Yeah, I was thinking about that as I was installing them. Seems like a poor place for the knock sensors but I will figure something out as I get the engine in. Thanks for the heads up!

It is a rust preventative, most people use it for painting rear-ends. It's super durable and flexible. Not exactly cheap, but compared to what it was going to cost me to have my rear powdercoated it was the much cheaper alternative. Most people actually use it to paint directly over areas that are already rusted to prevent further rust! Bonds very well.

http://www.por15.com/

 

The whole build looks great man! Can't wait to build one some day. Will everything work off the stock PCM and harness? Of course it'll need tuning, but was just wondering if the harness will reach everything. The new TSP 1 7/8th" headers would be bad *** between those shock towers!

 

Thanks for the kind words. I never thought I would be building one this soon, but **** does happen, haha.

The only things that wouldnt reach would be the new cam sensor, and the knock sensors that are relocated to the sides of the block. However, TSP provides you with a extension harness for these items. Stock PCM is good to go.

Yes, thats the one thing I havent upgraded yet and may hurt me at the track/dyno. I am still running pacesetter 1 3/4" headers with an ORY & electric cutout.

Im not overly worried about it tho, cause being that I didnt skimp out anywhere on the motor, I can upgrade the exhaust anytime. So Im satisfied with how I did things.

 

any updates on this bad boy?

 

I installed the head dowel pins on the block today, aswell as the transmission dowel pins. Also pluged in the crank sensor. I ordered some stainless buttonhead bolts for the valley cover since I had a few that were looking rough/striping. They should be here Monday I was told. Cost me a total of like 15$ for them. My options were the correct amount of stainless ones for 15$, or a minimum purchase of a box of 50 of the regular ones, for 22$. Since I didnt need 50 of them, I figured the stainless are nicer anyways and it turned out cheaper being I could get only the amount I needed. In case anyone wants/needed to know they are M8 bolts, 30mm long and 1.25 pitch. Just a regular buttonhead bolt.

Also since I couldnt find a decently priced engine lifting plate anywhere that isnt backordered until eternity, I gave my buddy the valley cover plate off my old LS1 and he custom built me a lifting plate with 3 different lifting locations from center front and back. I tried it out and a couple holes were just off a tiny bit so I cleaned them up with a die grinder and now it bolts on excellent.

I also installed the oil pan pickup tube, and clayed the bottom of the pan and put it on with the new gasket. Mic'd the clay after and I got just over 6mm of clearance. Which works out to about a quarter of an inch. Which from what I am told, is just at the lower end of the scale as far as safe allowable clearance is concerned. I wasnt too enthused about that, but I did put three washers on the ARP main studs so that the windage tray would clear the ARP rod blots. I even had to grind at the hole on the pickup tube bracket for it to get back onto the main stud, and then held it there with the supplied nut.

My heads and cam/valvetrain should be arriving shortly and I will be ready to drop the shortblock into the engine, wire everything up, and then complete the upper half of the engine install. Then fire this thing up and see how she sounds! Give or take 2-3 weeks I guess.

I also yesterday installed a set of polyeurathane motor mounts. I was going to go with solid mounts, but I plan on getting a complete k-member next season with solid motor mounts built in so no use in buying them twice. The poly inserts were a quick and cheap alternative, my rubber mounts were shot!

Only thing I dont like about the mounts is the fact that apparently the one side of the mount is to be held closed with a tie wrap? I dont like this idea and will be isntalling a couple short bolts in the leftover holes with some loc-tite.

I'll take pictures of them completed shortly and post them up so you can see what I mean, I will then paint them I think with some POR-15 quickly just until next year.

Pics soon!

 

awesome man! What type of power you expecting to make with this setup? You think ur going to need any drivetrain upgrades such as tranny (because 4L60E is garb) and a new rear end? As for the motor mounts, i put prothane mounts in my car and there was no zip ties, i just had to cut the old ones open, slide the new mounts inside the brackets and bolt em back together. And i guess your not going to be making it to the drags at the airport next week here in North Bay? Thats a bummer but at least you should be ready for the earlton drags!

 

Well I havent updated the thread much lately, I still have the pics from when I replaced the motor mounts, and of the engine lifting plate my buddy made me, so I figured I would post them up today.


Ya, the stock rubber was pretty pooched! lol

Not a bad job on a ghetto plate if I do say so myself, bolts up nicely.

The Play-Doh I used to clay the pickup in relation to the bottom of the pan, lol.

I have since painted the mounts with some POR-15 and I found some nice short bolt and nut combo I will loctite on the clamshell to keep it fastened.

Plus heads & valvetrain etc have been shipped. They look like they will arrive any day now!

 

Im not sure on the power really, I wont have an optimum setup for large numbers on a dyno with my a4, big stall, and M9 rear. Plus I plan on getting tuned on a Mustang dyno. My biggest concern is just doing it properly to get an awesome number at the track.

I did have my trans rebuilt a couple years ago with supposedly some of the best and strongest parts available. (heres hoping it holds)

Well after I drilled out the rivets on my mounts, there was nothing to hold them back together and the kit came with zip ties.

No, I didnt make it to the North Bay drags, but Earlton is where I plan on being this year. Really looking forward to it, and looking forward to maybe seeing you there in a new car?!

 

Looks like your on the road to recovery and doing well.

Good Job!

 

looks good man cant wait to see it when its said and done.

 

I got the oilpan on this week, after having to "clearance" the baffle on the bottom because my pickup tube was getting caught under it being that it is kind of sitting in a different location now that I added the washer on the windage tray and opened the bolt hole up on the arm that holds the pickup tube steady. All is well, I didnt take pictures though cause it wasnt pretty haha.

Got the rear cover on aswell and put in a new rear main seal (Federal Mogul) After reading some horror stories online of new design main seals and deciding wether or not to bother putting a new one in. However Matt@TSP said its still better than the stocker and to do it while its out. So its torqued down with the new seal. Also torqued the flywheel onto the rear of the crankshaft.

I put my old camshaft in the shortblock and bolted up my new dual timing chain to it and mock fit the new timing cover just so everything would be flush(pan/rear cover/front cover) upon getting the new cam. I will just have to remove the cover and undo the chain and throw in the new cam once it arrives shortly. Otherwise the shortblock is now done.

UPDATE:

Also just got my AFR225 heads in today, along with the Crane shaft mount rocker system, solid roller lifters and 8" pushrods. Just missing the cam now and I will be ready to complete the long block.

I'll have pics of the new parts and updated work completed, hopefully this evening. Things are looking good.

 

and the Crane shaft mounts

 

Plus I figured this was pic worthy lol. I cracked the starter solenoid at the plastic terminals so had to buy a new one. Only 15$ so I wont complain, its new now.

 

keep those pictures coming... because im doing exact same **** next week . the only difference is that i will be doing it in my livingroom

 

I 2nd that. This thread will help a lot of people out.

 

Thanks guys. That was alot of the motivation behind it. Being that I had to hunt for any info I found in different locations and that this is becoming a pretty popular build. Figured Id post anything signifigant in one location for others. The kind of stuff I liked looking at before my build. ls2 bait's thread, etc.

 

Hey no updates ? ??

 

Ya, a not so great one. Spent the last two days trying to get the engine in. Only to find out there is some possibld damage on my Yank torque converter because it will not spline onto the transmission.

I borrowed a brand new stock converter from a buddy who runs a shop and it goes onto the trans almost instantly.

So I guess I have to contact Yank on Monday and see if I can get it looked at and hopefully doesnt take too long

 

Just jumped in on this build.....

As fas a the conveter, as soon as I saw the engine on the hoist with the converter still attached to the engine, I was like "oh boy"! I'm supprised that the engine was easy to come out with it still attached! Good thing is that the input shaft on the tranny is still go, converter man can cut it open and fix converter.

Any transmission OR engine that I've ever taken out the with converter attached has always been a pain in the rear to work with. Most of those was because I came in after someone else and got those awesome bolts that was ROUNDED off at the head, and had a ball getting those out!

btw......Love the build, I know the pocket book is feeling it!

David

 

yep, killed that conveter trying to drag it out with the engine.

put the damper on before you tighten the front cover bolts, and also tighten the front cover bolts before you tighten the front oil pan bolts.

if you dont let the damper allign the front cover it will f the seal and leak.