I bought some V-bands as well so I can remove them for service, gonna tack it all together and have someone else TIG it together. Anyone feel like gluing it together for me?

My QTP just didn't stand up to the year round elements, the motor crapped out after about 6 months. Vendor told me I couldn't replace any parts, so it's been sitting in the basement ever since.

For the new cutouts, I do plan on using a check valve for sure. I purchased valves that are normally closed. The NPP cutouts on all the newfangled GM stuff are normally open, and as soon as a vacuum is applied, they slam shut. This means they're open on cold start, and when vacuum builds a few seconds later, they shut. I did not want this situation since I leave for work early in the morning and wanted to maintain some sanity for my neighbors. I could have gotten around this by using a check valve and a vacuum canister but that's added complexity, and I have no idea if the vacuum canister would hold a charge for sitting a week at a time (which is a reality if we have a couple days of nasty weather). The last item that turned me off from the normally open was that in the event of any vacuum fitting/line failure the valves would fail open, and I'd have to drive around with the car stupidly loud until I got it fixed. I would much rather they fail in the normally closed position.


Check valve:


Vacuum can (if needed)


The only thing that I would have liked to have using the normally open system would be the feature of the engine vacuum on idle and light driving conditions to keep the valve shut, and then valves opening up when you hammer on it, removing vacuum. It makes for a nice "automatic" mode but again I wanted the failsafe to be in the closed position.


The red paint showed up so it was time to let the inner ricer out. had a couple local Flying Bison craft brews to pre-dull the brain for the paint fumes and went to town. I miss doing these small quick jobs, they are great fun.

This stuff is awesome. Used about 2/3 of 1 can to do the whole manifold. I was on the fence about the finish based on the Amazon reviews but bought 2 cans just in case it turned out nice. About 3 solid heavy coats on it and it turned out great. Unlike the primer this stuff ran you wouldn't believe, but as long as you kept a good distance with the can it went on great. I used this stuff in a black color on a power steering pulley when I built the original 6.0 for my BMW in 2012 but the finish was way too coarse. This one turned out much finer


so throwing on some coats, wet

_DSC4911 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4912 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4913 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Dried for 20 mins, let her sit under the unit heater for a while getting toasty, another couple coats, then let it cure fully and crinkle. It has the fine "Ferrari-red-crinkle" finish that I was going for. Thought it might come out light based on how it looked when it was wet but it dried darker and is the exact shade I was going for

_DSC4914 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4915 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4916 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4917 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4920 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Based on how she turned out I will do the air bridge as well to match.

 

I like it, on here it looks orange but I can't wait to see it in the engine bay

 

it's a bright red, maybe a tinge of orange, The walls in the garage are painted a bright red, maybe that's reflecting slightly? Either way I think it will pop nicely against the red lettering on the black engine covers.

 

Removed the rear trunklid emblem, it really cleaned up the look. Car got half detailed, I will finish the paint correction on my own.

_DSC4940 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4941 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

More Goo Gone,
_DSC4943 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Magic 3M eraser wheel works wonders yet again, but this will have to be polished out
_DSC4944 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Compound
_DSC4945 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

After compound, there was still a raised ridge in the paint, can't catch it with a fingernail, but visible if you look hard for it in the right light.
_DSC4946 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

After polish it is invisible from more than 3 inches away
_DSC4947 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4948 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Dug out my old valve spring tool so I can get ready for the LS6 install later this week, it got bent during the install of the old big duals on the BMW 6.0. I'm going to weld up some gussets on it to stiffen it, should hold up better.

_DSC4951 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Piecing together my cutout stuff, I will tack them all in place and have a shop finish TIG them together for me. V-Band for serviceability

_DSC4952 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4953 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4954 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

I will need to put some kind of turn down together for the outlet of the valve, possibly wrap the leaf spring in heat resistant insulation to prevent melting it.

More to come later this week, gonna mock up the cutouts, install valvesprings, LS6 intake, paint the airbridge wrinkle red, delete AIR system, etc

 

Nice progress, I would like to hear the valves in person

 

so some ups and downs

got the fishmouths mocked up on the midpipes, traced out the insides, removed the pipes from the car. drove around the block with no pipes, wow it's loud, should be fun. also tacked together fishmouths to v-bands, v-bands to valves. I forgot to order turndowns so I don't melt anything, got a 180* mandrel bend on the way from summit, will be here in a couple days.

_DSC4955 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4957 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4958 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

clamps that come with the longtubes suck, leaked badly. will pick up some longer bad clamps, have had good luck with those in the past

_DSC4962 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

and the not so good. tires will need to be replaced this year. time to accelerate my wheel/tire plans

_DSC4963 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

most urgent is the front fiberglass leaf spring, this thing had a very fine hairline crack lengthwise when i first bought the car and got it on the lift, but this big crack is a new development. will either pick up another Z51 spring or throw in a Z06 unit

_DSC4966 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4967 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

 

The cutout plan has my attention, I'll be watching to see how it turns out.

 

Very nice work so far!! Cant wait to see how the intake looks installed.

 

my buddy is TIG'ing everything up for me and sent me some pics

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr



Coworker bought an '01 Coupe with a 6 speed, great condition, 60K

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

then, this
image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

which works out fine because i'm gonna tear it down this week for the valve springs and intake, install exhaust, etc.

 

started working on stuff

_DSC4970 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4971 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4972 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4973 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Got all the crap transferred to the new manifold, not bad for a couple hours of work. Need to mess with the steam lines next

 

wife working late tonight and going to have a few drinks with friends afterwards. which means i'm grabbing a 6 pack of PBR pounders and putting in some quality time tonight in the man cave. hoping to get the rear sway bar out of the way, exhaust all buttoned up, and LS6 intake clearanced for the LS1 quad steam lines

 

only got 4 cylinders done last night, I pulled everything apart and realized I had ordered the newer 1 piece valve seals mistakenly. Luckily I found a set of fel-pros locally, but there went another hour chasing down the parts.

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

 

so i got it all back together and took it to work today. I missed driving it...

squirted the air bridge with red wrinkle
_DSC4981 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

This is exactly what I want to see for a 16 year old, 107K mile motor. Not even so much as wiped clean. Love it. New gaskets for fun
_DSC4982 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

LS6 springs are in along with new valve seals
_DSC4984 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

The Fel Pro intake manifold gaskets had an odd locating feature that was a bit oversized for the pocket for each runner...this caused the gasket to sit ever so slightly high at that corner. It probably would have crushed down fine when torqued but being OCD I trimmed the corner of each one for a nice flush fit.
_DSC4986 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

_DSC4988 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Enjoying high dollar beverages, life is short, demand the best
_DSC4992 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Replacement front spring came in looking damn near brand new. Waiting to install it until the lowering bolts come in - should be this week
_DSC4993 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

I need to clean up. Wife is pissed her spot is unavailable
_DSC4994 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

Finished product, needs a serious detail to clean up all the fingerprints and grease. Will clean up nice.
_DSC4996 by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

 

 

I love different !!!!!!! looks great !!!!!!

 

Engine Bay looks great I gotta clean mine up soon

 

Looks great!!

 

Lowering bolts came in. Rear will be a breeze to install, front spring will need to come out to be replaced, I'll thread in the new bolts then

image by Norbert Ogiba, on Flickr

 

New front spring in. Only slightly scary jacking up this stiff *** spring while the car is on the lift and watching it all bounce around. Front bolts removed, only lowered it a bit as the old stock front adjusters were cranked as low as they could go. Ride quality is the same. I'm happy with the suspension now. Need to buy new tires for the C6 wheels, the current runflats are so loud that it's like riding around in a Z71 on big boggers.

Also need to adjust the cutout rod ends and start to plumb them up.

 

Man I tried to compress my z06 spring while the car was on jackstands. Had it compressed with a hydraulic jack to lower the front, and when I pulled on the wrench I saw the car was moving on the jackstands.

I said "forget it, it's staying stock right height" and got the hell out of there.