riggs 74

Just some updates, As most of you know that have seen my post, progress is slow because I don't really have time to put towards this project, but I still make time as often as I can, this car helps me keep my sanity. LOL

I made up the Transmission AN6 hoses with some heat shield sleeving to keep the heat away from the trans cooling lines as much as possible.



I installed the lines but will have to go back in and change the fittings at the transmission, I installed 6AN X 1/2-20, They treaded a little to smooth to believe that they were the right fittings, so I didn't finish tightening them down in fear of doing damage. After contacting Finish Line Transmission, Andy told me that I need 6AN X 14 npt, That sucks That is a tough spot to get to.







Since I'm not running AC, I cut down the AC heater box and started the process of patching it back together with fiberglass.









I peiced together the top section so I could get it apart easier from the back side, there is very little room from the back to remove those but it worked out well. I also layed a sheet of wax paper down before I laid the fiberglass so the resin wouldn't stick to the forum.







This is the rough finish, I still need to lay down more glass, sand and finish.



Riggs.

riggs 74

Well I didn't get much done but here is a few updates. I had the drive shaft shortened and balanced, and it's now installed. The Trans cooler line fittings that I started to installed were wrong, I received the right ones (6an 1/4 npt) and installed those and tightened up the lines at the transmission, I still need to install the trans cooler though, and I shortend and installed the Lokar trans dip stick, it didn't reach into the pan as far as the orginal, but that was an easy fix. I cut, crimped and soldered the battery cable for the starter terminal, and wrapped some heat wrap around that to keep the header heat away from it. Tonight I also painted up the heat Shields that sit in the lower fire wall area, the gas tank support brace so I can install the tank soon and I painted the heater box, the heated box will get sprayed with the Lizard skin to keep the hot engine bay tamps from radiating into the cabin.









Riggs.

Gordonm

That heater box looks great. Im just doinga lot of litle things on mine so not many new updates.

riggs 74

Sorry not to much progress to post. I installed the heater box which looks really good and also installed the fuel tank and finished the fuel lines and connections at both ends. Tonight I hooked up the shifter cables to the trans and as I was looking to install the long upper bolts in the cross member I was looking over the brake line the passes through and was thinking now is the best time to replace the brake line or lines while I am still able to remove the cross member before the new exhaust traps the cross member in place. I guess its one of those while I'm here moments.

So I think I will be shifting my attention to brakes for the time being. Installing new brake lines and because I will have the dash out here shortly to replace the gauges, I will be replacing the vacuum booster with a new hydro booster while I can get to the bolts a little easier.

Riggs

Gordonm

We are at the stage where nothing real exciting is going on and no new flashy parts are going on. Just the grunt work.

PatsLs1vette

Great job on that heater box.If you dont mind im gone to duplicate it formine when i pull the motor back out.

riggs 74

Pat,
Hell no I don't mind, that's why we post these projects, so it helps give others the Ideal's to take on these projects. While I was doing the heater box, I was often wondering if my time was worth it or not, but after I finished it I am definitely glad I did it. The AC delete box that is available doesn't seal around the heater tubes, allowing heat from the engine bay to come rushing into the cabin, this is not good. So modifying the old AC box retains the backing of the box that allows the heater tubes to run behind, keeping the heater box sealed from heat rushing in from the headers.



Update,
Since the last post, I have routed the fuel pump wire into the back of the car, up to the dash area, were it will tie into the new harness from the new engine fuse center that will also have the speed, tac, and accelerator wiring. I have removed the driver side dash and the unnecessary wires that are no longer needed along with speedo and tac cables. I am routing the new harness into the car and hopefully getting the fuse box, ECU and TCU mounted in the engine bay driver side fender this holiday weekend if I can find the time to get all this done still with all my other obligations.

Riggs.

riggs 74

Had some time today to fab up a Bracket for the Trail Blazer drive by wire gas pedal. I started with a 7'' peice of 1/8'' 2'' angle iron. I have some photo's here to show the proccess. I also cut two square spacers, to space the bracket out through the inner fire wall insulation and to give the pedal a firm base to bolt through at the original old pedal location bolt holes.

Paint is drying now so I will install it at a later date.















Riggs

riggs 74

Update,
I turned my attention to finding a location for the ECU and the TCU, this was not going to be easy due to the Trail blazer harness has the controllers mounted on the driver side fender. If I had to do it all over again, I would have had a harness built, eliminating this problem. Tonight I tried to build a mounting bracket to tuck the units in front of the windshield bottle, keeping them has far away from the engine heat as much as possible, I made it work but I wish the harness was a little longer.

Here are some shots of what I came up with,

















I am still not sure what or how I am going to mount the fuse box assembly that is located just behind the alternator, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Riggs.

riggs 74

Not much has happened, I have changed some fittings and completed the install on the trans cooler. I have been side tracked onto the brakes. I am installing a new Hydro booster setup, new master cylinder, and new stainless brake lines, I'm still not finished with that yet. Monday I will be talking with Steve from http://tunedbyfrost.com/ about reprogramming my computers, he comes highly recommended for mail order setups but even more so for dyno tuning. after I get that back from him, I will get it installed so I can then complete the brake system since the ECU sets back behind the fender on the drivers side, I hope I won't have to get to that much after the swap is complete, it's tucked in there pretty tight once everything is installed.

I hope next to move onto the guages and or the clean up of the old engine wiring harness. I haven't had to much time to give to the project lately, but next Saturday I will get some time to work on it then, mean while its five minutes here and 10 minutes there.

Riggs

riggs 74

Not much has happened. I was supposed to have some time this weekend to work on the car but only had a few minutes here and there thru the weekend. I have been making hose for the power steering rack, and Hydro boost systems. The systems are still incomplete due to I am waiting on some parts to be delivered. I also believe I have the radiator hoses figured out, I used a 73 thru 87 Chevy truck lower hose for the lower hose, had to cut the hose in half and add a coupler to it, but it looks like it belongs there. The upper is a combination of two hoses, from the radiator I used the first foot or so of a 76-78 corvette hose to a coupler that will have an 1/8 fitting for my steam line and from there a 2008 Chevy truck hose will be used from the coupler to the water pump, as soon as it arrives on Tuesday.

I also finished building a mount off of my spreader bar mount for the power steering pump reservoir, this was the best location for this tank due to the lack of space on the driver side fender.

Tonight I sent the ECU out for a mail order tune, So I should have it back by next week, I then can install that and finish install the new master cylinder and brake lines feeding it.

I will be able to clean up and close up some of this stuff hopefully as soon as my parts arrive.

Here are a few shots of some of the work,










I trial fit the driver side header to check the clearance on the steering stem, it will need some work to make it fit.






Riggs

riggs 74

Well I thought I would post about the hoses for the cooling system since not many other build threads seam to share their info on the hoses used for the build.
I am running the 2008 SS Trail Blazer (truck) front accessories and find that the upper hose is going to look out of place no matter what I do, but for now this is the setup I am running until I come up with something better.

The upper hose is for a 2008 Chevy truck, I cut it down to a minimum and added an aluminum sleeve that is meant for an in line temperature sending unit. I used an 1/8'' npt 90 to 5/16'' hose barb for the steam line to be tied into the upper radiator hose, I have worm screw hose clamps on it at the moment but will change them out for the T bolt style when I find them for 1 3/8 hose, so far no luck.

The lower radiator hose is for a 73-87 Chevy truck. I cut it in half, then turned the water pump side of the hose around and spliced them together with a stainless sleeve secured with T bolt clamps. this setup fit really nice, it extends out just enough to clear the spreader bar that I'm using.

Here's a few shots, there is still a lot of tidying up to do, but when finished and the cold air intake is installed it will look pretty good.




steam line hook up, the rear steam line runs up to the front and tee's at the front one, then runs under the throttle body and out to the upper radiator hose. the routing of this hose should be hidden by the cold air intake once installed.



I have also completed the lines for the Hydro boost and rack systems. this setup is not completely what I wanted but it will do for now. having to locate the reservoir in front of the alternator kind of created a messy looking setup, but the driver side fender has no room for much of anything besides the engine fuse/relay panel, which is what those bolts are for that are sticking through the fender.




I hope to receive the ECU back sometime next week and will be able to reinstall it on the back side of the driver side fender and then be able to finish the master cylinder installation.

I am also working out the header clearance on the steering stem from the rack, the U joint is hitting the header tube, I might have to move the rack forward to achieve the necessary clearance.


Riggs.

Gordonm

I dimpled the tube today some and still am not happy with the clearance on mine. There is clearance now but not enough. Let me know what yo udo and I'll do the same if I find something that works.

G

riggs 74

Gordonm, I will sure let you know. I was thinking about moving the engine and trans back one inch, but I don't have the room for that, So I might have to move the rack. My steering stem was one that I made when I did the Grand Am mod, it would not clear. I have recently picked up the Flaming river U joints and believe that they set a little lower on the rack with the swivel being a little lower as well than the setup I was using. I'll try it this weekend and see what I come up with and let you know.

Riggs.

aussiejohn

Ahhhhh,

If only you'd have used a Borgeson integral power steering box instead of the R&P, I doubt that you would be in this situation. Moving the rack forward might be possible, but what effect will it have on the car's handling? Will you have even more bump steer? Will you have an even bigger turning circle? I hope you don't, but this is one of the problems that you must expect when you replace a factory part with one that's completely different in its operation.

I sincerely hope that you solve this conundrum with the minimal of modifications, I look forward to see the results. BTW, congratulations on the job so far. It looks really nice and should be fun to drive when it's finished.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn

riggs 74

aussiejohn, I won't be moving the rack, I have way to much time in the rack already from when I built all of the brackets and plates, it works perfectly with no bump steer, So I will leave it alone.

After installing the rack and pinion, I will never keep that multi link bulky steering system in any other C3 I will own. The rack makes every thing simple and the steering is fantastic.

I think I have decided to build an offset in the header tube to route the tube around the steering U joint, this is much better than smashing the tube to achieve the clearances needed. I will build the offset out of stainless tubing and then polish it up to match up as close to the ceramic coating the headers already have.

Riggs.

aussiejohn

Riggs,
We'll have to agree to disagree on the R&P steering, but leaving that alone, I am also in the situation of maybe having to fit a Hydroboost unit in my '74. The vacuum booster hisses when I brake and there is no reserve boost when I kill the engine. From past experience, I know that the booster will have to come out for repair or replacement and while it's out, I have a HB unit that I'm considering fitting. I bought it for another car, but the Vette cried out first.

I am trying to fit a Borgeson sourced GM "metric" pump with a billet mounting bracket and remote reservoir, but can't think of a good spot to fit the latter. Plus, from what I've learned on here, it's considered best to have two return line inlets in the reservoir rather than T them into a single. The cylindrical reservoir I have has only one inlet and while I could drill and tap another hole, I still don't know where to fit it.

Your solution looks the duck's guts and from the look of it, I guess you made it yourself. That's meant as a compliment, I wish I could weld aluminum that well. Did you work out a minimum capacity for it and if so, how much? The one I've got would hold a little under half a litre when full. Are you running two inlets? I'd be interested to know.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn

riggs 74

aussiejohn,
The Ducks guts? Never heard that before. The tank I bought from Speedway motors. I have read of others having problems with teeing in the return but I believe it causes problems because the one that tee's in creates Resistance since the fluid is pushing against the wall of the tee. I used a Y fitting to eliminate that Resistance, hopefully. All lines are AN 6 except the one that feeds the pump, it's a AN 8.

Riggs.

riggs 74

Some updates,

Well I finished installing the stainless brake lines, except the ones to the master cylinder, that will be after the ECU is installed behind the inner fender.
I also pulled the water pump back off and changed the position of the heater fittings, now it won't interfere with the travel of the upper control are. It 90's down and then 90's under the control arm shaft, looks like it will work fine now.




I think I will leave the radiator hose alone for now, it looks like it belongs on the car and clears the cold air intake. I installed the front accessories, belts and hose's, I am still waiting for my T bolt clamps to come in for the hose connection. Still a lot of cleanup to do under the hood but hopefully I will look great when it's done.







The driver side header will be cut and fitted with a stainless steel offset bend that I will weld in, this will be to route around the rack's steering U joint. I will also be wrapping the header tubes to reduce heat in the engine compartment and to keep the near by hoses and harness's for seeing any heat damage.


I have started to clean up the unused wires in the old engine harness and hope to move onto installing the instruments very soon.

I will be slowing down on progress for a short time so I can get back to finishing up some other things that are requiring my attention.

Riggs

SMSRACEENGINES

Vette is looking good. I just finished mine. Only diff is mine has air and batwing pan.