85.5 944 widebody 5.3 swap

Update, I have the engine set in for good.  Did have to move the drivershaft forward about 1/4".  Oil pan doesnt quite clear the steering rack but Im just going to clearance it a bit, its very close.  Making the drivers side header, we have plenty of clearance but realized we hid #3 spark plug.  Just going to put a couple bends in that primary to make some room.  Had to dent the #5 primary, not as bad as it looks in the picture though.  Going to add a curved 2.5" pipe at the bottom to clear the oil filter.  Spark plug wires are able to wrap around fine, Im going to put boots on them though.  Have almost 1" between pipe and firewall

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I used the TPC headers and I had to lower the motor to install them

I've been able to fit these in so far by going up from the bottom. Havent had to remove the steering shaft to do so either. We'll see if they are still able to do so once the flange is welded back on the bottom of the header

Following! I didn't start my swap yet but reading is giving me a lot of options!

Well, time for an update.  The header worked out great!  I had to pull the rack and pinion down a bit to do some oil pan clearancing.  With the steering shaft disconnected it was easy to do the final mock-ups on the header and install it for good.  I have 8" sections of exhaust coming off the headers for the time being so my o2 sensors are hooked up.

I had to go the hood pin route, didn't have enough clearance for the intake tube with the hood latch.  Wasn't too bad with xschops template.

Wiring was straightforward, just need to wire up the VSS and a couple electric fans up front.

I did have to adjust the clutch pushrod out a bit to get full disengagement, almost 2 turns of the shaft I believe.  Works great now though!

Car starts and idles great, despite o2 sensors getting bad readings from being so close to open air. Moves under its own power no problem.

As soon as I finish up the coolant system and get some exhaust on it I'll update with impressions of driving it!

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Are those the 15x8 and 15x7 fuchs spaced out to fill the widebody?

Yep! I need to get some wider tires on the rear.

Ur running manual brakes? 1/2 frame spacer and you made hooker 2312 headers?

Yes, yes, and yes. Lol. It's just a street toy, manual brakes will hold up on a 2900lb car just fine for my purposes.

Did my own exhaust with a hydraulic bender we just got.  2.5" exhaust all the way out with a 2 in/ 2 out borla muffler (they have a very thin body design for good ground clearance) in front of the transaxle.  Going to build a fiberglass panel to take up the extra space on the sides.  I have fiberglass runningboards for these cars that I can't use due to the widebody setup so Ill probably cut one of them up.

Oh, I deleted the spare tire well hump as well to clearance for the center exit exhaust

Just needs fans installed and a tune, set for speed density at the moment.  And it needs gas shocks in the rear, too much weight transfer and it's putting my tires into the fenders.

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Fans installed and brakes bled. Was able to bolt factory fans on an aftermarket all aluminum radiator. I'm using the ls pcm to tell the fans when to kick on so it is adjustable. Just ran a couple extra relays. Hopefully now I'm done with wiring!

May need stainless brake lines and will look at 2 or 4 piston front calipers that will still fit under 15" wheels. It's not terrible but I would like slightly more aggressive braking.

Installed gas shocks in an attempt to avoid the tires hitting the fenders under hard accel. Once the snow melts Ill see if it made a difference.

I had manual brakes before and it was scary. If you add bigger sized calipers it's gonna make your pedal feel so much worse. I really suggest adding hydroboost or a wilwood dual master cylinder.

Also, I had the same problem where the rear would sink hard when I hit the gas. I had new bilstiens and it still did it. You'll probably have to add in stiffer torsion bars. I went with 27mm

No power steering limits my brake options a bit.  I figure braided lines will help a bit, I'm sure those old rubber lines are swelling.  If what I'm experiencing is all I can get with them I'm surprised RH sells a kit for doing so.  They are scary at the moment.

I'll look into stiffer torsion bars, thanks for the tip! Did 27mm do the trick pretty well? Lots of options, wondering if I should try a 28 or 29mm

I have manual steering too. The only thing the PS pump is running is the hydroboost. I went with a GM type 2 pump and had some hydraulic lines made at a local shop. I made a reservoir out of some scrap stainless pipe at work and TIG'd it together. Turned out nice! I put the reservoir where the AC drier used to be. I also added in a power steering cooler.

The size of the torsion bars will depend on your front springs... I have 220lb springs in the front. Here's a link from clarks garage that may help you pick some bars.


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Well, I just took it down the road to verify the vss was working. It isn't reading correct but it is functioning. It isn't running great without a tune but I couldn't get the tires to rub after the shocks and adjusting the tires down. I'll add a passenger and try again. Running 2400 rpms at 60mph. Low geared!

The brakes actually aren't as bad after bleeding them yesterday. For just a daily driver anyways. I think braided lines and she'll be good

Update, I just got her tuned last weekend and it is a blast now! 1st gear is pointless, and 2nd gets to 60mph in a hurry before I have to shift. It is fun feeling it get sideways around 45-50mph near the top of 2nd I'm struggling with 3rd gear (pops out of gear if I don't hold it in). Plan on just putting up with it until this transmission goes and then I'll put a turbo transmission in with the n/a 5th gear.

Brakes are working well, they're fine for a street toy. I will probably build a brace to go between the firewall mount and the strut tower to eliminate firewall flex.

An issue we found while tuning was with the throttle cable I got in my kit from TPC. With the cable just laying in the engine bay the sheathing would coil and bind up when I hit the pedal. We had to use 5 or 6 zip ties to hold it in place and prevent binding. This brought it from 70% throttle when mashed to 100%. Huge difference.

Only issue now is an exhaust leak that developed on my driver's side header last night. Leaking on the back side of the flange under a primary so I have to pull the header and weld it up wanted to change out spark plugs anyways though so it works out I guess.

And an interesting tid-bit I learned that might help others doing builds, the fan switches and check engine light wires coming from the pcm are switched grounds. I was under the impression they were hot wires until my tuner informed my otherwise and we fixed them.

Well, 20 miles after the tuneup and it has developed a rod knock. craigslist "deal" comes back to bite me again. Ill pull it next weekend and inspect. If it isnt bad and I caught it early enough Ill have the crank turned and put new bearings in and go. Any more than that and Ill try my luck with another used engine or buy a long block with a warranty

I talked with my engine builder, he said $700 to essentially rebuild the bottom end. New cam/rod/main bearings, piston rings, rod to replace one with failed bearing, new oil pump, and cleaning out the block. I think this is the route I will take so I know what I have, as opposed to buying another used engine. This way it is basically a new engine anyways

Frustrating, but in the end you'll have a stronger car for not too much extra. And better to find the problem now then on a weekend trip or track day.

Finally got interest in this project again.  Pulled engine last weekend, verified it had a spun rod bearing, and bought another engine today.  With a warranty this time.  Ill update as progress is made, should be a lot faster this go around

New engine is back in. Doing finishing touches today. Couple things have me nervous:

1. Cleaning out these custom oil pans is a huge pita! Had a spun rod bearing in previous engine so the pan was full of shavings. Took a million angles in the parts washer to try to get everything I could see out. Hopefully I got enough, I'll change out the filter after a couple hundred miles in case it catches stuff I missed.

2. Removing the crank adaptor is also a huge pita! I put a small bead of weld on each side of the adaptor so I could hit it out with a prybar and hammer. Then ground the weld off and installed a new bearing. New bearing was smooth rolling before install, after it was a little rougher.. not sure why, I had a socket the size of the outer cage of the bearing. Hopefully it wears in before it wears out.

3. Cheapo mr. gasket dipstick tube broke off in the block. Apparently they grind down the already thin metal to make a spot for the o-ring. Managed to fish out the bottom of the tube. Going to try using just the tube that is left for the time being, I'll silicone it and at least it will give me an accurate oil reading.

4. Pulled passenger head initially to install my heads and there was red dust in 2 cylinders.. Slightly pitted cylinder walls. Informed the company I bought it from and they told me to keep them informed. That's great if they'll replace it due to issues, but they wont replace the $250 in bolts/gaskets or my time removing/installing... Hopefully it doesn't drink too much oil before it smooths out, and hopefully the rings are ok.

Also got a little rough on my copper tubing for my aftermarket oil gauge. We'll see later today if it still works! Not a big deal if not. Basically just wiring and accessories left to do today. Hopefully this engine does better!