2012 Chevelle Projects

[TireSmoker]

Best thing to do is let it set for a while then get back to it with a clear mindset.

Well, that's exactly what I did. I finally got back to it this weekend. I bought some different length bolts to get the starter to bolt up correctly. Problem resolved.

I got everything else bolted back up. My header clearancing for the steering shaft and column-shift linkage was successful. All that remains is getting the WB 02 sensor plugged back in, finding some vacuum tubing for the distributor's vacuum advance, and wiring up the lockup for the 700r4.

I was able to fire it up tonight, though! It was late, and with the O2 sensor missing, it was a bit noisy. I only ran it for 30-45 seconds, but it ran, and the oil pressure gauge showed 50lbs. I hope to take my first drive before leaving for Carlisle this weekend.

-Dave

[Racin'Jacin]

I know I'm a tad late to the conversation, but I figured it can't hurt to throw my 2 cents in.
GM Starters - 2 things I've learned over the years - GM made some of them with STEEL noses - those are the BEST ones IMHO - they also made one with 3 bolts - very desirable IMHO. They are much more stable compared to the aluminum nosed versions. I kept the same steel nosed GM starter for a zillion years - swapping the nose out when the starter went bad. Also the "allen" key go-no go is a great way to set the starter for optimum gap - IIRC 1/8" allen key should just fit between the OD of the flex plate and the pinion shaft. The next sized allen key should NOT fit. Also always use the BB starter - that's the one with the spacer to the solenoid - it has more windings - more torque. Following these guidelines I've ENDED all my GM starter woes throughout the years.

[TireSmoker]

Well, I missed my first-drive-by-Carlisle goal. I was having issues getting it to idle correctly -- it would still run with both idle mixture screws turned in, using Tony's Holley 770 Street Avenger. I was almost gonna put my old (but freshly rebuilt) 3310 back on, but apparently I robbed a needle/seat assembly out of it. Since I'm past the cam break-in, I decided to re-install the EFI. I had pretty good luck with getting it up and running quickly on Tony's old 350 a couple summers back.

I did one run into one unanticipated problem -- the TV cable from the 700r4 is too short to reach the EFI's throttle bracket. I was surprised, because with a carb, it seemed like the cable was a bit long. Fortunately, they seem to be relatively cheap (under $30) and from the one Youtube video I saw, doesn't look too hard to change.

Tanks Inc now makes a fuel-injection specific gas tank for Chevelles. They just came out a few months ago, so I decided to give it a try. They have a tray that the pump sits inside of to help keep fuel at the pump at all times. This is the key feature of the tank. There's a little monkeying around as they provide some universal pieces that don't fit out of the box. I was a little annoyed with that, but in the end it wasn't hard. The other annoyance is the lack of gas cap plus two hose clamps for the filler neck. Standard '70 Chevelle gas cap fits, though.

Here's all the stuff I got.


Fuel level sender required some modification to fit:





-Dave

[Maverick]

That EFI-friendly aftermarket fuel tank is a really helpful product. Does the pump use a return line?

I just made up some 3/8" aluminum lines for the F100. That stuff is very easy to bend. Does 2" radius bends without collapsing with a cheap Harbor Freight tool. Minor bends by hand with no problems. Not sure if its rated for EFI pressures.

[TireSmoker]

Yes, it uses a return line. If you look at the closeup of the two sending units, you can see the return line (white) coming down and emptying almost directly into the pump inlet. On the top of the sender, I put a red zip tie around the return line fitting. (Red=Return)

I used 3/8 aluminum line when I first did the EFI install many years back. You're right, very easy to bend. EFI fuel pressures are only 40-60 psi and the aluminum is reasonably thick -- I'd be very surprised if it wasn't rated for it. Some have suggested that it could vibrate/work harden/crack. I think if the line is well secured, that shouldn't be an issue.

-Dave

[Fred32v]

Looks like progress. Waiting for the video.

[TireSmoker]

New tank is in with new gas tank straps. I haven't poured any gas in yet.

I can't find my EFI throttle cable. I hate that. The new, longer TV cable arrived today from gmpartsdirect.com

Probably won't get a chance to work on it tomorrow. Going to Yogi Bear's Corvette show in Linesville, PA with my dad in the Vette. Always a good time. Then in the evening, we have a scheduled maintenance at work which will keep me tied up the rest of the night.

-Dave

[Maverick]

Yes, it uses a return line. If you look at the closeup of the two sending units, you can see the return line (white) coming down and emptying almost directly into the pump inlet. On the top of the sender, I put a red zip tie around the return line fitting. (Red=Return)

I used 3/8 aluminum line when I first did the EFI install many years back. You're right, very easy to bend. EFI fuel pressures are only 40-60 psi and the aluminum is reasonably thick -- I'd be very surprised if it wasn't rated for it. Some have suggested that it could vibrate/work harden/crack. I think if the line is well secured, that shouldn't be an issue.
-Dave

I left the steel line in place where it enters the engine compartment because of concern about the engine rocking and flexing there. Two sections of rubber line were used there on either side of the fuel filter.



Aluminum was used up to the carb but I'm thinking I should replace that section with steel too because of engine rocking under load.

[TireSmoker]

So I made a lot of progress this weekend. New throttle cable installed, not sure what I did with old one. and new TV cable for the 700r4. It took a lot of finger tip fidgeting and doing it all by feel, but I was able to do it without removing the exhaust or anything. With the new headers, my previous stainless braided fuel lines would no longer work, as they would be touching. I've had some Aeroquip push-lok hose and fittings in my inventory and they worked well. I test-ran the fuel pump (without computer) to ensure I had no leaks, and sure enough, the first time there was -- back by the fuel filter. No biggie, an extra clamp solved it.

Inside the car, I got the Megasquirt and Innovate LC-1 all wired up. No surprises as I've been through this before. But it was still super sweet the first time I turned the key and it fired right up! No extended cranking, it fired right up and idled reasonably well, enough that I didnt need to throttle it or anything. No first start video, I'll wait for the first-drive video instead.

There's a good transmission fluid leak up front by my cooler. I'll have to address that before a test drive.

But I'm super stoked to having it running on the EFI again.

-Dave

[Fred32v]

Nice going! Plenty of summer left, get it on the road.

[wxo]

I"m glad you had the patience to persevere. We are anxious to see the first run video.

[TireSmoker]

I've had some trouble with the alternator since I got everything back together. First, it doesn't fit the new alternator bracket I bought a few months ago from Alan Grove Components. That was a minor annoyance. Then, I managed to strip the hold for the hold down bolt, and finally, even with the belt lose, I saw smoke coming off the pulley and it was making a bunch of noise. Time for a replacement. I think I put this alternator on back in 2001-ish? The water pump pulley seems to have a wobble to it as well. I have no idea how old this water pump is. I know it's been painted a couple times, but that's it.

So, for good measure I ordered a new 140amp alternator and aluminum water pump from Summit. That'll leave me with fresh accessories except for the power steering pump, which is one of the few original items left on this car, I think. I'll change that out when I upgrade to the Jeep Grand Cherokee steering box later this summer (assuming everything else goes well). New trans cooler is on the way too, as the original is leaking. It's probably been in there close to 20 years.

Tony stopped by last night and we put the hood on. I ran the California Duster over it to clean it up a little. It's now on all 4 wheels, with a hood, and a running engine. It can move without being pushed. Not drivable yet, but we're getting there.

Lots of new parts this season.. new engine, trans, driveshaft, alternator, water pump, master cylinder, trans cooler, fuel tank/pump. Lets hope they all work well together.

-Dave

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

Took my 'first drive' yesterday. I put it in quotes because I only went down my street. Got some unexpected valvetrain clatter, pretty sure passenger side only. Oil pressure looks fine, though. I'm gonna pull the passenger side cover and take a look, and re-adjust the valves. My new alternator doesn't seem to be charging, either. Minor adjustment on the TV cable and trans is now shifting, although I wasn't comfortable to floor it to test the downshift yet.

On the plus side, the brake pedal felt good with the new master cylinder. Water pump doesn't leak. Trans cooler doesn't leak. Driveshaft seems to be working fine.. gotta count the successes too.

But the important thing is that it starts consistently and moves under its own power.

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

So I re-adjusted the valves on the passenger side and it seems to sound better, although still noisier than I think it oughta be. Anyway, I decided to take it for another lap around the block tonight. When I pulled out onto Wilson Mills, I eased out, it shifted into 2nd, and I just rolled the throttle on and it just lit 'em up and hung it out sideways! That 3000 stall is gonna be awesome with this setup. With traction, it should be a monster in the hole.

But when I got back in the driveway, I found it had spit the alt/waterpump belt. The water pump pulley wasn't aligned with the crank and alternator pulley. I made an emergency run to Summit tonight for a new pulley, plus a water pump pulley shim kit. I got it all installed, but the belt looks all twisted and fried, so I'll get a new one in the morning.

I don't even have the timing control hooked up yet, so this is just on flat 20* timing. That was gonna be the next project after that first lap.

Feeling this thing make some power was a small but appreciated success. It felt pretty awesome. No video yet.

-Dave

[TireSmoker]

So after getting back to the garage on that last excursion and finding the tossed belt, there's been a number of happenings. Fatica and I both eyed it up and decided that the water pump pulley 1) had a small wobble 2) needed to be shimmed forward. So, off to Summit for a new water pump pulley and also some W/P pulley shims.

While I have the belt off, I decide it would be a good time to re-clock the alternator. The terminal plug was pointing directly at the water pump, in the 3 o'clock position. The 9 o'clock position would be much better. Cutting to the chase, I accidentally touched the BAT terminal to the engine while removing it, shorting it out. I get it re-clocked and re-install it and I'm not getting any charging... GRRRR.. So I order up an alternator rebuild kit from Summit. I've now learned how to rebuild an alternator, and it's fairly simple, although I didn't do the bearings since it is essentially brand new. But after doing that, I took it to Autozone to have them test it and it failed.

I emailed Powermaster Tech Support today, and surprisingly, I got a response back a few hours later -- on the holiday. They told me to send it back and they'll take care of it. Very cool!

So, in the mean time, I figured I could put my old alternator back on. The original reasons I removed it were 1) The CS130 alternator didnt fit my Alan Grove mid-mount alternator bracket. 2) the threaded hole was stripped. So I remove the mid-mount bracket and get my old brackets out. After drilling the hole out in the alternator, I just couldn't get my tap started. I just used a nut and bolt.

So I got the old alternator hooked back up, belt tightened, the alignment looks good. I measured 12.7 volts before startup and 12.5 after startup.. UGHHHH The alternator pulley seemed hotter than it should too.

I'm starting to wonder about the wiring in my car. With the alternator still in the car, I got 0-hm resistance from the alternator BAT post to the + Post on the battery. That's good. I measured a .09v drop between the two posts. Not sure how good/bad that value is, but I think it's ok.

The beatings will continue until morale improves...

-Dave