I want to know what specific model is the best to start with, if any. Which ones had LSDs, if any? How much HP/TQ can a stock diff take? What swap options are available for the diff? What wheel/tire sizes fit the stock body work? What are the weak points in the stock suspension setup?
Basically, if I were considering buying a S14 for a LS1/T56 swap to become my daily driver what should I know ahead of time? This car will not be a full-blown race car at all. I still have the Zoh so I’m just looking to build a fun DD.
s14 se, 5 lug wheels, lsd, so far stock lsd on mine has put up with a ton of abuse and 350whp/343lbs/ft torque. Pretty sure and ls1 probably puts that down stock
That will not effect what I need to do for emmisions at all.
In CA the smog laws basically state you can swap any newer motor from the same class of vehicle (ie light duty vs. medium or heavy, we’re not talking car vs. truck) into a given vehicle. For smog purposes you need all original smog equipment from the vehicle the motor originaly came in, specifically for the exact year of motor you are using.
Therefore if I use a LS1 I need all the smog gear for whatever year F or Y-body I get my motor from. So if I get a pre-'01 Fbody LS1 technically I even need EGR. However, they get the vehicle year from the PCM not from engine stampings or anything like that. So if you have your PCM flashed as say a '02 LS1 Fbody then you don’t need the EGR. But you do need all other smog systems from the '02 LS1 Fbody. That includes the cats, all 4 o2 sensors, the OBD-II computer (and of course no smog related codes can be set at time of reffing), the AIR system, the EVAP system etc. This is regardless of whether or not the car receiving the motor is OBD-I, OBD-II or even pre-OBD.