From the bottom it looks pretty much the same as the stock V6. It's just longer. You change things the same way you change them on the stock V6; you drop the cradle.
My LS4/F40 fits quite well. Changing the belt is a 5-10 minute deal. I can pull the alternator and A/C compressor w/o removing the cradle as well. As with any swap, keep normal maintenance in mind as you decide how to mount things.
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 12-10-2015).]
My LS4/F40 fits quite well. Changing the belt is a 5-10 minute deal. I can pull the alternator and A/C compressor w/o removing the cradle as well. As with any swap, keep normal maintenance in mind as you decide how to mount things.
The LS4 is quite a bit shorter than the longitudinal LS motors. Those sit farther to the right by several inches.
Originally posted by jscott1: The LS4 is quite a bit shorter than the longitudinal LS motors. Those sit farther to the right by several inches.
The adapter plate is 1.5 inches, but the accessory drive on the standard LS engines sticks out a bit further, depending on the pulley used. Note that Archie's kit for the LS also puts the trans further to the driver side, than how it's installed in fieroguru's car, to help take up some of the extra width added from the adapter plate, and because the accessory drive sits further out. The dry sump engines like the LS7 have an accessory drive that sticks out even further, due to the longer crank snout for the much larger oil pump assembly.
The LS4 itself from end to end, measured at the crankshaft, is only 0.5" shorter than the standard wet sump LS engines though.
My LS4/F40 fits quite well. Changing the belt is a 5-10 minute deal. I can pull the alternator and A/C compressor w/o removing the cradle as well. As with any swap, keep normal maintenance in mind as you decide how to mount things.
I always enjoy seeing your engine bay. It has got to be the cleanest LS swap in a Fiero. Hopefully I get to see it in person one day.
Originally posted by jscott1: The LS4 is quite a bit shorter than the longitudinal LS motors. Those sit farther to the right by several inches.
The LS4 block is actually about 3/16" longer than an the RWD LS based engines (the Metric bellhousing pattern extended the block to clear the rear cover bolt heads and make the crankshaft flush to the bellhousing surface)... LS4 crankshaft is truly shorter on both ends (13mm total), and the LS4 balancer is much closer to the engine than the RWD versions.
Here is a more overall pic of my LS4/F40 and an Archie LS3 swap. Both cars are 88's, so look at the location of the oil fill cap vs. the strut tower. They are probably within 1/2" of each other side to side.
[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 12-11-2015).]
Thanks, I like the info and thanks for taking the time to post. That LS4 just makes me crazy.....I want to do that one day to my 88. That is the best looking swap I've seen.
The LS4 block is actually about 3/16" longer than an the RWD LS based engines (the Metric bellhousing pattern extended the block to clear the rear cover bolt heads and make the crankshaft flush to the bellhousing surface)... LS4 crankshaft is truly shorter on both ends (13mm total), and the LS4 balancer is much closer to the engine than the RWD versions.
Thanks for the much more informed data on the LS4 dimensions, but my point being that it was designed from the start to be transverse mounted and does not require an adapter plate and generally fits better than most other LS motors. Those facts should have made this a popular swap for Fieros, but alas that never happened.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 12-12-2015).]
Here is a more overall pic of my LS4/F40 and an Archie LS3 swap. Both cars are 88's, so look at the location of the oil fill cap vs. the strut tower. They are probably within 1/2" of each other side to side.
Maybe it's just an optical illusion, but the LS4 looks much more like it belongs to me compared to the LS3 that looks like it's trying to escape out the right side of the car.
Originally posted by zzzhuh:[/B I always enjoy seeing your engine bay. It has got to be the cleanest LS swap in a Fiero. Hopefully I get to see it in person one day.
Thanks! It was a labor of love and I went to great lengths to simplify & declutter the visual impact of the swap without the use of any engine/coil covers.
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[B]Originally posted by robert1234: Thanks, I like the info and thanks for taking the time to post. That LS4 just makes me crazy.....I want to do that one day to my 88. That is the best looking swap I've seen.
Thanks! You can see all the details in my build thread here: //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum3/HTML/000123.html I took the "hard way" on many fronts as there are easier paths to do the swap, but I really like the end result.
As you look at doing any LS swap (or any engine swap), there are a lot of decisions to make along the way. Flywheel diameter/thickness, adapter plate thickness, engine placement side to side, front to back, & up and down, harmonic balancer, belt distance from the face of the block, transmission type, mounting brackets, accessory placement, exhaust manifolds, exhaust routing, mufflers, exhaust tips, etc. Then you also consider the routing of all hoses, cables, wires, etc... Decide what has to stay in the engine bay, what can be relocated/hidden... As you make any part or do any clearance mod - take the extra time to make the modification "look" good. Lastly, keep access to maintenance in mind. I tend to error on the finished look that you see every day, and accept that doing some things might take longer to do once every 2-3 years. However, if you plan ahead, you can route everything so the cradle can be rocked back a significant amount to gain better access to the stuff on the front side of the engine.
All these decisions that are made as you do the swap have a lasting impact on the final result for years to come.
Maybe it's just an optical illusion, but the LS4 looks much more like it belongs to me compared to the LS3 that looks like it's trying to escape out the right side of the car.
What kind of hood prop is that?!?!
Link to get one?
The fiero I bought with the LS4 doesn't have any type of hood props, I have to hold it up for now!
I wondering if there was a clearance issue on the passenger side so they were removed completely
[This message has been edited by busa_powered (edited 12-12-2015).]
Originally posted by busa_powered: What kind of hood prop is that?!?!
Link to get one?
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Originally posted by fieroguru: Here is a neat little mod... I shortened the stock fiero hood support by 3" at the base, used the top bracket for the base, then fabbed up a new upper bracket for use in the rear:
My LS4/F40 fits quite well. Changing the belt is a 5-10 minute deal. I can pull the alternator and A/C compressor w/o removing the cradle as well. As with any swap, keep normal maintenance in mind as you decide how to mount things.
I would wake up every morning and kick an innocent child to have that engine bay.