944 -> LT1 conversion

[Cody Forbes]

  Hi - saw your comment about putting Chevy LT1 engines in Porsche 944's in the Audifans forum.

   

  I've been trying to work up the courage to do just that to a tired 944 that I own. Any chance that you could pass on a few tips about the conversion? Eg - do you make up your own engine mounts and engine->bellhousing adaptor or are they available commercially at a reasonable price. Do you find that the resulting car is undergeared, noseheavy, or overheats? Any subframe/sheetmetal modifications required?  Any unexpected problems? 

   

  Thanks. Have a happy holiday.

   

  Vic Norman   1996 Audi A4   1986 Porsche 944



I don't have part numbers handy, but if you want them I'll look them all up. If you use a 951 radiator you shouldn't overheat, here in Florida they run on the warm side but never overheat even on the hottest days. We make some of the parts are are soon going to make the rest, but haven't gotten arround to it yet. The  oil pan is made from a stock LT1 pan, you have to cut it and take out some material then weld the bottom back on to get it to clear the subframe. The brake booster gets deleted, and you have to make a new piece to hold the master cylinder to the firewall, I'll get some pictures for you, its pretty easy if you can weld, or I can make up one to sell to you. To help compensate for the booster delete you will modify the pedal where the master cylinder attaches to give some extra leverage. The bellhousing is a standard generic hot-rod bellhousing that needs to be machined for the 944 torque tube bolt pattern. The motor mount we currently buy from Renegade Hybrids (we are thier east coast distributor). It would be easy to make it, but we just haven't gotten around to it yet. The LT1 PCM needs to re-programmed, I have the stuff to do it if you send me the PCM. Gearing is fine, but if you put in a 944S4 5th gear you will get higher top speed and better highway mileage. The weight bias only shifts by about 1% to the front which is nothing noticeable for hard street use. Clutch is a Chrystler unit, slave cylinder too. No mods to any sheetmetal or frame at all, everything slides right in. You will find the hood clearance to be ultra close, but if you cut out a 3inch section of the hood frame right where the LT1 throttle body ends up it helps alot. The short headers from renegade *SUCK*, they will crack at the collector resulting in exaust leaks, but we are working on new full length purpose made headers now. Renegade has realeased new ful length headers recently, but I haven't bought any so I can't comment on them. I'll get you some detail pics, but in the meantime heres my gallery:



http://www.blackforestpics.com/gallery/948



If you click on the last sub-gallery there you can see my new cool air intake, which was a fairly major undertaking, but as you can see in the earlier pics it definately needed to be done.



-Cody Forbes
http://www.5000tq.com
'86 5ktq

'87 5ktq