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87K views 201 replies 35 participants last post by  Byrdman 
#1 ·
It has been done and I have the program.
I need to look at the LS1 program closer and I have contacted a company for some help.
As we all know the 4T80E is a FWD trans and the LS1 is a RWD car. Also I need to look at the way data is transferred between the PCM and the ABS. The other module should be ok, but the PCM ABS has multiple data lines.
 
#134 ·
Hey guys, I finaly got to drive my little mid engine Northstar powered Mazda pickup. Look on page 9 of this thread if you want to see old pics of the truck. I'll try to post some more pics and info later on when I have the time.
I did install a single turbo just to see what this thing was going to do. I didn't run a whole lotta boost but what little I did run was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6lbs to be exact. I can go all the way up to 35lbs but I dont think my stock engine will stand much more than that without scattering a bunch of parts all over the road!!!! Im going to build me a good stout engine when I get all the bugs worked out.
Lyndon Wester at Wester's Garage did me an LS1 ECM with a turbo tune. I cant even begin to tell you all what this was like. I was expecting the truck to spin like crazy but I was amazed. The tires are 235-50-ZR18 Firestones . I thought if it wouldn't spin the front end might come off the groung but it didn't. It just took off like a rocket and pinned me back in the seat without any wheelspin at all. I dont think the truck weighs much more than 2200 lbs not counting the northstar engine and tranny.
Right now I have a 3.11 gear in the 4T80E tranny but I've got a 3.70 Im going to change it to later on. Lyndon wasn't able to get the tranny controls working in the LS1 ECM in a reasonable length of time so I went with a stand alone Power Control Solutions - Transmission Control Unit which is very tunable. I think I might like it better anyway. I can change line pressure , shift points , TCC , tire size, VSS and gear ratios and such. This control unit will let you have a performance calibration and a normal driving calibration with a flip of a switch. (A) for performance and (B) for normal driving.
I got to drive this thing about four or five times up and down the road in front of my shop before it decided to twist one of the axles in two. This thing has an awesome amount of torque with the turbo. Im having another set of axles made as we speak. Im giong to try some 4340 and have it heat treated this time. The axle shaft is what broke not the joints. The stock Caddy CV axles are definitly not going to be strong enough. Anyone got any ideas on stronger axles?????
I hope AJ will chime in on this one. He has a lot of experence with these engines and ECM's . I'd like to know if he's made any progress with his super charger for his Fiero to.

Steve (AKA mazda1949)
 
#135 ·
Nice steve

I think you can get Strange Axles or Curry Axles to make you some.
I have seen then done up with a flange at the trany side. They look like a VW axle or ones from the front of a GM 4X4
 
#136 ·
Hey AJ do you have any pics or a website I might go to to see these flanged axles. I might be able to make some of this stuff myself. I also am a partner in a machine shop but we dont do splines. We have 3 CNC lathes and 2CNC Mills. I can do splines but the way I would have to do it would take forever.
My buisness is the Garage buisness, I've did that for 40yrs. I furnish the building for the machine shop and dont do a whole lot of work in there.

I would like to talk to you personally but I dont want to do it here in the forums. I dont have enough post to PM you so if you could tell me how we can communicate in private let me know.

Steve
 
#145 ·
No, I mean the turbo isn't water cooled. You'll have to idle it for 30 seconds before turning the engine off or you'll coke the bearings. Water cooling eliminates that and makes for a better "daily driver".

T70 is a little small but it will give you plenty of midrange torque.

Nice job on the install. Looks very clean. What did you do to the throttle cable to get it to reach?
 
#146 ·
The throttle cable and the gearshift cables made me put on my thinking cap. I used the throttle cable housing from the mazda on the gas pedal side and the caddy cable housing on the engine side. I used a section of 1/4 inch stainless tubing in between which ran down the frame rail under the truck. The Mazda cable had a nut and stud adjuster that hooked to a bracket on the mazda intake. I welded a short section of 5/16 inch tubing on the front end of the stainless tube so I could slide the mazda cable in for the adjuster. I used that end to take up the slack and have some adjustment. On the other end I simply slid the caddy cable housing inside the 1/4 tube until it butted against the mounting part of the caddy cable housing. I was able to buy the inside stranded cable in one long peice and crimpable ball ends and barrel ends to complete the job. I couldn't find a cable housing long enough so I just made my own. I know this was a long explanation but you asked!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha
I used a console and shifter from a 1999 malibu and believe it or not the cable and housing were just barely long enough and worked perfectly.
My original plan was to run twin turbo's and I might still do that. I think two of the turbos like I have would be more than enough. You sound like you know quite a bit about turbo's. This is my first. I've got a lot to learn.
Im an old dirt track round D round boy and never fooled with turbo's until now. A turbo is the cheapest horspower I've ever bought. I couldn't beleive how much more power it gave my northstar with just 6lbs of boost.
Thanks for asking about my little project. Im real excited about this little ride. Its going to be a sleeper when I get the bed cover on.

Steve
 
#149 ·
Remember me in Prayer (PLEASE) !!!!!!!!!

I hope Im not boring you all with all this stuff. Im just kinda proud as I get stuff accomplished. Im 59yrs old and am surprised Im still as ambitious as I am.
I get my new axles back today I hope. I hope they are stronger than the last ones I had. Maybe the heat treat and harder metal will do the trick this time. I was going to up the boost a little at a time and am sure the axles need to be strong enough for that.
Also I am going to be installing a blowoff valve (BOV) in the next day or so and I'll show some pics of that to.
Now to the prayer request. Im sure this forum has beleivers in prayer and its power!!!!!!!!!! I was diagnosed a month ago after a CT scan for a kidney stone which I passed within an hour after I got to the ER to see if I had any more stones before they let me go home. They came back 30 minutes later and told me I didn't have anymore stones but that they saw a mass on my pancreas. I have been in hospital after hospital for the past month trying to figure out if I have cancer or not. For some reason no one has been able to do or get a biopsy because of the location of the mass. The mass is plain to see with CT and MRI scans but is impossible to get to for a biopsy.
The bottom line is Im going in for surgery to remove the mass on Wednesday. This is a very serious opperation and am hoping that if it is cancer we caught it in time and it hasn't spread anywhere else.
I wanted to live long enough to see my two little grandboys (3 and 4yrs old ) grow up and to finish my truck.
Please remember me in your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you
Steve Sears
 
#153 ·
Re: Thanks Guys

Thanks Guys, I aint never been scared of nuthin but this has got me really worried. Im trying to stay positive!!!! After all I gotta finish this truck.
Keep me in your prayers!!!!!

Thanks again
Steve
Get well soon
 
#156 ·
I have a couple of them done, but I am busy getting my house ready to sell. I need to move to the Charlotte area. I won't have any time to pick this back up for a few months
 
#158 ·
If someone wanted to spend the time to sort out the Trans functions I could get this setup to run in a FWD Cadillac without any DTC's. If I could get some time I would take care of it myself. I have the PCM setup to control the engine in a Cadillac without setting DTC's and it will send out all the required Class II data messages so all the other modules will be happy and not set DTC's:yawn:
 
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