ArtGle

Good Morning, SaxyVette, Glad to see you're coming along with your baby.
I've been 'collecting' 'stuff' over the winter for my own Beauty.
Today is the first time I'm going to her winter den and actually doing some real work on her. Transmission service and Engine Oil and Filter. Checking the driveshaft couplers through the access plates. Service the Intake Air Filters. As soon as this list is complete, I'm bringing her home to the driveway for the steering column fix and the headlights installation. I'm thinking I might just swap the Balancer from the 19K motor to the existing motor until I'm ready to do the swap, because if memory serves me, I think I recall a nervous wobble in the existing one. The replacement engine will get the new balancer and 'pinned' at the same time.
You have a Great Day..... I'm going to try to also.

SaxyVette

Thanks Art, you're gonna have a new sled by the time you're done..

..now about that balancer thing, gotta admit I could use one myself, my Black Beast has caused me a nervous wobble or two already.

ArtGle

I would think that having yours all apart, from what it sounds like, that you'd be VERY SMART to go ahead with it NOW. Kinda scarey to think that after all that work you'd let a potential BOMB stay under the hood.
I'm nervous just driving mine the 20+ miles from "THERE TO HERE" with it.
But I'll give it a serious look-see prior to the drive.
If mine looks 'Really Scarey', I'll have the car flat-bedded home for the replacement.
My mechanical past has seen some HORRIFIC examples of balancers going bad. And they weren't even Vettes.
"Ain't Happenin'"...

73Corvette

Good job, keep whacking away!

ArtGle

Use your smart phone.... Just give us a 'taste'.
Here's mine in storage, taken just the other day.
Also the air bag / horn that I have to reinstall.
AND, of course, THE MAIN COURSE of my summer....
(aside from DRIVING)
The ENGINE!!!!! YAY!!!

ArtGle

And the Breathless Headlights that I "SCORED" off Craigslist this past winter, waiting for paint and installation.

Another YAY

SaxyVette

Art I hear ya..I'll try to get my camera back online today.I recently had computer issues and lost my photo program.

Btw, nice scores on your parts.

Also I PM'd to merge my other "Low Buck Lives" thread but no response yet. I'll try that again too.

SaxyVette

Art I was talking about the balancer in my Brain for when the vette screws up and the resulting mental wobbles..

Hopefully the actual motor balancer in mine is in good shape.

Here's a few pics, the shop was closed but I peeked under the hood.

Pics don't do the block justice, the cylinder walls look real good.

I'll try for more pics today and maybe get the head numbers, I'm curious myself what they are.

SaxyVette

OK a few more..that's it 'til she's runnin'

SaxyVette

She's DONE...after a couple hiccups I picked up the car last night from the shop.

I only got to drive a short distance back to my house..but my first brief impression of the motor, a slightly bumpier idle, I didn't WOT hammer it yet, but the normal acceleration feels really powerful, almost turbine like. Different and stronger feel from before for sure.

She's on a trickle charge this morning as my battery according to the shop needs replaced.

Once I have my coffee and return to the land of the living I'll take the car out today for a real test drive....

dharmadan

That's great! Cheers!

(Any guesses why failure in 10-20k miles?)

2CRUZIN

Great news Saxy. Keep the updates coming. We are all pulling for you. Hope you get many more trouble free miles out of your beast. You sir are a true Corvette guy. Good luck.

SaxyVette

Got just a few miles on the car today, still running strong. Took a 10 mi blast down the highway and a cruise around town. Feels like a monster. Idle is a bit lumpy but not bad. I called the mech to let him know how good it was running, he did mention it's a performance cam. Also he commented perhaps a computer tuning would make it even better. He said plugs are fresh and wires look fine..

Then I couldn't resist, stopped by the watering hole and showed it to the gang..dirt and all

OK first test over..now it's sitting dusty and fingerprinted in my driveway..

time to break out the detail bucket and take a real cruise..

nullpointer

NICE!!! You should ask him specs on the cam

SaxyVette

Will do, I'll probably have to write it down..He provided me with all the parts receipts, maybe I'll learn something once I review them.

Beautiful day for a cruise. I gave the Beast a quickie clean with the Cali duster some spray detail and windex..heading over to "Cars and Coffee" here in Henderson..

cheers, gang

SaxyVette

After driving today the car still needs some fine tuning. She'll be going back to the shop on Mon..gotta go see the computer guy.

The cam we got thru AZ but Jegs sells the same stuff. The cam is Melling MC1317 it's listed as "high performance" at Jegs.

Specs I don't know.

rjwz28

MC1317
INT. 197 282 .292 .496 123
EXH. 209 290 .292 .496 116

It's similar to stock, more aggressive than a 2002 F-body, and less aggressive than the LS6 cam

Congrats!

SaxyVette

Thanks, sounds like a fine cam..great for me, stock is plenty quick enough..!

I do hafta confess I'm still sweating over this tuning business a little bit..

well the next couple of days should tell the story.

SaxyVette

Turns out I need new plug wires, mine look like the orig's, that's next on the list.

I have a thread in the tech section about the cam adventures, if you're interested check it out for a fun read.

Found a local dealership that has a good vette guy able to handle the final tuning,

Should be an interesting week.

SaxyVette

Plug wires are replaced. took a test around town..much better than before, running quite bit stronger and smoother, the idle is still pretty bumpy.

Couldn't get a real hwy test in yet. Rush hour madness and the wind is blowin' like 50 mph.

As I said I'm taking the car in this week to the Chevy DS for the final computer tune. Hopefully that's it.

Say a prayer for me Fella's