Chevelle Upgrades, 2019

[TireSmoker]

I bought a new one to save time (!!) and everything eyeballed ok, although I didnt measure that hole.

The centerlink (drag link?) is not fully engaging. As that's a hole on the pitman arm, there are pitman arms with different size holes for centerlink side?

-Dave

Well, the answer is yes, there are different size holes on the centerlink side.

I have Proforged 103-10041. I need 103-10040. Stud diameter difference is .100"

http://proforged.mycarparts.net/product ... nd_id=3512
http://proforged.mycarparts.net/product ... nd_id=3512

I went back to Summit's lookup tool, and it comes up with the 10041 for a 70 Chevelle with Power Steering. I found 10040 in a thread on chevelles.com, and i found the difference in the specs on Proforged.com's website, which also lists the 10041 for a '70 Chevelle. This hobby is challenging enough without bad information.

-Dave

[Maverick]

I got caught with the different size splines after being assured that the MC SS steering box was a direct bolt in on the El Camino. Well, that's true if you get the MC SS box off a donor and take the pitman arm with it. Otherwise the pitman arm had to be replaced with one with the MC SS spline.

In the end, the improvement was well worth the effort.

[TireSmoker]

So even with the wrong pitman arm, I did take it for a short test drive. Steering effort is definitely higher, but I'm a little underwhelmed. I'll reserve final judgement until I get the proper arm in there. I ran to Summit last night and picked up the piece I need. I hope. But I dont have a pitman arm puller, so I'm stuck until Friday.

So I got started on another dormant project, my LS coil conversion. I removed my sweet Chevrolet valve covers and installed the stock plain black centerbolt covers. The LS coil brackets from EFI Connection require centerbolt valve covers. Luckily, the Fastburn heads have provisions for both patterns. But these coil brackets make taking the valve cover on/off somewhat involved, as all the coils need to be removed to take the cover off, as the bolts are directly under the coils. Note to self -- not the setup to use with a solid lifter cam! Also another note -- off-the-shelf plug wires probably would've been better. There's not much customization here, a lot of extra effort for not a lot of gain.

This was the low hanging fruit of this project, though. I need to decide on EFI wire routing locations, and once I do that I can start the tedious work of cutting and splicing wires. After that, I have the task of pulling the timing cover so I can install the crank trigger wheel.

More to come..

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

Well, it turns out the first (10041) pitman arm fit correctly after all. It just doesn't "look" as tight as it did before. I pulled the original pitman arm off the original steering box, and it fit into the centerlink just like 10041. The 10040 isn't usable at all, way too big of a hole. But it's back together and done. Until I have to replace the power steering pump, which will be sooner rather than later.

I spent a few hours trying to do a little wiring prep. The MS3X has (2) 37 pin connectors. The first 37 pin connector is the same that all Megasquirts have. The 3X add-on board has all the stuff for driving individual injectors and coils (16 connections right there!). Had to seperate injector outputs, coil outputs, misc inputs/outputs, and get them all sorted. Now I need to figure out how I want to route the wiring and mount the relays/fuses. The shortest/obvious path goes too close to the headers for my liking, so I either need to make a heat shield, or take a longer route -- i have enough harness length to do whatever. The hardest part is simply figuring out *how* I want it.

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

I got my crank trigger installed. This is a 36-1 wheel, 36 teeth, 1 is missing. I still had the engine running at that point, and using a spare MS2 box, verified that it produces an RPM signal. I have spacers for my water pump and alternator to compensate for the trigger wheel wedged between crank pulley and balancer (.125"). I've since removed my MSD box and coil from the car, and the next time it runs will be on the crank trigger and LS coils!

This is gonna screw with my power steering pump mounting though, so there will be some re-engineering there, either in a different crank sensor mount or changing up my power steering pump brackets.

I've also acquired the GMPP beehive springs/retainers to upgrade my heads.

More to come..

-Dave

[MostMint]

if you got a 1/8" shim the same shape as the water pump gasket you could use double gasket and move the entire assembly out 1/8". Would that help?

As memory serves the power steering is attached to the water pump.

[TireSmoker]

You mean like this? https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Performa ... JN0K4X9297

Yes, I found that after I had already gotten the spacers for both pulleys. The water pump spacers would be part of a plan B, if needed.

-Dave

[MostMint]

That is it. It would be rework on the pulleys but might be worth it - can't recall power steering config but might not be worth reengineering that just add spacers where it bolts to the block and move everything out 1/8".

[TireSmoker]

IT RUNS!!

While the wiring isn't pretty at the moment, I'll get that cleaned up shortly. But it started first time, no issue! I still have a bunch of work to go yet, but the fact that it works will make the rest of it go that much easier.

But the other AMAZING news is that I got a new exhaust kit for Christmas from my Dad & Tony!! It's a Pypes 3" with X-Pipe kit with the RacePro mufflers. Won't need cutouts any more!

So will 3.73s, new/improved ignition, upgraded valvesprings, and a 3" exhaust enough to net me an elusive 11.99??? It's been a busy second half of the year with this car!

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

Well, the COP conversion has been a great success! I got most of the wiring buttoned up in the engine bay. I still need to wrap the last little bit along the intake. There is still one more piece to go, and that is to swap the distributor for a Vortec 1x cam sensor. Once that's in and hooked up, I'll have fully sequential injection and fully COP ignition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syQu17hi0Q

Now that I know all this stuff works, I'm going to tear everything apart to fix up a coolant leak around the intake and then swap in the valve springs.

-Dave

[wxo]

Dave, I've been watching the work you have put in on this Chevelle for years now. The transformation is truly remarkable. I love the looks of it with the new paint and interior and I especially like the sound when you fired it up in your last video. I expect/hope that motor will perform beyond your expectations. I've enjoyed watching you patiently overcome one obstacle after another. Great work, my friend.

[TireSmoker]

Thank you Walt!! When I go back to the garage, i still love seeing that I own something so cool!!

It really started turning around in 2014 after Tiresmoke Central was built and when I bought the crate motor. Constantly chasing engine issues from 2007 (when my 406 froze/cracked in Feb, then me moving in Oct) until Nov 2014, I didn't get anything else done. (and this was after the 2005-06 period when I was doing more engine work with the original cylinder head swap and EFI install!) When I look at older pictures, I realize just how good it looks now. Esp from that 2007-2014 period, I didnt realize just how beatup looking it had become until I finally got the body work done. Driving it around primered up for a couple seasons, I think makes me appreciate the paint a little more. Finally, getting hit at Sunoco the day before we went to VIR felt like hell, but I can now thank Johnny for paying that guy off -- and thanks to Kevin for introducing me to Garry!

-Dave