Zach/90\irocZ

iTrader: (6)

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

The other thing I'm changing this time around is the power steering pump. I've had issues with the LS1 pump burping fluid while just having fun on the street. That burping is actually the fluid overheating.

The stock pump flows a grossly excessive amount of fluid as it speeds up; and that causes the majority of fluid to be bypassed and return to tank unused. The constant pressurizing, bypassing, re-pressurizing causes temperature rise and the fluid overheats. Fluid burps out the cap when reservoir pressure exceeds 20 psi. The other problem I have is my engine exceeds the operational speed limits. The pump has a max speed rating of 7000 rpm continuous (pump speed) and 7500 rpm intermittent. I've been pushing the pump past that every time I stab the throttle.... and I do that a lot.

I can't do a whole lot about the overspeed issue. This time around I have a 10% under-drive crank pulley so that is directionally correct and will put my drive ratio somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.06. It just is what it is. If I have to repair the pump now and then it will still be cheaper than what I spend on tires!

I can improve the pump characteristics though. Turn One set me up with a pump having lower flow to reduce operating temps, and higher pressure for more assist with grippy tires. This pump will develop 2000 psi which should cover tires as large as 18x10 with 100 treadwear. Right now I have 255 tires on the front so I gave myself room for growth. Flow control begins at 1500 rpm pump speed, so anything below that will have less power assist. But the Turn One pump has quite a bit less parasitic drive torque than the stock pump; so my engine should have a more stable idle and not die so easily when turning the steering wheel in a parking lot (that was a problem now and then). Full synthetic fluid is recommended and adding a cooler if reservoir temperature exceeds 275F.

So that's the story of my power steering pump upgrade.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

It's almost April and the engine bay is empty and in shambles. Not good, not good, not good!

Weather is changing and it's becoming driving season, not project season; so at this point I'm giving up on some of my project/upgrades and just doing the minimum to get the engine in and running. Unfortunately that's more work than it seems.





One thing I did do tonight is replace the original lower steering column bearing. Oh boy.... was it toast! It didn't seem bad but after removing it I saw the inner bearing was completely squared out from 30 years of use. I installed a new metal bearing from Hawks Motorsports. Remarkably easy 10 minute job.

Aviator857

Good call wish I thought to do that bearing when everything was apart.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Engine bay is kind of ready, meaning I can finish the rest with the engine in there. But engine is definitely ready to go in. Looking forward to ditching the BMR k-member and going back to stock.








And a few notes for my own record keeping.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

That things going to rip!!!!!
On the PS issue, do you happen to have a powersteering fluid cooler? I don't think the base birds got those or did they? If not, maybe poke around for a factory one, maybe that could help a little.
It's just a steel loop that goes along the bottom of the factory fans or in front of the AC condenser, depending on the year and engine combo.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Yep, my car has the cooler even with the little 2.8L V6. Never had a problem with the stock 3rd gen steering pump. Problem is with the LS1 F-body pump that are known for overheating. My friend literally melted the reservoir during an autocross with his '99 Camaro.

Let's just hope that LS7 holds together. Most unreliable LS engine ever made!

dixiebandit69

Personally, I've never been very impressed with the factory P/S "coolers" on these cars.

I thought of using the transmission cooler on the radiator for that purpose (my car is a 5-speed), but ultimately made a simple steel bracket and used a small air-liquid transmission cooler and some light-duty hydraulic hose for a cooler.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...ml#post5196769

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, the factory coolers aren't impressive by any means but could be useful to plum in a aftermarket finned unit

IROCZman15

iTrader: (25)

agreed, I overheated my ps fluid during the last autocross event I did in October 2019 (it was cold that day too) and had fluid coming out from the cap. If I continue to do autocross stuff and road courses, I might have to look into a better cooler of the tube/fin type we shall see.

keep up the good work on the car man. once that engine and car are married together, your motivation will skyrocket and you will be on the road soon hopefully

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Oh, joy.... Lifted the carpet and found the under padding damp. Now I get to find a leak somewhere on the passenger side firewall.

My patience is wearing thin. I've about had it with constantly fixing an old car.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

I put a 4.8 in my car with the Holley brackets, which essentially is the Vette setup, and I kept the factory cooling loop. I killed the PS pump after one outing on the road course after only about 3 laps. Definitely not a great pump setup, doesn't shed heat very well.

cam406406

iTrader: (1)

Why the stock kmember

dixiebandit69

Probably because the tubular K-members have a bunch of complaints. Fitment, strength, etc.

cam406406

iTrader: (1)

Well I have a spohn and can't complain

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Two big reasons:

1. The BMR is ridiculously flimsy. I might reinforce it but not now.
2. The new cylinder heads are taller than the old LS3 heads so I'm fighting for every mm of clearance I can get to the AC case on firewall. Stock k-member sets the engine lower and more forward.

A distant third reason is that not all weight reduction is beneficial. Removing weight from low in the car (k-member) can be detrimental to handling. But frankly I'm probably not discerning enough to notice the difference so it really is a big distant third reason.

Fitment was great. That's definitely not on my list of why's with the old engine. New engine is physically larger so my situation changed.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

The pad got more dry but never really dried out with a fan on it for 4 days. And after sitting for a few days the pad is soaked again. There's no heater core in the car so the pad itself must be saturated. And it feels greasy like coolant.

There is no way to remove that pad without stripping everything down to bare metal. This sucks. The last thing I want right now is a freakin' project car.... but that's what I've got.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Yep, heater core leak where the tube exits the firewall. Went down the firewall without getting inside the HVAC box. $200 firewall pad is trashed. Trans tunnel and passenger side floor is soaking wet. I can't believe there is no rust!

I'll have to clean the floor with detergent, rinse, and dry. Need to further strip down the interior to get the old pad out completely. What fun....

cam406406

iTrader: (1)

That's why you delete the heat

skinny z

Yep. I hear you on that one. I just want to get out and drive but the ever growing list of repairs and upgrades keeps getting in the way. There a likelihood that the car won't see the road at all this year.
You're pretty close though...

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Well, what's a project car without a project! I decided to redo the brake lines since the car is all torn apart anyway.

First thing I am doing is removing the 4th gen LS1 F-body master cylinder and switching back to the stock 3rd gen master cylinder. I confirmed that the 4th gen master results in a significant gap between the master cylinder and the booster pin. This is the cause of the dead pedal near the top of travel. I also confirmed that the 3rd gen master sets closer to the booster pin, so that should get rid of the dead pedal.

The other thing I've done is ditch the Wilwood 5 port prop valve for the Wilwood 2 port prop valve. I learned that the 5-port model is cast aluminum and the 2-port is billet aluminum. There's just something not right about those 5-port models. The first one I used had a cracked housing where a threaded insert was installed. The second one I have now has to be tightened until it can't be tightened any more just to stop it from leaking. And it hates auto store fittings. I had to use expensive Brakequip fittings to stop the leaks.

So this time I'm using the billet valve with metric bubble fittings. I can't recall ever having a leak with a metric bubble fitting so hopefully that will stop the plague of leaks. Same concept as before with the prop valve mounted to the stock bracket. It's a great location with easy access to the ****.

Update: Fittings and hardware shown in post #1178, https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...ml#post6293639





This is the pressure curve. Had to call multiple times and get pretty demanding to get this from them.



I also cleaned up an old non-AC blower case that I had laying around. I couldn't find any replacement gaskets so had to make my own. I think the stock gasket was "sponge rubber" so I went to the hardware store and bought some sponge rubber window weather-stripping intended for gaps of 1/8" to 1/4" thick. I had to to cut some slits with a razor blade (to the inside of the box always) to help it navigate the curves. Seemed to work out okay. Then I weighted down the box on a flat surface while the glue set. I figure the same technique could be used with the fiberglass AC case.

The motor that came with this non-ac box had a totally different electrical plug than my later model a/c motor. And the fan had a shorter height too. I swapped the shorter fan over to my original motor to keep the harness plug and play.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Uhg, I was hoping it was going to be something else. I hate the look of the 3rd gen booster but instead of going with manual brakes I might not have an option. I too was slated to use a 4th gen booster and was about to bolt it in until I read your post.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

The other option is you could make a custom length booster pin.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

I'd rather do this. Any idea of how short the 4th gen one is?

scooter

iTrader: (11)

WhitedevilTA (I think that was his name) covered that in a thread on here,

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

There is a guy on FB that's making the heater box gaskets from the same die and gasket material that GM used. Some how/where he found the die and fixed it.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

Name or group he is in?

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

It would be very nice if aftermarket prop valves used 1/4" line but they don't, so I had to add all kinds of adapters to change line size twice. But this time I moved the adapters off the prop valve and packaged under the car. It's both easier to package and easier access, and hides the eyesore.

I thought maybe a 3/16" bubble flare could be used in a 1/4" bubble fitting but it looked iffy when assembled. I spoke to engineers at two different companies and they both told me that the hole in the 1/4" fitting is too large to give the 3/16 flare an adequate seat. I also had to try a couple different brands before finding master cylinder fittings long enough to seat properly. And I had to grind down the length of the union so the Brakequip adapter at that location would seat.

I used that goofy Brakequip adapter because I already had it laying around but I wouldn't buy Brakequip again because the fittings are too short, and they are cut for both bubble and inverted flare fittings -- meaning they don't do either well.

Update: And the verdict is in.... Post #1207, https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...ml#post6297261

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

The best thing to do is measure up your combo and aim for a 0.02" gap, if I remember right. I sent you a PM about the tool.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, I just read some articles on this. I will likely buy the tool and see the difference between the various boosters I have. Possibly have one of my guys turn me a new pin.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Be aware the tool won't fit over the 3rd gen master cylinder, or any master cylinder with a 1-1/8 inch bore. It will fit over the 4th gen master cylinder.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Nothing is easy. Hot rodding...amiright

IROCZman15

iTrader: (25)

any future plans for a line-lock? now would be the time to tackle that if you ever planned on having one?

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Nah, burnouts are cake and drag strips are flat.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I'll have to double check but I think it's a players R7U car group iirc.

Go to photos and scroll down till you see the gaskets. He's also doing the fuel door gaskets I think.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/121982285038652/

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

I just realized you were talking about the master cylinder and not the booster. I will be running the Baer billet MC so hopefully I can find a solution.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

So, FWIW, you can use the 4th gen booster with the Baer Remaster cylinder. After using the pushrod tool I have the .005" clearance that Bear recommends. The Baer unit comes with an adapter pin to either accommodate a short or long booster pin.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

Today the engine went in but I had to do it twice because the stock engine crossmember just didn't work. The drivetrain angle was so far off that the shifter was jammed up against the top of the trans tunnel and the transmission wouldn't even sit on the trans crossmember. The transmission just hung in the air and the engine mounts were taking all the load. Engine was much further forward too and none of my trans mounts would have lined up anyway.

So out came the stock crossmember and i put the BMR crossmember back in because I know it all fits. This engine is definitely taller and there is no way AC will ever fit with it. Glad I didn't even try. One thing I will say is that the additional room with the non-AC box is insane!!!

Engine and crossmember bolted in but still a long ways to go. 119,779 miles on odometer at time the engine went in.

alan91z28

yes you will find that if you don't need AC you can really clear up a lot of room! it makes the engine bay a lot cleaner and slims down on the FEAD.

at some point you may want to consider the UMI cross member. it will lower the LS back down and you can also move it forward to allow better clearance. I have used both (started with BMR), and I like the UMI much better. the BMR works, but I don't understand why they didn't position the engine better and also it is not as beefy as the UMI

alan91z28

how do you like the BAER unit? any issues with the reservoir sitting on angle vs level?

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

I haven't run it yet but will let you know. It's a slick piece and can be used without a booster if you size the piston correctly.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

The hood won't close, much to my surprise. The manifold is huge and barely clears the hood. Problem is there is no space left for the throttle cable bracket. I can't flip the throttle body. And the Holley HP EFI won't support drive-by-wire.

So..... It's something more to think about this weekend.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

The new Holley stuff will support DBW, just an FYI, I forget what they are calling it

Zach/90\irocZ

iTrader: (6)

yea the new holley terminator x supports DBW and includes wiring harness for a great price at that

Chuck!

You probably had it at one point in this thread, but what drive shaft are you using with the BMR k member? It feels like it shifted my engine back about an inch and the stock drive shaft was very tight.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Maybe a Intake trap door for a shaker hood?

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

I bought it used and don't know who made it. Very heavy 3" steel shaft, splined for the Viper tail shaft of my transmission. The transmission and driveshaft were a matched set that came out of a 1100 Hp twin turbo 4th gen (I bought the entire drivetrain front to back).

alan91z28

the umi k member would likely move it down more than enough to resolve this. I could take a reference measurement for you

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

It runs.

No throttle cable, no coolant, no exhaust, no clutch, no brakes, vacuum tubes not hooked up.... but it runs!

alan91z28

here are a couple quick reference pics... just relative pics easy to take, I can get some dimensions if it would help

- as you can see from the heater core input/output on the water pump, these hoses are basically level (slight downward) in relation to the frame rail (the hoses are sitting flat running down the frame rail)

- from a LS3 heads / stock valve cover perspective you can see the fore / aft placement relative to the edge of the passenger shock tower. up/down the boss on the stock valve cover right behind the oil fill is slightly lower than the straight edge (1/16-1/8) from the edge of the shock tower