1987 IROC Camaro Pro-Touring Build [Archive]

garage_engineer

12-03-2017, 06:27 PM

I apologize in advance for the long intro! But I think knowing some of my background and goals will help you to help me make some decisions on the project down the road.

My name is Matt and I live in Massachusetts. I own a 1987 Camaro Z28 IROC-Z that I am hoping to transform until a reliable, fast track car that is also comfortable enough to drive long distances. (Aka… Pro touring). All while on a budget. Seems like a tall task but I’m up for the challenge.

Some background on myself: I am a mechanical engineer and have loved cars from a young age. My first “project car” was a 1975 Corvette that my Dad surprised me with when I was 18. It was sitting under a tarp in someone’s front yard and he knocked on their door one day and made a deal. That was when my passion really took off. Neither of us really knew too much about working on cars, but slowly and surely we took on bigger and bigger projects until we had a nice driver.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4583/37932544465_cdfbac781d_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4580/37932544375_cfbfee7cd3_c.jpg

I was starting to get interested in road racing and autocrossing however, and started to realize that making a 1975 Corvette into a reliable track car was possible, but definitely beyond my budget. I just couldn’t afford to upgrade the suspension, brakes, cooling, wheels/tires, etc to get it where I wanted. So, I made the tough decision to sell the car that my Dad and I had spent a lot of time on and bought something a little more suited to track duty right out of the box, a 1997 Corvette:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4555/24946752898_dd684e4c83_c.jpg

I owned that car for 4 years, and loved it. What a value those cars are… you can drive it on 400 mile road trips with the A/C on and then lap it all day at the track and drive home.

My passion for cars has not faded over the years and has actually grown. I love being around cars… whether it be detailing them, going to a car show or reading about them… they’re in my head and not going away! Because of this, I have set a goal for myself of someday owning my own garage to help people pursue their own goals of driving their dream car. Life is too short and I want to do something I love, or at least take a shot at it.

That being said, I needed a car that I could use to grow my "brand" and use as my “advertising” of what I can do. Even though the Corvette was a great car, it just didn’t stand out enough if I wanted to use it for advertising. At any given track day or autocross event, I would be 1 of 5+ Corvettes. I needed something more unique. I also want to learn. I consider myself pretty competent with a wrench, but I have yet to do any hardcore engine or chassis work. The Corvette didn’t need any of this, so I wanted something that needed a bit of attention so I could make it my own and grow my skillset.

After a lot of research, I settled on a third generation (1982 - ‘92) Camaro as a replacement for the Corvette. You may think I’m crazy, selling a perfectly good C5 Vette to pick up a third gen, but hear me out. There are plenty of these cars around, and they are not old enough where they need a complete restoration (which is most likely the case if I were to get something from the ‘60s or ‘70s) so I could focus primarily on performance upgrades. This seems to be a great time to pick up one of these cars as well, since they seem to be gaining in popularity and the aftermarket support is starting to pick up for them. The were also quite capable right out of the box, and are already setup with a 3-link rear suspension and fuel injection.

After doing a lot of searching, I wound up finding my car on Craigslist. It was one of the more expensive ones available in my area, but I have always heard to start with the best car you can afford and you will save money in the long run. It had a good body, and lots of performance parts already installed which was a plus. Seeing the car in person, I was a little scared as it seemed to be a bit hacked together and abused. The parts were there however, and I decided to purchase it with the idea that tidying up the loose ends would be a good learning experience and would be something I could do without spending a ton of money. Here is a picture from the night I drove it home:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4520/27042928909_709fc14b0c_c.jpg

As I got the car home, I thoroughly went over it and overall it was pretty clean. It already had weld-in subframe connectors and quite a few suspension bits. A ZZ4 crate engine had been swapped in along with a T56. The car was still rough however, as if someone rushed to get it together and didn’t take their time… lots of things like loose wires hanging on the engine, oil leaks and disconnected hoses jumped out at me.

This was in May, and I had signed up to run the Optima event at NJMP in August that year and wouldn’t let myself miss it. Unfortunately, I had a really busy summer which left not much time to work on the car so I had to be selective with what work I could do before the big event. I chose to focus on safety, which meant really going through the brakes and checking all of the suspension bolts. I changed all of the fluids and added a fresh set of tires on the stock 16” wheels. I really wanted to upgrade the brakes and wheels, but there just wasn’t enough time.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4563/38818588951_1444514aaf_c.jpg

I am lucky to have 2 race tracks close to me that sponsor SCCA Track Nights in America, so I attended one at Palmer Motorsports park the week before I had to leave for the Optima event in NJMP. Fortunately the car did great, I ran three 20 min sessions and other than being black flagged for not having my gas cap on tight enough the car ran great and I was super happy!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4532/27042928519_134334292d_c.jpg

A week later my Dad and I loaded up the truck and headed down to NJ. I was so fired up for this trip… I follow the Optima series very closely and thought it was so cool to not only be there, but to run with some of the guys and cars I had read about and seen on YouTube. I was so fired up to be going! My only goal for the weekend was to finish with the car in one piece. Luckily, I was able to accomplish that and had a blast. We had awesome weather the whole weekend and the car took whatever I could throw at it. It was definitely not the fastest out there, but that’s mostly because of the driver (and maybe the 245 series tires?)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4574/38789379782_ef8c28d2c1_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4556/38789379242_e088a0cb05_c.jpg

Now comes time for the winter upgrades. I’ve been going back and forth about whether to pull the engine out of the car (which is running fine by the way), and I think I have decided to go for it. If I really want to organize the wiring and get it cleaned up to the point where I am proud to pop the hood, I think this is the only way to go. I also bought this car to learn, so no time like the present to dive in and pull my first motor.

I’m working with a limited budget and am also making a list of possible upgrades over the winter. I know I NEED a new radiator, as the car was overheating after 15mins at NJMP over the summer. There are lots of things I would LIKE to do, so I will have to prioritize and see what I can afford. I’m sure I’ll be asking for lots of advice in this area before I put out any big bucks.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope by following this thread you can learn just as much as I intend to.

T/AAddict

12-04-2017, 02:22 AM

Thanks for the great read!! I'll be following along as you go. Best of luck.

TorqStorm

12-04-2017, 05:26 AM

Great looking ride. Cant wait to see what you do with it.

Torqstorm

SSLance

12-04-2017, 06:43 AM

mitch_04

12-04-2017, 07:30 AM

Something I have found that works for me is to plan your upgrades out very well and try to not take the car off the road for more than 2-3 weeks at a time. This way you keep interested in the car and project creep doesn't sideline you to the "Jackstand class".

For example, I just did a complete brake system upgrade along with some steering components in just under 4 days. My T56 swap start to finish took 20 days. Following this plan will not only make you plan your projects out better before turning the first wrench and will also let you keep enjoying the car as you upgrade it.

Great advice.

WSSix

12-04-2017, 05:14 PM

I'd say you're off to a great start. Make sure you have plenty of chassis bracing. It may take more than subframe connectors. Make sure the engine's reliable as well as having the brakes up to snuff. From there, learn and plan. Make sure you're always starting with a solid reliable platform even if that means forgoing the fun parts. Driving the car and learning its limits is the fan part.

garage_engineer

12-04-2017, 06:13 PM

Love third Gens and like your approach at buying a decent car to start with, much easier than going a full rebuild from the ground up right off the bat.

Something I have found that works for me is to plan your upgrades out very well and try to not take the car off the road for more than 2-3 weeks at a time. This way you keep interested in the car and project creep doesn't sideline you to the "Jackstand class".

For example, I just did a complete brake system upgrade along with some steering components in just under 4 days. My T56 swap start to finish took 20 days. Following this plan will not only make you plan your projects out better before turning the first wrench and will also let you keep enjoying the car as you upgrade it.

Thanks for the tips Lance. My approach with my cars has always been to drive them as much as possible in the summer and fix any small items that come up. Then, in the winter, I tackle the big projects since I have about 3-4 months where I cant drive the car. I'm definitely aware of project creep and I'm trying to work quickly so I can get back out there in the spring.

I'd say you're off to a great start. Make sure you have plenty of chassis bracing. It may take more than subframe connectors. Make sure the engine's reliable as well as having the brakes up to snuff. From there, learn and plan. Make sure you're always starting with a solid reliable platform even if that means forgoing the fun parts. Driving the car and learning its limits is the fan part.

Good advice Trey, thanks for the tips!

garage_engineer

12-04-2017, 06:30 PM

Here is my starting point on the engine bay, Looks fairly tidy from a distance but once you start digging in there are lots of issues. For instance, the charcoal canister is there, but not connected to anything. There are also a ton of wires just taped together or a thinner gauge wire crimped to a thicker gauge wire.

Starting Point:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/24970290958_ab4e3d4fde_c.jpg

Charcoal Canister Area:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4519/37955173985_9d3a4acb03_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/27065661859_7df81060d5_c.jpg

Lots of rusty old fasteners and clamps too:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4571/27065675319_3952ffa2c2_c.jpg

Can't wait to dive in!

LS1-IROC

12-05-2017, 03:21 AM

Cool project man! Good luck with your winter upgrades. It's certainly a good time to own a gen3 camaro.

garage_engineer

12-06-2017, 06:55 PM

Cool project man! Good luck with your winter upgrades. It's certainly a good time to own a gen3 camaro.

Thanks for the compliments. Nice car by the way, hope mine can get to be that nice someday!

garage_engineer

12-06-2017, 07:13 PM

Made some good progress the past couple of days disassembling the engine bay. I've got the radiator and A/C condenser out, removed the alternator and the A/C compressor and have started tackling the wiring harness little by little and making sure I'm taking pictures and tagging everything.

Some progress pics:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4551/38168510834_f0d0dca98e_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4516/25012705668_40c2b1c536_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4562/38884020591_7b2d0e1e7e_c.jpg

Here's a good example of the wiring issues I'm finding. This is the plug to the backside of the A/C compressor that's in pretty rough shape:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4517/24019189497_1d98b24acd_c.jpg

That's why I'm digging into this though so we'll get it all cleaned up!

TorqStorm

12-08-2017, 06:43 AM

Here's an idea for ya? wink wink

Torqstorm

WSSix

12-08-2017, 03:55 PM

A blower on a TPI motor does work great. You've got the super ram so you can actually breath above 5000 rpm. The blower would just be that much better.

garage_engineer

12-09-2017, 07:17 PM

You guys are putting some bad ideas in my head! We'll see how much budget I have left!

garage_engineer

12-11-2017, 06:12 PM

Not a lot of time to work on the car the past few days but I did come across something interesting that I need some help with.

There is a third gen Camaro for sale here locally that is an unfinished project. The car comes with a ton of parts, a body, an engine and a transmission. I'm thinking this would be a great way to buy a bulk of suspension parts I need to buy anyway but I'm worried about selling the body once I scavenge all of the parts I want.

How much do you think I could get for a Camaro body with 4-pt welded in cage and subframe connectors? There are a few rust spots on the quarters... I would consider using this car as a starting point but it's just too much of a project. The car has been for sale here for a while so I'm a little nervous about getting rid of it... what do you guys think?

Here are some pics of the car:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4545/38959463762_accefa18ea_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4591/27218824189_5deb569460_c.jpg
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https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/24131655717_8d38b84d79_c.jpg

WSSix

12-12-2017, 06:30 PM

I don't think it would be worth it if you're planning to strip it and then sell it. I'd build that up if you wanted a more dedicated track toy.

garage_engineer

12-13-2017, 05:08 AM

OK that's the way I'm leaning too unless he comes way down on price. I may shoot him an offer for just the parts I want and see if he takes it.

Any other opinions?

SSLance

12-13-2017, 05:52 AM

What does it have that you want?

gofastwclass

12-13-2017, 05:32 PM

What does it have that you want?

Lance, I believe you and I are on the same page.

I've seen people buy dead projects in hopes of resurrecting or gaining parts from them on the cheap only to realize none or very few of the parts work for the direction of their build.

garage_engineer

12-13-2017, 06:34 PM

All good points guys. I definitely can see how deals like this can go south... someone's eyes light up and think they're getting a steal only to be stuck with the same pile of parts as the first guy. I am especially hesitant because the gentleman selling it is having trouble getting rid of it...

Here are the parts I want:
UMI K-Member
UMI Front Lower Control Arms
UMI Caster/Camber Plates
UMI Sway bars F/R
Wilwood Dynalite brakes F/R
UMI Rear Control Arms
Built 9" rear end with 3.73 gears from Yukon Gear
Maybe the wheels (18x9.5)
Edelbrock strut tower brace (may not fit with my intake)

I would sell the following:
- Body with welded-in DOM cage and sub-frame connectors (it's a roller with lowering springs and a few other things I already have)
- Rebuilt 355 (not installed but has build sheet, been sitting for a year)
- Super T-10 4-speed
- New front and rear Tru-flex bumpers and side skirts

Does it still seem like a no go? My thoughts are to make him a list of only the parts I want with an offer. That way if he ever needs the money and decides to split it up he can call me.

gofastwclass

12-15-2017, 06:18 AM

My personal opinion: potentially make him an offer on the parts you need or simply buy exactly what you want new.

The problem is you need to determine a used market value for the bits you want. If you need to pull the parts, you will need to factor your time and labour as well as part of the expense.

If the parts you require are still available new what is the cost difference of purchasing exactly what you want / need vs. acquiring these used parts that may only be close to what you want. New parts also are a known quantity, used parts are... used and potentially abused.

Finally, I'm not a fan of trying to flip stuff. As clearly evidenced by the ad you are mentioning, used speed parts for sale don't exactly fly out of people's garages without help or a bit of luck.

I'm not saying you can't potentially score a great deal, I'm just saying keep your head above water and don't get too excited on what appears to be a good deal.

garage_engineer

12-17-2017, 11:46 AM

garage_engineer

12-17-2017, 07:30 PM

Made some more good progress this weekend. I think I am pretty much done with disconnecting all of the wiring, removed the wiper motor, power steering hoses and the driveshaft. Couple things came up along the way:

My wiper motor was modified by the previous owner to fit the Super Ram intake. They had to cut out the small pump for the washer spray which leaves me with no windshield washers... something that I'd like to have on longer road trips. I have a used wiper motor/washer pump to replace it though and I think I can make it fit by modifying the bushing a bit:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4596/39122725891_3c085bcfa6_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4685/39122874111_d39cdde0bd_c.jpg

My driveshaft was showing a bit of wear in some areas so I'll have to check out if it's been rubbing somewhere. I've also been having a vibration at high RPM so I am going to send it out to check the balance and maybe get new U-joints while it's there. I'd love to upgrade to an aluminum one, but not sure it's in the budget at the moment.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4679/27343919349_8804593e8d_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4642/25255105398_37a162c93e_c.jpg

Flash68

12-17-2017, 09:14 PM

The good ole Super Ram intake... that thing so was cool in its day.

garage_engineer

12-22-2017, 11:23 AM

Getting closer to being able to pull the motor out. 90% of the wiring is disconnected and I'm working on taking apart the intake to get at the fuel rails and a couple of electrical and vacuum connectors underneath the plenum (man this Super Ram has a lot of pieces and bolts!)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4596/38515071654_bfcd5eb1bb_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4691/39222717951_9e62845edd_c.jpg

One issue I need some help with is my transmission crossmember. The bolt holding the torque arm to the crossmember is interfering with the tailshaft on the T56... whoever installed it just cut a piece of the bolt head off to make it work. I'd like to do a better job when this stuff goes back in. If there are any third gen Camaro guys on here who can help me ID this crossmember and what needs to be done to make it work that would be awesome. I'll ask around on the third gen specific forums as well.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4644/38411852124_935e8fba2c_c.jpg

Here's the best picture I could get of the bolt hitting the tailshaft:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4686/38515396504_cdfa92502b_c.jpg

WSSix

12-22-2017, 05:35 PM

Jimbo1367

12-25-2017, 12:24 PM

LS swap would be my 1st thing to tackle. :knock:

gofastwclass

12-26-2017, 12:32 PM

LS swap would be my 1st thing to tackle. :knock:

I agree but I'm not the best for an unbiased opinion since all my vehicles use an engine from the same engine family... :lostmarbles:

However IF the current power plant is running well and meeting your needs...

garage_engineer

12-26-2017, 05:15 PM

4th gen drive shaft fit 3rd gens? Should be able to pick one up cheap if so.

You need to be on frrax.com if you're not already. Great site for making fbodies handle.

That looks like a de-coupled TA. That's a serious piece if so. My guess is it was never designed for a T56 only the T5 and 700R4 found in 3rd gens. Honestly, I'd cut the rearward mount off the bottom of the tail housing. Those mounts are were the 4th gen TA mounted to the trans. You could probably slice it at an angle from the side so it doesn't hit the bolt any more and call it done.
I'm thinking the same thing Trey. I think I can trim off the bolt hole there and make some room for the bolt head. I believe Spohn makes a T56 crossmember but if I can make this one work then I can save some cash.
I'm also on frrax.com but don't have a build thread.. just using it for research right now. Thanks for the tip though.

garage_engineer

12-26-2017, 05:23 PM

I agree but I'm not the best for an unbiased opinion since all my vehicles use an engine from the same engine family... :lostmarbles:

However IF the current power plant is running well and meeting your needs...

I know an LS definitetly would make a ton of sense on this car! It would be easy to do since it's already set up for fuel injection and the motor mounts, headers, etc are all readily available. I tossed the idea around for a bit but in the end I decided to stick with the ol' small block for a couple of reasons though:

1. Price - I know LS's can be had for pretty cheap but the motor I have is running well and I can save some money but sticking with it. Not saying I can't build a nice LS in the future though!

2 . Uniqueness - I wanted to stick with the small block for now to have something a little different. You don't see too many small blocks anymore, especially with the cool looking Super Ram intake! Once I get it out of the car, resealed and checked over I'm hoping she should run nice and smooth for a while.

garage_engineer

12-27-2017, 06:03 PM

Continuing on with the disassembly process despite the 10deg temps here in Mass! My little garage heater is working overtime to keep my work space bearable.

I have the fuel rails and injectors off the car. I'm thinking these are Ford "blue" injectors from the 5.0L Cobra... can anyone help me to confirm that? If so, they are 24lb injectors and I think these might not be sufficient for my 350 if they are flowing correctly. I got the following from onallcylinders.com:

injector size in lbs./hr. = (Max. HP x "Brake Specific Fuel Consumption") / (number of injectors x duty cycle)
So...
Max HP = 350 (estimated)
BSFC = 0.5 (estimation for a modified, naturally aspirated engine)
# of injectors = 8
Duty Cycle = 0.80 (the amount of time injector is open versus the total time between firing events; .80 is safe for an OE injector)

(350 x 0.5) / (8 x 0.8) = 27.34 lbs./hr<-- Looks like I need bigger injectors... any thoughts?

I'd like to send them out to get rebuilt and flow tested as well... any suggestions on who could do this?

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4596/38464909895_0ac684b9d9_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4594/27565567939_b7c79fa92f_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4728/39342202931_7992eeaa62_c.jpg

I also managed to remove the transmission crossmember and started working on getting the transmission out from under the car. I tried supporting it with my floor jack and a piece of wood, but definitely did not feel comfortable doing it that way. That T56 is heavy! I ended up heading over to Harbor Freight and grabbing a small scissor lift to use. I don't mind buying tools like this if it makes my life easier and I'm going to use it again in the future.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4738/39312932262_1d0ee1c368_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4593/39312933182_c5b9fda310_c.jpg

DBasher

12-27-2017, 06:48 PM

Navigator injectors are blue, Cobra are black...must be some kind of hybrid ��

WSSix

12-28-2017, 02:49 PM

grendel

12-29-2017, 01:32 PM

In for the build.

Nice to see a Masshole doing something :)

garage_engineer

01-01-2018, 05:40 PM

Your math is correct. They most likely were pushing the injectors harder, meaning a higher duty cycle. Assuming your injectors are 24lb injectors. YOu can safely push injectors to 85 and 90% if necessary. Just depends on what you need, what's available, and what your fuel pressure is.

According to this link https://www.injectorrx.com/bosch-fuel-injectors/ They are 25lb/hr injectors.

They'll work just fine for you. You can always increase the fuel pressure, too. I recommend a dyno tune or at least a dyno session with O2 reading once you get the car together. You may find power but you'll determine if the engine is safe more importantly

Thanks for the tips Trey. I am sending the injectors out to get flow tested before they are rebuilt to make sure they are actually 24lb/hr. If they aren't I'll be on the lookout for a new set. Dyno tune is also definitely in order. Might be tough finding someone around here who can do it though... most shops are LS based and I don't know if anyone has the ability to burn me a custom chip. I'll need to research that for sure.

In for the build.

Nice to see a Masshole doing something :)

Just doing my part... hopefully you are keeping warm up there in NH!

garage_engineer

01-07-2018, 06:15 PM

Slow progress in the garage due to the cold weather and a big snow storm last week, but some progress is better than none!

I got my fuel injectors disconnected from the fuel rail and will be sending them out this week. Some of them look pretty nasty so I'll see what the fuel injector shop says on whether it's worth restoring them or just getting new ones:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4732/25697345708_8cf7fcba4a_c.jpg

I took my shifter out of the car and cleaned it and tagged the bolts before putting it on the storage shelf. Looks like a Pro 5.0 (at least the shifter handle is) and I think I may change it out for something with a stiffer feel. I had an MGW in my Corvette and loved the super short, stiff shifts so I may look into one of those for this car.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4588/39567588021_9e75c91f35_c.jpg

I also assembled my engine hoist I got from Harbor Freight. It comes in 2 boxes and initially one of the boxes was wrong, but they swapped it out without a fuss and now she's ready for action
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4598/38858961494_882edc7d75_c.jpg

I need some help on something here... my car has trouble starting when it sits for a day or 2. It cranks over fine, but takes quite a while to catch. Once it starts it runs fine, and it'll start right up if I ask it to again on that same day. I think what may be happening is my fuel pressure regulator is slowly bleeding off fuel pressure when the car is off... so when I hit the key the next day, it needs to build up that pressure again before it starts. Does this sounds correct? If so, is there a way I can test my fuel pressure regulator?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4736/24700136977_d3500d99cd_c.jpg

Looking like some warmer weather coming this week (we might get above freezing!) so hopefully I'll be able to make some good progress!

garage_engineer

01-14-2018, 07:10 PM

We finally got a break in the weather up here in Boston this weekend and I took full advantage and got a lot done in the garage. I'd been working hard to get the engine and transmission ready to remove from the car and I was finally able to get them out this weekend. I'm lucky to have my Dad living nearby and he came over for the day to lend a hand.

I had never pulled an engine, so this was a new process for me. I spent a lot of time researching how to position the crane, how to attach the crane to the engine and so on. I had bought a load leveler but wasn't able to get it hooked up to the thread holes in the back of the engine. Here is the setup I ended up using:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4660/25824164218_b1070c1485_c.jpg

My crane was a bit short to reach the center of the engine from the front. Looking back, I could have maybe made this work, but I ended up going from the side instead.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4760/27917973149_478d2331ff_c.jpg

Final setup:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4655/27917377479_37bffd5214_c.jpg

Before we pulled the engine, I wanted to pull the transmission from under the car. I attached my scissor lift and was able to get to 7 of the 8 bolts holding the transmission to the bellhousing. For the 8th one at the top, I loosened the engine mounts and lowered my scissor lift, essentially angling the transmission down so I could get at it. Once that was done, I disconnected the clutch fork and out she came!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4702/27917359839_be6f6ba853_c.jpg

Next we started on the engine. I had left quite a few pieces on the engine thinking I could remove it with them still attached, like the headers and the bellhousing. Our biggest issue was that we couldn't get our hook on the crane perfectly centered, so the driver's side of the engine was rising much faster than the passenger's side. This caused the passenger's side header to keep getting caught on the frame:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/39665767622_6f7c722fe6_z.jpg

So, off it must come. I was TERRIFIED to remove the headers in the car because of the horror stories I've heard about breaking of bolts in the head and the difficulty of getting to some of the bolt heads. Luckily though all of them moved freely. I had to get creative with a couple of them and ran out to grab some stubby wrenches but eventually we got it out.

I got lucky here:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4628/39665009572_3050fbfbfd_c.jpg

After getting passed that snag, we just took our time and slowly inched the engine up and forward until it was clear of anything holding it back. I was nervous as it was hanging 5ft in the air over my fender but it all worked out OK. Here are some more pictures:

Slowly creeping upwards:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4609/27917392169_d28826cc66_c.jpg

I was terrified at this moment:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4672/24827467737_84deb36b72_c.jpg

My Dad and I:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4759/27917355359_ed8abd383c_c.jpg

Safely out of the car:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4753/27917353359_9b4233f952_c.jpg

We finised the day with the engine on it's stand and the transmission on a table ready to be gone through. I was super happy to get this done so smoothly, I now feel like a real car guy since I can say I've pulled an engine! Now the fun can start!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4605/39696092731_40f0e059aa_c.jpg

WSSix

01-15-2018, 09:21 AM

mitch_04

01-15-2018, 10:43 AM

Fuel pressure regulators will often bleed fuel, but they are easy to check. You just pull the vacuum line off and if there is fuel inside the vacuum line or dripping out the regulator, it is bad.

You could also have a fuel injector dripping, or the fuel pump could be allowing pressure to bleed back into the tank. All very common.

If you have a way, you can hook a fuel pressure gauge on the rail, then install a shut off valve between rail and pump. Turn the key on until you have built fuel pressure, then shut the valve off. Come back the next morning and see if your rail still has pressure. If it does, you know its the fuel pump. If it doesn't, then it's an injector, or the regulator (just leave the vacuum hose off and see if there is a puddle near it).

garage_engineer

01-15-2018, 04:25 PM

Congrats! I always hate moving the engine into place as well. Don't sweat lifting the engine from the side. That's how it's done on cars with long front ends. It's how I always do my car and C3 corvettes.

Thanks Trey!

Fuel pressure regulators will often bleed fuel, but they are easy to check. You just pull the vacuum line off and if there is fuel inside the vacuum line or dripping out the regulator, it is bad.

You could also have a fuel injector dripping, or the fuel pump could be allowing pressure to bleed back into the tank. All very common.

If you have a way, you can hook a fuel pressure gauge on the rail, then install a shut off valve between rail and pump. Turn the key on until you have built fuel pressure, then shut the valve off. Come back the next morning and see if your rail still has pressure. If it does, you know its the fuel pump. If it doesn't, then it's an injector, or the regulator (just leave the vacuum hose off and see if there is a puddle near it).

Definitely will try this, doesn't seem too hard. That was one of teh annoying little problems that wasn't a huge deal but bugged me alot. Appreciate the tip.

garage_engineer

01-24-2018, 04:55 AM

Continuing on with disassembling my engine bay. When I started this project, I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go with removing things from the engine bay but after giving it some thought I've decided to take it all out and paint the engine bay. Do a job once and do it right, right?

Not a lot of great pictures to show on this update as I am disconnecting the wiring harness and taking my time to label everything. My plan is to lay it all out on the garage floor and fix any connections that need repair and replace all of the loom.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4722/28092627959_1d28b293d3_c.jpg

I'm finding a lot of relays attached the fenders and core support with these plastic clips... doesn't seem too stable!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4763/39873125391_68053225d4_c.jpg

Also took out the fuel vapor canister. About half the hoses were disconnected which would explain the fuel smell I was getting when driving the car. Debating on putting this back in or not... I'll have to do a bit of research on what it takes to get it working properly or how hard it is to delete.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4605/38973489175_29240728ed_c.jpg

SSLance

01-24-2018, 07:23 AM

WSSix

01-24-2018, 05:58 PM

What Lance said. There may be alternatives to using the canister but you want something to vent the tank and keep the smell away.

Good luck cleaning up the engine bay. You can always check out DSE's 3rd gen for inspiration on what a clean bay looks like on these cars.

garage_engineer

01-28-2018, 06:42 PM

I kept my fuel canister, even replaced the charcoal element in it. While I deleted most of my emissions equip, the canister is necessary to vent the fuel tank. I just ran one port to the fuel tank vent line and the other port to small vacuum port on the carb.

What Lance said. There may be alternatives to using the canister but you want something to vent the tank and keep the smell away.

Good luck cleaning up the engine bay. You can always check out DSE's 3rd gen for inspiration on what a clean bay looks like on these cars.

Ok I will look into rebuilding the unit and getting a new charcoal element. DSE's car is definitely an inspiration for my build! I love the purposeful and non-flashy look of their car... I hope I can half way there with mine.

garage_engineer

01-28-2018, 07:20 PM

I was able to make a ton of progress this weekend on the car. I was able to get the entire steering system out of the engine bay and then dropped the K-member. Here are a few pics:

Steering components out of the car:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4760/39059702785_50f6760700_c.jpg

I'm still working on getting the Pitman off of the steering box. My puller wasn't working even when I hit it with the impact gun so I'll have to check out some alternate methods. I will be sending the box out to be rebuilt as it has quite a bit of slop in it.

The rest of the steering linkage is definitely going to get replaced... it was looking pretty nasty. I don't think that tie rod has been adjusted in the last 30 years!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4655/28178040579_53c51104e7_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4723/39924890162_84205d6f99_c.jpg

I then moved on to the K-member. First I popped the lower ball joints... I was able to get them loose with a few good whacks with the hammer. Again, found a ton of crud and dirt built up on the lower control arms. I think the front end might lose 20lbs in dirt alone!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4625/28177177919_9272c82e09_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4607/39247436274_bc67ac99d1_c.jpg

Next, I put 2 jack stands under the K-member and took out the 6 bolts holding it up. In order to get it out from under the car though, I ended up using a chain to hook it up to my engine crane and lifted it just a bit to get it off of the jack stands so I could remove them.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4623/39925982272_2f026101b7_c.jpg

Then, I lowered it down to the floor, removed the chains and dragged it out the side of the car.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4712/39924889012_821be3a1e9_c.jpg

Here it is outside the car with the springs and the sway bar:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4720/39059706795_f75f3a4ee6_c.jpg

I'm torn on how to proceed with the K-member. I'm on a budget, so my original plan was to clean it up and paint it. I was going to add some new bushings and ball joints to the control arms and re-use those as well. However, those tubular K-members and control arms sure are sweet! I'll have to do a bit of research here.

Next up is getting the brake booster out and keep labeling and removing the wiring harness. Little by little!

gofastwclass

01-29-2018, 05:42 AM

I'm torn on how to proceed with the K-member. I'm on a budget, so my original plan was to clean it up and paint it. I was going to add some new bushings and ball joints to the control arms and re-use those as well. However, those tubular K-members and control arms sure are sweet! I'll have to do a bit of research here.

My opinion - stick to the budget and original plan which for me typically means fix what you have. Have some fun and upgrade as needed or finances allow.

If you are on a budget I would seriously consider your goals and make sure buying the replacement cross member or control arms is actually buying a planned and affordable performance upgrade. A good way to kill a budget and possibly project momentum is to start the "while I'm here I'll upgrade..." game. Ask the manufacturer(s) if the new parts are pretty stock replacements, are they lighter or do they actually improve performance in the manner you desire (drag racing vs. cornering), etc?

Just something to ponder. Remember disassembly is the easy part, good luck on the choice and project.

garage_engineer

01-29-2018, 05:38 PM

My opinion - stick to the budget and original plan which for me typically means fix what you have. Have some fun and upgrade as needed or finances allow.

If you are on a budget I would seriously consider your goals and make sure buying the replacement cross member or control arms is actually buying a planned and affordable performance upgrade. A good way to kill a budget and possibly project momentum is to start the "while I'm here I'll upgrade..." game. Ask the manufacturer(s) if the new parts are pretty stock replacements, are they lighter or do they actually improve performance in the manner you desire (drag racing vs. cornering), etc?

Just something to ponder. Remember disassembly is the easy part, good luck on the choice and project.

Good advice, thanks for the insight. It's definitely tempting to fall into the "while I'm at it" trap, but I'm also trying to be smart and replace things that are easier to get at while the engine is out. I'm going to make a few calls and go from there. Thanks again for the tips!

ZMAN1969

02-02-2018, 05:20 AM

Nice build I HATE pulling the engine on my third gen and did it several times
I would think and A/M K-member would cut a bit of weight and add more room I'd do it - you are there
I'd suggest subframe connectors, they really do stiffen these cars up I didnt think it'd make much difference but boy did it

WSSix

02-02-2018, 04:45 PM

If the aftermarket k-members don't offer better geometry, then stick with your factory one. The weight savings alone are not worth it. Your car is no where near that level of performance at this time. You'll be better served by buying better tires or upgrading the brakes with the money you would have spent on the k-member.

qnitro

02-02-2018, 09:39 PM

Im watching this one, seems like a good ride

garage_engineer

02-06-2018, 07:17 PM

I don't have a very exciting update this time around as I'm still working through removing everything from the engine bay, but here goes:

One of the biggest pains in the rear was getting the brake booster off the firewall. The 4 nuts holding the booster to the firewall are way up high underneath the dash and a royal pain to get to! For some reason, I'm always hesitant to take extra pieces off in order to get to a hard-to-reach fastener... I'll sit there and struggle with wrenches, ratchets, extensions and u-joints and in the end it usually ends up being faster just to bite the bullet and take off the couple other parts in the way. Anyone else do this too?

I ended up dropping the steering column in this case to get at 2 of the nuts and out she came. My master cylinder had some nasty residue on the bottom from some old fluid. I had flushed in some fresh DOT4 before my last track event but mustn't have done a good job cleaning it out. I want a firmer pedal, so I will doing some research to see which master cylinder will make sense to increase my pedal firmness.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4768/39414394774_550e7bca96_c.jpg

Here are some other random parts I've been taking off and labeling: AC dryer, power steering "cooler", cruise control module and a few other hoses and lines. Slowly but surely getting there.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4659/26252237518_4dc90fb7e3_c.jpg

That's where I stand for right now. I'm shooting to have the engine bay cleaned out by this weekend so I can get started with the cleanup and prep for paint. Lots of work ahead of me too with cleaning up the wiring harness, painting the engine and lots of other odds and ends. I'm trying to keep the momentum up doing just a little bit every couple of days and chipping away at it little bit little. Gotta enjoy the journey!

SSLance

02-06-2018, 09:24 PM

You know how to eat an elephant right? One bite at a time...

The best part is when it comes time to put all those clean and rehabbed parts back together.

Gscherer78ta

02-07-2018, 05:56 AM

The best part is when it comes time to put all those clean and rehabbed parts back together.

I believe the best part is when all those new parts are together and everything works like it should! I have yet to get that result the first time everything goes together.

Great Thread and keep up the good work!

garage_engineer

02-08-2018, 06:14 PM

You know how to eat an elephant right? One bite at a time...

The best part is when it comes time to put all those clean and rehabbed parts back together.

Can't wait to get to that part!

I believe the best part is when all those new parts are together and everything works like it should! I have yet to get that result the first time everything goes together.

Great Thread and keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words, I'm trying to be extra careful so I can put things back the right way but I'm sure I'll forget a few things.

garage_engineer

02-11-2018, 06:29 PM

Ok another big update from this weekend. I finally have the engine bay completely stripped down and am ready to start the paint prep process. Here are some pics of the last big parts coming off:

Removed the from bumper covers, impact bar and a few other clips and pieces so I can get at the core support to paint it:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4719/25343404957_a7cc11bc9d_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4658/26341865388_58c75743b0_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4629/40181477402_7c0ce1994c_c.jpg

Next up was the A/C box. It took me a little while to figure out where all of the bolts were and then to carefully scrape it off the firewall but eventually it came out. I am going to keep my AC so I will cleaning these pieces off and reinstalling them.
Top cover off:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4722/25322582257_f7bb40b41b_c.jpg

Nasty stuff in there!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4702/40161241452_98cbe4deb7_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4757/40181477702_5988e000dd_c.jpg

I then pulled the rest of the stuff in there:

The rest of the shock and spindle assembly:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4663/40213958941_eddca9ee1e_c.jpg

Cruise control module and vacuum tank. These will not be going back in, so they are for sale if anyone wants them?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4664/26341552198_8b0bfaee2b_c.jpg

Bunch of zip ties, tape and crap I've taken off the car:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4658/40213958891_517faf28ba_c.jpg

Busy garage!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4700/26321417898_295f672443_c.jpg

Next up is power washing the engine bay and getting it ready for paint. I feel like I've hit a milestone here where I stop taking parts off and start cleaning things up now!

Spiffav8

02-11-2018, 06:47 PM

I'm really liking this thread. Keep at it!

:captain:

Jay Hilliard

02-11-2018, 07:42 PM

Enjoying the thread also. Keep us updated.

SSLance

02-11-2018, 08:08 PM

Nice work! Looking very organized...

Do you suffer from the OCD affliction just a bit as well? :lol:

garage_engineer

02-22-2018, 05:20 PM

Nice work! Looking very organized...

Do you suffer from the OCD affliction just a bit as well? :lol:

I have a horrible memory so I need to keep organized or else this thing will never get back together!

garage_engineer

02-22-2018, 05:43 PM

OK, some more updates. Slowly but surely cranking away at this thing. Luckily the weather up here in New England has been reasonable so I'm not freezing my rear end off in the garage.

Last weekend we had great weather on Saturday so I took advantage and rolled the car out into the driveway so I could power wash it. Since I have no front suspension in the car right now, I had to get creative with my shop crane and slowly rolled it out of the garage:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4613/26558402978_a658fe9a4f_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4761/40429677121_fb2239e192_c.jpg

To clean the engine bay, I bought some heavy duty degreaser from Home Depot and diluted it in a mixing bottle. I doused the engine bay with this stuff and it worked great. Perhaps TOO great actually, it actually stripped the paint off in some spots!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4656/40385904922_58224258da_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4663/40385916552_eac082cec7_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4611/25558683007_ed35f89d08_c.jpg

Once that was done, I started taking out all of the last little pieces in the engine bay. Things like the hood latch and cable, small little support rods, broken clips, etc. Tedious little stuff that takes a while to bag and tag.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4722/39719018534_293967e00a_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4703/40429677061_410811693e_c.jpg

Here is where I stand tonight. I think I have the engine bay completely stripped (except for a couple of small harnesses I don't want to connect). Next step will be to mask off the entire car and start prepping the surface for paint.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/39719018394_d1e1ef9519_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4764/26558630778_ab89aa188a_c.jpg

BlackAttack

02-23-2018, 06:35 AM

SSLance

02-23-2018, 07:40 AM

Looks great! Cool that you got some good weather to get it outside and cleaned up.

Not sure if you have decided on coating materials for the underhood area but I really like and recommend Eastwood products. While their aerosol paint cans are a bit pricier than other options, they go a lot further and lay down a much nicer and stronger coating. I usually clean with their "Pre", put a coat of "rust encapsulator" down if surface is suspect and final coat with either "chassis black" or "underhood black" which are both very nice factory looking finishes.

Since you've gone this far you should go that extra step to really make those areas pop before reinstalling all of the things to cover them up. :D

gofastwclass

02-24-2018, 03:41 PM

Since you've gone this far you should go that extra step to really make those areas pop before reinstalling all of the things to cover them up. :D

Here we go with the "might as well disease..." :twak:

Just kidding.

Actually Lance is completely right, this is the perfect time to knock that stuff out. I did an LS swap on my daily in 2009. After getting it all sorted I was going to add a cam, clean up the wiring, fill some holes and respray the engine compartment. Yeah, well here we are nine years later and it never happened because I was too busy driving wheels off the thing or working on other projects and despite my best efforts it never broke.

garage_engineer

02-25-2018, 05:57 PM

This is an awesome build. I just bought an 88 firebird. So, I will be following the progression very closely.

One comment/question about the sub frame. I know that on first gen's, the budget way to add strength to the sub frame is to seam weld it. Is this feasible for the 3rd gen's? I have also seen it done on dirt modifieds with Chevelle clips. It might be worth it since its already out.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the comments! Glad to see another 3rd gen F-body getting into the scene. I'll keep that in mind for the K-member... I haven't seen that done but doesn't mean it's not a good idea. I'll definitely look into it.

Not sure if you have decided on coating materials for the underhood area but I really like and recommend Eastwood products. While their aerosol paint cans are a bit pricier than other options, they go a lot further and lay down a much nicer and stronger coating. I usually clean with their "Pre", put a coat of "rust encapsulator" down if surface is suspect and final coat with either "chassis black" or "underhood black" which are both very nice factory looking finishes.

Thanks for the tips Lance. I'm actually in the process of researching what paint to use. I've used the Eastwood regimen in the past like you mentioned and it worked awesome. It is pricey though, and I have a bunch of pieces to paint. I've also heard good things about Farm and Implement paint... looks a lot cheaper but I haven't used it yet. POR15 is another option as well but also big bucks.

garage_engineer

02-25-2018, 06:21 PM

Making a little more progress. I'm waiting on some paint supplies to keep going with the engine bay, so I've moved on to working on numerous "little projects" that need to get done. I've decided that breaking things into little projects will help me keep moving forward.

My first project is tackling the K-member. I used the same degreaser I used on the engine bay and hit it with the wire wheel and the paint came flying off! I have a little more work to do on it, and need to figure out a way to get the grime out of the inside of the K-member... might need to get creative there.

K-member all disassembled:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4723/40429450721_c077e5546a_c.jpg

Stripping it down for paint:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4666/39533584575_fb309cb535_c.jpg

I had a busy week, so in order to keep moving forward I dropped my lower control arms off at a local garage to get the bushings and ball joints pressed out. I would have loved to have done them myself and learned a bit in the process, but I have to pick and choose my battles if I ever want to get this done!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4661/40429677021_cb70110f50_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4709/40429680281_d9f7243ab2_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4769/39533756545_ef887de401_c.jpg

In staying with my budget theme, I'm going to be keeping the stock lower control arms but rebuilding them with new components. For bushings, I am going to go with Delrin ones from Global West. Haven't tried them on anything and I am basing my decision purely on reading, but they seem to be the go-to upgrade for these cars. I like the no-binding benefits and am looking forward to seeing how they feel.

For ball joints, I am still torn. Since my car is lowered, it's causing my lower control arm to be at a different angle than factory (with the ball joint higher than the mounting point on the frame). In order to restore the stock geometry (which is essentially a horizontal lower control arm) and keep my lowered ride height, I believe I need to use a taller ball joint. However, I've been having trouble finding the proper part number and if these are even necessary. I'm going to keep searching, but if anyone has any info to save me some time it would be greatly appreciated!

garage_engineer

03-06-2018, 05:33 PM

Not a very exciting update this time but I'm in the cleaning and prepping phase right now so posting updates keeps me motivated! We just a had a big storm up here in Mass over the weekend with lots of trees coming down and power being out for multiple days as well, but not excuses! The show must go on!

I've started to prep the engine bay for paint by first wiping it down with a solvent and then scuffing it up with a maroon Scotch Brite pad.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4620/40602424632_56e9fba333_c.jpg

No turning back now!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4605/40644112541_2d4bf9ee10_c.jpg

All scuffed up:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4754/40644112861_10af438ed8_c.jpg

It's still a little too cold to get started with painting the engine bay, and my supplies haven't come in yet so that's about as far as I can go with that for now.

I moved on to cleaning up some other parts and getting them prepped for paint. I don't have my hose hooked up right now (still too cold) so I've going at it with just some degreaser, a wire wheel, some scuff pads and a ton of elbow grease!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4791/39934387804_fce62499ed_c.jpg

Scraping the layer of oil and crud off the inside of the bellhousing. Think my rear main seal is leaking??
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4752/38853182300_2a31a5b588_c.jpg

Getting the control arms cleaned up:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4779/40621171112_0cb2c98b9b_c.jpg

Hoping to get some of this parts painted this week so I can start reassembling them! Thanks for following along.

garage_engineer

03-11-2018, 06:18 PM

Busted out the power washer again this weekend, but this time on the engine, transmission and some other components that needed a degreasing. I was really nervous about getting any water in the engine, so I took some time to really seal it up with some rags and tape. I also left all of the spark plugs and old sensors in there to act as plugs for those threads... I'll be putting in new ones anyway before the engine goes back in.

Plugging up the exhaust ports:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4796/40047232884_f7dfc92803_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4793/26886577788_86e620e66a_c.jpg

All sealed up:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4771/26886584488_fbfc2f608e_c.jpg

I hit the parts with degreaser and let them sit for a bit before blasting them with the power washer:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4776/40047243244_79de2030c8_c.jpg

And the aftermath:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4790/39862474715_c11cfefe1f_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4774/26886579608_c72e6759d3_c.jpg

I was so happy to get this done this weekend, since we're supposed to get some cold temps for the next week or so. The big layers of grease and oil are off, so I can just work on the smaller intricate areas in my garage.

I also tackled a small job of taking apart the engine mounts. I'm going to be replacing the stock rubber pieces with polyurethane so I need to split them open. For those that haven't done this (I'm sure most of you have, but it was a first for me) you have to drill out the rivets that hold the 2 halves of the mounts together:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/26886575038_c5da31c706_c.jpg

The rivets that need to be drilled out:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4802/38946751480_5c43e7a376_c.jpg

I know my drill looks crooked here!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4779/38946748890_76d625426f_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4788/38946746830_ef14b81bf7_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4801/39862478915_1f30d46852_c.jpg

And last but not least, I FINALLY got to throw some paint on some parts! Sunday we had a break in the weather and the temp got up to about 50deg so I took advantage and got some paint on my K-member, lower controls arms and a couple other odds and ends that needed a coat. Felt great to get some color on there after scraping rust and grease off for the last couple of weeks. I had a can of Eastwood Rust Encapsulator lying around so I used that as my base coat on the bare metal. I'm still debating on whether to go with satin or gloss for the top coat.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4801/25886534957_eca3957607_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4787/40047246114_1e14e2e5ed_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/39862477455_ef839593bc_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4801/40047248654_80d474e1e3_c.jpg

Very pumped to have these pieces cleaned and sealed up! Can't wait to get going with reassembly.

garage_engineer

03-18-2018, 06:37 PM

More progress! I have the final coat of paint on my K-member, the control arms and a few other pieces. I had to move everything into my basement as it's still pretty cold up here in the northeast. I'm using a Farm and Implement paint I got at Tractor Supply... it was super cheap and is apparently tough as nails. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the gloss finish though... I may switch over to a satin for the detail pieces in the engine bay.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/806/40181008504_12bebb01e3_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/815/40846873242_4b2fa6fa9e_c.jpg

I've also been ordering a bunch or parts that have started to come in. Even though I'm on a budget, I've been trying to order quality parts for important things like steering/suspension components and for pieces that are hard to get to once the engine and trans are back in the car:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/26016537607_5f2c7766d6_c.jpg

Next I started going through a few of my subsystems to see what I need to order next...

I was hoping someone on here could help me assess the health of my clutch. I tried to take some detailed pictures below. I have been contemplating switching over to an AL flywheel and perhaps swapping out my slave cylinder for something with a stiffer feel. I am going to call SPEC this week to see what I'm working with here but if anyone has any comments that'd be awesome:

Clutch Disk:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/796/39995954225_4033b3df0c_c.jpg

Pressure Plate:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/790/39995954255_5417b2c073_c.jpg

Flywheel Surface:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/799/27018460118_f998db9c2e_c.jpg

I also need to think about if I should repair my AC box or try to look for a replacement. I'm thinking I could maybe patch up these cracks with some epoxy and then paint it. Has anyone done something like this?
Here is a pic of the cracks:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/786/27019446338_8e0d052665_c.jpg

The last thing I'm struggling with is how to clean up my AL heads. They're covered in a bunch of grime and a bit of paint overspray. I'd like to be able clean them up and leave them bare but I've tried a bunch of things and nothing seems to get them clean enough. Any thoughts?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4799/40714480262_c090879656_c.jpg

Thanks for keeping up with my progress! Trying to bust my way through this boring stuff so I can start putting the car back together!

LS1-IROC

03-19-2018, 09:14 AM

This is what i used, works great!

garage_engineer

03-19-2018, 06:57 PM

This is what i used, works great!

That looks awesome! I have some of that in my stash of detailing supplies and will give it try.

garage_engineer

03-22-2018, 06:58 PM

Quick update for tonight:

Starting to strip down my motor to get it ready for paint. Borrowed a harmonic balancer removal tool from my local Advance Auto and it worked like a charm! Also got the starter off and a few other pieces. Working on getting the intake off now... I don't know if any of you have ever worked with a Super Ram intake, but they have a ton of fasteners and some are a b*itch to get to!

Starting Point:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/798/27076864208_7187fe977c_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4785/40906131412_73b11ea511_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/821/40947827821_c877e2aa7f_c.jpg

Where she sits today:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/789/27076866288_c2618d90bc_c.jpg

I also got started on installing my Del-A-Lum bushings I got from Global West in my freshly painted control arms. Again I rented a ball joint press from my local Advance and it was just wide enough to work. I don't own a hydraulic press but I'm looking to pick one up for future jobs like this. I can't wait to see how the car feels with these new bushings installed!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4794/27076865058_bb43d0165f_c.jpg

Some of the delrin sleeves needed a little de-burring before they were installed but nothing a quick pass with a drill bit couldn't fix:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/796/26075267787_8a8f507383_c.jpg

The bushings were supplied with a piece of angle iron to use a spacer between the control arm faces so they didn't collapse when pressing in the outer sleeves. I had to trim it just a bit but it worked great.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4778/40906133462_a86f03ece2_c.jpg

I only got 2 out of the 4 installed tonight and will post final picture if I can get to the others this weekend. Getting there, little by little!

WSSix

03-22-2018, 07:23 PM

gofastwclass

03-23-2018, 04:34 AM

Also, just as a general rule, if you're ever having to buy allen keys, always try to find the ball end ones.

Keep up the good work.

I second the ball end Allen keys. There is nothing worse than trying to work with an Allen fastener using a standard Allen tool and not being able to get at it straight on. I would also make sure to buy some from a quality vendor. I have a friend who uses the stuff sold at your local nautical themed "tool" store and 90% of it is... junk to be polite. However I will buy blue rubber gloves from them.

You're moving in the right direction. :)

shelteredV

03-24-2018, 01:21 PM

Great effort, another home build coming out nice!

garage_engineer

03-25-2018, 05:12 PM

To remove the intake tubes from an TPI engine, I suggest either getting sockets with long torx bits, or switching to allen head bolts and getting sockets with long allen keys. Also, a swivel extension even if just a short one. This will really help you get into the area the bolts are located at and be able to confidently remove and torque them.

Also, just as a general rule, if you're ever having to buy allen keys, always try to find the ball end ones.

Keep up the good work.

I second the ball end Allen keys. There is nothing worse than trying to work with an Allen fastener using a standard Allen tool and not being able to get at it straight on. I would also make sure to buy some from a quality vendor. I have a friend who uses the stuff sold at your local nautical themed "tool" store and 90% of it is... junk to be polite. However I will buy blue rubber gloves from them.

You're moving in the right direction. :)

Thanks for the tips guys! I'm actually searching online for some long Torx and Allen extensions right now after stripping another Torx head this afternoon. The extra long extensions seem like the way to go... there's always the right tool for the job!

Great effort, another home build coming out nice!

Thanks! I'm getting there slowly but surely.

garage_engineer

03-25-2018, 05:42 PM

Spent a lot of time in the garage this weekend but unfortunately not a lot of the work was photo-worthy. I had a table full of parts that needed to be scraped, scuffed, cleaned and painted so I spent the majority of the time doing that.

Just a couple crappy pics of the freshly painted pieces:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/808/40975536062_dacd247773_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/26146949837_2f65f2890d_c.jpg

Next I tackled my cracked AC box. I ended up using some Permatex Plastic Welder I found at my local Advance Auto. It was only about $6 for the tube and seems to be working OK so far. Since it's still cold here, I'm going to give it a while to set before I sand and paint it.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/787/40308798724_cb3546f236_c.jpg

I did not get a picture of it, but I first drilled the ends of the cracks and then used my Dremel to create a little V-channel out of each crack to help it hold the plastic welder.

Plastic welder applied:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/801/40308605904_eda13afe44_c.jpg

The next job was addressing the interference problem between my transmission tailshaft and the bolt that holds my torque arm to the crossmember. This is what it looked like before I took it all apart:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4686/38515396504_4e138b7fff_c.jpg

I trimmed a small piece from my tailshaft which I'm hoping will cure the issue. I took as little material as possible and then blended in any sharp edges to minimize the chances of creating a stress riser:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/792/27146456378_5e4b70f30a_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/788/40124327225_6479f16926_c.jpg

I ended my weekend by rotating my engine on its stand and spilling coolant and oil everywhere. Awesome! :bang::bang: There was way more in there than I expected! I thought it was a good time to call it quits for the day after that...

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/791/39208584980_db6d00dac4_c.jpg

gofastwclass

03-26-2018, 04:44 AM

An engine stand drip pan would be a nice addition to your engine stand. :D

garage_engineer

04-08-2018, 06:24 PM

Been a little while since my last update so I have lots of material to share!

Repairs on my AC box are coming along nicely. I sanded the first coat of filler and applied a thin 2nd coat to fill in some pinholes and low spots. After one more round of sanding it should be ready for paint. It won't be perfect, but much better than it was.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/873/40432360525_33eed87044_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/822/40614659394_6e0a880187_c.jpg

Next I got started on my engine teardown and resealing. I don't know much about this engine, other than the previous owner telling me it's a ZZ4 with AL heads. It looks pretty good from what I am finding so far:

The engine has 4-bolt main bearings (which checks out for a ZZ4) and a nice double roller timing chain:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/874/41285450352_eb53591a34_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/789/40432374755_950249c55c_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/865/39518637350_770f5302d5_c.jpg

Taking the intake manifold off was a royal pain in the rear. If anyone here hasn't worked with a Super Ram intake, it's made up of 5 pieces that are all connected with Allan and Torx bolts. I stripped one of the Torx bolts trying to use a standard socket and had a bear of a time trying to get it out. Lesson learned, get the right tools the first time!

Standard-length sockets come in at a slight angle, not good for Torx!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/790/40975526442_15332b866a_c.jpg

The resulting stripped bolt:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/799/39208594350_b8119a0989_c.jpg

First I tried a flathead and then an EZ-out but neither worked:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/40124325985_e9bb6f1fe7_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/870/27456202178_1d18ed88e8_c.jpg

Finally, I ended up grinding the head off the bolt and removing that section of the intake which luckily left just the threaded portion of the bolt that I could get some Vice-Grips on:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/785/39518634470_336891ea04_c.jpg

I smartened up and ordered the proper tools for the rest of the bolts!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/878/41285466112_69de76cb68_c.jpg

Next I moved on to replacing my rear main seal (which is 1-piece) with a new one. There was a ton of oil in my bellhousing and I'm hoping this was the cause.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/884/27456214588_caeb209dfa_c.jpg

Finally, I ran the numbers on my oil pump and figured out it is a Melling high-volume one. Nothing wrong with it, but from lot of research I have been doing this is not the right fit for this engine and my needs (mild small block with occasional road racing). A high volume pump is appropriate if you are running larger-stock-bearing clearances. If you are not, the extra volume is simply wasted and ends up in your oiling system being inefficient and pulling more horsepower and heating up the oil more than it needs to be. A stock Chevy oiling system is actually quite stout and should be adequate for my needs. That doesn't mean it can't benefit from a couple of well thought out upgrades however

That being said, I have ordered a standard-volume pump and have decided to upgrade my pan to one with a slightly larger volume and a crank scraper/windage tray. When I was on the track last season, I was noticing my oil pressure gauge start to bounce all over the place at higher revs... I'm hoping the crack scraper and windage tray can help with this.

I'll have that install in the next post!

gofastwclass

04-08-2018, 07:47 PM

A solution to removing rounded off or broken bolts and studs is using a TIG welder to weld a nub to it you can grab with a pair of vice grips.

Another option is to weld a nut to the broken off bolt or stud with either a TIG or MIG welder then remove the offending remains with the appropriate socket or wrench.

This works best in aluminum, but can be done on steel and cast iron if you are accurate enough. Using a TIG welder for either of method is ideal due to the accuracy, but a MIG will work too if that is all you have in your arsenal.

Ketzer

04-09-2018, 06:15 AM

First I tried a flathead and then an EZ-out but neither worked:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/40124325985_e9bb6f1fe7_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/870/27456202178_1d18ed88e8_c.jpg

Who of us hasn't been here a dozen times... way to stay after it!!!

SSLance

04-09-2018, 06:42 AM

Ugh... I hate that feeling when the bolt head starts to give way before the stud starts to come loose. Felt it way too many times myself...

I'll see if I can find the oil pump part number my engine builder uses. He does a ton of 602 and 604 crate engines for the roundy round guys so he knows these short blocks inside and out. I think it was one step up from the stock oil pump that came in them, but not the "high volume" pump so many people put in just because...

What heads are on your engine? Should be an engraving on the front surface of them to identify, or just a part number.

Also, look up my crankcase ventilation thread here and get yourself a MightyMouse catch can kit for when you put it back together. This alone may stop your oil loosing issues.

garage_engineer

04-11-2018, 07:24 PM

ScotI

04-12-2018, 11:50 AM

Thanks for the tips Lance. I'll definitely look up your thread. I think my heads are older AFR ones, but I haven't run the numbers yet. There is not "AFR" stamped into the head, but the pushrod guideplates do say "Air Flow Research" so I'm optimistic that's what they are.

The older AFR's were not machined @ the ends. I have some SBC 190's & they only have the Air Flow Research stamped on the guide-plates.

garage_engineer

04-15-2018, 07:40 PM

The older AFR's were not machined @ the ends. I have some SBC 190's & they only have the Air Flow Research stamped on the guide-plates.

Good to know! I'll post up some pics of the casting numbers when I get a chance to see if anyone can help me decipher them.

garage_engineer

04-16-2018, 06:05 PM

Nothing too crazy for an update today, just moving forward slowly with whatever time I can find... an hour here and an hour there will add up in the end (I hope!)

I finished up the repairs on my AC box and got a coat of paint on it. I taped off all of the factory labels to keep a close-to-stock look. The original box had a bit of a gray tint to it, but I think it's going to look sharp with the satin black.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/899/39699373060_86fb0cd025_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/825/41507972821_260b6288f0_c.jpg

My oil pump and oil pan also came in. As I talked about in my last post, I decided to go with a standard volume pump and an upgraded oil pan with a crank scraper, windage tray and 2 qts of additional volume. I got both the pump and the pan from Summit and so far they look like nice pieces... can't wait to get them installed! I'm just a little concerned with exhaust clearance as my Y-pipe crosses underneath the pan, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

My current pan on the left and Summit road racing pan on the right:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/788/40795042494_c0d88b3bfb_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/860/40614594475_969b82a167_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/27636939748_49539a1bf0_c.jpg

In case this might help someone, I have been using a few older books to do most of my research on which parts to buy and use on my engine. There is a TON of info out there to go with a TON of different options for things like oil pumps and harmonic dampeners. These books have helped me to realize that the stock systems on these motors are actually quite stout, which means I can save some money and not have to upgrade absolutely everything. All are good reads!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/901/40795057384_2c6700dc3d_c.jpg

Lastly, I've started cleaning up my intake and getting it ready for paint. Nothing too exciting here, just scraping old RTV off of all the sealing surfaces:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/884/40795050364_38bba2c7fe_c.jpg

My goal for the week is to get the engine buttoned up and ready for paint.. just need to install the new pump, pan an timing chain. I also want to check my cam specs (as best as I can) and then give it a good cleaning. Little by little I'm getting there!

PS - I'm looking to get a rendering of my car done... if anyone has any recommendations that would be greatly appreciated!

Yukon Cornelius

04-18-2018, 02:25 PM

Looking great. Can't wait to get to my t/a when my back heals.

NastyZ28

04-19-2018, 12:02 PM

Following for the excellent progress. This car is going to great when you are finished!

garage_engineer

04-22-2018, 04:19 PM

Looking great. Can't wait to get to my t/a when my back heals.

Following for the excellent progress. This car is going to great when you are finished!

Thanks for following along guys!

garage_engineer

04-22-2018, 05:33 PM

I was able to put in a few hours this weekend to make some progress. I feel like I'm not making must progress as all of this cleaning, prepping and stripping takes a long time with not much to show for it at the end of the day but it should be worth it when it's all said and done.

First task was getting my new oil pump installed. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am switching out the current high volume pump for a standard volume one. The one I got is from Summit and came in the kit with my new oil pan. Seems like nice piece (new one on the left):
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/911/40795047494_f2c1c4f154_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/794/40614584125_e5dd17b692_c.jpg

First I worked on getting the pickup tube installed... what a battle that was! My first method was using a wrench around the neck of the pickup and hammering on the wrench (with the top half of pump braced against a piece of wood). That got it about halfway in, but I couldn't go any further. I was destroying the flange on the tube as well. I finally brought it to a local shop and they were nice enough to help get setup in press to finish the job.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/866/40742042805_5ae23510f9_c.jpg

Just as a note: we stopped where we did (not all the way seated) because it was just such a tight fit. I also decided it did not need to be welded because the fit was so tight and because the pickup tube is also bolted to the pump.

Before I took my old pump off, I verified clearance to the bottom of the pan as about 0.376". (Spec is 0.375 - 0.500"):
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/801/40614588645_fe8e9075f5_c.jpg

My new one came in with quite a bit larger gap... 0.650". This is on the high end, which I was a bit surprised with since the pickup was supplied with the pan. I'm going to call Summit this week to verify I got the right piece as there is no way to bend it to adjust the clearance.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/935/40923298854_c4b5455b20_c.jpg

I also checked the crank scraper clearance just to make sure there was no interference. It was tough to get a good measurement, but with some creative Play-doh placement I'm pretty confident the clearance is around 0.375". It could be tighter, but again there is no real easy adjustment to make here. Having the scraper will be better than nothing and I am happy there was no interference.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/933/39826536840_90c4c79d25_z.jpg

Next I pressed a new seal in my front cover and that installed it with a new gasket. My previous bolts had a ton of RTV in the threads so I chased those with a tap to clean them up a bit. I don't see why RTV in the threads would be necessary since these are blind holes, so I installed mine dry. If someone has done differently though please let me know.

Old seal coming out:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/807/27765047268_a1de0a36d5_c.jpg

Chasing the threads to get rid of the old RTV:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/930/27765046648_b109929cf7_c.jpg

Can't put old nasty bolts back on!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/882/27765977508_17eab7bd5f_c.jpg

Finally, I worked on some more paint prep. My goal was to keep my AL heads bare and unpainted, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to get them looking presentable. The previous owner has painted the block black and there was quite a bit of overspray:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/929/41593895692_1efa54fef6_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/860/26765887767_5840444e6a_c.jpg

I tried a bunch of different degreasers I had lying around, along with AL wheel cleaner and mineral spirits. The combo of the degreaser and a red scuff pad worked pretty well with some elbow grease. It left a "brushed AL" surface which I think is going to look pretty good.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/853/40742034995_c57b3ae32d_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/791/40742035045_35d2755492_c.jpg

Getting the block clean enough to have the tape stick and then masking everything off took forever! Very tedious work, but again, should be worth it. Almost ready to throw some primer on it. I know it's not the prettiest looking thing, but the plastic bags should get the job done!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/834/41593892452_71c00e5f78_c.jpg

Lastly, I also get the intake pieces cleaned up and almost ready for paint as well.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/868/40742039585_b1c12a20af_c.jpg

It seems like spring is finally here in New England (60 degrees today) so I'm hoping to sling some paint this week!

Thanks for following.

garage_engineer

04-30-2018, 07:27 PM

I dug a little bit deeper into why my oil pump pickup had such a large gap to the bottom of my oil pan (I measured it at 0.650") when I ordered everything as a kit. I knew my engine would run fine with that clearance, but it was bugging me that it wasn't quite right and I wanted to do the job right since I had the engine out. I don't want to be worrying about my oil pump pickup when taking a sustained high-g corner, I have enough to worry about when out on the track!

I first double checked that all the parts I received were correct and confirmed that indeed they were. I then went about checking the measurements and here is where I ran into some issues.

The pan is listed as having an 8in deep sump and the pickup in the kit is correct for a pan of that depth. However, the pan is actually 8.25in deep:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/979/27947223968_486b83d3d6_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/956/27945774788_157f2e4d75_c.jpg

When I spoke to someone from the Summit tech line, they said that these pans are hand welded which leads to some variances in pan depths sometimes. I understand that, but I can't see a pan depth tolerance of +/-0.25" being acceptable, especially since it's a critical part of getting the oiling system dialed in.

Fortunately though, I was able to speak with someone in customer service and have them send me a pickup designed for an 8.25" deep pan (part number MOR-24170) and a new oil pump free of charge.

So, it sucks I've lost some time on my project figuring this out, but a big thanks to Summit Racing for making it right. Maybe they can update their kits in the future so someone else doesn't experience the same problem.

Now, on to some actual progress... which unfortunately there is not much to report this week.

My biggest accomplishment was finally getting my engine painted. I used the Eastwood high-temp ceramic system for laying down the color. The kit was pricey (~$20/can) and seemed to leave a really nice durable finish.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/968/40915417895_644328149c_c.jpg

The primer laid down nicely initially, but I found some small spots flaking and discolored in some areas. I tried to clean the block as best as I could before priming but I'm guessing this is due to some contamination:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/968/40006625230_8c811be3f7_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/40915415705_972a6129d4_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/911/40006627300_a5cfea5b9e_c.jpg

There were no instructions on the can in terms of dry time so I called Eastwood for some instructions. Here is what they suggested in case someone else wanted to use the same system:
Primer Coat
Wait 10mins
Second Primer Coat
Wait 60mins
First Color Coat
Wait 10mins
Second Color Coat

All was going well into I got to my first color coat and something went wrong with the valve on the can... it started spraying all over the place and just dumping paint on the engine. Now, I'm not an expert painter, but I do know that thin coats are the way to go as opposed to big thick ones. However, I had no choice here as I had to go over to engine a bunch of times to cover everything with the irregular spray pattern. I was a little disappointed considering I paid $20/can. It seemed to dry OK though, I just hope it doesn't start chipping off when it gets hot.

My exploding red paint can:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/906/41097061214_6790232744_c.jpg

Finished product:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/972/27945774138_5c6ded50ae_c.jpg

That's all for tonight. My new oil pump and pickup should be here tomorrow so I button up the bottom end and move on to the top side.

SSLance

04-30-2018, 07:52 PM

DWC

05-01-2018, 09:05 AM

I planned on using the Eastwood 2K spray cans for my subframe paint. Within the first 2 minutes of spraying, the can lost all pressure and wouldn't spray anymore. I emailed Eastwood and they gave me a refund for the can ($20/can isn't cheap).

I ended up using VHT Chassis and Roll Bar paint for my subframe.

Daniel

garage_engineer

05-01-2018, 07:04 PM

I have had a valve fail on an Eastwood spray can before, they will sen you another free of charge if you call them. Their customer service is top notch.

And good on you for getting the oil pump pickup dialed in correctly now...

I planned on using the Eastwood 2K spray cans for my subframe paint. Within the first 2 minutes of spraying, the can lost all pressure and wouldn't spray anymore. I emailed Eastwood and they gave me a refund for the can ($20/can isn't cheap).

I ended up using VHT Chassis and Roll Bar paint for my subframe.

Daniel

Thanks for the tips guys, sounds like it might be worth giving Eastwood a call! :thankyou:

garage_engineer

05-15-2018, 07:28 PM

I've been side tracked a bit lately by lots of spring projects going on around the house but nonetheless I've been able to make a bit of progress on the car.

After painting the engine, I removed all of the masking and bolted up the oil pan for the last time, making sure to torque all of the bolts. Next came the harmonic balancer.There are a ton of options out there for balancers, everything from $50 stock replacements to $400 top-of-the-line ones. Again I went back to the books I've been using for reference, and ended up choosing a 6 3/4" SFI-approved balancer from Professional Products. The SFI approval means that it is tested for up to 10k RPM, which is way overkill for my engine but for the small extra price it was worth it to me for the peace of mind. This is a good, middle of the road balancer that fits in my budget and should work just fine for my needs.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/950/28008459148_25cff4006b_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/978/28008460198_646f849c5e_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/867/40070844810_45084a256d_c.jpg

Fresh ARP crank bolt:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/960/27010013017_f05f16f2b8_c.jpg

Gotta paint the oil pan bolts before installing:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/967/40070847750_7245572a60_c.jpg

Bottom end buttoned up:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/831/41835562352_6d9ddf2001_c.jpg

All was going along just great until I rotated the engine on my stand and noticed what a sh*tty job I had done with my paint job! Note to self, do not paint an engine upside down! I missed a ton of little spots that weren't visible when the engine was upside down but were right in your face when you turned it over:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/911/28267194638_3e0637aaae_c.jpg

So out comes the tape again to mask off the whole engine one more time to put on another coat of paint. Pain in the ass but you gotta do the job right!
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/957/28267190208_07e6e902c3_c.jpg

After that was settled, I wanted to measure my cam specs before buttoning up the top end of the motor. I ended up having to take off a rocker and measure the lift off of a pushrod, since having the rockers installed resulted in my lifters collapsing and getting low readings (took me a while to figure that out!)
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/967/27269087447_311982a945_c.jpg

I measured duration at 0.050" by measuring the diameter of the balancer and converting that into degrees... not perfect but I thought it would at least get me in the ballpark.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/958/27269087027_d807c49b98_c.jpg

Here are the approximate specs I came up with:
Intake: 0.480" lift; 223deg duration at 0.050"
Exhaust: 0.512" lift; 233deg duration at 0.050"

Stock cam specs for a ZZ4:
Intake: 0.474" lift; 208deg duration
Exhaust: 0.510" lift; 221deg duration

Based on how close these are, and knowing that my measurements aren't perfect, I'm assuming I have a stock cam. I also couldn't find any markings on the snout of the cam to give me a clue on who made it.

A few questions here for the experienced: I've been going back and forth about putting in a new cam. If I do, would I need to put in new lifters and remeasure for new pushrods? I already have nice 1.5 roller rockers from Crane. I know I would have to take off my oil pan and timing chain cover again but that's not a big deal, it's just time! The engine ran great when I removed it from the car so I'm hesitant to mess with a good thing. Thoughts?

garage_engineer

05-29-2018, 07:47 PM

Not a ton of progress in the past few weeks. Had to catch up on a lot of spring projects around the house and had some weekend plans thrown in. I was able to get a couple small things done though.

Valve covers are all painted and I threw them on for a quick mockup... I think I'm going to like the red and satin black look!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1726/41698367894_59c6994261_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1723/42371452182_1b89245c78_c.jpg

I'm still working on cleaning and masking off parts of the intake manifold... lots of small cracks and crevices to get clean!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1760/27551302567_8a6c8e1e7e_c.jpg

The good thing is my pile of engine parts that need to be cleaned, painted or reinstalled is getting smaller and smaller:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/901/40613552450_b326372a18_c.jpg

I'm hoping to get back to weekly updates so stay tuned!

Blake Foster

05-30-2018, 07:19 AM

[QUOTE=garage_engineer;669865]Made some good progress the past couple of days disassembling the engine bay. I've got the radiator and A/C condenser out, removed the alternator and the A/C compressor and have started tackling the wiring harness little by little and making sure I'm taking pictures and tagging everything.

Some progress pics:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4551/38168510834_f0d0dca98e_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4516/25012705668_40c2b1c536_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4562/38884020591_7b2d0e1e7e_c.jpg

OMG i remember installing one of those intakes WAY back on a 85/6 Corvette when they first came out WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!

garage_engineer

06-04-2018, 07:09 PM

OMG i remember installing one of those intakes WAY back on a 85/6 Corvette when they first came out WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!

It's definitely a pain! A ton of little pieces and fasteners that are hard to get to... sure looks cool all installed though!

garage_engineer

06-06-2018, 07:31 PM

Moving right along now and gaining some momentum on the car.

My intake is pretty much painted now. Took a long time to scrape off some old paint, clean in all the nooks and crannies and then tape all the sealing surfaces off. I think it turned out pretty good though:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1746/28733281488_27b22cbd7c_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1753/40799077690_860fffa0f8_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1754/40799062130_dc618a6127_c.jpg

I am now working on getting the intake installed along with some new sensors and I have a few questions I was hoping to get some help on:

1. I need some help selecting the correct intake manifold gaskets.
My heads have exhaust crossover holes:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1744/40799107570_04f8d5f51b_c.jpg
But my intake only has an exhaust crossover on one side (the other is blocked as part of the casting):
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1747/28733301388_e037a41031_c.jpg
Finally, my old gaskets have exhaust block off plates but one is missing (perhaps on the same side as the casted-in block off on the intake):
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/42606483911_913349799f_c.jpg
I don't really need the exhaust crossover... so is there a better way to block this off?

2. My fuel rails are all cleaned up, and I want to put new O-rings in before reassembling them. Any idea where the get the correct ones? I'm thinking I can maybe call Accel and see what they recommend.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1733/42555955602_8f03af3dce_c.jpg

3. This sensor was mounted under the plenum on the top of the intake manifold. I'm assuming it has to do with measuring the intake manifold pressure, but any idea of it's official name? I can't find it on RockAuto.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1747/28733290308_75ce3fd0a0_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/42606478841_c1fd246c28_c.jpg

4. Lastly, I would like to order a new fuel pressure regulator. Any idea what model this is? It doesn't have any markings on it, but it is adjustable based on the screw on top.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1725/42555942022_98e6daae74_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1725/40799078530_00fdc1744a_c.jpg

Thanks for all the help!

WSSix

06-09-2018, 06:34 PM

garage_engineer

06-15-2018, 08:54 PM

Pretty sure that's a factory fuel rail and not an Accel part. The pressure regulator looks to be just a replacement unit for the factory fuel rail.

The silver valve in 3 is the EGR valve. Just block off the manifold with a piece if metal that you bolt down with sealant. You might be able to buy EGR blockoff plates off Ebay or Amazon.

I'm not sure about the intake gasket and cross over block off. I'd just go with the gaskets you took off if they were working. The part number should be pressed into the gasket in the middle.

Intake looks good in black.

Thanks for the tips... I did some more research and ended up ordering a Holley fuel pressure regulator that should drop in.

As far as the EGR, I did a bit more research there too and the computer depends on it quite a bit so I purchased a new one. I also ended up going with the same intake manifold gaskets like you suggested, should work out alright!

ZMAN1969

06-20-2018, 02:33 PM

G/E that intake looks great after painting - was it semi flat? I always thought those intakes looked the best of all TPI type I actually bought one and sold it decided not to go from carb to F/I on my 87 trans am ended up selling to my son but it looks like I'll be getting it back soon with LS swap in mind using a 4th gen parts car using tank and all - I wonder how much better that intake would run vs stock TPI keep going, will be following this build

garage_engineer

06-24-2018, 06:58 PM

Scratch

06-24-2018, 09:59 PM

A few questions here for the experienced: I've been going back and forth about putting in a new cam. If I do, would I need to put in new lifters and remeasure for new pushrods? I already have nice 1.5 roller rockers from Crane. I know I would have to take off my oil pan and timing chain cover again but that's not a big deal, it's just time! The engine ran great when I removed it from the car so I'm hesitant to mess with a good thing. Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

It does my heart good to see you building a sbc. Keep up the good work!

If it's a flat tappet cam best to change lifters with. A roller cam you can just swap bumpsticks (though I'd make sure I had no doubt about the lifters). Either way it's best to check your contact on the rocker to stem. A little thing we used to do was trim the corners of the timing chain cover where the ends of the rubber oil pan seal sets. Just radius enough so you can pull the timing cover with the oil pan still on.

garage_engineer

06-27-2018, 07:24 PM

Quick update for tonight. Progress is a tad slow but its progress none-the-less!

I figured out my intake situation and decided to buy some new intake gaskets with the same part number is the ones I removed.

I started with tapping the holes in the head to get rid of the old RTV and make sure I was going to get accurate torque readings:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1766/41966231925_1cbca5c2d1_c.jpg

Here is everything I used for the install:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1803/41056265150_cc461a19ca_c.jpg

I used some gray high-strength RTV around the exhaust ports on both sides of the gasket and just a bad of black RTV on the bolts:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1830/42866669031_2d75fde8ae_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/875/27998099407_ff3d75fb67_c.jpg

The gasket kit came with some rubber seals to go on the ends, and I started off using them but they did not seal after I torqued everything down. So, I needed to take everything back apart and used a thick bead of black RTV instead.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1748/42866648361_e65976eef8_c.jpg

Installed! (The base anyway...)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1726/28994389118_c0c8dd22c7_c.jpg

Next I was on to getting the transmission cleaned up. I have decided to paint it, so I needed to get it nice and clean for good adhesion.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/41056239950_1ab9462321_c.jpg

I also took the time to clean off a lot of the excess RTV for a cleaner look:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1754/28994364878_5088fc01ed_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/895/42149021424_ab5e5c6f5d_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1810/42866644671_60a0174cec_c.jpg

That's all for now, hoping some more progress this weekend!

garage_engineer

07-08-2018, 05:47 PM

Hit a big milestone this week! My engine bay is finally painted and I'm ready to start putting some parts back on the car! What a long process that was... I spent a ton of hours cleaning, prepping, cleaning again, masking off all the areas that I didn't want to paint, cleaning again, getting my new HVLP gun set up, cleaning up one last time and finally laying down the primer, color and clear coats. I think it came out great and I'm pumped with the results!

For the prep, I first degreased the whole engine bay and then scuffed it with a red ScothBrite pad. I then used Prep-All solvent and some blue shop rags and I kept cleaning and cleaning until the wipes did not show any more dirt. I followed that up with some isopropyl alcohol as a final prep step.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/841/42383072345_8a439d2a97_c.jpg

I applied some new seam sealer around the edges of the engine bay where the factory stuff had gotten dried out. This stuff is super tacky and I made the mistake of not using gloves... won't do that again! Then I hit any bare metal areas with some self-etching primer:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1786/43286733131_dc6b8c633e_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/845/43237413012_26ff19808c_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1767/43286731291_311618dfcf_c.jpg

Then came the fun part. I had never used an HVLP gun before so this was all new to me. Luckily I had some good guidance from a friend at a local body shop who helped make sure I had all the right equipment and supplies I needed. I used Eastwood Urethane primer and laid on 2 coats and let it dry overnight:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1809/42383049765_ec3bd5a1f3_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/43237391672_9a8f6fe89e_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1762/28417310387_72823cdf7d_c.jpg

2 days later, I sanded to surface with 600 grit and began the cleaning process again. The color was MUCH thinner than the primer and was way easier to work with in terms of mixing it and cleaning my gun afterwards. I put on one coat of color as it covered really well:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1825/42568560234_77329fb540_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/924/43286697601_db02234242_c.jpg

The color I chose for the engine bay was Audi Nardo Grey. I was inspired to choose a pretty basic, contrasting color for the engine bay based on some inspiration from the Big Red Camaro. The lighter engine color is used in race cars to easier spot leaks, and I think it just looks plain cool and really "purposeful", which is the theme I am going with for this car. I think the grey will look good against the grey and silver stripes down the side of the car as well. Here is the Big Red Camaro engine bay:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1824/43286926741_494ef6bbe6_b.jpg

After the color, I quickly cleaned out my gun and got the clear ready. Again I went with Eastwood and one of their less-expensive clearcoats. I put on 2 light coats followed by one medium coat with 10mins in between each coat. It turned pretty good...not perfect, but OK for an engine bay and pretty good for my first time:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/836/43237369462_d940368ee2_c.jpg

I haven't decided if I am going to wet sand the paint yet and seal it with some sort of ceramic coating, but either way I'm very excited as I feel like I have hit a major milestone in the project! Parts can start going back on now! :gitrdun::headspin::cheers::cheers:

Try2paz

07-08-2018, 07:47 PM

car is looking great and really coming along..not sure what your settled on for cam choice? but GM makes the "hot cam" designed for the motor if you're looking for a small step up.

Gmachine1911

07-08-2018, 08:09 PM

Goosesdad

07-08-2018, 09:32 PM

Thumbs up!!

WSSix

07-12-2018, 04:54 AM

Good job. I think the color choice for the engine bay is spot on. :thumbsup:

gofastwclass

07-12-2018, 10:26 PM

Nice job, looks great. :)

SSLance

07-13-2018, 07:32 AM

That is going to look great as it all goes back together, nice work!!

Che70velle

07-14-2018, 06:30 PM

This build is so full of win! Great job man!

NastyZ28

07-16-2018, 05:49 AM

I really can't wait to see the finished product. I too, have a third gen that I would like to go with the Pro Touring direction. Looks great so far! Keep it up!

garage_engineer

07-18-2018, 05:57 PM

car is looking great and really coming along..not sure what your settled on for cam choice? but GM makes the "hot cam" designed for the motor if you're looking for a small step up.

Thanks for the compliments! I ended up sticking with the cam that is in there already. I did my best to measure the specs with my dial indicator and it has a bit more lift and more duration than stock.... gonna stick with it for now.

garage_engineer

07-18-2018, 06:03 PM

Looks great! Nice job on the prep, paint and color choice. Sometimes less is more. It's always the best feeling when you get to put stuff back together for final assembly and everything's nice and clean! Keep up the good work!

Thumbs up!!

Good job. I think the color choice for the engine bay is spot on. :thumbsup:

Nice job, looks great. :)

That is going to look great as it all goes back together, nice work!!

This build is so full of win! Great job man!

I really can't wait to see the finished product. I too, have a third gen that I would like to go with the Pro Touring direction. Looks great so far! Keep it up!

Thanks for all the compliments! Can't wait to start putting parts back on the car...

garage_engineer

08-12-2018, 06:46 PM

No real progress on the car unfortunately in the last few weeks. I've been swamped with some busy summer weekends and lots of projects around the house. However, I was able to attend the UMI Performance autocross event this weekend. The event was hosted at the new UMI Motorsports Park in Clearfield, PA. UMI purchased an abandoned 1/2 mile oval and are in the process of turning it into an awesome facility for autocross, road racing and testing their products. The place looks awesome and the whole crew at UMI did a great job reviving the old track. Since my car is in pieces, I volunteered to help out and shag cones for the weekend. I was happy to be a part of the event, and very motivated to attend next year with my own car!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1816/42195795100_6a03334ef2_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/942/43286329074_e9f981b7fa_c.jpg

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was meeting was meeting Valerie and Tom aka owners of the "Dragonlady GTA". I've been a big fan of this car since I bought my 3rd gen, and seeing it in person for the first time was awesome. Valerie and Tom are even more awesome and I talked to them for quite a while about the car and how they travel around going to so many events each year. Valerie even took me for a ride around the autocross course while Tom covered my cones for me, what a guy!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/939/43956356102_02935a7867_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1833/43098950515_0216a49c36_c.jpg

On Friday night, we got to tour the UMI facility. Another awesome experience... being an engineer myself it was cool to get to see all the tooling, jigs and drawings they use for each individual component to ensure quality and repeatability.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1776/43098979335_05cf8bbc25_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1794/42195782010_6ab54bbc39_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/931/29067627107_47687e22ec_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/941/30136360688_3a59261f91_c.jpg

Some more third gen pics I grabbed:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1818/42195762700_7aef15c2de_c.jpg
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/938/42195760480_663aab01c6_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/29067606567_77a3e2c0d3_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1797/43956356752_52cf29bf34_c.jpg

I'm fired up now to get back to working on my car! I have a couple of free weekends coming up so my next post will hopefully be lots of updates!

garage_engineer

08-12-2018, 06:52 PM

Some more pics:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1799/44004972981_9bd9da8395_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1779/42195785580_fe01822885_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1815/44004967361_446c439626_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1795/43098957305_438034fff2_c.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/936/43098955555_e491134ef8_c.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1774/42195756460_b06d52ea78_c.jpg

Brian Finch was there with his Camaro and it was amazing watching him throw it around the course. Him and Sam Strano were battling it out for top time of the day... man these guys can fly! They're on the gas the whole time!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1817/43956363122_669a966326_c.jpg

WSSix

08-12-2018, 07:29 PM

Looks like a fun time! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

SSLance

08-13-2018, 08:36 AM

Heard so much about that event even while I was at CAM East this weekend. Hopefully they can get their schedules arranged so that they don't overlap next year. Really like the whole UMI team and I had a lot of other friends in attendance there as well, they all gave glowing reviews of the whole event.

It does get the blood flowing seeing these cars perform in person, doesn't it? :D

garage_engineer

09-09-2018, 04:24 PM

Ok I finally have a bit of an update! I've been very busy in August with lots of weekend plans and other jobs going around the house but I managed to make a bit of progress on the engine.

First, I worked on getting the fuel rails back together. I had already disassembled, cleaned and painted them so now was time for reassembly. My next step was rebuilding the fuel pressure regulator with a kit I got from Holley. The rebuild itself was pretty straightforward, except for the fact that I needed to buy some special Torx drivers to get the small perimeter bolts out
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1858/42771764450_19fbc9ec7a_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1854/30711462148_423758ff52_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1846/29643532057_1e0edf31fe_c.jpg

If you remember a while back, the fuel injectors I had on my car are the blue Ford 24lb injectors. I sent them off to be cleaned, rebuilt and flow tested at SouthBay Fuel Injectors. They tested them before and after the rebuild and it turns out they weren't too bad to start with, as only 2 injectors showed a slightly lower flow rate than the others. They are all nice and consistent now though:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/29643755997_bb405828ae_c.jpg

It took me a little while to remember how the small clips that hold the injectors into the fuel rail worked but once I got the trick they slid right in. You need to install the clip beforehand on the injectors, then rotate it once the injector is installed to lock it into place.
Pre-Assembly:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1898/30711466228_eb26f0c898_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1890/30711465738_f7a4f065d9_c.jpg

Fuel Injector to Rail Install:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1846/43672074745_782fe13660_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/44531996132_217ddea729_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1889/44581877681_250c0823b3_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1859/42771760180_8719a49e52_c.jpg

Before I could install the fuel rails onto the intake base, I needed to install the runners for the Super Ram. I ordered a new bolt kit from Hawks but some of them needed to be cut down so they didn't bottom out in some of the blind holes. There were also a few Allen head fasteners I needed to reuse in the lower sections of the runners where there's no room for a Torx head. She's on though!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1892/29643525117_fe3fc9f808_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1867/43863446474_c3f4073de6_c.jpg

New 160deg thermostat, gasket and painted neck and bolts went on as well:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1845/29643529257_2bcec697cb_c.jpg

Here is where she sits today:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1882/42771764840_17849fd557_c.jpg

rixtrix1

09-11-2018, 07:00 PM

Awesome!

garage_engineer

10-10-2018, 07:33 PM

Small update for tonight. I've been chipping away at some small things when I've had some free time (which hasn't been much lately!)

New speed sensor on the T56:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1933/45039281172_6c53225f03_c.jpg

Masked off and painted the inner wheel wells. The undercoating in there was actually in pretty good shape and mostly intact. I just scraped off the loose bits, cleaned it with some degreaser and hit it with some Rustoleum undercoating in a can. Turned out pretty good!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1973/44176329625_e8c2f795d6_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1950/43423596510_702df6ef33_c.jpg

Got my new polyurethane engine mounts mounted up in the clamshells and mounted on the K-member:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1968/45186303462_4188f5db4d_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1970/44325872955_3545f23385_c.jpg

Finally spent some time setting the lash on the lifters:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1935/30150531927_d27932aefe_c.jpg

Almost ready to get the engine back on the K-member and get the clutch hooked up!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/44176320085_18209ee6fd_c.jpg

garage_engineer

11-04-2018, 06:17 PM

Had a busy October but managed to get a few small things done on the car.

Transmission crossmember and a few other pieces all cleaned up, prepped and painted:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1962/45673424172_860f218d82_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1966/45724125711_b2d359a3f4_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/44810080825_518507a5a7_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1915/31852289788_329585bf19_c.jpg

Next I started installing my A/C system on the firewall and ran into a bit of a problem with my new evaporator. My new one wasn't quite the same shape as the original...it was smaller and was also missing the foam needed to seal it against the hosing. This one was from RockAuto… does anyone know where I can get a good replacement evaporator?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4901/43906398790_b2e533ae70_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1934/45724126741_6a54eee330_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/45724124481_8a9f94b93a_c.jpg

Lastly I modified my 4th gen clutch master cylinder to be adjustable using some plans I found here on thirdgen.org. Before I took the car apart, the clutch pedal sat very high and the engagement point was near the top of the pedal travel. I prefer to have the clutch engage pretty close to the floor, and I'm hoping shortening the rod and making it adjustable will help me get that dialed in.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/30783532837_9fb35591dd_c.jpg

I started by making the following 2 cuts, which took about a 1/2" out of the shaft:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/31852285308_d7a2e48675_c.jpg

I used a 3/8-16 NC tap to add threads to the ends of the shafts:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/43906397680_192e731005_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1944/30783535947_29057d310e_c.jpg

I then just joined the 2 ends of the shafts using a 1 1/8" hex nut and 2 jam nuts. If I were to do it again, I would order some thinner nuts to use as jam nuts as the ones I bought take up quite a bit of the available thread and there's not much thread there to begin with. I first practiced on my old one and then repeated the process on my new one.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/44810080795_5d8029641a_c.jpg

WSSix

11-05-2018, 06:31 PM

Nice work. The engine looks good.

garage_engineer

11-18-2018, 06:26 PM

New update!

Before I installed my clutch master cylinder I had to repair this nasty hole cut in the firewall by the previous owner. Looks like they used a drill bit and some cutters or something to make this hole... not pretty! I tried my best to clean it up with a grinder but ended up just making a little block off plate to clean up the area:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1942/45186299682_4fef36bf97_c.jpg

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https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/44130790530_a937d52a2b_c.jpg

Next I custom cut a sheet of DEI heat shielding to put in my transmission tunnel. Before I took the car apart my center console would get very hot after some aggressive driving. I'm hoping this will help cool it down a bit. It was a bit tricky working on my back and trimming the shape piece by piece but I got it done!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4877/45897903202_f7e4771fd2_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/32076249228_803fd94c55_c.jpg

Finally,I worked on getting my engine off the stand (for the first time in about 8 months!) so I could work on getting the clutch and transmission installed:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/45947190921_28e2331e27_c.jpg

I started with replacing the pilot bearing in the back of the crankshaft. What a battle this turned out to be! I started with using the rental tool from Advanced Auto Parts which didn't work at all and just kept slipping off of the inside edge of the bearing:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/45947198921_68b49baf24_c.jpg

I then tried using the "grease method" by filling the cavity with grease and hammering in a socket. This didn't work out either as the grease kept working its way around the socket instead of forcing the bearing out. I even tried stuffing bread in there and that didn't work!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4823/44130794020_b8becd5c05_c.jpg

What I finally ended up doing was making a custom tool to get the job done. I grabbed some regular old bar stock at Home Depot and used a lathe at my buddy's shop to get an exact fit inside the bearing. This worked like a charm! Once I packed it tight with grease and gave it a few good shots with the hammer, the bearing moved out about a 1/4inch. I was pumped! After that, I just kept adding more grease and hammering on it until the bearing was out. Success!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/45947197171_c6bed571fd_c.jpghttps://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/45223163124_b04c9c639b_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/44130789660_b6a8c9ff55_c.jpg

Things like this have been setting me back quite a bit on this project but I've been looking at the positive side: I now have a new tool and some new knowledge on how to get these things out! It's all worth it when you enjoy the journey and know the job was done right! New one installed!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/45947193041_d002e08edb_c.jpg

Flywheel and clutch install coming up next!

WSSix

11-18-2018, 06:33 PM

Nice work. I'm glad you got it out. I've always used the slide hammer tool from autozone or advance auto. It has a pilot bearing attachment that's never let me down. Might try that next time instead of the pilot bearing tool pictured.

gofastwclass

11-18-2018, 08:43 PM

I agree with Trey but I own the tool in question. The slide hammer is the way to go - especially with certain cranks that are gun drilled. If you have one of those the grease method won't work, you will push the plug into the engine. In the process you will also learn the definition of the word frustration if said engine is in a vehicle.

This is the Cliff's Notes version but I have a friend who can explain this scenario in detail if you like. :getout:

garage_engineer

11-26-2018, 07:22 PM

Almost ready to get the engine back in the car, just finishing up a few things and back in it goes!

First I had to get the engine and transmission mated up on the ground. This is my first clutch and transmission install so I thought doing it on the ground would give me better access instead of wrestling with it on my chest under the car.

The car had a SPEC Stage 2 clutch already installed when I bought it. I called SPEC, and we decided to freshen it up with a new clutch disk and flywheel and keep the pressure plate. I decided to go with an Aluminum flywheel... I know it will be a little trickier to drive but I had one in my C5 Corvette and loved and how quickly it revved when I blipped the throttle on downshifts. That's an OK tradeoff for me!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/31112509947_709890bed1_c.jpg

Flywheel installed with new ARP bolts:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4815/45139388655_09f17fb944_c.jpg

Pressure plate torqued down with new bolts:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4803/46051350641_625e73637b_c.jpg

Bellhousing on and ready for the transmission:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4806/46001552112_abe926e7c2_c.jpg

Mated up!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/45139373625_d704b4c53d_c.jpg

Before I put everything in the car I also installed my new MGW shifter in the T56 with a new bronze bushing. I had a Pro 5.0 in the car, but still felt it was a bit sloppy for my taste. I'm hoping this one will stiffen it up a bit and give the shifts a nice crisp feel:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/44130785530_48ebd254cc_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/45034911225_6cb57e9899_c.jpg

The drivetrain is pretty much ready to go back in the car now, should have that done in the next update! :relax::headspin::gitrdun::gitrdun:

WSSix

11-26-2018, 07:33 PM

I enjoy the MGW shifter in my TA. Good balance between feel and ease of movement.

Agreed on the aluminum flywheel. I've had the Fidanza flywheel I have currently behind my stroker motor behind a stock LT1 when it was in my Formula and then the TA. Yes, I'd occasionally stall out on the start, but rev matching is so easy. My new to me 00 540i has a dual mass flywheel. I haven't gotten accustomed to how much throttle I need to give it to rev match. It's so much more than the aluminum. I'd switch on it too but the Bimmer's heavy and the transmission will rattle without the dual mass flywheel.

Congrats on getting the engine and trans put back together.

garage_engineer

12-02-2018, 07:02 PM

BIG MILESTONE IN THE PROJECT! ENGINE IS BACK IN THE CAR!

I decided to put the engine and transmission back into the car as a unit from the bottom and it ended up working out awesome. I was able to do it myself in just a couple of hours. Here's how I did it:

I had the transmission on a small scissor lift and put the engine and K-member on a cheap $20 moving cart I found at Harbor Freight. It was awesome, the whole drivetrain rolled arund the garage pretty easy!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4846/44235480290_935aa506b4_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/45139373625_d704b4c53d_c.jpg

To get the engine under the car, I had the rear wheels up on ramps and lifted the front end using my engine crane attached to the lower radiator support. I reinforced the radiator support by ratchet-strapping a 2x6 underneath it to help spread the load:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/44235476110_08fd4f34d5_c.jpg

Getting the motor in place under the car:
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I then started lowering the body to meet the engine:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/45139368335_0bed31f010_c.jpg

I ended up not being able to get the front of the car low enough to meet the K-member, so what I ended up doing was placing the body on jackstands and using my engine hoist and transmission jack to bring the K-member up to meet the frame. Ended up working like a charm!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/44337058300_7c02e59908_c.jpg

Engine coming up!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/46051334301_bfee517eca_c.jpg

Motor, transmission and K-member in place and bolted up!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/46067759531_b71f4c440f_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/46017930902_7de175073d_c.jpg

If you can't tell, I'm super fired up to get this done! I still have a long way to go but it feels like a big milestone to get the engine back in. I can't wait to start putting parts back on for good, knowing everything is one step closer to getting this thing fired up!

:cheering::dance::clap::clap:

WSSix

12-03-2018, 06:55 PM

Congrats! The motor looks great in there against the grey.

gofastwclass

12-03-2018, 09:31 PM

Congrats, getting the engine in the car is always a big step and motivator.

SSLance

12-06-2018, 08:19 AM

Love this part of a big project, putting all the new clean shiny parts back together!!

Looks good and good job coming up with an easy way to mate everything together in your home garage by yourself.

garage_engineer

12-09-2018, 03:54 PM

Congrats! The motor looks great in there against the grey.

Congrats, getting the engine in the car is always a big step and motivator.

Love this part of a big project, putting all the new clean shiny parts back together!!

Looks good and good job coming up with an easy way to mate everything together in your home garage by yourself.

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to keep the momentum up and get this thing ready to drive in the spring!

89 RS

12-29-2018, 10:46 PM

Engine looks great back in the car, nice work!

garage_engineer

01-05-2019, 06:00 PM

Been a while since I posted an update!

Ran into a bit of a issue as I started throwing parts back on the car... I forgot to install the pivot for the clutch fork before mating the transmission to the engine and putting it back in the car. Idiot!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/45584365804_7d1b06bc94_c.jpg
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I tried for a LONG time to figure out a way to get it in there and torque it down with everything installed in the car but finally realized it would be best just to take everything back out and do it right... so down came the transmission so I could get it in there correctly! :hairpullout::hairpullout:

The good news is I have now can get my transmission dropped pretty quickly! :)

OK back on track now...

For my booster and master cylinder, I have decided to upgrade to 4th gen Camaro pieces, both which I got from AC Delco. I could have used my 3rd gen booster with the newer 4th gen master cylinder, but coming from an automotive engineering background, I know how much work goes into making these parts work together and wanted to swap them in as a unit. I'm going to be plumbing in a Wilwood proportioning valve as well.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/46257239772_aed535cdb4_c.jpg

I mocked everything up and it fit well but I wasn't quite happy with the grey color of the booster. So, off it all comes again so I can scuff up and paint a brand new booster! I think the black looks much better though.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4875/45394648785_642808bfc4_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4853/32435289728_dd7f4c7d8d_c.jpg
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Next I added a new steering wheel to my steering column and got that ready for installation. First time using a steering wheel puller and it worked like a charm:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4910/46307281131_b3baa22ebc_c.jpg

The "new" wheel (actually was given to me with the car) is a little smaller and MUCH thicker than the stock one which I like:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/46257244002_f7783cf9b8_c.jpg
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/44490566370_1a529a4f73_c.jpg

Hoping to keep the parts flying on the car to get it ready for spring!

SSLance

01-05-2019, 07:18 PM

Yeah, there is NO way to get to that bolt with trans bolted to the engine, been there done that. I had to pull my trans twice because of issues with that pivot bolt (once it came loose, second time when clutch fork hit new pressure plate).

Onward and upward...looks good.

garage_engineer

01-08-2019, 06:40 PM

Does anyone know the part number for front sway bar bushings for an '87 IROC? I measured my bar to be 35mm and thought I had ordered the right part number from Moog. The diameter seems right, but the bushings are tool tall. I would prefer a poly bushings if someone has the right part number. Thanks!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/31681131677_4092398410_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7913/32748220758_9027fa6c9a_c.jpg

ScotI

01-09-2019, 08:24 AM

Does anyone know the part number for front sway bar bushings for an '87 IROC? I measured my bar to be 35mm and thought I had ordered the right part number from Moog. The diameter seems right, but the bushings are tool tall. I would prefer a poly bushings if someone has the right part number. Thanks!

Try Energy Suspension for poly bushings. The p/n for universal fit bushings = #9.5168 (grease-able; 35mm; 1 3/8")

Their catalog lists 3 different 82-92 f-body sway bar frame pivot bushing options:

30mm = 3.5159
32mm = 3.5130
34mm = 3.5131

garage_engineer

01-17-2019, 08:01 PM

Ok I got my sway bar bushing issue figured out. Apparently this has happened before and I posted a thread in the suspension section and got the right part number for a 34mm front bar. Thanks ScotI!

Energy Suspension - 3.5131R

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/31841485507_6e79632a4c_c.jpg

Adding the rubber boot to my brake booster was a bit bigger pain than I thought. I couldn't find one for sale, so I ended up buying a used booster off of Ebay so I could grab the boot from it. The boot wasn't a perfect fit in the hole in the firewall, so I made a little template and opened the hole a bit for a nicer fit:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/46783246161_aeb2357f44_c.jpg

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Getting the booster in means I could move on to installing the steering column. I got most of it wired up and installed, but need a bit of help identifying some connectors that I did not leave myself notes for. Can anyone help me figure out where these 3 connectors go?

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7812/32908199158_5139ed9670_c.jpg

garage_engineer

02-10-2019, 06:42 PM

Not much of an update tonight, been busy with a kitchen remodel so car time has been minimal. One thing I did get started on was the wiring harness. I've done some basic soldering in the past to extend and shorten wires or put on a new connector here and there, but nothing to this magnitude. I'm looking forward to it though, there's a been a lot of learning experiences along the way here and this is just another one to take on!

I started with just laying out the harness to get a good look at it:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7905/40090765493_8a95a92d89_c.jpg

I started taking off all of the old plastic loom next since I plan on re-taping the whole harness using some quality tape. The stuff was literally disintegrating in some places:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7847/40090767293_5536d7a54c_c.jpg

Some of the connectors are in rough shape too... this one for the AC compressor has a resistor shoved in it for some reason:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7882/40090767083_af9fc2c5cf_c.jpg

I'll post some updates as I move along with the harness!

I had some issues with overheating when I had the car on track back when it was running so I've been doing some research on a new AL radiator. I ended up going with a drop in replacement from Cold Case Radiators. I hadn't heard much about them before but as I started looking around I found they had some great quality products and their prices were quite a bit lower than the big guys out there. I decided to give them a shot and so far everything looks good... it will be a little while before I can install it but I wanted to unpack it and see what she looked like:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7920/46142002975_58f499732c_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7833/40090764473_84a556200b_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7837/46331855044_6fd5f3cf1a_c.jpg

One thing I'm a little concerned with is that the fans do not have any designated mounting holes in the shroud. It seems that I'll have to drill these and use some riv-nuts or something to get them mounted. Maybe this is where the lower cost comes from:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7873/40090769153_3f70df3dc7_c.jpg

One last question - the radiator is universal for 3rd gens, so it has an automatic transmission cooler built in. Has anyone ever used this for an oil cooler? I was going to buy a separate cooler but maybe this would be more efficient?

rixtrix1

02-11-2019, 11:27 AM

A/T cooler fittings are too small and not enough flow for an oil cooler.

gofastwclass

02-12-2019, 03:59 AM

What you called a resistor is actually a factory diode on the AC compressor line.

The diode prevents the AC clutch from creating a voltage spike or arc on the relay contacts when engaged. I know it looks like a hack job but that's how the factory did them at the time. Newer cars have the diode placed in the fuse panel which is a much better, safer and more elegant spot in the harness.

garage_engineer

08-14-2019, 08:00 PM

OK I'm back! Sorry for the long delay.. it's been a crazy summer for me and my photo hosting website was giving me issues and I didn't have a second to figure it out. Decided to hop on tonight though to set things straight and get back on track with my posts.

I've been keeping up with the car work where I can but I keep feeling like I am so far away. Lots of small issues slowing me down but I'm chipping away! I would love to post some detailed information about everything I've done since my last posts, but I think I will let some pictures get everyone up to speed. If you have any specific questions or want any more details on something just let me know!

Rear suspension going in. UMI weight jacks, new ARP studs in the axles and a Spohn Panhard bar that came with the car:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311330086_2cf0155b28_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311331121_05d5d271a0_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311443762_b10b9e4591_c.jpg

Front suspension going in. UMI weight jacks, stock A-arms rebuilt with Delrin bushings and tall ball joints, modified stock spindles for C6 Z51 front brakes and 13.4" rotors, upgraded hubs for 1LE bearings:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311334956_2a6665b499_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311446572_bd6d3dcd96_c.jpg

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WSSix

08-15-2019, 06:41 PM

Good work. Glad to know you're still plugging away at the car. You'll get there I'm sure.

garage_engineer

08-18-2019, 06:14 PM

Good work. Glad to know you're still plugging away at the car. You'll get there I'm sure.

Thanks! Slowly but surely I'm checking things off the list.

garage_engineer

08-18-2019, 06:15 PM

And my wheels and tires are all mounted up and ready to go!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311447217_33c3f8b3e5_c.jpg

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First time the car has been on all 4 tires in 1 and a half years!https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311334841_88f9d851c4_c.jpg

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I'm currently attacking the engine bay and trying to get everything squared away there. Since this picture was taken, I have my steering shaft installed, headers wrapped and installed and I'm almost done with installing a newer serpentine setup from a later 3rd gen:https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311442997_662df0d29b_c.jpg

I should be posting some more regular updates now so stay tuned!

WSSix

08-18-2019, 06:29 PM

The wheels look great on there. Good choice!

rixtrix1

08-18-2019, 10:09 PM

Where did you get your hubs and caliper brackets? Those Weld wheels look great on the car!

SSLance

08-19-2019, 07:43 AM

Now you are getting there!! Looks great.

ScotI

08-19-2019, 08:56 AM

Great match-up on the wheel choice. The spoke color works well w/the cars color. Fit looks really nice as well.
What was your final back spacing & width?

garage_engineer

08-21-2019, 05:39 PM

The wheels look great on there. Good choice!

Now you are getting there!! Looks great.

Great match-up on the wheel choice. The spoke color works well w/the cars color. Fit looks really nice as well.
What was your final back spacing & width?

Thanks guys!

The wheel specs are 18x10.5 on all four corners. They all have a 6.6" backspace so I can rotate them. I think I will need a small spacer in the front but I won't know for sure until I get the car down on the ground with full weight on it.

garage_engineer

08-21-2019, 05:42 PM

Where did you get your hubs and caliper brackets? Those Weld wheels look great on the car!

I got my hubs and brackets from bigbrakeupgrade.com. Quality was great, I was just a bit disappointed when they came in raw steel and not the black painted or powdercoated finish they show on their website. My kit is for C6 Z51 rotors.

garage_engineer

09-02-2019, 05:54 PM

My next big task is getting my radiator installed. After a bunch of research, I ended up going with Cold Case for my radiator. They seemed to offer good quality and were about half the price of the bigger guys like BeCool and Dewitts. The quality so far looks good, and I ordered mine with their shroud and cooling fans.

To attach the shroud to the radiator, they supply some rivets or self-tapping screws for you to use. You have to drill your own holes in the shroud and the radiator (maybe the reason for the lower cost). Riveting the shroud to the radiator didn't seem like a great idea if I ever had to remove it. I also didn't really like the look of self tapping screws. So, I invested in a Riv-nut gun and decided to go that route and use some nice button head screws for a clean look:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311333456_ebf8d70228_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311441612_1062d6769d_c.jpg

I also wasn't crazy about the polished look (there's honestly nothing polished under my hood right now) so I decided to paint the shroud black:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311333881_a40c911902_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311331056_414515f37f_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48311447522_5d3c4ee67a_c.jpg

One of the issues I'm running into now is fitting the radiator in the stock space. I'm running into 2 problems:

The first is the new AC condensor I bought doesn't quite match the original, which is causing the tubes to hit the side of the radiator. (I checked and the radiator is the same width as the stock one, which is what I originally thought the issue was.) I guess my options here are to use my old stock one, order one from my local autoparts store and hoping that one is right, or cutting and re-soldering the tubes on my new one.I'm leaning towards throwing the stock condensor back in for now to keep things moving.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48540905777_c9beb06976_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48481530546_d562009533_c.jpg

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I'm going to stick with the stock one for now since my system was holding pressure OK when I took it out.

The next issue is the new radiator is thicker than the stock one, so of course my upper radiator support does not fit. Eventually I'd like to go with a nice custom upper radiator support, but for now to get the car running I am going to modify the stock one to fit. I made some little extension brackets that work to hold it in place until I can access to a shear and brake to make a custom upper radiator support:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48540836277_187c915c46_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48489082886_a1e32e0124_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48540836297_35081e4cd8_c.jpg

chetly

09-03-2019, 09:20 PM

How hard would it be to just bend the line on new condenser?

WSSix

09-05-2019, 06:45 PM

x2 and get new hoses should the factory ones not fit with the bent tubes?

Good work with the riv nuts. Much cleaner looking than rivets or screws.

garage_engineer

12-01-2019, 01:49 PM

Thanks for the tips on gently bending the condenser tubes... everything seems to be fitting OK now. You can't be afraid to tweak some parts sometimes!

Radiator and condenser are in for good now, just need to get some washers for the M6 button head screws I used. I grabbed some foam from Home Depot to help seal the condenser against the core support so hopefully that holds up.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668681717_7c6877b857_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668182728_af628f2310_c.jpg

I am now deep into my next big job which is getting the wiring figured out. My strategy so far has been to unwrap everything and loosely lay it in place. I've then been starting to connect things, and play with different layouts and how I want to route the harness. Sometimes that means shortening some wires and lengthening others. I've also been repairing any damaged wires along the way and replacing any of those crimp-on connectors with nice soldered jointed covered in heat shrink. It's taking me a long time but wiring is one thing you don't want to have to go back and do twice!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48481528156_f7f63aaae2_c.jpg

Once I have everything where I like it, I've started to wrap everything using Tessa tape. I was put onto this stuff from a local builder and I love it! I have 2 types, one for high temp areas and one for the rest of the engine bay. It's very easy to work with, and leaves a nice professional look. I've been starting at the furthest end of the harness and working my way back towards the firewall which has been working out OK for me so far.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668681527_0fa7a4e28d_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668527826_b9fb97867a_c.jpg

garage_engineer

12-01-2019, 02:17 PM

Been plugging away at the car slowly but surely over the last couple of months.

Wiring is coming along nicely, but it is taking a lot of time getting everything just right. Working behind the engine to get everything cleaned up and organized has proved to be a bit of a pain but it will be worth it for a nice clean look. I've been replacing some broken connectors with new ones from Hawks as well and repairing all the bad connections I find. A couple of quick pics:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49051845378_40ec4f2e06_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668681512_bc0c3988bc_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48668182323_73c82acb32_z.jpg

I finally tracked down some OEM fuel lines to go with my retro-fitted serpentine setup (again sourced from Hawks). I painted everything to match and was able to make my old stock flexible lines (the ones that went with old non-serpentine accessories) work by slightly bending the hard lines on the frame rail to give a bit more slack. I am happy I took the time to find an OEM set of hard lines to snake behind the alternator. In my opinion it looks a little better than a long AN line hanging on top of the valve cover.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052569382_1c929ed968_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052357951_56e68f575c_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052571052_796cdfb8ec_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49051845063_44d1e4e787_z.jpg

Lastly, because the 4th-gen booster I installed sits a bit closer to the firewall, I was not able to mount my clutch reservoir behind it on the firewall. So, after racking my brain for a bit, I came up with this little bracket design that I think will work pretty well:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052356791_62b40d0205_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052358961_4517114b7f_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052357081_c4596bdaa3_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49052358056_b85dca3920_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49051844693_5135b1dceb_z.jpg

WSSix

12-01-2019, 05:14 PM

Glad to see you're still plugging along. Keep it up.

SSLance

12-02-2019, 08:40 AM

Nice progress. You are in the slow tedious part but this is also the part the pays the most dividends when done properly the first time. Keep up the good work.

ZMAN1969

12-03-2019, 06:33 AM

https://i.imgur.com/AXqo3Xuh.jpg

Do I spy a Super Ram going in? :y0!: I have one planned for my 90 Formula but it will be a couple years till it get to it -pretty much gathering parts and adding 91-92 style bumpers on it T56-Dana 44 too it will be second Firehawk I've cloned :)

Edit: DOH! went back and re-read thread yes its a SR intake - nice build BTW
third gens are way overlooked as GM finally built a car that could handle really well with a little bit of work Sad they never offered a HD diff 3rd or 4th gens-I know the Dana 44s are good answer but almost unobtainable, Right now there's one F/S on thirdgen.org for 3k

garage_engineer

12-07-2019, 06:41 AM

Glad to see you're still plugging along. Keep it up.

Nice progress. You are in the slow tedious part but this is also the part the pays the most dividends when done properly the first time. Keep up the good work.

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments. Definitely in the slow and tedious phase and I keep running into small little snags (need to order a special bolt, etc) but I'm getting there!

garage_engineer

12-07-2019, 06:44 AM

Do I spy a Super Ram going in? :y0!: I have one planned for my 90 Formula but it will be a couple years till it get to it -pretty much gathering parts and adding 91-92 style bumpers on it T56-Dana 44 too it will be second Firehawk I've cloned :)

Edit: DOH! went back and re-read thread yes its a SR intake - nice build BTW
third gens are way overlooked as GM finally built a car that could handle really well with a little bit of work Sad they never offered a HD diff 3rd or 4th gens-I know the Dana 44s are good answer but almost unobtainable, Right now there's one F/S on thirdgen.org for 3k

You're right it is indeed a Super Ram... very tough to assemble with lots of little pieces but according to the legend John Lingenfelter it was the best TPI intake you could buy back in the day!

WSSix

12-08-2019, 05:38 PM

It was until the mini-ram came out. That's basically the same thing as an LT1 intake though. Easy to install and breathes great. Certainly nothing wrong with the Super ram though. It is a good intake also and will work very well for you.

garage_engineer

12-15-2019, 05:28 PM

Quick update for tonight. My intake is on for good (hopefully!) so I gave the throttle body a quick clean up and stuck it on as well:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49224823878_e664ca1b03_c.jpg

All of the vacuum ports on it were plugged when I took the car apart, and I would like to get them all functioning again, but for now I'm going to keep it as-is just to get the car started.

I then spent a little while getting my serpentine belt sorted. For those new to my thread, I'm retrofitting a serpentine system to my car from a later third-gen and have been taking a while getting all the small bolts and brackets together. I think I finally have it together though, and decided to put a small idler pulley in between the crankshaft and the AC compressor where to AIR pump would normally be. I bought an AIR delete kit from Hawks, but the pulley it came with was pretty big and had ribs for the inside of the belt, so I bought a new smooth idler pulley from Advance and swapped that out instead because I wanted it to ride on the outside of the belt. I think it should help keep the belt stable when I'm on the track with sustained RPM since it's a pretty long, straight shot from the crank to the compressor with no support otherwise. After a bunch of tries I settled on a 96.8" belt and it fits like a glove.

The pulley that comes with the Hawks kit, and my new one on the right (well, the box at least):
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49225301996_4a85a331f9_c.jpg

New pulley installed:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49225528077_3180526a2d_c.jpg

Clearance from tensioner pulley to water pump pulley looks good:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49225528122_ab7af6f49d_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49225302231_58748f5881_c.jpg

A really like to clean look of the serpentine system over the old v-belt. Hopefully it runs nice and quiet!

I'm getting very close to firing up the car for the first time in a couple of years, just tracking down some last minute little things and wrapping up some loose ends. Hopefully next post I'll have a running car!

LS1-IROC

12-16-2019, 03:58 AM

Looking good man! I don't envy you on the Super Ram, I did a few of those years back, real PITA!

ScotI

12-16-2019, 06:44 AM

Keep chipping away @ it & posting your progress.

garage_engineer

12-30-2019, 07:11 PM

BIG MILESTONE!! I HAVE A RUNNING CAR!

I finally got through my "before first fire up" checklist and was able to turn the key a few days ago. It certainly didn't start on the first try though. I changed and updated so many things I knew it would be a miracle if it fired up first try, but I was just relieved that nothing major went wrong.

The first issue I ran into was my starter was dead. I first checked to make sure it was getting full power from the battery, and then also getting a full 12V on the exciter wire when they key was in the start position. With that confirmed, I took the starter off and tested it on the bench and sure enough it was dead. Luckily I have a guy in town that rebuilds starters and alternators and he was able to turn it around for my in about a day. He said some oil had gotten inside it and turned into sludge and a lot of the contacts were corroded. Makes sense since it was sitting on the shelf for 2 years. Here is a pic of the bench test:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49296608022_9b3b501a7b_c.jpg

After I got that figured out, my fuel pump was not priming with the key in the RUN position so I couldn't set the fuel pressure. I installed a new fuel pressure regulator so I really wanted to check this before I started the car. So, I first tested the relay and it seemed to only work when it wanted to so I replaced it with a new one and the fuel pump primed right up.

Testing the relay:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49296608007_5625f75147_c.jpg

Setting fuel pressure... I set mine to 44psi before starting the engine.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49296415086_a1952f4161_c.jpg

Lastly I swapped the 2 year old gas I had sitting in the tank for some fresh 93 using my transfer pump:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49296608177_50d6f5474e_c.jpg

At first the engine turned over fine but wouldn't catch, so I played with the distributor a bit and got it to fire up! Hopefully this video works:
https://youtu.be/gUDaUeyyz5A

Even though it fired up, it was having trouble idling. I tried checking the timing with the tan connector over the AC box disconnected, but it was all over the place. I also checked it with the A and B pins in the connector under the dash shorted but that didn't help either. I need to look into that as a really wanted to get my base timing dialed in.
I also noticed a slow coolant leak out of the back of the intake, which means I possible could have a big vacuum leak as well. This could definitely explain the rough idle, so looks like I may be taking my intake apart again to check that out. :doh:

Other than that, super pumped to have a running car and that nothing blew up!

ScotI

12-31-2019, 06:20 AM

Nice. Sucks on the intake leak though.

WSSix

12-31-2019, 03:23 PM

Congrats on getting it running. Might want to check our dipstick for high oil level and milkiness. There's nothing stopping coolant from getting into the valley and the crankcase if it's leaking from the intake manifold gasket.

How much was your timing bouncing around? RPMs steady during this time? Don't be afraid to hold the throttle open just a smidgen to get a steady idle. 50 or 100 rpms over idle won't hurt for setting base timing. Good luck!

SSLance

01-01-2020, 08:11 AM

I hate those last minute gremlins but glad to hear you finally made heat!!

garage_engineer

01-26-2020, 05:24 PM

Intake manifold is back apart so I can find that coolant leak. Turns out it was coming through the threads from one of the bolts that holds the runners to the base. This bolt passes into the coolant crossover in the back of the intake and I didn't have any thread sealant on the threads. Not too bad, I was worried the whole base was going to have to come back off! Now I just need to order another set of gaskets from Lingenfelter for $50 since they got ruined when I took the runners off. :knokwood:

Intake back apart:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49376439761_d50805ed46_c.jpg

Leakpath:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49375985253_34c3c9ff01_c.jpg

Since I had my intake apart I gave everything a fresh coat of paint since it had gotten pretty scratched up with all the parts getting installed around it. I used an engine enamel this time so hopefully it should hold up a little better:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49375985498_93ba79e834_c.jpg

I also disassembled and painted my old Holley throttle body:
Disassembled:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49376439091_1bb692b0fe_c.jpg

Cleaned and ready for paint:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49375985378_be200a0b5f_c.jpg

I love it when stuff is clean and freshly painted! Re-assembly is the best part!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447433312_0183d49676_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447207036_47b4079368_c.jpg

I was able to also pick up my brake calipers from the painter who did a great job laying down some red:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49376642267_d7829bb27e_c.jpg

I went to install my rear calipers and ran into a bit of trouble though. (I have Delco-Moraine rear calipers.) I COULD NOT get the piston to go back into the caliper. Apparently this is a common problem on third-gen Delco Moraine rear calipers and GM actually issued a recall for the problem. I researched the many upgrade options there are for rear brakes, but in the end I decided to rebuild them for now. Yes, it would have been nice to upgrade, but I'm picking my battles here with balancing budget and getting the car done and driving. I used the proper "recall" rebuild kit so these should serve me well until I am ready to upgrade the whole rear axle, at which point I will do the brakes as well. A few pics from the rebuild:

Cool vintage box the rebuild kit comes in:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447401807_c3ffdc3203_c.jpg

Rebuild was pretty straight forward if you just take it step by step:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447166676_115b35fa42_c.jpg

Ready to go back on the car:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49446688033_951d81b486_c.jpg

Next I figured out my reverse light situation... the previous owner that swapped in the T56 modified a 4-pin connector to fit on the 2-pin switch (after chipping away a lot of the plastic shroud.) It worked, I guess, but I soldered on a new, proper connector to go with my new reverse light switch:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447166666_0a37e8baed_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49446724303_c63cc7de9e_c.jpg

I'm currently working on getting my new wheels and tires stuffed into the front fenders (18x10.5" wheels with a 315/30 tire). Almost done and should have lots of info in my next post!

garage_engineer

02-19-2020, 05:29 PM

OK here's my update for tonight. I am not yet finished with fitting my wheels under the fenders front and rear, so I will save that info for now and do a complete post on the process once I'm done.

In the meantime, I got to work putting my front bumper support and bumper cover back on the car. This was a huge relief to get this back on the car so that it not only started to look like a car again, but that I could get it off my garage floor!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559296487_af106ebc53_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559241622_32b80778db_c.jpg

Once that was complete, I double checked my headlights were working and ran into some issues. Throughout this project, I have gotten much better at electrical troubleshooting and being able to systematically work through electrical systems to find the problem. This really tested my skills however! First, nothing worked when I pulled the switch. I was able to track this down to a bad headlight dimmer switch on the column (the one that switches between low and high beams) by by-passing the switch altogether and confirming the headlights came on. So, drop the column and install a new switch:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559296637_d3fb78f3e9_c.jpg

Then, only one light was working. Then both would work. Then just the other one. I tracked this down to a bad ground, after confirming that both lights were getting power and they would both work if I grounded them right to the battery with a jumper wire. So, fixed that and now I had headlights:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559002811_60df6bc6ef_c.jpg

Lastly, none of my parking lights were working. Turned out one of them had a bad socket and one had a bad bulb, so all is good now with the lights! By the way... I have an older HID kit on my car and while I like the looks of the clear lenses, I don't like to blue bulbs. If anyone has a suggestion for a whiter bulb I can use, I'm all ears! :thankyou:

Next I re-installed my intake with its fresh new paint job. I had been waiting around for a new set of runner to base gaskets from Lingenfelter as they are on backorder. I lost patience and ordered a set of Edelbrock gaskets for their high-flow TPI intake they fit pretty well with just a bit of trimming.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559296507_0959250715_c.jpg

Once the intake was back in, I could get started on making custom spark plug wires. I personally don't like it when spark plug wires are too long and hang all over the place in an engine bay, so this is a project I was looking forward to taking on. Here is what I used:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559058016_250f166cee_c.jpg

The MSD kit was really nice, and came with everything you needed to make the wires, including the tool to strip the right amount of insulation and then crimp the terminals in your vice. There are extra terminals and boots included as well in case you mess one up. I ended up using the double crimp style terminal, but they also include the old school single crimp style:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49558563648_c391696fe6_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559294907_9a2d57e721_c.jpg

The first couple of wires went a little slow, as I struggled a bit with figuring out where to strip the wires so they ended up in the right place. Once I got the hang of it though, I had my little assembly area set up and I was cranking them out!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559058126_c198f03216_c.jpg

Here is the final look. I'm super happy with how clean it looks! I wasn't sure if the red was going to be too much, but I think it adds just the right amount of color to the engine bay.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559294952_7f9c8a3d0a_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559296492_4933501149_c.jpg

SSLance

02-19-2020, 07:16 PM

I used those made4u wire clamps before and really like the clean look they give us center bolt guys. Nice job on the wires also.

WSSix

02-20-2020, 06:25 PM

Looks great. The red wires on your black engine was a good choice.

garage_engineer

03-19-2020, 06:23 PM

Big update for tonight on all the work it took to get my wheels and tires to fit.

For reference, my wheels are 18x10.5" Weld S71s with a 6.6" backspace on all 4 corners. The tires are 315/30ZR18 BFG Rival S 1.5. I did my fitting with a small 1/4" thick spacer in the front.
EDIT: I am also running a front brake upgrade that replaces the stock rotor / hub 1-piece assembly with a separate hub and rotor. This adds an additional width to the track the thickness of the rotor flange. Mine are Corvette C6 Z51 rotors, and I can get an exact thickness for someone if they need it.

My ultimate goal is to be able to drive this car without any compromises... so not having to go around speed bumps, avoid railroad crossings or have a huge turning circle. I want to be able to toss the keys to someone and not have to give a long list of things to worry about. A big part of this is doing your homework when installing new wheels to make sure nothing is going to rub or worse... cut a tire! With all of the autocrossing and road racing I am planning on doing with this car, I spent a lot of time here massaging everything to make sure I don't have to worry about tire rubbing.

I will start with the fronts. I removed the sway bar, front springs and the bump stops so I could cycle the suspension through it's full travel.

Here is where I would like my ride height to be:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447161851_d3dd70192e_c.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49446733718_f0d483d5fa_c.jpg

This is where I expect the suspension to be at full compression (maybe a bit higher):
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49558562378_93acf9dde5_c.jpg

In just moving the wheel straight up, there were 2 areas that needed to be addressed.

The first was rolling the fenders. There was no way around this. I considered using the old school wooden baseball bat method, but ended up finding a fender roller on Amazon for about $40 so I just on it. The tool turned out to be pretty nice and worked like a charm. The tape was my guide for the area I needed to roll.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559294872_55c46c8851_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49559295017_e36c6f91d1_c.jpg

Next I trimmed a bit of material away from the pinch weld where the outer and inner fenders come together. If the tire were to get up into the fender well, this edge would definitely puncture a tire. I tried to get some good pictures but it was tough:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49677435253_e1ba80e947_c.jpg

After the vertical clearance was taken care of, I started turning the wheels lock to lock at different areas of the suspension travel (from full compression to full droop) and adding clearance or removing material where needed. All of the pictures below are from the passenger side so just mirror things for the driver's side (except the battery box, obviously).

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49677435263_991bd923fe_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49678009211_302d032b93_c.jpg

Here is another look at the battery box interference from lying under the car:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447433457_8befb74808_c.jpg

And with the final cut made:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49446688003_657065bd0b_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49446702178_549f1766a2_c.jpg

I don't currently have a welder, so once I get the car driving I'll have to find someone to weld up that corner with a little patch piece for me.

After, that things looked pretty good, so I painted to wheel wells and double checked everything:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49447175526_8e97b0bf5c_c.jpg

The real test will come once I get out on the road but for now I'm pretty confident I've done my homework and will be OK. I'll post up the mods I did in the back next.

WSSix

03-19-2020, 07:23 PM

Looks great! Did you give yourself enough clearance to account for tire flex?

garage_engineer

03-20-2020, 05:00 AM

Looks great! Did you give yourself enough clearance to account for tire flex?

I hope so! I gave it as much clearance as I could, and I figured there will be very few times when I will be at full steering lock with enough cornering force for a lot of tire deflection (maybe a 180 turnaround in an autocross?). If the clearance was still tight in a certain area at full lock, I at least ensured there were no sharp edges so the tire would not get get cut. I could then go back in and make some more adjustments in that area afterwards.

It's definitely going to be a work in progress to get the perfect fitment.

ScotI

03-20-2020, 06:30 AM

It's definitely looking good! The clearance you did will make a big impact on the 'get in it & drive w/no worry' philosophy.

I have a g-body I'm working on that buzzes the tops of the fender-wells because of the drop amount. It is annoying when you have to approach dips & asphalt patches @ a crawl to minimize the buzz.

SSLance

03-20-2020, 08:42 AM

Nice work! Pulling the springs and cycling everywhere is going above and beyond but also necessary to prevent troubles down the road. I've done quite a bit of that myself... :)

RT_66_Pro_Touring

03-21-2020, 07:16 AM

The real test will come once I get out on the road but for now I'm pretty confident I've done my homework and will be OK. I'll post up the mods I did in the back next.

Fantastic update! I told you that you were MUCH better at updates than me :lol:

What are you planning to do about the fender liners? Delete them entirely? Cut and modify?

I really appreciate the specifics of you brakes and wheel offset. I'm planning on exactly the same and it's nice to see the results in detail. The thing I have decided is whether I'm going 275 on 10.5" or 315 like you did. Cutting the battery box at this point isn't appealing.

garage_engineer

03-23-2020, 07:25 AM

Fantastic update! I told you that you were MUCH better at updates than me :lol:

What are you planning to do about the fender liners? Delete them entirely? Cut and modify?

I really appreciate the specifics of you brakes and wheel offset. I'm planning on exactly the same and it's nice to see the results in detail. The thing I have decided is whether I'm going 275 on 10.5" or 315 like you did. Cutting the battery box at this point isn't appealing.

Great question on the fender liners, I forgot to mention that in my post. With rolling the fenders, you lose the mounting points for the liners. However, if you see in my pictures I marked where i needed to roll with green tape so I didn't go too far and only rolled what I needed to. This left the mounting tabs still in place in the front and back of the wheel wells. I will be trimming the liners into 2 pieces to cover those areas. On the passenger side, it's definitely critical to keep at least the back of the liner in place as the bulkhead for the engine wiring harness is right behind the tire.

I'll post up some pics once I get them mounted!

Regarding the 275 vs 315 question - not sure how much trimming you will save yourself but you will definitely save money! Depending on how long these 315s last and how many track days I get to, I may switch over to 275 myself. I doubt I am a good enough driver to even tell the difference.

RT_66_Pro_Touring

04-25-2020, 07:06 PM

Any progress to share??

garage_engineer

05-10-2020, 08:06 PM

Alright I'm back since my last post. Sorry for the delay but I have making a bunch of good progress on the car so I need to catch up on my posts. The good news I was able to get the car started! The bad news is I immediately had clutch issues:

Right after I got the car started, my clutch pedal was very stiff. It was so stiff actually that I snapped the rod going from the clutch master cylinder to the pedal. I was not happy when this happened! As with most cars the car is pretty much built around the master cylinder so I wasn't looking forward to taking everything apart that I had just put together. The show must go on though so I took off the brake master cylinder, the booster and everything else that needed to come off to get at the master cylinder. One positive though is I took the opportunity to upgrade a Tilton adjustable master cylinder. This helps a lot on these third gen cars retrofitted with LT1 T56s, as the stock 4th gen hydraulics bolt right up, but leads to clutch engagement really high in the pedal travel. I really didn't like this feeling and it made it hard to shift quickly, so this should be a nice upgrade.

Tilton adjustable master cylinder kit from Hawks Motorsports:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49803317403_8d244ceba5_c.jpg

Bleeding the master cylinder before installing in the car:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49803869686_8456be3482_c.jpg

One thing I did to make the installation 1000% easier was replace the bolts that come with the kit with studs. I struggled for a LONG time trying to line up the master cylinder in the engine bay and then thread the 2 bolts in from under the dash... talk about a frustrating experience! The studs made this so much easier because I could place the master cylinder in place with the studs through the firewall and then go underneath the dash and thread on the nuts. Worked liked a charm! I also needed to grind down the bolt holding the master cylinder to the bracket as it sat a bit proud on the mounting surface preventing the bracket from sitting flush on the firewall. You can see the grinding marks in the picture here:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49803317183_7326b278e7_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49803317163_6c20773fc4_c.jpg

Once I got the clutch master cylinder back installed, I devastated to still find a rock hard pedal. This meant something was wrong with the actual clutch. So, out came the transmission. What I found was my throw out bearing seized to my clutch disk and the throwout bearing was actually cracked:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49803316808_6d6f1efda9_c.jpg

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It turns out I had my clutch disk in backwards, so instead of having clearance between the disk and the throwout bearing (which is what should happen), the disk was interfering with the bearing and eventually seized itself on there shortly after I started the engine..

The problem wasn't that I installed it incorrectly, but the sticker saying "FW SIDE" was on the wrong side of the disk! I found this out by comparing my old clutch disk to my now useless one:
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So, I ended up getting a new disk and a new throwout bearing and, this time installing everything correctly, it should be working OK now. Just a pain in the rear to have to go so far backwards on the project! Now I can get back on my regular to-do list.

WSSix

05-11-2020, 06:46 PM

Ouch! Sorry you ran into these troubles. Glad you were able to get it sorted though.

SSLance

05-12-2020, 10:05 AM

That is messed up about the disc being labeled wrong. My Mcleod Street Extreme has a label that says "engine side". This is something that I'll always pay attention to now though...thanks for posting.

Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing for a while once again. You are in the home stretch now!!

garage_engineer

05-13-2020, 07:26 PM

Catching up on some more updates:

Next up was cleaning up the spaghetti mess that was my brake lines. I am running a Wilwood proportioning valve, which requires different threads than the stock third gen lines. My plan was to re-bend the stock lines to mate up with the proportioning valve and then use an adapter to convert from a metric to a standard flare:

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I was able to get them reasonably organized, but in the end they were just too stiff and too long for what I needed. I ended up kinking one which was the nail in the coffin for these stock lines. And so began the rabbit hole of bending up custom brake lines... little did I know this would be one of the most challenging parts of this whole project!

I bought some standard steel brake line from my local auto parts store and a couple of different bending tools:
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I first made some templates using an old metal clothes hanger and then tried to match it as close as I could in the real brake lines. This took me many tries to get right, but once I got used to the bending tools I got the hang of it. The lines definitely are not perfect but they seal up OK and will get the job done:
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I bled the whole system using ATE TYP 200 high temp DOT4 brake fluid. I've been using this for a while and really like it... I've never boiled and it's pretty cheap!
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Next I made some custom spark plug wires using a kit from MSD:
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Lastly for tonight, I finally got my fresh set of front Koni shocks delivered so I could button up my front suspension. I paired those with some new caster/camber plates from UMI and a new set of bolts from Spohn. I've been trying to be good about using new bolts in critical areas wherever I can, like the strut bolts, control arms, etc. For those new to this thread, my control arms also have Delrin bushings and QA1 tall ball joints installed and my brakes are C6 Z51 13.4" rotors I installed using a kit from bigbrakeupgrade.com. I also upgraded to larger 1LE front bearings. There are certainly a lot of nicer parts out there like tubular control arms and expensive struts but I think my set up is a pretty good compromise of budget and performance. As I get better as a driver I can always upgrade later!

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That's it for tonight, more updates soon. Getting close!

SSLance

05-13-2020, 08:57 PM

Get out and drive that thing already!!

:D

garage_engineer

06-04-2020, 08:13 PM

OK I need to catch up on some updates! Last time I checked in I had a running engine but a TON of little loose ends to tie up.

I used my very limited fabrication skills to whip up some brackets for both my ignition coil and my heater diverter valve. For the coil, it's a very awkward and relatively heavy piece so it was tough to find a good spot for it. Like I've been trying to do with most things on this car, I wanted to keep it looking neat under the hood but not so neat that I can't access or work on things when I need to. So, I found a spot on the backside of the driver's side fenderwell and made a little bracket to hold the coil there. It took me a couple tries to get it right and it's definitely not perfect but I think it'll work.

Here is the coil:
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The other very awkward thing I needed to make a bracket for was this heater control valve. Decided to mount it to the back of the AC compressor bracket. I'm not super happy with it and the fact that I had to use zip ties, but should hold up for now:

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For my fan wiring, I wanted to keep the stock strategy of having one fan come on with the AC and the high temp switch while the other comes on with the low temp switch. Having installed a 180* thermostat I used 195* low temp fan switch. The problem is that on the front of my intake, I now had to have the temperature sender for the computer, the temperature for the gauge, the fan switch and also have a way to attach a heater hose to the diverter valve I showed in my last post. There are only 3 outlets on the front of the intake, so you do the math! I ended up using 2 of the ports for the computer and gauge senders, and then some plumbing tubing I picked up at Home Depot (I know, I know... not ideal!) to combine the fan switch and heater outlet. After I painted it black I don't think it looks too bad:

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The radiator I am using comes from Cold Case and I picked up the matching shroud and dual fan setup. So far it looks like a nice piece, the only issue is the connectors on the fans. They look like the universal fan connectors you can get online but one of the pins is a bit offset, which forces you to by their matching fan wiring kit. I didn't want to do this, so for now I wired up some female terminal connectors that are working for the time being. The proper permanent solution will be cutting the connectors off of the fans and soldering if some different 2-pin connectors. I mounted my fan relays to the side of the radiator core support near the battery but can't find a picture!

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My next little issue was a coolant leak coming from the back of my intake manifold that I could not figure out for the longest time. It turns out, one of the bolt holes for the TPI runners was leaking coolant. Now, this bolt hole is not supposed to thread into a coolant passage but it looks like at one point someone used too long of a bolt and cracked a hole in the bottom of the bolt hole. So after figuring that out, I put some thread sealant on the bolt threads, re-assembled the intake and thought I was good. Unfortunately though it didn't work... and I wasn't happy! I started the car back up and was greeted with a big puddle of coolant on the garage floor. Taking apart a Super Ram takes some time! The second time, I cleaned the threads out as good as I could with a tap, filled the bottom of the hole with a bit of grey RTV and then added a bit more grey RTV on the threads. This time, instead of installing the whole intake manifold, I rented a coolant system pressure checker so if it was going to leak, at least I wouldn't waste a day putting the intake back together. Luckily, the system held pressure over night and seems to be doing ok so far.

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garage_engineer

06-29-2020, 07:25 PM

More updates! Sorry for the lack of posts but I've been using every minute I have to work on the car and get it ready for the UMI autocross at the end of the month.

The fix for my coolant leak seems to be holding up so that's good news. I've had the car running and up to temperature a couple of times and no sings of a leak yet. On to the next thing!

Next I started working on my exhaust system. My thought process for the exhaust was to re-use my old system, which was Hooker shorty headers, a y-pipe under the engine and then a single pipe back to a muffler with 2 tips. As I went to mock up the system, I ran into a big issue though.... the Summit road racing oil pan I had installed did not leave enough room between the front of the pan and the crossmember for my y-pipe. :bang: This was completely my fault, as I didn't think of this when I bought the pan. Lessons you learn when going through your first big car project.

So I figured I had 2 options... I could scrap the y-pipe and have a custom dual exhaust fabbed up for me OR I could install a new oil pan that would allow my y-pipe to fit. I took a look at doing the true dual exhaust and thought it would be very tricky with the transmission crossmember I have (Spohn I believe). Not an impossible job, but I could see it leading down a long road of custom fabrication, new trans crossmember and whatever else. So I decided to swap out my oil pan. In the end, I'm happy with this decision as it let me keep a nice clean exhaust system with good grand clearance and what should be plenty of flow for my little 350.

If you've ever swapped an oil pan on a third gen however, it's a big job! I dropped my k-member and pretty much had the whole car apart for what seems like the 10th time!https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49971692818_b09a056225_c.jpg

To replace my Summit pan, I went with the Canton road racing pan made specifically for third gen Camaros. It's a really nice piece, with trap doors to keep the oil in the sump and kick outs on the side to get more capacity as opposed to the kick out on the front on the Summit. I needed to grab a new oil pump and pickup to go with the pan as well. It came in a zinc finish, so of course I had to paint it black to match the rest of the parts on the car!
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After I got the car back together I tied up a few more loose ends and it was off for an exhaust system and an alignment:

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the5farrs

07-01-2020, 05:02 PM

I went through the whole thread. Great build, I have a soft spot for third gens since I was a teenager in the 80s.

garage_engineer

07-11-2020, 08:13 PM

Ok here is another update.

First, my exhaust. I did a LOT of research on what exhaust I wanted to run. When I first bought the car, it had no mufflers at all and just straight pipes out the back and I hated it. I don't mind a loud car, but there's a difference between sounding good and just being plain loud. So shortly after I bought it I had a local muffler shop throw in an off-brand performance muffler. It definitely quieted it down and it sounded good around town. However when I went to the Optima event at NJMP before I took the car apart, it was the quietest car there! What I ended up deciding on was a GMMG chambered exhaust. Definitely not a cheap system (especially for my "budget" build)

, but it's a full stainless 3" system (from the y-pipe back) and it should sound a little different than the typical Flowmaster or Magnaflow systems out there.

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I had my car taken to a speed shop local to me to connect up my y-pipe to the GMMG system. It was a tight fit putting the y-pipe under the oil pan but I'm really happy with the results. The system is also built into 3 sections with nice stainless clamps so it's really easy to remove if I ever need to. For tips, I wanted to keep with the subtle theme and just had them weld on some turndowns right before the rear bumper. You almost can't even see them when you're standing next to the car.
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No videos yet so you'll have to believe me when I say it sounds awesome! It might actually be a little too loud for my taste but in the future if I decide to add a resonator upstream I can do that.

While at the shop, I also had them check the wheelbase, rear axle centerline and do a full alignment. For alignment specs, I used UMI's recommended settings for an aggressive street car.

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Picked up the car and decided to take a chance and drive it home. Keep in mind the furthest I had driven the car before this was down to the end of my street and back to make sure the clutch and brakes were working OK. The shop is about a 30 minute drive home and about halfway home I ran into some big issues. The car overheated so bad it pretty much drained the entire radiator of coolant as it steamed away in a Toyota parking lot I was able to pull over into. Another tow truck ride home!

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So, once I got the car home I started digging into what happened. The first thing was why my temp gauge wasn't working.... every since I had the car back running my gauge would either be at 0 or pegged. Didn't think much of it at the time but obviously I paid a price for not getting it worked out before driving the car. I made sure it was grounded correctly, verified the wiring was OK and ended figuring out that I had installed a switch and not a gauge sender. Duh! Must have ordered the wrong part number way back when.

So, once the gauge was working OK I could actually tell when my car was overheating. The car was ok idling in my driveway and holding steady at 190, but as soon as I started driving it would over heat very quickly. As in under 5 minutes my gauge would be in the red. I re-bled the coolant system and still had issues. I then thought the water pump might be an issue, as it had come with the second hand serpentine setup I picked up used. The serpentine setup requires a counter clockwise pump and I really didn't know what kind of water pump this was and it very well could be the wrong one. So, I picked up a new one and installed it... no help! At least I know I have a new water pump now!

I then started thinking the worst... was my timing way off and running too retarded? Was there a blockage somewhere? Do I have a head gasket issue? I ended up getting lucky and finding out the issue by chance. I was walking in front of the car while it was idling and felt the fan blowing on my leg... I had them wired backwards! That explained why it would stay cool at idle, but when I started driving it would be fighting against the incoming air trying to get through the radiator. A simple swap of the wires and everything seems to be staying cool now.

Time for some test miles!
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RdHuggr68

07-12-2020, 05:20 AM

Glad to see you have it back on the road, long journey but you stuck with it . Looks great, can't wait to see the video/audio. I have enjoyed following your build.

WSSix

07-12-2020, 07:07 AM

Add a performance catalytic converter instead of a resonator. You'll quiet the sound and clean the exhaust while you're at it.

Glad you're out putting miles on the car. Great way to social distance. Good luck

Dave Pratt

07-12-2020, 07:16 AM

Good to see you have the cooling issue covered...great looking ride by the way!

SSLance

07-12-2020, 11:12 AM

Stupid little things like that drive me crazy while trying to dial in a new build. I've been fighting a small coolant leak on my car ever since getting the new engine in and running. I'm trying to work on the EFI tune but the car keeps throwing puddles of coolant on the ground every time I park it. Yesterday I finally found a split rubber cap on an extra port of the radiator as the culprit.

Get some miles on that thing already...glad to see it getting out and about after all this time in the garage.

ScotI

07-12-2020, 12:17 PM

Time for some test miles!
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Sux about the over-heating issue but sh!t can happen when a big pile of new parts are added over a moderate period of down-time. Glad it was a relatively simple thing.

Car looks KILLER!

garage_engineer

07-12-2020, 06:37 PM

Glad to see you have it back on the road, long journey but you stuck with it . Looks great, can't wait to see the video/audio. I have following your build.

Good to see you have the cooling issue covered...great looking ride by the way!

Sux about the over-heating issue but sh!t can happen when a big pile of new parts are added over a moderate period of down-time. Glad it was a relatively simple thing.

Car looks KILLER!

Thanks for compliments! It's a big help to keep up the motivation knowing that some people are following along.

Add a performance catalytic converter instead of a resonator. You'll quiet the sound and clean the exhaust while you're at it.

Glad you're out putting miles on the car. Great way to social distance. Good luck

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely look into that once the time comes.

Stupid little things like that drive me crazy while trying to dial in a new build. I've been fighting a small coolant leak on my car ever since getting the new engine in and running. I'm trying to work on the EFI tune but the car keeps throwing puddles of coolant on the ground every time I park it. Yesterday I finally found a split rubber cap on an extra port of the radiator as the culprit.

Get some miles on that thing already...glad to see it getting out and about after all this time in the garage.

I'm trying to get all the miles I can! Just in the cycle of drive it, fix stuff, drive it again, fix more stuff.... that might never end though :lol:

garage_engineer

07-20-2020, 06:07 AM

OK more updates. I keep driving, finding issues, fixing them and then driving it harder and repeat. Scrambling to get the car in a good place for the UMI Autocross coming up next weekend!

One I solved the overheating issue I was able to get out and take the car on some longer drives, but keeping close to my house in case something were to let go. The next issue that popped up was a loud ticking noise from my passenger side valve cover. Since I had been having some driveability issues I mentioned in an earlier post, I thought maybe I was getting a sticking valve or a lifter was not fully pumping up. If either of those was the case, I wanted to get it fixed pretty quickly because they can cause some major engine damage. So I pulled the valve cover and took a close look at all of my rockers and pushrods on that side. All the pushrods were straight, none of the rockers were loose and nothing else seemed out of place. I also pulled the plugs to see if one cylinder was behaving differently than the others but they all looked the same.

The next possible thing that could cause a ticking noise is an exhaust leak. So next, I pulled the headers and found my problem:
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As you can see, there was an obvious mark on the center exhaust port where the exhaust was leaking. Digging a bit deeper into this, my heads have D-port exhaust ports and my headers are oval port. Another thing I didn't quite check when I put the car back together and just assumed the previous owner picked the right parts. This makes it tough to find the right size header gasket. If you look closely in the pic, you can see the sealing area is a bit off center which doesn't help but even if it was centered there would no be much sealing area. Being in a time crunch, I didn't have time to swap headers and re-do my y-pipe, so i replaced the gasket with the same part number and did my best to center it better. So far it seems to be holding up.

While i was working on the passenger header, I checked the wires nearby and noticed that some were starting to melt from being too close to the headers. Glad I caught it in time as re-soldering the harness way down there would be a tough job. I did my best to hide as many wires as I could during the build, but sometimes functionality takes precedence over appearance. Here are the wires that were getting melted... this is looking down at the passenger header with the AC box on the left:
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I would have liked to have routed the harness higher, but was only able to raise it up a bit and wrapped it in DEI heat shielding, Should be OK for now but I will keep an eye on it:
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Next issue to address was a rough idle I was getting while out driving around. Sometimes the car would idle OK around ~700rpm, but other times it would be up around 1200 or 1500rpm. When it was idling high, I would try adjusting the idle speed screw but nothing was happening. Weird. Digging into it a bit deeper, I found that one of my throtlte blades was hanging up on the inner bore of the throttle body. This was preventing the blade from fully closing, essentially keeping the engine at part throttle. I loosened up the screws and let the blade self-center which helped a lot. I then reset my idle speed a bit and made sure the TPS was in spec.
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So, after getting all these issues figure out I was back out to driving. Driveability seems to be improved but still needs some work. There seems to be a big hole in acceleration between 3000 and 3500 rpm and not much response down low. I think I may have maxed out my abilities with tuning using just base timing and fuel pressure and need a custom chip to get me the rest of the way. I am currently running a stock chip which I'm sure is struggling to keep up with the increased air and fuel required by my AFR heads, cam and big intake. That'll be on my list soon.

SO everything seemed to be going OK and I started making some harder pulls on some on-ramps and taking some harder corners which revealed a couple more issues. First, I had some rubbing on the driver side rear which just needed a bit more persuasion with the big hammer. My strategy to find rubbing issues has been to fix the area with either a hammer or removing some material but then the key part is making sure I paint it before going for another drive. If the tire rubs again, it will take off the paint and makes it very obvious where the issue is (and if I fixed it or not).

In the front, I did a nut and bolt check and found my wheel bearings were a tad loose so that was another thing I was glad to find. Tightened those up a bit and snug up some other bolts in the suspension as well:
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Alright, so back out for another test drive. Everything in the suspension feels great, but halfway through the drive my exhaust gets SUPER loud so I pulled back home to check it out. I found that the bolts on my header collectors had backed out and some were even missing. When a bolt loosens up on a header collector, the gasket really doesn't stand a chance as the hot exhaust gases blowing by it just destroy it:
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So, I didn't think much of it and popped in these aluminum ones which supposedly can stand up a bit better to heat and seal really well.
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Installed, went for a drive and same thing... the gaskets blew out within 20 minutes of driving. Look at the melted aluminum!
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So obviously I had a bigger problem here, I pulled off my y-pipe to take a closer look. It looks like my flanges are pretty warped... which explains why the exhaust was able to leak out despite my tightening the bolts as tight as I could:
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So we are totally up to date now.. I just dropped my y-pipe off at the exhaust shop to straighten the flanges last night. Should be done today and I can hopefully get the exhaust installed and tested by tomorrow. After that, I think this is as good as the car is going to get for now. I'll see how it goes at the autocross, I might go a little easy at first and ramp up from there. If I come in last that's ok, I'm just happy to be out there!

Back out to the garage...

SSLance

07-20-2020, 08:24 AM

WSSix

07-21-2020, 06:44 PM

Those headers have really thin flanges which doesn't help. When you shop for new headers, get ones with 3/8" flanges. You don't have to use D-port headers either but you do need to ensure you get full coverage of the port by the header primary.

You may be running lean which is why you're blowing out gaskets so easily. Have you pulled the plugs to see how they look? It could be leaning out after it leaves the engine which is the same way the air pump works. It's worth a check of the plugs while they're easy to access.

vdrivinmike

07-21-2020, 07:22 PM

Time for some test miles!
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Absolutely LOVE the car! Fantastic work - keep it up.

garage_engineer

07-22-2020, 05:29 AM

All of this sounds SO familiar... lol...

I have had many of these same exact issues with my build. You'll get through them and trust me, once you do, the car will be rock solid and stand up to whatever you put it through. Keep on plugging away and have fun at UMI. So many of my car family friends will be up there, sure wish it wasn't so far away from me.

Yes all this little stuff can really test your patience. It just goes to show that getting the car running is only half the battle... you need to leave time and consider all the tweaking and tuning that comes afterwards. Like you said, hopefully it will be worth it afterwards! Love your car by the way, may have to go with a Holley system like you soon!

Those headers have really thin flanges which doesn't help. When you shop for new headers, get ones with 3/8" flanges. You don't have to use D-port headers either but you do need to ensure you get full coverage of the port by the header primary.

You may be running lean which is why you're blowing out gaskets so easily. Have you pulled the plugs to see how they look? It could be leaning out after it leaves the engine which is the same way the air pump works. It's worth a check of the plugs while they're easy to access.

Thanks for the tips... I think new headers are in my future. I had the plugs out and they all looked uniform and a light tan color. I've had a suspicion that it's running a bit lean as well but haven't had a chance to look into data logging yet.

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Absolutely LOVE the car! Fantastic work - keep it up.

Thanks!

WSSix

07-22-2020, 06:39 PM

That plug doesn't look bad to me.

RKROEGER

07-23-2020, 05:18 AM

We're casually waiting for a nice starter car and yours is a great inspiration. Thanks

garage_engineer

09-14-2020, 05:44 AM

Finally back with an update! I focused 100% on the car in the month or 2 leading up to the UMI autocross so I had some catching up to do once I got back home. As you'll read below I also broke my torque arm at the event so I've been waiting on some parts while I catch up on everything else.

Quick summary of the UMI autocross event: It was a great time! Despite all of my concerns and having maybe 20 test miles on the car, it did great. The car started and ran fine, despite still having some slow throttle response. I took it easy on the first couple of runs but slowly ramped it up from there. I had some rubbing issues in the back that I discovered once i started pushing the car a bit. I had brought some spare spacers I had lying around and some others were very generous to let me borrow some. I kept adding spacers every run and once I pieced together the right combination that I needed, I measured the stack and was able to order some nice aluminum spacers to work. Summit was actually on-site and I was able to order the spacers and get them delivered the next day right to the track. Nice!

On the second day, I on one of my last runs in the morning session I heard a loud bang after a particular corner where you come off the banking and into the infield section of the course. I backed off and limped the car back to the pits and it was pretty obvious what the issue was, my torque arm was in 2 pieces! This pretty much ended my day, and luckily this was a UMI hosted event so I was able to have a couple of their engineers take a look at my car and recommend the pieces I needed to get her back up and running. Thanks Ramey!

Overall, UMI puts on an awesome event and I would highly recommend it to anyone. They have created such a cool facility for autocrossing and their events are run top-notch and super smooth. Lots of runs throughout the day with minimal downtime. I'll be back next year for sure!

UMI was pretty backed up with their orders and I just got all of my pieces last week so I'll be sure to document the installation and also show how my old torque arm broke (it was an older Spohn piece). For now here's a photo dump from the weekend:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50211776426_5cc22060d1_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50211776401_fdc94d8987_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50329873273_8a1d68f7b3_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50330719527_6b916c4e7a_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50330719522_49335965d1_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50212049602_48c263f796_z.jpg

SSLance

09-14-2020, 01:02 PM

UMI is full of great peeps...and they put on top notch events as well.

Can't wait to see you back out on track with the updated parts.

ZMAN1969

09-14-2020, 02:01 PM

https://www.lateral-g.net/forums/cache.php?img=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com% 2F65535%2F50102919627_cd46f13bc9_c.jpg

Those wheels look great with the car/color combo :beavis:

Vegas69

09-14-2020, 05:50 PM

Cool car! There was a nice Iroc in my hometown back in the early 90's that I raced with my old Monte Carlo with a 327. I always liked them. I'll be looking for a father/son project in the not to distant future. Maybe I'll buy an Iroc.

WSSix

09-15-2020, 07:25 PM

The value is going up on them, Todd. Check out Bringatrailer.com or speak with Marty. He's been keeping an eye on them, too.

Really glad to hear the car did well aside from the torque arm. It looks great hauling ass around the track.

garage_engineer

10-15-2020, 07:43 PM

Alright finally back with another update.

Installing my torque arm turned into a bit more of a project than I thought it would... as most things do!

First, the failure analysis. My old torque arm was a 2-piece design with one end attaching to the rear axle and the other end bolted the transmission crossmember. The 2 pieces slid into eachother so the arm could shorten and lengthen as the suspension cycled. My torque arm broke right at this joint between the 2 parts of the torque arm when a collar broke off. This torque arm was old, so my guess is it was on it's last legs anyway, and the stress of autocrossing and high RPM shifting was the straw that broke its back. I'm just happy it happened on a closed course and not on the highway where I would have been stranded.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375946222_1635b061e1_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375079738_27d46367b2_z.jpg

I ordered my new torque arm from UMI. They have 2 options, a longer one that attaches near the transmission and a shorter one that attaches to a dedicated crossmember you can weld in. I chose to go with the longer one that attaches to the transmission crossmember. The issue for me, however, was that my old crossmember used a bolted joint where my new torque arm uses a bushing. So, I started the search for a new crossmember!

There were only 2 options I came across that would accommodate my T56 transmission and a bushing mounted torque arm: One from BMR and the new Hooker LS-swap crossmember made by Holley. I ordered both to give them a try.

I tried the BMR crossmember first since it showed up first. Everything bolted up pretty well, but man does it hang low! It was by far the lowest thing hanging below the car, including the exhaust and subframe connectors. This might be ok for a car with stock springs, but for my car that's lowered 2+ inches I could just see this thing scraping on every driveway and speedbump:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375778781_9d11aaba88_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375079868_d65b11fa00_z.jpg

The Hooker crossmember showed up a week later and I noticed right away that it would be far from a bolt on job. This crossmember is made for LS-swapped cars using Hooker's matching engine mounts that move the engine out of the stock position for better space under the hood. My car still has a small block, so the engine is in the stock location. It was clear this thing was going to require some "tweaking" to fit. The good news was that it sat WAY higher up in the chassis and if I could get it to fit the ground clearance would be awesome.

So, I had a decision to make. Keep the BMR crossmember which is an easy installation but hangs down low, or dive into modifying the Hooker one and have great ground clearance if I could get it to work. I chose the hard path!

There were 3 big modification I had to make to fit the Hooker crossmember in my car. The frame holes all lined up great, but I had to modify the mounting holes for the transmission bushing:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375945832_e19678a7b6_z.jpg

Next, the mounting bracket for the torque arm bushing sits really close to the transmission tunnel, so I had to trim back my heat shielding to make space:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375945837_85a14859fa_z.jpg

Finally, that same bracket for the bushing was hitting against a threaded boss on the tailshaft of the transmission, so I had to trim that back a bit:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50493097257_bc909a6d2c_z.jpg

After all that, I was able to get it all bolted up in place and am really happy with it. Super sturdy piece and tons of ground clearance:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50493096772_ee03306fd5_z.jpg

Torque arm bolted up and pinion angle set:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492236583_2ff7df8aae_z.jpg

Big difference from the old piece!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375079853_06a1c65b0a_z.jpg

While I was at it, I also ordered some lower control arms from UMI and their relocation brackets. I had been running some old, non-adjustable Hotchkis ones that came with the car. Without the relocation kit, they were at the incorrect angle with my car sitting at ride height (angling up towards the rear) so I was looking forward to making this upgrade to help with some forward bite. I ordered the control arms with UMI's roto-joints, which are Delrin bushings that provide a super tight feel (zero deflection) without the squeaking you'd just with a rod end. Super easy install compared to the transmission crossmember!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492236453_00cb569486_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492939711_4940dce247_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492940441_800e87fa9a_z.jpg

Finally, I got around the installing my racing seat as well. I had bought this seat before the UMI autocross in July but just ran out of time before I could get it installed. The seat is a Cobra Imola and it's FIA certified, which was important to me for safety reasons. I'm using brackets from a company called Planted combined with the side mount brackets from Cobra. The seat is sitting super high right now, so I'll need to do some tweaking in the future. It feels AWESOME though once you're out driving... huge upgrade in driving confidence!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50493096522_fdb1c68f32_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50493096802_ec15e07201_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492940456_af947cab7b_z.jpg

That's all for tonight!

SSLance

10-16-2020, 08:16 AM

Nice upgrade on the TA, that piece should work and last a lot better than the old design.

mikels

10-16-2020, 10:13 AM

Having worked on PowerHop for the 2nd gen CTSV and and creating a couple patents for the solution, this is the only torque arm I have seen that correctly addresses the reaction loads for both acceleration and braking for torque arm rear suspensions.

https://www.unbalancedengineering.com/Camaro/TA/

It did not make it into production, but also developed a torque arm for independent rear suspension vehicles as well - combined with asymmetric 1/2 shafts eliminated all PowerHop under all conditions (high / low mu).

https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=07938222&IDKey=8CAC11662538%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fn ph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1 %2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D3%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3 DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3Dmikels.INNM.%2526OS%3DI N%2Fmikels%2526RS%3DIN%2Fmikels

https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=07874398&IDKey=668E521E8A7D%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fn ph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1 %2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D4%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3 DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3Dmikels.INNM.%2526OS%3DI N%2Fmikels%2526RS%3DIN%2Fmikels

Dave

garage_engineer

10-19-2020, 05:31 AM

garage_engineer

11-27-2020, 02:34 PM

Been putting some miles on the car since I last posted about a month ago. My goal has been to see what's working and what's not and the things I need to address over the winter.

A couple of big things that have been standing out to me are that the car has a pretty big oil leak, and I need some new seat mounts! I have narrowed down the oil leak to either the back of the intake or the rear main seal. I'm planning on taking the intake manifold off this winter anyway (more on that below) so I will check that first before I pull the transmission. I put a new rear main seal in while I had the engine and transmission out, but it's definitely possible I damaged it while trying to stab the input shaft into the back for the crank. I'm tired of having a puddle on my garage floor every time I park it!

For the seat, I need to find a way to lower it and to get it on adjustable rails. It's just too hard to get out of the car right now which really hinders the car's every day useability. Once I'm in, the seat feels great and fits me well but I just dread the circus act it takes to get out of the car so I'll definitely have to address that.

The big decision I'm working on right now is what to do with the engine computer. The car right now runs well, but there are big "holes" in the rev range where the car will fall on it's face and then pick back up and take off. Again, not a big deal on the track where most of the time the engine is at 4000 rpm+, but it affects how the car feels around town. I really like crisp throttle response and I want the car to take off when I punch it at 2500 rpm. I've gone from a huge 58mm throttle body down to a stock one which helped throttle response a bit but still nowhere near where I'd like it. Right now, I have a stock ECU with a stock chip in the car. The small block in the car has a ton of upgrades including big aluminum heads, a cam, intake, headers... you name it. I don't think the stock ECU can keep up. My 2 options are to dig into burning a new chip for my current ECU or to completely upgrade the engine electronics to something I can tune on the fly. I think I am leaning towards upgrading the whole ECU to something like a Terminator X from Holley. I'm sure I could get the stock ECU to work with a new chip and some tuning, but at the end of the day I will still have an ECU with 30+ year old technology. Yes I will need to re-wire the whole engine bay again with the Holley system, but I think it will be worth it to have a modern ECU I can tune with a laptop.

Back to my intake... if I decide to go with the Holley Terminator X system I think I am also going to swap out my Super Ram intake for a Holley Stealth Ram. Couple of reasons for this, but the main ones are the simplicity of the Stealth Ram over the Super Ram and the other is budget. With the value of Super Rams right now, I am hoping to be able to sell and then pick up a second hand Stealth Ram and a new Terminator X ECU and be about even. That seems like a good trade to me! I think it will also be easier to troubleshoot any tuning issues I have with Holley if I am using both their ECU and their intake.

If anyone has any inputs I'm all ears before I pull the trigger soon!

WSSix

11-29-2020, 07:01 AM

PTAddict

11-29-2020, 02:30 PM

I wouldn't be so fast to ditch the Super Ram. All intakes are compromises of some kind. The Super Ram is quite good at what it was designed to do, which was to move the torque curve higher in the RPM range than the standard TPI, but still in the more usable range. It was John Lingefelter's favorite intake back when he was making packages for the EFI small blocks, because it had a major advantage in torque in the 3000-5000 RPM range compared to the LT1 intake of the day (which made a little more power at peak).

Unfortunately nobody makes a comparable intake in the aftermarket these days. The Stealth Ram is a shorter runner intake, with a power curve more like a 4 barrel single plane. For autocross and road course work, the extra mid range torque is the better tradeoff, IMO. To say nothing of street driving.

I would not run a dual plane in a port injected application. Dual planes have more runner to runner variation through the RPM range, which translates directly to cylinder/cylinder air/fuel variation in a PFI application (it's not really a problem with a carb since the air and fuel are already mixed). It's hard to get optimal injector angle in those runners as well.

If it were my car, I wouldn't give a moment's thought to keeping the stock ECU. You can get it to work, although it usually takes a couple iterations of burning chips, logging on a chassis dyno with wideband, then re-burning to get something close to optimal. These days, a wide band closed loop system like the Holley is so much better in so many ways - if you can swing the price, it's the way to go. Either way, I wouldn't run it too much more on a stock tune, there are likely massive lean spots in the fuel curve.

garage_engineer

11-30-2020, 06:40 AM

If your ECU isn't tuned now for the engine, you should start there before ripping it all out. Sure, it's old but that doesn't mean it doesn't work just fine. There's no inherent reason it wouldn't provide great performance for your combination.

You need to verify your combination will work the way you want. Do not chase a peak power number. No amount of changing ECU's will change the way a combination works. You should do this before you change intakes as well to ensure you're moving in the correct direction.

I'm not a fan of the old school TPI intakes including the Super Ram. They are not bad but there is definitely better and easier to deal with options. I think the dealing with it part is what would make me swap it out. Don't limit yourself to the Stealth Ram. Look at your combination and decide what you want out of the car and build towards that. You may need to go with a "simple" dual plane intake to achieve your performance goals. You may find you have the wrong cam.

Good luck.

Thanks for the input. Chasing peak power numbers is certainly not what I am after and I hope my post didn't come across that way. What is important to me is driveability, and having the car be reliable and easy to drive. That means starting easily, running cool and able to tell me if something is wrong. I want to trust that my fans are coming on (and going off) when they should, my oil pressure and temps are good and all of that. If I give up a few peak HP to accomplish that then that's an OK trade off for me.

Regarding the intakes, I agree there are a lot of options. See below for why I am leaning towards the Stealth Ram (easy to work on, similar power curve to a Super Ram). I also do not know what cam I have... which definitely could be hampering driveability.

I wouldn't be so fast to ditch the Super Ram. All intakes are compromises of some kind. The Super Ram is quite good at what it was designed to do, which was to move the torque curve higher in the RPM range than the standard TPI, but still in the more usable range. It was John Lingefelter's favorite intake back when he was making packages for the EFI small blocks, because it had a major advantage in torque in the 3000-5000 RPM range compared to the LT1 intake of the day (which made a little more power at peak).

Unfortunately nobody makes a comparable intake in the aftermarket these days. The Stealth Ram is a shorter runner intake, with a power curve more like a 4 barrel single plane. For autocross and road course work, the extra mid range torque is the better tradeoff, IMO. To say nothing of street driving.

I would not run a dual plane in a port injected application. Dual planes have more runner to runner variation through the RPM range, which translates directly to cylinder/cylinder air/fuel variation in a PFI application (it's not really a problem with a carb since the air and fuel are already mixed). It's hard to get optimal injector angle in those runners as well.

If it were my car, I wouldn't give a moment's thought to keeping the stock ECU. You can get it to work, although it usually takes a couple iterations of burning chips, logging on a chassis dyno with wideband, then re-burning to get something close to optimal. These days, a wide band closed loop system like the Holley is so much better in so many ways - if you can swing the price, it's the way to go. Either way, I wouldn't run it too much more on a stock tune, there are likely massive lean spots in the fuel curve.

Great input and thanks for the comments. I agree the Super Ram has a great power curve... I've read John Lingenfelter's book on making power with small blocks and he definitely raves about it. I recently watched a YouTube video comparing a bunch of small block TPI intakes and below are a couple of screen grabs.

For full credit, the youtube video is by Richer Holdener and the link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Je1MLTphs&t=731s

The baseline is a 383 with a stock TPI intake (the BLUE line).

The first chart is the Super Ram:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50664285108_5368cd5b68_z.jpg

And the second chart is the Stealth Ram:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50665028386_f7206d01fd_z.jpg

To me, not a HUGE difference between the 2 but definitely a bit of mid-range torque loss in the 3000 - 4500rpm range. The big question is... is that 20-30 lb-ft loss worth it for the aggravation of installing the Super Ram, and am I a good enough driver to tell the difference? (My guess is not right now :goofy:)

PTAddict

11-30-2020, 07:29 AM

Nice find, real data! I didn't even bother to do a search on Holdener, figured that he wouldn't have bothered with some of the more obscure old school stuff like the Super Ram. Should have known better, he's a testing maniac. Pretty soon he'll be testing ported Model T cylinder heads :)

Yeah, that torque loss isn't too bad, in fact on a road course shifting at 6000 with a T56 the Stealth would actually be better. So I retract my advice above, you know what you're doing. Still wouldn't mess around with that old ECU, though :)

SSLance

11-30-2020, 10:19 AM

Talking with real world experience here...someone that has raced with and street driven a CCC carb setup, then a manual carb setup, and finally a Holley EFI setup all on a similar SBC setup in a similar vehicle as yours...

Once someone with your ability does the install correctly and begins to learn the Holley EFI software, you'll wonder why you didn't make the change years ago. The amount of real time data you can collect and use to fine tune the software is mind blowing and the results from collecting and using said data to make the engine run better are worth the pain of install.

The main question I would be working on is how best to design the fuel delivery system...retro fitting a fuel module to not only feed the beast but to do it without regular pump failures or fuel starvation issues means going a step above most regular installs.

Being able to salvage your old intake to finance the new parts makes it an even easier question to answer at least in my humble opinion. Good luck with your call.

garage_engineer

12-01-2020, 04:46 AM

garage_engineer

03-02-2021, 07:33 AM

OK I'm getting into a pretty bad habit of going several months in between updates! That doesn't mean work isn't getting done though!

I pulled the trigger on a Holley Terminator X ECU to replace the stock computer. It's a pricey and involved upgrade, but to me the upgrade in reliability, driveability and tuneability makes its all worth it.

Along with the ECU, I am also going to be upgrading my distributor to their Dual Sync distributor which will be controlled with one of the MSD boxes made specifically for the Holley EFI system. This ignition setup is a bit overkill for my engine, but I am a big advocate for keeping everything together from the same manufacturer. It may cost a bit more at the beginning, but having everything work together and only have one company to call when there is an issue is worth it to me! I also grabbed a set of the analog gauges to replace the stock ones.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996616206_215609afa4_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996616181_f48ca20667_z.jpg

I currently have my stock (well, slightly modified) TPI harness out of the car and the intake off. I had spent so much time last winter tucking and trimming my harness to hide it... it sure made it hard to get out!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996588386_d604f61f34_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996653576_599bf0de83_z.jpg

I also was able to find a used Holley Stealth Ram intake on Ebay and picked it up along with the fuel rails and adjustable fuel pressure regulator. I'll get into a bit more detail in the future as to why I'm replacing my Super Ram with this, but it basically came down to price and ease of installation. The intake is currently off being powder coated black to match the theme under the hood.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996587296_104b97dbd7_z.jpg

My current project is getting my gauges installed. The Holley gauges are super easy to install, with just one wire that daisy chains the gauges together. They run of a CAN signal from the ECU, which is a digital signal and allows them all to run off of the one wire. Each gauge looks for it's unique "code" in the digital signal pulls the data it needs. Pretty cool. I ordered a sheet of ABS plastic off of Amazon that matches the factory grain pretty well. Love the look of these things and can't wait to see them lit up!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996706087_8b3aa0f3a4_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996706462_afdf4efac8_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50995898873_edcf1b0a80_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50996592561_4d28190ca7_z.jpg

I'll be better at posting some more regular updates! Spring is coming so gotta get going on this thing!

Spiffav8

03-02-2021, 08:02 AM

That turned out great!

WSSix

03-02-2021, 06:40 PM

x2. That's a good looking layout.

garage_engineer

03-03-2021, 02:28 PM

That turned out great!

x2. That's a good looking layout.

Thanks for the compliments!

The lower gauges are pretty low and tough to see now that I've test fit them and took a look from the driver's seat. I moved the important ones (oil pressure and coolant temp) to the outside so they are a bit easier to see. The warning lights will help as well. I'm going to try this out for a summer... it's easy enough to cut out a different layout if I need to.

garage_engineer

03-12-2021, 12:08 PM

OK starting to make some steady progress now...

While I was under the dash installing my new gauges and had my interior half apart, I decided to change out my stereo headunit as well. The previous owner had installed a big touch screen but it was showing its age... it had an early navigation system in it that didn't work and no Bluetooth. The plastic trim was also cut up around the screen to make it all fit. I just bought a really simple new headunit that has all the modern Bluetooth features while not being too flashy in the looks department. A quick re-wire and it's ready to go:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028858936_1b877bfd28_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51029658141_7a34f33c8a_z.jpg

To mount my new ECU in the interior, I was able to make it fit in the stock location up under the dash on the passenger side. I took the beige plastic mounting bracket and removed the stock ECU, then drilled out 4 mounting holes to attach the Holley ECU using some short button head screws with some rubber washers for isolation from vibration. When I permanently install it in the car, I will also use some velcro on the back side to give it some further isolation from vibrations and bumps:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028128398_5a73efe8a2_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028117458_3c47509f07_z.jpg

With all that wrapped up, my interior is pretty much buttoned up for now. I just have a few trim pieces to put back but I want to get everything up and running first just in case I need to re-check a few wires.

Next focus is on getting my new intake manifold installed. I've mentioned it before, but I am moving from my current Super Ram setup to a Holley Stealth Ram. With the Stealth Ram, I am focusing on figuring out all the plugs, adapters, fuel lines and sensors I need to install to make it all work together.

The first step was getting the intake powdercoated. With my Super Ram, I had painted it black using Duplicolor engine paint and it turned out great but kept getting chipped every time I whacked it with a wrench by accident. So, I bit the bullet on the extra expense and am trying out powdercoating this time. I think it turned out awesome! This is matte black with a satin clear coat on top:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028858926_34de53cd6e_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028955977_8e3fc9dff2_z.jpg

The trickiest part I am working through now is the driver's side rear corner. This is where all the vacuum ports will be on the intake, plus the big adjustable fuel pressure regulator I want to run, the oil pressure sensor, spark plug wires and the fuel line coming off of the regulator. I think I have a layout that's going to work but I need to order a few more little adapters for it all to fit. I may also move the oil pressure sender to the port right above the oil filter. This takes a bit of time but it's much easier working through this stuff on the bench rather than up against the firewall.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028841261_15143ed2d9_z.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028956002_20a4bef1d1_z.jpg

Set the intake on the engine just to get a sneak peak of what it's going to look like:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51028844176_d98e85bc77_z.jpg

ScotI

03-12-2021, 09:59 PM

Nice!

LS1-IROC

03-13-2021, 10:23 AM

Looks awesome man!

WSSix

03-14-2021, 07:10 PM

Good choice on the powder coat. I think it looks great. You'll enjoy dealing with this intake more than the Super Ram.

69MyWay

03-15-2021, 09:14 AM

I love it!

Here is something cool (maybe) - My Dad was a GM brass hat back in the day. He also handled press cars for the media (1984-1986) in the N.E. Florida area.

He also got a new car every 5,000 miles or so from GM AND he bought one once a year on a special program.

In 1985...we had the very first IROC-Z off the trailer in Florida (production model). It was special order and purchase through his program for my Mom...AND, he also got a bright yellow one for his company car. We had a pair of IROC-Zs in the driveway for a few months in 1985. Hers was black with red interior.

One day while I was riding in the back, my dad thumped the throttle in traffic and ripped the tires...and leaned over and said...

"the muscle car is back...."

That made my day!

I got my driver permit and drove home at 15 years old...in that black Iroc-Z. I drove it a million miles in the garage listening to the radio and dreaming of being on the open road...when I was 15.

LOVE these cars....wish I had room and time for another. As much as I love the LS for many reasons...so glad to see the basic TPI (even with the ram you are installing) and L98 type V8 rocking between the strut towers.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

garage_engineer

04-22-2021, 08:29 AM

garage_engineer

04-22-2021, 08:30 AM

It seems like my updates are starting be on a monthly basis which is better than nothing.

The main focus the last few weeks has been dealing with a stubborn oil leak I was chasing all last year. I had oil dripping out of my bellhousing after a hard drive, and even some smoke coming up through the shifter hole after going full throttle from light to light. The starter was also coated in some oil. I am 90% sure the leak was coming from the back of the intake or a bad valve cover gasket but could never pinpoint it to a specific spot. I am changing my intake and will pay close attention to the seal on the rear china wall, but my OCD had me worrying about the rear main seal and if something was leaking there. I had put a fresh rear main seal on the engine last year, but maybe I had damaged it when trying to stab the input shaft into the pilot bearing? Anyway... out came the transmission just to be sure!

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Everything looked ok when I got everything apart, and even the back of the flywheel was relatively dry. The only thing I noticed was the small gasket behind the seal carrier was a bit wet... which could have been contributing to the leak:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51132230324_d859109756_z.jpg

I replaced that seal along with a new rear main seal while I was in there. I hate oil leaks (and all leaks in general!) so hopefully now everything stays nice and dry:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51131453516_5dd8d55def_z.jpg

So, onward with my Holley Terminator X install! I had sent my "universal" harness out to a member of the 3rd gen Camaro forum to modify it to integrate with the 3rd gen Camaro body harness. He typically does harnesses for people doing LS swaps, so we had to work through a few details to make the ECU work for my small block but I think we got all the details worked out. We went back and forth quite a bit on where I would be installing sensors, what inputs I wanted to use, where I wanted to mount the ECU and ignition box and he built the harness to my specs. I would highly recommend working with him for your harness needs, he was patient with all my questions and suggested a lot of good upgrades!

I just got the harness back last week and it looks great. Everything looks like it will plug in where it needs to go. To get my old harness out, I had removed a ton of stuff under the hood since I worked so hard to hide everything. Getting the new harness was the last piece of the puzzle I needed to start putting things back together as I again want to hide it as much as possible. What I had been doing in the meantime is mocking everything up on my workbench, ordering the parts I need for the intake install and generally trying to get ahead as much as I can. Sometimes this can be frustrating as it seems like I'm not getting anywhere, but it should pay off this weekend when I have a few hours to work on the car and parts can start flying on!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51132213479_0c771660e8_z.jpg

Hopefully I'll have some good progress to report at my next update... I should have all the parts I need to get it running again!

ScotI

04-22-2021, 10:41 AM

All of the tedious & repetitive stuff can be frustrating but your outlook on the big picture is evident.

I think the hatred of oil/fluid leaks is pretty universal for the gearhead. They flat out suck when it requires removing 60% of underhood items to 'hopefully' fix the issue. If not, refer to the initial statement above.... The extra effort on the wiring should make things easier on the install/service end of the work.

SSLance

04-23-2021, 06:16 AM

Good luck with the new parts installation... You are going to love that EFI setup once you get it dialed in. Hope you stopped the leak as well...

garage_engineer

06-26-2021, 10:37 AM

Time for another update! I've been making some slow and steady progress since my last post.

The quick update - the car starts and runs! However, that revealed a few issues that I am now dealing with. The biggest issue is my hood doesn't fit with the new Holley Stealth Ram intake... more on that coming soon. Working hard to try and get some test miles on the car soon. Yet again one of my "winter" projects is now slipping into July. :doh: Gotta do it right though!

I spent a lot of time getting the new Holley wiring harness laid out where I wanted it, wrapped and hidden. Scooter did a great job walking me through the install and getting everything where it needed to go, I just needed to re-organize a couple of things to get it right where I wanted it. Perfection takes a lot of time! One new skillset I've been picking up through this process is using nice, factory-looking Weatherpak electrical connectors in my harness. For less than $100, I was able to grab a bunch of connectors and terminals off Amazon along with a decent set of crimpers. I definitely screwed up a few crimps, but I'm getting the hang of it. Super happy with the results, it looks really professional.

I didn't do a great job of taking pics so here is just a few highlights:

MSD coil mounted on the driver's fender well:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51223427471_8f1cabb8c8_z.jpg

Adding a connector for the ignition box:
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New custom made battery cables:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51223639903_63dd106cb1_z.jpg

Added an oil temp sensor to the harness:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51224500685_8e2d71fb5c_z.jpg

Fuel and oil pressure sensors mounted behind the intake so they're as hidden as possible:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51224192944_d0f84ceaf1_z.jpg
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For the fuel lines, I had 2 options. The stock third gen Camaro TPI fuel rails have the fuel enter and exit at the front of the intake. For the Stealth Ram, it's at the back. I could either reuse the stock hard lines and run an adapter the a flexible line all the way to the back of the intake, or cut the hard lines and run new flexible lines to the back of the intake. I chose to go the harder (and better looking) route of making new fuel lines.

Again, I did not do a great job of taking pics, but I cut the stock hard lines underneath the driver's door and used adapters and new flexible fuel hose from RedHorse performance. You can see the lines in the pictures above of the fuel and oil pressure sensors.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51223426931_b8a975ff59_z.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51223639973_d80b68dfd2_z.jpg

Lastly for today I also upgraded the fuel pump wiring while I was at it. The stock third gen wiring harness has a small 10ga (I think?) wire providing power to the pump so my new harness has a nice big 6ga wire going back there so there shouldn't be any drop in voltage. I just had to wire up a small jumper harness to make it work:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51222715817_3b52a51577_z.jpg

That's all for now, lots more updates coming!

garage_engineer

07-04-2021, 08:42 AM

As I got ready to fire it up for the first time with the new Holley ECU, I plugged in my laptop and starting going through the setup procedure. It's a pretty straightforward process of answering some questions about your engine (size, firing order, injector type, etc). I ran into an issue on the step where you set your throttle position sensor. This needs to be completed succesfully before you can start the car. I kept getting an error:

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I started digging a bit deeper into the issue and noticed my TPS sensor was not getting the required 5V... not good! This set off a 2-week debugging session trying to figure out why I wasn't getting 5 volts to sensor. Here's the quick version of how I figured out the issue:

1. I started at the ECU and back-probed the terminals that supply power and ground to the sensor to verify I had 5V there. All looked good:
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2. Next, I pulled the wrap off the harness and found the junction where the power wire splits to supply 5V to all of the sensors on the engine. (The orange wire in the picture below.) Again, I could probe this and get 5 volts.
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3. At this point I had all of the sensors unplugged from some other checks I had been doing. What I did next was start plugging in each sensor that gets power from this junction 1 by 1 and monitoring the voltage. With the just the TPS plugged in I was getting 5V now... hmmm. I then plugged in the fuel pressure sensor and the voltage dropped by 1.5V. Plugging the oil pressure sensor dropped it by another 1.5V!

4. Looking a little bit closer at the harness, it turned out that the power and ground and those 2 sensors was reversed, causing the big voltage drop on the whole sensor 5V circuit. Popping the terminals out of the connectors and putting them back in the proper place got me the right voltage to the TPS and let me calibrate it correctly:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51283178336_951939abef_z.jpg

Once the TPS is set, you can cycle the key and the fuel pump comes on to get the engine ready to start. I found a big fuel leak from the fuel rail and was able to trace it down to a damaged o-ring on one of my injectors. Other than having to take apart the whole fuel system that one was an easy fix!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51223426576_2ee8da192b_z.jpg

FINALLY after all that I was able to try and start the car for real. And as luck would have it, it fired right up on the first try! The engine ran smooth and sounded good! I was pumped to hit this big milestone!!

I didn't let it run too far, because I noticed it was idling high and the IAC was reading at 100% (meaning it was fully closed and trying to reduce the idle speed.) No problem, I just need to turn down the idle screw on the throttle body and then let the system learn from there. Well, that turned out to not be so easy as the idle adjustment screw on the throttle body has seized and snapped in half when I went to turn it!
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I am now trying to repair this screw, and I luckily have a backup throttle body I can try.

My other big issue is my hood won't close! This one is totally my fault... I should have checked this earlier in the process so I could have made some adjustments before getting the car running and then having to take it all apart again. I did research on installing a Stealth Ram into 3rd gen Camaros and some fit great, while others needed some work to fit. I tried trimming back the inner hood structure, but it didn't quite get me the clearance I needed. So, my options were:
1. Lower the motor - I have brand new poly engine mounts which tend to raise the engine a bit over stock (especially if your old mounts are rubber and sagging). I considered going to rubber mounts, or even solid ones if they dropped the engine a bit, but decided to try a simpler solution below first rather than tearing the whole front end apart.

2. Space the k-member down from the body using some spacers - With my focus on handling with this car, I decided to stay away from this one, even though it was relatively simple. With the strut front suspension on these cars, any spacing of the k-member will affect alignment and that's not something I wanted to get into.

3. Modify the intake - This is the option I am pursuing right now. Yes, it sucks to have to take apart a nice running engine right after you finally got it together but in the long run I think this is the easiest solution. The Stealth Ram fortunately has some areas where material can be removed and I'm hoping there's enough there to solve my problem.

My next update will hopefully be a success story with a hood that closes and perhaps a test drive! Here's a quick teaser pic:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51289460663_14eb9d9662_z.jpg

garage_engineer

07-17-2021, 01:55 PM

We got a closing hood! Took quite a bit of work and it's a very tight fit but I'm happy with the end result.

I had my intake machined at a local machine shop and was able to take about a 1/2" height out of it my removing material from the base and also removing the ribs on the top of the air box. Any more than that, and I would have started having issues with the throttle body hitting the fuel rails and water neck. I'll have to get the air box re-powercoated in the future but for now I just need to get some test miles on this thing!
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With the intake modified, I still need to remove some of the inner structure from my hood to make everything fit. So I was cutting, and cutting some more, and cutting some more... and it ended up being a lot more than I thought! At some point in the future, my plan was to install some functional hood vents on the car and since I already had the cut off wheel out, I bit the bullet and ordered a set from Trackspec Motorsports. The install was relatively straightforward with the templates they provide, it just took quite a bit of time to fine tune everything with the grinder and flap disk to get ill the cut edges nice and smooth to look like a pro install. I also had to trim back some of the fins to clear the intake and also the throttle linkage... don't want that getting caught up!

First take the old louver off:
[url=hthttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51272158831_e52520e606_z.jpg

Tape down the template after measuring and checking a few times:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51272338728_536b342468_z.jpg

Then cut it up!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51272338838_e020cc2c5e_z.jpg

Here you can see just how close everything is:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51272338818_9e771aa7dc_z.jpg

Once I was happy with the fit and all the cut edges were deburred and smoothed up, I painted the underside of the hood so it would all match up:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51289292651_3f32530a51_z.jpg

Final install... I love the look and should really help with underhood cooling:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51318423279_450abfb8aa_z.jpg

Here's all the metal I had to remove... a good weight reduction up high on the front end!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51318423264_a4f14025cb_z.jpg

Once that was settled I could finally go on a test drive. The first start of the car was uneventful and it fired right up! Everything looked good in terms of the gauges and vitals, and no fuel, oil or coolant was leaking. You can also lock out the timing and verify it with a timing light to make sure everything is where it should be. Fuel pressure is also easy to set using the sensor. Everything checked out so I ventured out on my first test drive. Obligatory gas station pic:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317699541_8ec67ca52a_z.jpg

Everything felt pretty good on the test drive except for a couple of small things: the throttle was hanging up a bit (revs wouldn't drop immediately and I put the clutch in) and the idle was high. I had a high idle with my old ECU, but trying to fix it was a guessing game. With the Holley ECU, it's awesome to be able to plug in your laptop to see what's going on and actually fix the problem.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317699506_2bd4d62340_z.jpg

Turned out I had a big vacuum leak coming from my intake manifold. Turning the idle adjustment screw on the throttle body all the way closed and having it still idle at 900+ rpm turned out to be the giveaway. I found the leak between the intake base and the air box... I must have damaged it when I was shifting things during the installation. Next time I may use a gasket adhesive here:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317906853_ee1ec5354e_z.jpg

Unfortunately it's taking a few days for the gaskets arrive so I can't get back to test driving but they should be here soon. In the meantime, I'm working on getting my interior back together and cleaning up this mess:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317906773_a583d9a19b_z.jpg

Pumped to be so close to having a running and driving car again! First autocross is next weekend!
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ScotI

07-17-2021, 02:03 PM

This build keeps getting better. As it does, I like it more & more (and I already had a thing for these Black & Red versions).

Roscoe03

07-17-2021, 08:40 PM

Your car is looking great! I dig the stance with those wheels.

68454RS

07-18-2021, 06:31 AM

I absolutely love this car

Ketzer

07-18-2021, 08:35 AM

I really enjoy reading all the troubleshooting and problem solving!!
I know it takes a lot of time and effort to bring all that to the forum but that is definitely appreciated!

Jeff-

Che70velle

07-18-2021, 11:03 AM

I really enjoy reading all the troubleshooting and problem solving!!
I know it takes a lot of time and effort to bring all that to the forum but that is definitely appreciated!

Jeff-

Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for taking the time to educate folks.

garage_engineer

07-19-2021, 10:40 AM

This build keeps getting better. As it does, I like it more & more (and I already had a thing for these Black & Red versions).

Your car is looking great! I dig the stance with those wheels.

I absolutely love this car

Thanks for the compliments!

I really enjoy reading all the troubleshooting and problem solving!!
I know it takes a lot of time and effort to bring all that to the forum but that is definitely appreciated!

Jeff-

Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for taking the time to educate folks.

You're welcome. I started posting on all the troubles I was finding because I thought I couldn't be the only one hitting so many snags in my build! All these little things can definitely get frustrating and have tripled the time of some part installs but it's always worth it in the end! Hopefully I've helped a few out along the way.

SSLance

07-20-2021, 08:38 AM

garage_engineer

07-20-2021, 11:53 AM

Nice find on the harness mistake, I know that wasn't easy to track down. Was that Holley's harness?

Good luck with dialing in the tune. You are going to love the data you get with Holey EFI and how easy it is to make corrections with it. Be sure to keep saving "good tunes" just in case you get out of whack for some reason. Always good to have a good tune to fall back on...trust me.

Are you going to UMI this weekend? I am flying up in August for KOTM so I can't wait to see your car and meet you in person.

No, the harness was custom made by someone on the third gen Camaro forum to specifically fit my car... honest mistake but still cost me a week or so of troubleshooting!

I am planning on being at UMI this weekend. I don't think I will be at KOTM unless I win my way in this weekend by taking a shortcut on the autocross and no one notices! Ha!

SSLance

07-21-2021, 07:15 AM

I have an invite to KOTM, but no car to drive... :whistling:

garage_engineer

01-03-2022, 07:27 PM

Been a LONG time since an update and not quite sure where to pick up! Since July, I've been doing all I can to drive this car on both the street and the track.

My last post left off with my getting ready to leave for the UMI autocross challenge and the car did awesome with no issues. I was really happy with being able to just hop in the car and rip off some autocross laps. Here are a few action pics:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51796349657_16270ee5f4_z.jpg
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After that event, I was able to attend another local autocross with the Ford SVT club. This event was a little over an hour away and was my first time driving the car to an event as opposed to towing it. Luckily everything went great and the car cruises awesome on the highway:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51797297556_fb36c754ea_z.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51796350542_9e9bd40f3c_z.jpg

Unfortunately, I got flagged at the autocross for breaking the sound limit at the start line. Woops, I guess 2 small chambered pipes aren't quite enough. The car was a bit loud for me anyway so I had a local muffler shop add a Magnaflow bullet muffler where the stock cat used to be which quieted to car down a bit:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51798067990_3f5bf92a6b_z.jpg

In the fall I was able to get the car out to its first track day at an SCCA Track Night in America event at one of my local tracks (Thomposon Speedway Motorsports Park). This time the drive was a bit further (just under 2 hours) and again I drove the car solo with just my tool kit and a jack in the back. I prefer track driving to autocross and had an absolute blast letting the car stretch its legs a bit. I took it slow and built up speed gradually since this was my first time on a roadcourse with the car. I even hit some traffic and rain on the way home and the car didn't miss a beat... something I really attest to the Holley Terminator X EFI. I'm REALLY learning to trust the car now since I actually trust what the gauges are telling me and can program just about anything.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51797336766_938f7223ce_z.jpg
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The car is currently in the garage for some winter work. I'm trying really hard to not take on any major projects this winter that end up creeping into the summer. I've really enjoyed having the car running well over the summer and fall and hope to continue that next year. I'm sure I'll find some trouble to get into but hey that's half the fun.

I'll try my best to be better with some updates moving forward, but you can always find me on Facebook (Garage Engineering) or Instagram (garage_engineer) for some daily updates!

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