V1 Sluggonaut's Extended Track #364 - 2007 SS/SC (Turbo) Donor

[Sluggonaut]

Got it, sorry I missed that. Yeah it looks like you had the worst case scenario of a mixture of configurations without a clear indication of what was going on. Thanks for your help!

It's been an interesting introduction to the platform, to say the least.

 

[Sluggonaut]

Before you snap that on, make sure you have the little rubber seal on the nipple that sticks out of the bell housing/transmission. It is really easy for that seal to pop off and be lost forever, and you can't buy just the seal. Ask me how I know.

Does that normally come with the clutch pipe?

 

[Corgithulhu]

Does that normally come with the clutch pipe?

It's on the fitting that stays in the transmission, it's a little tube that sends the clutch fluid down to the actual slave cylinder inside at the clutch plate. If you lose it, you can order the clutch tube and get a new one. I had to, and it was only like 10 bucks, so not the most painful mistake I made.

You can also stack up a couple O-rings for a short term fix, but YMMV on whether that works.

 

[Sluggonaut]

In my pic, it looks like the seal is not on the nipple. I'll have to check the elbow to see if it is stuck in there. I've already ordered a new elbow, but I may need to order a new clutch pipe if I can't find the seal.

 

[Corgithulhu]

I didn't see it in any of your pictures on the previous page, but it may be on an earlier page of this thread and I missed it.

The seal in question will end up where I put my red arrow above. That cavity faces towards the ground and slips over the seal/nipple in my post above, which is mounted on top of the transmission. There should then be a small pin that slides into the notch to lock it down. The nipple you circled is indeed the bleeder and would just be capped off like the brake bleeders.

 

[Rauq]

Corollary, in my experience, and in experiences of others' I've read (so perhaps not universal, but in my opinion worth doing), that seal works better when it's on the trans side of that nipple, as opposed to being in the elbow when it's installed. Obviously take care of it, but I had to use a specific pick to pull it out of the elbow, then install it on the trans, for that seal to work.

 

[Corgithulhu]

Yes, good clarification. I was intending for that to be the method of installation. I never tried it with the seal in the elbow first. Put it on the nipple then slip the elbow over. Secure it with the clip that goes into the elbow.

Just don't do it without a seal by mistake. You do the big leak that way. Can confirm.

 

[Rauq]

Without the seal: big leak
With the seal in the elbow: small leak
With the seal on the nipple: no leak

confirmed!

 

[Sluggonaut]

The seal was in the elbow and it came out fairly easily with a small pick. Looks like it is in good shape so I installed it on the nipple while I wait for the new elbow to show up.

The engine has been removed and I'm partway through the engine harness re-work. Although I can now work on all the wiring at the front of the engine, it's hard to tell where I should be routing everything so the harness reaches the fusebox correctly. Does anyone have any good pictures of their engine harness? I'd like to reference where the main lines run so I can get mine close before bolting everything back up.

I did find one more unlabeled connector. I'm hoping it's the same story as the last one - I didn't disconnect it so it didn't get labeled.

It looks the same as the barometric MAP sensor, meaning it is a 3-wire connector with orange/black, gray, and green wires. It is on the same trunk as the barometric MAP sensor and the large plug that runs over to the throttle body.

I think it may be for the Supercharger Inlet Pressure Sensor (1st one on the left and 2nd from left respectively in the below diagrams from Alldata) as it is the only other one with an orange/black wire (Barometric Pressure Sensor is the other) in the diagrams. It would also explain why it's not labeled as my donor already had its supercharger removed so that sounds like a sensor I wouldn't have needed to disconnect.

If this is the SCIP sensor plug, it sucks that I ordered a replacement for my chewed-up barometric sensor, as I could just scavenge this one to replace it.

 

[r3drckt]

You are correct. SCIP plug.

 

[Sluggonaut]

What are people doing with the engine harness wiring that is no longer needed - bundling or removing?

For example, the EVAP, downstream O2, SC-related wires for turbo swaps, etc. Is there any reason to keep those wires in the engine harness or can they just be thinned to clean up the harness?

 

[r3drckt]

I still have all of them at the moment. I have the modules plugged in currently just to clear the CEL codes for them while I get everything else dialed in. Might thin the excess after that. Only CEL codes for me atm is the evap canister codes, but the boost solenoid, etc. all come on when I remove the modules. Not sure if they can be removed with HPT

 

[Rttoys]

I left mine and just tucked them away. I did this so in case the emission gods change their mind about what they want in my car, I can add things back fairly easily.

 

[Sluggonaut]

I thought of a random, and probably dumb, question while routing power/ground cables around in the rear.

Where do I connect the negative battery terminal and with what? The only ground cable I have is on the trans and it is connected to the ground post on the rear of the chassis. I was considering linking the ground posts and running them to the battery when I realized I don't know where the negative battery post gets connected and I don't have any leftover cables from the donor. I have cable I can use, but just not sure if it just gets grounded to the battery box or somewhere else.

 

[Gtstorey]

The battery negative gets attached at the chassis post at the battery box. I'm not sure if I have a separate ground wire connecting the engine/transmission to the chassis or if it's all just grounding through the mounting points.

 

[Gtstorey]

There probably was a grounding wire from the engine/trans to the chassis on the original Cobalt (which I probably used) and another grounding wire in trunk from the battery to the chassis (that I'm sure I used).

 

[Sluggonaut]

Random thought #2 on the day: Registration

At what point do you request the MCO and why isn't that something that is issued with the frame?

I'm going the Montana route and have a solid grasp of the process, but not the timing. Do I start setting up the LLC prior to build completion or do I start the ball rolling before I am completely done?

 

[Sluggonaut]

There probably was a grounding wire from the engine/trans to the chassis on the original Cobalt (which I probably used) and another grounding wire in trunk from the battery to the chassis (that I'm sure I used).

I thought there was a short grounding wire in the trunk of the donor, but I don't know what I did with it. I'll have to look at the battery box area again, I don't remember seeing a post. Likely hiding under the powder coat somewhere.

There definitely is a ground wire connected to the trans and I'm just running it to the ground post in the rear.

 

[Gtstorey]

It doesn't really matter where you attach the negative to the chassis at but I'm pretty sure I have a post attached to the battery box or the immediate area.

I think they don't issue the MCO with the frame delivery is the fact that it takes some people so long to get theirs built and some states want to charge back taxes based upon the MCO date. I would request the MCO a week or two before you are ready to submit the paperwork to the state.

 

[r3drckt]

Battery negative goes to ground at the battery box up front.

There is a ground wire from the trans>engine block that goes up to the chassis ground. The mounts shouldn’t be grounding at all if you have powder coat or paint on them. The weldabke paint MIGHT allow it to ground, but I don’t know.

My MCO took around a week to get.