LS1 Hood Clearance on 968

Can anyone tell me how much clearance the LS1 eng conversion has to the stock hood on a 968 Porsche? It appears to be a very tight fit to make it in!

Very tight!  I had my a bulge hammered into my hood to clear the LS6 intake.  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Yep, that was what I suspected based on my preliminary measurements!

Can you give me an accurate measurement from the centerline of the LS eng crankshaft up to the highest point of the intake throttle body where it is tightest to the hood, along with a measurement from the firewall (at the center of the 968) up to that same point of the throttle body? Also what is the depth of the LS oil pan from the centerline of the LS crankshaft at the crossmember/steering rack?

I ask these questions because I am looking at the possibility of swapping a Gen 3 VQ35HR eng from a 2019 Maxima into my 968. The highest point up at the front of that eng is at the timing chain cover which is 16-3/8" from the centerline of the crankshaft to the top of the timing chain cover, but the eng is much shorter than an LS eng at that point, and is also 1" narrower at the widest point of the heads & valve covers vs an LS V8. Using an '07-'08 350Z/G35 dual throttle body intake on that eng sits extremely low and will easily fit under the 968's hood as long as the timing cover top clears. These engs are incredibly cheap right now (I only paid $900 for a complete pullout with only 8300 mi on it), and are good for about 330-340 WHP with only headers, larger intake tubing, and UpRev ECU tuning. The 968's 6-spd transaxle gearing and strength is perfect for that VQ35HR eng as well, and it sounds just like an F1 race eng with a 7600 RPM redline!

Sorry, I can’t help you. I opted for a 968 turbo conversion and sold off my LS stuff before I put the car back together. If you look at the current trajectory of 968 prices, you may want to rethink using anything but a Porsche engine

As for the measurement, I installed the V8 and pulled a string across the engine compartment opening and measured from there.

My 968 only has about 78K mi on it, so I was planning to pickle the 968's OEM eng & TT for storage in case the value goes up so high that I could reinstall it to stock in order to sell it 15 yrs in the future if the values become astronomical. I don't plan to modify anything on the 968's chassis & hood for that very reason, and plan to use a TT from a 944 for modification to do the install. The VQ35HR eng would be so much better to drive with in the 968 than the OEM 4 cylinder eng ever did, so who knows I may leave it that way forever! (that is what Porsche should have installed all along in the 968). That eng is actually 20 lbs lighter than the OEM eng, and is about 1.6 times the power of it N/A! Sounds & looks just like a highly advanced Ferrari F1 race eng, which will sound & look just right in the 968 chassis!!

You say you went with a turbo conversion...is that a turbocharger you converted to or the supercharger kit that Bob Larsen (Flash) used to sell? I actually bought the last supercharger kit Flash had, but never installed it because I decided the Porsche 968 eng wasn't very durable to handle boost. How is your setup doing after boosting it? Maybe I should reconsider and go with that supercharger on my 968 eng now that the value is going up on 968's!

I can't speak for genuine measurement, and this will change when I have to fit the FAST 102 and NW 102TB, but I could not grind the TB enough to not hit the center hood support, and ended up cutting metal out. It was SO close to being perfectly fine, though. Sad day. I used an off-the-shelf intake for an F-Body and was otherwise good to go. If your prospective motor is shorter than an LS using an LS6 intake/TB at the same point by even 1/4" you should be just fine.

I swapped my 968 a few years ago, 175ish on the clock with 25 years of being a DD...no value reduction to worry about here lol

That's good to know! The Nissan VQ35 HR eng I am considering to swap is shorter than the LS V8 eng, and using the 350Z/G35 low profile intake has dual throttle bodies on either side about midway back on the eng, so they should easily clear the 968's hood...only the top of the timing cover at the front of the eng is my concern for clearance sine a 60 deg V6 sits slightly taller than a 90 deg V8!

I'll dig up some photos tomorrow for you, I know I took side view shots. I'd take fresh ones but the motor is out atm