98 replies to this topic

[Exmantaa]

Similar to Muncher's LSJ project, I too have a 2.0 LSJ engine that I want to put into a Speedster. (I'm Dutch...)

This 2004 LSJ engine is already living some years in my garage. Initially I wanted to swap earlier, but then at that time the 2.2 SC conversions were improving a lot with the new ecu remaps and the standard compression giving around 250HP. So I robbed the necessary SC parts of this LSJ to convert my 2.2, got all the necessary parts and with a base map from Courtenay my Speedster did 249.3HP on the rollers. Final mapping is a bit troublesome from here (as said, I live in the Netherlands), but as my AFR was spot on till the rev limit, my Speester lives happily with this base map.

In the meantime I helped with a few other SC conversions here in NL and the lack of proper SC tuning was always nagging me a bit. In the Us the tuners there seem to get serious power out of the LSJ engines, so the plan came to build up my LSJ engine and use this with the original US ecu in combination with HP-Tuners. (HP-Tuners is a mapping tool that allows you to (almost fully) remap the LSJ ecu.) The LSJ ecu only works on the 2.0l engine (or it's cousin the Saab B207) because of the necessary 60-2 crank trigger wheel. (Our 2.2's have a 7-1 trigger with wasted spark ingition.)

The engine I had. SC bits were easily gathered and HP-tuners sourced. Got a suitable LSJ ecu and engine harness from the US and after some research of wiring diagrams I modded the egine harness to suit a VX/Speedster.
I was a bit troubled to do this swap in my perfect running, low mileage Speedster, so when I then got a cheap import VX offered with a knackered 150K engine, the deal was quickly made.

So now I have:

1 fully build up LSJ engine:

[Exmantaa]

1 very yellow project car:




Rolling into my garage:



And start to disassemble:



Lots of rusty bolts later; result :



The old stuff has to move out:



Old knackered engine, but still good for some necessary parts. Needed the thermostat housing and the oil cooler hose connection for my LSJ block:



Finally some space, but looking a bit oily and grubby:

[Exmantaa]

Spend yesterday afternoon in my oldest cloths, some gloves and lots of degreaser.

First needed some more space to move the car around. One clam going up




Ëngine bay is looking a lot better after some hours cleaning. Should really blast and paint some badly rusted parts, but that can be done any time later. (But will probably do something on it, as that looks really bad):



Cleaned up the gearbox inside and out. And all hoses look a lot better now.
For this LSJ engine I will use the same oil cooler and water hose layout as the standard Z22Se engine has. That just makes the engine swapping a quick process, as I want to focus on the ecu and mapping. Maybe in a later stage I will change to a different cooler set-up and an electric waterpump. For now it's the standard hoses:



I modded the LSJ engine harness so it will fit directly into the black and blue X2/X3 connectors. I still need to sort the matching signals for some wires (VSS sensor and the Stack ECT readout) but it should be almost plug & play.



THAT ENGINE has to go IN THERE:




I'm still waiting on a new clutch release bearing, but when that arrives I can put the LSJ in it's new home and start building up the block..


To be continued.

Edited by Exmantaa, 30 August 2011 - 02:16 PM.

[alanoo]

If you reuse the oil cooling circuit exactly as on the z22se, do not forget the sprung plate inside the oil filter housing What kind of flywheel are you using too ?

Edited by alanoo, 30 August 2011 - 04:55 PM.

[techieboy]

Will watch this with interest. Are you leaving it as 2.0 litre? That's my plan with the B207R here. Hoping the better rev'ability of the square dimensions will help offset any decrease in power/torque from the missing 200cc. Might have to try and track down an LSJ ECU and loom as well. Esepcially as you'll have hopefully refined a map for it.

[Exmantaa]

If you reuse the oil cooling circuit exactly as on the z22se, do not forget the sprung plate inside the oil filter housing

What kind of flywheel are you using too ?

It's not exactly the same as the Z22SE circuit. I modded the LSJ adapterplate and it now uses only the cooler return through that. The oil cooler feed is coming directly from the block's oil gally, like the Z22SE has. I kept the LSJ/Saab's thermostat in the adapterplate, only with a restrictor so it only partially bypasses the cooler when cold:


Need to examine the Z22SE's oil layout further, but this now works pretty similar as the LSJ/Saab cooler.

Flywheel is a lightened C20XE/LET. (5.8kg) Same 8 bolt pattern and identical shape as the Z22SE fly.

[Muncher]

I will be watching with interest

[JimmyJamJerusalem]

I will too

[vocky]

Even though I have done countless vx engine removals I still love threads like this Your oil cooler set up should work ok. You have the cold oil going past the filter into the LSJ oil cooler body, then through the open oil stat into the oil filter, once warm the stat closes and the oil then exits the engine via the pipe fitting above the starter motor, goes through the vx220 oil cooler and then into the oil filter.

[Exmantaa]

Managed to do some work on it this Sunday, so some progress.

First thing I had scheduled was to clean the sound proofing plate on the back wall, as it was a real mess and soaked with oil. Sprayed it with lots of degreaser and after a trip to a car pressure washer station it looked (and smelled) a lot better.
So while that dried I installed 2 new engine mounts, mounted the heater hose again and re-routed the fuel hoses a bit for the SC install:






Next job was the clutch release bearing. The old one was doing it's job, but after hearing all the stories of leaking bearings, better install a new one now:






After that was tackled the car was reay for the engine install. But first I had to change over the Z22SE's water thermostat housing to the LSJ. That's only attached with three bolts, but off course it needed some cleaning and some proper attention to the o-ring seals. After that, the LSJ engine block was ready to put in.
If you remove 2 M6 bolts from the timing chain coverplate, the block can just slip in with the pulley attached. And after the usual clutch wiggling, result:






Some gearbox bolts and engine mounts later; One pretty neat looking LSJ engine in a VX220 :




Some detailed shots of the hose routing. As said, I wanted to retain the Z22Se's cooling layout with this engine, so nothing spectaculair besides the modded oil cooler connections:
(Edit: nice view of the LSJ's cam sensor housing on the exh. shaft...)





The oil cooler feed; standard Z22SE hose connection from the block's oil gally with the normal LSJ/Saab oil filter cap:





And the other side with the modded LSJ/Saab oil cooler adapterplate. That water hose need some final tweaking to prevent rubbing with the oil hose connection, but overall I'm pretty pleased with how the standard oil hoses fit:





Next steps; build up the block again with the SC parts, install the fuel lines and fit the engine harness.

Edited by Exmantaa, 05 September 2011 - 09:52 AM.

[Nev]

What sort of power and at what revs are you realistically expecting out of this engine please ?

[Exmantaa]

It's still a bog standard engine, so cannot rev that high yet; maybe max 7000 rpm. The GM stage 2 map that I start with should give around 245-250whp according the US forums, but unsure how that will turn out in BHP's. We just have to see... Next step is a small pulley (2.8"-2.9") and wring out the mapping. I expect this to reach similar results as a good modified 2,2 with such pulley, so 300+ BHP. Enter phase II: Fit my ported head with 78lb springs. Rev limit up to about 7500-7800. Not sure if I run that with the M62 or directly go for Harrop SC power. Expected power; ?????

[smiley]

Expected power; ?????

I think 361 has to the target

[Exmantaa]

No 361BHP yet, but at least I'm building up again.

This evening was spend on the "normal SC conversion" bits, so fitted the SC intake manifold (off course with Laminova's cleaned and re-arranged for the dual pass cooler set-up) and the alternator with the extra idler pulley. Fitted the LSJ 6-rib alternator, but then found that the + connection is a bit higher and the VX220 power wire does not fit. So first needed to fab an extension for that. Also re-routed the top waterhose to reach over the SC snout. (It always seem to take more time than planned to make things fit right and clear the pulleys and belt):




Next job was injectors and the fuel lines. The LSJ normally has a non-return fuel rail, but I fitted the Z22SE rail as I will later map it with a boost referenced return system. Injectors are 42lb's; standard requirement for a GM stage 2 mapping. I already had bought some high pressure fuel hose (J30R9+ spec), so re-routing the fuel hoses was next. The rail connections need some serious modding for this and after that was ready i finished with the dual pass cooler connections. (Just a temporary set-up for now, as I still need to mount the pre-rad up front with the sill hoses):




The SC still has to wait, as next job is to wire it all up and I need some working space for that. My wiring loom should fit straight in but that probably needs some effort to get the routing really right. Still missing an exhaust but will assemble something of my spare parts. (Probably 1st a std manifold, a Piper dowpipe and VXT or Tullett 2.5" muffler. Just to get things running.)



Hope I can finish that coming Sunday and then load a base map into this thing. I want to hear that engine running.

Edited by Exmantaa, 10 September 2011 - 12:46 AM.

[vocky]

Fitted the LSJ 6-rib alternator

you do realise that the LSJ alternator runs in the opposite direction to the z22se alternator

[Exmantaa]

Yes, I know. But being an alternator it should work in the opposite direction. Had to weld the pulley solid and maybe the cooling is less than optimal. We will see and I have an 100A Z22SE version as back-up.

[Muncher]

I heard it will overheat quite quickly...

[chrisgold]

lot of work for little gains

[smiley]

lot of work for little gains

Exmantaa seems to enjoy the journey more then the destination.
The lsj has 205 te begin with, thus the M62 with stock 3.35 pully should bring an easy 300.
Then he has a harrop lying around, with a bunch of pullies for both, and the software to do an all diy.

I like this journey, and the progress on echt step clearly described

[alanoo]

The lsj has 205 te begin with, thus the M62 with stock 3.35 pully should bring an easy 300.

The LSJ at 205hp has the M62 fitted