66 Nova update - Lateral-g Forums

**kwhizz** · #1 04-22-2023, 08:43 AM

Just a little background my interest in Nova's...... Back in April of 66 I took delivery of a Marina Blue L-79 SS Nova...... That started it all....Didn't realize what a special car it was until a couple of years after I sold it..... Anyhow, we were down in Florida on vacation in 87 and after looking thru the classic car section of the Sarasota newspaper I noticed a 66 Nova for sale..... We went and looked at it.....It was a Sport Coupe 283 powerglide White top, Mist Blue bottom.....Absolutely Rust free..... Bought it and had it shipped back to Wisconsin....So over the years I somewhat tried to replicate my old car.....

Put a 350 and a 700R4 trans in it......added Nitrous and the car went a best of 10.92 on street tires back in 2006...... The people at the drag strip told me not to come back until I put a Roll cage in the car.... That was when I quit racing as I didn't want to screw up the car even if it was for my safety....
So I kept the car and on my grandsons 16th birthday I gave him the car... He has since then had Frameup wheelworks install a 9" ford rear, mini tubs, and subframe connectors........and the story continues..... I'll be posting updates on the evolution

Ken

**camcojb** · #2 04-22-2023, 11:51 AM

Love those cars, had a Marina blue 67.

**kwhizz** · #3 04-22-2023, 05:22 PM

A before and after pic........ More to come

Hummmm!!!!...... What's coming next ?????

**kwhizz** · #4 04-23-2023, 07:17 AM

**andrewb70** · #5 04-23-2023, 10:27 AM

LT4 with a 4L75e from GM?

Andrew

**kwhizz** · #6 04-23-2023, 11:27 AM

Yes. GM connect and cruise

CHJNCSU · #7 04-23-2023, 04:04 PM

Good luck with the build! I look forward to seeing the finished project!

**kwhizz** · #8 04-23-2023, 05:25 PM

I'm getting an education with the differences between the LS and the LT engines........ to be explained in future posts.......The first issue I encountered was changing to the Holley 302-20 oil pan........Mounted the engine on a engine stand and flipped the engine over to change the pan...... Simple..Right!!!.....when I opened the Holley box I was looking for the pan gasket...... Hummm!!!!..... Went online and found out they no longer use a pan gasket...the pan is sealed with RTV sealant..... O.K....... Took the pan bolts out and had to pry the stock pan off.......Done...... Then I tried to get the pan off...Couldn't get the pan off as the oil pump sticks up and the pan was wedged between the oil pump casting and the inside of the harmonic balancer......Hummm!!!!...... If you don't know..... The balancer removal is easy..... But putting them back on is a major Pain.... Gotta get a new bolt as you can't reuse them as they are torqued and then stretched per factory spec's.......

Had to put the keyed flywheel locker on and order a new harmonic balancer bolt and go thru the torque and stretch procedure.... 20 minute job ended up being a day long ordeal...... one of many lessons learned

Ken

**kwhizz** · #9 04-24-2023, 09:14 AM

With the engine assy I was also supplied with a Holley front drive assy....Now.... with the LT engine family there are a few changes that need to be accommodated.....Since these engines are direct injected the PCV system becomes very important.....In a normal engine assy if oil vapors get into the intake and get on the intake valves the incoming gas will wash it off keeping the valve clean...... In the LT since it is direct injected this is not an option.....Holley copied the GM system and they have a vapor collection reservoir (like a catch can) that drains the oil back into the oil pan..... I'm sure there's more to it but this is my understanding of what's going on...Holley doesn't include this drain back feature in their kit......I was going to use AN fittings and rubber hose.... But they cautioned that keeping the drain feature away from the exhaust system and also maintaining a downward pitch to the drain.....I could see that my original idea wasn't going to work....the motor mount adaptor plate and motor mount wasn't going to allow this.......So, after going in the house and thinking about this.... I went back out and took the original draintube that was on the drivers side and cut it up and welded it back together and (with a little bit of grinding on the ribs between the motor mount bolts) the tube now fit under the adaptor plates and were hidden from the exhaust manifolds

[IMG]

**kwhizz** · #10 04-24-2023, 04:08 PM

The Holley front drive set-up has another change from the other set-ups.... The normal set-ups have a single belt driving the supercharger and all other accessories are driver off a smaller belt..... For some reason Holley added the power steering pump into the supercharger drive belt...... To do this and eliminate pressure from the stress put on accys they added an additional casting with three bearings in it that the pump screws into....all the belt wrap pressure is absorbed by those bearings..... The big problem is that part of the front drive sticks out 2.5" from the rest of the unit....Humm!!!.....On most applications there would be enough room and this wouldn't matter......But.....