the point. i tried to buy a rear end and 5 lug swap from a guy in Maine a while back and got BONED, paypal couldnt even help me. anyway, whats up on the rear end and driveshaft?

I am in central/northern VA.



The stuff is from an 87 T2 that is going to be getting a solid rear now.

The 5lug brakes a bit bettor but in practical sense they really don’t give you crap.



Id be damned if my TII stop anything worth noticing bettor then my SE models.