Plastic Fantastic 2

I still don't have a solution for the sway bar - it is too close to the coil over (stock had a transverse spring)....edited
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but I started reassembly of the under so that I can get the bracing done
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so I spent some time on the motor.... glad I did because I need to call the rocker manufacturer and find out what they were thinking

first front cover install (and oil pan)
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and water pump
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lifter install
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then onto figuring out push rod length
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the issue with the rockers - there's a cast piece that holds the stock rockers in place - that has a radius to match the rocker. The new rockers come tied together and have spacers - ostensibly to replace that part - but that puts the rockers way too low.... so I dunno, time to phone and find out what to do.
 
and maybe the most important thing.... I have a Microsquirt that I was going to use on the FJ40.... zero new dollars and zero new cents is very attractive
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP10dt-4sLM[/ame]
​​​​​​​feel free to discuss here
- and as he mentioned in the video - the transmission could be the issue. I can buy a GM pre-wired harness from 150tunes for $550 - and that is already wired to run the 4L80e.... that said, this motor is temporary to the car (whatever that means) and my goal is a no-limits 3800 V6 - which leads to transmission concerns..... and I have the 200r4....
 
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I still don't have a solution for the sway bar - it is too close to the coil over (stock had a transverse spring)....edited
DmzzfTeh.jpg

...................
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FWIW, years ago I adapted a tubular sway bar from a Firebird to fit my narrowed C4 suspension. I cut, modified, and rewelded the ends of the arms to get a better positioning above the LCAs. The welding was on the arms, away from the torsion section of the bar.
 
Another "I can't leave it like this"....edited
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mind you, I could have sculpted that into perfect shape but it would always bug me there's a 1/2" of vette adhesive under the paint....
so I'll epoxy some fiberglass into place.... and continue to say bad words about the supplier as this side was made 1" shorter then the other
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I think, though, this is pandemic - this is how well the hood fits (different supplier) - I will say, though, I got a substantial discount because there's a flaw on the corner (not bad, but a flaw)...... but why can't this braced piece match the fender?
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that's the other major fix then there's nothing left but the hand sanding
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oops.... I thought I'd pushed the lifters down, I didn't... they work fine and I've ordered the upgraded pushrods
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I'm not sure the gasket is going to work better then the o-rings.... fight for another day, though
you can see the valve covers don't clear - ordered new valve covers (which were actually cheaper then a 1/2" spacer)
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in other news, I'm going to use the microsquirt to control the 4L80e - when I looked for a wagon before, I was thinking of putting the 430 TT motor in it; I may do that to break in the 430 motor - bonus is it would literally be plug and play since the wiring and sensors will be the same - I just have to think about wire length when I wire up the motor.edited The benefit, to catch people up, is it makes the motor or trans different units - to the point I may use two sensors (the trans controller needs water temp, rpm and tps)edited - if I use MS on all the various motors, it's a can bus connection; however, I may avoid that so I can keep the flexibility
 
the most important tools to work with electronics
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what grease looks like when it's no longer good.... not shiney
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as you can clearly see in this picture, the head bolts have been torqued to 25/50/75 for the big bolts and 25 for the small bolts
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more picture taking goodness, what you see here is a head bolt with 4 slots cut into it so it can be used as a ream.... ARP wants $53 for a ream, yeah, no
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time to pull injectors and get bathed in gas....
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pulled, this is the moment I realize I don't have new seals
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Time for all those little jobs that need doing
lower ball joints
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installed... well, one side then dinner
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Paint PS pump brackets
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I've done the paint without removing the sidepipes.... not again

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the next few episodes will be more of the same.... finish inner wheel wells, create an inner boot floor, stuff I hate doing but now keeping me from finishing
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I worked on this, first the bad news.... wrong bracket for the PS pump... and worst of all my GAS ratio was so low that I applied one WFI and went onto things involving hammers - I beat the lower ball joints in (which was satisfying)
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and maybe the most important thing.... I have a Microsquirt that I was going to use on the FJ40.... zero new dollars and zero new cents is very attractive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP10dt-4sLM
​​​​​​​feel free to discuss here
- and as he mentioned in the video - the transmission could be the issue. I can buy a GM pre-wired harness from 150tunes for $550 - and that is already wired to run the 4L80e.... that said, this motor is temporary to the car (whatever that means) and my goal is a no-limits 3800 V6 - which leads to transmission concerns..... and I have the 200r4....

I will have to read up on the micro squirt that looks interesting
 
I admit it, I don't want to do the fiberglassing on the hood, hood scoop and interior space (the interior space is the most hateful)... but I also need to clear some space so the work has been happening on the Buick motor... however, brief update
I thought the bracket would work.... it does
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onward
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the valve covers came with nice, aluminum brackets to mount the coils... they don't work, so cleanup the old stuff
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oh how not much fun this is
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it's really not hard work, basically you're just removing all you don't need (call it an even 2/3rds)
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side note, I've been griping about missing parts - like the gaskets and the fittings for this... found them stuff inside the TB
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this is supposed to be the MAP sensor.... too big, don't know what I'm going to do yet. fortunately I can mix and match sensors so it's not a huge deal, but it's still an issue
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unneeded wires.... the problem is I have to add some back in because I changed sensors and I'm using drive-by-cable rather then drive by wire
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last night I was shopping for all the connectors I need and stumbled across EFI Source - who builds a harness. It's on its way. The 'other' choice that led me to spend the 16 or so hours this would take is that the price was 2k - efi source is 10% of that.... annoying that I didn't find it earlier, but it will save me lots of time - and in an effort to have the two projects done this year... it is what it is.... that and the cost of those connectors was $100 - which is 1/3 of the cost of the completed harness.

https://www.efisource.com/wp/shop/ls-microsquirt-package-composite/#ecu
 
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Hmmm. Did a quick look - no harness "joy" for EFLive. Got a link - or are they super-secret?

Might need for Elvira when I do the Electrodyne.

Cheers - Jim
 
New injectors... the only thing you need to know about these is you must replace the lower seal with a smaller one - otherwise they fit perfectly

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I should have bought a tractor first...edited
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gas tank, I don't know what I'm going to do yet.edited I have the tank that is for the Fiat and already has an aeromotive fuel pump in it.edited This tank I could make work, nowever, because it's less than 7" thick, an in-tank pump is a tough fit.edited Because it's a wagon, the tank is different (side fill v. rear fill for the cars with trunks)
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problem 1 with the rockers... there is not even .0015 of space between it and the rear wall
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but if you grind just a bit off.... it fits
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and interference fit between the ICT bracket and the no-name valve covers
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fixed
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then fix the fit between the alternator housing and the covers
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installing the ps pump
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onto the intake lots of ports, not all needed
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injector fitting
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hard to see, but two, different sizes of o-rings (the blue is the smaller version)
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top pops in nicely
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and getting closer
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So I now have 3 megasquirt suppliers.edited DIYTune, AMPEfi, and now EFISource.
I ordered the trans controller from DIYTune on Tuesday, it shipped Wednesday or Thursday.edited It is supposed to be here tomorrow.
HOWEVER
I ordered the wiring harness from EFISource (DIYTune is TN or Kentucky, EFItune is Georgia/Florida).... Get this, on Thursday night, they sent it Friday and it arrived today.edited Well done EFISource, well done - you have set a high bar indeed, but for being so good, you get praised here...
 
Last LS update...
wires, wires for everyone!
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more wires
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should be fun figuring out which side goes where.... I already see a small problem in that some of the plugs need to be changed (2)
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but the trans controller/wiring looks plug and play
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in its home (for now)
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I say last, but should say, I may do a few posts on tuning this
 
I'm interested in hearing details on the transmission setup as you make progress. My slowly progressing street rod project ('51 Chevy P/U) has a Turbo 400 trans that I put in it years ago, but I'd like to update it down the road.
 
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