j. i went with the astro shaft too and have really enjoyed getting rid of the slop in my steering wheel, much more positive feel.

 

Don't worry about priming pressure... once it runs, then check the pressure.
The 40-45 you are seeing is common.

 

I wish I would have done the upgrade on my 87. My 86 was pretty low mile, so Im wondering if Ill notice. Actually...car has been sitting for years hahaha. I wont notice a thing. Its bound to handle better than my Legacy either way

Thanks for re-assuring me. I sort of figured I was ok with the priming pressure. Hopefully I find out soon what the pressure is while running!

J.

 

Hey all. Took another day off work to tinker with the car. I got quite a bit done. First thing I did was finish cleaning up my second set of coil packs. The bracket was a mess because of that #8 coil. I had cut it, and bent it to clear the HVAC and it was ugly and unstable. So I welded a tab on it, pounded on it with a hammer, and then painted it. Now the #8 coil bolts on with two bolts, and is slightly out of position to clear the box, but hardly noticeable. The plug wire is much more happy now too.

You can see its pretty much the same...but its set down towards the valve cover more.







Then I moved onto my brake lines. I bent up new lines for the front brakes. Im going to post most of the pictures in the thread I started...but basically my front passenger side line now goes up front and follows the rad support over to the kmember area. And the driver side drops down next to the steering box then out to the wheel. I have a little tweaking to do, but now if I need to drop the k-member, I DONT have to disconnect my brake lines.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...e-routing.html

Next on my list was painting my front calipers. I wanted to do it on my first build, but never got around to it. This time, since I got new calipers, I had no excuse. They were fresh and clean, so prep was cake. I ground down the casting on the front half. Got it relatively smooth, but not like glass. Didnt need it that smooth.





Then laid down a thin coat of high temp primer. Followed by high temp gloss black.



Then applied the decals I got from afterthoughts auto. NICE decals...



Then I laid down two light and one medium coat of high temp clear. And this is what I ended up with.





They came out WAY better than I thought. I might give them a little buff/polish, but they are pretty slick the way they are. Now I just have to paint the brackets (not sure if Im going with a contrast like silver or just semi gloss) and the rotor hats/cooling fins/anything else near the calipers haha. They're going to make everything around them seem crappy so I just made more work for myself.

Didnt take pictures, but I got my A/C system and cooling system installed. Also got my coil packs installed and everything hooked up.



Filled up the cooling system and took care of a couple of wiring issues. Re-installed my air intake tubing, which needs to be completely disassembled and fixed up a little.

Thats about it!

J.

 

Shaping up over there I see! Calipers turned out mint

 

Oh... I almost forgot...


I FIRED THAT S.O.B. UP!!!!!!!


Haha. Sorry. I got the actual first fire on video, along with a couple of follow up starts. Im going to have to chase some issues...which Im going to explain because I was hoping to get some feedback.

I cranked it with everything unhooked and got oil pressure on the gauge. Then I hooked up everything but the fuel pump relay and gave it a crank. Then plugged in the relay and checked for fuel leaks.

That sucker fired up on the first crank like nothing ever happened. Man I love these motors!

First problem was A/F was maxed out at 16:1 and super high idle. Slight panic. Then brain fart. Realized I forgot to plug in the dang brake booster hose. Something IVe done in the past. Hooked that up, re-fired, and my A/F was down at 12.5. My idle is still high (1600 ish). My scan gauge is showing my TPS is at 51%.

I think I might have either A) forgotten to plug it in B) didnt plug it in all the way or C) have a bad sensor/wiring issue. Going to have to check it out. I forgot to check for codes too...or even to check the voltage of the TPS on the gauge. I was too worked up. And it was dark.

But it was so great to hear it run! Oil pressure was perfect. My fuel pressure is still low. It was reading 50 psi. But Im wondering if that is a result of the 12:1 AFR and the 50% TPS keeping the idle up? Im going to confirm it with a mechanical gauge next time.

Video coming soon!

J.

 

nice, the calipers look great!

i jumped in too soon with my post.

glad it fired! maybe you need to re-learn the tps sensor for the ecm to zero it out....?

 

Nice job on the calipers. They turned out great!

 

Hahah I didnt think anyone would post before I got to put my second post in

I dont know how to relearn it. But mostly, I dont know how it could have "un-learned" it. Everything is basically the same except for the a few extra cubes and a different cam. So theoretically, it should have all the parameters it needs to run close to what it did before. At least at idle. Im fairly certain its something simple.

Gotta get my hands on it again though to be sure. Gonna clean my maf real good too.

J.

Thanks for the props on the calipers! I was hoping they'd come out nice and not too cheesy. I like em. Now I have to man up and clean the back ones and get some paint on them too. Those things are filthy. Should have just popped for new ones.

 

J, the calipers look great, but more importantly congrats on getting it started. I have no doubt that you will figure out the issue fairly quickly.

 

Ha fired up!!! congrats mister

vids

 

Ask and you shall receive! Here are the three times I started it while trying to figure out my high idle.


Got a couple of ideas. Right now, I just want to go home and check to see if the TPS is plugged in haha.

J.

 

Fantastic! Cool build, gauges look great

 

Sounds VERY healthy! You have a tuner sourced out or are you going to give it a crack on your own?

 

Thanks!

Still trying to figure that out cam. My cousin is trying to talk me into the Diablosport inTune. He gets them through work for $180...which is like half price. BUT...Im not sure that is going to work for me.

Ide like to get HPTuners, but its WAY over my head for price right now. Even a used set up with some credits would be a bit of a stretch. I would LOVE to have someone local that could come with HPT and work for pizza and beer haha.

So Im thinking about sending the PCM to Frost to have it mail ordered tuned. Ive read very good things about his mail orders and at this point, feel like its my best chance to drive the car this year. That is, if there isnt something else wrong. Then after that, probably get a dyno tune. I wont be changing the car anytime soon. So Im not sure the investment into a tuning suite is worth it for me.

Im actually heading home at lunch to do a visual on my wiring, as well as check my scan gauge for codes and check the TPS operation with key-on/engine-off. Gauge shows position as well as voltage. That should tell me a lot. Any other last minute suggestions for why Im idling at 1600 rpm with 12.5:1 AFR and a indicated 50% TPS?

Really gotta figure out if my fuel pressure gauge is incorrect or if my fuel pressure really is only 50 psi while running. With my new pump and hotwire harness, I was expecting 58-60... Not sure whats going on there. Hoping my injectors arent bad as I was going to ride with them for a bit if possible.

J.

 

Alright. My TPS at closed throttle (fully closed) has a voltage of 2.76 @54%. At WOT it has a voltage of 4.78 @ 99%. Gauge doesnt show 100, but Im assuming its over 99 as it hits 99 before Im at WOT.

So it appears that the TPS is bad. At least thats what Im hoping. I was thinking a broken wire or reistence issue. BUT...a broken wire should drop it to 0.00V and 0% I think. And resistence would cause less voltage.

Im guessing from sitting in the garage it got condensation or corrosion on it, and its now fubar. Im going to pick up a WELLS replacement and try it, and if it at least makes it more normal, I know Im ok. Ill probably buy a GM TPS when i verify the issue so I know I have a good part.

Throttle closed:


Throttle 100% open:


The only other thing Im concerned with is maybe my IAC. My scan gauge shows this:



I have no idea what 310 is... 310 what? "counts".."steps"? Is it supposed to be 310? Im guessing its counts. 310, or a high number is open? Lower is pintle extended/passage closed. I guess its high because its off/idle/cold.

J.

 

Congrats on getting it ruing again! Been watching the tread, you do nice and clean work.

FWIW- my car always idles high after the battery has been disconnected or the PCM fuse is pulled. It will continue to idle high until the car is driven and brought to a complete stop several times, then idle return to normal. No idea if that is normal but it sound like with the exception of the TPS reading off, it may be a similar situation...?

 

Nice Job!!! Makes me wanna finish mine!!

 

310 is the steps and that is maxed out I do believe. More then likely it is because the tps is bad. You will want to be seeing around 50 in the IAC counts + or - 20 depending on what your cam likes.

 

Thanks! Yeah my car would idle hang for a bit when cold too. Esp after a PCM reset. But, we're talking about 1600-2000 rpm. And its not going down. Also, regardless of PCM conditon, the TPS voltage should be in range. I think Im getting a grasp on whats happening. THe TPS is telling the computer Im at 54% throttle. If you've ever played with a TPS on a TPI car, and moved the little lever while the motor is running, you'll notice the idle will raise.

I THINK it has a direct correlation to injector pulse. When you get to 100%, it goes into something called power enrichment mode? Either way, Im almost sure that its causing my high idle and also my rich condition.

Those counts are with motor running, warmed up, and at idle right? 310 was key on engine off. So Im guessing the PCM just maxes it out for start up, esp since my PCM was reset before taking that picture and the motor wasnt started since reset. Guessing it starts high, will flash my RPM on start up, then settle it out as it relearns the idle. I gotta remember to check it after the car is running. I also should have checked codes after the first couple starts. I think I would have found TPS codes.

Hoping that popping a new TPS on lets it idle. If it does, Ill let it run for a few minutes to get my coolant flowing and check for oil/fuel leaks. Then it wont run again until I can go do a couple hot laps in the parking lot behind my house to seat the rings. Then...who knows where we go from here haha.

Blake...get on it! I was enjoying your build!!

J.

 

fwiw, i drove my combo on a frost tune for over 2500 miles before i put it on the dyno to finish it out. it ran a bit rich, but was very driveable, even with the 3.23 gears.

the plugs were still good when i went in....so that's got to be a feather in steve's hat!

i had a feeling it was a tps issue, i definitely think you are on the right track.

in regards to the intune, i have read good things and have been considering one for my silverado and having a "diablew tune" done to it. from what i can gather, it isn't the easiest tool to use when internal engine mods are introduced.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence going with Frost.

What Im wondering is... The last tuner richened me up a bit, due to clogged injectors (before we knew they were clogged). After cleaning them, I was then running rich at higher throttle. So...is there any chance Ill be ok on the current tune for some driving around? Ide like to go with Frost, but if its really not going to do much for me beyond the existing tune, and I have to get a dyno tune, then Ill hold off on the mail order. I just gotta see how it runs once its fixed I guess. Watch my AFR and as long as its not doing anything crazy below WOT, and idle/drivability is ok, maybe I can eek by for a bit?

I heard the same thing about the inTune. And the only reason Im considering it is the price I can get it at. I have some time to think on it though. Still have to get the front end together and tidy up some wiring.

J.

 

Yes, iac resets to that every restart , the #s I gave ya was warmed up idling , pick up a new tps yet?

 

Yup! I just got a chance to pop it on. Installed it, and did a "reset" to zero it out. Turned on the key and got this...



The .72 volts is a tiny bit high I think. And I THINK its due to me cracking the idle stop screw a bit when I first installed the Nick Williams TB. Im going to dial it back and have it sorted when I get tuned. Try to get it back down a little. But it was never really an issue.

With foot to the floor. Gauge doesnt report 100%. Hits 99% just before its matted.



I fired it back up and it was a whole nother animal. Took a bit to find idle, which is what I epected and didnt get the first time. Hunted a bit, AFR settled out, and idled great. I think its good to go for some ring seating driving. And will probably run better after a heat cycle and things figure themselves out. I keep unhooking the battery to avoid any mishaps while Im away from the car haha.

I took video...but it'll have to wait til tomorrow to upload and post. I even got some open cut out action

For now, here's some "eye candy". Still dirty and unfinished. But the engine bay is for all intents and purposes ready to rock.







Ill update with the video and all soon.

J.

 

Seeing those engine pics feels like Deja-vu


Nice to see it back together again

 

Haha....yeah. It looks the same on the surface

Funny thing. I got hung up on the appearance of the block for a while. You literally cant see any of the nice black paint on the block itself. You gotta stick your face in there good to see much of it.

oh well. I didn't build it to win shows! Maybe the next one haha.

J.

 

where did you get all your intake tube and t clamps ?

 

I got everything from www.intakehoses.com. Pretty sure that was the only place I used. Back when I got it, the prices were amazing, and shipping was crazy fast.

J.

 

glad you solved the issue with the tps! i love those easy fixes.

you'll be rolling in no time!

 

So...anyone have any suggestions as to why my fuel pressure is showing 50psi while running? I havent done a mechanical test yet. Thats on my todo list for next time its running. So I cant rule out my sender/gauge being misleading.

New pump, factory 4th gen from the tank to the fuel rail.

I was expecting 58+ PSI while running.

Could the regulator on the sending unit be bad? How often does that happen? Injectors leaking? Its not idling pig rich anymore.

J.

 

Easiest/cheapest might be to get a different gauge, to put on the schrader valve. If you get the same reading, you're probably low. Check for restrictions on the line or a bad pump. If it reads 58psi, you might be looking at a bad gauge/sender.

I think autozone should have rentable gauges.

 

Yeah I have a mechanical tester. I honestly completely forgot and meant to hook it up before I started the car this last time. Thing is, my key on engine off pressure seems to be reasonable. But if there is an error with the gauge or sender, it should show up whether the engine is running or not. So Ill see what my key on engine off pressure is with the mech gauge. If its like 50...then I know my engine running pressure is probably 10 psi higher as well. If thats the case, Ill send the whole package back to autometer and they'll fix me up before Im ready to drive it.

Here is the new video! Enjoy!


J.

 

much better!!!!

 

nice'n smooth!

 

Runs much better, now it's time to drive.

 

Well....Monday Im calling out of work, and plan to hammer on the car hard. I want it on the ground by the end of the day. Which means front suspension on, brakes hooked up, bled, and leak checked. Rear brakes cleaned up, reinstalled, and bled. At that point, the sucker is "drivable".

Got a couple other little things. Basically, I think Im giving up on driving it driving it this year. I want to get a test drive in, on the old tires, and get the rings seated. If that happens, Ill be happy. I think its going into storage at that point. I just dont know if I have the money/time to get tires, and iron out the little things before its time to bring it home. I still want fresh injectors and my new fuel rail installed before any long haul driving.

Looking for opinions on any reasons I SHOULDNT do a test drive to seat the rings. Im going to do some fuel pressure testing to confirm either a guage issue or slight pressure issue. I noticed in older videos my fuel pressure appears normal, so Im thinking my sender might be off.

Of course Ill report back and post some video...so, hopefully I have something fun to share after monday!

J.

 

Drive it!
Easy, at first. Short trips, find out what's up
That way, when you take it out in the Spring, you won't be at Square One.

 

Use Joe Gibbs break in oil and follow the ring manufacturers seating process

 

Ok... I wasnt going to buy break in oil. But, I found it for a good price online. Should I be ok just changing out the dino 5W30 that I put in, and slap in the BR30? Leave the ac delco filter on and all? Looks like thats good for 500 miles of street driving. Which is when I planned my first oil change anyway.

As for ring seating, Im checking around for what sealed power recommends. I plan to take it for a little drive, and as long as nothing seems wrong, Im goign to do some 2nd gear 40-50% throttle runs and keep it below 4500 rpm. Do a couple pulls, letting it cool off some in between, then park it. But Ill double check what sealed power says.

Yesterday I goofed around some with the car. I realized that i forgot to put a part back in the fuel tank sending unit. Oops... It was the little grey TPA lock. So I pulled all that out and fixed it. While it was out, I hooked up a mechanical fuel pressure gauge to the rail. It was weird. First key on it didnt go up much. Second key on, it shot up to 55 psi, then dropped after pump shut off to 50. And held there as long as I watched it.



I can only assume that engine running will give me close to 60 psi. So, I put my autometer gauge sender back on, now its only showing 34 psi....wtf? I cleaned out the adapter and the sender to make sure no crud was in it. The only thing I can think of, is that the sender is air locked? Like there is a bubble in there, and it has no way to get out. Im going to wait til the car is on the ground and I drive it, and if its still reading low, Im going to send it to autometer for a check up.

J.

 

J-
I used to do heat cycles with my race engines. Gixxer 1Ks, but I imagine the principal holds.

 

If you have oil in there you can use the GM additive pn#992869 and it should work as well. I use about 1/3 of a bottle of that stuff with every oil change to protect the valve stems

 

I do have fresh oil in there. But honestly, it was in my garage and I just wanted to get something in there to pump through while cranking and all. Im not opposed to draining it and swapping it for something better. Ive come this far, I might as well do the break in as well as possible haha.

Im going to order up some quarts of the Joe Gibbs stuff asap. I dont think Ill be driving it monday now anyway. I was looking at it yesterday and realized I still had a bunch of little naggy stuff. Like rebuilding all the brakes and bleeding everything and tying up wires, etc etc. Soon though!!!

J.

 

You'll get there. Just take your time with it. I'm in the same boat! So many little things to deal with, so little time!

 

they say the last 20% of a build takes 80% of the time

 

Seems that way!

 

Just made my todo list. Yikes. Hahah.

Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day!

J

 

you should have shared your list with us

 

you're getting there man, keep a steady pace and take a break if things don't line up right away! you're an old hand at doing this swap at this point haha! most of us have only done it once.

i'm going to start running the JG LS30 in my engine. i've been running the German made Castrol 0w30 with good results, but it washes out to the same money, so why not run an oil engineered for the ls power plant?

 

If I thought any of you could decipher my chicken scratch I would have haha. I made a revised list, and half of it is crossed out. Ill post it tomorrow along with my update pictures.

streetdemon: Yeah Im plugging away. Made good progress today but had to call it early due to having to pick my son up. Im not sure what oil Ill end up with. Ive always just run whatever is on sale to be honest haha. But this time around maybe Ill do some research and pick something good. I just hate spending money on oil. Ill probably put way less miles on the car now than I did when it was on the road before, so maybe it wont be a big deal.

J.

 

Got another day to wrench on the car. It was productive, but not as productive as I was hoping. I had to cut off early...but it is what it is.

First thing I did was finish up some painting and cleaning on the brake parts. Got my brackets looking nifty.




I also painted the rotors some. Just the hats and the cooling fins/edges. I know its a crappy job, and probably wont last. But if it keeps the rust away for a little longer, great.



Then I got the a-arms installed, springs, struts, steering and sway bar/wonder bar installed. Also secured my new brake lines with some clips.

Found some replacement boots for my Bilstein struts since the original ones were falling apart.



Last thing I got to do was start installing my pass side brake parts.





Thats it... BUT...all I have left is to do driver side brakes, rebuild/paint/clean up the rear brakes, tighten things up with weight on the suspension, do some final checks and its ready to roll!

Someone asked to see my todo list. This is slightly revised from the last one, but shows the major stuff I have left. Which isnt much now!!



Ordering my break in oil now!!

J.