Xschop's 5.3 LM7 build

I dropped my X-member 1.25" with the RX7 arms and extended my steering shaft.... What's funny is the 944 steering shaft is clocked wrong from the factory.....Oktoberfest at the factory

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What do you mean by "clocked wrong?" If you are talking about the position of the yokes they are suppose to be in phase. I.E. both in line with each other.....not like your picture. Every shaft I have ever seen, be it OEM or custom is like this.

Here is a good explanation:

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Although I wouldn't expect that you would really have any problems with a steering shaft because it doesn't rotate much.

Exactly...clocked WRONG from factory.... Go on ebay or search the net for pics, they are all out of phase. After I already did the mod I started looking into adjustable steering shaft set-up from Borgeson and realized the "phase" mishap on the P-car shaft. You're right tho, point is almost moot as it sees very little full rotation on a daily basis.
Oh yeah, the steering shaft spline is another reason I believe the TT shaft spline is not metric, because it is not metric at 11/16" x 40.....

I went and looked at my steering shaft. I never noticed that it is clocked wrong.

v8carreragts wrote:I went and looked at my steering shaft. I never noticed that it is clocked wrong.

Don't be so quick to assume it is wrong....(for a driveshaft spinning at 8000 RPM's) having 2 u-joints phased at zero degrees is very important for shafts with only PARALLEL misalignment. When you are dealing with parallel AND angular misalignment the story isn’t always so simple. It usually requires trial-and-error or an intelligent modelling software to determine phase angle......(though I am very surprised that it is 90 degrees out)

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Do they make a 11/16 x 40 U-joint? If they did, it would be rebuildable as well (judging from pics). The Borgeson joints are crimped.

xschop wrote:Hey Folks, can I just stick a new PCV valve or a Filter in the rear driver's head and cap the throttle body and passenger's head PCV ports (2ea).... Or does the passenger head need to be vented?

We don't have emissions inpections here, I just want as little lines/tubes as possible....

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Here is a link I found that shows how to swap convert from a LS1 to a LS6 PCV configuration and remove the blue and yellow lines and reduce oil consumption.

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HH, I found a $3 plug in solution, I thought I posted about it. It was a hollow PCV valve with about 1/16" hole drilled in the bottom, kinda like a mini "catch can"

I upgraded to Spectre #9732 air cone.....

Can't believe the difference..... Woke the 5.3l right up

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Put some sort of screen in after the air filter. The chrome button on the inside of the air filter has a tendency to come of and go through the motor with the cheaper air filters. Beware! A small screen is cheap insurance..... If your MAF still has the screen in it you should be safe.

Thanks for the heads up. I will check it later. As for now I have the MAF with the honeycomb screen on it. So good to know. The High Speed roll-ons are much more powerful than before, couldn't be happier.

I would also try to position the MAF further back and allow a straight through between the MAF and cone filter. The problem with mounting the cone filter right to the MAF is that you pull air from all sides. I am not sure how picky the MAF is on these motors, but I have seen some major differences on others when providing a straight flow of air.

xschop wrote:HH, I found a $3 plug in solution, I thought I posted about it. It was a hollow PCV valve with about 1/16" hole drilled in the bottom, kinda like a mini "catch can"

Got any more information on this, Rob?

I did the PCV valve mod using Part# PCV1009....
too easy

xschop wrote:I did the PCV valve mod using Part# PCV1009....
too easy

So you capped the other holes and put the PCV on the rear driver side valve cover with a small piece of hose connecting the two? A picture would be mighty nice of you.

Posting this up for future reference. I went ahead and made a 2mm wide carbide tip cutter just for my chromoly axle C-clips and made the total spline length engagement 28.25mm between the CV joint C-clips so I can make a few more sets. They fit the Type 2 CV's perfectly......

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Great build i am looking to do a 5.3 swap on my 83 944. I think i read your build twice lots of great info. hows the N/A trans holding up don't know if i should swap mine out for turbo

Welcome aboard. The 5.3 is Potent and the NA trans can handle it if it has been cared for. Only thing I can say is the NA trans 1st gear is great for the drive-thru and parking garages
I'm reassembling the front timing cover and WP in the morning as she's just got a Z06 cam put in and new timing chain. Wasn't too hard of a swap since the NA fans and radiator popped right out

Just in time for the extra power....
First off my sincere gratitude for the help of Raymon (Ultrasuave). With his help and many times at bat for a 944-951 trans install, this swap went down smoothly with his assistance. Thanks again Raymon!
Yesterday I removed my NA tranny from the 948 and took out the 5th gear .7297 (37/27). Then I opened the rear of the 951 tranny and removed it's 5th gear .829 (35/29) and replaced it with the NA taller gear....
I can't add any better pics to the gear swap procedure than what you guys have done, but did come up with a way to hold the input shaft while the large 12 pt star nut was busted loose with a breaker bar under the rear cover...

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I actually have a usable 1st gear now. And Hiway cruising is awesome.
Before with a stock NA trans in 5th I was running 3250 RPM at 70mph
Now with 951 trans and NA 5th I am running 2750 at 70mph

I'm 4-5 miles off on GPS and will be getting taller profile rear tires when these wear out (which won't be long LOL)

Nice, glad you finally got the trans swap done!

Just a word of warning on the way you held the trans in place (i realize it worked for you, i'm just saying): i did it that way and one of the wings that the bolt goes through snapped off. Fortunately i had a spare. I recommend at least putting a bolt through and tightening it before holding it that way.

Got a ported TB from Jackson Jantzer in Oregon.This bolt-on mod is definitely worth it. Took 30 seconds with an angle grinder to angle the ridge like the old one. I compared the old TB and ported TB and time and detail were taken to remove the inner ridges and the front throat was opened up as well. Plate was polished too..... Just came back from a little test and I can bust the tires loose in 3rd gear now and the hiway pull in 5th is improved too....2 thumbs up

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This mod wasn't as easy, but well worth it. The Ebay short shifter is a POS and was already loose after only about 800 miles. I made my own short shifter back in the day using the factory linkage rod and a 15mm Male heim....Well 15mm heims don't friggin exist anymore, so a 1/2" Teflon-chromoly will do, just fine, I just had to machine the factory rod down to a 0.5" interface and got rid of that nasty rusted factory snapring at the same time. If you want to do the mod yourself, you need to machine it down exactly 39.25mm to fit the heim and heim spacers with NO play after the lateral rod is welded on.....
Way easier to install.....
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Great stuff xschop!

Just got back from a quick run to Redbox......30% reduction is perfect with my shortened shifter knob. Absolutely ZERO slop and much smoother with the Teflon heim joint.... I guess the Scnell shifter comes preasembled with slop LOL

Also the Schnell SS was drilled crooked at the trans shaft I used 4140 billet steel for the trans shaft coupler and thicker gauge steel for the lateral throw arm....
And if you mod your own, don't go above 35% on the long lateral throw arm or you'll hit the gas tank if you have a solid or semi-solid trans mount installed....FYI

So.....Moral to the story....Avoid the product on the left....even the 80mm dimension on the Ebay shifter is off by 11mm.....The mic doesn't lie.....

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Hmmmmm.... and I was just about to lay down the money for the short shifter on eBay.

What are yours or anyones thoughts about the shorty shift lever that is out there and on eBay? Is it a help in reducing travel? Or is it just a way of using after market shift lever knobs?