81 project

[damoroso]

Busy weekend!

Started getting the engine/trans in the car this weekend. I was really hoping to fire it late Sunday, but the place I ordered the wire harness for the electric fans is having a supply issue. I've got another source, but, I'll have to wait till the end of the week. Got the engine in and everything on the top connected. A tight fit to be sure, but it did fit! The radiator is connected, I still have one heater hose to go, install the condenser and finish installing the radiator support. Then it's under the car for connections. The hardest part there should be redoing the trans cooling lines. Right now they're way to close to the headers. Then the exhaust, fill the trans, radiator and PWS, fingers crossed and turn the key!

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Where did you get the pulley for the serpentine that replaces the AIR pump?

 

[BBShark]

Started getting the engine/trans in the car this weekend. I was really hoping to fire it late Sunday, but the place I ordered the wire harness for the electric fans is having a supply issue. I've got another source, but, I'll have to wait till the end of the week. Got the engine in and everything on the top connected. A tight fit to be sure, but it did fit! The radiator is connected, I still have one heater hose to go, install the condenser and finish installing the radiator support. Then it's under the car for connections. The hardest part there should be redoing the trans cooling lines. Right now they're way to close to the headers. Then the exhaust, fill the trans, radiator and PWS, fingers crossed and turn the key!

Nice, You work fast!

Where did you get the pulley for the serpentine that replaces the AIR pump?

No air pump on the truck serpentine.

 

[RJ80]

That looks great. Looks like the Serpentine set-up worked out well. You have to post a video when you get it fired up.

 

[damoroso]

Thanks guys, the serpentine set up was off a 92 V-6 Chevy pick up. The power steering pump that came with the set up had the return in the wrong position, so, I used the original power steering pump. The A/C comp and alternator are what was with the set up, though I'm sure I'll be changing the alt. in the near future. I used the brackets designed by BBShark, they're 3/4" 6061 aluminum at the heads and the lower block. The serp brackets each have an elongated mounting hole, I opened them up just a bit to make the bolt up a bit easier. I used a "long" reverse flow water pump (this one is from Flow Kooler). The water pump had a threaded mounting pad that had to be cut off and the A/C serp bracket had to be milled 3/8" on the backside to gain alignment with the power steering/alt bracket. Then I had to add a 1/2" spacer behind the water pump pulley and the crank pulley (crank pulley was with the serp. set up). A 98" belt and everything lines up perfectly. I really couldn't be happier with the set up and the way it fits on the engine.

Shark, I have to tell you, my wife has been incredibly supportive during this project. For about the last month I've spent every evening and weekend in the garage and she's been fantastic about it. She's never once complained about the cost, or time. She did however tell me if I was spending this kind of time and money supporting the un-wed mothers at the local strip club, we'd have a problem!!!! Oh…and she wants me to build a 69-71 Nova for her next, I've tried to talk her into a vette, but she says there just isn't enough room for running errands!!

 

[damoroso]

Okay, it's in running, and most of the tuning is done. It's still a bit rich at idle, but I don't intend to drive at idle!! Seriously though, in talking with Cliff Ruggles, I found out that on the later Q-jets, the idle mixture screw holes in the base plates weren't tapped all the way in. As a result, when you open the holes up a bit, sometimes you can't get the screws deep enough to give you the adjustment you need. So, I have to either finish tapping the current holes (gotta find the right metric tap) or, most likely, get a set of older 10-32 idle mixture screws and tap the base plate for them. That should take care of the rich idle. It's a bitch to start cold, but I think the adjustments I did to the idle air valve should help that.

I just got the hood for it, went with the high rise L88 style, so I'll start getting that ready to install and hopefully have it on the car this weekend. Here's some pics and a video of it running...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtf4I2C9a_I[/ame]

 

[mrvette]

You do such NICE work, can I get you to do more OF it???

:gurney::evil::drink:

 

[RJ80]

Wow, it looks and sounds great. Now we need to see some action video!

 

[GT6Steve]

Absolutely gorgous visually and audibly. Do you have emissions testing?

I'm totally paranoid about any mods lest the dreaded annual smog check be compromised:bomb:

 

[mrvette]

Absolutely gorgous visually and audibly. Do you have emissions testing?

I'm totally paranoid about any mods lest the dreaded annual smog check be compromised:bomb:

NO, which is another good reason I moved to Florida in '97....they finally got smart and ditched all that crap laws....

:thumbs:

 

[damoroso]

Thanks guys!

Like Gene said, we don't have testing here in Florida. I've lived in CA and CO though and know what it's like. It sucks! Still I've used the elec carburetor and ECM to try and keep it as "clean" as I can (I should probably change the chip in the ECM though). To get those to work correctly, I'm using the temp sensor, O2 sensor and factory HEI. I also have the purge can connected properly. The only thing I haven't done is high flow cats, but could if I needed to.

I'lll see what I can do about another video!

 

[damoroso]

It seems sound is always a challenge!!

Oddly enough, I just finished an install of a system for my car yesterday (haven't cleaned it up yet, waiting for the speedo to come back today). I wouldn't call myself an audiofile, but as a musician, I like to hear most everything in my music. I like to be able to hear the bass and feel the kick drum without it being muddy, while at the same time being able to hear the guitar work and highhat work too. Vocals need to be clean as well. To get that without going nuts in cost, fabrication and taking up what little space there is, I went with a Pioneer system. I used the DEH-P410UB head, the TS A4672R 4X6 3 way speakers for the dash, the TS A943P 6X9 4 way's for the back, a Kicker Comp VT8 subwoofer and a Kicker ZX300.1 amp. The amp is only for the subwoofer.

I'm VERY pleased with the way the system sounds, one of the most appreciated features is it'll use an iPod, you can control the iPod from the head unit so it can be hidden away, and it'll charge the iPod when your using it.

This is my first effort at installing something like this, I made the rear cabinet from 3/4" MDF, the sub cabinet had to be a specific volume for the speaker to work properly, but I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[mrvette]

Looks good man, except that color on my computer/you pix there on the back speakers, looks like a terrible mis match....hope it's better in reality....
I would have chickened out and done black....

I suppose if I had any great hearing anymore I would be interested in tunes...

but with the top down at 80, CHS anyway.....

:smash::surrender::thumbs:

 

[RJ80]

That came out great. I have the same head unit, but I still don't have the car up and running to hear it. You didn't happen to write down the measurements when you built your enclosure did you? Mine is just a rectangular box with the amp mounted on one side and the subs on the other. It fits pretty tight between the wheel wells, but it does roll forward on hard braking. I also like the way you were able to mount the 4-ways in the same enclosure. Very clean. :thumbs:

 

[damoroso]

That came out great. I have the same head unit, but I still don't have the car up and running to hear it. You didn't happen to write down the measurements when you built your enclosure did you? Mine is just a rectangular box with the amp mounted on one side and the subs on the other. It fits pretty tight between the wheel wells, but it does roll forward on hard braking. I also like the way you were able to mount the 4-ways in the same enclosure. Very clean. :thumbs:

Thanks! No, unfortunately, I didn't write down any dimensions, (other than angles) but I did go out a measure it! I started with the sub's box, made it basically to the overall dimensions called for in the sub's manual to achieve the necessary volume, but did have to make it just a bit smaller due to overal space. That box is 10.5" high, 24" wide and 4" deep. I filled it with loosely with polyester fill. The 6X9 boxes along the back of the enclosure are 11" from the sub to the side (there's about 4 inches to the side of the car), 15.5" from the back to the front on the straight side and 14.75" on the angle.

I started by making a template out of poster board cardboard for the piece that the 6X9 mounts to, trying to keep it as small as possible and still fit the speaker. The rest of the 6X9 boxes came from that. The whole thing is mounted on the back wall using a Z bar (?) (used for hanging large pictures). It's two angled pieces of alunimium that fit together. That plus the way the 6X9 sides sit on the wheel wells seem to be holding it pretty good.

I don't think you'll be dissapointed in the head unit at all. I really like it, and once you get used to the "multi control" it's easy to use, plus it has great features like the auto antenna, dimmer connected to the dash lights and then it'll run anything from an iPod to a TV!

Your project is looking great, it'll be good to see it back on the road!!

 

[damoroso]

Looks good man, except that color on my computer/you pix there on the back speakers, looks like a terrible mis match....hope it's better in reality....
I would have chickened out and done black....

I suppose if I had any great hearing anymore I would be interested in tunes...

but with the top down at 80, CHS anyway.....

:smash::surrender::thumbs:

Hey, after all that work all you can say is the color sucks?!?! Remember why you used to tell people to paint their houses polka dots?? :harhar:

I'll admit trying to match a 30yr old carpet's was a challenge but in the car I was really pleasantly surprised, it's actually pretty close!! Plus the shades always pulled, you'll have to see it next time you're over.

 

[mrvette]

Looks good man, except that color on my computer/you pix there on the back speakers, looks like a terrible mis match....hope it's better in reality....
I would have chickened out and done black....

I suppose if I had any great hearing anymore I would be interested in tunes...

but with the top down at 80, CHS anyway.....

:smash::surrender::thumbs:

Hey, after all that work all you can say is the color sucks?!?! Remember why you used to tell people to paint their houses polka dots?? :harhar:

I'll admit trying to match a 30yr old carpet's was a challenge but in the car I was really pleasantly surprised, it's actually pretty close!! Plus the shades always pulled, you'll have to see it next time you're over.

Thay Thweetie, I didn't SAY I wuz good with paint and colors....

I shoulda stuck with primer gray....

:beer:

 

[RJ80]

Thanks for taking the time to re-measure everything. I'm not much of a carpenter, but, I think I may have found my next project!

 

[damoroso]

Looks good man, except that color on my computer/you pix there on the back speakers, looks like a terrible mis match....hope it's better in reality....
I would have chickened out and done black....

I suppose if I had any great hearing anymore I would be interested in tunes...

but with the top down at 80, CHS anyway.....

:smash::surrender::thumbs:

Hey, after all that work all you can say is the color sucks?!?! Remember why you used to tell people to paint their houses polka dots?? :harhar:

I'll admit trying to match a 30yr old carpet's was a challenge but in the car I was really pleasantly surprised, it's actually pretty close!! Plus the shades always pulled, you'll have to see it next time you're over.

Thay Thweetie, I didn't SAY I wuz good with paint and colors....

I shoulda stuck with primer gray....

:beer:

Yeah, but your panty lines would still show!!

 

[mrvette]

Looks good man, except that color on my computer/you pix there on the back speakers, looks like a terrible mis match....hope it's better in reality....
I would have chickened out and done black....

I suppose if I had any great hearing anymore I would be interested in tunes...

but with the top down at 80, CHS anyway.....

:smash::surrender::thumbs:

Hey, after all that work all you can say is the color sucks?!?! Remember why you used to tell people to paint their houses polka dots?? :harhar:

I'll admit trying to match a 30yr old carpet's was a challenge but in the car I was really pleasantly surprised, it's actually pretty close!! Plus the shades always pulled, you'll have to see it next time you're over.

Thay Thweetie, I didn't SAY I wuz good with paint and colors....

I shoulda stuck with primer gray....

:beer:

Yeah, but your panty lines would still show!!

U mean racing stripes......:thumbs: