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Member Forums => Members S10\Blazer Projects => Topic started by: rentedmule on September 08, 2009, 01:45:43 PM
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I'm just going to start the project thread with the truck as it sits now so here are the stats and current mods:
2003 Sonoma extended cab, 4.3 auto, G80 with 3.42 rear, no power options, stock stereo, originally a non-ZQ8 truck.
Engine
SLP 2.25" Y-pipe, no precat, 2.5" catback with a dynomax ultraflow muffler
Knock-off AEM brute force intake
Descreened MAF, cut off the throttlebody butterfly
Flex-a-lite 210 e-fans
Baja Customs poly motor mounts
ES poly trans mount
Tune with torque management removed, quicker shift times, higher line pressures, speed limiter removed
Suspension
ZQ8 coils front
Z85 leafs + 3" block rear
ZQ8 swaybars with poly bushings on the front
ZQ8 bumpstops
ZQ8 steering box
Bilsteins front, KYB GR2's rear
TA Performance diff girdle
Wheels/tires/brakes
2003 Corvette ZO6 17x9.5 front, 18x10.5 rear
Eagle F1 supercar 265/40 front, 295/35 rear
2.5" spacers all around (66" track width)
Hawk HPS pads
Wilwood high-temp fluid
Random crap
8-way power/heated leather buckets and console from a crew cab sonoma
Envoy bumper cover with tinted foglights
Debadged, tinted tails/3rd brake light
The truck is daily driven year-round but I've started auto-crossing it now so that's what the build will concentrate on. Next on the list is new front shocks and ditching the rear bumper and class 3 hitch for a rollpan to save weight.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301700.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301593.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301585.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/sideways.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301696.jpg)
I take out the spare tire and jack and keep it below 1/4 tank of gas when I race it to save as much weight as I can. I run at about 1 min 45 secs in this vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxLxZC60V7I
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262 on the side glass...haha
Are you going to boost it again?
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I always try for 262 but sometimes if you show up late they won't give you an option on your number ;D 510 would also be a good one...
It'll be a while until I have the money to think about serious engine stuff but boost is always an option. Now that the GF has her own car I've been thinking seriously about nitrous since it's so much cheaper/simpler and potentially more satisfying.
I haven't heard anything about running it in an auto-X application though - I don't know if the constant on/off throttle increases the risk for the engine??? I'm totally willing to accept the risk of tire damage.
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Damaging tires is not a risk it's a goal!
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I was tired of borrowing club helmets for auto-Xing so I caved and bought my own. I had picked up a used one similar to this a while ago but the snell rating was expired (m95) and they wouldn't let me use it :(
It's an HJC with an M2005 rating so it should be good for a while. I talked them down from $225 to $150 after I picked out a cheaper one and they didn't have my size ;D
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/HJCblack.jpg)
The Canadian Syclone/Typhoon Nationals are this weekend and they hooked up with our club so I hope to have lots of truck pics. So far 2 or 3 typhoons and 1 syclone are registered for auto-X. Two of the ty's have built engines with 600+ HP, 750 ft/lb :o. I'm not sure if any of them have auto-X'd before but they're all sports car guys so it should be interesting to see how they do!
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You have to get some vids of the sy/ty's running!
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I'm going to try but they'll probably be in the same run group as me. If they run them in 1st gear they'll be in boost the whole time too - I'm betting someone gets it squirrely or breaks something before the day is out!
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lol agreed
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Just finished auto-X'ing with a few of the Sy/Ty guys :D. Everyone managed to stay in one piece except for a first gen sonoma who was with our group that had tranny problems mid course.
One basically stock Sy ran and finished with ~71 seconds. Two Ty's ran - one guy wasn't really trying but Cam who organized the Nationals did really well. He got about 62 seconds but he may have DNF'd and definately hit some cones. It was obvious that huge HP and AWD helped out of the corners. Once he got the hang of it he was really using the AWD and pulling through the tight corners, I was impressed at how hard he pushed it! Severe body roll was the name of the game with all of them though - Cam even spun out once which I thought was pretty sketchy in a typhoon with stock suspension!
It was a confusing course and I DNF'd a few times but ended up with a clean 67 second run with a passenger. A C5 ZO6 ran a 64 so I was happy with it! I'm uploading some non-truck vids now, I'll post them later.
There was toyota X-runner there that ran pretty well too but I'm not sure on his times - it had Underdog Racing Development stickers on it so it may have been blown (they make mods for the TRD superchargers). I know someone got truck vids so I'll post them when they do. ;D
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Pos. Car # Driver Car Model Time
2004 Subaru WRX STi 56.858
2007 Porsche 911 Turbo 57.990
1990 Honda Civic 58.678
1900 Mazda RX7 59.933
2008 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 60.816
1999 BMW M3 60.837
2002 Honda S2000 60.882
1991 Mazda Miata 61.118
2009 Nissan GT-R 61.121
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX 61.553
2005 Subaru STi 61.837
2005 Subaru Rex 61.881
1990 Honda Civic Si 61.945
2007 Subaru WRX wagon 61.971
2006 Subaru Impreza STi 62.036
Subaru WRX 62.494
2006 Subaru WRX wagon 62.588
BMW 2002ti 62.952
2006 Subaru STi 63.393
1991 Honda CRX 63.953
1993 Subaru WRX 64.067
2002 Lexus IS300 64.088
Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8GT 64.145
1972 Chevelle 64.222
1998 Plymouth Neon 64.285
2004 Mazda 3 Sport 64.291
2004 Subaru WRX 64.314
1991 BMW 325i 64.591
2008 Subaru WRX 64.625
1986 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 64.750
Mark's 2004 Chevrolet Corvette 64.920
2002 Nissan Sentra SER Spec-V 65.016
1991 BMW 325i 65.236
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX 65.586
1994 Honda Del Sol 65.607
Mitsubishi lancer evolution MR 65.651
1991 Honda CRX 65.813
2006 Ford Mustang GT 65.857
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 66.935
Tyson's 2003 GMC Sonoma 67.573
1991 Honda Civic 67.982
1988 Toyota Corolla 68.368
2003 Toyota Celica 68.524
1994 Honda Del Sol 68.534
2005 Subaru WRX 68.974
1986 Toyota MR2 69.181
2006 Mazda Mazda3 69.310
1997 Ford Mustang GT 69.570
1997 Neon 70.113
1986 Pontiac Fiero 70.925
1998 Neon 70.994
2003 Subaru WRX 71.628
2004 Toyota Corolla 72.104
2007 Toyota XRunner 72.255
Gord's 1991 GMC Syclone 72.309
2009 Subaru STI 72.358
1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo 76.111
2006 Mazda Mazda3 76.648
[size=10pt]Matt's 1992 GMC Typhoon 95.961
Cam's 1993 GMC Typhoon dnf
Andrew's 1992 GMC Sonoma dnf[/size]
62 xp 73 Jp S 2001 Toyota MRS dnf
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Cam5.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Gord3.jpg)
in the background...
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Matt2.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/cam1.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Xrunner.jpg)
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wish our local autoxs had more trucks. all i see is the same lightning over and over..
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Damn Tyson, you were the fastest truck? Good job.
Philly region SCCA is having an auto cross right near my work today but I can't stay up long enough to watch. It is a bunch of miata's and honahs anyway.
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It was really fun, as it always is! I bet I could have cut a second off of my run if I didn't spin the tires so hard out of the gate. I rarely get the chance to do it though so whatever ;D
I took a buddy along on that last run and he was pumped at what a relatively stock truck could do. I really need to work on my throttle control though. I found I was bumping the gas alot when I was unsure about how fast I should be going. I also realized I could have taken the last slalom faster than I did - I felt like I was hammering through it but I think there was lots more grip. I guess there's really no replacement for seat time.
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I scored a monster deal on nearly new set of Eagle F1 supercars today so I guess I'll be sticking with OEM ZO6 shoes for a while. $200 ain't bad!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301854.jpg)
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NICE!
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Double nice. Those do seem to be really cheap on the aftermarket. I picked up my front 245/45R17s for $80 installed through a friend at discount tire.
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you mean 245/45?
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you mean 245/45?
Oops. Yes. fixed it.
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I'm not sure that they're such a great tire relative to the other choices out there but I can't afford to be picky! I think there's lots of room for improvements in driver performance before I have to start worrying about whether my tires are up to snuff anyway ;D
Has anyone got an update from power performance on their tall ball joints? I'm guessing a set of lowers would help with more even tire wear in addition to the camber curve.
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im still waiting as well. i think its time to call them again.
michael
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In some thread on s10forum P.P. said they were still 45-60 days out on the tall B.J.'s.
I installed a flaming river steering joint on the truck today. I picked it up used off of s10forum for $45 shipped.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301866.jpg)
Vid of rag-joint slop. Truck has 74K miles and didn't have any obvious symptoms of loose steering.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/th_S6301867.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/?action=view¤t=S6301867.flv)
It feels great now. Very connected and precise. Someone mentioned it may transmit vibrations or noise through the shaft but I didn't notice anything different.
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Wow! if that is only 74k I better do something about mine pretty quick,221k!
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I used a late modle Cherokee shaft in the blazer. I have yet to try it out, but it fits well.
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I've done the cherokee mod and while it improved the steering there are 2 things I would do differently. Either get the flaming rivers or use the lower cherokee U joint and merge it with the upper portion of the stock shaft. That does two things in my mind: eliminates the extra joint and doesn't require modifying the column at all. Fortunately for me I have another manual no tilt column out of the race truck to swap in when I decide which direction I want to go. For $45 I'd totally do the flaming rivers joint.
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use the lower cherokee U joint and merge it with the upper portion of the stock shaft.
thats what I did.
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I ordered a set of Howe tall upper ball joints today ;D
I'm going to try to do this in pseudo wallet-friendly steps and my uppers need replacing now so this will be the jump-off point. I'll replace the lowers with talls when they go and I'll probably have to do upper control arms at the same time to let me align it.
Marcus at SC&C said the tall uppers alone should give me a basically neutral camber curve - maybe a slight positive gain just off of ride height and then back to neutral which should be a big improvement over stock.
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I got some new parts in the mail this week. The tall upper BJs finally arrived but I'm still waiting (2 months now) on the UB machine upper control arms.
Picked up a new set of HAL stocker star AL's for the front - these things are a masterpiece in person, beautiful! :o
Also piecing together a wet nitrous kit from cheap ebay bits
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6301978.jpg)
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Wonder what's up with those arms.
What did the shocks end up costing if you don't mind?
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They were $260 Canadian shipped. No idea what's up with the arms, I emailed them this morning but nothing yet
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those shocks sure do look purtty. lol
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Finally got my UB Machine arms - they look great!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302018.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302019.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302020.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302021.jpg)
Next auto-X race is on sunday but I won't have a chance to get them in and have it aligned before then.
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Looks like nice pieces, still waiting on my uca's to get here.
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looks pretty sharp.
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Sexy!
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So the UCAs ended up taking about 3 months to get? Do you think I should expect the same type of wait when I order mine? Did they ever give excuses???
BTW- SWEET parts you got there. Interested in hearing your feedback on everything.
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The customer service was actually very good when I got things figured out. The parts ended up getting billed and sent to another account so as far as they knew everything had been done quickly! Once they investigated and figured out the mistake they only took about 2-2.5 weeks including cross-border shipping. I'd expect they'd be much quicker for you!!
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if i remember right, you ordered the ones that are set up for the howe stock plate tall ball joint, right?
not the 1/2 ton.
they look better in powdercoat
im glad that you got it worked out with them. Tony really is a good guy. cant say much about anybody else, cause ive never dealt with them.
michael
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What kind of bushings do they use? Stock size? What material are the ones that come with the arms made of?
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they use a close tolerance steel on steel greasable bushing.
stokc control arms were rubber.
after aboyt 5k on my arms, salt, sand, mud, etc, i have had no problems.
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Got the arms/tall BJ's on today. Alignment this week and then another race on saturday! ;D
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let usw know what you think!
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Alignment is scheduled for tomorrow. They definitely need shims, I have a crap-load of positive camber right now. The bolts were a PITA to get to and tight as hell so I didn't even bother trying to go back and shim it close.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302048.jpg)
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So how does it handle with the tall ball joint?
I just went and picked up my ub machine arms with the 1/2 ton plate today. Tony is definitely a good guy to deal with, and even better in person.
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I think it handles really well, at least compared to stock. I ordered the tall lowers from PP last week - god knows when they'll get here though.
I won ESP again this weekend - here's a vid from my crappy camera mount. I'll work on some bracing for it for the next event to quell the shaking and move it higher in the cab.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/th_S6302089.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/?action=view¤t=S6302089.flv)
pics by GrantC
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/may152010.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/may1520102.jpg)
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the shakiness just makes it look faster.
lol
The SCCA club down here has pretty much shutdown...we haven't had an event in months. :'(
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I never noticed how high you truck was until that last pic. Still in my top 3 :D
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wow, it does look high. glad to see youre driving the truck, and having a blast. runs looked pretty good. seemed to be fairly smooth, but couldnt tell due to the camera shake.
what would be the top 3, eric?
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HectorM52's, Tyson's and mine...lol
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<clears throat>
;D
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hood and proper envoy fog lights installed
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302095.jpg)
PP tall lower BJs will be here thursday ;D
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nice! looks sharp.
notice any weight difference in the two hoods? I assume thats a steel hood?
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Yeah, it's steel. I didn't really notice much of a difference but I'd guess it added a few pounds
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looks good! gonna get the hid lights too?
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Looks very good! Congrats.
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She looks hungry. ;D
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looks good! gonna get the hid lights too?
Thanks guys! I doubt I'll get the HIDs. I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on appearance stuff - my stock hood had a big wrinkle/dent in it and I got this one new for $290 total so I thought it was a good buy.
UPS called and said the PP tall lower BJs will be here Thursday. Next event is on Sunday at our small track so I doubt I'll get them in before then.
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Apparently it's been a while since I've updated this :o
I've been running the tall upper/lower BJs and the UB Machine arms for a while now and they're working great.
I corded my front eagle F1 supercars and picked up a new pair of Bridgestone RE71's - they're 255/45-17s instead of the 265/40's I was running but there isn't really a noticeable difference in width or height and they were cheap!
I finally got fed up with the blazer seats and picked up a set of Yonaka Katanas.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG00136-20101203-1250.jpg)
Also got some engine compartment bling in the form of a stainless rad holder
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302416.jpg)
That's all for now
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those seats look good, wanna trade for lightweight ones? lol
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LOL, these are 32lbs and that's light enough for me! However, I do have a white cat and the black psuedo-suede is going to be like a magnet for hair...
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those seats look good, wanna trade for lightweight ones? lol
dang, i think both seats + brackets combined weigh less than 30 lbs for me lol
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Those are nice looking seats! Congrats.
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those seats look good, wanna trade for lightweight ones? lol
dang, i think both seats + brackets combined weigh less than 30 lbs for me lol
I'm currently running 8-way power leather seats from a crew cab so even at 64 lbs combined they'll still cut 60 lbs or so out of the cab. Are you running the brackets that came with your plastic seats or did you bolt stock brackets to them?
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I'm currently running 8-way power leather seats from a crew cab so even at 64 lbs combined they'll still cut 60 lbs or so out of the cab. Are you running the brackets that came with your plastic seats or did you bolt stock brackets to them?
aha i see,
plastic seats didnt come with brackets. made somewhat adjustable ones out of aluminum, and bolted them to the lower part of the stock brackets (removed the sliders)
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those seats look good, wanna trade for lightweight ones? lol
dang, i think both seats + brackets combined weigh less than 30 lbs for me lol
They're a lot more comfy than I expected too.
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I have a plastic racing seat in my living room and it's quite a bit more comfortable than I expected too, though it lacks lumbar support quite badly.
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For the moment my truck is going in more of a protouring direction instead of a full on race vehicle so I'm not going to strip it down too much. I'm ditching the jump seat to save another few pounds as well since it rarely gets used. I don't have a garage or even a paved driveway anymore so the winter projects are pretty limited :(.
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EW, I bet. We're just teasing you about the rest of it. You can bet on one thing for sure, most of us would probably rather drive your truck as a DD than Ryos. That count for a lot on a site called protourings10, not races10.
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love the new stuff, where did you pick up the seats? never head of them but I like how they look
LOVE the envoy cover and hood.. I want to run the envoy cover on mine whenever I can figure out a clean way to make it work with chevy grill (97 blazer composite grill)
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Rentedmule, do you have a part # for those control arms? Thanks.
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I got the seats used but Yonaka's are pretty popular and easy to find online. I don't think the versions I have are made any more but the other models they have look pretty good too. Some of the sponsors on corvetteforum have really good deals on them.
I don't have a part # for the UCAs - I just called UB machine and told them what I wanted. A few guys have ordered them lately so they should know what you're talking about if you tell them you want the s10 UCAs for tall balljoints.
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Just make sure they know what plate to use, the C10 plate is different from the metric plate. You can get either plate technically, and still use the C10 stud, you just have to get the right ball joint to match.
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I have Howe uppers so I ordered mine with a standard metric mounting plate.
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Thanks guys, I'm definately going to look into this more. I'm guessing my local dirttrack shop will be able to give me some prices on this stuff right?
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For the moment my truck is going in more of a protouring direction instead of a full on race vehicle so I'm not going to strip it down too much.
Sig quote to pwn noobz!!! LOL
Hey Tyson. How's my Canadian bro?
Hey, How are those HOWE's working out?
-88 Jimmy, you can save $80-$120 using fullsize uppers and PP lowers. He didn't listen when I tried to save him some loonies.
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Going well but I'm redonkulously busy with work right now so I haven't had a chance to do anything to the truck lately.
The Howe's are still good as far as I can tell. I'm still daily driving it but this is what the weather looks like now so there's not much hard cornering happening!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/snow.jpg)
I picked up a wideband O2 sensor, hopefully as part of a future turbo project. I'm still hunting for a set of manual seat tracks to mount the new seats but without a garage I'm not really in a rush to get at that - also my current seats are heated (see above pic) :D
I'm starting to consider brake upgrade options now too but I think first on the list is a proper LSD. I think I'd be more competitive in overall raw auto-X times if I could predictably put the power down coming out of the turns.
How's your truck doing? Are you still considering selling it or are you going to run it for a while?
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Picked up a set of QA1 stocker stars off the pro-touring.com classifieds for the rear. Still need to get the t-bar kit for them.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/QA1rearshocks1.jpg)
Also got an MSD box a while ago to try to smooth out my idle a bit
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302418.jpg)
I also had an awesome deal fall in my lap for a new set of single-adjustable QA1 coil-overs for the front so it looks like I'll be getting those as well. I plan on pulling a leaf to soften the rear up a bit so hopefully the coil-overs will let me fine tune the front to get things level.
What are people's opinions on running 550 lb springs? Will they be too stiff or a good choice for auto-X? I know the ZQ8 coils are ~700 lb but it seems like a lot of people run 450 lb springs on coil-overs.
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random but I have the exact same weight set in front of me right now. Thanks for posting that pic of the rad brace. It just made my life a good bit easier. Looking forward to seeing some more videos.
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550lbs will work well for an iron headed SBC, an aluminum headed spc or a 4.3 and I would probably go for the 450s, especially on a DD.
Then again, we have differing views of DD status, cause mine is stripped to the gills so I want soft springs and heavy bars.
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I have a set of slightly used 550lb-in QA1 coilover springs. Make me an offer if you want them.
Later, Doug
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Did you try the 550's on your blazer Doug?
I'm pretty sure that the ones I'm buying come with the 550 lb springs - the seller is going to check and get back to me. Maybe I'll try those out and if they're horrendously stiff I'll swap to the 450 lb versions.
The truck is technically a daily driver but it only moves 1.5 miles a day. I do drive it most days but I think it's been 5 weeks since I filled it up last. We use the GF's car for longer trips when we actually want to be comfortable!
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Did you try the 550's on your blazer Doug?
I had them on my Blazer for a few weeks. I loved the way it rode with them but I wanted a drop, that they didn't provide, so I went with softer coils. I had the Z85 suspension on my Blazer so the 550 springs felt about the same.
Later, Doug
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Cool, thanks for the info. I originally had Z85 coils on mine as well and found the ZQ8's a bit soft when I did the swap so maybe the 550's will be OK.
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FYI power leather blazer seats weigh about 62 lbs each! I should have my race seats mounted soon, I just need to drill some holes and paint the brackets. They should cut about 60 lbs from the cab.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302436.jpg)
I also installed an MSD 6a and it cleaned up my idle quite a bit
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302431.jpg)
and I cleared the orange reflector out of a set of 'noma headlights I had hanging around
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302433.jpg)
I put on a set of bridgestone RE71's a while ago and they feel great. I think the old eagle F1's I had must have been toasted because these feel really sticky even though they're a bit narrower. 1st race of the season is in a week!
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looks like your driver's headlight isn't on right or something. maybe it's just the angle. seat looks great btw.
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I think it is just the angle. I made sure it was clipped in on the bottom and I haven't noticed it any other time outside of this one pic.
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A few mostly pictureless updates:
QA1 coilovers are installed with 550lb springs and the truck feels like it's on rails now. Body roll is completely (honestly) gone, so much so that I'm still trying to figure out how to change my driving style to match. It's hard to predict when the front tires are going to let go without the normal corner dive so I'm over-driving it a bit and it's costing me time.
I ditched the rear swaybar 2 events ago and it freed up the rear end to move a bit more and really helped with traction. I'm sold that it was the right move given the heavy spring pack I'm running in the rear. It's not quite as easy to control without it but it is faster.
I have a Zexel-Torsen sitting on the bench now but the box was damaged in shipping and the thrust plate was lost so I need to track down parts before the install. I also have a set of QA1 single adjustable shocks for the rear but I need a t-bar adapter kit to install them.
So far I'm 3 for 3 in ESP wins this season and I'm creeping up on the faster raw times of the events. It's a small club though so take that for what it's worth. I'm running a regional event this sunday that should put things in better perspective.
one event pic from a few weeks ago (still on ZQ8 coils here). I posted a vid from that camera on the roof in another thread
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/MMSCmay2011.jpg)
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How do you like the new seats? Any thoughts about upgrading to a harness?
Great pic btw. Where did you post that video I would love to see it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9oYB4NzmY&feature=player_embedded#at=58
I've put the coilovers on since then
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302450.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302452.jpg)
I still don't have the seats in. I have the brackets figured out but I neglected to realize that I would need a new female part to keep my seatbelts since the one on the power seats bolts to the seat, not the floor. I tracked down a pair but don't have them yet. As soon as that happens I'll get them in. For now I'm still running kitchen cupboard liner on my leather seats to stop my ass from sliding off!
I'm picking up a pair of slightly used Toyo Proxes T1R's this week, 275/40-17's to replace the fronts I have on now which are ruined from camber wear. They lasted almost 2 months!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/TYRES1.jpg)
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Spohn didn't have any LCAs on the shelf without BJs installed so they're building some for me. I got the coilover specific versions with delrin bushings. The shock mounts on my stock LCAs are collapsed to the point where I'm scared the bolts are going to tear through so I parked it until the new ones get here.
I also bought a house that came with a little shop in the back yard ;D
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Newbarn.jpg)
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There goes all your truck money... Congrats!
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Little shop eh? I would kill for a place like that. Congrats man, that is so sick. If you have a moment snap a pic of the lower control arm deformation. I would like to see it.
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Thanks! One of the benefits of living in a small town is super cheap house prices :) We couldn't have gotten a crappy condo for the same price when I lived out west.
I'll get some pics of the LCA damage this weekend as I was planning on doing some tinkering on the truck anyway.
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^ I hear you on that. I'll definitely be living out in the bush when I get out of school. Live in a mansion out there or live in an apartment downtown for the same price. Go figure.
Where are you from again?
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nice progress man and congrats on the house, let me know how the spohn LCA's work out, i was checking them out myself
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Here are some pics of the LCA carnage. The shock mounts are supposed to go up into the control arm, not down towards the ground :(
The spohns should be here this week
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302475.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302474.jpg)
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Yikes! What's even scarier is there is guys saying it's ok to run stock 2wd lowers with coil overs. What spring rate are you running?
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550 lbs. I really don't know if that's a decent rate yet since I haven't been able to dial it in with the settling springs and bending arms.
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Wow, that's really bad. It's the first I've seen one of these LCAs deform like that, ever.
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They may work better installed from the top. I probably drive my truck harder than the average guy who just buys them for the drop too - they have about 20 auto-x laps on them already.
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oh wow im impressed.
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Some toys came in the mail today so hopefully the mule will be back on the road soon
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/spohnarms2.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/spohnarms1.jpg)
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those endlink holes look pretty far outboards. good feature, if you can find a swaybar that will be long enough. s10cnyncrvr actually extended his swaybar, but im not a big fan of that idea.
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They're supposed to be bolt-on, are you thinking the endlinks aren't going to line up? Harley mentioned that he bent a few links because of the positioning of them on the shockwave arms.
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They're supposed to be bolt-on, are you thinking the endlinks aren't going to line up? Harley mentioned that he bent a few links because of the positioning of them on the shockwave arms.
yea, i think they will bolt on but with angled endlinks which make a big effect when you are lowered.
at least thats what I think from initial glance. who knows till you measure/bolt on.
my theory is that these are g-body arm derived (if not the same) who i've heard have longer swaybars.
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I'm positive they're just G-body arms with the correct frame mounting hole size for an s-series. I didn't think the swaybar mounting hole position would be different though since G-bodies have a wider frame which necessitates the wider swaybar.
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They do have longer/ wider arms, and, you there are a few options for some really stiff after market bars.
Camaro bar should also work as a G body bar option. I don't know if the front to back distance from the frame bushings to the link mounts will work though.
For racing purposes, has anyone eliminated all the sway bar bushings? By that I mean heims from the frame, and a threaded shank bolt with only washers and nuts at the links?
We use a set up like that for our oval track cars. Here is a link to my favorite store:
http://www.howeracing.com/p-7630-vertical-ez-adjuster.aspx
or http://www.howeracing.com/p-7632-howe-quick-change-sway-bar-adjuster.aspx
Pretty soon you guys are going to think I work for Howe, but they just have never done me wrong.
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For racing purposes, has anyone eliminated all the sway bar bushings? By that I mean heims from the frame, and a threaded shank bolt with only washers and nuts at the links?
i think most of us have to stiffen up our frame before we need to do that
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From everything I've read stock G-body lower control arms are identical to s-series arms except that they take a different diameter bolt for the frame mount holes. A wider swaybar will interfere with the tire near full lock. I polished a spot on the stock swaybar with my tires when I was running 16" camaro wheels with spacers that were too narrow.
With the coilovers and 550lb springs I think I'm relying much less on the swaybar for controlling body roll now than I did before. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the new delrin bushings feel compared to the stock rubber ones.
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Gotcha. I'm a little out of touch with the 2wd frames.
I've been doing a couple of rally cross events, and some of the Subaru 2.5 RS guys have been running that way.
I've eliminated the end link bushings on my ZR2, and have a Afco's up front with a really tight/ slow rebound, and fairly easy compression. still using T bars. The result is really firm cornering. The shocks help keep the wheel sucked up into the fender when there is a lot of tension on the sway bar from the out side wheel. when I'm on the gas exiting the corner, the inside tire will sometimes have daylight under it.
Got the idea from a big bar, soft spring set up people have been trending to at the local race tracks.
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The soft spring big bar setup sounds great actually but there's nothing available off the shelf that's larger than the ZQ8 bar. I need to get the new LCAs on and race it for a while to see how everything is working as is.
Because of the LCA issue I haven't really been able to get a consistent platform to start adjusting the shocks from. I did feel like the coilovers made it significantly quicker on course - I judge my progress based on how close I am to the times of a few of the fast guys that I race with and I went from being 3-4 seconds back to 1-2 seconds back. The problem was that because of the coils settling and the LCA's collapsing I would set the ride height before a race and then it would collapse back onto the bumpstops so it was horrible to drive on the street.
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I've always been a proponent of the soft spring big bar design, it's just more fluid and seems to stick better to the track.
G-body arms and 2WD arms are identical, I've checked them side by side. And only one of the bolts is larger, the rear bolt is 14mm instead of 12mm, I'm fairly sure.
Unfortunately, we need thicker bars, the only option is nascar style bars with custom arms, which is not just expensive, but not that easy either. They can be mounted to the stock mounts with custom bushings, but it's far from ideal.
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The auto-X truck that GM built used a 40mm hollow bar IIRC. I'd be nice if that was available from the GMPP catalog!
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The auto-X truck that GM built used a 40mm hollow bar IIRC. I'd be nice if that was available from the GMPP catalog!
(http://imgs4.images.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/108large+2001_chevrolet_s10+wheel_view.jpg)
I've never understood why there isn't more info on this truck. Surely someone other than Hot Rod has seen it.
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They also used cut Z85 coils according to the article on that truck which really don't qualify as soft by any definition of the word.
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I did some digging and found one of the people who raced the truck on facebook and sent them a message.
maybe he'll get back to me.
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They also used cut Z85 coils according to the article on that truck which really don't qualify as soft by any definition of the word.
hey i have those :D
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That's what my truck originally had and I remember that it felt much softer after I switched to ZQ8 coils!
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If you do want to run the Nascar style, or Splined straight bars, I was thinking that the best way to do it would be to mount it over the frame. The cams for them come in different lengths, but most I've seen for front bars are pretty long cams.
If G body bars and control arms are similar or identical, there are 40mm, 44mm, 48mm, and 50mm hollow bars out there for the picking. I ran across a bunch of Monte Carlo and Malibu stuff at a swap meet a couple years ago, but the thought of doing a protouring rig wasn't even a twinkle in my eye.
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Mule, and anyone else looking for consistent setups for racing,
After you have LCA's that are worth a shit in your rig, and a shock spring combo that feels good to you. Setting the sway bar should be a two person deal.
With NO load on the drivers side of the sway bar and your ride height set, the driver needs to be in the the seat with everything they are going to be racing with, and a buddy needs to make sure the passenger side it tight. Then, they go to the drivers side and load that side of the bar. Try to count the threads coming through the Nylok. I know this sounds like it doesn't make a difference, but when setting the ride height, the bar needs to be unloaded. if you are adjusting the height lower, and the bar is loaded, it will actually feel like the bar is barely even there when your taking a good corner.
I may be saying what a lot of you already know, but it's the attention to detail, and the little things that will keep knocking seconds off your times.
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Thanks for input - I didn't know that! There are a few manufacturers that will custom bend swaybars as well. It's been a while since I took a good look at clearances under there but it may be fairly easy to swap to a straight bar. The G-body bars are significantly wider than the s-series bars but I think it's easy to get a straight bar in any length you want.
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I think so too. And, you can also set the load with a splined bar with a set screw and use it as a spring. Preloading the bar to use it as a spring is pretty much only used in dirt track and sprint car applications because the they are now running lightweight gas shocks with no coil springs, and they use the sway bar as a sway bar and a side to side torsion spring. They do it because it works well, and it saves a little weight. I think it would only be useful to guys like us if we were only doing oval tracks.
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IF you are willing to get it splined, then yes. If you want one pre-splined and ready to drop in, then you are stuck to some standard lengths like 32, 33, 36, 40 and 42 inches. At least those are the ones I recall. The real advantage to splined bars is being able to custom bend the arms and get them tighter to the frame for better tire clearance then flare out and get the length and angle exact. Though the size is a VERY close second. Weight loss is third.
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You know, it's really nice to be able to talk shop with other people that know what they're talking about. I don't know a whole lot about S10's specifically, but I know race cars, especially suspension set ups. Even more, suspension set up and scenarios that have worked for me, and that have beaten me. I'm really grateful that you guys are receptive to new ideas, and provide new ideas and concepts to me.
Right on!
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The new LCAs are on. It seems pretty apparent now that the 550 lb springs are too heavy but I'm going to try them on the track and live with them for a while before I do anything about it.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302508.jpg)
The endlink angle is obvious in this pic so we'll see how those hold up
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Are the springs as high on the shock as you can get them, or do you still have ride height adjustment to make it lower?
Your LCA angle looks like my ZR2's blazer.
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The ride height is really high at the moment, I probably have room to drop it 2" or more. I'm going to drive it for a few days to see if it settles before I adjust it down. It's not particularly hard to do but it is work so I don't want to redo it over and over!
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Oh! it looks like you have the spring collar style of coil over shock. It looks like you've got plenty of adjustment. You might be ok with 550 lb springs if you bring your ride height down a bit.
The LCA's look really nice.
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non-perpendicular endlinks will drop the efficiency of the swaybar. forces will be squeezing/pulling the bar rather than transmitting a torque to the other side
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The spring rate is so stiff right now I'm not sure the swaybar is even necessary! It seems like it should be straight forward to make an adapter to move the LCA endlink attachment point in an inch or so to straighten it out.
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I realized yesterday that the coils aren't too stiff, they're too soft. Looks like they may be the variable 250/350 lb ones that used to come on the procoil kits. I went to adjust the ride height yesterday and the winds of the coils look like they've been laying on top of each other so the stiffness has been from the shocks bottoming out. Going to look into some 450 lb coils
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The 450lb coils arrived today and will go on this coming Monday. I also finally sorted out the adapters needed to run the single adjustable rear QA1 shocks. For the record each shock is a QA1 part # TC1539P with a SS300LT thread-on loop and a BAR350K T-bar adapter. The adapters aren't sold in pairs and were almost $100 plus a pile of shipping charges since I couldn't find them in Canada :(
Spohn lists them in their catalog for 2wd S10's so maybe they can offer a better deal than buying all of the bits individually. I got the shocks used (barely) so in the end I probably came out ahead but they definitely were not cheap.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302517.jpg)
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shiny!
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450lbs sounds about right. I ran up to 750 lb springs up front (non coil over) on a couple flatter tracks in an older stock car class I used to run.
One thing you should know is that coil bind is not always bad. A Part you can get to make it work for you is a bearing that goes in between the spring and your spring collars. It allows the coil to unwind and wind up easily when it is loading and unloading.
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(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/truckbarn.jpg)
I got the 450 lb coils in and they feel great. They're softer than the ZQ8's but the shocks still cancel out most of the body roll. I need to raise the front a hair to level it out but otherwise I'm really pleased with the compromise between ride/handling as it is.
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450s? Now I don't know what the hell to do with my truck. I've got the taller stiffer springs in there now, z85s I think they are, they're fucking terrible. I can't find properly soft springs at the right height though. And GM just bumped his coils up stiffer and is loving it. You all make me think too damn much!
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ive been quite happy with my cut z85s. from lack of a stiff enough swaybar I went the stiff coil route and been very happy.
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How much did you cut them down? I've been considering it so that I can get the exact drop I want, and just hope that better shocks rein in the ride quality to a tolerable level. I like the cost of cut coils too!
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sadly i dont remember the exact amount and i lost the software for all my modeling....
sorry
its a pretty harsh ride haha
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I'm really happy with the 450s but that may be because the roads are just so crappy here. They make the truck somewhat tolerable to drive which it hasn't been for the last little while. With my shocks 6 clicks in it's still a firm ride without being too jarring. I haven't had a chance to race it yet so I'm not sure what it will be like on course.
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Got the rear QA1's in and they feel great
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/QA1shocks3.jpg)
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Finally threw some paint on my faded primer/bare metal hood
before
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/hood3.jpg)
Still wet
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/hood2.jpg)
Done - not perfect but neither is the rest of the truck!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/hood1.jpg)
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Looks good I like the blue and satin black together a lot actually, you should do your roof as well.
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I've always liked the look of those envoy front bumpers.
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I finally got around to pulling my jumpseat out for weight savings - it was 20 lbs on my bathroom scale.
The jack and everything else associated with it came in at about 12 lbs so 32 lbs out of the cab is a decent loss for no money.
I also weighed the spare tire - it was 36 lbs.
I'm hoping to finally get the proper seat belts this week so I can mount my race seats. They'll cut another 60 lbs over the power leather seats.
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The carpet is fairly heavy too ;D
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Start of spindle/brake swap
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/LS1brakes1.jpg)
End of the 2011 auto-X season
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/MMSCplaque2011.jpg)
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nice man, congrats on first place!
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Way to go Mule !!
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Congratulations on 1st place, that's awesome.
How much does your truck weigh as it sits at the moment?
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Thanks!
I've never weighed it but I'm guessing around 3600-3700 lbs maybe?
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I've decided to go with the 13" brake set up and I'm collecting the rest of the parts for the swap now.
I also picked up a set of slide-a-links since I plan on pulling a leaf sometime soon to soften up the rear end a bit. Not sure how they'll work on course but I'll need some sort of traction bar to keep from tearing things apart with wheel hop.
The wife also bought me a welder for Christmas so hopefully I'll be doing some more serious fab in the future ;D
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Slide-a-links deal fell through as the seller didn't ship so paypal is working on getting my money back.
In the mean time some 'new' 295/35-18 Toyo Proxes T1R's for the rear to match the 265/40-17's I got for the front late last summer. The rear Eagle F1 supercars lasted through 2.5 pairs of fronts before they were trashed.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/proxest1rs.jpg)
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The race season is approaching and I'm starting to get the truck prepped.
I finished fabbing up my race seat mounts and test fit them a while back. Unfortunately I still can't find seat belt ends that bolt to the floor so the final install is on hold.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/raceseatbrackets.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/raceseat1.jpg)
I also bought a second PCM and had XTREME80 on s10planet do a custom tune for me. When I removed my supercharger a long time ago the dyno tuner threw some crap normally aspirated tune in the truck and it clearly was not great. Shawn's tune feels incredible compared to the stock one, the hypertech PP3, or the last tune I had in there. More power throughout and the shifting characteristics are much better. He also programmed in a second trans tune using the tow/haul capability in the late model LS1 style PCM. It will give me full manual shift control in 1st and 2nd and let me run to the limiter in either gear without shifting, instead of the stock setup which only allowed that to happen in 1st. This has been a major issue for my lap times in the past since the random up/downshifts in 2nd add seconds to a run. I haven't wired in the switch yet but he tested it on his truck and it works well.
I also bumped the rev limiter up from 5600 to 5800 rpms to give me a hair more speed between corners without shifting. He tested as high as 6000 on his truck (almost all the same mods as mine) but it started to float valves at 5900. I may look at upgrading my valve springs soon but I tried it out a few times last weekend and it ran smooth up to the limiter so it's not a priority.
I'm ordering a new set of 3.42's for my zexel/torsen install today so that should also make a huge difference on course.
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Nice, those seats look like a huge step up from the stockers. You won't be leaning on the door panel anymore lol.
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Look at early second gen belts. Think they bolt to the inside rear seat bolt. I was going to try the clip side from a early extended cab but sold the truck before I got the parts and then resold them.
BTW, Hi Tyson!
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Hey dude! Good to 'see' ya!
I was actually able to find a set of belts today. I think they came out of a '96 but I'm not positive. They work with the male ends of my current belts so I should be good to go now.
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Seat belt issues are figured out and the seats are finally in
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/S6302575.jpg)
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Nice! Where are you at on the spindle swap? Last I read you had decided on the 13" and had spindles and calipers ready to go.
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I have the spindles, new hubs, a set of Carbotech auto-X compound pads and I just picked up some 13" rotors this week (kindly donated by my father's parts store for some work I did for him). The LS1 calipers were a wash - they can't easily be made to fit the blazer spindles so I sold the set I had. I bought a set of C5 calipers and abutments about 1.5 weeks ago from firefighter on S10planet - they should be here any day. I'll get them rebuilt and painted and then get the brackets and lines from flynbye next.
The new rotors look pretty huge compared to the stockers
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/c5rotor2.jpg)
The brake project is second in line (and importance as far as racing goes) to getting my torsen installed. I have a new ring and pinion and bearings for it now so I should be getting that in over the next few weeks.
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Seats look great, so do those rotors. They look massive compared to the old ones.
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keep it up, love this truck
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Ran my first auto-X event of the 2012 season last night. It was raining so there was a lot of tail-out and 4-wheel drifting action but I still managed to keep within a second of the fastest cars (with the exception of a highly modded civic that always beats everyone by 3-4 seconds). I usually get my ass handed to me in the rain so just keeping up this time was a major improvement.
The new race seats and 5800 rpm rev limiter are working well 8). The torsen diff is going in next Thursday but I have another event before then so I'll get some good before/after analysis.
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Pics from Wednesday's auto-x care of my friend RJ Hodge
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/autoxmay20122.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/autoxmay2012.jpg)
The Torsen diff is finally in now. It was rebuilt and installed with a new 3.42 Motive ring and pinion, solid pinion spacer and synthetic fluid. The test will be next Wednesday's race
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Love that first pic. Any vids from the event?
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No vids unfortunately. My home-made camera mount doesn't work with my new race seats, I'm going to have to rig up something else or actually buy a go-pro
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Mike lee is selling gopro's at a pretty good discount. I picked mine up from him I think it was like 30$ cheaper then anywhere else.
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It's definitely on the wish list but I need to save $$ for tires - I'll probably go through 4 front tires this season
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New camera mount made from a modded Dashscan window mount
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/pic1.jpg)
I'll see how it works at tonight's race
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a pic from the last event
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/autoxregional.jpg)
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Looks like you're getting close to lifting that inside tire, witout a different angle, it's hard to say what would help most, but it's possible that going to a stiffer swaybar(or modifying yours) in the rear will help push that corner back down.
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Funny that you mention the rear swaybar - I had it taken it off because I was lifting the inside rear tire and wasn't able to get traction when I was on the gas coming out of corners with the G80 LSD. Now that I have the Torsen the rear end gets much more traction in the turns and I was planning on reinstalling the bar before Wednesday's race. It hadn't crossed my mind that it may help to push the inside front tire down - that's why I keep posting here.
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reinstalled it tonight
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/swaybar.jpg)
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Battery is now in the bed
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/batteryrelocation1.jpg)
I used this as an excuse to practice welding so I made a reinforcement under the bed with threaded rod welded to it and a matching top brace to hold things in place. I still suck at welding and also really need some proper metal working tools but at least it's strong.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG00476-20120624-1711.jpg)
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I've now run 2 or 3 auto-X events with the Torsen LSD and the rear sway bar back in place and the verdict is that the bar is still hurting my times. I'm seeing the same symptoms I was when I had it on with the G80 where it's lifting or nearly lifting the inside rear tire and the Torsen doesn't like that much more than the old G80 did. It is definitely a huge step up but there are still situations where it won't lock up and I spin the inside wheel - it also happens unpredictably like it did with the G80 as well. I don't think I would have the same issue with a LSD that would let me turn that outside tire to help rotate the truck.
I'm going to ditch the rear bar again and play with front and rear shock settings to see if I can get things dialed in a bit better.
For my alignment I'm currently running -0.5 camber and it's not quite enough to even out my tire wear. I've had to dismount my tires and have them swapped side-to-side to stop from cording the outside edges. I think I'll have it realigned to add another -.25 to see if I can find the sweet spot. I tried -1.0 last year and I wore the insides a bit too quickly so hopefully -.75 will do the trick.
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have you tried just upping your front bar?
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How? I was under the impression that the 33 mm ZQ8 bar was the biggest available. I can stiffen up my shock settings to stop it from rolling as much in the front but I don't find that really helps the situation in the rear. I'm totally open to suggestions!
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You can get a bigger aftermarket bar, if hellwig doesn't have one in stock they'll bend one up for you still reasonably priced. The other option would be what I am planning, cut off the ends of the bar, drill and tap for a heim so alignment isn't an issue any more and you can move the mounting point on the control arm out further.
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artos has a couple ideas, i would not use the shock settings to bandaid the lack of a stiff bar. that changes way too many other things.
another concept is to "stack" 2 swaybars on top of eachother. there are good and bad ways to do it, but it's a very budget way to up bar stiffness.
quick google image for reference:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y206/PoisonBeef/saab/HPIM2192.jpg)
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Oddly I was just reading about stacking multiple bars on autospeed a few days ago but I wasn't sure if anyone actually did that!
http://autospeed.com/cms/A_112694/article.html
I may have to contact hellwig and see what they can do. Didn't the auto-X s10 that the GM engineering team built have a 40 mm hollow bar or something like that? I wonder if a larger diameter bar would cause clearance issues with the frame or the tires when they're at full lock...
Thanks for the input
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I'm thinking about shortening my rear bar so it clamps closer to the axle, should stiffen it up a little bit. By that article, I want a stiffer front bar though. I already have the ZQ8 front and rear but maybe I should look into a stiffer front bar being made...
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No worries at all man, I was just clarifying!
Rotated the rear tires today - they also get camber wear on the outside edges from stretching in the turns so I had them dismounted and swapped to the opposite sides. I also mounted up a set of used Michelin Pilot XGT-Z4 (I'm still too broke/cheap to buy new). They're 275/40-17's so they really fill the wheel well! The treadwear rating is 300 versus the 280 of the Toyos and they're also quite old so I'm not expecting much out of them in the handling department. They were fat, cheap and would pass inspection and that's all I was after this time.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/pilots.jpg)
Hard to see but there's still enough clearance at full lock
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/pilots2.jpg)
They replaced my 265/40-17 Toyo Proxes T1R's that I corded a few weeks ago. I'm still running a 295 version of this tire in the rear.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/pilots3.jpg)
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Race season is over and the truck is laid up for the winter now. I have the interior out replacing the heater core that blew early this summer. This is definitely the largest project I've ever undertaken on my own
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/heatercore2.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/heatercore1.jpg)
Organization FTW!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/heatercore4.jpg)
Picked up a set of '95 Pontiac Firehawk 17x9" wheels to eventually run slicks on. I plan on stripping and refinishing them over the winter, they're in rough shape but they were damn cheap
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/firehawkwheels1.jpg)
I'm also taking over Firefighter's magnacharged 4.3 project. The custom lower intake manifold is here and the plan is to run an intercooled gen 5 M90 from magnusun. That will be a slow moving project so don't expect quick updates on it. I'm shopping for an engine to use for mock up now - I thought I had one last week but the deal fell through
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/customeatonmanifold.jpg)
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I can't remember where you're at, but I'm pulling the TBI4.3 out of my blazer tomorrow. It wouldn't actually be the worst engine for the build if you're looking to do some machine work on the block too. It's stock bore right now and is pre-balance shaft, so you don't have to worry about the oiling woes or timing issues of the balance shaft blocks.
That intake manifold is tits by the way, these need to make it into regular production, they would sell like hot cakes. GM is still using the 4.3 in trucks today and it's almost completely unchanged since 96 and largely unchanged since whenever the hell it came out, mid-80s I think,
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I'm way the hell up in Canada so I'll have to pass on the engine offer - thanks though! I should be able to pick up a complete 98+ for a few hundred bucks locally if I'm patient. I want to get it mocked up on a junk engine and then just transfer it over to the one in the truck once it's finished.
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yay 275s up front!
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It's too bad they are such crappy tires! They look like they should be sticky but they're probably the worst tires I've had on the truck in a few years.
I swapped the heater core out and started reassembling things last night. Everything seems to be going well so far (knocking on wood)
I drilled a hole in the AC box to access the heater box screw inside - worked well. I just patched it with some plastic cut from a spray can cap
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/heatercorehole.jpg)
Figured out a bit better mount for my fuel pressure gauge while I was in there. I had some low idle and starting issues a while back that ended up being the IAC valve but I wanted to test FP. It was just zip-tied in place before
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/heatercorehole2.jpg)
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That's a really nice spot for the fuel pressure gauge, nicely done.
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I drilled a hole in the AC box to access the heater box screw inside - worked well. I just patched it with some plastic cut from a spray can cap
I always use a 1/4" ratchet in the hole for the resistor. Works well enough for me. Although the last time I helped a friend with the heater core he was so thankful he got me a 1/4 air ratchet, so that will make it even easier.
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I tried the 1/4" ratchet - I know it could work but I couldn't get it to work for me :)
I got the dash back in last night but I decided to install my wide-band sensor before I put all of the electronics back in so I could route the wiring more easily.
I picked up a custom HVAC gauge pod from a member on S10F. It snaps in place of the vent with no other mods. I'm having a bitch of a time getting paint to stick to it using my normal interior painting routine but I'll give it a third shot this weekend...
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/gaugepod.jpg)
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I've done 3 or 4 heater cores, so that probably helps with the little tricks. Nothing wrong with the hole and plug, but I'm really picky about things like that.
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A few updates that I forgot about. I shortened my front swaybar end links by about 1 or 1.5" a while back and it made a monstrous difference in the effectiveness of the sway bar. I'm pretty embarrassed that I didn't think to do it earlier :-[
I ended up making my own links out of hollow steel tubing and a 7" long bolt. That angle to the LCA sucks but they seem to be holding up OK, I've raced 6 or 7 times on them
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/endlinkshortened.jpg)
I reused the poly bushings I already had but I cut about 1/4" off of each one to reduce room for compression
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG00619-20120901-1723.jpg)
I thought about shortening them after a failed attempt to replicate Air Ride Tech's 'posi-links'
http://www.ridetech.com/info/2007/10/posi-link%E2%84%A2/
I was dubious about paying $200 shipped for some linear ball joints and a bit of threaded rod so I attempted to make my own. I sourced some ball joints and threaded rod for ~$40 total and put them together but the angle between the sway bar and the LCA that you see above was too great and there wasn't enough articulation in the joints to deal with it. Maybe it would work with stock LCAs. In any case, it was worth a shot (IMHO).
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/posilink3.jpg)
I also got some new number magnets made up
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG00579-20120820-1810.jpg)
Gratuitous race shots from before the sway bar adjustments!
I'm just about to lose it and 360 in this pic - you can tell by how unweighted the suspension looks. My front tires were corded and I pushed a bit them a bit too far trying to catch up with the guys running slicks
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/slemon9.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/slemon5.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/slemon4.jpg)
I don't know how to embed vimeo movies but here's one from the same race
http://vimeo.com/47111519
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I was dubious about paying $200 shipped for some linear ball joints and a bit of threaded rod so I attempted to make my own. I sourced some ball joints and threaded rod for ~$40 total and put them together but the angle between the sway bar and the LCA that you see above was too great and there wasn't enough articulation in the joints to deal with it. Maybe it would work with stock LCAs. In any case, it was worth a shot (IMHO).
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/posilink3.jpg)
if those are mcmaster in-line "heavy-duty" balljoints, they wouldn't have been good for you anyways. they have so much axial slop in them because of the way they are designed.
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How tall are your new links?
I've heard rumblings that some newer F150 links will work well, but I haven't got my hands on a set to measure how tall they are. Supposed to be similar to the Ride Tech links, but all one piece, cheaper, and available to purchase locally.
My notes say 2006 F150 4WD and I wrote down 3.4" for the link height. I think that is the height I'm looking for, but don't remember exactly haha.
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I think they were about identical to the linkage joints in the pic so about 4 inches. I'll measure tonight though since the truck is on jackstands anyway. Interesting about the F150 links... I'll check that at the parts store next time I'm there. The pic on rockauto does look a lot like the ones I tried to make!
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Started installing and running wiring for a wide band O2 sensor tonight
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/widebandsensor.jpg)
I also ordered those F150 endlinks, they should be here tomorrow. I'll give them a shot and if they don't work I can return them.
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why the bung in the clamp?
leaks around that area would make the wideband superuseless.
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I didn't want to pay to have someone weld it for me. I could try to do it myself but frankly, I just don't have the right gear to safely weld under the truck. My barn is 177 years old (no typo) and tinder dry and I don't have proper welding leathers - either the barn would burn or I would.
It's an AEM piece and there's a gasket under the clamp sealing everything, I really don't think there will be any problems with it leaking. If there are, I'll just take it to someone to get a bung welded on later.
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I also ordered those F150 endlinks, they should be here tomorrow. I'll give them a shot and if they don't work I can return them.
Awesome. Thanks for taking the dive and checking those out on just my word.
Edit: And grab a measurement since I'm running the ART arms and don't remember if you had swapped the lowers yet. May work well for both, but my main incentive is the mislocation of the ART sway mount.
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I'm not sure what the decision is on the F150 endlinks. They only have a ball joint at one end but it certainly has a much larger range of motion than the crappy ones I tried before.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/F150link.jpg)
I couldn't get a very accurate measurement of my current links - I was in street clothes and didn't want to slide under the truck. They look to be at least an inch longer between mounting points than my current ones though. The increase in length with the F150 links may offset any gain associated with the ball joint. I was in a rush but they look to be roughly 5" between the solid stops and they'd be longer with the required bushing on the non ball joint end.
The truck is on jack stands at the moment anyway so I'll try bolting them up. Any input on which side I should put the ball joint? It may only fit on the sway bar side. Harley - which measurements in particular do you want? I run the Spohn LCAs and have the same misalignment issue (see pic a few posts ago).
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If able to, I would definitely put the ball jointed end on the LCA, but necessity is the mother of all invention, so I guess we shall just have to see how it fits.
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I second the Ball Joint on the LCA. That is where the bolts always deform on my truck.
I'm guessing the measurement I took was from LCA to sway bar since I don't have links on the truck at the moment.
I was looking through the Rock Auto catalog and want to confirm you got the 2WD link? The pictures definitely show the 2WD to be shorter.
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No - I got the 4wd link which is what you mentioned in your original post. You're right, the 2wd version does look much shorter in the pic on Rockauto. That may be a better starting point - I'll check if they have the 2wd versions in stock locally
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Yeah my notes do still say 4wd. Go figure... haha If only I could go back and remember what I was thinking when I wrote that down.
From the looks of your measurement though something shorter would be better for us. 4wd might not be a bad stock replacement.
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Got my new HVAC gauge pod installed with the wide-band
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/HVACgaugepod2.jpg)
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Neat
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(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/2012hardware.jpg)
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congrats!!! now to get some FTDs
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Slicks are required.
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Nice!
...really makes me wanna hit up another autocross. It's been awhile since I've competed in one.
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Nicely done!
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Yeah my notes do still say 4wd. Go figure... haha If only I could go back and remember what I was thinking when I wrote that down.
From the looks of your measurement though something shorter would be better for us. 4wd might not be a bad stock replacement.
I talked to the local parts store this week when I took the 4wd links back. The 2wd link is less than an inch shorter according to the info they have available but they didn't have one in stock to compare to. I explained what I wanted and they're looking into other options.
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Getting closer at least. Obviously I'm interested to see what they come up with.
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Cleaned up my C5 calipers today - one day I may even put them on the truck
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/vette2.jpg)
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Cleaned up my C5 calipers today - one day I may even put them on the truck
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/vette2.jpg)
They look great it black, that was my plan for them as well, except without the white lettering.
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The lettering is just raw aluminum, I cut the paint off with a razor blade after letting it cure for a few hours. I had planned on going with all black as well but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would
Before removing the lettering paint
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/vetteblack.jpg)
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I was hoping it would be subtle without being boring, I'll have to check it out. If I don't like it I would go raw aluminum too, since that will match most of the rest of my truck, black and aluminum.
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You'll have to go all black at some point anyway - you can always remove the paint from the lettering later on if you don't find it flashy enough 8)
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I was thinking about it, I could go blue over the lettered areas only, allow it to fully cure, then do black over the whole caliper and wipe off the letters quickly before it sets up. Have blue letters on a black caliper. Not quite so flashy as the bare aluminum, but not too monotone and flat either.
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noone cares what it looks like on your bench. ::)
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noone cares what it looks like on your bench. ::)
I do :D! I'm thinking about using these as decorations and getting a second set for the truck...
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Let me tell you Tyson, I have them on the '53 Ford w/ the explorer 11.5" rear discs & running a hydroboost... they stop.
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Sweet - I have had some close calls with running out of brakes on course so I'm hoping they make a nice improvement. I ran through the end of the stop box at about 80 km/h last year and almost ended up in a ditch on the other side. Not fun!
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Moved it out the barn today for the first time in a month. That's all the progress I have to report!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Jan52013.jpg)
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The shovel in the snow bank makes it look like you might have actually done work.
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My driveway is a few hundred feet long with a large parking area behind the house. I don't own a snow-blower so that shovel (and one of the big scoop ones) sees a lot of action!
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We don't get snow around here like that anymore. I almost prefer snow to rain though. Traction is the worst in the rain it seems.
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We had a good storm last weekend, the drifts were 2-3 feet for the full length of the driveway. Had to hire a snow blower to clear us out this time!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Stuckjeep2feb2013_zps5430b980.jpg)
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Kore3 parts arrived a few days ago and I mocked things up. Just need to get some bolts for the hub and clips for brake pads and I should be good to get them put on (finally).
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/vettebrakes2_zps9bed1f11.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/vettebrakes1_zpscb6fe141.jpg)
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brakes looks good, can't wait to see them on the truck!
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what rotor is that ?
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Looks like a C4HD to me.
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Rotors are just standard replacement C5 vette pieces from Raybestos. 12.8" diameter. I ordered the hardware kit a few days ago so it shouldn't be long now.
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awsome , can't wait to hear how you like them .
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No updates on the brakes yet, still waiting for parts.
I did get a leaf pulled from each pack though. The ride is generally much better now. It's still firm but it doesn't feel harsh like it used to. I think it dropped the rear about an inch as well. I didn't measure before/after but it doesn't have the same rake that it used to. I likely won't have a chance to race it until the end of May so it may be a while before I get to really test it. As a bonus, it dropped about 12 pounds...
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/pulledleaf_zps90e56d5f.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/pulledleaf_zps90e56d5f.jpg.html)
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Ordered 4 toyo R888's a few minutes ago 8) I have a Toyo racer ID and got a promotion email that had them for $145/tire.
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That's a great deal! Just how does one get a Toyo Racer ID?
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IIRC I just filled out an online form on the toyo motorsports website. Their site automatically brings me to the Canadian version but there should be an equivalent program in the US. I found it on the left hand menu under motorsports - racing program - registration.
http://www.toyotires.ca/racing-program-0
The promo emails usually list a limited number of sizes and there aren't many available - I bought 4 of the remaining 6 in the 275/40-17 size.
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let me know how you like the r888s, i was thinking of getting those, but went with the TQs since I do mostly straight line. Only corners I take now are when I'm taking a spirited drive home
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good choice! i love the r888s! do they offer other compounds sometimes too?
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I've only ever seen the R888's and R1R's in the promotional emails and usually they're in smaller sizes. They ended up being the same price as race scrubs (75% remaining) that I would have had to drive 5 hours to Maine to pick up.
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Hoping to get my old firehawk wheels painted this week and get these mounted. Race season has started now but I've been away for a few weeks so haven't done anything yet.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/R888_zpsef7e8db3.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/R888_zpsef7e8db3.jpg.html)
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(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/888mounted2_zpsf7fc23a1.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/888mounted2_zpsf7fc23a1.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/888mounted_zpseb64ca07.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/888mounted_zpseb64ca07.jpg.html)
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nice! truck looks like it's ready to tear up the pavement.
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can i ask how much you got those r888s for? doesnt look like the us site has the same deal as you canadians...?
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I paid $150 per tire and a semi-local shop was able to get them in so I didn't have to pay shipping or any extra brokerage fees. I signed up for Toyo motorsports 'race team' last year and I get promotional emails from them every now and then. They're usually for specific sizes that have date codes a few years old. I needed to have a 'racer ID' to get the deal but it's free to sign up.
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wow that is a good discount.
im sorta-kinda in the market for the same size tires, unfortunately without something like that, I may decide to hold off until next season for new tires.
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This screen shot sucks but these are the results from last night's auto-x:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/may29autoxresults_zpsa64df505.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/may29autoxresults_zpsa64df505.jpg.html)
Sweet baby jesus do those new tires stick... It was actually strange to drive and took me a while to get used to being able to go through turns flat out! I was about 2.4 seconds off the FTD which was a heavily modified RHD RX7 and 2 seconds back of a few honda S2000s running equally good rubber (BFG Rivals) with the most experienced drivers in our club behind the wheel. I don't know if you can see on the pic but I was 0.1 seconds behind a brand new Focus ST with a driver whose been racing at least as long as I have. I actually beat him on my last run but clipped a cone on the final turn.
I'm never driving anything without race tires again!
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congrats on your competitive times!
your r888s should have way higher potential grip than the rivals. whether you can get them up to temp fast enough is a whole nother story though.
im super jealous of your 17 car grid. ours typically are over 100 cars. last one was 130+ or so i think..
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This was just a weekly club event and our numbers are usually around that (max 20 cars). Our regional events run about 45 cars from clubs in 3 provinces and the fastest guys in our club usually place within the top 3. The Locost 7 has run FTD at almost every event I've ever run so I was stoked to get within 2.5 seconds of him (considering his car weighs 2000 lbs less than my truck and he's been racing for 30 years!).
When I was in racing in Alberta we capped our events at 65. I usually help set up and organize and it gets to be a huge amount of work with any more entrants. I'm not going to do as many events this year for that reason, last year was exhausting.
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Sounds like you're driving the piss out of that truck! Just curious, how many runs do you get each event?
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We usually get 4, sometimes 5, at the weekly events. With 2 run groups and 8-10 cars per group that's about all we can fit in before it gets dark.
There are a bunch of vids in this thread:
http://protourings10.com/index.php?topic=593.0
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Tyson, I envy you.
-Eric
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Good to hear from you Eric!
I cut some more weight last week. Ditched the AC compressor and lines for close to 20 lbs savings. It just looks much cleaner in there now too!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG-20130718-00547_zpsef512ce3.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/IMG-20130718-00547_zpsef512ce3.jpg.html)
I'm getting the 550 lb springs on my coil overs tomorrow. Hopefully ride quality will improve and that stupid creaking noise will be gone...
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ditch that power steering and the whole bracket goes away and makes everything look WAY cleaner too!
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Or if you're not as extreme as Ryo ;D a few more ounces can be had with this drive setup:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3195/3073783548_4715e19592_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theharley/3073783548/)
Blazer 127 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theharley/3073783548/) by TheHarley (http://www.flickr.com/people/theharley/), on Flickr
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that's about the right amount of weight savings.
no fender, no rad, no core support, no air filter, just chassis and cab.
actually the washer fluid bottle can go away too :)
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that's about the right amount of weight savings.
no fender, no rad, no core support, no air filter, just chassis and cab.
actually the washer fluid bottle can go away too :)
I had a feeling someone would point that out.
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LOL, that bracket is huge and ugly but I'm not quite ready to ditch the power steering yet! I had considered moving the washer reservoir to the bed though - I still drive it on the highway to/from races so I can't get rid of it entirely but it would clean things up under there.
I added up the various things I've done to cut weight over the years and I think I'm down about 120 lbs. That's not counting the power seats I added and then took away a few years later.
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if ya wanna shed even more weight, i'll swap motors with ya. ;)
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I sold my old Jeep YJ and bought a new daily driver this week
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Formula_zps79e47e0a.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/Formula_zps79e47e0a.jpg.html)
The truck is working well on the 550 lb coils but the fuel pressure regulator is leaking. The last race of the season is next week so I'll pull it apart after that. I did beat a 2010 Audi R8 V10 at last week's auto-X though so it couldn't have hurt it that much ;D
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The truck is still kicking. I won FSP this year but there were hardly any other competitors in the class so it's not really an accomplishment.
Since I last updated I swapped the fuel pressure regulator and the exhaust, both of which had been leaking for at least 6 months. I went with a Summit mandrel bent 3" kit with a no-name turbo muffler.
It was nice and clean in the intake manifold - there's no EGR on my '03 so I guess that helps
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/intake_zpsbaaa3b52.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/intake_zpsbaaa3b52.jpg.html)
fat pipe
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/summitexhaust1_zpsdcb0a100.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/summitexhaust1_zpsdcb0a100.jpg.html)
Right now I'm running winter tires on the 16" rims that came with the firebird - it's hardly high performance :(
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Small, wheel-related updates:
Sold my C5 Z06 wheels a few weeks ago since one was cracked and it was going to cost a fortune to replace. I picked up a set of 17x9" Trans am wheels for what I sold the 'vette's for. I may use these on my firebird and swap the C6 vette wheels from that onto the truck after a coat of black plastidip. I'm looking forward to being able to rotate tires.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/TAwheels_zps6539b4ad.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/TAwheels_zps6539b4ad.jpg.html)
On the firebird, I changed the front brakes, have a set of SLP-valved Bilstein shocks on the way from Strano, I've already added a throttle body air foil and changed to a smooth intake bellow connector, and have a 160 thermostat in the mail. I'll get it tuned after I install all of that junk.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/bird_zpsdba987e7.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/bird_zpsdba987e7.jpg.html)
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Rotating tires is such a luxury haha
Keep the updates coming. I'm excited for my own progress as well as everyone else this year.
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(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/TAwheels2_zps24102bca.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/TAwheels2_zps24102bca.jpg.html)
Finally put the wheels on. Went with some skinny 245/45-17's since the wheels came with 2 good ones and I'm only going to use them on the street. It's a real luxury to park without huge tires rubbing the frame!
Found a pin-hole bit of rust through on the passenger cab corner and some surface bubbling on the rear wheel wells despite undercoating it every year. I may have to get that fixed...
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Stage 3 of the mule has begun!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/motorandtrans2_zpscf2ea3bc.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/motorandtrans2_zpscf2ea3bc.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/motorandtrans_zps5912744d.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/motorandtrans_zps5912744d.jpg.html)
I bought a <40K mile drive train from an '03 2wd S10 complete with the clutch, flywheel, master cylinder, pedals, console, column shroud, shifter, and clutch line (although it is damaged). I only paid $500 for the package which is less than half price around these parts. It's nearly impossible to find a 2wd S10 NV3500 here - I've been actively searching for over 2 years and this is the first one I've seen for a reasonable price.
I think I'll clean up the motor and possibly do a generic heads/cam build. I may leave it N/A or possibly boost it sometime far in the future. For now, the 5 speed swap is a priority although I don't know if it will happen before the snow flies.
Also, when I pulled that leaf a while back it really cut down on my payload capacity. I had about 1 inch of rear suspension travel and I had to drive 150 miles with that stuff in the back! I really need to cut my bump stop brackets down...
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I'm liking this stage 3. I also like your lumber bed liner hahaha
I had 850lbs of scrap steel in the back of the Isuzu a couple months back and I was impressed with how well it handled it on the ZQ8 leaves. I didn't have any removed, so I'm sure that helped. How much did you stiffen up the shocks out back? ;)
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I cranked the shocks up pretty stiff and it was still useless! I still have 3 leafs plus the overload but it did not handle the ~550 lbs very well.
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Might as well cut the whole bumpstop bracket out. I don't have any problems with mine bottoming out on the frame, but then again I never haul a lot. I can tell with usually just a 100lbs the ZQ8 leafs start to feel a lot softer.
You got a killer deal on the new power plant. I'm jelly of the transmission. I don't mind driving an auto everyday but a stick would make it a little more fun. The truck really looks good with those wheels on there too!
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I'm planning on cutting off the brackets sometime this week - I've just been lazy and should have done it long ago!
I got the engine in the air and onto a stand last night
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/engine1_zps1a328463.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/engine1_zps1a328463.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/engine4_zps5c208f77.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/engine4_zps5c208f77.jpg.html)
I pulled the clutch and flywheel before mounting it and both looked like new to me, although I really have no idea what a worn clutch looks like
I needed to buy bolts to mount it to the stand - I used M10x90's with a few washers to space them back. That put the threads far enough into the block that they were almost bottomed out. I bought grade 10 point something bolts as I read a few blogs about them breaking on the stand and dropping the motor. They were only $5 vs. $3 for the cheapo bolts so it was piece of mind.
There seem to be some differences between this engine and the one in my truck, even though they're both 2003s. This one has a metal 3-blade clutch fan and mine had a plastic one with 5 or 6 blades - maybe a manual vs. auto thing? Also, it was an A/C delete truck - I should have bought the blower box while I was there...
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ive never seen a metal 3 blade... maybe aftermarket?
both my 98 auto and my 04 manual have the same plastic multi blade one.
metric 10.9 is similar to grade 8 imperial
8.8 is roughly grade 5.
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That barn looks like a nice space to work in. And you keep it really clean (at least for the pictures). Too bad the floor can't handle a hoist.
Looking in the parts catalog it appears that the trucks without A/C got the 3 blade fan. Less restriction without the condenser?
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I guess it could be aftermarket but the truck was owned by an old fart that had all of his service done at the dealer. On a related note - are the threads on the fan reversed? I can't remember from when I pulled mine for the e-fans.
I hadn't even heard of grade 10.9 before yesterday. I asked for grade 8 and they didn't have any. How comfortable should I be when I'm wrenching on this while it's on the stand (rated for 1000 lbs)? Is it safe to lean into a bolt if its stuck? This is all new to me, I could barely change a spark plug when I first bought this truck.
The barn is in great shape but the floor is just 2" planks on cedar beams. It's plenty strong to hold vehicles but it definitely can't handle a hoist since it's a few feet off the ground. I even need to be careful to spread the load across boards with a floor jack and stands.
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You mentioned a heads and can build on this engine, unfortunately the only heads that flow better than what you have are obscenely expensive and require a different intake manifold too. Cam can go along way and LS6 valve springs with 787 retainers work with stock locks to give 525-530 lift at the valve. That'll do a 280 can without issue. If you want a custom grind or one of the lunati grinds with more lift you have to do a bit of machine work to the heads to cut down the valve guides.
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interesting about the nonAC 3 blade fan. sounds like an easy upgrade for a better flowing fan from the AC trucks then?
I really don't remember if they are reverse thread or not. I know i struggled for a looong time in one direction, then decided to try the other way for shits and giggles and it came off super easy...
engine stands always scare me. they never seem stable enough to lean into. worst case just hook your hoist onto it so it wont topple all the way over.
you dont want to lean into a stuck bolt anyways. impact loads are better at breaking loose. hammer the wrench!
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On the heads I was thinking about porting and a 3-angle valve job to improve upper RPM flow. I know vortecs are tricky to port but I would probably have them done professionally (if I do that). I want higher RPM capability (6500 would be nice) so I would spec the cam and valve train to do that.
I also have a pair of sy/ty manifolds coming in the mail so it's possible (likely?) this may turn into a turbo build at some point. They were cheap and in Canada so I figured they were worth grabbing. I had a pile of parts for a remote mount system years ago so I've done a lot of the background research already. I don't have big power goals in mind, I'm well versed in the cost/power/reliability compromise. It's all bench racing at this point anyway, I don't expect to move on it for a while.
Thanks for the info on the fan and engine stand. I was going to hammer the wrench last night and then it occurred to me that I may be tightening it rather than loosening it! I think I'll take your advice and hook it to the chain hoist - I don't want 450 lbs falling on me. I was able to pull the other things I removed with an electric impact without stressing the stand.
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I've only had 3 wheeled stands try to fall over on me. The 4 wheeled versions have given me no trouble, but the extra safety from the hoist is a quite reasonable backup.
Have you thought about the fuel requirements too? Marine intake gives you modern injectors, but certainly weighs more. Al (Bliazaer) on here has been wanting to go Sy/Ty turbo setup with his marine intake too, but that's very much a long term plan like you. The swap to the marine intake went quite smoothly and we found clean/solid solutions to the usual hurdles. We've got Ryo's old 4.3 stripped of internals for future Sy/Ty turbo mockups too.
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I'm just going with the wynjammer 36 lb poppet setup and a better fuel pump. For my goals and mechanical abilities that's the most effective route for the money. They have them in higher flow ratings as well but I think the 36's should do me for 6 psi and maybe 300ish crank HP.
I was likely over 250 crank HP when I was running 9 psi and meth injection on my powerdyne and all I had was an FMU then.
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For that kind of RPM with Vortec heads you're going to need to open up the exhaust side to a 1.60 valve and call Crane Cams. They have the biggest production 4.3L cam I've seen, 230/234 @ .050 on 112° but the exhaust side lift is ~.540, which may be fine on 2003 heads, you'll have to get the springs and retainers on there and measure your max lift before binding.
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Cut off my bump stop brackets this weekend - what a crappy job! It took about an hour per side. I need to pick up some low profile stops to mount directly to the frame. Any suggestions?
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/bumpstops1_zpsa612aeb2.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/bumpstops1_zpsa612aeb2.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/bumpstops2_zpsa1c8c8ae.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/bumpstops2_zpsa1c8c8ae.jpg.html)
I also got rid of the front bumper braces to shed some weight. While I was at it, I opened up the core support in front of my air intake and notched the side of my grill to let more air in. I forgot to take pics but there was a decent pile of sheet metal and plastic on the floor when I finished.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/bumpstops3_zpsf06cd5e4.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/bumpstops3_zpsf06cd5e4.jpg.html)
I still haven't managed to get the clutch fan off the motor yet. It's standard thread but I need a second person to hold the fan tool while I hit the wrench.
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just use the old belt and wedge it with a prybar. or even vice grips around the belt works too.
if you are adding a stop to the open C section I'd reccomend boxing that area in with a doubler on the impact site too
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Cut off my bump stop brackets this weekend - what a crappy job! It took about an hour per side. I need to pick up some low profile stops to mount directly to the frame. Any suggestions?
gm pt no 15956547
thats what im going to use
(http://www.rmsautoparts.com/prodimages/15956547.jpg)
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It didn't come with a belt. The motor also came off of a no-AC truck (different pulley set up) and I have under drive pulleys on my truck so I can't even use that one.
Good call on the ZQ8 bumpstops! I had a set at one time but I think they must have gotten trashed when I swapped out my old LCAs (which I collapsed). Do you think they would be wide enough or would the axle just push them out of the way when it impacted?
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It didn't come with a belt. The motor also came off of a no-AC truck (different pulley set up) and I have under drive pulleys on my truck so I can't even use that one.
Good call on the ZQ8 bumpstops! I had a set at one time but I think they must have gotten trashed when I swapped out my old LCAs (which I collapsed). Do you think they would be wide enough or would the axle just push them out of the way when it impacted?
i lined them up so that theyll hit the original bumpstop pad on the axle pad, not the axle itself. i accounted for the fact that the axle moves back a little as the spring flatens out, even though it doesnt appear that way in the pic, bad angle. it isnt directly above the pad.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd184/hi_im_sean/s15%20v8/suspension%20steering%20and%20brakes/rearbumpstop_zps89f32aa8.png)
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I've had good luck with strap wrenchs for working with accessory drives; pulling clutch fans, crank pulleys, etc.
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It didn't come with a belt. The motor also came off of a no-AC truck (different pulley set up) and I have under drive pulleys on my truck so I can't even use that one.
Good call on the ZQ8 bumpstops! I had a set at one time but I think they must have gotten trashed when I swapped out my old LCAs (which I collapsed). Do you think they would be wide enough or would the axle just push them out of the way when it impacted?
i lined them up so that theyll hit the original bumpstop pad on the axle pad, not the axle itself. i accounted for the fact that the axle moves back a little as the spring flatens out, even though it doesnt appear that way in the pic, bad angle. it isnt directly above the pad.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd184/hi_im_sean/s15%20v8/suspension%20steering%20and%20brakes/rearbumpstop_zps89f32aa8.png)
Ahh, that totally makes sense! I will probably do just that!
I do have a strap wrench but it wasn't long enough to go around the pulley. It should be easy enough to get off with an extra pair of hands, I just haven't asked anyone yet.
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any old belt + vice grips = strap wrench
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I like that bump stop setup too.
They're $16.72 at the dealer, which is as good as any price I can find online.
But Dorman does sell an equivalent for just over $10.
http://amzn.com/B0026M9BDC
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Bought those Dorman bumpstops but haven't had a chance to install yet. The truck is in getting a rusty cab corner fixed. Thanks again for the input on that guys.
I've made some progress on the turbo build plan:
Deposit is down on a turbo. I've decided to go with a ported stock sy/ty exhaust housing with a billet 20g compressor wheel and 3" inlet housing. I wanted very quick spool and relatively low boost (6-8 psi) with initial goals of around 300-325 rwhp. Lowestform (a syty.net member I know) is building the turbo for me for a great price and he helped a pile deciding on specs. He's also sending me a stock crossover pipe with a wastegate flange already welded on. I'll be going with a 44 mm external WG to make sure I can accurately control boost with such a quick spooling turbo.
I'm also hoping to get a set of properly ported vortecs (with flow numbers) from a member on S10f, just need to figure out shipping.
Any thoughts on injector size for those power goals? I'd like to use the Wynjammer poppets to keep things simple. I'm guessing 36 lb/h won't cover it, do you think 48 lb/h will?
And because no one likes a thread update without pics, I replaced the stock LCAs and panhard on my firebird with some Founders Performance bits. Poly bushings on the car end and rod ends at the axle. Also allowed me to center the axle which was out by about 1.5" toward the driver's side. The stock panhard bar is shockingly flimsy - I could twist it a significant amount by hand and feel like I could have folded it over my knee if I wanted to.
You should be able to push out the old bushings with your pinky finger, right? :P
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/rearsuspension3_zps0965a5b4.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/rearsuspension3_zps0965a5b4.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/rearsuspension_zps495d012a.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/rearsuspension_zps495d012a.jpg.html)
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This place is pretty quiet...
Minor update: bought a set of ported heads from 98SS on S10F. They haven't arrived yet but these are the specs:
retainer to seal clearance .650
1.07" coilbind
.572 max lift with current springs
springs installed 118 lbs
compressed 310 lbs
intake flow at .500 248cfm @ .700 256cfm
exh flow at .500 195cfm .700 204 cfm
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/20141109_155515_zpsd73ef5bb.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/20141109_155515_zpsd73ef5bb.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/20141109_155009_zpsc0d8420d.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/20141109_155009_zpsc0d8420d.jpg.html)
From the info I've been able to find, the flow numbers seem to be about the max you can get out of vortecs without damaging them. With similar heads and a Comp 270AHR cam a few have seen 230+ RWHP normally aspirated so hopefully they'll make some decent power with a turbo.
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Quiet unless you count the spam, but I haven't given up on this place yet!
All my S trucks are tucked away at the moment. Spent the last several weeks getting my Audi back on the road for winter and none too soon. Still need to get the winter wheels & tires together, but the AWD has been helping with the snow. I can't imagine what the last week would have been like with the Isuzu on balding summer tires.
So what's left to purchase/decide for the engine build?
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The major bits are a down pipe, wastegate, BOV, intercooler and piping, and injectors. I'll probably need oil feed and drain lines for the turbo and other stuff like that as well.
I will probably start in on the actual build next spring/summer but I have a mock-up engine to at least start fitting the turbo parts.
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Nice flow numbers for those heads! And yeah, mine has been untouched for 6 months or so since I herniated a disk in my back. I couldn't even ride in my white blazer for about 2 months after I injured it. I'm back to driving it and have it tuned up nicely.
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Mine is progressing pretty slowly too. I had to get a few rust spots fixed before the salt/snow hit so it was in the body shop for a few weeks. I picked up a Wilwood proportioning valve and the other bits necessary to delete my ABS since the module died a few months ago. That may be the next project that actually gets completed.
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Picked up a few more turbo parts:
3" Intercooler, Aeromotive A340 pump in an S10 canister, and Racetronics fuel pump hotwire harness from snowman on S10forum (he's local). All new, just installed on his truck and then taken off before he got it running.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0034_zps3e1771fc.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0034_zps3e1771fc.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0035_zpsc00ec50f.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0035_zpsc00ec50f.jpg.html)
Used 44 mm Tial Sport external wastegate
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/wastegate_zpsc0c73755.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/wastegate_zpsc0c73755.jpg.html)
Budget is still looking pretty good - I spent $400 on all of that stuff, $250 for the manifolds, and $650 for turbo and crossover pipe. The heads were a bit pricey but I think they'll be worth it. Plus all of that is in Canadian dollars so that's only like $30 US! :P
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Are you sure you aren't going to get the turbo together for this next summer? :D
Is that relay sealed? I usually replace them with the OE sealed style as I've had plenty of the others fail on me. They're on almost every S10 at the firewall for several different things, so near to free at the junkyard.
(http://67-72chevytrucks.com/gallery/data/1093/Picture003-crop-1.jpg)
If you can't find one I've got a pile of them sitting at home and would drop it in the mail free of charge.
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I could probably get the turbo on the truck as-is by the summer but I want to do the heads/cam and 5-speed swap all at the same time. After 7 or 8 years tinkering with this truck I know the limitations of my mechanical skills. I don't know if I'm ready for a DIY engine/trans swap.
I also don't know if I'll have the disposable income to wrap everything up this year. Injectors, cam, down pipe, clutch, and tune will probably be the big-ticket items (realistically another $1500+) but I'm sure I'll be nickled and dimed to death on other bits along the way (oil lines, tubing and couplers, etc.). I've dealt with boost a few times before and I know it's always more expensive than it seems like it should be!
I'll look into that relay, thanks for the suggestion and offer!
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as much as i like the sealed oem spec relays, so far i havent had any issues with those skirted nonsealed relays as long as they are sitting upright and outside of any splash zone.
i have a running experiment with those on both the blazer core support behind the headlights, and on the mr2 above the radiator.
the mr2 ones i feel a little more uncomfortable with since they are non-skirted and also laying almost horizontal, but packaging constraints....
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I haven't been totally idle - a few minor updates:
A while back I mentioned I couldn't get the clutch fan off my extra motor. This was the solution to holding the pulley
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0001_zpsrhnaj0xk.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0001_zpsrhnaj0xk.jpg.html)
I starting stripping parts off the motor and got one manifold mostly installed. It required heat and a manifold spreader and I still don't have the bolts in the back holes. At least its starting to look the part...
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0006_zpst5lp29ib.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0006_zpst5lp29ib.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0007_zpse7qrhvib.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0007_zpse7qrhvib.jpg.html)
I'm also in the process of cutting down the aluminum power steering / AC bracket to eliminate the extra metal associated with the compressor mount.
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Ratchet straps can be a beautiful thing. I definitely want to see pictures of your cut down bracket. I kept talking about doing it for the Blazer, but no longer have to worry about it with the 5.3 going in.
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Ratchet straps can be a beautiful thing. I definitely want to see pictures of your cut down bracket. I kept talking about doing it for the Blazer, but no longer have to worry about it with the 5.3 going in.
The LS truck power steering bracket is a hefty hunk too
(https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607994544419245110&pid=1.7)
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No doubt. Not much material I can remove with the alternator on top, though.
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I'm going to swap to the 2011+ style power steering pulley at the same time. I figure I should take every opportunity I can to shed weight to offset the turbo poundage.
Anyone know off hand which aluminum water pump I need? RPM sells a $250 Edelbrock but I was hoping for something a bit more affordable.
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Did the rear ZQ8 bumpstops last night - thanks for the suggestion hi_im_sean
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/rear%20zq8%20bump%20stops_zps5wfgehiy.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/rear%20zq8%20bump%20stops_zps5wfgehiy.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/rear%20zq8%20bump%20stops%202_zpsnrpnbcvf.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/rear%20zq8%20bump%20stops%202_zpsnrpnbcvf.jpg.html)
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Did a bunch of rust repair, painting, cleaning, pulled another leaf, and removed class 3 hitch for 52 lbs weight savings, an inch drop, and much better ride quality and ground clearance:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0875_zpsit3j62wo.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0875_zpsit3j62wo.jpg.html)
Installed 2wd blazer spindles with KORE3 brackets, braided lines, and C5 brakes/13" rotors and carbotech auto-x compound pads:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0876_zpspwymouiq.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0876_zpspwymouiq.jpg.html)
Went through the proper bed-in procedure and tested them out after that... sweet baby Jesus they're strong!!! I can't believe how bad my old setup was and how bad the ones on my Firebird are now that I've tried these.
I attempted to modify a set of metric spindle savers to work with the blazer spindles but in the end the tie-rods wouldn't go through them enough to bolt them up. Here's the attempt anyway:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0866_zpsdf5lmdaz.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0866_zpsdf5lmdaz.jpg.html)
Taped on for fitment:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0869_zpseedvtjxu.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0869_zpseedvtjxu.jpg.html)
I also figured I may finally need a rear swaybar now with softer leafs so I buzzed the rust off of my old ZQ8 bar and sprayed it with whatever I had lying around:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/DSC_0873_zpsv20uvbek.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/DSC_0873_zpsv20uvbek.jpg.html)
I have a 3 day race coming up at the end of the month so this is prep work for that.
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Definitely looks lower in the rear. Are those spindle savers supposed to increase the steering arm stiffness or? Interesting concept and implementation. Glad to see some more progress on your truck. I meant to grab some pictures of where the Isuzu is last night to share, but was caught up tearing apart the seats.
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The spindle savers are supposed to protect the steering arm from bending/breaking. There's at least one picture of a wrecked blazer on S10F that rolled after a steering arm failure so I figured I'd give them a shot.
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Nice progress! The brakes look good, I have the C5 setup as well. Have you thought about going to lighter wheels to save weight?
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I'll probably stick to the f-body and vette wheels to save money - I'm cheap. The 17" C5 ZO6 wheels I had were only 19 lbs but I cracked one on a pot hole and they were expensive to replace. I have the 17" collector's edition T/A's in the pic, 17" SLP Firehawks for my race tires, and 17" C6 vette wheels on my firebird that I could swap on if need be. I don't think my 16" firebird wheels will fit with the brakes now.
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Man I love this build. Your goals and attention to detail are just perfect. Can't wait to see the turbo build in action.
East coast right? I remember you said at one time, nova scotia?
ps: clean fucking barn eh? nice work man, my dads shop is 160 years newer than it and he keeps it like a pig sty.
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Thanks! Originally from NS, bought the truck when I lived in Newfoundland, spent 4 years in Alberta, and now back in New Brunswick.
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I ditched the rear bumper and installed a rollpan hitch and rollpan - total weight savings about 22 lbs. Still waiting for license plate lights and flip down bracket.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/rollpan_zps0njkowfh.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/rollpan_zps0njkowfh.jpg.html)
Also swapped in a non-AC heater box. Thanks for the advice Harley. I ended up doing it without pulling the outer fender but I did need to drop the inner. The only snag was that one of the studs was stripped (the very back one, of course) so I had to use a flush cut saw to cut the box to get it out. I also needed to fold down the lip of the fender to get the new box in - it just doesn't quite fit otherwise!
Old pic of the before
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/IMG-20130718-00547_zpsef512ce3.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/IMG-20130718-00547_zpsef512ce3.jpg.html)
New box in, obviously still have some reassembly to do
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/ac%20delete%201_zpsbkon4ofc.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/ac%20delete%201_zpsbkon4ofc.jpg.html)
It saved roughly 10 lbs over the AC box.
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Those studs can be a pain. They're just screwed into the plastic of the inner blower box, so they loosen up easily. That's why they put that 4mm head on the end of the stud, but that's often not enough leverage. I've never had to cut one off, but they've always been an extra challenge.
32lbs is good work and the blower box is in the right place!
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Thanks! I should have put a wrench on the stud before I started at it, I did a lot of turning before I realized it was stripped.
Do you guys think it's worth it to try to cut some weight from the front bumper support? I took off the ends and braces last year, the main section of the support weighs about 17 lbs. Ideally it would be great to get something like the tubular supports they make for F-bodies that eliminate the heavy frame horns.
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if you drive it on the street, i wouldn't recommend it.
on my rx7 i removed the entire front and rear impact structures to save weight.
every time i drove it on the street i was always a little scared of what would happen in a crash.
I'm glad I left the door bars in the doors otherwise the guy that bought it from me may have died when he wrapped it around a pole.
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Ok, I think I was leaning toward that as well. The potential weight savings didn't seem significant enough to warrant the time/risk.
I didn't realize the RX7 got trashed after you sold it - sad!
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Ditched overflow tank and started on mounting PCM and MSD. Also swapped to factory AC bypass pulley. You need an 83.5" belt with that setup and underdrive pulleys in case anyone is wondering.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/ac%20delete%205_zpsafpp88sp.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/ac%20delete%205_zpsafpp88sp.jpg.html)
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Wow that non-ac box does free up a bit of room. Looks good. I've also seen people trim the top part of the AC bracket, which might save a pound or two (literally).
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I have an extra AC bracket that I started to trim - it was a labor intensive process so I haven't finished it yet!
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Running no overflow?
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No, sorry, just going to replace the bulky stock tank with a 3x10" stainless overflow.
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Bought a cam for the turbo project from an S10F member
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Cam%20specs_zpsur8ae9lm.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/Cam%20specs_zpsur8ae9lm.jpg.html)
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I finally finished rewiring my battery relocation and cleaning up the ghetto job I originally did. I routed the main positive cable from the bed and the lead from the MSD box to the junction box on the firewall and then got rid of the extra wires from the original positive cable.
I also figured out a new mount for the MSD using some "L" brackets under the PCM instead of the hacked sheet metal dealy I had started in the last picture. I still need to plug some holes in the inner fender and get rid of the surface rust but there should now be lots of room for charge tubing when the turbo goes in. Also need to mount the new overflow bottle but that shouldn't take long.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/MSD%20mount_zpsj5c88dad.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/MSD%20mount_zpsj5c88dad.jpg.html)
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Budget is still looking pretty good - I spent $400 on all of that stuff, $250 for the manifolds, and $650 for turbo and crossover pipe. The heads were a bit pricey but I think they'll be worth it. Plus all of that is in Canadian dollars so that's only like $30 US! :P
Times sure have changed eh? I was looking at buying a distributor on summit and it from 220$ to almost $400 by the time I did exchange and shipping. That hurts eh..
Love the non-ac heater box. Just did the same thing on mine. Is 10lbs the whole system deleted? or just the box?
edit* lulz totally read what you wrote wrong haha. reading>me
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Yeah the exchange is brutal now! I can't remember what the weight loss was for the whole AC system but it's probably ~35 lbs. I haven't dealt with the condenser yet, that's the last piece still in there.
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I weighed the truck yesterday - 3400# even with a 1/2 tank of gas, after accounting for the weight of the spare, tools, and driver (all of which I actually weighed when I got home). This is according to the incredibly accurate scales at the dump :-*
It must take some serious work to get one of these down to the low 3000's. I could lose about 40# with the trailer hitch and maybe another 50 with luxuries like carpet and seats but after that it's getting tough!
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Carpet and seats will definitely save you more than that, even just in a truck. You could easily shave almost 200 lbs if you gut it down to dash and a lightweight seat or two. You don't need to be hauling around all that plastic, especially as far above roll center as it is when you get to door panels, pillar covers and headliner.
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I already have reasonably lightweight seats and would only save 25# tops by going to full on fixed-back race seats. I guess another 200# is possible but not without sacrificing all streetability or insurability (air bags).
Made some more progress on the turbo build over the last while. Manifolds and crossover are on, PS pump bracket has had 3-4# of aluminum trimmed off it, TB diffuser plate is gone and the TB is cleaned up. I need to reclock the turbo and figure out oil and coolant lines it. I also want to delete the oil cooler lines on the motor. I don't know when I'll start tackling the big stuff like heads/cam...
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/Turbo%20July%202016_zpslrbjpej2.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/Turbo%20July%202016_zpslrbjpej2.jpg.html)
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Looks cool !!
I wish someone made a turnkey turbo setup for the 4.3. 8)
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They do, or at least did, just for the 1500s, not our wee trucks.
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I think it's relatively straight forward to do with the syty manifolds and the wynjammer injectors and bonnet. I even picked up a new syty downpipe which I'm told is a pretty good fit on second gens. I've found a few minor clearance issues with the manifold but nothing major. Certainly easier to sort stuff like that out when the engine isn't in the truck though!
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The iron man streak is over: after running 120+ events without a mechanical, the truck didn't make it home. I ran a race last night and the starter died after shutting it down to help with course clean up. I thought it may be just heat soaked but it was still dead this morning when I drove back 30 miles to get it and hammering on the starter did nothing. It's been going for a while so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
A video from the event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS8fsr4AhRE
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Starter is fixed but my insurance company ditched the truck because my wife mentioned it was modified...
Anywho, found an aluminum water pump that works with late model vortec 4.3's
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/aluminum%20WP_zpskzyrphbb.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/aluminum%20WP_zpskzyrphbb.jpg.html)
On a bathroom scale it's about 5 lbs lighter than the stock iron one and looks 500x better.
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Scored a set of acura RSX seats for $60 from a salvage yard. Not sure if they'll go in the truck, the car, or become office chairs but they're damn nice seats!
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/RSX%20seats_zpsafppccfd.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/RSX%20seats_zpsafppccfd.jpg.html)
The car was so rotten with rust that when one of the bolts wouldn't come out I just pulled the floor apart!
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Ohhh that is a pretty water pump. More details?
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Sorry, missed your reply. I made a post about it on S10f:
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f107/bolt-on-aluminum-water-pump-for-vortec-4-3-a-776226/
5 lbs lighter and less rust seemed like a good deal.
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Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely be storing the fact that exists in the back of my head in case I ever get around to rebuilding my own 4.3.
I also need to go junkyard seat shopping again for the Blazer. The Civic seats I had got eaten up by animals in the barn :/ That's what I get for letting it all sit around for so long. RSX seats are now on the potentials list.
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oh no! those were nice civic seats too!
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Animal damage is a real danger in my barn as well. I was lucky to catch a squirrel in the engine compartment of the firebird last year before it did any serious damage.
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No huge updates but I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing on the turbo build lately. I also eliminated the oil cooler lines, which aside from leaking were interfering with the crossover pipe. I'm going to order oil supply and drain plumbing now and feel like I have a good handle on that stuff but still don't know how I am going to run the coolant supply or drain lines. I'm open to suggestions if you have them. Can I tap into the lines going into/out of the water pump somehow (I don't even know which one is in and which is out...)?
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/motor%202%20nov%202016_zpssf5c4tfb.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/motor%202%20nov%202016_zpssf5c4tfb.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/motor%20nov%202016_zpsm7j96zyj.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/motor%20nov%202016_zpsm7j96zyj.jpg.html)
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What is the oil supply and drain plan?
And why do you need an extra coolant loop? Separate oil cooler or?
I'm liking all the small weight saving tricks you're pulling with the engine accessories.
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im assuming its a water cooled turbo.
im no help, maybe tap into a heater line?
oil drain should be super easy with it mounted so high
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The turbo is water cooled - I know you can just block the ports but given the application I think I'd like to plumb it. I downloaded a 'white paper' on turbo cooling from Garrett yesterday and think I have it figured out now. Tapping into the heater lines is supposed to work well as long you pay attention to the height of the supply and drain lines on the turbo. The heat from the turbo will pull the coolant through on its own as long as the drain is slightly higher than the supply.
For oil supply, I'm using the port in the block just above the filter and a 48" supply line (probably just an ebay universal line). I'm going to have a bung welded into the side of the pan near the front, using the old installation instructions for Mach's turbo kit as a guide for locating it (I'm glad I saved that pdf about 7 years ago).
I don't know if I mentioned it but I also picked up a 3 qt Accusump a while back. I'm thinking of using one of those sandwich adapters between the filter and block to run the lines but I'll need to wait until the motor is actually in the truck to sort out details. I suppose I could modify the oil cooler line thing I just took off too.
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Do you plan on adding an oil cooler externally? I wouldn't recommend ditching it completely, especially when you're adding a turbo to the mix. I don't do autoX, just track days, so it's critical on my truck during 15-20 minute sessions, plus I live in Arizona and sometimes the ambient temp is over 100F. It's my DD, too.
Been following your thread for some time now as I have a similar truck. Thanks for testing all the ideas I have had and sharing them with the world! I put on 2000 Camaro brakes about 5 years ago. Anything is better than the stock ones. Not planning on going the turbo route though. I have an LS-3 that weighs within 5# of my 4.3, and it's at 480 Dyno hp. Still juggling what manual trans I will use. The Legend 5-speed is ideal but very pricey.
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Sounds like you have a fun truck! I put the LS f-body brakes on my '95 firebird and find them great. They're really not much different than the C5 brakes aside from the 13" rotors.
I'm really not worried about ditching the oil cooler. Most full sizes with the 4.3 don't have it (the one I use for work doesn't) and a pile of people have ditched them without any issues on their s-series. I can always add it back if I'm having problems but with the temperatures up here in Canada, it's probably much less of an issue than in Arizona!
I'm still questioning whether I want to use the NV3500... A T56 would be ideal but I don't know if I want to invest that much time/money into the truck at this point. I know the NV3500 will hold the power but I'm not sure how well it'll hold up to hard shifting.
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Other forums say the NV3500 has all the wrong gear ratios. I'm even looking into finding a World Class
T-5. I track a '95 Mustang with a friend and we have a D&D Performance T-5 which has hardened gears. The car runs in NASA TT-C with a front and rear Maximum Motorsports suspension and a stock 302 from a Mountaineer. About 230 RWHP and we baby the trans, but have never had a problem. Chevy ones are much harder to find with the correct gear ratios( I think the best are from 94-95 V8 Camaros and Firebirds, but that's very hard to find in the Phoenix area, and most ebay ones are way overpriced for a 20 year old stock tranny that probably needs rebuilt.
Do you have the ZQ8 frame brace which connects the box mounts at the front of the box? I also have a Jags That Run driveshaft angle alignment kit on mine that really made a noticeable difference in vibration. It's supposed to give longer life to the Cardon joints in the 2-piece driveshaft( 70,000 miles since installed and now have 135,000. I do grease the joints a lot, too, as it's my daily driver, too( I don't baby it ). It definitely needs better seats for track days! .Good luck with all your projects
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I've looked into the T5 a lot but everyone seems to bitch on it for being weak, even the WC versions. Based on similar turbo builds I've seen on the forums, I'm probably going to be making 300+ hp and possibly 400+ ftlbs at the wheels so I'm not sure it'll hold up.
The gear ratios may be an issue for sure but I think I may be in the sweet spot of 2nd gear for most of the auto-X courses I run here so it could work very well.
I don't have the ZQ8 frame brace installed yet but I've had one in the barn for years. I'll get around to that eventually! I haven't had any issues with the driveshaft yet, fingers crossed.
You should post up a build thread or some info on your truck.
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I've got a T5WC from an Iron Duke S10 in my Long Bed with the 2.8. I broke this one too, but that ended up only being part of the shift mechanism for 5th gear.
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Mostly all I do now is buy parts for the truck and not work on it...
late model Silverado PS pump pulley to replace the ugly 4.3 version
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j108/rentedmule/PS%20pump%20pulley_zpsnhbvkcii.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/rentedmule/media/PS%20pump%20pulley_zpsnhbvkcii.jpg.html)
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That'll make installing and removing the pump actually possible without removing the pulley, nice. Can you measure the shaft diameter and OD of the pulley so I can check if it fits on early pumps too?
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It took me forever to figure out how to embed things from Flickr but I think I have it now...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4240/35750526712_fc9ec3e120_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Wt9N4A)UMI UCAs (https://flic.kr/p/Wt9N4A) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
Replacing my worn out and slightly ghetto UB Machine UCAs with a pair from UMI. S10extremist from the other forum gave me a great deal on them since he sold his truck. They were bolted on but never driven.
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How similar is the geometry on the UMI arms vs the UB Machine? Any advantages or disadvantages.
I'm still thinking if I move away from UB it will be to fully adjustable arms, but I'll put some miles on these first.
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I don't have them in my hands yet but I'll compare when I do the swap. My UB arms were one of the first 3 S10 tall BJ arms they made and they're the incorrect length (8.5" instead of 8") because the company had/has no idea what they were doing with them back then. The UMI arms have actually been engineered and tested so I'll have an idea what the camber curve should look like:
http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/84610-UMI-G-Body-Upper-A-Arms-w-1-2-quot-Taller-Ball-Joints-amp-Camber-Curve-Data?highlight=g-body%20tall%20ball%20joints%20camber%20gain
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That IS some good info + the droop stop is a nice bonus.
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I got tired of the box rot and started cutting...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4360/37092235965_4368b3ecee_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/YvHptK)ps rust (https://flic.kr/p/YvHptK) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
I took a wire brush to the inner panel to get the loose stuff off and then sprayed it with rust converter. I picked up some sheet metal to weld in new steel rather than bodging in long-strand fiberglass filler, which is my usual go to!
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Not as bad as I thought when I first started reading your post, but still... ew...
Glad you're getting it taken care of though. The roof behind the 3rd tail light is really bad on my Blazer. My paint/body friend says he can take care of it, but I have no idea how he'll pull it off.
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Not as bad as I thought when I first started reading your post, but still... ew...
Glad you're getting it taken care of though. The roof behind the 3rd tail light is really bad on my Blazer. My paint/body friend says he can take care of it, but I have no idea how he'll pull it off.
(http://equipreview.com/wp-content/uploads/parser/Chevrolet-ZR2-Shark-Concept-1999-1.jpg)
rust repair is never fun
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Reminds me of the Blazalanche project that was on S10 planet for years!
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Patch partly sewn in. My welding is rudimentary at best but I think it's still less hack than stuffing it full of body filler.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4496/37453896305_94c54bccc7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Z4F1uR)rust fix 2 (https://flic.kr/p/Z4F1uR) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
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The muffler on my Summit-brand 3" cat-back system has been rotting off for at least a year so I swapped it out for a Dynomax ultraflow welded. It still sounds like a 4.3 but at least it doesn't sound broken now and it should sound better with the turbo muffling it further.
Also mostly finished the body work on the passenger box side. I still have some sanding to do but needed to get primer on it before I took it out in the rain. I just used a skim of filler to even things out so I'm pretty happy with it for a first attempt.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4410/36745659694_1f1df94629_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XZ67qN)box body work 2 (https://flic.kr/p/XZ67qN) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
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After the experiment in sheet-metal welding, I came across a good deal on rust-free color-matched southern US box so I bit the bullet. It was ~$600 USD but I should be able to recoup a few hundred of that selling the old box. I may even try to patch the driver's side before I put it up for sale. I'm still going to need one rocker panel and paint job at some point.
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600 shipped doesn't sound so bad. And if you can sell the old box you're at least making money off your welding practice. 8)
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Still waiting for the box to arrive. Small update - much cleaner and about 1 lb lighter:
old:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4749/39566086935_03bada9bbd_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23hjxbF)old rad hose (https://flic.kr/p/23hjxbF) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
new:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4720/39566087775_178c008601_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/23hjxra)accord rad hose installed (https://flic.kr/p/23hjxra) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
Astro thermostat housing and cut honda accord rad hose - idea from crewcabsonoma on S10f
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Just read through the whole build thread. It's great seeing the progress of other peoples success in autocross with s10s. Do you have any issues with getting through tighter corners or slaloms with the longer wheelbase of the extended cab? What tires are you running this year?
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No, I actually do better on tighter courses where being down on power and having an auto trans is less of an issue. I've gotten good at trail-braking and using the throttle to steer so that helps. I haven't run the truck yet this year but I'll probably use a set of 255/40-17 slicks I picked up from a friend if I do. I'm mostly running my car now (because V8 + 6-speed + 315's) but I'm still tinkering away at the truck and haven't given up on it.
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Haha I hear ya! Tighter courses were better for my 4cyl too. I don't blame you for running the car though. I bet that thing hooks pretty well with 315s all around. There is a guy who runs Milwaukee SCCA here with a camaro of that vintage and does extremely well. Very good setup on that car and shockingly capable for it's size.
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Made one substantial (dimensionally anyway) addition to the parts pile.
Rust-free southern US box in the right color. It even came with some sick tail light covers - score!
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1877/30598736448_c808bb9a98_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NBUwiw)new box sept 2018 (https://flic.kr/p/NBUwiw) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
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your storage area has way too much room. you need to collect more parts.
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Tell that to my wife :)
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My wife encourages it. ;)
Hasn't that box been on the way for a couple months?
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Yep, I was talking to the guy last fall about it! It was >3 hours away and we couldn't figure out how to get it to me for a decent price. I let it drop to the back burner for months at a time until we finally sorted it.
It was surprisingly easy to unload from his trailer with the chain hoist and I dropped it onto an old cart I had to make it easy to move around. I think I'll be able to swap the box myself when I get time.
I think I've made up my mind to sell this truck and get a first gen or very early (non-airbag equipped) second gen regular cab short box for a turbo/pro-touring project. That likely won't happen until next year though.
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Some of my dad's junk taking up space in my barn and blocking the truck in
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1878/43706595335_d753438160_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/29AcJ5x)Corvette Sept 2018 (https://flic.kr/p/29AcJ5x) by Rented Mule (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152606866@N06/), on Flickr
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wow that's a lot of empty floor space! i wish i had that much room!
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Nice score on the bed....loose the tail light covers. LOL
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Been following this for some time. Good Stuff! Do you know if xtreme80 still does tunes, or someone else? I live in Arizona. Thanks, Ric
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Not sure if Shawn is still doing tunes, I lost track of him after s10planet died. He did have an account on S10f, maybe try PM'ing him there. I really liked his tune.
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THX, I'll give it a try. "Wait4Me" has evolved into a mega tuning business over the last 10 years or so. I just lost touch with everyone.