Do NOT bolt the trans mount to the top of the trans tunnel. What will happen when the mount fails? Use your imagination

 

 

This is with the rear of the engine drooping down, but the fuel rail keeps rubbing the wiper unit.
I've checked my own stuff for myself, and unless I do an early 4L60E, I can move the engine forward
a little with no clearance problems.

 

I've discovered the hard way that exhaust flanges are too much work for do-it-yourself. Add another $60 to the budget for ordering a new pair.

 

A drill press, drill bits, and a couple of hole saws should make quick work of the flanges. You would still need to plasma cut or band saw the profile. But, it shouldn't be too awful. How were you doing them?

I don't know that I would move the engine forward to save the wiper motor. You have one with the integrated pump, right? Just swap to one with the separate pump. Just a thought.

 

I used a torch to cut two sets of flanges. Doesn't have to be perfect, just flat

I'd swap the wiper for a later version instead of moving the engine. I had to move the engine to clear my blower. A ton of stuff had to be addressed because of it. If a simple wiper change will solve it, go that route

 

What I've settled for, for now, is a 4L60E. $140. So with that determined, I shipped my PCM for a baseline tune. This version uses the same mounting as a 700R4, so I won't move the engine forward any. I'm not thrilled about the PWM lockup, but I still need to google all the codes to determine exactly what I got, and if the torque converter that came with it will work. My 60E was in a '97 2500 van, so probably a SBC, and the converter was in a 4.3L S-Blazer 4WD, with the unboltable bellhousing. The converter seems to allow a small wiggle even fully seated, and I may end up needing the TCI flexplate with spacer sooner than planned, though I thought I should get the TCI for a 4L80E and turbocharger combo.

 

Score! I got the loosest stock 4L60E converter, the stall is supposed to be 2075 RPM.

 

Thanks for advising on the wiper motor!
That will help since now it would be impractical to move the engine.
I ordered some parts, including the Energy Suspension interlocking polygraphite trans mount, the matching torque arm bushing that's for arms with the tips inward, to match the arm mine has, a couple of different 2.5" mandrel bends with a different radius for each, a flat flexplate with the spacer that locates the older converter hubs, dipstick tube, and I forget what all else. Just got starter bolts, now for flywheel bolts that aren't $6 each.

 

The ATP flat flexplate for an '02 2500 LQ4 / 4L80E, from Rock auto, comes with the spacer and bolts, so now I have a spare GM spacer to sell. I think my other 4.8 will try the dished flexplate and the Hughes bushing.

 

Seems someone's modified my 4L60E wrong, as I removed the servo cap, there was a gold-looking steel ring, then inside the second piston they had doubled the springs, but it wasn't a 'vette servo.
Not liking how my billet servo went together, I ordered a 'vette servo.

 

I'm either an idiot, or a temporary genius. Since I can't bolt a conventional transmission dipstick tube the traditional way, I drilled and tapped 3 holes in the bellhousing itself, for the 2.8L V6 tube. This gives me 3 possible positions.

 

That one idea proved genius, after I made a fourth hole. No clearance problems at all. Pics are coming. I'm mad at Energy Suspension, this is the second torque arm bushing I've done to a third gen, and neither time would the bracket bolt back together. You have to remove the torque arm entirely, then assemble everything else, then reinstall the torque arm front end first. So their instruction page is wrong. But there's no comparable alternative.
I can't get my new truck-version dipstick tube to go into the hole in the block, but other than that everything seems to be progressing nicely. My PCM is returned, so I can begin wiring. And SFCs permitting, it looks like my driver's-side exhaust will be a mirror image of the factory passenger-side routing, into a Flowmaster Y250300.
Seems I need dual 2.5" cats, and the ULEV-spec OBD2 versions with E.O. numbers are $206 each. Ouch, but that's what I want, even if I could get away with something cheaper. Besides, that's what I asked for my PCM to be tuned for. I'm keeping the after-cat heated O2 sensors.

 

I'm getting a slow drip off my oilpan, so I'm pulling the engine and trans to get the pan welded and install a new gasket.
I finished my 0.25-inch-thick exhaust flanges, but have decided to make a pair that are twice as thick.
I tried the other wiper motor, still had interference with the fuel rail. Also realized I had neither the wiring for it, nor the reservoir with the pump. and moving the engine forward would eliminate my already virtually nonexistant hood clearance.
So I spaced the crossmember down 0.25-inch from the subframe rails. This was surprisingly easy.

 

Also, trying to determine my serpentine accessory belt, I measured 92.625 inches, so I found this helpful website: http://www.goodyearep.com/productsdetail.aspx?id=3128
I found part numbers for my length in 6-rib, 7-rib, 8-rib, and 10-rib before I stopped scrolling down. This might belong in a sticky?

 

That 4043 rod for stick welding aluminum, the results were about useless. And my new pics aren't showing this morning.

 

I didn't think you could SMAW (stick weld) aluminum...

Electrode polarity and heat are going to have the biggest impact.

This might be worth a read:

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...8965-4043-Rods

 

I understand that how a weld looks indicates if it is good enough or not, but in this vid: I think his end results would be good enough for stopping my leaks, as that's all I need.
This morning I took my pan to a guy known to be good at brazing, and his best results still leaked.
Anyway, here's another effort to show my progress:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmick, what state are you in? I could TIG that pan up for you in about 20 minutes... well, might take a few more minutes to clean up the brazing alloy.

That video was cool as h*ll. Now I want to pick up a spool of aluminum just to see what it would do in a good welder.

 

Good of you to offer, thanks.
Yesterday I scored an 8.8-inch rear axle from an '01 Mustang GT.

 

Gave in and got the pan tigged locally, estimate is $50. I pick it up monday.

 

That's not a bad price. Do they know it has been brazed on already (or did I misread that)? Cleaning up the mating surfaces to accept the filler is going to be the toughest part.

 

If he brazed the inside, I'd just clean up the outside and run a fresh bead. Afterwards, give it a coat of JB weld inside and out along the beads to fill any small pinholes

That'll get it for sure

 

I've never been totally comfortable with epoxy inside an engine. Call it a phobia, I guess.

If he's paying someone to weld it up, then I would just take it home, leak check it, and have them re-do it if it leaks. It's a small area, with relatively straight corner joints. So, it should be pretty easy to get.

 

Most of the braze fell off, what little stuck took me 20 minutes to grind away. Pics ASAP

 

If it gives ANY trouble, I'll admit it. But so far, so good. Not that it has run yet.

 

It was brazed inside and out. My TIG-welding guy thinks the torch was melting the brazing rod rather than heating the plate-aluminum. I think the brazing job was rushed, to be stingy with the gasses.
Anyway, $50 for the TIG job, $20 for the plate, and $10 for the FastSteel is lots cheaper than $ 140 for a used '98-'02 Z28 pan.

 

Final bill was $ 45 exactly. Then I lost my plug with the recessed Allen head. But no more leaks.

 

That's not too bad. I wish I would have mentioned baking it before welding. Sometimes you can get rid of the leftover oil that has permeated the cast surfaces. It makes for a cleaner weld.

But, for an oil pan, this wont leak, and you don't have to worry about it separating. Looks good to me.

EDIT: Pretty genius, actually

 

Thanks!
I wasn't going for show quality, just functional and affordable, in that order.
Just ordered new Moog 5665 rear springs to ease installation, especially the rear of the transmission.
Props to RC Fabrication of Logan for the help with my pan. I'd use them again.
I'm not sure I could have shipped it for the cost.

 

Engine and trans are in, let "final" assembly begin.

 

The first installation was very difficult getting the second main mount bolt in, but this time I left the bolts into the block loose until last, that really eased things. I trimmed my IROC hood, and further clearanced my intake manifold, it nearly closes over the truck intake. Next up I'll try a very few washers under the hood hinges. I think the problem is the fuel crossover, and I'm looking into the cost of converting to braided stainless around the back of the manifold.

 

Put a few dabs of grease on the high points of the engine and close the hood. Transfers point out the guilty parties

Id put some washers on the K-member before the hood. Much less noticeable. You can also trim some of the steel support structure from the hood

 

Thanks. As noted above, I've already butchered the underside of the hood, very heavily, and I've already spaced the crossmember by a quarter inch.

 

 

Needs hot, soapy, high-pressure washing.

 

 

Just ordered a cam for my other 4.8, the one that's still awaiting ring gapping and ARP capscrews in the rods. I saw Summit has the LS7 / LS9 cam for $126, and while it isn't ideal, it will make more power than the stock cam I trashed, it will turn the revs, and it's a third the cost of anything better. It's 211/230 on a 122.5 and 0.562"

 

It's a hollow 3-bolt cam, with no specs card, and I'm leaning toward the idea of installing it 4 degrees advanced, both because of my manifolds, and because of cranking compression.

 

So I was making a list of everything I know it still needs to drive, my Summit list alone is $733. Add in RockAuto, and I'm over $1138. At this rate it'll be Halloween before I can realistically hope to hear that v8 purr.

 

I've been progressing on the axle upgrade while saving up for getting all the engine parts in 2 orders to reduce my final costs of shipping.

 

Just ordered a set of ARP 134-6006 "rod bolts" (capscrews), as Summit has them on sale right now.

 

By now I was supposed to have saved up and ordered all my parts to make this move under its own power. How have I done?
Well, I'm making great progress on someone else's '83 RX-7, which is getting a 3.8L & T5 from a '96 Camaro, and a 7.5" GM axle, among other things.
I've made a little progress on my '87 S-10, which is getting a 3.08:1-geared Explorer axle and Z28 16x8s. Next it is getting the 4.8L and probably the 4L60E out of this Camaro.
I've had plenty of time to think and plan, I'm dead set on adapting a Ford 5R110W to my turbo 4.8, because putting anything more than a stock 4.8 in an S-10 on 245/50R16s is a guaranteed traction problem. But it is 70 HP and 500 RPM more than a 4.3L V6.
If anyone is curious about the RX-7, it is here: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...0-a-30147.html
While the S-10 is here: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...mpg-29947.html

 

Why bother with upgraded fasterners? If you're making more power than stock can handle, then you're making more power than the rods can handle. Time for an aftermarket piston/rod combo

So, you're doing three swaps at the same time? Camaro, S10 and RX7?

 

The S-10 is my very abused daily driver. I drive a newspaper route in it every morning.
The ARP bolts, and the LS7 cam, are for the 4.8 on my engine stand, the one I'm porting the heads of. It's getting a turbo and going in the Camaro.
All summer my Camaro has had a second, stock, never-disassembled 4.8 in it. Come spring the stock 4.8 is going in the S-10.
But at least I've been able to keep making automotive progress, and that feels good.
I have done a little work on the torque arm bracket for the 8.8" Mustang axle for this Camaro, I guess I should update that thread Tuesday.