RWD LSJ Truck Build
09-08-2014, 09:29 AM
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RWD LSJ Truck Build
Hey guys, as some of you know I've been gathering parts for a RWD LSJ build in my 2007 Ford Ranger. I'll document what I find that works and what doesn't. Maybe the info will help someone else who's considering RWD with one of these engines. My apologies if the pictures aren't always the best, I'm doing most of this from my phone. And yes, I know going turbo would make more power and be easier to fit in the engine bay on a RWD setup. That however is not the route I wanted to go with this
The truck is a 2007 2wd Ford Ranger. Truck came factory with a sluggish 3.0 v6 and auto trans with 225k miles. I acquired almost everything firewall forward from a wrecked 2007 Cobalt SS for $700. The car had around 96k miles on it.
Plans for the motor are pretty simple: couple new gaskets, 60 lb injectors, 2.8 pulley, option b, dual pass endplate, phenolic intake spacer, make or modify a header, and engine mounts from a solstice. And yes I will retain ac.
Transmission I'm using is a R154 from a 1JZ supra. I didn't use an MA5 from a Colorado or Solstice due to them being fairly non existent in my area and this trans was sitting in the shop already. I'm using the bellhousing from a Solstice to mate the engine and transmission. I plan on using a vss sensor from jagsthatrun.com to produce a 4 pulse sine wave. I have to change the front bearing retainer on the R154 to the one found on a MA5 in order to mount the slave cylinder. The clutch I'm using is the GMPP LSJ one.
For the fuel system I've got a fuel cell, walboro 255lph in line pump, LS1 corvette filter/regulator, -6an line and fittings. For exhaust I'll probably run 3" with a resonator and quiet factory style muffler. I'm doing all the wiring myself, I'm using the factory PCM with VATS disabled.
There's plenty I've skipped but that gives you an idea of what I've got going on. I'll update later to document my progress to date, but I did set the engine in the truck yesterday. And it's sitting on the factory ranger engine mounts surprisingly..
The truck is a 2007 2wd Ford Ranger. Truck came factory with a sluggish 3.0 v6 and auto trans with 225k miles. I acquired almost everything firewall forward from a wrecked 2007 Cobalt SS for $700. The car had around 96k miles on it.
Plans for the motor are pretty simple: couple new gaskets, 60 lb injectors, 2.8 pulley, option b, dual pass endplate, phenolic intake spacer, make or modify a header, and engine mounts from a solstice. And yes I will retain ac.
Transmission I'm using is a R154 from a 1JZ supra. I didn't use an MA5 from a Colorado or Solstice due to them being fairly non existent in my area and this trans was sitting in the shop already. I'm using the bellhousing from a Solstice to mate the engine and transmission. I plan on using a vss sensor from jagsthatrun.com to produce a 4 pulse sine wave. I have to change the front bearing retainer on the R154 to the one found on a MA5 in order to mount the slave cylinder. The clutch I'm using is the GMPP LSJ one.
For the fuel system I've got a fuel cell, walboro 255lph in line pump, LS1 corvette filter/regulator, -6an line and fittings. For exhaust I'll probably run 3" with a resonator and quiet factory style muffler. I'm doing all the wiring myself, I'm using the factory PCM with VATS disabled.
There's plenty I've skipped but that gives you an idea of what I've got going on. I'll update later to document my progress to date, but I did set the engine in the truck yesterday. And it's sitting on the factory ranger engine mounts surprisingly..
Last edited by ChrisR1S; 09-11-2014 at 08:32 AM.
09-08-2014, 12:40 PM
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Are the Colorado and solstice bell the same? Also now did you figure up the shifter location? I know the kappa shifter sits back 8" farther than the Colorado, with the r154 falling somewhere in between.
09-08-2014, 01:01 PM
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Thanks for the positivity guys!
Couple things:
-I'd love to see a link to the s10 build!
-Colorado does not have the same bell. They never had an ecotec engine. Transmission is the same as the solstice minus bell housing, shifter location, rear output yoke, and the front bearing retainer is slightly different but interchangeable.
-shifter should be about 3" further back than stock but I'm not totally positive because truck was auto. Either way the shifter comes through the factory hole in the floor.
-intake is going to be a total custom job. I'll elaborate more on it later, but I plan to cut the supercharger inlet housing and put a 90 in it and have the throttle body essentially beside the intake manifold facing the front on the truck. This could be overcome by moving the engine forward and not cutting the supercharger but I'd lose the the good weight distribution I've got going on, I'd have to fab engine mounts, and go dry sump oil pan or mod a pan to clear my steering rack.
Couple things:
-I'd love to see a link to the s10 build!
-Colorado does not have the same bell. They never had an ecotec engine. Transmission is the same as the solstice minus bell housing, shifter location, rear output yoke, and the front bearing retainer is slightly different but interchangeable.
-shifter should be about 3" further back than stock but I'm not totally positive because truck was auto. Either way the shifter comes through the factory hole in the floor.
-intake is going to be a total custom job. I'll elaborate more on it later, but I plan to cut the supercharger inlet housing and put a 90 in it and have the throttle body essentially beside the intake manifold facing the front on the truck. This could be overcome by moving the engine forward and not cutting the supercharger but I'd lose the the good weight distribution I've got going on, I'd have to fab engine mounts, and go dry sump oil pan or mod a pan to clear my steering rack.
09-09-2014, 09:06 PM
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Got these goodies in today so I can make a clutch line from the Ranger master cylinder to the solstice slave cylinder. Everything is -3an and the stainless braid has a Teflon inner core. It's all made possible by those cool fittings there from Russell. You knock the little pin out out of the master and the slave where the factory clutch line would attach and remove the factory piece and replace with this fitting from Russell.
Summit part numberfor the pair of quick connect fittings from Russell: RUS-640281 $21.97
09-10-2014, 05:49 PM
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Is there anyone with access to a service manual that can help me out? I'd like to know the pinout of either the engine bay fuse block or of the connectors that go into it..
I want to use the factory cobalt fuse block I have. It'll save me a ton of wiring and soldering
I want to use the factory cobalt fuse block I have. It'll save me a ton of wiring and soldering
09-10-2014, 06:48 PM
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This is my first time building a harness so im still figuring it out as i progress.
C1-38 (pcm switched ground) would go to relay pin 85, C1-13 (12v switched) would go to relay pin 30, what else would go to this main relay?
And I know C1-18 is accessory voltage, C1-19 is keyed 12v, C1-20 is 12v, C1-16 goes to pin 2 on my obd port, C1-40 is the (-) for my MIL, all the C1 signal grounds (just keep separate from other grounds), the pedal wires, the other coil control wires for fuel pump and such that need to go to their respective relays,anything else required to get me running?
The only reason I wanted the pinout of the fuse block is so I can tie these connections into it so I don't have to build one from scratch since my engine harness plugs right into it
C1-38 (pcm switched ground) would go to relay pin 85, C1-13 (12v switched) would go to relay pin 30, what else would go to this main relay?
And I know C1-18 is accessory voltage, C1-19 is keyed 12v, C1-20 is 12v, C1-16 goes to pin 2 on my obd port, C1-40 is the (-) for my MIL, all the C1 signal grounds (just keep separate from other grounds), the pedal wires, the other coil control wires for fuel pump and such that need to go to their respective relays,anything else required to get me running?
The only reason I wanted the pinout of the fuse block is so I can tie these connections into it so I don't have to build one from scratch since my engine harness plugs right into it
