Just got off the phone with Renegade, and I got some bad news. They had some issues with the flywheel, so they are currently in the process of redesign. I was told that the prototype is nearing completion, but it will be at least a couple of weeks until it’s ready for production. Not really sure what I should tackle now… I got 8 packages waiting for pickup in Buffalo, but there’s no point in driving down without the kit. I guess I’ll use the time off to get serious about my job search.

If you plan on doing this  through Renegade, do yourself a favour and order the kit as early as possible. I placed an order at the end of January and I’m still waiting.

Here’s a rundown of things that need to be done:

• Pick up the packages from Buffalo. This includes:
  • Low profile LS2 oil pan to improve ground clearance
  • C5 Corvette engine mounts
  • Wevo Boxster S transmission mounts
  • Oil pressure sensors and relocation hardware. Once the intake is flipped 180 degrees, it will not clear the oil pressure sensor.
  • LS1 fuel filter/regulator. The LS1/LS6 fuel rails don’t have a return line, so the regulator is located on the filter.
  • Engine parts: gaskets, head bolts, harmonic balancer bolt, intake bolts, remote thermostat housing, LS4 harmonic balancer. There’s not enough clearance for a regular harmonic balancer, so you will have to purchase an LS4 unit.
  • A whole bunch of fitting and lines
• Engine. Still waiting on that kit from Renegade. I might just make my own reinforcement plate and weld that in while I’m waiting.
• Wiring. Still looking for LS1 harness and ECU. The harness will need some work to get rid of the unnecessary bits. On the Porsche side, I’m probably just going to make my own harness. It only needs a couple of sensors, so there’s no point in ruining a good one. I might just buy an ECU plug from itsnotanova on the 986 forum to make things easier. If you need some parts for your build, he’s the man!
• Throttle pedal. I just purchased a cable throttle pedal from an early Boxster. Still have to figure out how to route it to the engine. I’m looking into purchasing a Mr. Gasket universal bell crank to match the pedal travel to the LS1 TB.
• Brakes. I need to replace all the brake lines and one hard line. I’m thinking about buying a Copper Nickel coil and replacing the hardline myself. Currently designing a tube straightener. I also have to fix the vacuum lines.
• Electric power steering. I pretty much have this one figured out, just have to cut the lines and put everything together. I’m thinking about leaving this one for last in case I have to relocate some stuff. I do still need -6 AN fittings that go into the steering rack. If you have a machine shop, please get in touch with me. 
• Interior. The interior will remain mostly stripped, except for the custom door cards. I will most likely get some Rennline stuff for pedals and floor. I’m still looking for some nice budget racing seats.
• Suspension. I think I will keep the stock suspension until I have the car on the road. The rear struts are fairly new, but the front ones are looking pretty rough. Once I have the money, I will probably get a set of PSS9s.

This is all I have for now. Thanks for following guys, and sorry about the lack of updates.
Vlad

Hey guys! Not much to update this week as I’m pretty much waiting on 90% of the parts to finish this build. I’m getting everything shipped to the same location in Buffalo to save on border fees. Once my engine mount kit is here, the build should really pick up.

Here are some pictures of my electric power steering conversion. There is no room in the engine bay to run a belt pump, so this conversion is a must! I am using a Vauxhal Astra power steering pump that I purchased from UK. I believe this is the same model pump as Porsche uses in their GT3 cars. The pump itself was pretty cheap, but it’s the shipping that killed me. The pump fits perfectly in the front trunk, on the opposite side of the brake master cylinder. This is a good location, since it won’t take  up your trunk space, and its excellent for wiring.

Things you will need:

• Vauxhall power steering pump. MR2 pump is also a popular choice.
• 8 gauge wire. Not too much, about 2-3 feet, depending on how much cable came with your pump.
• 2 x 8 gauge lugs to hook up the pump to ground and battery
• 16 gauge wire. Buy a decent amount. This wire will be used to run the ignition signal to the pump.
• -6 AN power steering hose. I used Russell 632620. Either way you go, make sure to get high pressure rated power steering hose. The power steering system pressure goes as high as 2500 psi.
• -6 AN Fittings. Russell 620421, 620401, and 648060. The first two are for steering rack side, and the third one is for pump outlet.
• Custom Porsche steering rack to -6 AN fittings. I’m still not sure what to do about this one. GSR offers a set, but they are way too expensive. I might source a manufacturer in China and make a whole bunch if there’s interest. I also made drawings for these if anyone needs them.  Just email me!
• Grommets for the power steering hose holes
• 80A circuit breaker
• Basic crimper or solder
• Custom pump bracket

-The 8 gauge wires will go directly to the battery and ground. Put the 80A circuit breaker on the power wire.

-There are three other small wires, but I don’t think the brown/white one is used for anything. You need +12 in the other two wires in order for the pump to run. The best way to do this is to wire the black one to the ignition wire, and the blue/white one the alternator dash light. This will ensure that the pump is on only when the alternator is running. You can also wire one of these to a switch, should you need to turn off your power steering. I used a relay in my setup just to keep the power steering pump separate from the rest of the car wiring.

-You will need to figure out a way to hook up the -6 AN return line to the power steering pump. The easiest way to do this is to cut the stainless housing and stretch out the core until it slides over, and then use a hose clamp. This is a low pressure return, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

-You will need a custom mounting bracket for the pump. I just got nylon working on my 3D printer, so hopefully I can make something with that.

I don’t have too many good pictures at the moment, but I will update them once I get the pump in.

Mounting location of the pump

Drilled two holes for the power steerig hose. They are located on the right side, under the brake master cylinder.

3D printed gromet. This is just a mock up, I will use a nylon one for the final setup.

The -6 AN hose will not fit over the pump inlet. You can cut the metal housing and stretch the core over.

Printing a bracket for the pump.

Finished nylon bracket. Now I have to test it out. I will post better pictures once I get the pump secured.

I managed to get Nylon filament to print reliably. These parts should be much stronger than PLA/ABS and also much more heat resistant. I used Taulman 618 filament and Garolite G10 print platform. Here are some pics of the process.

Designing the part in SolidWorks.

Setting everything up in 3D printing software.

3D Printing Nylon

3D Printing Nylon. Should make stronger and better heat resistant parts. #3DPrinting #nylon #customparts #taulman618 #makerbot

A video posted by Boxster LS (@porschelsx) on Mar 9, 2015 at 11:56am PDT

Finished nylon parts