Transmission is removed. Transmission fluid is all over the garage floor. Not much progress lately, busy with the house. Once the half bath is painted I'm allowed to start tearing it apart.
Transmission is removed. Transmission fluid is all over the garage floor. Not much progress lately, busy with the house. Once the half bath is painted I'm allowed to start tearing it apart.
Torque converter is removed, engine on the stand, Exxon-Valdez oil spill mostly mitigated.
Started removing all the little things. Anyone have tips for removing the rusted-on knock sensors without having to take the $30 budget hit to replace them? The nut is starting to round...
edit: Here are some photos, mostly for my reference later when assembling.
maschinenbau wrote: Anyone have tips for removing the rusted-on knock sensors without having to take the $30 budget hit to replace them? The nut is starting to round...
Squirt some Kroil on it and gently tap it a few times. Check it in the morning. This may not work on your size and the location of it but I have used a flare wrench for one before.
Have no idea how to get your knock sensor out, but i think you should paint the intake, run the injector wires under the fuel rails and relocate the maf to the back of the intake( just plug the hole and run a hose from a nipple on the back). Makes these LT1s awfully pretty. Also plug all those evap nipples with allen bolts.
And check your opti harness, they always chafe were they turn down on the intake and run to the opti, causes a bunch of problems misdiagnosed as optis.
I didnt read what all your doong to it but when you tune it check for fals knock retard, a bucnh of people seitch to the lt4 knock moduls, since headers and roller rockers can cause noise thats picked up as knock. Dont know if thats an pption with the impalas and caprices.
Engine is a little bit more apart. Got one of the knock sensors off...other side is still pending. Will rent a puller soon so I can check timing chain tension and get that silly stock cam outta there.
This thread has made me search craigslist all day. On autotrader I found a '96 Roadie with 12k miles for $20,000. I am amused by this. I wish SWMBO would approve the wagon lust...
More disassembly progress. Crank hub and gear came off easily with a set of loaner pullers. The timing chain had close to 3/8" of lateral play and the gears look expectedly worn for a 250k mile engine.
This is a fun journey. Thanks for taking us along.
I approve of this build !
I forget, are planning to re-ring and re-bearing this thing too?
Re-ring probably, re-bearing no (unless it really needs it)
love this project, always wanted one of these and wanted to swap in the LQ9 LS-based engine and a T56 6-speed. How does it drive? Is it as floaty and imprecise as one would think? I would love it if some suspension replacement/mods could give it lexus like ride quality/handling.
In reply to DirtyDiesel:
It actually handles surprisingly precise and deliberate. Much of that is due to sportier Corvette tires with stiffer, shorter sidewalls. The old 15in wheels + truck tires were floaty. The steering is accurate and responsive. I didn't hit a single cone at the last autocross despite much wheelspin. My junkyard rear sway bar, shorter springs, and Monroe severe service shocks should really make it thread the needle.
Valvetrain is out. I should have one of those nifty parts organizers by tonight. Also the heads are soaking in 5 gallons of diesel, because Challenge car.
Why are those heads soaking in diesel?
The want is so strong...
maschinenbau wrote: In reply to DirtyDiesel: It actually handles surprisingly precise and deliberate. Much of that is due to sportier Corvette tires with stiffer, shorter sidewalls. The old 15in wheels + truck tires were floaty. The steering is accurate and responsive. I didn't hit a single cone at the last autocross despite much wheelspin. My junkyard rear sway bar, shorter springs, and Monroe severe service shocks should really make it thread the needle.
Oh wow, that's awesome...I want one! Does anyone make aftermarket sway bars and springs for it?
In reply to DirtyDiesel:
Almost all OEM or aftermarket parts for Impala SS will swap right in. Stock Impala SS springs will lower it an inch or two. Many wagons had the tow-package which includes it and a posi, however the wagon axles are wider so no other sway bar will work. I have a Caprice 9C1 rear sway bar that I will fab mounts to work with my axle.
Egghead Racer wrote: Why are those heads soaking in diesel?
I would guess it's for the wonderful detergent power of diesel.
In reply to Acme Lab Rat:
I had no idea!
maschinenbau wrote: In reply to DirtyDiesel: Almost all OEM or aftermarket parts for Impala SS will swap right in. Stock Impala SS springs will lower it an inch or two. Many wagons had the tow-package which includes it and a posi, however the wagon axles are wider so no other sway bar will work. I have a Caprice 9C1 rear sway bar that I will fab mounts to work with my axle.
And that posi unit, defined in the RPO sheet as G80, is an Auburn LSD, and not the Gov Lock use in trucks.
These really are fun cars to drive during an autocross, surprisingly. Though doing it with stock tires is a lot of work, it's mostly for the spectacle.
I added some more light in the garage, so now I have a dedicated place to work on heads. LT1 iron heads use traditional press-in rocker studs, which have a reputation for pulling out when you upgrade cam and springs. Speedway sells threaded rocker studs and a nifty extraction tool for pretty cheap that doubles as a tapping guide. You simply place the tool over two neighboring studs, add a stack of washers or spacer (borrowed from exhaust bolts in this case) and tighten the rocker nuts. I should mention it's best to use 3/8-24 nuts that are not your actual rocker nuts, because the heat and friction distorted the threads and now I need to buy new rocker nuts (another $10 added to my massive Rockauto engine rebuild order). Either way, the stud magically pulls out. The remaining hole is the perfect size to run a 7/16-20 tap through. The tool comes with an arbor to hold it in place during tapping. Then you thread in the new studs.
There's also the possibility if adapting a rear sway bar from a Gran Marquis or Crown Vic. And it's not impossible to find the thick one of those at the JY supposedly. It mounts differently than the Impala unit, but you can even get a thick aftermarket one from Addco if you're so inclined and match it to a thicker Addco Impala unit for the front.
All I've done so far is add 700lb springs up front, 210(?)s in the back and Monroe SS shocks. It's no sports car, but it is infinitely better than before, and likely better than any other 4500lb vehicle I can think of.
Still taking my time with the heads. Got all the press-in rocker studs pulled out. Now I'm tapping the holes for the new threaded studs.
You're making me wish that we'd have gone with the threaded studs... but we decided to roll the dice on the stock pressed in ones in our aluminum heads. We're only running ~.530 lift, so hopefully we'll get away with them?? That kit you got makes the job look pretty easy.
How big of a cam are you using?
In reply to jmk015:
Your aluminum heads already have threaded rocker studs. The cam is 0.560/0.555 with 1.6 rockers, but I'm using the stock 1.5s (until I find the right deal), so it's more like 0.525/0.520. You might consider valvesprings if the engine is high mileage. The stock springs can go up to 0.600 before coil bind, but they are not very stiff so you might float valves if you rev too high. Also the fatigue life drops off quick past 0.500 or so, especially for older engines.
One of the only new parts I bought are these springs. They are "drop-in" for my iron heads, no machining or extra parts needed, but your aluminum heads will need the valve seats machined for most aftermarket springs due to the valvestem seal guides. I plan to rev to 6000 or so.
http://www.competitionproducts.com/Howards-Cams-Electro-Polished-Performance-Valve-Springs-1265-OD-120-1800-350-1200/productinfo/98215/
You'll need to log in to post.
