chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

So my engine is here and rather than go back and forth between here and Chevelles.com I'm just going to put this here since it seems more relevant.

Going into this, which has since been lowered, bumper guards and hood pins added and a new interior put in:


Now the good bits, this is what I started with yesterday morning and ended with around dinner time:




http://www.flickr.com/photos/21527394@N06/4940396083/[url="[ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21527394@N06/4940396083/"]hang3 | chuckd85032 | Flickr@@AMEREPLACE@@[/ame]

Only real wrenching was swapping the cts-v pan on and getting the intake and fuel rails off. It started raining just after I painted the block so I called it quits (plus food was ready).

I guess the next step will be to find a cam and test fit the harness I got from chevythunder and decide on an intake so I can move forward with procuring fuel system parts.

An update, in an attempt to make the thread more useful sometime around June 7-10 I'm going to make an index of sorts with jumps to specific things, but for now I'm just trying to list the more important things so people (and I) don't have to wade through 20+ pages looking for something. I get PMs asking about specific things and given the size of the thread an index seems like a good idea; I'll list the stuff I've been asked about and working links will be added as I reread the thread.

-LT1stuff starts on pg 36 https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...apping-36.html
-6L80e install start https://tinyurl.com/y9gsjl7s
-Chevelletiger front frame brace - https://tinyurl.com/yay6sxx2
-C6 brakes front& rear/ ATS spindles - http://tinyurl.com/C6rotors Also a bit on pg 11.
-Air ride
-Home brew hood lock and remote solenoid - https://tinyurl.com/yakxz2zb
-Hellwig PT-rear sway
-Fbody/lokar ebrake - https://tinyurl.com/ya2ddnsm
-LS1 to LS3/L92 stuff
-T56 / tunnel / hydroboost - http://tinyurl.com/hydrot56
-Projector HIDs in
-Speedhut gauges and GPS speedo -https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/1324170-l-q-9-ls1-71-chevelle-convertible-18.html
-E46 convertible front seats part 1 - http://tinyurl.com/BMW-front-seats
-04-06 GTO rear seats - http://tinyurl.com/gtorearseats
-Power window install - https://tinyurl.com/ybzz7pwx
-Kwik bracket - suck
-Holley vs Kwick AC bracket - http://tinyurl.com/zr6w6pp
-Holley HP EFI out, Speartech DBW in
-Motor mounts/ oil pan combo
-Neutral safety switch/ reverse lockout buttons - https://tinyurl.com/ydxjbvzj
-Steam vent V1
-Steam vent V2 -
-Anvil hood and deck lid
-Aeromotive tank and doing the vinyl wrap - http://tinyurl.com/Aeromotivetankandvinyl
-New Speedtech upper arms and AFX spindle - http://tinyurl.com/speedtecharms

Other links to useful sites and products will go down here, as well as things I wish had known sooner, such as "buy a good angle grinder day one" and "don't buy cheap tools". Seems obvious now but when I started I didn't know any better.

crosstraining

iTrader: (1)

Nice looking car. The interior looks mint! Good luck with the build, looks like it will be great one!

deelong4002

iTrader: (8)

Nice car!!

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

Does anyone know if you can powder coat belt tensioners or plastic intakes? I thought I had read that someone had done the intake but cannot find the thread again.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

Yes, you can power coat Intakes. someone on the forum had a thread about it before.

71ANTICARB

iTrader: (23)

Nice car. The 317 heads aren't bad heads they are basically 243's with bigger chambers so if you were considering the 243's you could just have the 317's milled down. Good luck keep us posted.

Jimbo1367

sweet looking car.

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

Hmm, I didn't know that. I'm on the fence about buying some l92 heads, but having to get the new intake, tb, etc etc is a pain and I'm not sure how much difference I would notice in lively around-town cruising. I've seen lots of dyno charts and stuff but most people focus on higher-rpm stuff that I just won't be seeing too often. Torque is what I'm shooting for. There are about a million ways to go from here it seems. Should have some kind of worthwhile update later in the week.

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

As far as I understand it, the l92s would be the torquier of the two, stock for stock, but theres tons of potential either way you go

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

Not so much swap related, but found some coupons on slickdeals for advance auto that are pretty good. I don't really buy parts there, but the store pickup is pretty easy for things like paint, fluids and the all-important cans of brake cleaner (I only recently learned how useful that stuff was). You can use each code once per address. Just as an aside, their website is hideous.

$15 BIG5 - ($5 off $15 or more) 33%
$25 BIG10 - ($10 off $25 or more) 40%
$50 A123 - ($20 off $50 or more) 40%
$75 BIG30 - ($30 off orders over $75) 40%
$100 BIG40 - ($40 off orders over $100) 40%
$200 BIG50 - ($50 off orders over $200) 25%
ANY P20 - (20% off all orders - no minimum) 20%

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

No real update as work has been terrible, but this weekend the 383 is getting pulled so at least that will be out of the way. Picking up the 243s with springs this weekend, and doing so is going to be cheaper than getting my 317s milled, assuming I can get $125 after shipping for them. A new intake is on the way and it came with a stock cablbe throttle body w/ sensors so I'll have that for sale as well.
Have found a 222/224 on 112 cam that I plan to buy, but need to pick up some head gaskets and I suppose new bolts as I've read the stock bolts are basically non reusable. MLS gaskets seem as good as anything, though I'm not quite sure what thickness to use, was thinking .060?
Back to the cam, how necessary is degreeing it? In my old 350 I never messed with it, but I want this done as correctly as possible.
Hope to have some pics of the first test-fit this weekend.

71ANTICARB

iTrader: (23)

What intake did you go with? What acc drive are you using?

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

My original truck intake was pretty beat up during the shipping, so I found a new one with the map and whatever other sensors on it and will be going with that. I have a cowl hood and based on a couple build threads I've read am not expecting any clearance issues. We'll see.
Going with the truck acc drive and a kwik a/c relocation bracket. Still need to turn up a smaller p/s pulley though. Hell, I still need to find a p/s pump. The alternator I bought came in today, beaten to **** (even the pulley was dented) and unusable.
On a more positive note a book I ordered from amazon "How to build and modify gm ls-series engines" also came in. Lots of pictures and at first glance looks good. I think someone on the forums here wrote it.

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

Well, after today it looks like there will be a slight change in plans. The 243s I went to pick up today turned out to be 241s, which while useful for the bump in compression don't otherwise really seem worth using for my purposes. They did however come with patriot dual gold springs and I bought them so my hour plus drive wouldn't be a complete waste. Will probably just sell the whole setup here though. Pictures are crap, using my phone as I just sold my dslr and sony nex5. [IMG][url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/21527394@N06/4985731250/][/u[/IMG]
Also, when walking past the car today I noticed this gem: Car had been out of the garage for two weeks for the first time in 9 months and that is what I get for it. Insurance guy is coming out this week to check it out, but $500 deductible minimum. Might have to get the whole thing repainted, which might not be a bad thing but it does tie up my money for sure. The money I was going to spend on heads, gaskets and bolts will now go to fixing the hit and run damage. Sadly OEM and the Goodmark quarters made from the GM dies are not cheap or plentiful anymore.
Anyway, here is my new and (not) improved shopping list:
-New oil pump
-LS2 timing chain
-Truck alt/ ps bracket and ps pump
-com xr275 220/224 112 cam
-1218 springs
-hardened pushrods
-bigger injectors, those from an 8.1 should suffice
-I don't want to use the spectra tank, but the huge b-body tank simply isn't an option. If it weren't giant and ugly it would be perfect though. I plan to call tanksinc to see what they might say about getting their pump in my stock tank
-hooker headers and mounts should round out the package
Hoping to find used things where reasonable and keep it as close to $1000 from here as possible. My 383 sold over weekend but I'd rather not spend any more of that "bonus" money than necessary.

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

Pretty much nothing done to the car for a while, I spent most of this morning running around to parts houses getting tools and picking up various parts. Get a steering joint from advance auto, part #200, to use for the grand cherorkee steering box swap and found two of the three intake cover pieces in a yard for cheap. Using the coupons listed above I got the rag joint, tons of paint and the dayco upper radiator hose mentioned in another thread for $75 after tax. Not bad.
Also got my p/s pulley off (that was a bitch) and realized I didn't have a socket big enough to get my crank pulley off. Had hoped to get my cam in today but I haven't slept in about a day so it can wait. I plan to test fit the motor this weekend then reassess my parts needs and start clearing out some old wiring. Here are some things I've collected over the last couple weeks.
Some hooker headers I scored on ebay for $225ish or so shipped:
[IMG][url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/21527394@N06/5060199299/][/url[/IMG]




They came with gaskets, bolts and O2 extensions. I guess they fit car sensors because they won't fit mine. If you need them they are yours for $25 shipped (the extensions that is, I need the gaskets and bolts).


These are the dirtydingo slider mounts. They space the engine up a bit and you can move it forward or back as much as you want (within reason). I'm planning on having a new drive shaft made anyway, but I like the idea of infinite adjustability in terms of engine placement.


On the block with energy suspension tall/ narrow mounts:


These are ford windstar fans in front of my stock chevelle radiator, several people on chevelles.com have mentioned using these so I picked some up. Roughly $70 shipped, new, on ebay. I just need to go clip some pigtails from a donor in a yard to get them wired up. These appealed to me because the fans are different sizes and this will help prevent them vibrating at the same frequencies, thus keeping noise down.



Spectra EFI tank, $360 from rockauto:



TR224 on 112:


As part of the day's shopping spree I grabbed a couple cans of epoxy spray paint and tested it out on the intake covers. Two light coats followed by one heavy coat and this stuff looks pretty good. I'm going to clear it in a few days but it looks good enough that I'm not planning to powder coat them any more.



I also bought an ls2 timing set and some new take off injectors from an 8.1. Still to get are some 7.425 pushrods and some returnless fuel rails. Part numbers, prices and places of purchase are being compiled, but I don't want to start posting stuff as gospel with this combo until I see if it is going to fit.

Jim_PA

iTrader: (9)

I picked up my brand new 243 heads from the GM dealership, $650 for the pair fully assembled. Sold the springs, retainers, seats on here for $40

Whatever you do, mill the heads at least to check for straightness before putting them back on.

Looks good!

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

I've completely given up on heads, at least for now. A cam and tune will hold me over for a couple years until I finish school.

kballs

iTrader: (1)

Are those a-body specific heads or are they for an f-body? I've been reading that 4th gen headers fit better than some swap headers.

chuckd71

iTrader: (23)

The headers are A-body specific. If my head bolts come in tomorrow I hope to get them on sunday. I've been delayed by a few weeks because of work and a last-minute decision to pull my current heads. I still needs some fuel rails and would like to pick up a new fuel pump while the tank is still dry.

Chevy406

iTrader: (12)

Nice build you have going on. I have a lot of 6.0 truck engine parts left over from the LQ4 that I started with, but it looks like you have most of what you need already. Maybe we will meet at an LSX event in the next year or so (assuming we both find time & energy to complete our projects). Keep up the progress and pictures.