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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. |
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.
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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/899/3...fb0cd025_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/825/4...0b6288f0_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/788/4...d88b3bfb_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/860/4...9b82a167_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/2...539a1bf0_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/901/4...6700dc3d_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/884/4...bba2c7fe_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! |
Looking great. Can't wait to get to my t/a when my back heals.
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Following for the excellent progress. This car is going to great when you are finished!
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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/911/4...c1c4f154_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/794/4...dd17b692_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/866/4...e23510f9_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/801/4...8e9075f5_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/935/4...b5455b20_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/933/3...c4c79d25_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/807/2...de0a36d5_c.jpg Chasing the threads to get rid of the old RTV: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/930/2...09929cf7_c.jpg Can't put old nasty bolts back on! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/882/2...eab7bd5f_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/929/4...fa54fef6_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/860/2...40444e6a_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/853/4...7b3ae32d_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/791/4...d2755492_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/834/4...c00e5f78_c.jpg Lastly, I also get the intake pieces cleaned up and almost ready for paint as well. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/868/4...c12a20af_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. |
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/979/2...6b83d3d6_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/956/2...7f2e4d75_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/968/4...4328149c_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/968/4...811be3f7_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/4...2a6129d4_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/911/4...cfea5b9e_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/906/4...90232744_c.jpg Finished product: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/972/2...6ded50ae_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. |
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 |
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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/950/2...cff4006b_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/978/2...6f849c5e_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/867/4...084a256d_c.jpg Fresh ARP crank bolt: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/960/2...5f16f2b8_c.jpg Gotta paint the oil pan bolts before installing: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/967/4...45572a60_c.jpg Bottom end buttoned up: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/831/4...9ddf2001_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/911/2...0637aaae_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/957/2...e6e902c3_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/967/2...1982a945_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/958/2...07c49b98_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? |
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/...c6994261_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1723/...89245c78_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/...6c8e1e7e_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/901/4...26372a18_c.jpg I'm hoping to get back to weekly updates so stay tuned! |
[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/...d0dca98e_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4516/...c2b1c536_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4562/...2d0e1e7e_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!!! |
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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/...b22cbd7c_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1753/...0fffa0f8_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1754/...618a6127_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/...f8d5f51b_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/...37a41031_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/...3349799f_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/...03af3dce_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/...ce3fd0a0_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/...fd246c28_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/...e6daae74_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1725/...fdc1744a_c.jpg Thanks for all the help! |
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. |
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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! |
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
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The color I used on the intake is a satin back from Eastwood called Underhood Black. |
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. |
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/...bca5c2d1_c.jpg Here is everything I used for the install: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1803/...461a19ca_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/...75fde8ae_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/875/2...3d75fb67_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/...5976eef8_c.jpg Installed! (The base anyway...) https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1726/...c8dd22c7_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/...b9462321_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/...88fc01ed_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/895/4...5e5c6f5d_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1810/...a0174cec_c.jpg That's all for now, hoping some more progress this weekend! |
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/841/4...439d2a97_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/...6b8c633e_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/845/4...ff19808c_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1767/...1618dfcf_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/...3bd5a1f3_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/4...8f6fe89e_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1762/...823cdf7d_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/...329fb540_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/924/4...02234242_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/...4ef6bbe6_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/836/4...40368ee2_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: |
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.
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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!
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Thumbs up!!
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Good job. I think the color choice for the engine bay is spot on. :thumbsup:
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Nice job, looks great. :)
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That is going to look great as it all goes back together, nice work!!
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This build is so full of win! Great job man!
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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!
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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/...03334ef2_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/942/4...f981b7fa_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/939/4...935a7867_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1833/...16a49c36_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/...cf8bbc25_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1794/...b54bbc39_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/931/2...687e22ec_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/941/3...59261f91_c.jpg Some more third gen pics I grabbed: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1818/...ef15c2de_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/938/4...3aab01c6_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1771/...a3e2c0d3_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1797/...cf29bf34_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! |
Some more pics:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1799/...d9da8395_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1779/...01822885_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1815/...6c439626_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1795/...8034fff2_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/936/4...91134ef8_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1774/...6d52ea78_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/...9a966326_c.jpg |
Looks like a fun time! Thanks for sharing the pictures.
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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 |
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/...fbc9ec7a_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1854/...3758ff52_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1846/...0edf31fe_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/...405828ae_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/...26f0c898_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1890/...a4f065d9_c.jpg Fuel Injector to Rail Install: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1846/...2fe13660_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/...7ddea729_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1889/...0c0823b3_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1859/...19a49e52_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/...3fc9f808_c.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1867/...f4073de6_c.jpg New 160deg thermostat, gasket and painted neck and bolts went on as well: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1845/...cec697cb_c.jpg Here is where she sits today: https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1882/...849fd557_c.jpg |
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