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You previously mentioned having trouble with plugging the roof rail trim. I found a kit for the E46 that may work, and at $35 worth a test. Still need to plug the hole into the cabin but the kit looks good.
Just took a look and sadly the E61 rail is a bit weirder. I'll update the post with a pic when I get home from the office. I did however emailed them and asked if they ever thought about doing the E61. I'm sure there's at least someone in NC that can be a guinea pig for him.
EDIT: He responded with saying he'd love to, but he doesn't own an E61. If someone is around Raleigh and is capable of being his test bed, we may finally get plugs for our rails.
Last edited by FuzzyWuzzy; 10-18-2023 at 07:10 AM.
Just took a look and sadly the E61 rail is a bit weirder.
Ah bummer. Well I pulled the trigger on a kit so I may as well try to modify. I am nearly done with my S85 swap and took it to it's new favorite place. I had originally thought about using modern (ie F car) low profile rails but wanted to see what a slick-ish top looks like.
I dig it, hence the E46 plug test.
I might reach out to the guy once I get the kit to see what might be needed.
I think the F31 rails are the right length but do have decently different mounting (that seems like it can be modified). I was waiting until the end before I bought a set from a junk yard since I never came across one that I could measure. X3 and X5 are definitely the wrong length.
Yeah, that makes sense. My backup plan is to get the plastic cap from a junk yard car and cut/plastic weld sections into the wagon's trim. Finish will just be satin black trim paint similar to the window trim.
Fair bit of updates, all good/interesting.
Transmission mount got mounted. Ordered an adapter for the rear diff in order to use a 1350 u-joint.
Also, thanks to someone in the swap group/Discord, I found a set of cheap eBay block huggers to use instead of cast manifolds:
The curved piece needs to face slightly more in and maybe some love with a hammer to clear a PS line, but it fits. 2.5" and half the weight of a manifold while also using v-bands. Not too shabby. Plan is to also spray some high temp paint in that area as well and potentially wrap that area of exhaust just for a little extra reassurance. Or see about trying to move the line. Either way, paint paint paint.
Next to talk about would be a driveshaft. Local shops seemingly are a pain. Online shops have a long lead time (because I'm so time constrained lol) while also expensive. Got the general measurement from adapter to adapter, then subtracted the back off of the Spicer flange to get a general idea; 55.5ish.
I've looked at the DIY weld it yourself options and I don't feel too confident in my abilities for that. But I did happen to just Google "55.5" driveshaft" and options for Crown Vics popped up. Went down a rabbit hole for that and I learned the Crown Vics with the P71 police package (think cop car) came with a 55.5 or .6" 3.5" aluminum driveshaft. I then learned they first came with 1330 joints, then mixed 1330/1350, and THEN from '07+, strictly 1350. There just so happens to be an '08 P71 at my preferred yard and for a whopping $35 out the door and a day off tomorrow, I'm gonna go ahead and pull it assuming it's still there and usable. With my luck, not.
Pivoting BACK to exhaust, the amount of back n forth I had with my self about 2.5" vs 3", true duals, y pipe, 2.5" all the way, 2.5" to a 3", etc etc etc. Planned on buying stainless from Amazon, but wasn't a fan of price. Googled cars that came stock with 3" exhaust just to get some cheap tubing in hand; F150 fits that bill. Unfortunately, the junkyard had plenty of them, but they were all rusted to hell and back. I know Mustangs also occasionally came with 3" according to some forum posts but on the way to the Ford car section, couldn't help but notice two 5th Gen Camaros with their V6 missing aka easy access. Quick measure with my 3" socket extension and Google told me they had 2.5" exhaust from the manifolds, through a stock h pipe and resonators and then drops down to 2.25".
Four crappy Walmart metal reciprocating saw blades and a junked one I found on the ground later, two full exhaust systems from cut cats back to cut mufflers and $40, I may be set. I'll put pictures of it when I get home from the office and my exhaust idea.
Now home, so here's the exhaust I grabbed:
Roughly 27" of straight pipe if including the h pipe per set and roughly 20" of the two curved areas per set. Did not include resonators in the measurement. Only one set had 2.5" clamps and the other's were missing, but heyo, free clamps that just need cleaned up.
Below is my idea. I was never good at art:
I've rant catless before on my Trans Am and it was miserable. I can pick up a set of high flows from Amazon for $70 and they come with O2 bungs, so it's perfect. Not sure if I should utilize both h pipes as Corsa offers that on Mustangs, but I haven't found anything showing proof that a double H pipe offers more torque than a single h pipe does (when compared to true duals). Gonna keep the stock resonators because I'm getting old and also would like to include a Flowmaster FlowFx dual 2.5" to single 3" muffler, $50, because again old and it's pretty free flowing according to pics I've seen. Likely would do a double tip because cooler. At some point in the far far future, I wouldn't mind doing a quad exhaust set up, but Msport bumpers aren't cheap or plentiful.
Last edited by FuzzyWuzzy; 12-07-2023 at 01:53 PM.
At times, I question my sanity with the ideas I come up with.
Other times, I'm truly impressed, albeit still worried.
Went to the junkyard, found the Vic, bingo bango lots of cursing because it was rusty, but I got it.
Confirmation that is indeed 1350 U-joints on both ends
Then confirmation that it actually fit
I was worried for a bit that I'd have to add a spacer (washers or something) on one end to make it work, but it actually ended up working. I need to pop it back off so I can actually put the U-joints together and toss the clips back in but uh...I think I'm good. Need to release the parking brake so I can spin it and make sure it's not rubbing on anything. Kinda wanna make a loop as well just as a CYA because you just never know, ya know. May need to be at some love in to the body at the green line in the pic above, but hopefully not.
In short, and for future reference when/if I ever update the OP, the '07+ Crown Vic P71 aluminum driveshaft will fit your E6x LS swap, but only if you're using a Solstice/Sky AR5 as the measurement is 55.5" or 55.6"; close enough kind of thing.
...In short, and for future reference when/if I ever update the OP, the '07+ Crown Vic P71 aluminum driveshaft will fit your E6x LS swap, but only if you're using a Solstice/Sky AR5 as the measurement is 55.5" or 55.6"; close enough kind of thing.
THIS … is the essence of car crafting and what I love about threads like this! I'm loving following along, and missing the days of crawling the junkyards across the state looking for just the right parts to make a project come to life.
THIS … is the essence of car crafting and what I love about threads like this! I'm loving following along, and missing the days of crawling the junkyards across the state looking for just the right parts to make a project come to life.
It's honestly fun and there's the potential of saving time/money in order to get a project up and running.
Downside is if you're the first, you're potentially spending more money just to research and determine if something will actually work or not, thereby costing you more time/money haha. As long as it's not too expensive and you can afford it, I suppose!
Freezing day with a few inches of snow today, so I figured I'll update the post while I'm in a meeting.
Minor stuff completed. Cut and re-used various coolant hoses off the N52 in order to plumb in the 5/8" hose and the expansion tank:
Also ended up going to the junkyard to grab some hose clamps. After watching the Project Farm video on clamps and seeing how good Norma was and learning they produce the springs for the three German manufacturers...I got a plethora of Norma clamps for next to nothing; sure beats pennies for the crappy Chinese ones and now I know for the future if I ever need more. Tbh, may grab them whenever I come across them as it never hurts to have good hose clamps.
Ordered the 4-pin alternator wiring for the standalone. Was going to just build my own, but the cost of resistors and what not, I opted to just buy one. Ended up having to go to the junkyard anyways for a plug as the one that came in wasn't right. Looks pretty, at least:
Also ended up learning how to convert the LCI auto-fold mirrors to work with Pre-LCI wiring so uh, did that too:
Need to do the driver side still, but easy peasy tbh.
Next up is AC compressor shenanigans! So, the stock N52 AC compressor pulley is 6 rib whereas the LS is 4 rib:
Well, even though that may work thanks to the rib, I'm honestly worried about it jumping and hitting the serpentine belt so now the struggle is figuring this out. IIRC, the E46 came with a 5 rib which is technically better but even though it'll mount, I'm not sure about the electrical connection or the line connection as well as a whole different clutch vs clutchless system.
BUT the E60 M54 (and I believe N62) oddly enough come with 4 rib pulleys. All Denso units. All relatively the same. $8 later on Amazon, I now have the special tool to remove the pulley from the compressor and see if it fits on the N52. Hopefully it does. I'll be going to the junkyard this weekend while it's hopefully at least in the high 30s-40s and trying to snag me an M54 pulley before the remove the car from the yard or I'll be stuck waiting for awhile.
Non picture worthy updates is currently playing the buy serpentine belt return serpentine belt game. Tried 83.5"; too big. Currently waiting on a 82.5" to come in and hopefully that does it. After that, I'll do the same for the AC belt and update the OP.
Couldn't go to junkyard; something like -5 and then far worse with wind chill. Junkyard even ended up closing for the weekend and these last two days because of it.
Also currently trying to find the best upper and lower rad hoses; have an upper coming in right now so we'll see how that works. Lower will likely be a junkyard pull or something so I can grab a few.
Need to figure out new intake plan after I realized I can't do OTR after putting the front bumper core support back on because dumb blonde moment. Current idea is trying to weasel a 3.5" tube between upper rad hose, serpentine belt, and wiper fluid fill spout and do something like this custom CAI I found on YT:
Prior to this, I really wanted to re-use the stock air box bottom and potentially either the 04-05 N62 upper or 06+ for the cheap panel filter goodness, but just from what I've seen in pics, they're too damn big and too tall. Circled spot is roughly where the LS alternator sits
06+
04-05
If there was a way to lower the bottom and retain the top, that'd be perfect but I honestly don't think there is. Or potentially even just trimming the top a great deal, but honestly no idea. Kinda don't wanna spend $60+ just to burn it away.
10-18-2023, 06:06 AM
