Mounting LS1 coils
 

I've been running the 455/4L80E combo in my '70 Bonneville with a 12200411
PCM for about 3 years now, and have been doing so using L31 code (4x crank trigger,
1x cam trigger, conventional HEI distributor modified for this swap).

This winter, I'm going to make my next update, and swap out the 4x crank
trigger for a 24x, and convert to LS1 coils. What I'd love to see are pics of some
of the ways other folks have mounted their LS1 coils.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards contacting Tin Indian and asking if they
can machine the bosses to mount the coils on a set of their billet covers. But
I'm open to other ideas too.

So, anyone care to share what they did to mount a set of coils for their EFI
swap?

-Scott

Here's a pic of the engine bay as it sits today to get things started.

Pics of the present crank position sensor/wheel setup.

New 24x wheel vs. the existing 4x wheel.

I hung my LS coils straight off the valve cover.

The leads are just my old distributor MSD leads that I cut to length and just picked apart a set of stock LS leads for the coil ends and re-crimped them back onto the MSD's. Worked out great and cheap.

I'm going to run a Fast dual sync with LS1 CNP. I have Tall butler valve covers. My plan is to use the outside valve cover bolts to hold an aluminum bracket that will hold the coils. I don't want to cover up the "Pontiac" on the valve covers. So it should hang at an angle off the two outer bolts. If its too flimsy I might try using all 4 bolts to hold the bracket down.

Hope that helps.
Shad

If I ever get there, I have a set of turbo TA valve covers I'm going to mount mine on. I got the bracket with the coils - they're off a truck. I need to section the covers first though, for height as I have a girdle. I don't even have the motor in the car yet.

Thanks for the ideas so far. I did contact Tin Indian, and they stated that they
are not interested in making a custom set of valve covers for me, so I'm going to
go with my second option. I'll be designing a set of sheetmetal brackets that will
be welded to the AlMack valve cover hold down brackets instead. I'll get some
pics up once I have a chance to get them cut/bent and ready to be welded.

Mark Luhn from Luhn performance also makes brackets to mount coils to valve covers.

Congrats, Richard, on your Great Showing at Drag Week.
Tom V.

Mark has a really nice way to do that Coil set-up too.

Thanks Tom!

Its been a while, so I thought I should finally make good on my promise and post some pics of my coil mounting setup. I'm fairly happy with the end result. I'm still cleaning up the wiring, but this is fairly close to the end product.

-Scott

If you can take an existing "GM-Designed" valve cover "CNP" (Coil Near Plug) Coil Bracket and modify it for functional use on your Pontiac, that is great work.

Looks like you made some valve cover spacers too.

Tom V.

I should have mentioned what Tom noticed - I did indeed use a set of GM
brackets to make this setup. I can't recall if those were from an Fbody or a
truck, but it really makes no difference. Once I cut a set of them in half, it
became obvious that I could make them work and look good. No need to
fabricate any more than necessary.

The valve cover shaped item is actually a valve cover hold down/reinforcement
which I've had for quite a few years, and not a spacer (although I am running a
set of spacers due to my roller cam conversion and roller rockers). Those are
what gave me the idea to float something above the stock covers, and were
sold by a forum member by the name of AlMack. I don't think I've ever seen
another set of them for sale since that first run.

-Scott

Coils look good ScottP!

For anyone else out there researching mounting LS coils I am using Muscle Garage/Tuff Mounts brackets to relocate my LS1 coils on my EFI set-up. These are an off-the-shelf mount from Australia (so the prices are listed in AUD, you can check the conversion at www.xe.com/ucc ) they're really, really well-made and I am stoked with the quality of the parts I got from Jason.

Coil brackets can come bare, or pre-powdercoated. And you can get brackets for LS1 or LS2 coils.

LS1 brackets
http://musclegarage.com.au/index.php...product_id=135

LS2 brackets
http://musclegarage.com.au/index.php...product_id=145

I'll have some pics of my set-up as soon as I get back near the car (it is 2hrs away at the body shop ATM)

Nice work ScottP. Did you fabricate the 24x crank trigger wheel? Also What balancer is that. I'm considering going that route but could not come up with a good way of attaching the 24x wheel to the balancer. Playing around on the lathe with a stock balancer and a gm 24x wheel (pics), but I don't like the outcome. Your's looks very nice. Thanks.

Erik

ErikW

The 24x wheel is something I had cut locally on a waterjet. I wanted the ability
to move back and forth between the 4x and 24x wheels as I messed around with
the two different operating systems and ignition setups.

The balancer is a Powerbond PB1056SS. The nice machined surfaces made it
easier to mount my spacer ring and wheel to it. I tried to come up with a way
to mount the stock GM wheel like you've shown, but I didn't get too far. That's
when I moved to the waterjet cut wheel and the Mitsubishi sensor.

I'm not yet convinced that the way I did it is how I want to keep it in the long
term. I may revisit using the single row crank position sensor used on the
'96+ Vortec 350s. What you've shown is the double row reluctor wheel, and
you may already know that it does require a specific double row capable
sensor.

Please keep us posted on your progress - I'd love to see some other ideas for
using a 24x wheel on a Pontiac damper.

-Scott

Coils plate mounted using 2 intake bolt holes. The coils stay in place when the valve covers comes off.

Ed
Is that the one from Mark Luhn?
Kevin

Believe that it is Kevin.
A lot of that type of hardware on the engine was done by Luhn Performance for Ed.

Tom V.