Original L81 engine pic's..

[Peer81]

Thanks for the pictures, but I already found the right bolts and the right place to mount the bracket. But still thanks

I had a little problem a couple of days ago.
Tried to hook up the underhood light. Battery was still connected and I had wraped the + and ground together with some tape. When I was trying to get them out of the tape I found out they toughed each other and within a second the tape begon to smoke, half a second later smoke was comming out of the wiringharness and that was the moment I stopped trying to get them apart and ran for the battery! Lucky for me I didn't torque the bolts to the - pool came right off.
Lucky for me no big problems only the black - wire inside the wiringharness was a little thinner then the rest so that wire is compleetly stripped from its isolation (or melted off) the other wires are still find but this was a close call I think. Tomorrow I'll check the wiringharness again and replace the stripped black wire. Also need to find out why the fuse didn't blow when I needed it to!

Groeten Peter

 

[Tom Bryant]

That could have been a desaster. We all do this sort of thing even though we know not to make any electrical connections with the battery connected. Glad that it wasn't any worse than just the one wire.

Tom

 

[Peer81]

Lucky for me everything worked out fine

A little change in plans for this year, I hoped to finish the vette this year but that was without the economical crissis. I got a nice deal for leaving my currect employer but now I'm no the hunt for a new job. At this moment there is absolutely now work for architects here some I'm changing into another field of expertise But this means I'm going to hold off the interior for this year and also the exhaust (maybe in the winter 2009?)

For this moment I have some small electrical problems which I can fix and I have a carb rebuild kit from Cliff Ruggles (also his book) with slightly different secondairies. So now I have the time I'm going to do a Q-jet rebuild to the best of my efforts. After the Q-jet is rebuild and (so far tuned) I'm going to begin with the break in of the engine. Lucky for me we have a "1/4 mile concreet strip" on your own ground

Groeten Peter

 

[alexdrastico]

Hello Peter, i'm Sandro from Italy.
I'own a 1981 red corvette, and my dream is to do this work to my car1Congratulations great job.

 

[Peer81]

Hello Sandro,

Thank you for the compliment
With a lot of spare time and some extra money you can do the same.

Groeten Peter

 

[Peer81]

Small update today.
Last week I got the package I ordered at Cliff Ruggles for my E4ME Q-jet. I had read the book Cliff wrote and then I found out he also has his own website where I could order stuff.
The things I ordered. A rebuild kit, two secondary rods, bushingkit for the primary shaft, a kit with a tap and small screws to correctly close off the stop on the underside of the carb (normally they use some epoxy to close them but this with some epoxy should be much better, and last a other AC solenoid to adjust the rpm when the airco is on.

I begon with the disassembly. Taking the throttle body assembly apart, removing the old bushings and installing the new ones. After that clean everything and begin the assembly.

Important is to sell all the throttle plates to a 90 degrees angle at WOT. I think most of you will know how to do this because most to the oem q-jet will go further then 90 degrees at WOT.

One strange thing, I put in new mixture needles that came with the rebuild kit. Of course i checked the settings for the old needles and this is what I found. Left had 2.1/2 turns and right had 5.1/2 turns. I punt in the new ones like it should 3.1/3 turns.
More next time

Groeten Peter

 

[Peer81]

Small update for this project.

I finished the carb a few days ago. Lost some parts in the proces and found out my air valve was bend in a bad way. No real problems just a few delays ordering parts in the States. I also ordered all the Thexton tools I needed, including the choke angle gauge (latest part I received)

To continue were I left. Took out all the stops at the bottom of the carb.

Altered the secondary airvalves for better transision between primairies and secondaries.
Left one is finished, right side still needs to be done.

The bend airvalve sensor

Other topic.
Found a nice Alfa 159 headlight on ebay in Germany so I bought it and I'm going to alter it to fit my dubble bi-xenon headlights.

Of course I only need two of the lenses, take them further apart, but everything together in a nice way. The new headlights will also be 1 to 2 inches lower then original.

As you can see these headlights are 3 or 4 layers so very easy to change them in something new, only takes some time.

Back to the E4ME.
Tapped all the openings and put in some hex. bolts with epoxy between the bolt and the openings. Of course before putting in the bolts I took out the restrictions in the secondarie openings.

Putting the carb further back together, reseating the checkerball and testing it. Installed a new larger fuel inlet (original 0.125" new one is 0.130") and idle tubes.

Set the new float to 0.420" per Lars his paper.

Cleaned and reinstalled the M/C solenoid with the lean mixture screw and after setting the idle mixture screw I installed the primairy rods and the plunger as a trail fit.

Drilled the secondarie accelerator tubes, like explained in Doug Roe's book.

Completed the airhorn with bother the airflaps. Set the tension spring to 3/4. Also changed the stop so the flaps can now fully open and I can set the max opening with a little hex. bolt.

Setting the rich stop. The white indicator wasn't accurate enough so I took my digital caliper and that worked perfect.

Next the idle air valve (sensor), setting it with the Thexton tool.

I also changed the accelerator pump rod. After some calculations I took off 2.1mm to enlarge the pump shot, if it turns out to be to much I can still change it back to the old one. The finished products except for setting the choke things.

I think everybody knows how to use a choke angle gauge. First I tried to follow Lars his paper on this but it turned out to be very different from the original settings. Checked everything again with the choke gauge, still needed to make some changes but not that big.

After that we started the engine (not exactly a though and go but oke). Changed to oil because off the excess of fuel in it from previous attempts to start. With the new oil in, first started to 30 minute 2000 - 2500 rpm run for the camshaft. Well that's it for now.

Groeten Peter

 

[GerryLP]

Cool Show-And-Tell, Peter!

GerryLP:cool

 

[82ColEd]

Wowe Peter..


I wish i was as able as you seem to be.. :BOW


Thanks for the update.



-Stefan

 

[Peer81]

Thanks Gerry and Stefan!

Today I found the problem with my brake system, it was working for 10% (my handbrake worked better then my normal brake... First thought it was the booster, but after checking vacuum at the intake with and without the booster there was no change in the vacuum signal (17 HG) also when applying the brakes and relaising no vacuumdrop so the booster is working fine. Then jacked up the vette, removed all the wheels and there is was, the back right brakedisk was all wet from the brake fluid and it was easy to see that one of the brake cups was all wet. After removing the caliper I popped open the dustseal and took out the cup. I say a small "whobble" in the seal around the cup so I think wrong installation is the problem. Only a pitty I installed it myself so I can only blame myself. Well that's that for now

Groeten Peter

 

[tcxd40]

DAMN nice job!!

Best work I've seen done by an individual bar none.

tcdx40

 

[Peer81]

Thanks for the compliment!

Last week it looked like luck is not always on my side. I tried to set the dwell again (mixture so to say) but one needle seemed to be stuck. Removed the carb and then I was able to move the needle. I had a strange feeling it didn't go as planed and when the needle came out I saw it broke in two pieces. So the front part is still stuck in the throttle plate, I don't know how to remove it without freezing it very very deep or drilling it the needle out without distroying the carb surface. Yesterday I found an old E4ME with a staight throttle plate so next week I'll be fixing my carb.

Btw. I changed my original needles for some aftermarket ones that can be adjusted with a strewdriver, no need to have those because I also have the Thexton flextool to adjust the original needles.

Groeten Peter

 

[KANE]

Fabulous work Peter!

 

[GerryLP]

....

I think everybody knows how to use a choke angle gauge. First I tried to follow Lars his paper on this but it turned out to be very different from the original settings. Checked everything again with the choke gauge, still needed to make some changes but not that big.

... Well that's it for now.

Groeten Peter

Hey Peter,

What is the Thexton number for the choke gage? I still need to get one...:ugh

GerryLP:cool

 

[Peer81]

It's a Thexton 372

Groeten Peter

 

[Peer81]

Changed the trottle plate today. I altered the original plate to bigger pre emission mixture holes and installed bushings for the primairie throttle shaft, so I did the same with this throttle plate. Also took the change to knife edge the 4 throttle valves for some extra cfm's. Put everything back together and it started again!

Still need to reset the curb idle, choke idle mixture with the dwell meter and with the choke on (without the dwell meter).

Then a question, last time the engine was idling at 3000 rpm, at one time the tacho stopped at the same time with the other gauge's. Blown fuse, but after changing the fuse the gauges were working again except for the tacho. Also checked the other fuses but everything was fine there. I was thinking maybe the tacho shorted out and after that the fuse melted? Or could there be another problem why the tacho isn't working anymore (without changing or disconnecting wires)

Groeten Peter

 

[Peer81]

A little update.
No new pictures since last time. Got the carb back on the engine, made a test run and everything went fine till the engine started to run incorrectly except in higher rpm. Found out the fuel level was way to high (almost overflowing the carb) and the spark plugs were black with carbon. It engine started also very difficult because after a week all the fuel was gone. So took the carb back off the engine and apart. I have to find some better epoxy that will hold with fuel on top, and also check the fuel inlet with the needle (again).

I made a small list to see what has to be done so I don't forget anything, there is it.
In random order.
1. new connector for the 700r4, old one broke but it is an easy fix.
2. carb buildup after finding and repairing the problems
3. i miss a clip for the rear window that holds the chrome trim
4. I orderd the wrong indicator light relais for led lights, new one on its way
5. new foglights also in its way, want to color match them with the white indicator lights
6. adjusting the doors, have done that today
7. adjusting the door windows
8. checking the power steering, rebuild the pump myself but at idle the power steering isn't working
9. let somebody make and install a true dual with x-pipe in stainless steel
10. make and install the leather interior
11. find or make a chrome or polished licenseplate holder for the small plates we have
12. find a t-connector to connect the cc vacuumline to the vacuumline from the headlights
13. after some driving check all the nuts and bolts if some came loose and lock them with locktite
14. aiming the headlights to the correct setting
15. polish the rims again
16. change the interior led (to cold blueish white) for normal bulbs (dim function will work again to)
17. back the the painter for some final things
18. setting the suspension to the right spec's
19. taking the vette to the checking station for road acceptation
20. changing the alarm horn for one that works
21. testing and refilling the airco.

Well that is about it

Groeten Peter.

 

[Peer81]

Small update:

Jobs: 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 14 have been resolved and I'm working on number 2, 11, 15 and 20.

Several weeks ago I did some break in testing for the engine. In other words cilindercompression build up!
After the engine warmed up, first some 3/4 throttle testruns to 4000 - 4500 rpm. After that some 3/4 to full throttle testruns to 4500 - 5000rpm. I didn't go over 4500 because I wasn't that sure about everything and I wasn't sitting in my seat but on some foam...
After the ... run the engine began to run very very rich so I have to go back to the garage but here is a small film about the testrun.

Btw. This is on a early sundaymorning and without the exhaust (still needs to be installed).
Enjoy

http://peter.all-corvette.com/Corvette/Testrun.3GP

Groeten Peter

 

[82ColEd]

Great to see you going down the list and knocking them out as you go. .

And here i thought we'll look at a engine running..

IT's ALIVE !!! Very cool.. I love the anticipation for the 2nd run past the camera. And you can hear her rumble in the distance.. VERY Cool!!


-Stefan

 

[LRose26]

Just curious, what kind of pistons did you put on your '81?