Ken's Engine Project... Part II - 2003

[Ken]

Just like new!

Had 'em on for a test fit today (To be honest with ya, I mounted them just to take the pictures.)

Much improved clearance...

It's fuzzy yeah, but you can see I've got lot's o' room now!

Purty, eh?

What the hey, may as well shoot this side too...

This is the bracket that will hold the oil lines to prevent chaffing:

_ken

 

[69MyWay]

Nice work Ken.

I guess you won't be needing my handy dandy spark plug socket invention anymore now that you can actually get a standard socket over that back plug. Sometimes it is worth losing .27 hp to actually be able to service the engine!

Looking great! The oil cooler turned out very nice. I could not imagine how that was going to route when we talked about it before.

 

[Rowdy1]

That's More Like It

Lookin good Bro, I'll be doing the same thing, only I don't know yet how many cylinders I'll have to alter. Hopefully next winter if all goes well, and the well ($$$) doesn't run dry

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

;worship

 

[vigman]

POOF... Woosh

Who has rubbed the Magic Leyden Jar?

Who has summoned the genie in the electron bottle......??????

Ken it's time to do the
*****DIODE DANCE OF DEATH****** before I grant you 3 wishes.

1st
You need to tell me EXACTLY which gauges you want to install.
(I'll take a wild stab here).

Speedo
Tach
Oil pressure
Oil temp
Water temp
Volt gauge
Fuel
( any others?).

2nd
Any additional groovy add on's
Stereo?
New ECM?
Dump VAT's?
Kill switches?

3rd
You must understand some functions will not work anymore (eg cruise, trip meter etc)

4th
I need a copy of ALL the gauge paperwork.

5th
You need to give me a layout
( pencil sketch ) of what goes where.
( and I SUCK and machine shop work I'm a Genie... not a lathe operator.. wrong union).

( IN LOUD BOOMING TONE HEARD OVER HEADERS @ IDLE ON YOU CAR)

Then I may provide a schematic of
*********"THE GRAFT".************

(Cut to Vig vaporizing and SQUEEZING back into the Leyden jar.)

Vig~








"A Leyden jar is a device that early experimenters used to help build and store electric energy( mid 1700's)."

 

[Ken]

Mike, the only gauge you neglected to mention is the fuel pressure gauge (electrical, not mechanical).

I have already dumped the aftermarket alarm and stereo system. No extra bells and whistles are planned for this ride.

The original computer (MAF) was switched out a while ago for the speed density system, and that is where I have many questions regarding the butchery of the original wiring. The new system, the TEC3, will have its own computer, and that is where I need to know what is necessary to use from the old system, versus what is not required.

I do understand certain things like cruise control will not function; it's history already.

I've got all of the Auto Meter paperwork of course, and there are several machinists here on which I can rely to make the panel.

Call me at 310.748.5303 (cell), I'll be at the shop.

_ken

 

[Ken]

Have ya ever seen anything like this?

Please, enter at own risk!

How do they get so much wire in there?

Sends chills down my spine it does!

Here are a couple of shots of the battery relocation.

There is actually still a lot of room in there for little things if I wanted to take the chance. Maybe I'll use it for smuggling something.

Still lots o' work cut out for me, eh? Anybody out there who's into custom fabrication of dashboards? Now's my chance, eh.

_ken

By the way, thanks for the call today Mike.

 

[Rowdy1]

Not For The Weak Of Heart

 

[Ken]

Sometimes I do question my sanity Lou. :eyerole

_ken

 

[Rowdy1]

Stop It

You don't have enough time to question you sanity, get that car on the track!!!

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Re: Have ya ever seen anything like this?

Please, enter at own risk! :eek

Ken you cheated.. :L you left the wiring in!!

this was my dash in Nov of 2001.

 

[Ken]

The wiring was the whole reason I'm in it this far this time Jeff. The previous butchery was driving me nuts!

_ken

 

[Ken]

If you haven't seen this before...

I forgot to take pictures of this set-up when I pulled the engine. Figured I should publish them to show people something they may not be aware of.

When I first encountered the second filter, it had me as well as a few others scratching our heads. One mechanic said he had seen them on C4 Corvettes before, but his employer said he hadn't, nor had my mechanic.

It wasn't long though before I found the reason for the second filter on the return line.

• Service Bulletin Number: 86234
• Component: Fuel: Fuel Injection: Unknown type: Accumulator
• Summary: Fuel return pipe rattle/knock-hammering/knocking type noise -- Caused by pressure pulsatings in fuel system generated by fuel injector operation. -- Repaired by installation of a filter/accumulator assembly in fuel return system. -- Service kits containing parts available from GMSPO - Service Kit P/N - Coupe 10068791 - Convertible 10068797 - All 1985-86 Chevrolet Corvette models.

Evidently someone had the same problem with my '87.

Pictures! The fuel feed line filter is on the left, the return line has the second canister-type filter, pictured on the right.

Shots of where the filters were mounted to the right front frame rail, below the "suitcase."

_ken

 

[vigman]

Electrical thought

Ken.. in the effort to not be a hack & slash...
I could get you the MALE connectors that would be out of the cluster
so that way you wouldn't have to hack your existing harness and make a NICE job of splicing the new instruments into the OLD harness.

Just a thought,

Vig~

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Re: Electrical thought

Ken.. in the effort to not be a hack & slash...
I could get you the MALE connectors that would be out of the cluster
so that way you wouldn't have to hack your existing harness and make a NICE job of splicing the new instruments into the OLD harness.

Just a thought,

Vig~

Yeah all he needs is a Junk 165 ECM.. the Cluster uses the same MALE connector

 

[Ken]

Re: Re: Electrical thought

Ken.. in the effort to not be a hack & slash...
I could get you the MALE connectors that would be out of the cluster so that way you wouldn't have to hack your existing harness and make a NICE job of splicing the new instruments into the OLD harness.

Yeah all he needs is a Junk 165 ECM. The Cluster uses the same MALE connector.

I'm sooo... :confused

I've been trying to think this thing through, but haven't made it yet. :crazy

First off:

1. [*]The original computer that was in the car (Number?) is long gone.
   [*]The second computer that was swapped in when I switched to Speed Density is also history, now that...
   [*]The Electromotive Tec3 computer will be going in soon.

As I understand it, the TEC3 will handle all of the chores the other computers did. As a matter-of-fact, Richard (the local Electromotive distrubutor/racer) told me to simply stuff the old harness up under the dash and forget about it. Of course, that wouldn't do for me; I'd know there was a mess up in there and it'd bug me to death.

I can see where each of the cluster connectors are wired and what each wire is, but I'm still unclear as to what is necessary after I switch to the Autometer gauges. There is no need for any of the digital cluster wires to operate the gauges, is there? My oil pressure, water temperature and oil temperature are all mechanical while the fuel level and pressure gauges are electrical.

I am eliminating the cruise control, along with the radio (Consider the radio gone already; that was easy to find and disconnect.), but I will be keeping the air conditioner.

I keep coming back to the question of what to do with that harness, although I did make a little more progress today.

Thanks for your help guys.

_ken

 

[Ken]

Hey, one other thing. As I was putting wires with switches today, I discovered that I could not remember if there were any wires hooked up to my clutch cruise control disengage switch along with the vacuum line (vent). The only electrical connectors I could find were two for the brake switch and one for the cruise control disconnect on the brake. At least, I think I unplugged it from the brake cruise control disengage switch when I was under there. :L

Is the clutch cruise control disengage switch only a vacuum sensitive switch and not electrical? The diagnostic book, as my luck would have it, does not show any wires going to either of the switches! The service manual schematic does show electrical connections and wire colors, but I'm losing it somewhere in that diagram, or they ain't showin' anything!

_ken

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Re: Re: Re: Electrical thought

My oil pressure, water temperature and oil temperature are all mechanical while the fuel level and pressure gauges are electrical.

So Oil Pressure, Water Temp and Oil Temp are all mechanical??? I take it you are installing all new Senders? I guess I would have used all Electrical gauges and kept the stock senders..

Anyway as for the Dash Harness, I would keep it in the car and use what you need for the Lights, ETC. If you have the time, untape and remove the wiring not needed. then retape it and make it organized.

 

[Ken]

I guess I'm just an old-fashioned mechanical type o' guy Jeff. :L

I am surely do want to remove what is not necessary, but I hesitated when it came to strip that portion out. If it won't be necessary, i.e., I won't be using those senders, then it will be safe to remove. Correct?

The fuel level gauge, by the way, does use the original sender (0-90 ohms), so I won't have a need to change that, but by the same token, I will not need any of the original dash wiring. Correct again? Or no... :confused

_ken

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Ken,
In one of my previous lives we owned a shipyard that specialized in refitting yachts. It always came out cheaper and quicker to rip out the old wiring and build a new harness from scratch. It also made servicing our installation easier.

Before you spend lots of time sorting out the old harness draw up a sketch of the electrical installation. I think you will be surprised at how simple you can make it.

Good luck, I can’t wait to hear that monster light up.