FIRST Intake Arrived; Looking It Over
Determine which side of the engine the sensor will be mounted on. The sensor bracket can be flipped to use on either side of a SBC or BBC engine. With the engine at TDC on #1 cylinder, the sensor will be positioned such that it is lined up with the 10th tooth “after the missing teeth” on the crank trigger wheel (the 10th tooth is the tooth after the gap in the direction that the engine rotates). If this is off, it can be adjusted within the software, but this is the intended location. Install the crank trigger wheel and align the bolt holes on it such that the sensor will be near this position.
I was right its the tenth tooth. However 10 to 20 is ok because in the software you can use an off set. Lets say you only can get to tooth 15 then you set the off set to 5 .
Zweede can correct me b/c he is a genius
.. And helped me with the set uphttps://www.catalograck.com/ImgVD/HOL/556-105.pdf
I used an old Vortec truck/ 4.3L truck distributor as a 1x cam sync signal with just a dust cap on top of it. https://www.eficonnection.com/home/p...nd-bbc-engines
LS2 / LS7 D514a used coils -taken from a Silverado truck, if I remember correctly. I have a $42 coil relocation bracket made by ICT that I got off Amazon and I'm fender mounting them and then measuring for custom FireCore wires after I get the stupid engine back in the car. I need to run the wires from the coil's mini harness and pin them into the ECU's main connector after the engine is back in, too. I don't like how long those thin gage wires are in Holley's more "DIY" CNP harness, so I'll end up measuring them to length and crimping new ends on them; and I probably should come up with some sort of shielding for EMI for those, if I'm not mistaken...?.
I couldn't get the driver's side mounting for the crank sensor to work because of the power steering pump bracket; so passenger side was all I could make work. Mine ended up on the 13th tooth after the gap with #1 @ TDC and that mean putting the sensor almost all the way down closest to the frame on the bracket. -I wrote it down in my printed Holley Manual but I also left blue painters tape on that tooth just so I couldn't forget.
-Thanks for the details on your install. It's just reassuring to hear from someone else who has done this.
If I had documented every mistake I made and everything that I had to redo 2 or 3 times in this build I could fill one of those 100+ CF threads just with my mistakes alone and I'm SURE I'm not done with mistakes yet... (I obviously didn't pick the easiest first time engine building project, though, so I brought the pain upon myself...)
Adam
You've got the miniram shorty runners and I've got the super long FIRST runners, though.
You've got the beastly Holley Smart Coils / IGN-1a, though. VERY nice.
Is that the GTO / Holden Vararam CAI?
-What'd you go with for injectors? I went with a set of 36 lb Bosch 4 with electrical pigtail adapters, but I kind wish I would've gone some Denso 12 hole injectors of about the same size.
Adam
You've got the miniram shorty runners and I've got the super long FIRST runners, though.
You've got the beastly Holley Smart Coils / IGN-1a, though. VERY nice.
Is that the GTO / Holden Vararam CAI?
-What'd you go with for injectors? I went with a set of 36 lb Bosch 4 with electrical pigtail adapters, but I kind wish I would've gone some Denso 12 hole injectors of about the same size.
Adam
I also have the 1000 cfm holley t/b and intake i never used
How many cubic inches is your engine (400+ but how much more plus?) You at something like a 220cc intake port volume for 320 or so CFM?
I’ll have to search and track down your engine build if you have the details posted sometime; sounds outstanding.
Adam
I've got to get my battery cable made and installed, and pull the oil pan and pump and swap out the oil pump spring and reinstall it and I should be ready to install it back in the car.
-I've got a buddy from high school who's working out this way for a few weeks and I'm going to see if I can convince him to lend me a hand after his project is over and before he drives across the country back home. (That would be 5 weekends from now.)
I pulled the engine by myself, but I'd definitely WAY rather have a second set of hands to reinstall it.
This guy actually helped me install the engine in my first car when I was 15 (305 into an 87 Monte SS) and there's no way we could do a worse job than we did with that car... Lol!
On firing it up... I couldn't even estimate a million tiny things to hook up and so little is stock. I've got a guy I know with a similar build who's going to send me his tune so that hopefully I can use that to get it running sooner and just improve the tune from there. (My first EFI system and first time tuning anything so I'm going to find an online EFI course. Going back and forth between a more generic EFI University class or a Holley-specific one.)
Adam
Last edited by NewbVetteGuy; Sep 29, 2022 at 04:08 PM.
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Original starter lug "hot" side
Insulation under the carpeting in a C3?!? Wow!
Update: Battery cable made, drilled the grommet larger with my dremel and a sandpaper flap wheel, installed, adjusted transmission height on the cross member; I'm officially finally ready to drop the engine in after several YEARS!
-I could NOT find anything remotely close to the stock-style starter lug for my battery cable; it was hard enough finding just a simple 1/0 gauge, 90 lug. The starter side lug and the solder pellet should be here before next weekend.
The Napa catalog didn't even have a single 90 degree battery cable lug in it; I just ordered this one off of Amazon and I'm just going to hope it doesn't get too close to the headers or the neutral wires on the starter...
I removed my old carpeting AND was shocked to find insulation underneath it (given the inferno that the driver's footwell was, I was quite shocked that there WAS any insulation under there.). -The undercoating-looking stuff came up on the passenger side, though. (Driver's side seems like new). -There was a plastic plug in the drain hole on the driver's side, but that was missing on the passenger side so I wonder if the passenger side just got some water splashing up from the road and into the carpet over time. (Heater core is good).
-I'll get a picture of the crazy-looking insulation over the wheel wells in the back sometime, too. It looks like Playdough covered in Saranwrap... -Weird stuff!
Anyone have any recommendations for a product to spray on the inside of the passenger side floor? -It sure looks like the stuff that they spray under the wheel wells just got sprayed on the floor in the interior.
Adam
Last edited by NewbVetteGuy; Oct 3, 2022 at 04:09 PM.
TPI intakes: Have to move alt, to remove valve cover, to get to runner bottom bolt, to remove runners, to install fuel line... .*SIGH*
Now I have a gazillion tiny projects, each with their own series of steps on my white board to get done.
My wife also signed me up for Joe Simpson's "Tune the Trilogy" online Holley EFI tuning course and forum, so I'll be learning how to tune it myself. I know a guy who has a similar-ish build and he's going to send me his tune file to take a look at and have a "known good enough" tune to get it started, at least.
I used the Summit Racing alum alt bracket that says it won't work with a C3 Corvette and had to grind the crap out of it to get it to clear the huge polished cap on my power steering pump, but it fits (I have to remove the alt bracket to fill the reservoir or even check it, but that's the price of shiny vanity, I guess) and I got two aluminum brackets to work and spaced out so all the pulleys are pretty good and shouldn't throw the belts *knock on wood*.
-The alt bracket with the aluminum march adjustable power steering pump bracket worked on the engine stand, but once I put everything in the car it prevented me from tilting the power steering reservoir out far enough to clear the bottom of the alt bracket (the PS reservoir ends up hitting the control arm's bolt, so then you have to grind the alt bracket to clear the cap). -Getting a plastic cap MIGHT have just made it clear, but I like all the shiny bits so I went with grinding.
Adam
I'll have to jump on the Holley forums and see how fungable that is... This is problem I'll probably avoid for a while because I have plenty of other ones to solve...
Adam
My FIRST intake finally arrived all ported and blended nicely by Ken. This thing is an absolute BEAST. It's definitely not a weight-saving intake; lol!
F.I.R.S.T. Fuel Injection Intake mocked up on heads:
FIRST on heads top-down:
Monsterous scale aside, I've got a few questions about the passenger's side ports and gasket.
Question #1: There's an odd port in the middle of the head that's covered by the gasket; my guess would be an exhaust gas cross-over except the port doesn't go over to the other side of the intake at all; the other side has no such hole. -What is this hole and any ideas on why it would be covered like this?
Question #2: At the back of the intake on both the driver's side and the passenger's side there's no holes for coolant flow; my Profiler heads have coolant ports there that will now just run into a wall. --What should I make of this? Assuming this is normal but I don't understand how coolant is supposed to flow in these engines, nor what the impact is...
Passenger side ports no gasket: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9&l=c0cd0427fc
Passenger side ports with gasket: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9&l=de13a6e1f1
Driver's side ports no gasket: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9&l=70a3c3122e
Passenger's side ports, with gasket: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9&l=a584a657ea
Thanks,
Adam
So... Shiny!<br/>Note: Disassembling the throttle body is strongly discouraged by Ken@ FIRST as it's difficult to re-assemble correctly and it's got the heavy duty locktite installed on the throttle body blade screws and the shaft screws on the side. I managed it by taking immaculately detailed photos and with a little bit of luck, I think.
know this is old, but wanted to reply to help Adam out, I have one of the original Air Sensors first intakes. the egr valve mounts on the passenger side of the plenum at the back, it is fed exhaust gas from the passenger side head through the base, there was a connector from base to plenum, and when the valve opened it "dumped" exhaust gas just behind the throttle body. pretty sure it used a 76-84 305/350 truck egr valve, or the same style that the zz4 intake uses. I believe ken just modified the casting core so now the holes are not in the plenum of the newer units. Feel free to pm me, or catch on facebook if youd like more detailed pics. its a pain to post pics on this forum.
Thanks Bill!
You're correct. The new casting just has the EGR tunnel in the bottom of the plenum just solid. I THINK Ken said that they had to be drilled out before but I could be mistaken on that. Either way I'm done with EGR. My headers don't have the provisions anyway.
Adam
Pretty happy with it now that it's done, but it was about 3 1/2 x the labor I was expecting to install it. I'm ok with the weight increases as I've lost so much weight other places, I figured I had it in my "weight budget" to add a little weight back.
Adam
Pretty happy with it now that it's done, but it was about 3 1/2 x the labor I was expecting to install it. I'm ok with the weight increases as I've lost so much weight other places, I figured I had it in my "weight budget" to add a little weight back.
Adam
I got all the coolant system except for the overflow all installed and I've run into some very real problems fitting the crank trigger. I might have to notch the frame or significantly modify the bracket. Definitely putting that problem on hold because I have plenty of other stuff to do.
I have to burn in the holes into the carpeting for all the seat bracket and seat belt bracket screws AND get my Shark Bar installed. That's probably what I'm most interested in doing next. Then the speaker boxes after the SharkBar is in.
Unfortunately I'm in a season where my homebrewing hobby has taken over all free weekends (it's competition season in the home brewing calendar and I'm entering the national competition this year...), so it'll probably be end March until I get any more work done on the Corvette...
Adam








