bigmackloud

Yep, that's me! Scruf's Garage! Really happy to hear the videos have been helpful. I'm a visual person, so sometimes being able to see someone do something instead of just reading a tech write-up is really helpful. I figured I've got to do all the engine work anyways, might as well video it and help the next guy.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjl...ImYnmzVs9Z-Yow


Also a note about installing your rocker arm bolts... If you have cnc ported heads, then likely the intake rocker bolt hole is now a through hole into the intake runner (factory was a blind hole that didn't go all the way through). If that's the case, be sure to use some thread sealer on the intake rocker arm bolts. I didn't realize this at first and had to go back and do it over.

Are you going to open up your rear steam vent ports?

Before my #7 piston went, I had just done a coolant change. Normal procedure. Had driven it about 100 street miles, not running hot, no indication of air pockets, or anything out of the ordinary. However, at my next HPDE track event, the #7 piston let go on lap 4 of the very first session. I can't prove it, but I have a suspicion that I had an air pocket trapped in the back of the cylinder head and that caused the #7 piston to run hot.

I'm super paranoid now, so I decided to open up the rear steam ports. I used a GM truck front crossover in the back, and then tied in with my front ports. If it buys me even a 1% less chance of piston failure, then it was worth the money.

In related news, I just bought one of those coolant system vacuum filling tools. The tool sucks all the air out of your coolant system (block, radiator, wp, etc), and then refills with coolant. So it ensures there is no air in the system to get trapped. Very similar to how you pull a vacuum on your AC system before you charge it. Can't wait to give it a try!

frodo84

Great idea, does your channel include that process?

nsogiba

Another big fan of your channel here. You should put together a build thread of your progress. Keep the videos coming as well.

bigmackloud

Yes... but I don't think I've posted the video yet. I've got a lot of raw video recorded, but haven't had a chance to edit yet. The challenge is that if I recorded an hour of video... then I have an hour of video to watch and edit, haha. But it's on my priority to-do list though!

The GM truck crossover tube is # 12605716. The C5 front crossover has the outlet nipple pointing forward. If you try to use that on the rear, then the outlet is pointing into the firewall, and there just isn't much room to work with back there. The GM truck crossover has the outlet pointing up, and when installed on the rear, the outlet is by the driver's side cyl head. So it's easy to run a hose forward to tie into the front crossover. It's not the prettiest solution, but it is simple and cheap. A more elegant solution is the Trickflow kit, but it's $140.

tommypenguin

I've used blue loctite on almost every bolt in terms of getting the short block together sans the arp main and head studs, used moly lube. Used it for the rocker bolts. Most confusing thing for me to measure throughout this process was pushrod length since I had no experience, your video helped a lot.

What did you piston look like? Have you revisited fueling/tune?

Mine blew because during my first time rebuilding the motor I did not gap my piston rings at all. I have a sheet where I baseline measured them out of the box fitment. But I never file fitted them, given it was my first motor build I was completely ignorant to the fact that gapping the rings is critical particularly with boost.

I hear you about the paranoia! Given this is my second rodeo doing this I'm trying to overbuild the hell out of mysetup and run less power than previously. Hoping for longevity and don't car near as much about numbers.

As for the rear steam part I ordered this to open it up. I'm hoping it doesn't leak after wrapping the threads with teflon tape.


I also sent my injectors to witchhunter to have them flow tested and sonic cleaned for piece of mind. Replaced the cracking stock balancer with the summit one.

Am banking on the ram clutch tool helping align my double clutch for a much easier engine install. Last time it took me three attempts to get the motor in, had to loosen the clutch bolts to have some play to align the splines correctly and also had to disconnect the slave cylinder line to not be working against hydraulic pressure when seating the motor against the TT.

I got the rockers and valve covers on last night along with clutch and flywheel. All that is left is mounting the bell housing to the block with it's brackets, torqueing crank bolt down and taking other measurement for clutch shim. Hopefully I'm posting pics tomorrow night of the engine going back in the car.

bigmackloud

It appears my piston rings butted. My motor at that time was stock pistons/rings.

I considered sending my injectors out for cleaning and flow testing, but in the end, since I went bigger on the cam and added ported 243 heads, I went with new larger injectors.

My only concern with that amazon steam line is that while it ties the two rear ports together, it doesn't appear to tie back into the front to circulate an air pocket out of the system??

I also swapped to the 04+ LS6 valley cover, which has the PCV restrictor integrated into the cover. Improved Racing sell the whole thing as a kit which is kinda nice.

I installed my TT/trans/diff/rear suspension as one large assembly. If I were to do it again (which I hope I never do), I think I might try separating the TT from the trans, and then installing the TT onto the bellhousing. likely easier to get the input shaft aligned in the clutch.

Speaking of the clutch, do you have a remote bleeder line for the slave cylinder? If not, it's the best $50 you'll spend. It makes bleeding the clutch a breeze!

While you have the TT out, did you take it apart to inspect the couplers? It's really not that hard (minus a giant snap ring that's a pain), and now's the time to inspect.


As for my car, I've been working hard. Last Friday I got the shifter back in, and removed the LPE clutch return spring I had previously installed. Saturday I removed the air injection pump and lines from behind the front bumper. Sunday I swapped in a set of Z06 leaf springs. Monday night I installed a new set of DRM Bilstein shocks. And Tuesday night I put my brakes back together.

Getting close to being done! Never thought that day would come, haha.

tommypenguin

You are right the kit I bought on Amazon is not going to do a thing, when I initially looked I thought it had a nipple plumbed into the middle. Did some extensive research last night and just haven’t found anything compelling that opening the steam port in the rear would provide any benefit. The main theory of why 7 and 8 go first are due to going lean. Edit: I bought an ebay kit for 170$.

That aside I saw trick flow has a cheap kit TFS-30600601 and keith urban has an expensive kit. After doing the research I’m torn about doing anything.

Did you use the ram clutch alignment tool to get the splines lined up? I do have a remote bleeder installed it the last time I took the motor out. You measure for a clutch shim? My clutch/flywheel needed one.

I did not inspect the TT. The rear is the only area of the car I haven’t really torn into other than putting in the trans mount. Going to forego that area for another day. Sounds like you have been working like me, been putting in 3 hours a night. By the time we’re done the hope is we have a somewhat new car in a lot of respects.

Got everything teed up for tonight to get the motor back in. Plan is to support TT with jack, lower subframe and drop the motor in. Then connect TT to bell housing, torque down AC compressor/pulleys, raise subframe and install engine mounts. Then torque down cradle nuts and call it a day. Really hope the engine goes in without me having to loosen the clutch bolts. Wish me luck.

Principal Lewis

bigmackloud

Here's the Trickflow steam kit I considered. It's definitely nicer looking than my setup, but my project was already wildly over budget, so cuts had to be made, haha.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-306s0601

Of note, there's a bolt in the center of the ac compressor bracket that's nearly impossible to get too once the compressor is back in place. When I pulled the motor, the bracket was still on the block. When I installed the motor, I installed the bracket once it was back in the car, and it was a PITA.

My Monster clutch kit came with one of the plastic alignment dowels. Seemed to work ok.

I did not measure for a shim kit. Monster claims their clutches are designed to not need a shim. In hindsight I probably should have measured just to be sure. But that ship has sailed, haha.

Nice garage btw. I too bought a bunch of those clear plastic bins to store parts in. Also have some of those HF dolley's. When I pulled my TT assembly, I sat it down on 3 of the dolley's so I could roll it around the garage. Worked very well.

frodo84

What did you do to tie the front and back steam lines together? Hose or ??? Thanks for that part number for the back line, I have one on order.

bigmackloud

Yes. So I ran a hose from the rear crossover to the front of the motor on the driver's side. Coming off the front crossover, I have a very short piece of hose. Those two hoses join in a T fitting, with the 3rd branch of the "T" running a hose to the upper radiator.

I did a quick recording on this last week, I just need to edit it so I can post it. I'll try to make that a priority so you can see how I did mine.


So more progress last night. I changed to a set of XS Power long tube headers and their 3" catted x-pipe, which mates to my pre-existing Corsa axle back section. I had all of this loosely installed already but I couldn't get the exhaust tips lined up. I got frustrated and moved on to other things on the to-do list. (sometimes you gotta walk away for a bit, haha). Any ways, that was my project for last night. I finally got the exhaust tips lined up correctly and all of the pipes positioned to not hit things, and tightened up.

I also ran through the torque specs for the front sub-frame bolts. I added some heat sheathing to a section of the clutch hydraulic line that runs near the header. And I bleed the clutch. And may I say again... that remote speed bleeder line is the greatest thing since sliced bread! Man it's easy.

So I have two things left on my punch list..... fill the cooling system and put oil in it. Then it's time to light this candle!! Man heart rate jumps just thinking about it, haha.


Tommy.... did you get that motor in last night??

nsogiba

Excited to hear yours fired up, I've been following your build. I'm in almost exactly the same position with my LS3 swap

tommypenguin

I’ll be keep an eye out for the video and will post pics when I get my steam vent kit. This is the one I ordered. https://www.ebay.com/itm/132107718315.

The remote bleeder is so key, there is zero reason not to bleed the clutch often when you have it. I’ll be doing that soon along with power steering. What kit did you go with to suck out the vacuum from coolant?

That is awesome you are at the finish line, starting it up tonight? Any oil priming or pulling the front galley and pouring a few ounces in it to prime the oil pump?

I expect a video of that filled with expletives of joy when it fires up for the first time and gets to running temp? For the power steering did you manually bleed it by turning wheels lock to lock while adding fluid, that’s a technique I haven’t done but am planning on doing it this time.

As for the motor I got it in but it took so much longer than it should have, spent 4 and ½ hours last night. I can admit when I do something dumb and I sure as hell did last night. The first time I attempted to install my motor I wrote a thread because it took me 3 attempts to do it a couple years ago. Last night I probably had the motor all good to go in 20 minutes. But I had a memory that I could get the bell housing 100% flush against the TT without inserting any bolts. There was a ¼” gap and the dowels were starting to go in the holes. All I had to do was do what I did last time and insert the 5 bolts and torque down in a sequence to get the final seating done but I didn’t.

I wrestled with it for 2 hours, loosening clutch bolts and working myself to exhaustion before checking my old thread and practically slapping myself in the face for not checking my own notes. Anyways, it’s in, the ram tool aligning my double clutch worked like a charm. Got the AC compressor, steering rack engine mounts, and cradle mounted.

The last leg of the race will begin tonight or tomorrow putting the exhaust back in, starter, and so forth. Looking like my motor start date of May 1st is still viable, though I might take the day off from the car.

bigmackloud

That kit looks good, should do the trick. The way I see it, opening up the rear steam ports certainly can't hurt. And if it helps, then it's worth the investment.

I got this kit from FJC Has really good reviews. Hopefully I'll get a chance to use it tonight, so I'll let you know how it goes.
https://amzn.to/2K4b6QY

If all goes well I may be able to hit the key tonight. My plan was to pull the front oil galley plug and back fill the oil pump. But now that everything is back together I realize how buried that galley plug is. I'm still going to try to go that route, but it might be tricky. I also plan to pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the motor over to build oil pressure.

I pre-filled my aux oil cooler with oil, and pre-filled the oil filter also.

Yea, that's the route I took. I left the rack in the car, so hopefully there isn't too much air in that. guess we'll see.

I ran into the same thing. I really wanted the TT to seat flush to the bellhousing without pulling it in with bolts. But it got to the final 1/4" or so when the dowels go in, and I just couldn't push it in by hand. But the bolts pulled it in with very little pressure.

Cutlassmaster

I used an old oil filter relocation adapter I had laying around and pushed oil back to the pump that way and also prelubed the whole engine with it. Worked out well. Used a bug sprayer to push the oil.

Tuco

bigmackloud

tommypenguin

I’m so happy for you about the car not the funeral! That is awesome! I bet you are so stoked to have your car running again. What breakin procedures are you following? Did you start off by using a cheap dino oil and change oil filter right away after getting car to running temp?

Didn’t make a lot of progress over the weekend got the headers, exhaust, cutouts and plugs. Had two hockey games and was too tired to work on the car yesterday.

bigmackloud

Here's that steam vent line video I promised.



For my break-in, my thought is to put about 50 miles on the first oil, then dump it, then maybe change it again around 250, and again at 500 before I put it on the dyno. Just used conventional Castrol GTX 5w30. I added a little Lucas zinc additive also. The zinc additive isn't as critical since we don't have flat tappet lifters, but I figured a little extra wear protection couldn't hurt.

ZishanM

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