Cerb LS1 The hard work begins!!

[ihatesissycars]

Forget the supra box, its HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!!!!!!!

You'd also need some very expensive adaptor parts to get it to fit which will add alot to the cost.

[jellison]

Good on ya - if you need any tip just ping me.

T56 will not fit - don't even bother - sorry to break it you will need a new or good tko.

AC will not fit inside the TVR chassis rails - we tried for on in Lichtenstein - absolutely no room.

You could try moving the position of it but we spent and age trying to make it work with the confinds of the tvr chassis rails and a US Hotrod company with alsorts of different brackets.

LS1 std will have 4.2 Cerb type power but more torque - alot less reving - will loose out on revability but gain in lower down grunt.

All the Best
Jelly

[shpub]

Ffirg 005 said:

Fact is, Brummiewedge is the only guy who has actually completed this conversion in a Cerb

Not quite, my LS1 powered Cerb moves under its own steam and has just had its first mapping session. PS I mated the engine onto the existing Cerb T5 based transmission.

[HarryW]

shpub said:

Ffirg 005 said:

Fact is, Brummiewedge is the only guy who has actually completed this conversion in a Cerb

Not quite, my LS1 powered Cerb moves under its own steam and has just had its first mapping session. PS I mated the engine onto the existing Cerb T5 based transmission.

I know the LS can trace its design back a bit, but steam powered .

Look forward to pictures and poss a write up in the not too distant

[shpub]

This should keep you going. PS it is coal fired. I'm using the rear cubby hole as a coal scuttle...

[diycerb]

Thanks for all the comments guys, nothing wrong with coal/steam power, I'd certainly get the train to work if they were.

Been looking for engine mounts. What do you think of these?

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/7631,122_LS1andLS6...

I've removed the wiring loom and emission control systems ready for a test fit to see what clearances if any I've got. Then I can see if moving the engine fowards would give me clearance to fit long tube manifolds that pass the bell housing. I'm thinking along the lines at the moment of running the exhaust past the bell housing and then below the gearbox, maybe oval tube.

Just measured the clearance on Craigs car, its 4" ground to back of sump, 5" to main chassis rail. Eg not very much

I wonder if the LS1 could sit higher.

Can't really sort it out in front of a computer, need to see it to solve it.
Don't mind if the answer is TKO, just want to be sure it will solve the problems, anyone know how good the clearance is with a TKO could 3" pipe sit either side??

Rich.

[GreenV8S]

Ooh, that looks nice. I can't quite make out the blower though Steve.

[Nitro Cerb]

Bastid! Just seen this lol

If it fits and I decide to come back can you get me one with big turbos?

Ta.

PS dont worry I'll fit the NOS

[diycerb]

Ahh, welcome our middle eastern friend.

Turbos, aren't a bad idea, twins in front of the engine, a bit like tuscan racer headers could save headaches with the exhaust route.

Just washed your baby, she's sleeping in the garage, haven't been brave enough to push the button yet

YHM.

Rich.

[brummiewedge]

Just sit the front pulley around 10-15mm from the front rail, it fits mine does, so should yours. you wont get 3" pipes around the bell housing and between the chassis rails.





Heres some ideas.

[tinker-27]

do you want to sell your t56 ?,you have mail

[GingerNinja]

shpub said:

Ffirg 005 said:

Fact is, Brummiewedge is the only guy who has actually completed this conversion in a Cerb

Not quite, my LS1 powered Cerb moves under its own steam and has just had its first mapping session. PS I mated the engine onto the existing Cerb T5 based transmission.

Not worried that your LS is perhaps a little over torqued for the gearbox....which is, after all, only rated to 300ish ft-lb? ?

[shpub]

GingerNinja said:

Not worried that your LS is perhaps a little over torqued for the gearbox....which is, after all, only rated to 300ish ft-lb? ?

Nope. If this was a real issue then nearly every 5 litre Griff and Chimaera would be leaving a trail of cogs behind them as they are all in the 300+ lbft of torque levels of performance. Indeed, many cars are now in the 350+ level and have not experienced a problem. BTW the original engined Cerbs coped with similar torque levels including the gearbox in my car which has done over 100kmiles. It has been rebuilt by CTS though as a precaution.

Most of the T5 issues have come from the lesser speced versions that were used in the US.

If it is an issue, then I'll get a CTS/Quaife upgrade for it.

[jellison]

shpub said:

GingerNinja said:

Not worried that your LS is perhaps a little over torqued for the gearbox....which is, after all, only rated to 300ish ft-lb? ?

Nope. If this was a real issue then nearly every 5 litre Griff and Chimaera would be leaving a trail of cogs behind them as they are all in the 300+ lbft of torque levels of performance. Indeed, many cars are now in the 350+ level and have not experienced a problem. BTW the original engined Cerbs coped with similar torque levels including the gearbox in my car which has done over 100kmiles. It has been rebuilt by CTS though as a precaution.

Most of the T5 issues have come from the lesser speced versions that were used in the US.

If it is an issue, then I'll get a CTS/Quaife upgrade for it.

I did alot of research on this before going for the TKO. I spoke to several Tremec people in the UK and the US (they hardly have an axe to grind as the t5, the tko and the t56 are all their boxes). They all said yes TVR run them well past our recommended rating, that is up to them. But a good Cerb will not make huge torque 340 - 350 max, which might be fine. But you go over this and you are asking for trouble longer term. An LS1 will make about 360ft/lbs, but all the LS road cars and most racers that have the higher spec (well over std LS1 spec, i.e. LS1 stroked and cammed im Brummies case, LS2 in Per's case and LS6 in my case) have all sensibly gone TKO600 (the secret being in the 600 number!). Yes a t5 might be fine for a bog std LS1 but not if you want to a) rag it alot and b) may tune it up more in future (which is pretty easy with an LS). I worked out that all the money I would have to spend in getting a t5 on the back of an LS (and it was alot) could all be made worthless if and when it goes bang big style. For one you have to get another std t5 and then get all the internal upgrading done - which is well over 1k then you have to reinstall it all. The TKO route works out about the same as the upgraded t5 route + the parts and labour to have the t5 on the back of the LS. So from a security point of view and ease of doing it (all parts readily available from tremec - (you can have fancy stuff like centre release bearing - but ha that is up to you!)). t5 is lighter - tko is about 20kg more and the t56 which will not fit without cutting the chassis and hence the body that drapes over it - try explaining that to the insurers!

If you have the money get a tko. And if you don't GET a TKO - cos when the t5 goes it will be when you least expect it and likely when you are even more skint!!!!!!!!!

Hope that helps.

Oooh and get the lump HARD up against the bulkhead (like all LS installs I have seen and all Std TVR lumps from the factory), if it is not done like this - you might as well not bother in the first place! I have seen pic's of one or two installs where their engine is so far forward that it will most definitely NOT be a Sportcar when you go to drive it hard round some bends (i.e. wanting to go very much straight on!! ).

Edited by jellison on Tuesday 18th September 10:47

[shpub]

It all depends on the installation...

Go with a TKO and there is the additional cost/work of a clutch/bellhousing/flywheel/gear linkage/propshaft/exhaust etc.

Go with the uprated T5 and the additional cost/work is bolting the Cerbera transmission to the LS1 as everything else can be reused. A lot less than all of the above.

I'm assuming that the T5 upgrade and a new TKO are about the same cost.

If you want to keep the costs down and run typical Cerb power then the T5 route is by far the cheaper and it is not a dead end as the upgrade can be done quite easily.

You pays your money and takes your choice. Both are viable and will cope with uprated engines.

[jellison]

shpub said:

It all depends on the installation...

Go with a TKO and there is the additional cost/work of a clutch/bellhousing/flywheel/gear linkage/propshaft/exhaust etc.

Go with the uprated T5 and the additional cost/work is bolting the Cerbera transmission to the LS1 as everything else can be reused. A lot less than all of the above.

I'm assuming that the T5 upgrade and a new TKO are about the same cost.

If you want to keep the costs down and run typical Cerb power then the T5 route is by far the cheaper and it is not a dead end as the upgrade can be done quite easily.

You pays your money and takes your choice. Both are viable and will cope with uprated engines.

Yep - we are talking from the same hyme sheet. Big post LS1 power will need the uprated t5 internals, or TKO, should be find (hopefully?) without in std LS1 - if box is in very good condition when it goes in.

Not sure this car has it engine or box though - diyCerb?

t56 is pointless - think I see why tvrolets tuscan SBC (iron but alloy heads) weighs so much now over a AJPV8 t5 /glebe boxed racer as that is t56 I seem to remember (they are HUGE).

[diycerb]

Hi Jelly,

Thanks for the info, you raise some good points, I've got no intention of going the T5 route, I've stripped 5th gear in cossies with 350bhp, always thought they are on their limit in TVR's.

I don't want to move the engine position either if I can help it, so I think I should start looking for a TKO600.

Wheres a good place to get one in from the states? Seem expensive over here. Then I can start looking at prices.

Cheers,
Rich.

[Steve_T]

Bit of a tangent, but if you're paying for things from the US, you can get a better exchange rate than the high street by using an intermediary firm to do the transfer for you. I've used this recently for a large trip my wife and I ran to France.

Steve.

[Speed eight]

For TKO 600 Try Brian at Repower near Worthing is Sussex.
He keeps them in stock. Along with much, much more.

Tel [phone].

You could pick up a very good deal there.

Speedeight.

[brummiewedge]

If you use the original box, you will still need a bell housing and all the associated stuff to go with it which no one has off the shelf. Yank engine Yank box, and all the stuff off the shelf. Not some mutant rubbish that someone has to bespoke. And if you bother to release some easy power will snap it all anyway. Or smoke the clutch and that smells horrible.