Devin's 06 LS - Round 2

[lincoln_zero]

it would be a fun thing to learn more about, especially if it can get me some quicker times/handling improvement.

I just watch YouTube videos from pros lol


Simplest explanation: The less air travelling under the car, the less lift your car gets = less wind drag. Of course body shape is a major thing too.

I want to lower my LS by 1 or 1-1/2 Inches.

 

[lincoln_zero]

Hey Dev, is this mostly for straight-line acceleration type stuff or more corner-carving?

Stiffening the shocks would also help majorly in cornering. Less body roll means less weight shifting to the outside tires in a turn. Would generate more down force (Measure by gravity) and hug corners better.

 

[HRLNKN]

You could also try adding some of the underbody panels from the XFR. Not sure how much difference it'll give you aerodynamically, but it can't hurt

 

[DeviLSh]

Still here! Still getting lighter. Thanks to Timon for buying my stock front seats and getting this mod kickstarted.

Recaro Pole position fixed back FIA seat, with Recaro sliders and aluminum mounts. Custom floor adapters with seat belt hardware. Total seat weight is about 25lbs on this setup, vs a stock LS seat which comes in at 60lbs. Using the stock 3pt for now but will likely go to harness with a roll bar down the road. Seat is pretty comfy actually, and looks awesome.

need to figure out how to simulate the seat airbags now to kill the light in the cluster.

 

[DeviLSh]

Just realized I never posted it here, but last Fall (Oct, 2019) I was able to get a 13.7 @ 100mph (2.1 60ft) at the track in this, beating my previous best of 13.9. This was due to additional weight reduction between visits, but no other performance enhancements. Items deleted were Sunroof, Door Panels & regulators, hvac, headliner, and EBC componenets (module/motor/cables) were pulled off the car. Close to another 175lbs or so, so the ol' .10 sec per 100 lb is pretty accurate!

Again, while a high 13 sec car isnt really that impressive by today's standards (V6 accord coupe will hit those times lol) the character of this car is so different than from when I first got it. Love the progress and overall feel of the car. I will also say that off the line this car doesnt put you back, but after 4krpm, or in gears 3-4 things definitely get more fun.

With the car out of storage and a summer of Quarantine ahead, I plan on reviving this thread a bit more and making some progress on the car. Really need to tackle this diff project. Going on 3 years now :/

Any favorite motor oil recomendations? Need to do an oil change on this car!

 

[TiMoN_135]

Just realized I never posted it here, but last Fall (Oct, 2019) I was able to get a 13.7 @ 100mph (2.1 60ft) at the track in this, beating my previous best of 13.9. This was due to additional weight reduction between visits, but no other performance enhancements. Items deleted were Sunroof, Door Panels & regulators, hvac, headliner, and EBC componenets (module/motor/cables) were pulled off the car. Close to another 175lbs or so, so the ol' .10 sec per 100 lb is pretty accurate!

Again, while a high 13 sec car isnt really that impressive by today's standards (V6 accord coupe will hit those times lol) the character of this car is so different than from when I first got it. Love the progress and overall feel of the car. I will also say that off the line this car doesnt put you back, but after 4krpm, or in gears 3-4 things definitely get more fun.

With the car out of storage and a summer of Quarantine ahead, I plan on reviving this thread a bit more and making some progress on the car. Really need to tackle this diff project. Going on 3 years now :/

Any favorite motor oil recomendations? Need to do an oil change on this car!

3 years.... i need notes already, im at that stage!

 

[TiMoN_135]

Lol funny u brought this up. Ima do mine soon as well, along with a nut n bolt check on my suspension.

Im goin with Amsoil signature series.
Used to be a mobil 1 fan but ive been hearing great on Amsoil

 

[DeviLSh]

LS' need to stick together... Had a visitor come buy on Friday with some maint items. Thanks for the delivery @Timon

Got her up in the air for the oil change

 

[Gus_Mahn]

need to figure out how to simulate the seat airbags now to kill the light in the cluster.

View attachment 828574270

The Sensing and Deployment Module is looking for a resistance for each of the explosive components. Most cars are somewhere between 2 and 3 ohms at each airbag. The two wires to bag need to have a resistor wired into the circuit. There are airbag simulators on eBay, but a cheap resistor will work fine. Just have to get the right resistance. The bags can be probed with a low impedance meter to see what the resistance is. SRS components typically have yellow plugs. Here's an eBay simulator.
LINCOLN Compatible SRS Airbag Simulator - Resistor - Bypass Kit - EMULATOR TOOL | eBay

 

[DeviLSh]

Hey everyone - I have began the diff project I started over 3 years ago. This week I was able to get most of the stock stuff off.

Wheels off, and starting exhaust removal. (had to have some flanges installed so I could remove the catback in pieces)

Cool pic taken at night

Diff & Rear SF removed

Two Questions for anyone checking in:
1) I have kind of lost track, but cannot remember if anyone else ended up doing the entire 8.8" swap on a gen2 or not? Reason I ask, is I cannot seem to gain confidence in remembering if the gen1 axles, with the 8.8" case will all work on a gen2.(What I am doing) At some point in time I convinced myself it would work, and gathered all the parts. Also curious what other issues I may run into that I have not considered.

2) Anyone break off a rear subframe bolt before? The rear pair of bolts came out smooth as butter, and extra clean, but the fronts were terribly seized. I remember these being stubborn back when I did my sway bar bushings, which required me to lower but not remove the sub-frame. I never backed them all the way out, but today they met their demise. I managed to shear the driver side and BARELY remove the passenger, but not without damage. It looks like the "nubs" on the body have a threaded insert or captive nut. This is where a majority of the corrosion took place. Rest of the area/underboy looks really good so I am definitely surpised. Anyway, based on the length of the bolt, about 2" of it is left in the car. I have never had to drill out or extract a broken bolt, so I wanted to ping this group first on if anyone has enocuntered this, or has some options/advice for me. This issue, on top of getting the driveshaft modified, will likely be the longest part of the final stage of this project.

Note the broken bolt (Left), almost broken bolt next to it, and the problem-free rear versions.

The other half, inside the chassis

Everything off and surprsingly, pretty clean

Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this!



On a lighter note, couple updates on other parts of this project. After asking around tons of places and looking for a cross-reference subframe mount, I decided to drop the idea of "custom" solid mounts for this project. While I could have made my own from Poly, had machined inserts or sleeves made, or tried a variety of other methods I ultimately ended up buying some stiff liquid poly and filling the voids inside the stock Jag Replacements. I purchased these 2 years ago and really liked the guides and orientation aspect of these. Also, they are pretty stiff stock and should have minimal deflection once filled. They have a 7day cure time, but since they are close on one side, this was an easy DIY project and should keep things pretty stiff back there.

All filled up

And finally, removed the diff cover to do a final inspection before sealing and bolting this up for mock up. I had a professional do the install/rebuild as I have never done that before and didnt want to invest in the tooling. To any trained eyes out there... does the marking look good?

Refresh/Summary of this project for anyone new to this thread, my version of Jason's swap done a long time ago:
- Mark8/IRS Aluminum Diff Housing (8.8")
- Gen1 Lincoln LS rear diff cover (8.0")
- FRPP "T-loc" LSD, bnib (8.8")
- FRPP 4.10 R&P (8.8")
- Fresh install kit - bearings, seals, etc (8.8")
- Gen1 LS OEM Axles, 28-spline, BNIB/NewOldStock
- Modified Gen2 LS Rear subframe
(Welded bridge for fwd mount, reinforced corners, shaved exhaust & ebrake mounts, powdercoated)
- Poly Mark8 forward diff bushings
- Jaguar STR rear diff bushings (solid rubber)
- Jaguar S-Type OEM subframe Mounts, filled w/ Poly
- Mobil1 Fluid w/ Ford Friction Mod
- ARP Diff cover Hardware
- New Rear wheel bearings & hubs

Still need to figure out/Do:
- How to fix this bolt
- What Driveshaft to run. IE: Modified stock, 1pc alum, ipc steel etc
- Update tune to accept 4.10
- Source new Axle nuts and control arm hardware
- Purchase and install new swaybar links, bushings, and hardware
- Regrease powerflex bushings
- Press-in subframe bushings to subframe

 

[04_Sport_LS]

Yeah... that R&P pattern looks pretty good. Were you given the backlash specs?

As far as the broken bolt... you should have pre soaked all of them by spraying PB Blaster through the holes in the frame rails. 3 times in the period of a week. That would have prevented your problem.

Now... you still need to spray it. You also need a drill bit about half the diameter of the bolt or slightly larger.

You also need a spiral screw extractor and a good center punch... and at a minimum... a propane torch like is used to solder copper pipe together.

Deeply center punch the broken bolt so that you have a good mark centered on the broken bolt. Use a drill... and drill into the bolt as deep as possible... while spraying the bit with PB Blaster.

When you get a good hole in the bolt... an inch or so deep... insert the screw extractor into the hole and turn counter clockwise until the extractor stops turning.

Then grab the torch and heat the sleeve that the bolt is broken off in... and the frame rail around the sleeve. Be patient. I could take a several minutes of heating to expand the sleeve enough.

Put a wrench on the screw extractor and gently turn the extractor counter clockwise. Use gentle steady pressure. If the bolt wont turn... you need more soak time and /or more heat. Eventually the rust should break loose and the bolt should come out.

Whatever you do... don't rush it... and don't snap off the screw extractor in the bolt... cause that will make a bad thing worse.

If you know somebody with a full set of cutting torches... that would be better than the propane torch. Just don't melt a hole in the frame rail.

 

[DeviLSh]

Thanks for the +1 on the R&P, and for the walk-thru.

Not like it matters now, but I DID add heat before torquing, and I did spray PB blaster everywhere I could. There is no way to access from the top, or the frame rail, the sleeve it threads into appears to be completely enclosed. And there is not enough room to flood the area and hope capillary action takes place. I used a propane torch against the sleeve for about 2min to tray and expand it as much as possible. (there is a cut away in the body that makes the sleeve visible, but no opening to see threads)

I will proceed with the punch, bit, and extravot method, and I will continue heating and soaking. Any recommended kits? Never purchased extractors before and completed this successfully. Also, newbie question but any drill tips? High speed low pressure? Low speed low pressure? high speed high pressure? Dont want to be a caveman and just go hard on it if thats bad for the bit, but ill be on my back trying to stay straight so any info on best practice would be appreciated. Like you said, dont want to make a bad situaion even worse, but such is life

 

[04_Sport_LS]

Low speed medium pressure. High speed will create heat and dull the drill bit fast.

That is probably a hardened bolt, so you will want a cobalt drill bit. Buy a couple... because even though they are hard... they are also brittle.

Just Google search "screw extractor" or "screw extractor set".

Stay away from the China and other 3rd world country stuff. U.S. , Canada, Japan, and European is good though.

If you have a nearby tool supply store that services machine shops... that is close... that would be a better place to go. Or if you have Grainger's Fastenal etc... that would work too.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

I THINK... I got this from Tool Topia a few years ago. Model #11135

 

[04_Sport_LS]

It was either them... or Zoro Tools.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

The drill bits in that kit are left hand... so you would run the drill in reverse.

 

[FDR]

Last time I drilled up into steel, I was picturing the magnetic frame drill at work. So I slid the jack over and used it to press the back of the drill up. Just a tiny bit of pressure on the jack handle, barely more than the weight of the handle. It gives a lot more pressure on the drill of course. I used my foot to move the handle. It kept it straight and kept the pressure up with the speed down and no shoulder complaints

 

[DeviLSh]

FDR - great idea, will likely give that a try. Going at this today, been doing a daily soak in PB all week. Wish me luck, and keep an eye out for a for -sale thread/ part out thread if this goes south haha.

 

[alzimme]

Hey. I'm in Villa Park if you ever get tired of the stock steering wheel set up and want to see how I did my quick release. It was night and day different getting in and out of the car with the quick release and a fixed bucket.
Right now I'm dealing with a less critical bolt break, which is every single bolt for the strut bar broke off. In the towers and against the fire wall.
What I found is that being centered is critical, and I also didn't use a drill (it seemed to strip out as it was trying to grab) I used a ton of pressure and a wrench.
Hopefully you already have the bolt out, or this helps.

 

[De-marko]

Still here! Still getting lighter. Thanks to Timon for buying my stock front seats and getting this mod kickstarted.

Recaro Pole position fixed back FIA seat, with Recaro sliders and aluminum mounts. Custom floor adapters with seat belt hardware. Total seat weight is about 25lbs on this setup, vs a stock LS seat which comes in at 60lbs. Using the stock 3pt for now but will likely go to harness with a roll bar down the road. Seat is pretty comfy actually, and looks awesome.

need to figure out how to simulate the seat airbags now to kill the light in the cluster.

View attachment 828574270

Glad to see your car is still kicking!!

 

[04_Sport_LS]

FDR - great idea, will likely give that a try. Going at this today, been doing a daily soak in PB all week. Wish me luck, and keep an eye out for a for -sale thread/ part out thread if this goes south haha.

Well if that doesn't work... there is always the "top down" approach..
which should be fairly easy since you already gutted the interior. It will take some careful measuring though.

You will need to locate the frame rail from inside the vehicle. Specifically where the snapped off bolt is.

Once you have figured out the location of the broken bolt... take a hole saw or Dremel with cutoff wheel... and make an access hole in the top of the frame rail.

Soak it with PB and let it sit for a couple hours. Then hit the sleeve with a torch like you would from the bottom. Then use an inverted spiral extractor, (pic below), and back the broken bolt out from the top.

Then have an expert welder patch the frame rail with the cutout piece. If that doesn't seem trustworthy... then have the welder form another piece of metal... and box in that part of the frame.

And when I say "expert" welder... I mean someone who understands pre-heat and post-heat... and knows how to tig weld.

 

[DeviLSh]

Extracting didn't work, and my hole was off center, so I didn't want to bother with an offset time-sert or other thread repair. Was able to find a mobile welder and we agreed to cut the stock threaded nipple, and weld on a coupler to the chassis. After seeing how there is only about 1" max of thread engagement, we felt comfortable with this approach.

Should have the car back together once I can get the bushings pressed into the frame and everything mocked up. Then I have to mount the diff and take measurements to the driveshaft place.

While the car has been apart, I have been looking into deleting the EVAP. Doubtful anyone has done this on the LS ever, but likely other cars being prepped for race duty. Couple clarifying questions if anyone can shed some light as I continue my research.

Doe the LS have a vented gas cap for excess build up? Manual says it has a pressure and vac relief, but I dont want to cap the evap vent tube and rely on just the cap. Thinking I need to do the below as well..

the vent tube Y's off the tank after the pressure sensor. One end goes to the purge valve in the engine bay, and the other to the charcoal canister. Further downstream after charcoal is the solenoid that is constantly open, only closed during testing. If I cap the end that goes towards the engine, and run a filtered vent hose up above the tank and near the bumper, will this suffice as a vent and anti-intrusion design? Do I need a one way valve to let pressure out but not in? Or do I need that vent for when fluid draws down from the pump. This pic shows the canister, hose on the left is the "feed" from the tank evap vapor line (post-Y)

Last random question - do the stock LS fuel pumps benefit from slight tank pressure? I have seen this on a few miata threads and wasn't sure yet if our pumps were similar. Someting about a low intank pressure assisting the pumps. Wanna make sure if I do this, I am not hurting the pump.

Also - random but, anyone know what happens when you overfill the LS at the gas pump? Was reading the manual and after seeing all the parts/system, I cant seem to figure it out! inquiring minds...

 

[DeviLSh]

Hey all - update on a few things.

Diff Project: After trying 2 shops, 3rd time is the charm I guess. Finally got a guy who could press in the large subframe bushings, without damaging the powdercoated frame or marring the cups. So what was supposed to take a few weeks has turned into a few months after the thread repair, subframe work, and finally, assembly and drive shaft!

Diffs side-by side - Mark8 diff is 3lbs lighter than the stock LS unit!

Subframe ready to go in. Cleaned and lubed the powerflex 17.5mm bushings.

Mounted in the car, then the diff went in with the use of a jack.

After the diff went on, it was time to reassemble the rear. Spindles with new bearings/studs, axles, control arms, toe links, and new sway bar links. Ended up using Superpro TRC1085V, they are for an FJ Cruiser and have a horizontal and vertical link, adjustable, so great for the coilovers. I also had new holes drilled in the stock bar to increase the spring rate. Hoping this will help me launch a bit harder and keep body roll down even further.
**NOTE - the vertical link is an M12 stud, where the stock links are M10. You will need to enlarge the sway bar mounting holes to run these links. **

While waiting for the subframe work, I decided to tackle a few engine bay changes, long deferred.

Finally pulled the IM and installed the EGR block off plate on the exh mani:

While the manifold was off, I decided to freshen it up with a few aesthetic and functional updates.
- Finalized sanding the engine cover bracket mounts, and painted the upper manifold
- Also painted the K&N inlet tube to match, and grabbed black clamps.
- Gathered the coated lower plenums, snout, and EGR block-off for assembly
- Measured all hardware and ordered some ARP SS bolts to replace the tired stock hardware
- Cleaned and degreased, installed new gaskets on rear cover, snout, and 8 intake ports.
- Fabricated an aluminum heatshield for the underside of the manifold
- Wrapped the shield in reflect-a-gold tape to further manage engine heart.
- Deleted the TB coolant hose, rerouted degas feed and cleaned up some other hoses/wiring in the area
- Simplified the stock plastic vac lines from TB > Fuel Press Reg and capped unused ports for EVAP

Overall, the new look is more simplified and clean, with a little show/flare.

ARP Hardware for TB, Rear cover, snout, manifold, fuel rail, and some other engine bay brackets

All back together

With the car back together, it was time to do a test start to check for leaks, bleed coolant, and get the battery back to life. Oh and hearing it start with open downpipes was nice too Took the extended down time to also modify the driver vent to accept an SCT mount, and tuck the wiring through the defrost vent. I am running a 90* OBD2 cable extension to keep the wiring from hitting my right knee when driving. With the battery back on, I updated the current tune for the soon to be enjoyed 4.10 rear-end.

Finally, big thanks to Dkmac / Donny for sending me these manual pedals. Successfully "De-powered" my pedals and did the manual swap. Saving another 4lbs by ditching the motors associated bracketry

So - Another 20+ pounds off the car
EGR - 4lbs
EVAP - 12lbs
Pedals - 4
Diff - net 4
Driveshaft Net - ?? TBD ??

Car goes to the driveshaft shop tomorrow for final measurements and fab. Hopefully next week Ill have it back on the road to enjoy before winter officially arrives.

Thanks for checking in!

 

[DeviLSh]

Driveshaft is on, car has just about 200mi on the setup. Ended up having a single piece slip-shaft, 3" chromoly unit made, with billet yokes and new hardware. No guibos.

Still putting miles on it but it may need to go back as I do have some vibration that starts at 70mph or so. Had to adjust toe links to get the car tracking correctly, but dont want spend the $$ on an alignment until I get some more mileage on her in case it needs to come apart.

So far though I have been taking it easy with a few stabs in 2nd-3rd. The car breaks the tires loose pretty easily now, and the rpms and throttle response are fantastic. I can already feel the LSD on tight corners and when the rears break loose. This car never ceases to put a smile on my face and driving it now is really fun. Also - the car rides very quietly, something on the older setup was bad, diff, driveshaft, bearings, not sure what, but the car howled and I assume it was the tires, but with the new setup now, its remarkably quiet in the side of this car when cruising. And that's with no interioir! lol

 

[Svets96]

Absolutely amazing job! The whole setup looks very neat and clean. I like how you made everything fresh and new underneath.

When you do go to a car show or car meet you need to get the glass mirrors on the side of the car to show off the undercarriage.