LT1 intake conversion, in progress, on Sportsman IIs
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From: Montgomery, AL
Car: 1985 Trans Am
LT1 intake conversion, in progress, on Sportsman IIs
I got my intake back from the machine shop today, as I had to have .050 taken off each intake face to match up right, as my block and heads have been decked. Here are some pics of the welding that was done to cover the coolant ports completely.
The first one has a line drawn where the aluminum stock was added.
The first one has a line drawn where the aluminum stock was added.
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From: Charleston, SC
Car: 91 Camaro Vert
Engine: 02 LS1, HX40
Transmission: 2002 LS1 M6
cool... good job.
im going to have to do that for my dart heads too..
im using it as my excuse to get the alum welding kit for my mig welder
did you take any before pics of when it was on there, but not covering the coolent ports?
im going to have to do that for my dart heads too..
im using it as my excuse to get the alum welding kit for my mig welder
did you take any before pics of when it was on there, but not covering the coolent ports?
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From: Wichita, KS
Car: 88 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.1L Gen III
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70
Looking good, I'm hoping for at least somthing close to that. I had to have my intake welded to cover the EGR ports, and I went ahead and had the guy weld some on top of the coolant ports too while he was there. Never know what heads I'll use in the future. Of course I didn't have that handy picture handy like that one, thanks 85TransAm406. I think He'll probably get enough material on there, but we'll see. He repairs aluminum cylinder heads all day so I can't wait to see how good his welds are.
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From: Montgomery, AL
Car: 1985 Trans Am
I would have had to have material added over the EGR ports if they were opened up also. When my intake was set on the engine it was clear the there was about 1/8" of the EGR port showing, but the intake gasket covers it up, and the ports in my heads aren't drilled through, so no problem for me. I'm not extremely happy with the welding job, but we'll see how it holds up when torqued down. I still gotta figure out how i'm gonna do the bolt holes on top, with the difference in angles. I know I could just grind it, but that's kinda crappy lookin.
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From: West Des Moines, IA
Car: 2008.5 Mazdaspeed 3 GT
Engine: 2.3 DISI Turbo
Transmission: 6 speed MT
Originally posted by 85TransAm406
I still gotta figure out how i'm gonna do the bolt holes on top, with the difference in angles. I know I could just grind it, but that's kinda crappy lookin.
I still gotta figure out how i'm gonna do the bolt holes on top, with the difference in angles. I know I could just grind it, but that's kinda crappy lookin.
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From: Charleston, SC
Car: 91 Camaro Vert
Engine: 02 LS1, HX40
Transmission: 2002 LS1 M6
Originally posted by bnoon
If you have a drill press with a big enough vice to hold the intake, you can use a Forstner bit. The aluminum is soft enough that it will cut, but if you have a cheap Forstner bit it will be enough to kill it after drilling enough holes with it... It should make it through the intake manifold's amount of holes just fine though...
If you have a drill press with a big enough vice to hold the intake, you can use a Forstner bit. The aluminum is soft enough that it will cut, but if you have a cheap Forstner bit it will be enough to kill it after drilling enough holes with it... It should make it through the intake manifold's amount of holes just fine though...
lol, i didnt know what a Forstner bit was, so i did a search.... just thought id share the info... and yea, that could work..
from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-forstner-bit.htm
What is a forstner bit?
Drill bits are used in conjunction with hand drills or drill presses to make holes in woods, plastic and metals. A forstner bit is a particular type of drill bit that is often used in furniture making and other woodworking projects. They are usually more expensive than standard twist bits, but they have a few unique features that make them desirable.
Most drills are guided through the material by a central point, but forstner bits are primarily guided by the outside rim. This means that they can be used to drill pocket holes (holes drilled at an angle), partially overlapping holes or holes that are on the edge of the material. Note that the central spur in the bit pictured below is used to locate by demarcating the center-point as opposed to being the drill guide.
In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, forstner bits create square-bottomed holes which may be required for certain applications or projects. They are very efficient at removing large amounts (hogging) of material in short periods of time. Forstner bits are available in a wide array of diameters typically ranging from 1/4 inch up to over 3 inches (6 - 75mm). Like other drill bits, they are often sold in sets with an array of sizes.
Drill bits are used in conjunction with hand drills or drill presses to make holes in woods, plastic and metals. A forstner bit is a particular type of drill bit that is often used in furniture making and other woodworking projects. They are usually more expensive than standard twist bits, but they have a few unique features that make them desirable.
Most drills are guided through the material by a central point, but forstner bits are primarily guided by the outside rim. This means that they can be used to drill pocket holes (holes drilled at an angle), partially overlapping holes or holes that are on the edge of the material. Note that the central spur in the bit pictured below is used to locate by demarcating the center-point as opposed to being the drill guide.
In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, forstner bits create square-bottomed holes which may be required for certain applications or projects. They are very efficient at removing large amounts (hogging) of material in short periods of time. Forstner bits are available in a wide array of diameters typically ranging from 1/4 inch up to over 3 inches (6 - 75mm). Like other drill bits, they are often sold in sets with an array of sizes.
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i don't know how i'm gonna get to the center holes though, the casting kinda gets in the way of a 90* angle on the center and a couple of the front holes.
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From: Charleston, SC
Car: 91 Camaro Vert
Engine: 02 LS1, HX40
Transmission: 2002 LS1 M6
Originally posted by 85TransAm406
i don't know how i'm gonna get to the center holes though, the casting kinda gets in the way of a 90* angle on the center and a couple of the front holes.
i don't know how i'm gonna get to the center holes though, the casting kinda gets in the way of a 90* angle on the center and a couple of the front holes.
who says you have to drill the holes from the top down?
im going to flip the manifold over to do mine....
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From: West Des Moines, IA
Car: 2008.5 Mazdaspeed 3 GT
Engine: 2.3 DISI Turbo
Transmission: 6 speed MT
Originally posted by MrDude_1
who says you have to drill the holes from the top down?
im going to flip the manifold over to do mine....
who says you have to drill the holes from the top down?
im going to flip the manifold over to do mine....
The part for the threads could be drilled from the top or bottom, but that's not what this thread is about.85TransAm406, there are long shank Forstner bits to increase your available angle, which may be enough for those center holes... I guess I never looked that closely... I'd better, since that's how I planned on cleaning mine up too, LOL!
Just FYI, Forstner are fairly cheap at http://www.harborfreight.com.
Last edited by bnoon; Feb 25, 2004 at 04:32 PM.
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Yeah, if i can find one with a long enough shank it should be ok. The only problem is where the sides of the casting around the vacuum ports get in the way around the holes. I found this pic on the classifieds, and it looks like he did this and made it work.
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From: St. Augustine, FL
Car: 89 GTA
Engine: 383
Transmission: 4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12 bolt-3.73
This is the biggest pain in the butt with the lt1 intake swap. I tried the angled washers, didn't look good, and wasn't sure about the clamping force. The only good way of doing it is to weld some material on top of the bolt holes, but then it is hard to machine that surface flat because of lack of space.
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From: Savannah, GA
Car: 1997 Jeep Wrangler
Engine: 4.0L
Transmission: 5 speed
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I made a quick webpage on how to properly spotface the intake to allow for the bolts to sit flush on the flange. I have started doing this revision to all new orders since Jan. 2004.
Here's the link
http://www.lt1intake.com/counterbore.htm
Here's the link
http://www.lt1intake.com/counterbore.htm
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From: CLIMAX, GA. USA
Car: 1972 LT1 Corvette
Engine: 350 HO
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Great idea John, but I already have mine powder coated. I may try it anyway. The washer will cover the scars.
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regular bolts work, but the angle of the upper intake flange is wrong, it's not 90* to the intake face. I use the ARP bolts, but John included the allen key bolts with my intake conversion kit.
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From: Charleston, SC
Car: 91 Camaro Vert
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Transmission: 2002 LS1 M6
Originally posted by bnoon
To drill a recess for the bolt head to sit flat, the Forstner bit must come in from the top silly!!! The part for the threads could be drilled from the top or bottom, but that's not what this thread is about.
85TransAm406, there are long shank Forstner bits to increase your available angle, which may be enough for those center holes... I guess I never looked that closely... I'd better, since that's how I planned on cleaning mine up too, LOL!
Just FYI, Forstner are fairly cheap at http://www.harborfreight.com.
To drill a recess for the bolt head to sit flat, the Forstner bit must come in from the top silly!!!
The part for the threads could be drilled from the top or bottom, but that's not what this thread is about.85TransAm406, there are long shank Forstner bits to increase your available angle, which may be enough for those center holes... I guess I never looked that closely... I'd better, since that's how I planned on cleaning mine up too, LOL!
Just FYI, Forstner are fairly cheap at http://www.harborfreight.com.
please, completely ignore me.. lol.. i have no idea what i was thinking.
2 posts up from that one, im talking about yea, that sounds great, then i totally missed it.. lol. i think i was thinking about the threaded part...
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