1970 Camaro RS Operation Budget LSx

[70rs]

Originally Posted by 1970camaroRS

Want to know the secret? Rubber cement. It burns really good and long. Then fuel it with lighters fluid for additional flamage!

The details in those flame shots is really cool!

I snapped a few airplane shots in arlington last week. By thr Glassair shop. Cool little "kit planes". My ex father in law has a pilon racer he used to take me up in. I think he wanted to see how fast he could make me lose my lunch.

[1970camaroRS]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like you are using a 90gph, 5 micron filter, on a pump that flows 140gph and needs a minimum of a 40 micron pre-filter. It also looks like it's in a spot that gets wet on a regular basis.
http://www.jegs.com/p/Fram-Autolite/...45053/10002/-1
If this is indeed the filter you are using, your new pump will suffer the same fate.

Yes, that filter will be replaced soon.

[1970camaroRS]

All done for the night. Too tired to move forward.

Fixed all of the leaks. Two of the fittings in the fuel log were finger tight, so that had a lot to do with it. Tefloned all of the NPT fittings and that was that.

Got the electric fuel pressure guage working. I will get pictures of that later. Found that the sendor wasn't getting ground through the fuel fitting it was in. Made a ground strap, grabbed a couple of washers and sandwhiched the terminal end between the fitting and the sendor. Viola, pressure guage works. Only 4psi at the moment, but I will adjust that later.

Disconnected the fuel pump relay ground and started wiring in a on/off toggle switch. (12v switched plus toggled ground). This also allowed me to work on the electrical system without the pump running.

Wired in another relay and breaker for the ignition. Verified there was 12v going to the coil packs. Figured, "hey...there's enough fuel still in the fuel bowls to fire this thing off...". Cranked it over and....nothing. Pulled a plug wire and no spark. Must not be getting a signal from one of the sensors. I will have to figure that out later next week. I have a usb to serial adaptor coming in the mail and I will use the MSD software to see what's happening. No work tommorrow, the McGrew family heads to the Zoo for the day!

[1970camaroRS]

CAR GOES VROOOM!

Got to thinking about the 12v switched source I was using to power my ignition and fuel pump relays. Could I have picked a source that went to 0 volts while cranking? Hooked up the old volt meter and cranked...sure enough, from 12v to 0 while cranking! Ok, new 12v source needed. Stole the one I was using for my electric fan...same issue. Not a problem for the fan though. Actually want that to quit running while cranking.

So, new approach. Wired 12 volts directly to the ignition and fuel pump relays and made the grounds switched. Well, I planned to make the fuel pump switched earlier, so what's one more toggle switch in my console going to hurt? So, I made up a temp wire to run around into the cabin to ground the ignition relay. Grounded the fuel pump relay long enough to run the pump and fill the fuel bowls. Held the ignition relay ground to a screw in the cabin..pumped the gas and cranked.

Sputter...sputter...sputter.

Ok! Now we're getting somewhere. More fuel. Sputter. More fuel.

VROOOOOM.

I immediately let go of the ground to the ignition and the engine stopped. All is well in my world tonight.

[70rs]

Thats awesome Nathan! I know it has been a long time since you've been able to fire off any engine in your camaro. Very cool!

[1970camaroRS]

Originally Posted by 70rs

Thats awesome Nathan! I know it has been a long time since you've been able to fire off any engine in your camaro. Very cool!

3 years by my count since the last ill-fated start-up of my supercharged 454. Has been 4 years since it has moved under it's own power. Hopefully I will change that on Sunday.

Roughly 2 going on 3 years since I started this project.

I got married, my daughter was born and had her first birthday, added 2nd dog to the clan, moved twice, changed jobs twice all since the last time it ran. Don't even want to get into the list of things that have happened since I last legally drove the car. It was my daily driver at one time.

Oh, ok, maybe I will. It's been 6 years since it has been registered for the road. I was in CA when the procharged 355 let go. Trailered it to my apt in Issaquah, WA after school was done. Towed it to my apt in Everett when I got a new job. Sent it to my buddy's house in Granite Falls and put the BBC in while it was in his garage. Got laid-off. He had it towed to my future father-in-laws house. Sat outside on a trailer where I got it to run as seen here: http://www.myspace.com/video/bigtuff...ts-up/48253963

There it sat for the next year until I found the milky oil. Two apartments later, I rented a house with a garage and had it towed over. This August is 2 years since we've been in the house. Boy how time flies.

[1970camaroRS]

Wired up the switches for the fuel pump and ignition relays. They work. I know, it surprises even me. Also hooked up the tach signal wire, water temp guage, and the guage lights. Pre-ran the switch wire and installed the switch for the nitrous system.

Odd thing happened. Tried firing it up, pumped gas just like last night. Sputter, sputter...WHOOOOOSH big 6 foot high fireball! That got me out of the car and shaking a bit. Looked everything over and things checked out ok. Gave the car a minute, tried again and it fired up the second I hit the key. Ran it up to 3,000-4,000rpm for about 20 seconds. Damn thing runs well! Let it idle before I shut it off and it was at 1,400rpm. Made sure to adjust the idle screw a bit before I went about the next task.

BTW, this was at 11pm and I shouted into the night, "Sorry! I'M ALL DONE FOR TONIGHT, GOING TO BED! WOOOOHOOOO!" Sure my neighbors enjoyed the open headers for 30 seconds. They will LOVE them on Sunday when I go up and down the block...

To do for street trials:
1. Install steering wheel (removed it due to poor horn wire install job by me and for access to under dash wiring)
2. Reinstall or secure speedo cable
3. Get car off jackstands
4. Clean out car of the tons of crap in, on and around it
5. Fire and idle for leak check, cooling system bleed/function test
6. Find out why electric fuel pressure guage now reads 15psi when turned on, even with pump off... (likely will be replaced with a mechanical under-hood guage)

Then it's off for mufflers and save some money for a hood and registration. Oh and I need to call Hagerty.

[1970camaroRS]

Fixed the leak at the fuel pump, attached the speedo cable and routed it away from the headers (already previously melted by them), cleaned up some wiring in the engine bay and installed the steering wheel. Then I dropped it onto it's tires for the first time in almost 2 years! Looks so stange sitting so low in the garage now!

Cranked it and it fired easily. Settled into a very high idle. I pumped the brakes a few times and the pedle firmed up. Put it in reverse and let out the brake...barely moved, thanks 3,000 rpm stall converter! Goosed the gas and out into the driveway I went. No more pushing this thing around! Next door neighbor who I hadn't met before came to his door with his daughter to watch.

I jumped out and adjusted the carb, 15 inches of vaccuum at 850rpm idle. Checked for leaks, none could be found anywhere. No coolant, no oil, no fuel, no trans fluid, no power steering fluid (oh wait, no power steering!). That's a first for my car!

Now, on to the bad part. No coolant flow at all. I made sure to fill the block since the LSx design has the thermostat on the suction side. Temp went up to 220+ and no coolant flow at all! Shut it down and went inside to eat a grumpy meal (or a meal grumpily). Came back out and fired it up again, backed out of the driveway and went 50 yards to the end of the street, turned around and goosed the thorttle. Not enough to leave marks (ain't gonna happen in this neighborhood), but enough for my other neighbor to give me a thumbs up. He's working on a GTO, so I'm pretty sure it was a thumbs up....Oh, and the car hits hard when you tell it to.

My other neighbor heard the noise and came over to congratulate me. He help me machine the alternator adaptor earlier.

So, now I wait for a new thermostat to arrive and the fuel pressure guage to arrive as well...hope those are the only gremlins I run into.

Couple of pictures.






Video will be provided once I fix the cooling issue and my wife is actually home to supervise me...I mean use the camera while I drive. Once the car cools reliably...off to the muffler shop I go!

[waynieZ]

Congratulation's great progress!

[cencalc6]

Congrats on your car