janarvae

Hi all, I have a '91 L98 auto with about 80K on it. Some of you may have been following my multiple mishaps from completely rebuilding the 700R4 myself, to breaking 4 intake to head bolts, then breaking a screw extractor inside 2 bolts and drilling them out.

It has been an awesome learning experience and I can honestly say I will never forget it.

I am about to start it tomorrow morning for the first time in approximately 7 months. I am wondering if there are any precautions I should take. To aid in your evaluation, here is a list of everything that has been replaced:

Cooling System:

• Throttle Body Heater Hose Bypass
• Dex-Cool Removed
• FailSafe 195* Thermostat
• Coolant Temperature Sensor
• DuraLast Water Pump with Fel-Pro Gaskets
• Frisbee 'Tossed'
• 1/8" Hole Drilled in Thermostat
• AC Delco Radiator Cap

Transmission:

• Rear Pinion Yoke Straps and Bolts
• Replaced ALL bushings, seals, and o-rings
• Beast Power Sunshell
• TransGo Shift Kit
• Front Pump Internals (Vanes, Rotor, Rotor Guide and Pin Assembly)
• Borg Warner Hi-Energy, 8 clutch setup for the 3-4 pack
• Raybestos SKF single cage 29 element design Input Sprag
• Filters for Pump, Transmission, Governor
• HD Torrington Bearing Set
• Pressed in new stator support with wide bushings
• 9.5" Vigilante 2600 Stall Torque Convertor
• B&M 70264 - 24000 GVW External Transmission Cooler Plumbed In-Line with existing trans cooler
• B&M Transmission Pan with drain plug
• Valvoline Dextron III ATF
• + Much More from Dana at ProBuilt Automatics - 700r4L60e.com

Engine Electrical + Sensors:

• Rebuilt Nippodenso Starter
• New Bellhousing Grounds
• Idle Air Control Valve
• Oil Pressure Sensor
• Oil Pressure Sender
• AC Delco Distributor Cap
• AC Delco Rotor
• EGR Valve
• Bosch Oxygen Sensor

Engine Mechanical:

• Intake Gaskets
• Runner Gaskets
• Bosch Design III Fuel Injectors from John at FIC
• Goodyear GatorBack Serpentine Belt
• AC Delco Air Filter
• Mobil 1 Oil Filter
• Royal Purple 10W-40
• Valve Cover Gaskets and Valve Cover Rehab
• Currently set to 0* Timing!!!
• New Filter Duct Intake (Old one had a good sized piece missing from the hose clamp area/neck, allowing unfiltered air into the intake).

I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting, but you get the gist. I have filled the high flow reservoir and the block with steam-distilled water through the thermostat housing. I have added 4 quarts of oil so far. I plan to wash the block and radiator with the water and run water through it until clean then use a 50:50 or 75:25 (Florida car) water:coolant mixture.

My concern is that the car will be re-learning the injectors, all the new sensors, will be set at 0* timing and the transmission also needs to be properly broken in and TV cable adjusted.

Are there any precautions (besides fire extinguisher) that I should take to not damage anything on initial start-up?

As promised, here are some pictures:

Before:





After:









Whaddya think?

TIA,

Jonathan

cv67

6 deg timing

janarvae

Yea, I know, but I think I'll be too busy rushing to break in the tranny and make sure nothing is on fire to adjust the timing right away. John at FIC said it would run fine at 0* for a little.

What do you think about everything else? And what is your opinion on the final product? I gots to hear something about the result of all my labor.

engle1147

lookin' good.....great job getting the broken bolts and extracters out!
Did you remember to charge the battery over the last 7 months?

janarvae

No, for sure not. I don't own a trickle charger or battery tender - only a regular charger. I know it may damage the battery, but it was completely disconnected and worked fine when I started it up about 3 months ago after charging for a couple of hours. I'm going to put the charger on it tomorrow morning while I clean the garage so I can keep an eye on it.

If the battery ends up being ruined, I have a replacement agreement with PepBoys that I had to use once before when I had a bad alternator.

And thanks for the kind words!!!

-Jonathan

Linkstar07

The TV cable can be adjusted before you even start the car. Just adjust it to its tightest setting at the bracket, then sit in car and operate accelerator to WOT. That should do it. Your black intake runners look amazing BTW.

Iroc57

Double check everything, turn the key to on, and go back and check your fuel connections and rails for leaks.
If everything is dry fire that bad boy up, you can tweak the distributor to smooth it out by ear so don't sweat the base timing until you know that all is good.
Congrats on getting it back together and throw away your 1/2" drive ratchet now

kenmack

You may want to disconnect ignition and roll it over until oil pressure bumps up that we you pre lube everything without actual startup dry.

josephf31

and good luck on the restart, I myself am in the middle of working on my '91 and will be restarting it too come spring, I hope!

In the meantime, I was hoping you could answer a question for me; you wrote that you had broken off (2?) EZ-outs (ha ha what an oxymoron name!) in bolts, how did you end up getting the broken EZ out stub out of the bolt, or was that not a problem? I myself have snapped off an EZ-out in one of my rear shock upper mounts and can't get the sucker out no matter what I do!

Again great job and I appreciate your input, thanks!!

Joe

janarvae

It was NOT easy in any sense! My intake was stuck on because the bolts are screwed in at an angle and I broke the heads off and then the square-type extractor in there. It took 2 titanium carbide bits and many hours with my Dremel at high speed to eat away at the extractor. Again, I used the square type extractors, not the spiral ones. I was then able to get the bolt and extractor drilled down enough to lift the intake off.

I was lucky in the fact that once I got my intake off, I still had a good inch or so of bolt sticking above the head sealing surface. I then used a cutting disc on the Dremel and cut 2 vertical and 1 horizontal strips in the bolt that acted as a door and allowed the remaining extractor material to be removed. Then it was cake to drill the bolts out. My cobalt drill bits ate through the grade 5 or so bolts like a hot knife through butter. Use a good tapping fluid, like Tap Magic, when drilling.

In retrospect, it would have been much easier to weld a nut onto the bolt as soon as the head snapped and not messed with crappy extractors to begin with. Only I don't have a welder. If you can, I would try and remove the shock mount in any way possible and get it on a bench where things will be a million times easier. I don't have experience with the suspension yet, but it's on my list and I'll watch out for those bolts.

If you use the spiral type extractors, you might just be able to take a strong center punch and a hammer and try and shatter the extractor. Then use a magnet or a pick to remove the pieces. You probably don't have enough swinging room with the wheel well there.

And I got the car running today - here's the link to the thread and the final video shows it running. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...eo-inside.html

janarvae

Here's what I posted in my other thread:

Here's about 2 minutes of idling, a walk-around, and a gauge view. I couldn't help myself towards the end and just had to give it a little rev. :o

Exhaust is no longer rich smelling either. No leaks from the transmission, cooling system, or engine.

My digital camera doesn't do the exhaust justice.



Hopefully someone picks up that desk today or else it's going to be firewood.

FICINJECTORS

GREAT JOB! double check the timing and get it to idle at spec then go driving.

janarvae

Thanks again John for all the help with the injectors and the "stale gas" question I had last week. John spoke with me on the phone for OVER AN HOUR at NIGHT about the injectors, timing, coolant, etc. If that's not customer service, I don't know what is!

Another satisfied customer of FIC,

Jonathan