V1 Neodied's #375 Extended Track - 07 SS/SC donor

[neodied]

New to-do list:
- Finalize dual gauge pod design tweaks (adjust insert pieces for AEM gauge stud spacing and OEM boost gauge depth)
- Check cylinder compression
- Tuning: MAF
- Repaint the muffler (starting to flake off, I don't think I followed the instructions for curing the paint)
- Add screen to the hood front opening
- Find a thinner seat cushion to drop my vertical position a bit

Cold season projects:
- Key on switched power block (heat exchanger fan, wideband O2 sensor, USB power, etc)
- New clutch and flywheel
- Clean PCV valve
- Injectors stock -> 60lb Bosch (not Siemens), pulley stock -> 2.8", then tune (start from Ghostknife's tune)
--- https://www.dfkitcar.com/forum/index.php?threads/zzp-black-friday-deals.3218/
--- https://fuelinjectorconnection.com/.../650cc-bosch-split-spray-for-multivalve-heads
--- https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/tuning-131/injector-basics-lsj-300942/
- Side panels
- Maybe swap the OEM boost gauge for an AEM gauge to match the wideband AFR gauge

 

[neodied]

Took the Goblin out again and the tap/rattle noise toward the right rear that I have heard before was much more pronounced. I'm not an expert on engine noises, but the location of the noise seems to be the timing chain area. I've been meaning to do a timing kit at some point, but I guess no time like the present...

Parts purchased:
- Timing kit
- Valve cover gaskets
- Front main seal
- Front cover gasket
- ZZP upgraded timing chain guide
- Harmonic balancer bolt
- Valve cover breather (not for the timing kit, but as a stopgap for the dipstick popping out issue)

Cleaning gasket material off of the head without letting any fall into the head or spark plug holes is a PITA.

 

[neodied]

Driving season is over, now it's maintenance+upgrade season! Black Friday Shopping List:

CLUTCH REPLACEMENT (sounds like Ghostknife's video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-L4JiiONnUk)
OEM-style replacement Clutch - $247
Aluminum flywheel LSJ F35 - $247 (15% BF discount)

SUPERCHARGER PULLEY
Modular pulley system with 2.8" pulley - $85 (15% BF discount)
Adjustable belt tensioner - $102 (15% BF discount)

FUELING
4x LSJ 630cc Bosch split spray injectors (EV1 plug) - $248 total (incl. 15% discount code BF2023)
LSJ EV1 injector harness (EV1 plug) - $23 (15% BF discount)

COSMETIC
Titanium exhaust manifold stud and nut kit - $85 (15% BF discount)

 

[SmsDetroit]

Any updates?

 

[neodied]

Any updates?

It's a girl!
About the Goblin? Unfortunately nothing other than noticing puddles of coolant front and rear when I cracked my garage open for the first time in a while. Excited for my parental leave which starts next week though. Should have time (and weather maybe?) to tackle the stuff mentioned above. Will probably end up buying the 2-ton Harbor Freight engine crane so I don't have to keep borrowing my buddy's.

 

[Mahkoi]

Congrats! (On the girl, not on the coolant leak)

 

[Ross]

Congrats on the new girl.
Here is another option if you have access to the ceiling of a garage. I have put a sky hook in many garages this way, and you don't have a big engine crane to store in your shop.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

Congratulations Dad! Take care of that new bundle of joy, she will grow up quick!

 

[comegetjoe]

Congratulations dad!! Thats awesome!

 

[neodied]

Congrats on the new girl.
Here is another option if you have access to the ceiling of a garage. I have put a sky hook in many garages this way, and you don't have a big engine crane to store in your shop.

Looking forward to a future house which should have a garage with roof trusses that I can trus(s)t.

 

[Ross]

Looking forward to a future house which should have a garage with roof trusses that I can trus(s)t.

I have used 2x4 and 2x6's to make a quick engine lift... at least the lumber will be reused for projects, rather than storing an engine lift.
Of course a garage with trusses is nice!

 

[neodied]

Finally(!) got some uninterrupted vacation time while the kid is at daycare and the wife is at work. Yesterday and today I disconnected (and labelled) all the chassis to powertrain electrical connections and dropped the subframe, then the engine+trans.

QuickJacks have been very helpful. They collapse lower than my floor jack so I can get them under without raising the front end up on a ramp. They lift higher than my floor jack too. Once they are up at max lift, they feel quite sturdy. Being able to pause the lift at any point and check for interferences was very convenient while lifting the chassis up over the engine+trans.

 

[neodied]

Timing chain & guides maintenance done. I found some metal shavings in the timing chain tensioner threads which worry me a bit. I probably should drop the oil pan and check for other metal bits. Maybe clean out the oil pan and check it again after running it for a while.

 

[neodied]

Fuel injectors swapped, which was actually way easier than I expected. After pulling the old injectors, I checked the intake valves for carbon buildup and cylinders 1-3 had some light deposits, but it didn't seem too bad.

Installing the shiny exhaust manifold studs was not as pain-free, since I snapped one of the heads off at the 16ft-lb GM torque spec. 14ft-lbs for the rest of them worked fine.

Weekend project will be the supercharger pulley upgrade to 2.8" ZZP modular, as well as the phenolic intake manifold spacer.

Then after that, it's clutch and flywheel time as soon as I can corral an extra pair of hands for mating the trans to the engine post-install.

 

[Rttoys]

That supercharger pulley can be a *****. I had to use a press on mine after breaking my snap-puller.

 

[Robinjo]

I have one of the ZZP pulley puller tools if needed to borrow. It’s super easy with that device.

 

[neodied]

I have one of the ZZP pulley puller tools if needed to borrow. It’s super easy with that device.

Cool! Message sent.

 

[neodied]

Over the weekend I installed the ZZP modular pulley hub (thanks to @Robinjo for loaning me his pulley puller!), adjustable belt tensioner, and phenolic intake spacer. I also checked the PCV valve function and it seems to work fine which might not actually be good news since I was having the dipstick popping up issue and hoped that would be solved by fixing a malfunctioning PCV valve.

As part of the phenolic intake spacer install, the intercooler pump bracket is offset outward and had to be ground down a bit where it was interfering with the dipstick tube. Also the dipstick tube bracket had to be cut since it no longer lined up with the stud coming off the manifold.

Once everything is installed again, a compression test is probably warranted to see if one of the cylinders is letting a lot of gas blow by and overwhelming the PCV system.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

PCVs are cheap. You said you checked it, how? They are notorious for leaking, especially on boosted applications. I would still replace it while it's accessible.

 

[neodied]

You said you checked it, how?

Wiped off the ends and blew in it. One direction (blowing in the fat end which should be from the crankcase) let air through, the other did not.