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After reading this article I realized the LS6 cam I currently have is far from the best choice. Hopefully I found a LS7 cam for sale from a fellow forum member.
And yesterday I wrapped my cam deal, the LS7 cam is on it's way. I should go pick it up at the border beginning of next week, as well as a starter (forgot that one doh), and a Z-bar stud adapter as I plan to keep the mechanical clutch linkage.
Ok, took longer that planned, but the engine is finally done.
After receiving my LS7 cam (thank you mggray87 !), I tried install it only to discover I borked the cam bearing install. So I caved in, took everything apart again and let the work to competent people, namely the shop that did the boring. Once again big thank to Moteur Ultra for the cheap and good work.
Among the update, there is the double cam chain, the LS2 chain damper and the cam bolt lock plate. The one I don't have picture of is the LS6 valley cover, with integrated PCV oil baffles.
Here is it. I'm not sure this accessories setup will fit....
Notice the fitting tapped into the water pump for the vapor line.
Crank pulley installation was no joke, torquing a sacrificial bolt to 240lbs to make it seat was quiet a workout.
All I need now (beside sorting out the wiring harness grounds and VCC) it to find hose for the vapor line and the PCV.
Exhaust collector studs were all bent and stuck. Since GM canada want 20$ for a single of those studs, I made up a mine.
Mini cat are fitting in nicely, which is normal since the pan and the exhaust are coming for the same car.
One concern tho, I tested where my clutch Zbar stud adaptor is supposed to land and this does not bode well. Look like the manifold are right in the way. *sigh*, what will this mean? headers or hydraulic clutch?
One note : I had problems with my cometic head gasket, one of the low rivet that keeps the layers together was interfering, I had to drill it out. According to the internet I'm definitely not the first one to experience this.
So this time every bolt got the proper torque/grease/rtv/whatnot.
Next step is finishing the harness and preparing the removal of the SBC.
Good progress were made this week.
I"ve cut the MAF sensor wire to length and wrapped it.
Also got the little plug on the back of the passenger valve cover, one of the last piece of the PCV crank upgrade.
In the back I've got the oil pressure sensor in, I'm also done with the wrapping of the wires. All the corrugated tube is the actual stuff, straight from the scrapyard, It's cheaper, it much better quality than the flimsy cheap auto store stuff.
Problem is it comes dirty, and the camera flash tells me some haven't been properly washed, if any. I'll probably give the whole engine a good cleanup once it's all plugged air tight.
Now I realize I'm king of concerned about wrapping up the loom with some cheap electrical tape. It doesn't stand the heat and get slimy/goo-y/sticky as it ages, I think I'm gonna try to find better adhesive for that job. I really like the fabric style I've found in scrapped cars loom.
Now the meat of this week job, wrapping up the loom. Not entirely done yet, I still have the ODBII port to plug, along with the clutch switch, the tach signal, the engine check lite and the oil pressure signal.
I bought a 'cripple-it-yourself' fuse-relay box.
And finally found a double fan setup that's just the size of my radiator, comes from a Sebring.
I went ahead of tubing problem and installed a straight water neck.
I revised the plumbing of the vapor lines as they were rubbing the throttle cable arm. Also installed the just received tube you can see in the back, which is the last piece of the PCV puzzle.
I'll clean those hose clamp from the scrapyard someday, no much time for it right now.
Not comes the 'fun' part, wiring the OBDII port, hook up the PCM programmer and see if those two are willing to talk.
3M makes various grades electrical tape. Much better than the cheap stuff.
Mike
Thanks for the tip.
I'm sure you're right, I used other 3M products for the Vette in the past and they were all excellent.
Problem is finding those. You gotta go to specialist retailers at the other side of the city and you're often greated with an hefty markup.
With my fulltime daytime job and my limited funds I usually resort to online ordering.
I have a pack of fabric-based heat resistant tape coming from .... lithuania, I kid you not.
You probably know that automotive wiring "black wrap" has no adhesive on it. It is so flexible that it "sticks to itself". Does 3M make a non-adhesive "tape" that could be use in high heat areas without melting/making a sticky mess?
You probably know that automotive wiring "black wrap" has no adhesive on it. It is so flexible that it "sticks to itself". Does 3M make a non-adhesive "tape" that could be use in high heat areas without melting/making a sticky mess?
From what I've seen at the scrapyard, this kind of tape is for the interior loom mostly and the engine loom only sparsely under the corrugated tube. So maybe it doesn't need to be that heat resistant.
I might get some too.
Fabric based seems to be the best for heat protection.
Thanks for the tip.
I'm sure you're right, I used other 3M products for the Vette in the past and they were all excellent.
Problem is finding those. You gotta go to specialist retailers at the other side of the city and you're often greated with an hefty markup.
With my fulltime daytime job and my limited funds I usually resort to online ordering.
I have a pack of fabric-based heat resistant tape coming from .... lithuania, I kid you not.
Ahhh- Lithuanian? It's probably the "tesa" tape- used by BMW - Audi - M-B
If it is- MAKE sure you test the wire BEFORE you wrap it!!!! It is a BIG pain to take off!!!
More important is the type of wire- the "SXL" type is what you want- as it has a thick wall cross-linked insulation designed for use in engine compartments and other higher temperature applications.
Ahhh- Lithuanian? It's probably the "tesa" tape- used by BMW - Audi - M-B
If it is- MAKE sure you test the wire BEFORE you wrap it!!!! It is a BIG pain to take off!!!
More important is the type of wire- the "SXL" type is what you want- as it has a thick wall cross-linked insulation designed for use in engine compartments and other higher temperature applications.
It is indeed tesa tape.
Dully noted about the SXL and the PITA.
Thanks!
Salut mon ami!
Damn dude, you're still at it? We both bought our 76s back in what... 2010? You're a more patient man than I am, that's for bloody sure. I enjoyed mine and sold it. Like I'm currently doing with my latest fun-car. Speaking of which..... hey, if you're looking for a good LS motor, I'm selling my Caddy. It has a nice, peppy little 6.2L LSA with a blower. Should push you along pretty respectably! :P
Ase you still in the same place? Damn that garage has to be getting a little tight by now.
Last edited by LeSkid; 08-18-2018 at 10:08 AM.
Reason: because I'm a smart-ass
Salut mon ami!
Damn dude, you're still at it? We both bought our 76s back in what... 2010? You're a more patient man than I am, that's for bloody sure. I enjoyed mine and sold it. Like I'm currently doing with my latest fun-car. Speaking of which..... hey, if you're looking for a good LS motor, I'm selling my Caddy. It has a nice, peppy little 6.2L LSA with a blower. Should push you along pretty respectably! :P
Ase you still in the same place? Damn that garage has to be getting a little tight by now.
Salut André.
Yeah, still at it, still in the same garage.
Today has been actually incredibly productive, I'll post an update later.
Drop by whenever you feel like, the fare hasn't changed (6 pack).
Alright, big update.
One pictures tells it all :
My best Vette buddy Michel came to help and we managed to pull the failed SBC out. I Spend the whole week before removing all the connections and accessories to make the removal as steamlined as possible.
I started installing the scattershield backplate, the Sachs NFW1050 flywheel and the LS7 bearing. I'm ordering a BBC clutch today. People on the internet recommend having the flywheel and clutch balanced as a whole since I must removed the locating pins and make a combo that was not intended by the manufacturer. I'll ask shops around for a quote.
With the motor out I could finally check for something I feared would cause me headaches: the clutch linkage, and I haven't been disappointed....
I bought in advance the Scoggin Dickey clutch ball adapter for Corvette, and I have many problems with it.
First it does not locate the ball at the same place, below is a pic taken on my SBC, it might not be obvious because of the perspective (sorry, not much room to shot), but the bracket, which lines up vertically with the top hole (the one without the ball stud), pushes the stud further toward the front by approx. 1/2". I would need to test with the LS in the engine bay to confirm that, as I'm assuming the bellhousing ends up at the same location. Otherwise I'm in for much more troubles as I'd have to change the transmission mount.
Then, on the LS, the bracket just don't fit, there is a metal tag of the block poking out in the way. Seem like material to drill mounting hole in some configuration, still, cutting in the block is something I'll think about twice before doing.
Then, the piece de resistance of the whole ordeal is that the stock LS6 exhausts are totally in the way, mind you, the stud should be in the upper hole to be aligned with the frame side of the zbar mount.
Sooo, I'm at the crossroad of some significantly different scenarios:
1. I move from stock manifold, to header.
pros : more powaa, I keel my z-bar assembly as it.
cons: more $$$, I lose cool engine bay (in term of temperature) and the catalytic converter setup I aimed for.
2. I move from z-bar to hydraulic clutch.
pros : I keep at the exhaust setup I originally planned for.
cons : more $$$, more complicated setup, less direct connection with the drivetrain (a concept I like)
3. I get creative with the concept of Z bar.
As the zbar sits on two ball studs, it allows for significant amount of misalignement, add to that some custom frabrication (some sort of crank style cut out), I might be able to get around the exhaust.
pros: I change nothing, cheap
cons: some more fab.
In the case I'd go hydraulic, since I know my throw out bearing setup works, I was much more inclined to use a push style cylinder, as the scattershield has those mounting hole just above the fork.
Anyone know about those tabs? Were they intended for that, if so, is there existing setup you know would work?
Now, to finish on an high note, here's a view on my home made oil priming solution: took a M16 1.5 bolt, drilled and tapped, note the optional duct tape always on option.
Connected to my good ol' walmart garden pump. I pushed in the entire oil content, that should suffice.
I also indulge myself with some custom bracket for my d585 truck coil pack. I was rather inexpensive.
As I've switch sides with the fuel rail I have an interference with the coil, I'll probably cut the tab and try to bend the line away from the coil.
"On the original small-block and big-block Chevy engines, the crankshaft flange extends 0.400 inch farther rearward (aft, if you’re nautically inclined) of the bellhousing flange."
"On the original small-block and big-block Chevy engines, the crankshaft flange extends 0.400 inch farther rearward (aft, if you’re nautically inclined) of the bellhousing flange."
As far as the z-bar ball bracket- Is there enough meat on the bracket to notch it to fit the block?
Richard
I went the cheap way with the Sachs NFW1050 + BBC clutch. The flywheel is 0.4" thicker and has bolt pattern that matches the pressure plate's one. All I'll have to do is adapting the pressure plate hole to the metric bolts.
Hopefully my scattershield is big enough for a 11" flywheel.
After closer examination of the z-bar situation I threw the towel, ordered a slave and a master cylinder and I'm gonna make a custom bracket. There is no way I could fit the zbar.
05-31-2018, 05:01 PM
