BAustin's Extended Track - 06 SS/SC Donor - #157 Registered

baustin

Well-Known Member
Alright, so here's the result of my work on the ABS part of the hubs, think it's ready to go? I think this is pretty much what askiles had in his pictures.

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baustin

Well-Known Member
The throw out bearing in the transmission is going to be a pain to change. The one in the transmission looks original even though the clutch seems like it was replaced at some point. 1 of the torx head bolts is mostly stripped, 1 of them was stripped some, 1 of them was useable. Looks like they stopped after they couldn't get the first 2 they tried.

I've looked at using a socket wrench torx bit, this is most likely how they stripped the first time, you can't put it in the bolt without being angled and torx can't do that. I've tried a hand screwdriver torx, this loosened the best bolt but the other 2 just don't have the heads to hold the screwdriver. I looked at cutting a groove for a flat head screwdriver with my dremel, this doesn't work since I can't get the dremel into the space. I tried my bolt remover bits that are left handed, the bolts just destroy the bit threading since the bolts are harder. Overnight I let epoxy dry to hold a screwdriver to the bolt head, this didn't work when I tried to loosen this morning (probably too much grime on the bolt head.

I can always just tighten the 1 bolt I've gotten loose but I'd rather just fix the problem now instead of covering it back up. Any ideas to get these 2 removed? Maybe I need an oscillating tool so I can cut a flat head pattern in the bolt heads.

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Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
Since the throw out bearing is being replaced, sacrificing some of the material on the front face material to get a straight shot at the bolts may be a good idea. That way you can get a drill straight at the end of the bolt to drill and use an easy-out. That would be my next try, unless someone else has a better idea?

Edit: And put a pipe or something like it on the spline shaft to protect it during this work.
 

Lonny

Administrator
Staff member
Get a long straight bar or a 1/2" extension and place it against the head of the bolt and hit it very hard several times. This will crush the aluminum behind the bolt enough to make the bolt loose. Then you may be able to grab the outside of the bolt with vise grips and work it out.
 

baustin

Well-Known Member
Ahhh, finally got them. A little drill bit work to weaken the heads, a little hammering and pliers did the job. Obviously new bolts will be going in with the new throw out bearing. Oh and a magnet to clean the shavings mess up.

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baustin

Well-Known Member
I didn't get a picture yesterday but can tonight if needed. When thinning the main harness, removing the onstar plugs I have a wire I'm unsure of. Video says to trace and remove the pink wire from the 2nd white plug to cut. I don't have a pink wire going to the large red BCM plug. The red wire (only thing that could be pink to others) runs to the ABS module plug. The other wires all matched up. Also, If I'm remembering correctly, when cutting the headliner plug it says to remove 3 wires (blue, gray, green); I have an additional light green wire, slightly smaller gauge than the green that was removed, that is still there.

I then stopped for the evening since it was time to get the kids in bed, so there could be answers to this in the video parts I haven't watched.

Do I need to remove the red wire that ran from onstar to the ABS module plug? I assume I'll be removing the entire ABS plug at some point (and soldering if needed for circuits). The light green wire that ran to the headliner plug, I can look tonight to see where it runs and look at the schematics but any ideas about whether cut out entirely or leave?
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
The entire ABS plug and onstar modules & wires get removed.
If you are unsure about cutting a wire, just label it so it is easy to solder back in if needed.
I accidentally cut my plug to the supercharger gauge, but was able to solder it back in.
There are enough variations of wiring options that it makes it difficult when there is only one car video to follow, and difficult to answer questions like the issues you mention above. Research & label!
 
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baustin

Well-Known Member
I've made a lot of progress on all of the wiring and engine maintenance (still need to clean the parts up) but I've been working on getting my garage in order to be ready for this coming weekend. I'll be picking up all my kit parts and frame this Saturday!

I think the steps of the wiring rework that I have left I want to do when I've already got the frame, so I feel good about that progress. The cleaning/degreasing the engine and other parts shouldn't be too bad, I've got a pressure washer I'll be using but I've got a lot of gunk to get off. One side of my garage will have the frame and one side will have the Cobalt skeleton until I want to get rid of it (at some point once I'm working on the assembly I'll actually work on selling/scrapping things I don't need or want.
 

baustin

Well-Known Member
I haven't posted much about my progress but it's moving right along.

I've got most of the kit home and expecting the last of the boxes to be delivered tomorrow (might have had a couple boxes get missed at the shop when I picked things up).

I think I've painted all the donor parts that I need to after giving everything a good pressure washing. The main steel parts in the kit are also painted (larger parts were powder coated before pickup). All my spray paint has been summit chassis flat black spray paint.

Frame is upside down and ready to start on the floor pan install and coolant hoses pulling. I think I'll be doing that within the next week, maybe more if the hoses go easy enough.
 

baustin

Well-Known Member
Got the floor pan, support strap and bulkhead installed.

Worked on pulling the first coolant hose and didn't quite get it to work. I got it from the front till the bend in the frame by the seats and then my rope ripped out of the hose. Reset and ended up pretty quick having it rip out again.

I lubed the frame up pretty heavy with tire wet using a roller. My rope was paracord (as least the label said so). Pulling wasn't bad but the hose just couldn't take the strain. I used 2 holes to cinch it, I'm thinking my problem is that they were on the same size of the hose, night need to go on opposite sides of the tube. My holes were maybe 1.5 inch apart and 1 inch from the end of an angle cut. Not sure but I'll try to review the comments on others builds about the hose pulling.

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baustin

Well-Known Member
The first bolts are now installed, it feels nice to get to this point. Hoses are pulled, brake line Ts are set and the steering rack is installed.

Also got shipment from DF with the other parts I didn't pick up, everything looks good there.

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baustin

Well-Known Member
I've been able to make a good bit of progress recently. Here are some photos of my progress:

I ordered the extended version but I needed the seats a little closer to use the clutch and my wife needed it a little closer in general. We normally drive with the seat set the same in all our vehicles so the adapter plates I made should work out great. If the brackets for DF give 0/1/2" from rear most position, the adapter plate adds 3/4/5" from rear most position. Without actually driving, I think 4" position will work the best, 2" ahead of where the extended frame allowed.
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I took the heat shield off the exhaust manifold to give it a look since I have to replace the 3 studs for the muffler mounting anyways, noticed that it has a nice crack towards the bottom. Thoughts? I'm not trying to make this a showpiece car, I put the heat shield back on but does anyone expect this to be an issue?
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Is this a common thing for the radiators? The rubber isolater has to be stressed to hit the bolt hole on the driver top side. The plastic parts on the bottom are both fully seated in the radiator support.
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baustin

Well-Known Member
I think I've got all the vacuum/coolant/supercharger lines hooked up correctly. Quite a bit of forum searching has happened while hooking everything up. For example I didn't remember that the supercharger fill neck has an overflow tube that simply vents to atmosphere. It looked like it went somewhere but I didn't label it... cause I didn't disconnect it from anything.

I haven't actually started the engine since it's been in the kit car frame, I felt like getting the subframe in first. I don't have any coolant in the systems yet, maybe one day soon I'll take the chance to start it up. I want to get the frame off the urethane jack stand covers first, I can slide the car around on them myself, I'm a little concerned the engine vibrations on the slick jack stand pads would end up badly on the ground.

If anything looks out of place on these vacuum lines, let me know. I did cap the front side vent at the throttle body, visible in this first picture:
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Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
I've been able to make a good bit of progress recently. Here are some photos of my progress:

I ordered the extended version but I needed the seats a little closer to use the clutch and my wife needed it a little closer in general. We normally drive with the seat set the same in all our vehicles so the adapter plates I made should work out great. If the brackets for DF give 0/1/2" from rear most position, the adapter plate adds 3/4/5" from rear most position. Without actually driving, I think 4" position will work the best, 2" ahead of where the extended frame allowed.
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View attachment 10106


I took the heat shield off the exhaust manifold to give it a look since I have to replace the 3 studs for the muffler mounting anyways, noticed that it has a nice crack towards the bottom. Thoughts? I'm not trying to make this a showpiece car, I put the heat shield back on but does anyone expect this to be an issue?
View attachment 10105


Is this a common thing for the radiators? The rubber isolater has to be stressed to hit the bolt hole on the driver top side. The plastic parts on the bottom are both fully seated in the radiator support.
View attachment 10107
The crack in the header can be welded and since it has not split all the way around it should be an easy fix.
 
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