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Car is almost done. Was laying down the new carpet the other day. Hopefully have that completed in the next few days.
Only outstanding issue is the horn doesn't work, some minor wiring problem I'm sure.
Visually I don't really like the way the engine bay looks, but it runs quite nice now. Makes plenty of power, etc. The Throttle body I got from pancherj works fantastic, he really helped me out!
Winter is almost here though, and I gotta get the sleds tuned up so this might be the last car update for a while.
Glad to hear the throttle body helped. Now get some miles on that thing in the spring!!
I'm still trying to sort out what I want to do with the car. I know I don't have the time to commit to racing points next year, but maybe I can do a street night here and there.
My only real gripe about the car is the noise. The exhaust is quite loud. Maybe I'm getting old.
Right now it's dual 2 1/2" into a single 3" aero chamber. I guess I'll do some research on exhaust over the winter.
I have some 2 1/2" chambered mufflers leftover from a project. I wonder if I can add them in somewhere.
Chambered mufflers are louder. Swap out the aero chamber for Aero Max flow or a dynomax Ultra SS (perforated core) for a quieter muffler. Or you could insert one of these http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Muffle...Inch,4870.html
I have summit cambered 3" catback and love it. But I think I want to try out a dynomax ultra muffler as I run one on my 14 ram and tend to favor them over chambered mufflers for sound/loudness and quality.
I have a 3" dynomax ultraflo on mine. It's a pretty large case. My car doesn't make the power you guys are making, but it is pretty quiet inside and out. If the darn thing was running, I would take a video for you.
Yea I like that it is... But its 2" longer case but 1" thinner and 1.25" less wide than my summit chambered muffler. so I'm going to have to rework the CME tips I have to get it all to line up I guess. I will admit though for a chambered muffler the summit is pretty good, not overly annoying and resonate like a crapmaster etc.
I wish you had a sound clip! In my 32yrold age my tastes for exhaust has changed drastically. I like a more tamed growl with low cruising resonance/drone that just lets you know theres something going on under medium/heavy throttle. I'm already past the loud all the time kinda cr@p lol.
I loved my 3" afterburner mufflers (flowtech) but this one would be too loud at only a 13" case length... but its nice to see it for a 3rd gen application. I bet it sounds awsome if you like a louder exhaust tho.
Adding prob not a good idea... you could throw on a 3" glass pack in the intermediate pipe to help absorb some noise. Chambers don't absorb sound... they just deflect it... putting more than 1 seems like a bad idea. Personally perforated cores with roving fiberglass sound deadoner does more for sound absorption and creating a lower tone.
I was consolidating my bank statements the other night from 2008-2016, and came to the depressing realization that I've pissed through over a million dollars in the past 8 years. Another $114 isn't going to make much of a difference.
I don't know where it all went, but it ain't coming back!
i cant say much but ive pissed away about 50k since august, its a shame it wasnt on the car, though most of it was investments which are starting to pay off so ill get a bunch of it back soon
Last edited by project89; Dec 1, 2016 at 03:32 PM.
I'm not quite to Joe's level...but more than halfway there! As my dad once said, "Money is only good for two things: spending and lighting on fire. Both have the same result."
Try the Dynomax Ultraflo. I think you will like it. I'm closing in on 50 also and I just don't like loud as much as I used to.
I'm not quite to Joe's level...but more than halfway there! As my dad once said, "Money is only good for two things: spending and lighting on fire. Both have the same result."
I don't know where it all goes. I guess a majority of it is depreciation of stuff. Bikes, boats, cars, trucks. You buy 'em and then when you trade 'em in 3-4 years later they are worth a 1/3. Eating out every day. i dunno.
I've got $25,000 into this car in parts. It's worth what, maybe $6k ? I don't know why I keep doing this to myself.
Originally Posted by pancherj
Try the Dynomax Ultraflo. I think you will like it. I'm closing in on 50 also and I just don't like loud as much as I used to.
I'm a little younger than you, but I've never been a fan of loud. I've always admired builds that were fast and whisper quiet.
That's part of why I was thinking of getting a V3 head unit, but my exhaust is so loud I can't even hear the blower.
Try the Dynomax Ultraflo. I think you will like it.
+1 on the ultra flow, I run one. It's still "loud" but it takes away 95% of the harshness, leaving a nice tone. I like being able to hear the engine mechanicals not just exhaust.
Put the car up on the lift, cuz I pulled one of the sleds in the shop so I can stud the track. Noticed I've got a small oil leak on the blower drain into the blockoff plate. Must have a pinhole in the weld.
Saw some coolant drips on the balancer, so I'm more concerned about that. Pita.
I have put 2 oil pans on my car before surgery....and I still have a drip from the front and rear of it...I know its not the rear main seal...guess its time not to use a Summit racing oil pan and try something else.
Fitting was cracked on the oil drain. Ordered a new fitting. Snow on ground and two cars in the shop hiding from the snow. Maybe I'll tinker next week if I can pull the yellow one back outside.
geez man lol, eventually your going to catch a break!
BTW I ended up purchasing the ultraflow muffler we talked about earlier. Looking at it, it seems like a very nice muffler. Basically a perforated core Y pipe with sound absorption fiberglass material. Def made from 409SS and its very solid/heavy. Looks like it will flow a ton. Maybe with the custom cam I picked up, ported heads and other goodies this thing should sound pretty mean . Happy with the muffler construction as thus far.
Fitting was cracked on the oil drain. Ordered a new fitting. Snow on ground and two cars in the shop hiding from the snow. Maybe I'll tinker next week if I can pull the yellow one back outside.
-- Joe
wish i could hide my car from the snow but the shop is full of stuff right now , figures i finally get the car cleared off , and now were going to get nailed by 2 more snow storms this weekend /early next week , and to top it off its going to be -9* at night
Looks like we're almost done snowmobiling for the year, so I guess I can play with the car again. I did a few things to it since the last picture posted. Mirrors and wing on, riveted the brackets for the GTA door panels. Interior is all in, new carpet, etc.
I pulled the vette out of the garage and started looking at the formula gain. I've got a coolant leak that just won't go away. Gonna work on that first. The only other thing I have to do is put the door panels on and the headliner.
Bike is still in the garage though.. I can't access my other garage out back due to the snow mound in front of it, and I'm not yet ready to put the bike outside for the season. I gotta move some engines around so I can put the bike in a corner so I can lower the car down. Shop is an epic mess!
I was having some problems with the short water pump and my cloyes timing cover, so I went back to a factory serpentine setup. I added an idler so I can run the belt under the throttle body without striking the thermostat.
I just need to fabricate a tensioner on the passenger side.
Hopefully. I'm actually swapping out the blower plate for an aluminum one, so I can weld a factory tensioner to it. Hopefully it will come out as nice as I envision.
What does the thickness of the alum plate need to be to keep the same strength as the steel bracket?
What do you see for IAT temps with the air cleaner in that position?
Good question. I was using a 3/8" steel bracket from a truck application, but the aluminum plate is only 5/16" so it most definately has the potential to flex more.
However, the steel bracket was only bolted to the adapter at the very end (stole them from a truck vortech kit) which put a lot of leverage on the mount point. The aluminum I should be able to bolt up over the entire head surface.
I'll snap some comparison pictures.
Vortech offers a brace kit, which runs another plate which sandwiches with some spacers. I'm probably going to order that and add it to keep it ridgid.
As far as IATs, I tested this before I put the intercooler on. If the car is sitting in the shop idling with the hood open, IAT temps reached nearly 200 degrees.
When the car is moving, iat's are about 100 degrees.. This was on a 80 degree day.
I have a couple of hoods available to me.. I'm on the fence about what I want to do. I have a ram-air 1 hood, which I can open the nostrils and move the air cleaner above the intake to direct air in from the front.
Or I can use a formula hood, and make an air box above the intake to draw air in from the cowl/windshield area.
The formula hood is painted, the ram air is not. But I have a gallon of paint left over and I picked up some 91-92 bumper covers that I was thinking of swapping over to anyway, so I can shoot everything at the same time.
5/16" is a bit thin, I would try to go 1/2" if possible at min.
I have a TCI 5/16" trans adapter aluminum plate that I was going to use. That thing flexed like a SOB just during the install and starter mounting (pulling on the starter with my on hands) I wouldnt run it... picked up a 1/2" plate coan kit and didn't flex at all. That being said my supercharger bracket is 3/4" and I think vortec/paxton etc run 1/2 plate on there kits and most complain about flex.
100*F is pretty good honestly. Our setups are pretty close and filter is around the same area (over the header) I would see 130-160*F after the blower before the intercooler in normal street driving on a 85-90*F day, after the intercooler temps were 90*F-100*F ish before the meth activates. Hopefully the header ceramic coating helps alittle.
I think your IATs are safe and wouldnt worry too much. For me worse IAT happened sitting in traffic/lights on hot days or low speed higher RPM driving as it builds heat.
Look forward to seeing the finished product!!! but seriously try to get some 1/2" plate min, your belts will thank you for it.
5/16" is a bit thin, I would try to go 1/2" if possible at min.
I have a TCI 5/16" trans adapter aluminum plate that I was going to use. That thing flexed like a SOB just during the install and starter mounting (pulling on the starter with my on hands) I wouldnt run it... picked up a 1/2" plate coan kit and didn't flex at all. That being said my supercharger bracket is 3/4" and I think vortec/paxton etc run 1/2 plate on there kits and most complain about flex.
100*F is pretty good honestly. Our setups are pretty close and filter is around the same area (over the header) I would see 130-160*F after the blower before the intercooler in normal street driving on a 85-90*F day, after the intercooler temps were 90*F-100*F ish before the meth activates. Hopefully the header ceramic coating helps alittle.
I think your IATs are safe and wouldnt worry too much. For me worse IAT happened sitting in traffic/lights on hot days or low speed higher RPM driving as it builds heat.
Look forward to seeing the finished product!!! but seriously try to get some 1/2" plate min, your belts will thank you for it.
The way the mounting is on a Vortech head unit, the plate goes like inside the casting so you are limited to 3/8".
So what they do is they mount a 5/16" or 3/8" plate on the inside, and then a second plate on the outside:
If they designed the case different so the plate didn't go in between the casting (as shown in the above picture) you wouldn't have a thickness limitation.
gotcha. Hmm thats a odd design. So you can't go with 3/8" Aluminum plate? might as well jam the thickness material you can in there. I'm sure the strength between 5/16' and 3/8" isn't huge but its something.
gotcha. Hmm thats a odd design. So you can't go with 3/8" Aluminum plate? might as well jam the thickness material you can in there. I'm sure the strength between 5/16' and 3/8" isn't huge but its something.
I don't currently have the capability to cut the plate out to the pattern. I tried cutting a steel one out last year and it just ended up warping from the heat. My band saw isn't capable of cutting the radius required, and even if it could it takes nine years.
If I had access to a water jet, I'd be making all sorts of cool stuff.
So my steel bracket is sourced from a truck Vortech kit, meant for a wimpy si-trim. The Aluminum one I ordered from 928 motor sports. I do wish they sold a 3/8" aluminum one, I would have paid twice as much happily.
Hopefully the math on this works out and I can weld up a tensioner for the serpentine setup to the blower plate as my head unit is on the driver side.
So the new bracket is in. I moved the head unit up as much as possible (without striking the hood) to get the air inlet away from the headers.
I've been messing with it for a few hours last night trying to figure out the best way to do a tensioner. I'm kinda tempted to just do an LSx style manual tensioner rather than spring loaded.
The pictures don't show, but I put an idler on the top left next to the head unit. If I route a longer belt that way, I can run a small smooth-side pulley on a slotted bracket to push down and provide tension. I don't know if I want to spend 5 hours making one, or just buy one though.
I don't currently have the capability to cut the plate out to the pattern. I tried cutting a steel one out last year and it just ended up warping from the heat. My band saw isn't capable of cutting the radius required, and even if it could it takes nine years.
If I had access to a water jet, I'd be making all sorts of cool stuff.
So my steel bracket is sourced from a truck Vortech kit, meant for a wimpy si-trim. The Aluminum one I ordered from 928 motor sports. I do wish they sold a 3/8" aluminum one, I would have paid twice as much happily.
Hopefully the math on this works out and I can weld up a tensioner for the serpentine setup to the blower plate as my head unit is on the driver side.
-- Joe
Hmm gotcha, Water Jets are pretty awsome... I just dont like the finish they leave.
Guess you need to get a plasma cutter! Got an eastwood I used once so far but cut through 5/16" alumuminum like butter! You could do some very complex cuts with it and then just finish it off with a grinder etc.
Aluminum flexes alot! It just has a much less fatigue life than steel. It will snap alot sooner than steel. Airplane frames are aluminum (wings esp) and you should see how much flexing they do lol.
Hmm gotcha, Water Jets are pretty awsome... I just dont like the finish they leave.
Guess you need to get a plasma cutter! Got an eastwood I used once so far but cut through 5/16" alumuminum like butter! You could do some very complex cuts with it and then just finish it off with a grinder etc.
Does it warp the metal though?
I cut some 3/8" steel plate with a cut off wheel, and even going slow it put soo much heat into it the plate curved like an air foil.
Make your life easier and just buy one lol. You've done enough fab work already. But on a serious note my supercharger uses a manual tension-er and its been fine. Ive heard the manual tension-er for stock style serpentine systems work well but some people complain about constant adjustment due to belt stretch and that it looses the ability to dampen changes in RPM etc. I think a manual tension-er would work well in your application and should also be much less bulky.
I cut some 3/8" steel plate with a cut off wheel, and even going slow it put soo much heat into it the plate curved like an air foil.
-- Joe
Nope, I used it on 5/16" aluminum on a TCI bell housing adapter. Took it right off and no warpage. Its so fast and all the heat is blow out of the way as it blows the molten material away. But warpage can occure I guess. Due to the tight curves etc on that plate you could build heat up so maybe little cuts to get you in the right shape and then finish off with a grinder.
Using a cut off is easy but like you said your in the same spot for a long period of time hacking away and building heat. The plasma would zip right through it. Took me 5-10s to do a 12" cut in 5/16" aluminum... would have taken much longer with a cutoff wheel and alot more heat.
I was looking at your plate design. It would have been neat to use a 1/2-3/4" peice of T6 billet and had just machined out recesses around where the 3/8" would only fit. then you could get rid of those spacers maybe or make a solid spacer from plate.
I was looking at your plate design. It would have been neat to use a 1/2-3/4" peice of T6 billet and had just machined out recesses around where the 3/8" would only fit. then you could get rid of those spacers maybe or make a solid spacer from plate.
I could ditch the spacers and run a 3/4" plate, but I'd need to make a custom crank pulley spacer. The blower mounts on the BACK of the plate, not the front so if I got rid of those spacers the blower would be back by 5/8". I'm using a standard vortech crank spacer.
My plan eventually is to run a second plate like they do on their LT1 kit, if flex is too much.
Right now though, I just need to get the accessory drive tensioner finished so I can pull the car out of the garage. I need to get my C4 in there so I can fix a leaky freeze plug.
Hopefully towards the end of this week I will be able to tinker more.
You are limited in boost with the manual tensioner. If you can run the manual tensioner up top and then an auto tensioner on the bottom (slack side) of the belt you would be better off. On the driver's side, the auto tensioner hits the steering box, so i can't go that route.
You are limited in boost with the manual tensioner. If you can run the manual tensioner up top and then an auto tensioner on the bottom (slack side) of the belt you would be better off. On the driver's side, the auto tensioner hits the steering box, so i can't go that route.
Oh for the blower belt? I'm just running a normal manual tensioner. I was referring to the accessory drive belt.
. Happy with the muffler construction as thus far. 
