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

[-=Jeff=-]

Re: Today's work...

The fuel tank lines:

Ken, why do you have this little tank? I forget

 

[Ken]

Jeff, I could not find an in-tank fuel pump that delivered a sufficient amount of fuel (according to the Wizard for the TEC3) for my needs, and seeing as how the Corvette gas tank is lined with a bladder I didn't want to go fooling around with that, so we used a set-up similar to what the Porsche racers (such as my Electromotive rep) run: The factory fuel pump delivers fuel to the "surge" tank, from there it goes to the race pump mounted to the underside of the tank. From the pump it is delivered to the injectors and what is not used is returned to the surge tank. The surge tank also has a return line from it to the factory gasoline tank, so in effect, both pumps are constantly circulating fuel. I should never run dry.

If I would have used a race fuel pump of any other configuration, I wold have had to modify mine, or simply change out my fuel tank for a fuel cell. I didn't want to do that; this damned project is going on too long again! I wanna get out and CRUISE damnit!

_ken

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Wonder why the rep did not suggest running the ZR1 pump set-up. It has dual intank pumps

 

[Ken]

I'm satisfied with this set-up Jeff; I just put a new fuel pump in it last year, why waste it? :L

 

[-=Jeff=-]

I'm satisfied with this set-up Jeff; I just put a new fuel pump in it last year, why waste it? :L

Oh I am not saying that the set-up you have is bad at all. I also don't know the amount of fuel the ZR1 Pumps put out.

I cannot wait to here how the car runs when done

 

[Ken]

I cannot wait to here how the car runs when done

You can't wait? How do you think I feel, especially now that cruise season has officially begun.

 

[Ken]

Flat black?

You need to repaint that blower box semi gloss, or gloss...

I think you know me enough by now Chris, to know that your statement has been weighing heavily L) on my mind ever since I first saw it. But ya know, look around at the rest of the engine compartment and you can see that I've got a lot of work to do in that area before it would be considered acceptable for a magazine feature, such as yours.

Now that I've removed, installed, removed and installed just about everything I've worked on so far in this project (at least twice!), it's no big deal to pull that blower box back out to re-shoot it at any time. Piece o' cake!

_ken

 

[bill mcdonald]

I have been thinking about this mini fuel tank idea, it might get rid of the half tank starvation problems C4's seen durring hard driving on stock C4's?

 

[Tom Bryant]

Awesome!! Just absolutely awesome, Ken. It gets better all the time. I can't believe how many improvements you have done since I rode in it last September. I will have to schedule a ride or around the first of the year when we should be making a run out west to see family in AZ.

Tom

 

[Ken]

I will have to schedule a ride or around the first of the year when we should be making a run out west to see family in AZ.

It'll be like old times. No wait, it'll be better than old times! :J

Now, for those who have never seen where the build sheet can sometimes be found, on C4s and many other generations, here is a picture taken with me lying flat on my back with my head towards the front of the car, shooting straight up at the front of the gas tank.

These are a couple of pictures of the drain plug I installed in the third member:

It's back on the ground, sorta... It's still on the dollies until I can squeeze it out of there sometime later this week, maybe tomorrow.

I talked to a guy today from Murrieta, CA (near San Diego) who has a business called "Custom Wire Works". Over the telephone he sounds like he takes a great deal of pride in his work, and that nothing would be done without prior approval. I think I'll be seeing more of him soon.

Also, for my latest addition to my web site, information from Mike Antonick's book - "Corvette Specs", check out http://corvetteobsession.homestead.com/CorvetteSpecs.html

_ken

 

[Ken]

Damn! I forgot to take pictures of it when I finally got it back outside in the sun!

After four months in the shop on jackstands. :eyerole

For today, another step complete; the spark plug wires have been cut and re-routed for the new DFUs, but there is still more wire to run for the injectors, etc..

Here's one from a position I haven't tried before (had to get on a ladder:L):

At any rate, it's in the trailer now ready for a run south to Murrietta for the wiring. Hopefully, if I get it down to him on Sunday, I'll have it back in a month or so and ready to re-install the interior and go cruisin'! :J

_ken

 

[Ken]

Wish me luck!

It's now in Murrietta, CA (about ninety miles from me ) at Custom Wire Works:

This guy, Chris Corsello, seems to take a good bit of pride in his work and feels confident he can do it to my satisfaction.

That's Chris on the right.

Other projects I've seen indicate this to be so, and he is ASE certifed, so... I'm keeping my fingers crossed; lord knows I've had my share of disappoinments throughout this project. Let's hope Chris is one of the "good ones."

_ken

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Hey now that is a thought.. I could start building Wiring Harnesses.. LMAO

Hey Ken,

I know this is a little late to ask, but what does the piece look like that replaced the distributor since you are now running the Electromotive system..

does it drive the Oilpump and come up to the intake?

 

[Ken]

... does it drive the Oilpump and come up to the intake?

I never realized that I hadn't included a picture of that piece, nor have I taken a picture of it.

Yes Jeff, it drives the oil pump as normal. The piece I'm using is from MSD and comes with a bronze drive gear, which we replaced with a steel piece from GM, and grooved the shaft to allow oiling of the gear. I'll snap a shot of it when I get it back from Chris and before it's bolted tight (we still have to set the basic timing ).

MSD doesn't have a listing in their online catalog, but they do have a picture of the "plug" (the same thing) used for small block Chevys:

They not only do not provide a groove for oiling the gear, they actually include "O" rings to seal the area! :confused

_ken

 

[Ken]

Update...

Talked with Chris at CCW today, and he tells me that it (the wiring) should be complete by month's end. :J

I won't be needing the Painless harness after all, I can return/exchange that with Summit for something else I'm sure to need yet. Chris'll be utilizing the factory harnesses while tying in the TEC3 power harness to the factory fuse block. Totally custom and made to order; what more could I ask for?

The best news of all, and you had to have been following my project long enough to know why I say this is a good thing, the whole job is only going to cost me around fifteen hundred dollars. I tried to get an estimate from a few other places a while back, and one said that even if they would build the harness for me, it would cost around twelve hundred. Chris is not only building the harness, but is installing it as well! I think I'm getting a good deal here. If it works as planned and looks good too, then I'm happy. :gap

On another happy note, basically unrelated to the engine project but a good thing for me in light of it; I think I may have sold my trailer. I may have even been able to do it today except for the fact I need it until the wiring project is wrapped.

I talked to the guy I bought it from last year and he said that people were always looking for used Featherlites, so he gave my number to a guy; we met and talked today and I think he might buy it. I told him I thought eight grand was a fair price seeing as how it is a 2002 model and I spent over eleven for it less than eighty-five hundred miles ago. He seemed amenable to that but told me he wanted to check back with Duane first. No problem!

This guy has some nice cars hisself! He told me he's got two Chevelles, one is an LS-5 while the other is an LS-6, and an El Camino with a new 502 GM Performance engine. Cool, huh? :cool

Then, when I get to Will's shop, he tells me that he might even be able to sell it today at that price if I didn't need it yet. At least my financial future's not entirely bleak I guess. :cool

Good thing too, I still have a growing list of things to do:

1. Re-glass floors where the roll bar was installed.
2. Paint roll bar.
3. Find an air intake hose.
4. Make seat brackets for new seats.
5. Make a shield for the area between the fuel surge tank and the headers.
6. Make a clutch pedal stop.
7. Buy distilled water for the radiator.
   
   Oh yeah, I almost forgot,
   
8. FIND AND FIX THE OIL LEAK!!!!

I forgot to mention that when I off-loaded it from the trailer at Chris' shop, I noticed a fairly large spot of lubricant. Stuck my finger in it and it was a nice clear amber-colored fluid, therefore, not power steering fluid! Damnit!!!

Why could I not find a leak when it was on the stand! Damnit!! Damnit!! Damnit!! Now I gotta crawl around under there some more in search of the elusive oil leak. It ain't even been run yet, just pressured up.

_ken :crazy

 

[69MyWay]

Maybe the drain plug is not tight, or the gasket on the drain plug is cracked? At least I hope.

Good luck!

You are getting closer.

 

[Ken]

Nothing new, but thought this might be of interest to y'all...

Ya know, I just happened to be going through my new Summit catalog and came across the Earl's Performance page with all the fittings and hoses and such, and I remembered that I may not have mentioned it here before, but the building in which I have been performing all of this work, was once the shop from whence all of Earl's fittings emanated -- KEEN MACHINE.

Between myself and another guy who was building his Jeep there, we probably used every fitting the following image shows, and a lot more! :L
A lot of money! :eek

:cool Cool, eh? It's too bad there weren't any fittings stockpiled there while I was building my lines and hoses. :L

_ken

 

[Ken]

Snapped some shots of the dune buggy today...

What interested me about this one was the fact that the small block was blown by a WhippleCharger system. You can't really tell from these shots, but that thing doesn't appear to be any taller than the L-98 intake manifold, so it should fit under the hood of a C4 don't ya think?

I thought it curious that the throttle body was at the rear of the blower:

Gotta be a 1000 cfm throttle body, mono-plate as you can see.

At first I thought it might have been a rock-crawler, but the four seats makes me tend to believe it's a dune buggy. Albeit a HOT dune buggy though!

_ken

 

[Tom Bryant]

They've been selling those for newer Chevy pickups for several years. Not much increase in height as you have noted.

Tom

 

[Mad-Mic]

the reason the TB is in the back is so it don't suck up all the dirt and grime from 4 wheeling.

alot of the mud boggers do that if you ever watch mud bog racing.