evo462

iTrader: (27)

Made a little bit of progress, I worked late a few nights this week and it put a damper on my will to work on the car after work.

I got my BMR turbo K member, it's real purdy:



Pulled off my heads, cleaned them up a bit, then installed the Patriot valve springs:



Primed my LS6 intake manifold, will be painting it red with leftover paint from my hood/spoiler:



I hope to get the LS6 cam and ARP head studs installed tonight or tomorrow. I want to get the engine back together and the accessories on so I know just how much room there is to work with when I fab up the hot side.

I still need to get two flanges for my C6 exhaust manifolds before I can start welding, so hopefully next week.

I got a dual in-tank Walbo fuel pump setup in the mail this week, my 4L80e rebuild kit should be here soon, so I think it'll all start coming together fast in the coming couple weeks!

1badWS6

iTrader: (32)

Looking good man. I'm looking forward to some more progress!

evo462

iTrader: (27)

Not a WHOLE lot of progress, unfortunately. I got my stock K member/suspension back on the car so I can roll it in the garage, springtime is coming and midwest thunderstorms like to drop hail on us.

I am bound and determined to get the engine + accessories reinstalled by THIS WEEKEND - I need to start welding and want to have all the "extras" in place so I know what I need to weld around to keep the AC.

I did manage to get the engine up on the stand (where I will be doing my welding), LS6 cam, and head studs installed. Got the timing cover back on, and at the last minute my better judgment kicked in and I decided to go ahead and upgrade the timing chain/sprockets and a Katech LS6 oil pump. I'll have to pull the timing cover back off and do that whole swap, but I thought it was worth the peace of mind since my car has 80k on it.

I also go my intake manifold painted with some paint leftover from my hood/spoiler. So hopefully I'll be welding this weekend!









I'm lucky my brother is a painter...

evo462

iTrader: (27)

I got a lot accomplished today, just about ready to start welding (finally).

Installed/upgraded today:
LS6 cam
Ported LS6 oil pump
LS2 timing chain
LS9 head gaskets
80lb injectors
Texas Speed hardened pushrods
new intake manifold gaskets (the others had red paint on them and felt dried out, I figured for $23, it was worth it to do it now vs later)

I have a few accessories to put back on so I can better see exactly what I'll need to route around when fabbing up the turbo hot plumbing. I need to get the K member bolted up and I'll be ready to go.

4L80e rebuild parts received (finally) and dropped off with the builder, all I have left to order is the torque converter, 4L80e crossmember, some sort of pusher fans, gauges (boost, air/fuel, trans temp) and the misc parts I'll need for the T56 to auto swap.

So if anyone has 4th Gen F-body pedals, graphite center console, and an LS1 flexplate, I'm interested (though I'll probably go with a TCI SFI approved flexplate to be honest).

Oh...and new wheels/tires are on the way.

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

Looks good man! I wish i wouldve used the C6 manifold, atleast on the passenger side, i wouldve kept the AC, oh well. Cant wait to start seeing the welding pics

Blownz28man

iTrader: (2)

Looks good! Yea welding up all the pipes is the fun part. When you hope to have her done?

evo462

iTrader: (27)

When do I hope to have it done...hmm...that's a good question

I want to have my car back together for a local cruise on May 7th...I don't know if that's a realistic goal anymore. Everything has taken a lot longer than I have expected (delays in getting parts, getting scammed a couple times, blah blah blah) so I don't really know anymore. May 7th is about 5 weeks away, and I'm doubting my ability to finish by then.

C6 exhaust manifold on the passenger side, truck manifold on the driver's side. I might dump the wastegate to atmosphere instead of into the downpipe though.

MillsMotorvation

Looking good!

BLINGOLE

iTrader: (5)

Is that downpipe going to go under the arm/k member area on the drivers side? i have the same setup and build. i just have my downpipe pointed down and dumped since i didnt think there would be room. plus i didnt want to go under the k memeber incase i had a wheelstand at the track.

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

That is a good looking Kit! I will Def. be jealous Best of luck man!

evo462

iTrader: (27)

Made a fair amount of progress since my last update...probably the most significant would be that I learned how to use that MIG welder I've had in my garage for close to two months. I took a 4 foot section of straight 2.5" exhaust pipe, cut it up into a bunch of ~2 inch sections, and welded it all back together. Round surfaces are a little more difficult to learn how to weld on due to having to compensate for angle and distance as you work your way around the pipe, but I feel I have a pretty good grasp of it now. Enough so that I felt confident enough to start chopping up my mandrel bends and today I spent a little bit of time starting my turbo plumbing.

I installed a spare steering rack on my tubular K member so that I could plumb around the steering linkage (particularly for the down pipe). I also have a spare UMI swaybar that I tried mocking up in approximately the location it would be when installed in the car. My goal is to keep the swaybar, keep the A/C, and keep the stock radiator location.

Anyway, nothing special, but I started on the passenger side and called it a day. I hope to make A LOT more progress tomorrow. I need to find a way to support my turbo in the approximate install location so I know where to merge it all up (any suggestions are appreciated!).

Mostly just tacking it together right now.







Got my oil pan tapped for a -10 AN turbo drain on the passenger side.



I wanted to get some drag radials since I figured the Z-rated tires on my ZO6 wheels probably wouldn't handle the power, so I sold the ZO6 wheels/tires and got these instead, which already had drag radials installed.





Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs, adjustable LCA arms, relocation brackets, and an adjustable panhard bar will round out the rear suspension. Hopefully the stock 10 bolt rear holds up through this year, I don't have the money for another one right now. May look into a Ford 8.8 rear at some point since I have my own welder now and could do the modifications necessary myself.

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

Nice work Man! So did those Flanges work out for ya ok then?? By the way, Im COMPLETELY JEALOUS of the c6 manifolds, i really really wish i wouldvd went that direction from the start, Especially after doing a plug swap this evening!

Anyway, best of luck man, Looking really good!

trenaman

remember e85 out of the pump has different levels of E in it at different times of the year.. you tune it for E85 and you put E70 "but it is still labeled E85 at the pump" you could have detonation issues.. I am sure you probably know this already..

Good luck!!

evo462

iTrader: (27)

Yep, fit perfect! Thanks again!

The C6/truck manifold setup is pretty slick, I like it. Makes plumbing around the A/C on the passenger side do-able, and the location of the flange for the truck manifold on the driver's side is nearly a straight shot down to the turbo merge. The passenger side took some "figurin' out" to get all the angles right to go over the steering rack and under the swaybar, but it wasn't too bad.

Yep, I know. I might get a tester, but I'm "only" shooting for 550 RWHP, maybe 600, so I am hoping I won't have to get real crazy with the PSI or timing to reach that goal, based off of the results of other people's builds.

trenaman

Hank Peabody

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like 600whp should be pretty doable with all this stuff and e85, the turbo setup looks great!

skinnies

iTrader: (33)

Do you run e85? It's funny everyone worries about this, we had a local car a few months ago make 1100+ rwhp on the winter blend E70. We've never had any problems with it in several cars with junkyard motors also making ~700rwhp.

trenaman

lol, I have so many builds.. I will leave it at this.. YES... funny right? congrats on your junkyard builds, I know nothing about them..

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

Nothing a little re tune cant fix. The good news, they are generally pretty consistent. No worries.

I always buy from the same station, or same chain. Always Meijer E85 as its the most abundant. I very cant recall one time of getting something different then what i paid for.

Not to mention, if you just ask, they will tell you when the make the switch.

evo462

iTrader: (27)

Made a lot of progress today! I still have to go back and do permanent welds, but I'm pretty pleased with myself (especially considering I have never "fabricated" anything before and haven't been welding long at all). Should clear the swaybar, DOES clear the A/C compressor, and should keep the radiator in the stock location (will probably require pusher fans). I know some of the welds are less than pretty, still learning/getting the welder dialed in for thicker metal (flanges), but they're strong welds and that's all I care about. It'll be wrapped in titanium heat wrap anyway.

I still need to cut a hole in the merge for my wastegate and do the downpipe...but I need to rest first heh.

Things I'll do differently next time - make the merge first. Secondly, I will start at one end (manifold) and build my way across to the other end. I built provisions off of each flange first, finishing on the driver's side, and it was a challenge finding the perfect pieces to "close the gap". Had I waited to do the driver's side flange, it would have been a breeze.