FIANLLY got her together and started her after being up on blocks since last March! It is crazy how many other things in life get in the way ..... wife, kid wrecking jeep, wife, hockey, wife, more hockey, rebuilding jeep, hockey injury, wife....etc...

Anyway, if I knew how to post a pic I would....I detailed my engine bay after installing a TR 224 cam, upgraded fuel pump, bigger injectors, LS (?) manifold...2 I think...it HAS been a long time, water temp, oil temp, new clutch, updated oil pump, cable mod, new timing chain, LS6 PCV system, polishing A/C lines and condenser and valve covers, computer tuning, etc....etc....

I used http://www.ls1howto.com/ for a lot of the install info... BIG thanks to JmX for his articles!!!

2 amusing tales to tell during the install months..... I used both the TDC and pressurized cylinder to change the springs out...things were going well, but slow....on one of the springs, as I was pushing down on the valvespring compression tool to remove the keepers, I found the origional keepers and springtop were wedged on there pretty good! So I pushed hard on the spring compressor and acrually broke the pressure seal holding the valve up!!! The keepers flew off into the lower engine areas (this happened twice!!) and the valve disapeared down its hole into the cylinder.... I said.....! I felt...well....there is not much to loose so since I was already near TDC anyway I went to the crank and SLOWLY turned it....lo and behold the valve stem came back up in the guide....I was so happy I could-a Sh**...almost did when the pressure which was still being delivered to the cylinder pushed the valve up to the seat with a BIG pop!!

The other memorable story was the 2 piece bottom gear for my timing set... When you installed the oil pump 'gear' onto the front of the already installed timing chain sprocket on the crank...you cover up to alignment dot.....!!! I had to press the oil-drive BACK off to confirm the dot was at 12 o'clock...I marked that tooth with white paint so I would know where the dot was from there on....

When I initially started her back up the exhaust gasket was not sealed on the passenger side.....nice hammer-cam I said.....but I did not buy a hammer cam.....and why is the noise coming from the passenger exhaust area...accompanied with a nice plume of exhaust (I thought it was oil burn-off, at first...!)

Everything appears to be going as planned and operating as expected...except I was greeted with a nice oil puddle under the oil filter after each test running of the engine..... I traced the leak to the block of aluminum right above the oil filter....the removable block that I had drilled and tapped for the oil temp sender about 8 months ago.....I'll take it off tomorrow and see if I split it with the sender when tightening it in....

Othe than that.....the exhaust note through my SLP longtubes and loudmouth is sweeeeeeet!! And I can hardly wait to drive her as there are gears in the rear, too....

So,,,....how DO I post a pic of the enginebay??

 

First off congrats! Mine was down for 8 months and when we started it up at mdnight after working 16 hours straight ( new motor, see sig and pics ) it was sooo worth it.

If you have the pic on your PC, you will need to resize it to no larger than 100kb. Then attach it via the 'go advanced' tab below for your reply and browse to your PC for the location. To resize pics, I use microsoft picture editor, comes with MS Office.

 

congrats I can relate.Ihave awife two mortgages bills etc car doesn't always make it on the top of the priority list;although I would like to it just takes more time for some of us.

 

Well...I foud the oil leak...seems that when I drilled and tapped the removable block-off plate which is above the oil filter, I screwed the oil sender in...but, thinking I might split the aluminum block-off I did not tighten the sender very much...not enough, it turns out since the leak was coming from there. Easy fix....lots of time because my headers interferr with the block-off's bolts....!

Got her inspected today.....back on the road again!! She feels pretty good...quicker than before...but a year has a way of dulling the senses...plus, I need to break-in all the new components befoer REALLY wringing her out....

I think I figured out how to upload pix...easier that remember it being last time I tried...

 

Viper.....

Nice looking new engine....I wish I had sprung for the AFR heads when I had her apart.....I did the cam and intake....updated oil pump, larger injectors, tuning, upgraded fuel pump, just about everything short of new heads!....maybe after I break her again....heheheh...a new plan begins to hatch.....little does she suspect ;-)

 

Where'd you get that cluster that holds a gauge? I had no idea those were available.

 

Got an A-piller single gauge pod and started cutting....The pod was on the wall at Advance Auto for something like $20....I figured my biggest investment would be the new gauge cluster bezel if I hosed it up...!
When I removed the gauge cluster bezel I also removed the little clips on its back so I could test-fit it without the clips. When I had the pod cut to fit in the area by the skip shift light I needed a plastic backing to screw to the pod and then to the dash to hold it in place. I was going to go to a hobby store for some plastic when I spied some old cassette boxes I was throwing away and used one of them instead! It was not one of the clear ones...they are brittle...it was an old black plastic one...much more flexable. The cassette box was drilled and screwed to the pod and then I drilled the dash support beside the radio and gauge cluster to firmly mount it.
After cutting a little at a time to make sure I got the cutouts right I still needed something to trim it out....smooth the cuts..
The gauge pod rests against the clear lense of the gauge cluster. I cut a large grommet and used it to trim out the rear of the gauge pod. The cut in the gauge cluster cover was trimmed out with some door edge guard.

I'm pretty happy with it. Thanks for noticing...I'm pretty proud of this little detail.
Autometer should make a mold like this as it is in a pretty viewable area to the driver through the steering wheel and does not interfere with any gauges or take up a vent port.. (here in Virginia I like my A/C in the summer!)

 

Nice mod, definitely some good work. I sacrificed my a/c when the 408 went in and I wanted to clean up the bay a bit. Of course, I rarley use A/C, even when it's excruciatingly hot. I owe it all to my first car, an Acura Integra, which taught me never to use the A/C if I wanted to be able to get up hills. Now I've just grown accustomed