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Not much time to work on the Camaro lately, although I do know what my next step is thanks to the excellent folks on TGO.
Pulled the trigger on a new car a few days ago. You can see my tired old Mazda in the background - it's already gone to some nice folks who don't have to deal with Colorado weather! Plus, I have plenty of space to haul parts around. No more borrowing my roommate's minivan...
Finally, more updates! Had to save up for the parts I wanted, but I'm finally making more progress.
First, the brakes. Per previous discussion in this thread, I discovered the C4 HD brakes need the 1LE hubs, not the LS1 hubs that I had purchased from BBU. So, I ordered a set of the 1LE hubs and installed them. They came without bearings - the outer bearing is the same as the LS1 hub but the inner bearing is larger (there's a good size comparison on the BBU site here: http://bigbrakeupgrade.com/product/1...-for-std-hubs/ ). Got those installed and I'm 100% confident with the brakes now! I'll have a set of never-run LS1 hubs up for sale soon too.
Next, the fuel delivery system. Frankly, I was getting tired of throwing money at the TPI intake, so it's gone. Wanted something that gave me room to grow with future engine upgrades. After some price and features comparison, settled on the FiTech Go Street 400HP kit. Ordered, shipped... and some dirtbag stole it off my front porch. After a two-month battle to have it replaced (seriously, who ships an $800 item without signature verification or insurance??) I managed to get my money back and purchased another one (from a different seller, obviously). Anyway, here it is temporarily installed along with the new intake manifold and distributor.
Right now I'm in the process of figuring out how I want to route fuel, vacuum, and electrical lines. I have the sensors in place, but not wired up. I also have my exhaust on order (3" cat and 3" back to a 3" in, dual 2.5" out muffler). Since I'm no longer using the TPI stuff (also going up for sale), thinking about pulling the rest of the emissions hardware too (and registering the car in a different county). Any thoughts on retaining the AIR pump and just letting it force air into the headers and cat all the time? Or maybe hooking up a temperature sensor so it only engages once the engine is warm? If I can make the car run cleaner by retaining that stuff I will.
Should be some more updates in the next couple weeks.
Any thoughts on retaining the AIR pump and just letting it force air into the headers and cat all the time? Or maybe hooking up a temperature sensor so it only engages once the engine is warm? If I can make the car run cleaner by retaining that stuff I will.
Colorado seems to be an iffy state for emissions. There was a sad story on here last year of a guy buying a show car thirdgen Camaro convertible with all the emissions equipment removed (your basic hot rod setup) and he ended up having to turn around and sell it because he couldn't get around the emissions nonsense. I did a quick google search and turned up this
"A vehicle registered to a mailing address outside the Automobile Inspection and Readjustment (AIR) program inspection area but is driven at least 90 days a year into the program area for employment or school (will require testing)."
Even licensing the car as an antique will not allow you to opt out of testing. Too many California liberals have moved out to Denver....
Colorado seems to be an iffy state for emissions. There was a sad story on here last year of a guy buying a show car thirdgen Camaro convertible with all the emissions equipment removed (your basic hot rod setup) and he ended up having to turn around and sell it because he couldn't get around the emissions nonsense. I did a quick google search and turned up this
"A vehicle registered to a mailing address outside the Automobile Inspection and Readjustment (AIR) program inspection area but is driven at least 90 days a year into the program area for employment or school (will require testing)."
Even licensing the car as an antique will not allow you to opt out of testing. Too many California liberals have moved out to Denver....
Thank you for the feedback on this. I don't drive my main car 90 days a year as it is, and almost never to work (work pays for a bus pass) so I think I'm clear. When the Camaro is finished it's going to be a strictly a summer/weekend car. Shame they don't have a way to register it as such. Fortunately I have trustworthy friends outside of the testing area (and outside of the state, if it comes to that).
The test they do for pre-ODBII cars is really based on the tester - get a lazy tester who doesn't want to shift properly and you'll fail every time. I've seen it happen (if you have a car wound up to 4500RPM you're not running the test right). Try telling them that though!
That being said, I'm all for protecting the environment. I'll put a cat on it, and if there's a way to make the emissions hardware work (even partially, even if I have to carry some extra weight or lose a few HP) without the computer and the feedback from the original TPI hardware, I'll give it a try.
I'll try reaching out to that other guy too. Thanks again!
When I lived in the Chicago region I was quite surprised with the logical position they took; They do not test any vehicle before OBDII because there are just not enough of those cars on the road to worry about their pollution levels and the ones that are on the road are recreational vehicles that don't see much road time. The rolling 25 year (antique) rule is also another wonderful use of logic. Why states like California and Colorado and a few others can't grasp this is beyond me.
When I lived in the Chicago region I was quite surprised with the logical position they took; They do not test any vehicle before OBDII because there are just not enough of those cars on the road to worry about their pollution levels and the ones that are on the road are recreational vehicles that don't see much road time. The rolling 25 year (antique) rule is also another wonderful use of logic. Why states like California and Colorado and a few others can't grasp this is beyond me.
Huh, a system that makes sense logically. Weird!
CO does allow you to register a vehicle that's 32 years (rolling) or older as a collector's vehicle which is emissions-exempt, provided it passes emissions when you register it (wait, what?) and you don't drive it more than 4500 miles per year (which would be fine). https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sit...les/DR2839.pdf
So I'll need to retain all of my emissions stuff. With the mild 305 that's in there, it might squeak by if everything is installed. I have the EGR valve, AIR pump, AIR injection tubes in the headers, and a new cat. What has me concerned is that the AIR injection and EGR valve activate on a pulsed (PWM) signal sent by the ECM, based on what I've read. Maybe they'll work fine if I have something set up that just toggles them on (no PWM) when engine temp is high enough, or maybe I can emulate that PWM signal with an arduino or something. I'll leave everything installed for now, take it for the test when it's drivable, and if they fail me I'll explore that option.
Hell, by the time I figure it out the car may be 32 years old anyway.
No updates for awhile (blame the weather and my unheated garage) but I finally made some major progress with the wiring harness! My goal here was to take the original harness and remove everything related to the ECM and TPI intake, while retaining the important stuff (starter, power to the dash/gauge cluster, tach connection, oil pressure sensor, temp sensor, fan relays, alternator plug, brake sensor, and diverter valve solenoids) and avoiding the need to repin the C100 block. For those who are wincing at the thought of a perfect harness shredded for this project - the harness I started with was in terrible shape. I'm lucky most of the damage was on the wiring and connectors I didn't need.
Pretty happy with what I wound up with. Don't think I could have done this with fewer splices. I'm using a FiTech intake that requires three splices into the existing harness, plus I'll need to splice the power running to the fan relays (which have been relocated to the passenger side firewall) and I'll have to splice power to the oil pressure sending unit and ground the fan relays to the body. So, 8 splices total.
Also have to figure out how to power the diverter valve solenoids. I'll have one solenoid "always on" and one "always off", so I technically just need to power one solenoid (but I'll leave the connector and wiring to the other one). Not counting this as a splice, it's not tied into the C100 block anymore.
For now I have everything run across the top of the engine and bundled up with blue painter's tape so I can figure out my routing. Going to trim a few wires back, splice them, then wrap everything with electrical tape and flexible conduit.
Haha, it finally runs! You can see I get excited at the end there.
I have to say, setting up the FiTech was a breeze. I eyeballed the timing on the first start, and it ran for about 10 seconds and then quit. Turned the distributor about 10 degrees and tried again, and it fired right up. Did a little trial and error turning the distributor by hand, dialed it in with the timing light, and snugged it down. Revs quite happily to about 4500RPM now (didn't take it any higher because the engine has been sitting for awhile, no need to put undue stress on it).
I'm using the stock fuel pump, which seems to be more than adequate for a mild 305. It might not flow enough for a 350 or 383, but I can always upgrade when I drop in a bigger motor.
The FiTech was actually really easy to wire in, but I made it harder on myself by stripping the wiring harness of everything that wasn't essential. At some point I will try to do a separate writeup on this process if anyone is interested. All lights, signals, gauges, horn, and wipers work. I also have three spots in my fuse block where I can wire in power for accessories in the future which were "recovered" from their original purpose powering the ECM/injectors. I also haven't tested the speedometer yet, but that should be working as well.
The "smoke" is actually about 1/3 crap burning off the exhaust (oily fingerprints and such) and 2/3 radiator fluid leaking out from where my overflow tank should be. After setting up a catch can for the radiator fluid and letting it run about 10 minutes, the smoke disappeared. Definitely had me worried for a bit though.
Now it's just minor things: adding transmission fluid, cleaning the carpet, putting the interior together, putting the exhaust together, bundling and wrapping my wiring harness, reinstalling the hood, finding an air cleaner and drilling it for the charcoal canister, bleeding the brakes and clutch, setting up a dummy SES light, finding the appropriate throttle cable for the FiTech, and a few other tuning concerns. Then I should be able to drive it around this summer!
For anyone who is curious (and maybe future reference for me):
A few more notes:
This is a 91 Camaro Z28 originally equipped with TPI. Your wire colors and C100 pins may vary.
The other side of the fan relays are connected to the power distribution system (12V at all times). The FiTech doesn't send power to the relay trigger, it grounds them. Fitech did confirm two relays can be wired together, although they seem to draw the line at three or more relays and suggest using a single larger relay in that situation.
PNK/BLK A7 wire is hot in both START and RUN. I'm not 100% sure why, but I'll roll with it. Must be connected to a switched fuse somewhere.
I have three things hooked up to the PNK/BLK A7 wire that's hot on START/RUN:
Orange wire from oil pressure sending unit (so the oil pressure gauge works!)
Canister purge solenoid (other wire grounded on frame near charcoal canister)
Catalytic converter AIR solenoid (other wire grounded on firewall)
PNK B2 gets connected to the IGN terminal on the HEI distributor. This is linked directly to the ignition right now (which is not terribly safe). I'll be wiring in a clutch sensor and some sort of homebrew antitheft measure in the near future.
Anything that was connected to the TPI/ECM/SIRS/emissions control (except for the items noted above) was eliminated from the harness. I left about 12" of wiring when cutting back to the C100 connector so I could use those connections in the future. Can't imagine what I'd need 'em for, but you never know.
Vacuum is stupid simple. Unported vacuum to vacuum advance canister on HEI distributor. Ported vacuum T'd to some sort of regulator on the FiTech (arrived with this connected) and to the EGR valve (by way of a thermal switch in the manifold).
O2 sensor in the headers. Coolant temp sensor in the manifold.
I'll do a quick writeup on what was changed on the interior side of the C100 connector later.
Totally forgot I had this build thread (was about to make a new one).
Anyway, car has been stripped down and currently lives on a rotisserie. I'm in the process of cleaning and priming the underside. Got a bit of work to do on the passenger side wheel wells (naturally saved the hardest part for last). After that I'll start on the engine bay. The plan is to shoot all of the "hidden" areas with black rustoleum (engine bay, frame/underbody, anywhere under the carpet/interior panels/headliner) and paint the exterior white. May do the ground effects in black.
I'll also be fixing my chopped up hole for the shifter and one minor rust spot (car was remarkably rust free). There are some small holes in the floor pans (looks like the previous owner ran a lot of grounds to the body on the inside of the car, I'm assuming for a stereo). Underside still looks pretty rough, but the goal here was just to remove any existing surface rust and get a good protective paint layer in place. Once the underside is painted I'll put the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel/brake lines, k-member, exhaust hangers, and heat shields back in place before flipping the car over again.
Engine and transmission as they currently sit. The engine is an L31 that's currently stock, but I'll be swapping in a new cam shortly (waiting on a few more parts). I'll also replace the timing cover with a two piece aluminum cover. The transmission is a used T56 with about 80k on it. Currently turns over and shifts smoothly, so I won't be doing anything here aside from cleaning it up.
Waiting on the clutch and flywheel so I can bolt the two together.
11-02-2016, 08:32 PM
