Major set back in trying to mate the engine to the transmission and after a full afternoon of going together and back apart prob 8 times and pulling the clutch several I discovered the T5 that came out of the GTA was a v6 one and the input shaft too long. It also has the 14 spline 1 inch input so it was just passing through the center of the already lined up clutch disc.

I decided to cut the shaft and ordered a conversion clutch disc just to get the car moving and will build a proper T5 from my cores over the Winter.


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New throw out bearing and arm.


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I use studs to make it easier to line the trans up to the clutch and then replace them with bolts.


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Back apart trying to figure out why the bellhousing wouldnt fully bolt up.


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Imagine trying to diagnose this once in the car.


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Difference in shaft end lengths.

 

Shortening the shaft.


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Shortened and bevelled the end.


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Testing a new pilot bushing.


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Motor mounts are bolted on and got the replacement exhaust manifold put together and back on the engine.


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A couple of frustrating setbacks (A.I.R. pipe and T5), but you got past those quickly.

 

Thanks, there have been a few for sure and I had hoped to have had the engine sitting in it 2 weeks ago.

 

A little difficulty trying to find the correct bolts to do the LT-1 starter on it as GM has discontinued the short bolt for the 95-97 so ended up going with the ARP ones.


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The Advanced Adapters clutch disc came in [ 14 spline 1 inch and 10.5 diameter] so checked the fit before lining it up and bolting everything back together.


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Barring any other issues we are set up to set the engine and trans back in the car in the morning.


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Lifting it off the ground to check and see if anything else needed to be removed. I have rubber pads between the rear chains and the cylinder head and valve covers.


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Plywood down as only the front wheels of the hoist will be on concrete starting out.

 

A good friend of mine came over this morning and we set the engine and trans in it in less than an hour.


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Started pulling the front parts off the mock up engine and transferring them over.


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Smog pump appears to have locked up so going to take it apart and "fix" it.


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The new alternator is different so put the old one back on it for now.


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Shifter bolted back on.

 

The shifter was too short to run with a console so I swapped it out today. Also took the new alternator apart, reclocked it and just set it back on for now until I get fuel lines.


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My fb mp buy of the day. A whole truck load of original parts off a low mileage 88 Iroc from one of the hot rod shops in the next town. Picked up several small items that I had been having problems finding plus more extras.


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Installed the aluminum driveshaft but then had to pull it back out as I needed room to work on the torque arm brackets. Cut the rubbers off the bracket that had been on the v6 trans to start with but having issues with the torque arm, replacement rubber and all so have to pull it all back out tomorrow and fit it up on the bench. I have no clue what the brackets were orig off of so have to figure out a combination that works.

Also had to drop the rear panhard bar and the upper support bar to move the rear exhaust forward so I could get it in the welded hanger and then rearward. I havent even tried to fit the catless N10 pipes yet but know the large single pipe will need to be shortened.


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Driveshaft from yesterdays buy.


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No clue what year or engine these were on but they had been bolted to the v6 trans when it was in the GTA.


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Separating the old rubbers from the brackets.


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This is the torque arm from yesterdays buy but not sure which one I have under the car at the moment.

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Dont think the bushing is compatible with this combo.

 

After messing with the torque arm mount all afternoon I finally got it bolted back in after running to town for longer bolts. Used one that was too long to get it puled in place and then put vice grips on the 2 halves of the bracket. Pulled that bolt back out and then put one a little shorter back in but longer than the original.

Had new hardware come in for the driveshaft yoke but need to tap the yoke as the new bolts are longer and the threads in the yoke need to be cleaned out.


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Pulled the N10 exhaust under the car roughly in place to see how much longer it was than the exhaust that was already on the car and I will probably cut the front pipes and change out the y. I also plugged up the fuel pump oil switch and the reverse light plus while under there.


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Working back under the hood this afternoon and bolting more parts to the front of the engine.


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Sanded and painted the crank pulley.


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Bolting the power steering pump back into the bracket.


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Crank pulley bolted back on.


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Reinstalling the ps pulley.



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Pully installer.



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Routing the cannister hose.

 

We had talked about this before, that is the engine displacement, and you had mentioned a 302. As in 4.00 x 3.00. I see that in your signature too and it got me to thinking. In 88/89 these would have been raced with a 350 wouldn't they? The late 80's where a time when I was all but out of racing and the hobby altogether (wife and kids will do that).
Just a question out of curiosity more than anything.
Looking good.

 

Iirc SCCA Escort, SCCA Showroom Stock and IMSA Firestone Firehawk rules all stated 305 with a maximum of .040 overbore. I looked at current rules for both HSR and SVRA and while my combo wont pass one it prob could slip by in the other but while I'm going to track day the car some I prob will never step up to race either of those.

 

I'm still interested in how the TPI will work on an old school 302. There's evidence to the contrary but I think they might be complimentary. I'm not talking 7000 RPM which is the 302's strong point but in terms of air flow, smaller CID and lower revs, the TPI might give that little engine a boost in torque. Is there a particular cam you have spec'd?

 

I'm guessing we will run out of intake about 5800 but it sure will be fun getting there, lol. I figured worst case scenario if I hate the combo we'll build a 350 for the car and I'll put the 302 in one of my other cars with proper induction.

Cam is a GM 94666492 .270/.276 @ .004, .214/.220@.050, .452/.465 lift, 112 lsa and 108 icl.

30 over 11 to 1 LT-1 forged piston. .023 head gasket. zero deck.

 

Torque arm bolted down to the rear and tapped the holes in the yoke for the driveshaft bolts and got all that back together. Painted the water pump and installed it and the pulley. Also put a 180 degree Fail Safe thermostat in it.


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Great thread with dedicated progress!
the exhaust tips are dynomax / early SLP right? What muffler is tucked up there?

 

The exhaust under this car is one of the mysteries so far. It is a full cat back Dynomax with what looks to be a stainless muffler. Dynomax was one of the sponsors in 88/89 and the car were featured in full page advertising but I have yet to find any track pictures with that tip set up. The muffler is date coded 1988. I'm not sure if at the end of 89 when the car was sold if they threw the exhaust in with it or ??. Matt who later owned the car was at SLP before starting GMMG and I would say maybe he changed it but then I go back to it being 1988 date coded.

 

I mocked up the runners and plenum today so I can see where some of the related parts get routed. I have a set of runners and plenum that had been metal blasted and baked that I had planned on using but the color just seemed off to me so I'm going to use the low mileage runners and plenum that I picked up the other day.

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If you look at the early slp catalogs, they used those tips with a super turbo muffler. Offset inlet and outlet. Slp went to stainless muffler and pipes sometime in 91-2.
i don't want to mess up your thread so pm me if you'd like

 

No problem. I've seen them before but Matt didnt get this car until early 2000 or so. Nobody has heard from him in years but he holds the key to several of the mysteries on the car short of being able to figure who bought it when Morrison Cook sold it. All of the evidence suggests that it, another Morrison Cook Escort series car that is still missing and a car they built for Firehawk that wouldnt pass tech due to the added welds all went to Canada late 89/ early 90 to run in Firehawk up there.

 

I took some pics of the muffler today. The welded on tag reads Walker W89 082. I looked at the bat sold car which has a conventional type muffler and the tag on it has Walker W87 100.


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Got the new ps hose on it today [ non ac cars use a different hose than cars with air] . Also swapped out the rear sway bar end links for upgraded ones as the bushings were missing on the ones on the car. Ordered the rest of the paint and got the front bumper cover moved so I can wet sand it and hope to test spray it next week.

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Thanks for the exhaust pictures, i have a setup just like it but from SLP. It's what they used in the early days of the totl. Used the walker super turbo muffler.
keep at it !

 

Spent more time taking it apart and chasing issues rather than putting it together.

Went to swap out the locked up smog pump and in pulling the bolts I noticed the top bracket bolt wasnt in place to the head. I then discovered the hole for that bolt is drilled in the wrong spot on the Flotek heads. No mention of it on their site yet seems to be a known issue as the heads have the pre 87 accessory bolt hole pattern while the 88 up serpentine one changed. I started fabbing up a work around for it but then found a GM pdf from the serpentine kits in 88 that mentioned this same issue and that the passenger bracket had been tested without that bolt and had no problems. Guess I'll just put it back together like it was then.

Got the clutch slave cylinder in and had issues trying to bleed it with the master so pulled that entire system back off.

I did take a core distributor apart to use the prime the oil pump and also my mechanical oil pressure gauge came in.


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Back off the car awaiting parts. Going to bench bleed it all together and then install it pre-bled.


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Its dusty but will clean back up. Pulled it apart to have easier access to the clutch master.


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Took this side back apart.


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The stud is in the wrong place for the bracket and you can see the spot to the left where it should have been.


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You can see they dont line up.


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Making a tool to prime the oil pump.


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Going to mount this and a fuel pressure gauge in the spot where the radio block off plate goes.

 

Got the front passenger side accessory bracket back on it yesterday as well as swapping out the smog pump. With the missing top inner bolt I went ahead and added the support bracket normally found on an ac car that runs from the back of the bracket to the exhaust manifold.


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Duplicated how Morrison Cook had done the blocked off smog hose to the converters.

 

I decided to go a different route on the forward part of the exhaust and the y-pipe showed up today. Looks like once bolted in place it will be in a straight line with the cat back already under the car and I'll just need to fix about a 2 foot pipe to join them.


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Laying it over top the N10 exhaust to compare.


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Wet sanded the hood and bumper cover today. Going to try and spray them next week.

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Installed the oil filter today and finished running the gauge line inside the car. Filled the engine with Royal Purple break in oil and then primed the engine.


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Prefilling the filter.


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Priming tool in place.


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Distributor back in.

 

So after reading some threads I took the clutch hydraulic system back apart yet again and sure enough it had the Earls fitting that is too long for the Third Gen slave cylinder. I modified it and put it back in just to satisfy my curiosity but the original seller of the kit is supposed to get 2 modified fittings out to me tomorrow as they had ran into 2 similar issues last week.


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I had all sorts of issues today and quite a learning curve in spraying the base on the hood and bumper cover today but both are ready to spray the clear on tomorrow.


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Put 3 coats of clear on the parts today and another learning curve. I put the last coat on a little thick and got some runs in it but knew I was going to have to wet sand and buff it anyway.



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Wednesday I got all the grounds bolted to the back of the block plus added a second engine to firewall ground strap. Distributor bolted down and plug wires in the right places and then got the coil bolted on and plugged up. Also got the original alternator pulley and fan on the new alternator.


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Figuring out what size bolts I needed.


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Distributor bolted down.


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Plug wires back on the cap.


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Coil bolted on.


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Changing out the alternator pulley.


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The modified fittings for the clutch hydraulics came in today and installed them in the master and slave cylinders only to discover they were 3an and the original kit he sent me was 4an so the hose wont work. I have a 3an hose on the way.

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Wired the starter today and added 2 extra wires so I can put a starter switch under the hood to spin the engine if needed. The battery cable has proven to be impossible to find a correct original one it seems so I found a nos GM one for a newer Tahoe that I can modify. Its bolted to the starter and alternator now so I just need to cut the 2 wire plug off and install 2 single plugs to plug up to the main harness.


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Tahoe cable with the secondary wire that runs to the alternator and then 2 wires to a single plug.


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I'll cut this plug off and add 2 single ones.


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Starter wired up.


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My 2 extra wires for the remote start button.


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Alternator wired.

 

Got the y pipe somewhat in place but need 3 more nuts for it. Also wet sanded the sides today with 400.


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Going back a few pictures to the distributor drop in. I noticed the small coolant port was still open on the back of the intake by coil mount and egr block off plate. Did you get that little fella plugged up?

 

I saw that and thought it was strange but guess some of the Vettes had it hooked to the heater system. I'll toss a plug in it. Thanks.

 

The 3an clutch hose came in today so assembled the clutch hydraulics on the bench and bled them before going back in the car. I have it all back together except 1 of the braces under the dash which I'll correct once its back down on the ground. Test cycled it a couple of times and seems to feel good.


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Assembling the parts.


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My makeshift set up to bench bleed it.


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Back together.




Slave cylinder bolted to the bell with grade 8 hardware.

 

I also got some plastic tubing like original to run the 2 extra remote start wires in and then ran it along the battery cable to keep it clean.

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Lots of small things done today and repainted the top of the cowl before the hood goes back on later this week. I also reattached the front bumper reinforcement, tightened up the motor mount bolts and the oil drain plug a little more, finished bolting down the ground effects on both doors and swapped out the door latch screws plus installed the belt/hose guard on the front of the engine and got the other side flange for the y-pipe started on the studs so just waiting on nuts tomorrow.


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Wet sanded the roof, hatch and rear bumper today. Installed the headlight support in the front bumper cover and set it back on the car so I could sand it and also see where the Hella lights need to sit so I could tighten up their brackets. Also got the h-pipe bolted in place to the manifolds.


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Roof wet sanded.


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Sanding the bumper cover so I can spray the silver on it.


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Sitting back on the ground.


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Put 4 gallons of fuel in it and straight wired the pump to test for any leaks and all looks to be good. Went ahead and installed the runners and plenum. I had some of the top bolts want to tighten up too early so going to pull them back out and run a tap in them.


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Looking good. No shortage of attention to detail that's for sure.