928 Conversion

After 23 successful years of experience with engine conversion for the Porsche 914, 911, 912, 930 and the 944/924S models, the obvious move for Renegade was to perfect the use of a V-8 engine in the Porsche 928! ( picture )

Porsche introduced the 928 in late 1977 and many of these early cars are still around and still looking great. However, the engines are probably getting a bit tired. As a do-it-yourself kit, the Renegade's 928 conversion is ideal for many reasons. For those who have a 928 with a bad motor, you have probably already discovered that buying a rebuilt 928 motor costs more than buying another used 928. However, selling your car without a running motor will bring you only an insulting few thousand dollars. Owners of 928s who are lucky enough to have cars with running motors are far to familiar with the lack of power and the always-increasing cost of maintenance. Another scenario - if you do not yet own a Porsche and have your heart set on one, a used 928 can be purchased for a very small price.

You will realize several advantages when you convert to Chevy power. Cost is the most apparent benefit; replacing a Porsche 928 motor is extremely expensive. The cost of even a rebuilt 928 motor is typically in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $10,000. As many 928 owners know so well, maintenance costs are also very high and engine related maintenance consumes a major portion of that cost. With the installation of a Chevy engine, these costs will be dramatically reduced. This means no more $1,200 clutch jobs or $400 water pumps!

Chevy produces a very affordable and reliable performance motor that is the most economical in the world from which to extract horsepower. A stock 350 engine, such as a late model Corvette or Camaro LT-1, will produce power greater than the original 928 motor. The majority of racecars in the U.S. are powered by Chevy, thus there is a vast availability of performance parts (not to mention standard maintenance parts). With the addition of some inexpensive aftermarket performance parts, you can easily achieve 400 horsepower and still be smog legal. Achieving the equivalent horsepower from a Porsche engine can cost up to 10 times more.

The 928 conversion to Chevy V-8 power is relatively inexpensive and simple to install. Since the 928 was essentially produced to accommodate a V-8 engine, many of the components required for other Porsche model conversion are not necessary. Upgrades to the suspension, transmission, brakes, etc., are not required. Thus, the basic engine kit offered by Renegade may be all you need to make your 928 fast, reliable, and economical.

The 928 engine conversion kit has been intelligently designed with the do-it-yourself mechanic in mind. It is essentially a bolt-in swap and requires no cutting or welding. Quality custom made parts make this conversion look clean and perform efficiently. The entire engine conversion process should require only 20 - 30 hours to complete and is really not much more difficult that removing the old 928 motor and replacing it with another 928 motor.

ENGINE
The 928 conversion will work with either a fuel injected or carbureted motor. The ideal engine to use for a 928 conversion would be a 5.7 liter LT-1 (1992 to 1997). But for a very quick and easy installation, any carbureted Chevy Small Block V-8 will do. ( picture )

The LT-1 Corvette and Camaro motors make at least 235 HP and 345 ft. pounds of torque. By utilizing this motor, you will gain over 100ft. pounds of torque over the stock Porsche V-8. To further clarify, if you install this motor in a 1979 928, you will shave about 2 seconds off your 0 - 60 times and about 3 seconds off your quarter mile times. You will feel a dramatic increase in power, especially in the low and mid-range power band, where you do most of your driving. If you want to go faster than this, you can install a free flow exhaust system, aftermarket computer chip, and many other economical, smog legal, high performance upgrades. Essentially, any power modifications that can be done to a late model Corvette or Camaro may now be done to your 928.

A good source to obtain an above recommended motor is your local Chevy dismantler. To get the best possible deal, purchase a complete motor from a low mileage, wrecked Camaro. The motor should come complete with fuel injection wiring harness, engine management computer, and all accessories on the front of the motor, such as alternator, A/C compressor, smog pump, and power steering pump. Typically, a motor like this will run approximately $2,500. If you are unsure about your choice of motor, contact our staff at Renegade, we will be happy to advise you. While we feel that the above mentioned conversion is ideal, any Chevy carbureted or fuel injected small block will work for this engine swap.

TRANSMISSION AND DRIVELINE
The stock manual transmission and torque tube are easily capable of handling 500 ft-lbs of torque. While the transmission in an automatic car is not quite as durable as a manual transmission, you should have no trouble with a 400HP Chevy V-8 motor.

CLUTCH
The Renegade conversion utilizes a Chevy 10.5" clutch assembly. This is a stock Chevy diameter! The disc however, is custom and can only be obtained from Renegade. BUT, once you own it, you can resurface it again and again if needed. Also, we supply a custom made pilot bearing and hydraulic throw out bearing as part of the conversion kit. All these clutch components are much more durable than the original Porsche clutch components. When these conversion parts finally wear out, they can be replaced at a fraction of the cost of the original Porsche components and are available through Renegade or at any auto parts supplier in the U.S.

ELECTRICAL
The electrical wiring system is very simple for anyone with basic knowledge of automotive electrical systems. The new Chevy motor requires only a few select wires to operate and communicate with the gauges. Basic engine wiring harnesses to hookup to alternator, starter, air conditioning, etc, are available from Renegade as optional items. If you are running an LT-1, it is easier to purchase an aftermarket wiring harness to hook up the fuel injection and computer. The aftermarket harnesses are generally marked/coded for easy installation. These harnesses are also available through Renegade as an option.

INSTRUMENT HOOKUP
The original tachometer will work with a V-8 motor, as it is already calibrated for the 8 cylinder motor. The oil pressure and water temperature gauges are hooked up using wires from the basic wiring harness and the sending units supplied by Renegade as options.

EXHAUST
While some DIY'ers may enjoy the challenge of fabricating an exhaust system to work with stock Chevy manifolds, we have elected to build custom full length tuned headers as an option. The stock exhaust system may be modified for use with either stock Chevy manifolds or our headers, however Renegade recommends an increase in exhaust diameter to facilitate better flow.

COOLING SYSTEM
We have found the original radiator to be inadequate for cooling in average to extreme conditions. Other than cold climates or very mild motors, we recommend our Renegade 928 cooling system, complete with dual puller fans, shrouding, pre wired electrical, mounting pads, and automatic transmission coolers for AT transaxles. In addition, we have redesigned our cooling system to accommodate the typical Chevy hose diameter and we have placed them on the radiator in opposite corners for ease of installation.

AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING
Other benefits of using the Chevy engine is that the complete Chevy accessory package can be used, including the A/C and power steering pumps. These are much less expensive alternatives than the Porsche parts. Also, they can be plumbed directly into the corresponding stock Porsche systems. The stock heater system is used in its original configuration as well and the heater hoses are hooked up to the Chevy motor in the original manner.

We have been very pleased with the in-house conversions we have performed. The 928 engine conversion is by far the easiest and least time consuming we have ever offered. Many of the upgrades and additional components required for other Porsche model conversions, are not needed for the 928. This kit is also the most inexpensive of the V-8 conversions. Our Chevy V-8 engine kit makes it easy for you to have a 928 that's extremely fast, economical, and reliable.

Renegade Hybrids is the leader in the field of Porsche engine conversions. We use only the highest quality material for the parts we manufacture. Our staff will gladly assist you with technical support and we are here to answer any questions you may have... before and after your purchase.

NOTE: Be sure to check your state and local laws regarding engine swaps before beginning your conversion.

Additional note to California residents: California emission requirements allow changing the engine in your car if you use the same year or newer replacement engine. You must use all the emission equipment that the replacement engine came with, when new (conditions apply). For more information, contact the Bureau of Automotive Repair Referee at (800) 622-7733. Renegade is not responsible for providing emission control devices. Laws subject to change at any time.

Questions? For more information, please give us a call between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Pacific Standard Time.

Basic Parts for Manual Trans Cars ( picture )
$360 TORQUE TUBE ADAPTER: Adapts Porsche torque tube to Chevy bell housing.
$330 MOTOR MOUNTS: Welded steel mounts that bolt into the 928 chassis to accept small block Chevy motors.
$75 PILOT BEARING: Custom made bearing assembly.
$220 CLUTCH DISC: High performance Chevy 10 ½" disc with Porsche 928 spline.
$70 HYDRAULIC CLUTCH HOSE: Connects 928 master cylinder to GM slave cylinder.
$65 THROW OUT BEARING GUIDE TUBE
$345 MODIFIED OIL PAN: Chevy pan modified to clear the 928 cross member.
$55 OIL PUMP PICK UP: Modified pick up work with modified oil pan.
$1,520 BASIC KIT TOTAL
$1,425 DISCOUNTED TOTAL (If purchased as a complete package)
The above components include most hardware necessary to install the conversion kit.

NOTE: This manual conversion utilizes an '84 - '88 Corvette bell housing, complete with clutch fork, slave cylinder, and throw out bearing. Please refer to our Options List. We do not include it as part of the kit, as it is available from your Chevy dealer or dismantler.

Basic Parts for Automatic Trans Cars ( picture )
$360 TORQUE TUBE ADAPTER: Adapts torque tube to Chevy bell housing.
$310 MOTOR MOUNTS: Welded steel mounts that bolt into the 928 chassis to accept small block Chevy motors.
$395 FLYWHEEL: Modified Chevy flywheel.
$295 MODIFIED OIL PAN: Chevy pan modified to clear the 928 cross member.
$55 OIL PUMP PICKUP: Modified pick up to work with modified oil pan.
$1,415 BASIC KIT TOTAL
$1,325 DISCOUNTED TOTAL (If purchased as a complete package)
The above components include most hardware necessary to install the conversion kit.

NOTE: This automatic conversion requires the use of a '76 - '81 Camaro bell housing. This part is not included in the kit as it is available from your local Chevy dealer or dismantler. Renegade offers this unit separately for ease of installation. Please refer to our Options List on next page.

Optional Parts for 928 Conversion
$280 MODIFIED CAMARO BELL HOUSING: For automatic trans cars. Modified for ease of installation. (A stock 10 ½" bell housing can also be used.) '76 - '81 Camaro.
$689 COMPLETE CORVETTE BELL HOUSING ASSEMBLY: For manual trans cars.
Prices sold separately:
$350 Bell Housing (used)
$165 Slave Cylinder
$80 Throw Out Bearing
$65 Clutch Fork
$13 Push Rod
$16 Pivot Ball
$145 PRESSURE PLATE: New high performance Chevrolet 10 ½" diaphragm type.
$279 FLYWHEEL: 10 ½" Chevrolet lightweight nodular iron, 153 teeth. Please specify if '86 or later crank.
$1,095 HEADERS: (Up to 600 HP) Custom tuned full-length with high temp ceramic coating. Includes gaskets and hardware. (Headers offered 'raw' = $895.) ( picture )
$25 SENDING UNIT - COOLANT TEMPERATURE: Works with stock 928 gauge.
$45 SENDING UNIT - OIL PRESSURE: Works with stock 928 gauge
$945 CUSTOM RADIATOR: This is an excellent HP all aluminum radiator and fits into the stock location with no modification. Ready to go with the Chevy size fittings positioned correctly for ease of installation. (Porsche fittings $50 additional)
$425 HIGH PERFORMANCE ELECTRIC FAN KIT: HP dual Spal puller, electric fans. Includes custom aluminum shrouding installed and pre wired when purchased with above custom radiator.
$360 TORQUE CONVERTER: May be required for some automatic cars with high performance engines. Priced with core exchange.
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