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The suspension was installed around 2002 by a shop. It probably has 10,000 street miles. The connectors are .083” wall. DSE, by contrast, has a set in .120”.
The plan is to fix this (with help from a buddy who is a much better welder than me) and start saving in earnest for a four-link.
Very similar to my rear spring perch issue. I also thought about going 4 link, but I didn't want to take the car off the road for along time again. I like your plan. BTW I was looking at the posts from last winter and started laughing about the engineer conversation. I am a Mechanical Engineer as well.
I'm picking up some 1/8" plate to make L-brackets, and pulling the connectors to fix. Surely good, strong welds would keep me on the road until I get the 4-link rocking later this year.
I took the opportunity to make a couple mods to the car. First, the first step in a new intake setup, with help from LS70SS. This is step one to fiberglassing the giant hole in the underside of the hood. Next steps will be to 'glass a filter box to sit atop the engine.
I also took inspiration from Clint, and am remote-mounting my coils. I initially planned to build my own, but found that spacers alone would cost me $43 (aluminumspacers.com). So I instead bought an ICT Billet mounting set for $50. I also found that MSD want $160(!) for remote-mount wire set; however, I was able to find another MSD universal set for half that, with $18 Taylor LS-style ends for the coils. I'm currently soldering the harnesses together, and still deciding whether I want to mount the coils on the firewall or someplace else. I'm open to suggestions.
Are you using 8mm wire? I bought the Taylor 46069 terminals for the coil end of the plug wires and they would not fit the MSD 8.5mm wire - I'm not really sure they'd fit 8mm wire either. I ended up using MSD 3304. There is info here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...l#post19333751
I'll tell you the firewall mounted coils is the most common thing people point out and complement when I lift the hood. I'm pretty happy with them back there. They also don't look too bad mounted on the inner fender just above the control arms.
Also, for what it's worth, the C6 master is the same 1" bore as on the nova. I did the master cylinder strictly for looks, weight savings, and valve cover clearance, and it isn't necessary for the swap.
I read into this a bit and while I think you can technically use a stock master, there are a few considerations. First if it's drum/drum or even disc/drum, there will be residual valves installed on the drum ports that should be removed otherwise they will hold some residual pressure on the line at all times and cause the discs to drag (this is done on drums to "ready" the shoes). Second the fluid capacity is not setup for the needs of filling a disc brake caliper and accommodate over time for the wear of the pads, so you have to keep a close eye on fluid. On a disc/drum application, the stock master has a larger front reservoir than the rear for this reason.
I like the idea of using the C6 master and booster. Thanks for pointing that out. I may replicate your setup. Do you know if 1/2" studs can be installed in the drum hub?
Id put the coils AWAY from sight. Ive seen a lot of guys just reuse their stock wires and drop the coils below the exhaust. Next to the engine mounts or at pan height. I dont have any pics hosted but if you do a search on them youll find many pics.
The coils have always been the most discussed part of the ls engine, they are really not a thing thats generally called a +.
If not that, i really like the set up by Pro Form. The valve covers AND the coils relocating brackets. Very nice looking!!
But the out of sight solves the problem often on the cheap if youre handy.
I considered and even mocked up putting mine on the block down low where they couldn't be seen, but decided against it due to heat. I also kinda like having them on display there in the back, but this is definitely a matter of personal preference.
One thing I will say about having them out back and pointed down is that the wires are pretty hard to get on and off on a few of those. due to the tight space (my engine is 1/2" setback). I bought a set of plug wire pliers (OEMTOOLS 25542) that helped a ton with getting them on and off.
I took the opportunity to make a couple mods to the car. First, the first step in a new intake setup, with help from LS70SS. This is step one to fiberglassing the giant hole in the underside of the hood. Next steps will be to 'glass a filter box to sit atop the engine.
Can't wait to see what you come up with. Are you going to do anything with the intake manifold or throttle body or will your new intake have a U-bend coming off the throttle body?
I put them on the fenders, but wasn't enamored with the additional harness wiring I'd need to run. I'll look into hiding them, but they're currently temporarily mounted to the firewall, slightly off-kilter to the pasenger side due to my harness connectors and the engine.
Edit: snapped a photo.
As for the intake, I will likely add to the current setup (shown below for reference). I'm thinking I would add another elbow in place of the air filter, then bring it around to a box sitting on top of the intake. I've also found 180° silicone hoses, which may work at a slight angle (say, 10 o'clock forward looking aft).
Last edited by hookemdevils22; 01-10-2018 at 11:43 AM.
Got it back on the ground and running. We welded a piece of 12 or 14 gauge steel to the inside of each subframe connector at the holes, then laid over them a piece of 1/8” square tubing cut into an L. After careful measurement and alignment, the crossmember was tacked into place under the car, removed and fully welded. It should last until I pull it out for a better suspension.
The coils turned out pretty well, and I’m only waiting on the hood at this point.
I also noticed that I earlier mentioned that the C6 and Nova master cylinders both have a 1” bore. That is incorrect: the Nova master is 1 1/8” with power, 1” with manual brakes.
Last edited by hookemdevils22; 01-15-2018 at 09:13 AM.
Reason: tidy up
That's the plan. I'd like to try smoothing them out, but haven't decided on a color; red would make them pop a bit, but I've been really subdued with every other component on the car. Regardless, I would like to keep the ridges in natural aluminum.
I'm glad you asked... driving season is quickly coming to a close, though I hope that a radiator upgrade in the vein of frojoe will extend it well into the triple digits. It performs admirably all things considered, but can't keep up with AC on at 115° (that's mid-40s, Joe).
The hood was essentially done this past weekend, but I really screwed the pooch when installing my C6 master cylinder: the bracket I made has way too much angle. It wasn't a big deal with the hood previously, but adding material to the underside resulted in it hitting the reservoir. So I've designed new brackets, which I need to trace/cut/bend. I'll send you a PDF when I get it right.
That said, I still drive it extensively. My door reseal didn't properly address the driver's window regulator (it still rattles like crazy, despite my attempt to replace the roller), so I'm replacing that shortly. There's also a rattle under the passenger side of the dash that drives me crazy at highway speeds, which I need to find for my sanity.
I'm also going to design a cowl intake box for real this time, now that the underside of the hood is closed off. I'll need some opinions on the design and intake tube routing.
I've otherwise turned my focus onto a Kawasaki KZ750/4 that's currently in pieces in my garage.
When I was parts hunting I came across some DSE brackets made exactly for the problem you've having. I'm sure you could make them - but if you're looking for something quick they're available and only around $25.
DUDE you're awesome. I'm buying ASAP. That'll save me some time for sure. And the driving season isn't short by any means - I can drive year-round, it just gets more difficult from July through September.
Here's my rear belt setup, per our discussion on your build. Don't mind the indentations from child seats. I couldn't find covers like the Morris, but they don't look bad. The only reason I used the center was because it's attached to one of the receiver brackets. I don't know how much I trust the anchor plate against 18ga sheet metal, so I will likely make a larger bracket with reliefs for the underside of the package tray. I also grabbed a LATCH upper tether that I plan to recess into the tray (it's 1/4" thick MDF, not OEM cardboard).
12-28-2017, 11:38 AM
