mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

"forges lq9 pistons". Can you tell me what lq9 to pull these from? Or do you mean 4.000"+ bore forged aftermarket pistons, which wouldn't carry the lqx name any longer?

No4Play

Now we're nit picking? "what lq9 did forged pistons come in...blah blah blah" any simple man knows no lq9 has a forged piston. These are aftermarket mahle stock replacement forged pistons. Any aftermarket piston obviously wouldn't carry an lsx or lqx name anymore but that was only meant to present the fact that it is a forged lq9 style piston. But cheers for being a smart ***.

Sorry to hijack. Ya'll do what works for you. Just trying to help.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

hey dude, just reciprocating the sentiment

No4Play

what sentiment I was just stating fact. Someone said it was too much to mill 317's .040. It's not. depending on the gasket you use it will put around 11.2:1 which is great for NA or nitrous applications. I wasn't trying to be a smartass I was just stating the fact that it can and has been done on many occasions. My apologies for not being uber technical and stating that the pistons are stock replacment aftermarket forged castings.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

with that much material removed, how is it effecting valvetrain geometery? are you guys also angle milling the intake face to maintain a good seal there?

No4Play

the effect on valvetrain geometery is little to none because the milling is compensated with correct length pushrods. Obviously if you use the factory pushrods they are too long and will cause the valve to hit. It goes without saying we check the valve to piston clearance and have not discovered a set we have done so far that has caused any alarm. we do not angle mill the intake face as the angle of the intake face doesn't change. When you mill the combustion side you are milling a flat surface. The angle on the intake face (where the intake manifold meets the head I am assuming is what you are referencing) the angle doesn't change, the distance between the head does. The change is marginal so the stock intake gasket seals just fine. Like I said before the only physical difference between a factory 317 head and a 243 head is the height of the casting. You mill a 317 head .040 and you have a 243 head as they have the same running chambers.

STREETDEMON

i don't think you quite understand. i don't need more compression, nor am i looking to increase the compression of my setup. the engine is 10:1 from the factory(this is a fact), that's all i require.

i'm also aware of the similarities of the 243/799 heads and the 317s.

the car is for fun, not a track rat, not a max effort car. something the wife and i can jump in and drive across the country in while having plenty of power when needed.

No4Play

my fault I guess I misread your post 238 & 247 as you were looking for more compression. even if you did up the compression a full point it won't negatively effect driveability or fuel economy tothe point that you would notice.

Devolont

There is no need to argue. If you do not agree with what the guy says you don't have to listen to it. Nice build by the way.

STREETDEMON

devolont, thanks for the kind words.

it has been a fun journey putting it all together....one that apparently will never be "finished"!

Devolont

Oh I know how that goes. I have done countless things to my Camaro and it doesn't stop. I am going to be doing a turbo lq4 swap I am hoping in the next year.

Kyle86

iTrader: (1)

Great thread. I really like what you did with that rear end. How much cheaper did it end up being over a moser or strange? I'm really contemplating building something similar if you think it's worth the effort. Looks like a lot of work too LOL Good job BTW.

STREETDEMON

thanks kyle. i went way overboard with my rear and did most of the rear suspension. realistically, you can build one for less than $500 if you do the work yourself. that would be using your 10 bolt, buying an 8.8 with the gears you want, having a truing rod and discs made, and buying the hiltsy saddle for the torque arm. now that i've done one, i wouldn't be afraid to do another, but its just really time consuming. just find a good low mileage ranger takeout with a posi and you're on your way.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i just don't like that using your 10 bolt ends limits you to a 28 spline axle

STREETDEMON

you can have 31 spline axles made to fit the 10 bolt ends. that's what most of the guys do over on tech. moser will make them, and then you can use an explorer rear end and/or the explorer 31 spline posi unit.

haha, i was just too cheap to go that route, already had too much tied up in the extra suspension and torque arm parts.

STREETDEMON

well i've started getting the car ready for Spring.

last weekend i adjusted my clutch and the shift stops on the Hurst Billet Plus. i missed a 2-3 shift at 7k rpm the other day and needed a little more fluid going to the throwout bearing.

i'm going to get the rear axle issues taken care of with new lcarb's, adjustable lca's, and a recut on the driveshaft. i will probably end up doing a little trimming on the jegster as well.

when they tuned my car last summer, justune did a speed density tune and forgot to tell me. so now i get to delete the 5-wire maf sensor and redo the intake. my AEM Dryflow filter just showed up, so i will be working on wiring in the iat sensor and adding in the Dryflow in place of the K&N that came with the GTO kit.

i also made a deal with pocket for his R4 AC bracket that was going to go on his "budget build". depending on time and motivation as to whether the z28 gets AC this year.

headlights will be getting replaced with a new secondary relay harness.

the last mechanical order is hooking up the factory cruise, which is just a case of jumping two wires together....need to trace where they are!

here is a picture of the Dryflow filter. i did some pretty heavy reading on the subject and they seem to have the best flow while retaining a better filtering ability than an oiled K&N.

Kyle86

iTrader: (1)

Nice filter. Crazy they didn't bother to tell you they tuned it on SD. Looking forward to seeing more!

STREETDEMON

made some slow progress over the last 2 weeks.

first, i was able to get my intake finished up. i cut a small chunk of aluminum tube that i had laying around and drilled a hole for the IAT sensor. everything else went together without much mofication.







this weekend i had a short blast on the rear end project. pulled the rear out, ground the welds down on the LCARBs and took the air chisel to bust them loose. i cut down the nose on the torque arm to give me the 7/8" clearance i will need. put the new LCA's together, decided to try the 3 piece poly joints, mounted them on the car, and put the new LCARBs on the axle.

i still need to hook up the axle and do some measuring before i weld the LCARBs on. then all i have to do is measure for the drive shaft recut and i should have this project wrapped up.

STREETDEMON

made some progress this weekend.

i was able to get everything in place and the lcarb's burned in. everything is hooked back up and in the car now, and the driveshaft is going to a vendor that i deal with at work for a recut. their price was less than half what pst was going to charge and i don't have to pay freight both ways. the wheels are centered within an 1/8" and look much better. time to start looking for some new skins for the back and a set of fronts 91-92 wheels to run on the back.







i also pulled my bowtie grill and filled the holes from the license plate bracket. i'll sand everything smooth tape off the bowtie and paint it arctic white to match the car.



almost done, may skip the cruise control for the season and do digital over the next winter.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

sweet! your list reminds me of mine....except shorter, lol!

STREETDEMON

haha matt, this is the "short list", i have an excel spreadsheet with all the other things including the budget for each "project"....it has many tabs.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

Chucky (my cousin with the bird) and i were talking about it yesterday. We should have kept a running list of all the things that we have done, are doing, and are yet to be done....my guess is we've have 10 pages between the two cars just this winter, lol. i just picked up a couple more things for projects this weekend that i didn't even intend to do yet, lol!

Mr Pain

Whats up matt its Romeo from the group. Gotta love the to-do list its like it will never end but thats what keeps us going. Dont you wish you could take a whole month or two off work just for your car lol? I went ahead and ordered the same Hustler mid length also but I got the raw steel. Any tips on what exhaust primer/paint to use, I really dont want to wrap like my last sbc setup. I will probably use these headers for the next year or two till I get the 6.0 stroked, then the big dollor headers come in. Im anxious to see how the headers fit with my PA Racing k member and a arms.

STREETDEMON

Took the car out to the Test n' Tune at HPT. Was able to trap 111-113mph all night. Track prep was horrible, and my street tires were worse. Best 60' was a dismal 2.4. I was spinning for most of the track and pulling hard once in 4th. Shifting into 4th I was spinning for a good 10' or so searching for traction. With good track prep and a drag radial, the car should easily go 116-117mph.

IAT's were high, so I need to get my cold air box built, and the Jeg's E-cutout was giving me fits, so time to get the 4" exhaust done.

Zach/90\irocZ

iTrader: (6)

sweet must been a fun night non the less

you plan to run cold air ducking into airbox or just run airbox

car looking way too nice lol really love it

4" is the way to go , i got 3" y pipe into 4" merge next , when i get back home im prob going to get the 4" univesal kit i seen off ebay to finish the rest paired with hooker maxflow muff , tuck up and hiding single out

STREETDEMON

i might try and rig something that pulls air from under the front ground effects(scoop, snorkel), but it's getting a box for sure. thanks for the compliments!

that sounds like what i'm after, same muffler even, i'll probably just use some mandrel bends to fab it all up though.

Zach/90\irocZ

iTrader: (6)

yea i been looking that route also but its hard to find 4" locally usally all shops has to order it

yea i want it to not loud and obnoxious lol want a mellow idle and part throttle and WOT thats when it can scream lol

the kit i meantion seem to be the cheapest route

STREETDEMON

well time to update the thread i guess.

the car generally gets driven at least once or twice a month. as my kids get older it seems like we keep adding more extracurricular activities to the list.

i've reached a conclusion that the car ended up going a different direction than i originally intended. it's very reliable, but not dd friendly. the ride is harsher than i wanted, and the allure of the man pedal has worn off. it's wicked fast, but will never get tracked. i would rather be able to get in it and take it on the power tour while running the ac and enjoying the ride rather than taking it to the track once a year, and occasionally driving it to a show or to work.

so...after running some numbers. this winter/spring, i think the car is getting put back to an auto with a 10 bolt rear end. the 8.8 is awesome and can take a beating, but i'm ready to be done with the jegster torque arm. i'm thinking a good auto with a 3200 stall will fit the fun bill. i'll need to pin out my harness for the tranny, but that's no big deal. the final decision hasn't been made yet, but i believe i will drive the car more often with the auto and also if i put the AC back in it!

92BLKL98

I replaced my Spohn T/A with the Jegster T/A for more room for the exhaust. I'm wondering if it is gonna be any more harsh than the Spohn T/A. I am building the car with a LQ9/4L60E with plans for a Vigilante 3000 stall lock up converter.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i'll be by to revoke your man-card next week

why not just replace the torque arm and keep the 8.8? going back to a 10 bolt is madness.

STREETDEMON

It hits much harder being shorter, it's not unlivable or terrible, just more noise than I want in a cruiser. Great for planting the rear tires!

STREETDEMON

Haha, thanks for the jab Matt. This subject really has me torn. I've got dedicated race cars at my disposal whenever, I wanted this car to be fast and comfortable for occasional trips. In high school I always wanted the car to be a 5 speed. If I had it all to do over again I would have went auto from the start. The only reason I want to change the 8.8 out is the Hiltsy ta mount hits the tunnel on hard bumps. This decision could all change as mama wants me to build her a Mustang, so that will take my focus away from the Z.

92BLKL98

The Spohn was pretty harsh and noisy at low speeds but cruising it settled down. Mine had all spherical bearing attach points plus my LCAs are spherical bearing on the axle ends. I think I'll be OK, we'll see huh.

STREETDEMON

so, since matt was threatening to revoke my man card. the 3rd pedal remains and the car now utilizes the factory torque arm. this cured the bulk of the noises i didn't want to deal with.

winter plans are: steering system rebuild/overhaul, cold air box for the intake, digital cruise control, and making the ac functional. come spring it will get a new set of hides and an alignment.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

sweet if you haven't gotten one already, i sell astro van shafts that are modified to work with our cars. they really tighten up the feel of the steering.

STREETDEMON

Thanks for the offer Matt, I did my own Astro shaft a few years ago. Was a great improvement, just need to freashen up the other components and possibly the steering box.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

awesome. it's a great upgrade

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

What did you end up doing with the jegster setup?

STREETDEMON

It's sold Pocket.

Warnd

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but how are you mounting the factory torque arm? Does that get mounted directly to the transmission?

I have a brand new Jegster torque arm that has been waiting to be installed in my swap but I am more and more hesitant with the more I read. Not to mention I dont really like the idea of putting that many holes in the floor.

I already have the skulte t56 transmission cross member. Is it too late for me to run the factory torque arm with this transmission cross member?

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

no, it'll work with the factory torque arm. i'd do torque arm that's on it's own dedicated crossmember though, and get the stress off the transmission.

STREETDEMON

no, like matt said, it will work. i read a lot on the jegster before i put it on, and everyone's opinion is different. i'm a little more picky about clunks and noise. it sure planted the tires hard though! i'm not worried about breaking the transmission case, there are a lot of fast cars out there that have zero issues, and my car will never see hard track use on a sticky tire.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

even the jegster has it's limitations

STREETDEMON

haha, as i stated in your build thread...pretty sure they didn't plan on carrying the front tires when they designed that piece ;-)

Warnd

Thanks for the feedback guys!

The jegster seems like a good piece and like you said, Im sure it plants the rear tires nicely. However, much like your car, my car will only be a street car with a visit or two to the track every year so Im not sure the jegster fits the bill perfectly for me.

Also only running a stock ls1 with bolt-ons so I dont think that should stress out the stock torque arm too much. Maybe I will just run the stock one mounted to the transmission and hold on to the jegster in case I want to install it in the future.

And Nova that is some gnarly **** right there haha. You must have been launching real nice to tweak it like that. Always love looking through your build threads.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

lots of 5500+ rpm clutch dumps on that thing. it took quite the licking. the new arm is 10x better though and already went .06 faster 60' than the jegster.

Chevy-vs.-Ford

Awesome build. It also is preparing me mentally for my potential swap.

STREETDEMON

well i've recently been using my "fun" money on my recent dd purchase(1998 K1500 ECSB Z71).

with some recent decisions to fly on a family vacation vs. taking the family truckster, i also moved the timeline for later in the year when i will be replacing said family truckster....therefore it's time to get the camaro ready for spring!

ordered a new set of kuhmo tires and will be working on the airbox shortly. also, i found a local guy that can dial my tune in a little better. it's great on the dyno, but the street manners still need some attention. it drives like it has a lot more cam. hot rod power tour will be travelling from wichita, ks to kansas city during the last leg this year, so i will probably be making an appearance for that.

last but not least, i think i'm going to ditch the hooker aerochamber for a dynomax ultraflow and single exit 3" system. with my cutout open i was only picking up 10hp and 10ft/lbs of torque. the ultraflow should fix the need for a leaky cutout!

STREETDEMON

tires showed up friday. need to get the wheels pulled off and shined up.

i'll start working on the cold air box next weekend.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

How do you like those spherical rod ends as compared to standard poly bushing ends?