ownor

iTrader: (5)

hi guys,

so i got a load of parts kicking around here and i'm trying to figure out which mods to do first, or in which order i'll do them.
i'll list some of the mods i will be doing here and add comments as to why it could interfere with another mod and so on..

1. Alston SFCs - best doing it the first mod? will the catback installation interfere with these?

2. Hooker 2055

3. 3" catco & aerochamber catback

4. fuel pump - probably the best doing it at the same time as rear end and suspension work?

5. rear gears + posi (to be put into the existing rear end)

6. suspension: panhard + LCA + reloc brackets + swaybar mounts

7. EBL - might be even better off doing this as the first mod, so i can test it with a stock bin and engine

these mods will be the last ones:
8. valve springs, lt1 cam, edelbrock intake, some ignition upgrades, afpr?

anyone got any suggestions or hints for me?
this is really the first time i will be swapping so many parts at a time (not at once, but we got some months left till summer so.. ) so i thought why not ask the experienced TGO community

thanks in advance,
ownor

thomas1976

Im surprised you havent already installed the EBL, plug and play.
I have the "EBL to laptop cable" plugged in the EBL permanently, showed abowe the "foot pannel" between the pannel and the foam, with a little protecting bag on the connector.

1. Thake the cat back off lower the axle, 2. drop the thank do the fuel pump, 3. change some suspension component by putting the axle back in place, 4. posi gears, 5. SFC, 6. new cat back, 7. headers and cat.

If you dont do all in one time 1. 2. 3. 6. 7.

Also put AFPR before you change pump, so you know if psi goes up.

Change spark plugs and wires with the headers.

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

I would do the EBL then open up the exhaust from the head ports ALL the way out. It will run like a different car, considering I layed down 178 RWHP/268 RWTQ with an internally stock L03 (save 1.6:1 rockers) with tuning, headers, and exhaust.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

thanks for your comments.
@Fast, if i would do the exhaust at one time and the SFCs after that, wouldn't i have to take the catback off again to install them?
also, i would have to do some tuning once i install the complete exhaust from manifold back, right? would the stock fueling setup be enough to feed this?

@thomas, yeah i agree, the EBL is really the first thing, i should have done that already, but i guess i was too lazy since it ran pretty fine back in summer and you know, never F* a running system

my problem is i have to take the car somewhere to get the SFCs installed, so i need to have it running when i do this, and i can't go out on the street without a catback

oh btw, Fast you got a dyno sheet on that by any chance?

thomas1976

Yea drives like a royal limousine with the stock ECM
You would already have some good experience by pluggn in the EBL.
Remember to use a heated 02sensor with the headers.
With the rock'n volumetric efficienci learn invention there is really nothing to worry about, especially on a close to stock engine.
If your DC exceeds 85% once headers installed, just add 2-3 psi FP and set the bin up, then have fun adding some SA and VE learning.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

thanks for the info thomas! lol, royal limousine, that's a good description as i think of that engine and the lame 2.73 gears

so, you think it would be better to throw in the EBL and do the full exhaust before i proceed? i'm a bit worried about having to take exhaust components off again when i do the SFCs, rearend work or fuel pump. what y'all think?

btw, i have a heated AFS-74 delco o2 that i'm going to put in. and i just remembered that i also need to wire up my zeitronix wideband, lol ^^ definately too much stuff kicking around.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

okay i figured i'll start by doing the full exhaust first (no welding so if i need to take something out again it won't be that nasty), then doing EBL, heated O2 and wideband installation. after that comes fuel pump + vafpr and some rear suspension upgrades, maybe the alston sfcs. then i'll do some tuning and see how everything goes.

can anyone comment on the installation of the alston sfcs? i just want to bolt them in for now and have them welded later. would it be a good idea to install them when the fuel tank and some rear suspension is out of the car?
please, i need some info on this!

thanks in advance for any help,
ownor

ownor

iTrader: (5)

so i finally got some time to install some of this, i have been using the EBL for quite a while now (with everything stock). last weekend i installed:

-) Delco TPI Fuel Pump
-) J&M LCAs, LCARBs, PHD
-) TDS Swaybar bushings (rear only for now)
-) SensaTrac shocks
-) Hooker SuperCompetition/Aerochamber 3" catback
-) Catco 9118 3" Cat
-) AFS-74 Heated O2

right after that i went to "break in" the new exhaust, it sounds awesome and i can definately feel an increase in seat of pants!
the catback i had on there before was even more dinky than a typical stock one: i got one i-pipe muffler, the stock muffler in the back and two cherry-bomb style tailpipes i guess they threw that on there when it was originally delivered to switzerland (i imported it from there to austria).

oh and i just love the new handling and traction of my rear definately great stuff!

i started doing some BLM-based VE Learns this week on my way to work. i noticed i got a lot of knocks, need to figure out what's going on there, it's mostly in the 2.5-3.5krpm and 80+ map range.. but i couldn't notice any audible knocks or pings, it's kinda strange.

the next "stage" will be LT1 cam, bored/ported eddy intake, aeromotive afpr, hooker shorties + y-pipe, alston SFCs, tds wonderbar, 1le end links and front swaybar bushings maybe i'll add the zt-2 wideband before that, or later when i do the new y-pipe.

any comments are very welcome!
greetz
ownor

thomas1976

The "swiss edition" thirdgen was probably due to a V8 allergie that badly infected the federeral circulation inspectors and employes in the '80-'90. Turning it in to one of the most silent V8 cars of the galaxy.

on the progress.

Try to increase FP or use premiun gas to determine if knock is real.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

haha yeah, it was really really silent (and slow!) that way. i totally hated that exhaust!

i'm in the process of getting an aeromotive afpr so i'll be playing with fuel pressure soon, hopefully. i'm using RON 95 gas (about 90 aki) right now, do you think i should take a step up?

unfortunately my timing light is broken right now, i need to check where my timing is set at (last summer was when i checked, was at 0°)

thomas1976

The extra glasspacks dident make them any slower then in the US. Also a shame GM did not export the 5.7L and the little more performance oriented thirdgens to Switzerland. I would have been glaad to toss the silencers off such a model

If I understud correctly EBL bins have a litte more aggressive SA tables than stock.

The higher octane fuel is a little more stable, the amount of knock does not veriate as much due to climat, as with regular fuel.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

hey thomas,

thanks for the pointer on the EBL's SA maps. i checked out the rpm/map fields where my knocks occured and almost all of them have the same value (SA) as the stock (ANTT) bin file i would have thought that the trouble was right there, but nothing..

fyi, i was running fresh RON 95 gas. as said no audible pings or knocks, so maybe my ESC system is faulty? i could test it with some RON 100 though

RevItUpZ28

iTrader: (1)

Just a quick note, if the car is in need of a door hinge repair kit (to fix sagging doors), I'd add that to the mod list and install it before the subframe connectors get welded in.

thomas1976

Is there something like PE-SA? you could check. I dont remember why I thought EBL requires little less SA. Did the VE tables change after learn?
Of course 98-100 RON is a easy check.

ownor

iTrader: (5)

thanks for the hint on the door hinge pin! think my doors are fine though, at least from what i can tell.

i have looked at the PE SA table and lowered it 1-2 degrees, i still have to check it out. otherwise i'll try some higher octane and determine if it's "false" knock..

i'm currently pondering about installing a TBI T5 (1st 2.95 5th 0.63) which would still give me a reasonable top end with a 3.42 rearend. the down side is the T5 limit is about 300 lb-ft, anyone think my mods would destroy it or what?

ownor

iTrader: (5)

finally got around to start removing my old POS exhaust manifolds + y-pipe to swap those hookers in place. i'll also try and install the SFCs at this point (at least bolt them in for now). i need to weld the o2 bung to my y-pipe and wire up the ZT-2. i'm really looking forward to what it will be like driving the car after these mods