C2's Alero Updates

[[ion] C2]

OFFICIAL BUILD THREAD
Instagram: @turboalero (http://instagram.com/turboalero)

Current peak power levels are:
636 whp
543 lb-ft


But that was only 6500 rpm, and I rev to 7200, so it's definitely 650+ whp.

Most powerful and highest torque GM LD9.

https://i.imgur.com/HSPCm6b.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1PR89P9.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/Nm8EZew.jpg)



CURRENT MODS


Exterior:
- ESR SR07 19x8.5 wheels, polished, clear Cerakoted
- Continental Extreme Contact Sport 255/35R19 tires
- Custom LED projector headlights, 5000K
- Painted Ford Dark Blue Pearl Metallic
- 25% VLT tint, 35% windshield

Interior:
- Evo VIII Recaro seats
- AEM CD-7F 7" display
- Sony XAV-AX7000 receiver
- 4x6/6x9 Pioneer speakers
- Rockford Fosgate Punch P1 12" loaded enclosure
- Halotron fire extinguisher
- Blue LED accent lighting

Powertrain:
- Garrett G35-900 turbocharger, 0.61 A/R turbine housing
- Custom tubular turbo manifold
- TiAL 44mm v-band wastegate
- Full 3.5" stainless exhaust
- Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator
- Vibrant bottle style resonator
- Vibrant Streetpower muffler
- Custom intake manifold with velocity stacks
- 62mm bored/sleeved throttle body
- TiAl Q blow-off valve
- Garrett 900HP intercooler w/ATP end tanks
- ARP Custom Age 625+ head studs
- Cometic .051" MLS head gasket
- Eagle forged 4340 H-beam connecting rods
- Wiseco forged .020" overbore 9:1 pistons
- 200deg/.360" intake camshaft
- 200deg/.375" exhaust camshaft
- Crower valve springs
- AEM smart coils
- Scott's Performance Wires
- NGK 3690 spark plugs @ .022"
- PTFE core braided fuel lines (-8 feed, -6 drain)
- Killerglass upper radiator hose
- Custom aluminum coolant reservoir
- UMS custom catch can
- Ron Davis custom dual-pass radiator
- Link G4X XtremeX standalone EMS
- AEM flex fuel sensor
- AEM X-Series inline wideband sensor
- AEM 3.5 bar MAP sensor
- Zeitronix fuel and oil pressure sensors
- Mac Valve boost solenoid kit
- TI Automotive E5LM brushless fuel pump
- Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator
- Injector Dynamics ID1700X injectors
- Radium Engineering fuel filter

Brake/Suspension/Chassis:
- CTS-V front calipers w/14" rotors, Hawk HPS pads
- Grand Prix GXP rear calipers w/12" rotors, Bosch QuietCast pads
- KYB AGX struts
- Eibach springs
- eBay rear strut tower bar
- Speedbuilt front sway bar
- Speedbuilt rear sway bar

Drivetrain:
- Clutch Masters FX850 Super Single clutch and flywheel
- Quaife LSD
- Polyurethane transmission mount bushings




================================================== ===================


Had to remove previous completed stages due to 10,000 character limit in posts.


IN-PROGRESS STAGE 8 (The Endgame)

DO FINAL TOUCHES ON CURRENT CAR:
✓ Radium fuel surge tank
✓ investigate clunk noise during hard braking and subsequent quick acceleration
✓ fix clutch pedal intermittently stopping halfway down
✓ repair turbo manifold
- 3D scan engine bay, fabricate 4" equivalent cross section intake tube

BUILD SPARE (STRONGER) ENGINE:
✓ get another LD9 long block
✓ Pauter rods (CHV-220-512-1450F) with ARP CA 625+ bolts
✓ ARP main studs
✓ JE forged 9:1 strutted pistons, FSR, lateral gas ports, heavy duty wrist pins, coatings, .010" over
✓ bearings
- mildly ported head (widen and clean up exhaust side)
- assemble engine

PREP NEW CHASSIS:
✓ get a manual rust-free Alero
✓ fabricate fender bars/bracing
✓ fabricate half cage
- paint cage gray with Steel-It

INTERIOR:
- custom subwoofer box in cabin of car
- sound dampening throughout
- vibration-proof dash assembly
- replace carpet
- reupholster entire interior with gray/dark gray suede
✓ reupholster Recaro seats to match gray/dark gray suede with embroidered Olds logo

RUSTPROOF AND PAINT EXTERIOR:
✓ roll fenders
- ensure proper drainage in body to prevent future rust
- fully rustproof everything possible
- paint car same blue
- replace window trim
- pull windows from current car and install on rust-free car


TRANSFER ENGINE AND GOODIES OVER TO NEW CHASSIS:
- add tow hook to front subframe where it is accessible through bumper opening
- powder coat subframes and other steel parts like trailing arms
- install BMR lateral links
- install RPS triple disc carbon clutch
- reinstall A/C using custom lines and Link ECU control
- fabricate new aluminum water outlet with additional bung for level sensor
- install/configure Casco Universal Coolant Level Sensor 2030100057
- install engine/trans, brakes, wheels, fuel system, etc.
- silver TiAl Q BOV
- install polyurethane engine mount to test it (hate vibrations so if it's annoying it's back to OEM)
- wire tuck engine bay as best as possible

MISC:
- custom adjustable coilovers
- 3D scan car, mock up possible new bumpers and skirts
- add bellows to wastegate tube for easier installation and ensuring v-bands seal
- add ambient air temp sensor
- configure TPMS with AEM display
- Volk Racing TE37 Ultra M-Spec 19x8.5 ET+45, polished
- create custom carbon fiber front splitter

[nicothehut]

cant wait to see it..wereever you post it.

[Papa Rad17]

Pics or it did, doesn't? happen :lol:

[[ion] C2]

So if my smoke leak test finds significant leaks like I expect, I'm going to have to have a shop take it apart (no easy task, charge piping, oil feed/drain, etc. everything is VERY tightly designed and there's a specific order to install/remove things that I don't know because Adam Brand @ StreetOrStrip Concept didn't give me the paper he said he would detailing order of operations, because he was pissed off).

The flange will likely need milling and the passenger side most stud hole in the head needs to be helicoiled. He knew the stud didn't work right but instead of fixing it just half-assed it and installed everything anyway. I'm fairly certain the exhaust manifold flange doesn't seal due to warping, not enough clamping on that stud, and possibly even the flange being too tall and colliding with the cam tower instead of squeezing against the head surface.

[[ion] C2]

Well my smoke machine doesn't work just like a lot of the reviews say. I followed the instructions perfectly, waited til it heats up and the light comes on before turning it on. Nothing. Might go back and get another one because it would be useful, but I think my basic soapy water method was able to find all the leaks anyway.

I just used the shop vac to pressurize the exhaust and sprayed soapy water. Everything seems well sealed, even the manifold to head flange, but the v-band from the manifold to the turbo has a HUGE leak. That will kill your spool time.

IqFcnVyUj4c

In fact, that leak plus the 3-bolt one midway down the car were able to support the engine running for 2-3 minutes before I noticed my exhaust was still capped off from when I boost leak tested it when we first started the car at StreetOrStrip Concept. That's a big leak. Usually when I forget to remove the cap (twice before that) it BLOWS OFF super far away even though it's t-bolted on. So yeah. Big exhaust leak will hinder performance.

I could probably try to undo the v-band and pop the turbo in place but I am assuming everything is really under some serious fitment stress and I might not be able to, or make it worse lol. Damn it. I'll probably have to take it to the other shop and see if they'll fiddle with it for not too much money and then we can pressure test exhaust again.

Also, my boost controller seems FUBAR. Getting a new one tomorrow.

[[ion] C2]

https://i.imgur.com/WluuCfh.jpg



Noticed this when inspecting things. The wastegate banjo looks like it only has one washer. Will have to add another one in. Boost leaks, no matter how small they seem, are a problem. This one would especially cause issues with boost level control.



https://i.imgur.com/olobjrJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7dBnAgE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/79soo8L.jpg





Behold: the world's most expensive coolant reservoir. Seriously, it was about $1,000.

Chemfluor 367 clear tubing for maximum chemical compatibility. Kynar PVDF fittings with Viton seals. Stainless steel adapters. Internally baffled, polished and clear Cerakoted reservoir. Rubber bumper on bottom, factory location and fitment.

[homegrown]

Geez Chris - you're into this car thing deeper than I am.

[[ion] C2]

Geez Chris - you're into this car thing deeper than I am.
:lol:

[[ion] C2]

Well, I tried to re-align the turbo manifold v-band to the turbine inlet v-band. They were offset significantly. I was able to line up the flanges so the exterior circumference of them were inline., and while everything is lined up reasonably well, and clamping felt better, there's still a large gap visible on the rear. The other 2 gaps in the clamp where you can view alignment seem decent but not super squeezed.

I think it's because one or both flanges are warped, either from welding, or from driving it an hour home with the flanges misaligned. So that sucks. I was trying to fix it myself but I hate dealing with other people's shitty work on v-bands. Everything is so cramped and tight fit it needs to be perfect. If they can't get it to seal that means some new v-band welding is in order and a huge costly remove and reinstall. Possibly a new turbine housing from TiAl if that one is warped. Yay. I just want my shit to work. No one seems to be able to do quality work.

Dude's just like "yeah man I deck everything I do on this belt sander" yeah that's not the right way to make shit flat.
Or how about his "I always tighten flanges from the outside in (outer most bolts inward)" which is the exact OPPOSITE of how you're supposed to do it. Start with the center screws/studs and move out.

https://i.imgur.com/coWxGpL.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Opened the bumper to expose more area for cooling. Scrubbed what I could off with brake cleaner of the jackass's logo that he spray painted on.

You can also see a glimpse of my clutch reservoir relocation bracket which will allow my newly polished RSM strut brace to be installed comfortably.

https://i.imgur.com/hfK7fxd.jpg

[[ion] C2]

RSM bar installed.

https://i.imgur.com/ZEpUqEJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YE5IsYO.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Bumper's kinda floppy around the wheel well area, will have to trim it and/or make brackets to hold it in place. Tires rub it when backing and turning so probably happens when going forward too.

https://i.imgur.com/QFgoumTh.jpg

[[ion] C2]

IAT sensor broke after only about 60 miles. Crappy wiring probably. The moment it broke was during a 2-3 gear shift that was hard and also at about 27 psi (oops).

Edit: I'm dumb. I've had this sensor for over 10 years and it's endured a ton of shit. I mistakenly thought I bought a new one recently for the updated build but I only bought the bung.


https://i.imgur.com/wk8Gsao.jpg



Took some pictures while I was out logging.

https://i.imgur.com/RMFellm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/e8725Uq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2UDkivk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GgZ29Az.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Got the boost dialed in to 22 PSI. It's nutty.
Excited for a real tune.

[[ion] C2]

Budget prevents the next steps in modding until late September, when hopefully I'll be able to get the radiator and intake installed, at which point it will be ready for the dyno.

Probably sometime in October. Since the engine and overall system is built for it, my goal is to tune it for 550whp. Tuner won't like that because HPTuners only allows for about 15 psi accurately throughout the high RPM range. Going beyond (likely to 25 psi) requires much higher fuel numbers in the 15 psi (and beyond) cells, making part-throttle conditions where you hit 15 psi or so extra rich because they're fueling in expectation of full throttle. He will likely want to try to do a scaled 2.5 bar system and hopefully that won't make anything act weird.

Have to stay emissions friendly here so a standalone likely would be complicated to keep the OBD2 port displaying what it should to checkers.

[[ion] C2]

Still slow progress even in October. Currently relocating my ignition coils to allow space for my giant AEM air filter, and will have a local shop fabricate the pipe for me early November. For once I'll actually have a real intake.

That same local shop is going to try to re-fit the turbo to manifold, but I am not optimistic on it. Everything being so tight back there and v-banded makes it hard to fix misalignment.

Then I'll continue to save what little money I can to afford the radiator (likely $1200) and install that, and it should be ready for tuning, and hopefully not break anything lol.

[[ion] C2]

Ignition coils relocated. The local shop that was going to fabricate my intake tube and re-fit the turbo to manifold backed out after I dropped it off. The owner caught wind of the project, scolded the person I dealt with who put it on the schedule, and forced me to take my car back to find someone else to work on it.

I went to another shop, and they didn't want to do it, as it was out of their typical groove of projects, of course. No one does work on Aleros, especially not custom stuff. Luckily, their lead fabricator is interested in helping me out at his home shop, and he's not even scared of doing what it takes to fix the turbo to manifold fitment. So we'll see how it goes.


https://i.imgur.com/QOcdPow.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yc4VaeN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QKMGzzw.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Radiator won't be ready until mid January. Lead time is crazy when you're having the best manufacturer make it.

[jawa]

i like your headlights

[[ion] C2]

I don't, which is why I paid $2,000 to have new ones made, that have yet to be made. Coming up on 3 years in January.

Right now they aim down and are unable to be raised. So I can see 10 feet in front of me really well and that's it. lol

The new ones will have 4 projectors on as low beams, and raise the flap for highs. All 4 all the time. Will be very nice, for me, not for anyone else on the hilly roads I drive on.

[jawa]

i have a set in mine i forgot whos they were but i like them alot
who the fuck takes 3 years to build a set of headlights

[[ion] C2]

a guy who spent the money and didn't fulfill his obligation

in the meantime, he got married, bought a house, has a new F150, has who knows how much money in weed and paraphernalia, etc.

since i'm his friend i get put on the backburner permanently. why should he bother? i'm in arizona he's in michigan. what am i gonna do, nag him over and over like i had been?

i nagged him a ton at one point and basically said i want them now. he shipped me a set of headlights that were broken in transit and not what i asked for. (they were painted black, i wanted regular shiny silver, they only had 1 projector and an LED in the high beams, i wanted 2 projectors, they weren't plug and play, i wanted them plug and play.

local shop can do it in a couple weeks for the same price. but man that pisses me off to have to pay twice to get one set.

[[ion] C2]

I offered to pay for his flight, food, materials to make them, and I have a spare room/bathroom. He says he's interviewing for a new job on one of the days in the round trip I mentioned.

I offered another timeframe, and am waiting to see what excuse he says.

[jawa]

wtf sounds like hes a flake and spent your money already

[[ion] C2]

that's what happened. he would get people wanting him to take on their project and i'd comment "still waitin 2 years for mine to be done" and my comment would be insta-deleted and he'd message me saying he's struggling


his reply to the other timeframe (3 days): "Lemme see what I can do with my bartending job, etc."

he should be doing whatever he needs to do take care of a nearly 3 year late obligation for one of his supposed friends since kindergarten

i had him do my subaru's headlights in 2015 and they were done quick and amazing. best headlights i've ever had. i expected the same turnaround time when he told me it'd only be 2-3 weeks when i paid him January 2017.

[[ion] C2]

Still at the fabricator's house getting the v-band sealing corrected and air intake fabricated. Radiator should be ready in a couple weeks too.

Might be fixing the oil drain leak too, dunno. It's a tight fit. I'll probably have to design an oil drain flange that is better than what's out there.

Slowww progress.

[[ion] C2]

Intake is ready for powder coat. Radiator is almost ready to install. Hopefully will be able to secure lift access for my fabricator to mess with the turbo fitment to seal that exhaust leak and re-do my oil drain.

With all that done, it should be ready for the dyno. I don't like the slight dampness I see on the top of piston 2, but could just be oil or something. Will probably do a compression test/coolant test to check head gasket status before the dyno, but will definitely be working on acquiring and building another engine to have on standby, this one being ported significantly and painted all nice with the better oil pump etc.

https://i.imgur.com/hNPYquN.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Radiator's built. Now to install, hopefully by this weekend. Custom stainless lower hose being made, as the radiator is a dual-pass design, requiring inlet and outlet on the same side.

https://i.imgur.com/bjO6lsU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kmA9yDs.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Radiator's in. Lower hose modified. Next up is an adjustable wide plate that supports the bumper under/in front of the headlights.

https://i.imgur.com/u1D5qsS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/87IUhao.jpg

[tw0123]

That looks awesome Chris!!! What are you thinking of using for the bumper support?

[[ion] C2]

That looks awesome Chris!!! What are you thinking of using for the bumper support?

The fabricator is making an adjustable wide metal plate that will put tension on the bumper, supporting it well and keeping it snug below the headlights.

Dude's really good at fabrication, I might end up using him for all the bodywork and custom parts and roll cage if he's up for it. He works at a shop (https://drivenspeedshop.com/) that does insane bodywork and builds.

[[ion] C2]

I stopped by UMS Tuning to discuss my 22 psi but 2 bar MAP situation, and discuss the overall tuning method on this platform. They are going to do their best with the limited 2 bar sensor and OS. The fueling for 22 psi is going to be the same for 15 psi and above, which means it's going to be super rich between those numbers. HPTuners refuses to put in any more work to allow for 3 bar or unlock all the other important tables, so it's this or standalone.

Perhaps later in the year when I build the next engine with 2.3 oil pump, ported head, bigger valves, etc., I'll have them install an AEM standalone EMS. It would be ideal for engine management and perfect tuning, but will make it impossible to pass emissions when the time comes in a couple years again.

[[ion] C2]

Bumper/headlight support created. Air intake tube powder coated in textured black.

Next up, putting it on a lift Sunday or Monday to fix the turbo fitment so that all of my exhaust gas goes into the turbo instead of leaking by the poorly installed v-band.

This fabricator will be doing all sorts of shit to this car later in the year. I'm talking full roll cage, fender bars, custom trailing arms/lateral links. I'm going all-out with this thing and building another LD9 for maximum power on E54 or E85.

https://i.imgur.com/zmcoiLY.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Aw yeah, fabricator was able to fix the poor installation job from the previous fabricator. Now the exhaust is fully sealed and at maximum performance. Excited for the dyno day. Doing an oil change and getting fresh E54 before.

[tw0123]

That's fantastic Chris!!! You mentioned the trailing and lateral arms... what are you thinking of having created there? I can't recall seeing anything for the trailing arms...

[[ion] C2]

That's fantastic Chris!!! You mentioned the trailing and lateral arms... what are you thinking of having created there? I can't recall seeing anything for the trailing arms...
just tubular stuff, would be super simple to make

just things to add on to the ridiculously extensive bodywork that's going to be happening to accomodate a full welded cage (cutting the roof skin off and reinstalling it etc.)

the body on this car will be rigid and rust free

[[ion] C2]

https://i.imgur.com/uz8qPME.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Welp, the stainless smooth painted lower radiator hose extension keeps slipping out (no bead on the ends, and wimpy worm clamps) causing me to lose all of my coolant in a very fast manner, so we're fabricating a new aluminum one that has bead rolls on the end, and I have some stainless t-bolt clamps that should keep that 15 psi coolant from popping off the pipe anymore.

https://i.imgur.com/iLIgf5A.jpg

One interesting thing I found is that the system is difficult to burp now that I have the dual-pass radiator. It seems to allow for a big air pocket in the lower hose when first filling up the coolant, because when the thermostat opens, my borosilicate glass tube shows that the engine ends up running on air. I'll probably have to jack it up high on the passenger side after first filling it this time to hopefully help it out, because we were baffled at first when filling it up on the side of the road after repairing the hose connection the first time.

[[ion] C2]

No boost leaks

https://i.imgur.com/9DQyyHv.jpg

[tw0123]

That's shitty about the hose, but glad you've found a solution... did you have to reschedule the dyno testing due to this issue or were you able to make it as planned?

[[ion] C2]

That's shitty about the hose, but glad you've found a solution... did you have to reschedule the dyno testing due to this issue or were you able to make it as planned?

I sourced a 1-3/8" aluminum tube this morning and found a place that could bead roll the ends. I installed it with wide stainless t-bolt clamps. There is NO WAY it can slip off now. The hoses will burst before these clamps and pipe let loose.

I drove it around and it seems good. The radiator keeps things comically cool. The blow off valve sounds much cooler for some reason. The muffled air intake masking a lot of the turbo spool sounds must be contributing to it. Did a little pre-tuning to get the fuel a little closer to where it needs to be for the real dyno tune.


AutoZone IAT sensor failed though and its readings go wack half the time, so I went and got an original GM one. I think my original GM thread-in IAT lasted about 11 years.


So it's ready for tomorrow. Hopefully everything holds up and withstands the abuse of many dyno runs and I get good numbers. The car is currently in the most buttoned-up state it's ever been. It drives better than ever and has zero exhaust, boost, or vacuum leaks. Quite a feat for this car. Feels good and moves out.

Looking forward to getting a badass video and good dyno chart tomorrow. I have plans to hit 1,000 HP when the money's right, so I don't really care what it is right now as much, but it would be awesome to see 500+. I really should have the GTX Gen 2 version of this turbo, which is rated for significantly higher power, yet fits in the same size footprint. Might swap to that before I go all out on the 1,000 HP build just so I have more power.


https://i.imgur.com/cBpFudH.jpg

[[ion] C2]

452 whp / 483 ft-lb

Ran out of fuel pressure up top. Compensated it a bit with opening injectors more. Part-throttle high RPM is a no-go, it's either full send or nothing on this tune due to running 25 psi and only being able to read up to 15 psi with the 2-bar limitations.

Learned a lot from the tuner as far as what's holding it back, and the capabilities of a standalone.

Next up, AEM 340LPH fuel pump, Turbosmart electronic boost controller, and a G series turbo if possible... then dyno again. Supposedly the runners are too small to support the power level I want eventually, so gotta make a new manifold again, shit lol. However this manifold also needs to somehow make a 4" intake fit. He says my 2.5" intake is also reducing power potential.

Then no more dyno until it's standalone time.


https://i.imgur.com/nOv4r50.jpg

V7P4xDvbZOc

[[ion] C2]

So the car still gets a little warmer than I want. With the radiator I have, it should never go above thermostat temp. Well, it should float right around 180. It gets up to 198+ which means there's something going on. Could be thermostat stuck partially open, as I initially thought, but the water pump is leaking coolant. It always has ever since install, just a little bit. Leaks more lately. The weep hole has oil leaking out of it, too. So looks like it's time to do the water pump and do a good job sealing it to the block. The turbo manifold is so close to it, it's going to be very difficult. Gonna suck.

I ordered Mishimoto constant tension spring loaded high torque clamps that I will be installing on all lower hose connections, because it seems like a good idea.

I also ordered a new one of those weird squished pipe assemblies that connects the thermostat to the radiator hose, because I realized #1 mine is rusty as shit and #2 it's the same pipe I had on my 253,000 mi red Alero so it's got like 300,000 miles on it by now. So, I'm replacing the thermostat with a GM one, new metal pipe, all new clamps, also have a new lower rubber hose that will be cut up to fit with the custom aluminum extender pipe.


--

Today I replaced a coupler that was nearly cut through by vibrating against a metal edge, and I added a thick silicone cushion around the metal hole so it should protect it from now on. I also noticed that vibration from my throttle cable has worn/coated my charge pipe with a rusty brown splotch, so I added a rubber tube around that area to cushion it as well.

Also, I noticed my ABS/main brake distribution thing is just kinda... resting on my lower hose. Doesn't seem to be attached to anything aside from the brake lines. That's not good lol. Going to have fabricator do something temporarily until I get a new ABS system installed and all new brake lines.

[[ion] C2]

Visited fabricator. Going to do the water pump and thermostat and all the lower hose upgrades in his shop using ramps/jack stands probably next weekend. I am not looking forward to the labor lol, nor that engine mount that I recall using a crowbar and impact wrench to align and install.

I realized the water pump was replaced when the engine was built (I think) but that's it. So it's been a while (8 years), but only about 35k miles... Hopefully that resolves the cooling quirks for now. I can say with pretty high confidence the head gasket is fine considering the dyno pulls and high boost with no problems. So it has to be a supporting item like the water pump, thermostat, or external leak.

[Redog]

Nice. I esp like the clear coolant tubes.

Are they glass? My coworker had one on his Harley and I've been jealous of that part every since :p

[[ion] C2]

Nice. I esp like the clear coolant tubes.

Are they glass? My coworker had one on his Harley and I've been jealous of that part every since :p

The big one is borosilicate glass from Killerglass.

The sight gauge one is a rigid plastic, Chemfluor 367 with Kynar PVDF push-in fittings with Viton seals. Rated for the temperature, pressure, and chemicals.

[[ion] C2]

Audio quality is very good now. Just gotta bracket the sub in place so it doesn't go flying when I hit the brakes hard or take off hard.

https://i.imgur.com/bRrSJtd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/y1MUE0e.jpg

[Redog]

C2;667167']The big one is borosilicate glass from Killerglass.

The sight gauge one is a rigid plastic, Chemfluor 367 with Kynar PVDF push-in fittings with Viton seals. Rated for the temperature, pressure, and chemicals.

Yes, Killerglass! That's the site. Pretty cool stuff.

I want one! How much did you pay? Was it custom? :awesome:

[Redog]

[QUOTE='[ion] C2;667168']Audio quality is very good now. Just gotta bracket the sub in place so it doesn't go flying when I hit the brakes hard or take off hard.

I just got a Sony Head Unit in mine too

AXV-1000, IIRC

I have no sub though ;)

[[ion] C2]

I want one! How much did you pay? Was it custom? :awesome:

I just got a straight 9 inch section (7 inch visible) for 1-3/8" ID hose, including heat shrink clamps and LEDs (didn't install them though) for $145 shipped. I e-mailed him td@killerglass.com to discuss and order.

Got a new hose, marked straight lines and cut a 7 inch section out. Added straight lines to the glass, lined everything up and heat shrunk it together.

[Redog]

C2;667171']I just got a straight 9 inch section (7 inch visible) for 1-3/8" ID hose, including heat shrink clamps and LEDs (didn't install them though) for $145 shipped. I e-mailed him td@killerglass.com to discuss and order.

Got a new hose, marked straight lines and cut a 7 inch section out. Added straight lines to the glass, lined everything up and heat shrunk it together.

Cool, thanks :coolio:

[[ion] C2]

Replaced the water pump, thermostat, metal thermostat to hose pipe that goes under the engine, timing chain, tensioner, guides.

Tomorrow buttoning it up with a new lower hose (rubber portion) with all Mishimoto constant-tension clamps. Should fix the minor coolant temperature abnormalities I was experiencing.

https://i.imgur.com/8KjIq5F.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/O0dztR9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PbuxvR0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9s4Xf9e.jpg

[[ion] C2]

So far, the temperature gets up much quicker and is basically rock solid set at thermostat temp. I'm still working out an issue with being able to connect my laptop to the car to monitor the actual coolant numbers, but it seems perfect.

Also, it's confirmed, definitely going RWD using a T56 transmission.

Now, a long hiatus until there's money to do Stage 6, which will be a big one. Gonna try and get some rolling shots here soon. Hard to coordinate as it takes 3 people, one of them that you trust to drive your car.

[[ion] C2]

I f-ed up the photography, thought I knew what I was doing for rollers, but whatever, I'll try again soon with the right settings.

https://i.imgur.com/PnbiTmP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SCGr7Z0.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Photoshop of how I think I want the car to look eventually. First I need to find that AAS body kit to modify.



If anyone has a line on one, let me know. It seems that they are all gone - no stock anywhere. It would be nice to use it as a base to modify from, but I might have to 3D scan the car and have one designed, perhaps even different from my Photoshopped version. IDK. I should make it widebody for even wider wheels/tires...

https://i.imgur.com/R10bYcZ.jpg

[That01Olds]

Idk man I wouldn't say you f---ed up the photography at all. The pics look awesome imo! Especially the first one. So you're planning on going back to red eventually like the old one?

[[ion] C2]

Idk man I wouldn't say you f---ed up the photography at all. The pics look awesome imo! Especially the first one. So you're planning on going back to red eventually like the old one?

Haha yeah they did come out OK I guess. Just compared to some pro shots they are sub-par. Rolling shots are very difficult to perfect. I found a guy on Instagram locally that's going to take some awesome ones of my car, and his tend to come out better: https://www.instagram.com/jamespaulmedia/

Yeah, it's going to be a very reflective candy red. I photoshopped all sorts of colors, and when it comes to having a kit like this on the Alero, red, white, metallic gray, orange, bright green are the only ones that seem to look "good" - but I have a thing for candy red.

We'll see how it shakes out. If I happen to get the body kit modified up and have some spare money, I might have the car wrapped in a reflective red for now, and then when I have a ton of money to sink into bodywork and RWD conversion, the car will be powder coated and then painted the color. I am probably going to pick up a spare Alero to get the custom work done without having this one down. We'll see what happens. Fabricator says it's easier to just grab a scrap car whose main body is good and rust free, modify it, then transfer all the stuff I want from this car to it.

:awesome:

[[ion] C2]

I sent my spare throttle body out to Maxbore to be bored and sleeeved to 62mm, or 2.44". Since the ID of my charge piping is 2.37", this will prevent the throttle body from being a potential restriction.

I have a fuel rail arriving today that I'm going to modify for AN fittings. I am then going to focus on gathering funds to get the 1700cc injectors, FPR, fuel filter, fuel lines, and the parts and labor for installing and tuning the AEM standalone with flex fuel sensor based maps so I can run anything from 91 to E54 safely and am no longer tied to certain gas stations.

It will also dyno above 500whp, which will be neat.

[That01Olds]

C2;667185']Haha yeah they did come out OK I guess. Just compared to some pro shots they are sub-par. Rolling shots are very difficult to perfect. I found a guy on Instagram locally that's going to take some awesome ones of my car, and his tend to come out better: https://www.instagram.com/jamespaulmedia/

Yeah, it's going to be a very reflective candy red. I photoshopped all sorts of colors, and when it comes to having a kit like this on the Alero, red, white, metallic gray, orange, bright green are the only ones that seem to look "good" - but I have a thing for candy red.

We'll see how it shakes out. If I happen to get the body kit modified up and have some spare money, I might have the car wrapped in a reflective red for now, and then when I have a ton of money to sink into bodywork and RWD conversion, the car will be powder coated and then painted the color. I am probably going to pick up a spare Alero to get the custom work done without having this one down. We'll see what happens. Fabricator says it's easier to just grab a scrap car whose main body is good and rust free, modify it, then transfer all the stuff I want from this car to it.

:awesome:

Yeah I think they came out more than okay man. Give yourself some credit lol and that I believe given the amount of different variables in capturing something that's moving at a certain speed while it's surroundings are stationary. Nice!! I checked out his Instagram and those are some really sweet photos. :awesome: I still have the one you took of my Miata in Michigan a few years back saved on my computer haha.


Nice and yeah I like a good gray myself, but it makes sense. Red is what you started with afterall. It was the OG project. I could definitely see that and plus finding another Alero on the cheap is pretty easy. Even if you come across a nice one. I still see them driving around from time to time, but most of them are in pretty rough shape unfortunately.

[[ion] C2]

New changes to the next stage of mods, which are happening sooner than later:

- Link G4X XtremeX standalone EMS
- AEM CD7F 7" display
- AEM flex fuel sensor system
- AEM X-Series inline wideband
- AEM 3.5 bar MAP
- AEM IAT sensor
- Mac Valve boost solenoid kit
- Walbro 470 LPH fuel pump
- Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator
- Radium Engineering fuel filter

[[ion] C2]

Throttle body's back, now in 62mm. Unfortunately the adapter plate I made is only 58mm because I had originally planned to use the LS1 throttle body, so the bore was plenty for the stock throttle body.

I'm going to work on separating the adapter from the manifold (I used The Right Stuff, which is exceptionally good at sealing, and... holding parts together.) and cleaning up all the gasket maker residue tomorrow, and hopefully get it bored to 63mm or so this week and reinstalled and the tune slightly adjusted.

https://i.imgur.com/dCHVApt.jpg

[[ion] C2]

OK, so The Right Stuff is practically impossible to remove if you use it as the sole gasket material between two surfaces. It's impervious to 450F and most solvents.

Then it hit me to do some quick math to see if the 58mm bore is actually large enough, since the 9.8mm diameter rod that holds the throttle plate takes up some cross sectional area as well.

62mm throttle body effective area 24.14 sq cm
58mm adapter area 26.42 sq cm

However, a 2.5" charge pipe still has an ID that makes its area 28.46 sq cm, so a 62mm throttle body is 4.32 sq cm away from actually being no restriction relative to charge pipe size.

It would have to be a 67mm to match the charge piping ID. Oops.

https://i.imgur.com/1AA2WUE.jpg

I don't think it makes a huuuuuge deal on a turbo engine.

[SIUlero]

C2;667197']Then it hit me to do some quick math to see if the 58mm bore is actually large enough, since the 9.8mm diameter rod that holds the throttle plate takes up some cross sectional area as well.

62mm throttle body effective area 24.14 sq cm
58mm adapter area 26.42 sq cm

Wouldn't it still be a good idea to match the bore, at least with a chamfer in the adapter plate? Sure, total cross-section is fine, and their individual flow rates will be similar, but it seems like that lip would cause some turbulence.

[[ion] C2]

Wouldn't it still be a good idea to match the bore, at least with a chamfer in the adapter plate? Sure, total cross-section is fine, and their individual flow rates will be similar, but it seems like that lip would cause some turbulence.

Great point. I'll do it when the next engine is built and I have another reason to take everything apart again. :lol:

[[ion] C2]

Stage 6 and 7 are overlapping, so.. it's taking forever. Maybe by next month or so I can drive the car again, assuming it survives the 600 whp dyno run, lol. It's kinda pushing the limit on the Wiseco/Eagle rods.

I'll have a GT3076R with 0.63 A/R TiAL turbine housing for sale soon though. And some ID1050X fuel injectors. But those will likely sell on eBay.

[AleroB888]

Great stuff ! Glad to see you took it to the next level, if not to the limit... :)

[[ion] C2]

Welp, the water pump job apparently didn't seal well, because it leaks. The shop removed the turbo manifold and identified the sources of all oil and coolant leaks, and will be correcting them. The oil drain flange is one with a machined o-ring groove in it, so it shouldn't leak, and the fitting that's on my oil pan has a weld porosity issue, so they'll fix that.

Perhaps, for once in the last 11 years, my car won't drip oil or coolant. We shall see.

The turbo manifold exhaust flange gasket was deteriorating already because the asshole that made the manifold stripped a stud and didn't want to helicoil the hole, so it wasn't clamped down well in that area. People underestimate the amount of pressure in an exhaust, especially pre-turbo. Things need to seal.

Looks like we're actually flipping the manifold upside down and going top-mount turbo again, and redoing some of the charge piping to be better. Hey, it's just money.

Ah well, in a month or two, hopefully it will be running and good to go for a while. And with a whp starting with a 6.

[That01Olds]

All I heard was WHP starting with a 6 and... :awesome: :awesome: :awesome:

[[ion] C2]

Alright, I'm going to sell the Forgelines and go to Volk TE37 wheels.... probably. They look good both in the current car layout and in the red mockup I made.

Can't go wrong with 6 spokes, or the mainstream wheels. It's why I put Enkei RPF1 wheels on my Subaru. Always works, any car.

https://i.imgur.com/d5CodOR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vYzbJ5P.jpg

[That01Olds]

They do look good! It's funny you mention that about the RPF1's though lol. I wanna put a set of those on my VW. Wrapped in some nice 18 inch Conti's.

[homegrown]

C2;667258']Alright, I'm going to sell the Forgelines and go to Volk TE37 wheels.... probably. They look good both in the current car layout and in the red mockup I made.

Can't go wrong with 6 spokes, or the mainstream wheels. It's why I put Enkei RPF1 wheels on my Subaru. Always works, any car.

Can I interest you in a nice set of Indigo Blue Advan RZ-IIs in 17x8"?

[[ion] C2]

Can I interest you in a nice set of Indigo Blue Advan RZ-IIs in 17x8"?
Negatory - I am unfortunately very picky on wheels. Fewer spokes the better, especially for cleaning. :lol:

[[ion] C2]

Wheels came in, powder coat came in (that I hope will come out the way I expect it to).

Unfortunately upon looking at the wheels, they are clear coated. I ordered machined aluminum in the expectation I would get raw wheels ready for powder coat. So that has to be removed first. Manufacturer says it's just paint clear, not powder clear.

Dropped wheels off at a metal cleaning shop, but I'm fearful that the process will remove the super shiny finish, thus requiring me to take them to a polishing company......

So frustrating. Added time and money over and over all because no one sells the wheels in the finish and size I wanted. As soon as these are done, I can get them on the car and get the Forgelines OFF so I can clean and take better pictures and have a better chance of selling them.

$5300 set of wheels for $2000 seems like a good deal, but no one's bitten so far. https://www.ebay.com/itm/264786272350

[[ion] C2]

Just waiting on fabrication to finish the turbo manifold/downpipe/exhaust, and fuel system installation. Then it's tidying up wiring and doing a full tune on the standalone.

Slowwwwwwwwww.

https://i.imgur.com/w2RCOhK.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Holy crap there's actually an update!

Fabricator finally shared some pictures of what he's been up to, and the car should be back to the tuner tomorrow so they can finish up the new fueling installation and get it ready for tuning the standalone.

3.5" all the way with only a vibrant resonator to tame the sound. We'll see how it sounds soon... should hear the turbo quite well and sound more aggressive.

Charge piping has been routed a unique way that I haven't seen on this engine before. I like it.

https://i.imgur.com/sCWsQq9h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1YBpCt2h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/85KebDAh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kQuyT4kh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Lolm7ISh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MOgWrEdh.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Looks good chris

[NoSweat83]

Car is looking good buddy! Glad to see your still messing with it :awesome:

[[ion] C2]

Everything's coated. All that's left is reinstalling parts, plumbing the oil lines/fuel lines, and a teeny bit of wiring.

Hopefully will be running and getting tuned next week. Probably going to limit it to 550whp just to be safe. I don't trust these Eagle rods and regular Wiseco wrist pins. We'll hit 750whp+ on the next engine.

https://i.imgur.com/98YDk2b.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gjwXz8A.jpg

Hey it's my old exhaust

https://i.imgur.com/bKdFBvB.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Well, noticed the water pump housing still leaks, so they're removing and reinstalling it with new gaskets and sealant this time probably. My car loves to leak everything.

However, they are also going to take off the oil pan and redo the oil drain fitting that has leaked since 2009. Finally! I might have a car that doesn't leak oil or coolant. It would be very unusual.

Hopefully it will be done soon... I'm not very patient and it's been out of my hands for almost 8 months now. There's not much to do.

https://i.imgur.com/3j23t6x.jpg

[homegrown]

C2;667345']
Hopefully it will be done soon... I'm not very patient and it's been out of my hands for almost 8 months now. There's not much to do.

I feel your pain - my car been under the knife for well over 2 years now. It has certainly tested my patience. But getting angry about it accomplishes nothing.
Your car looks great, though. Very impressive on the work you've done.

[[ion] C2]

I feel your pain - my car been under the knife for well over 2 years now. It has certainly tested my patience. But getting angry about it accomplishes nothing.
Yeah it's crazy thinking that it used to be my daily driver and I modded it then with hardly any money, needing to ensure it had like zero downtime. When it had a problem, I felt upset until it was fixed. I was tied to it and it was my pride and focus for a lot of my happiness. My main short-term goal was to reach whatever quarter mile time I wanted at the time, and it's something I could tinker with and improve over time.

Now it mainly sits around and gets driven every once in a while just for fun, as I work from home. I just want to get this stage done, as it will be pretty much "set" for a while. The next steps are planned for when I have a decent nest egg sitting around and have the ability to go nuts on the new engine build/bodywork/RWD-or-AWD-setup.


Your car looks great, though. Very impressive on the work you've done.
The project goals are being achieved, and that's great, but as a whole, when it comes to exterior appearance/condition, it's looking rougher. The paint done in 2013 was utter garbage, it got swiped in a parking lot adding a nice big scuff to the bumper, then a shop accidentally backed into something adding another gouge, then I accidentally set a box that had some dirt/rocks on the bottom on my trunk and completely obliterated the paint on the top of that (huge white noticeable scratches, absolutely insane). Paint is peeling by the headlights on the front bumper, the passenger side little trim piece is detaching from the door. My passenger door/fender alignment has been horribly misaligned since the paint job in 2013 causing massive squeaks and visible flex as the two panels fight each other. All these minor things are adding up and making me wish I had the coin to throw at a full rust-repair and thorough paint job earlier. I want it to look as good as it performs. However, it's probably going to have to wait until it's time to go nuts on the drivetrain and cage and all that.

I plan on getting some rolling shots and some static shots with cool backgrounds though once this thing is running... which... every week it's "should be done next week!"



I did learn that the oil pan has been modified with a new oil drain line today, so that's nice. Just gotta put the pan on, water pump housing, manifold, turbo, charge piping, oil lines, and then finish routing the fuel lines... and then tidying up the remaining wiring which I hear is very minimal.

[[ion] C2]

Oil pan has a new leak-free drain fitting!
Water pump housing has been reinstalled with new gaskets and is also leak-free!

My car might actually have zero leaks for the first time since 2008!

All that's left:

install turbo
install oil feed line and pressure sensor
install oil drain line
install remaining couplers and charge piping
install fuel pressure regulator
install fuel rail return line
connect remaining boost/vac hoses
adjust a/c bypass pulley to line up better with others
replace serpentine belt (lost a rib due to apparent misalignment)
top off coolant
boost leak test
finalize wiring


https://i.imgur.com/LEWlPLM.jpg

[tw0123]

This is good to see and hear!!! I'm still in for videos of this beauty running haha!!!

[[ion] C2]

This is good to see and hear!!! I'm still in for videos of this beauty running haha!!!
Argh I know I have my camera and microphones ready, plan is to have:

1. Dyno video
2. Couple in-car pulls with proper microphone
3. Rolling still shots, rolling video shots (taken by a pro with me driving instead of assholes driving my car disrespectfully like last time)

Then once it's really worth taking some good footage of (stage 10), do a gymkhana style video and splice it with old footage of the Alero advertisements/dealer videos to some kickass music (and the music strategically cut out during parts to hear the car alone)

[[ion] C2]

So messy right now, but turbo is mounted, fuel lines and FPR installed. It was nice to see the turbo fully mounted in place for once. Looks big in the bay, and I like the little angle it's at.

https://i.imgur.com/cUQILSn.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Decided to boost the ignition power, so we're changing to individual AEM smart coils and MSD Super Conductor wires.

Literally all that's left is installing the oil pressure sensor and these coils/wires. Coils come in Monday.

It's sooo close.

[Young Gun]

C2;667368']Decided to boost the ignition power, so we're changing to individual AEM smart coils and MSD Super Conductor wires.

Literally all that's left is installing the oil pressure sensor and these coils/wires. Coils come in Monday.

It's sooo close.

:coolio:

I expect vids!

[[ion] C2]

Always delays. Miscommunication regarding the crankshaft notches for triggering the crank position sensor. GM uses an apparently unusual setup of 6 evenly spaced notches cut out and then there's an extra notch 10 degrees offset from another.

https://i.imgur.com/w54V5yr.gif

So now we wait for the ECU manufacturer to program in the ability to read such a crank position trigger(LMAO AS IF THEY WOULD WASTE THEIR TIME), or install an external trigger wheel to the crank pulley. Trigger wheel was ordered the other day but then it becomes allocating time to fabricate and wire in everything else, the sensor bracket, etc. Sigh.......

I think it's something like this one
https://i.imgur.com/PwLsBhQ.png

It's been 9 months without the car now on something I didn't see going past 4. It's the longest this car has not run or driven. I just want it to be turned on and tuned. I want to hear what the exhaust sounds like. I want to see it survive the dyno.

[[ion] C2]

Supposedly the ECU is now able to read the notches on the crank, apparently the Alero shares a trigger pattern with a Lotus or something... weird. So the trigger wheel may not be necessary.

Wires and coils are being installed, and then it's time to get it started and dynoed. It will be messy wires during the dyno in case of issues, and then once the dyno tuning is complete, it's cleanup/tuck time.

https://i.imgur.com/ZC1Fp35.jpg

[SprtSedan01]

:posi: got it lookin good, can?t wait to see/hear it! :thumb:

[homegrown]

Chris:
I know you have different cams in your car, but comparing cam specs between a DOHC motor and a pushrod motor isn't exactly apples to apples.
How's the drivability with those cams? Where's the car idle?

[[ion] C2]

Chris:
I know you have different cams in your car, but comparing cam specs between a DOHC motor and a pushrod motor isn't exactly apples to apples.
How's the drivability with those cams? Where's the car idle?

Ehh the cams I have are just the "secret cams" which are just a Quad 4 intake from one year and an exhaust from another. They really aren't much different than stock. Little more lift, little more duration.

Didn't notice anything from stock engine to the first built version with them.

[[ion] C2]

Getting there... had it cranking but only producing a LOUD afterfire after a lot of cranking. Should be running soon...

https://i.imgur.com/dz6mWPp.jpg

[[ion] C2]

It was running today! It sounds aggressive. Unfortunately was only running for a few seconds and I had to leave.

I'll get some footage with my fancy camera and microphone when I'm there for the tuning. I can tell you the next dyno video will be much louder than the first.

Hopefully tuning next week? (same thing I've said every week for the last few months)

[NoSweat83]

Great news Chris! Looking forward to hearing and seeing it run!

[[ion] C2]

Well, oil leak's fixed (was a bad crimp on one of the AN assemblies), and it's ready for the dyno.

Actually should be on the dyno in the next day or two, and it's going to be an all day thing to fully tune it. It's getting tuned on 91 octane and E98, and then the software will adjust for mixes between that based on alcohol content, so I can run E54 and anything in between without issue. That's the coolest part of all this. I'm not limited to a certain gas station anymore and can drive it anywhere on anything.

[[ion] C2]

570 whp / 517 ft-lb

on the initial setup run. Tweaking boost controller, tightening spark plug gap, installing larger intercooler. Will exceed 600 whp shortly. 🤫

[dbral]

Awesome job man! Insane! Thinking you now should have more hp in one cylinder than what that car was rated at when it was brand new lol!

[homegrown]

Crazy numbers, Chris. Congrats.
Makes all the hard work and waiting worth it, doesn't it?

[[ion] C2]

Crazy numbers, Chris. Congrats.
Makes all the hard work and waiting worth it, doesn't it?
Haha yeah I'm excited to get some video on the dyno.

I think it's funny it's the highest HP LD9 and I didn't even port the head, it's only on secret cams (no W41/HO), stock valves/springs and only revving to 6500. Browsing the j-body forums it's funny to see people act like it's just impossible to make power without doing certain things, and here I am.

No doubt there's gains to be had, and that's why the next engine will be very professionally ported, bigger valves, stiffer springs, etc. and rev till it stops making power.

But if I can get a WHP with a 6 in front of it, that's all I'm looking for right now. Eager to get the new intercooler on and see what we can do to just barely get over the 600 mark. That'll hold me over for the next couple years. Want to get my rolling shots and video done, and some sweet in-car and flyby videos.

[[ion] C2]

Well they took off the throttle body and hogged out the area around the IAC valve, apparently the small opening left from MaxBore's sleeving job wasn't ideal. Now idle control is very good, I'm told. Boost controller relocated to hopefully provide better control without hysteresis.

It would've been on the dyno today if they didn't run into a weird starting issue. Half the time it only cranks and afterfires and half the time it starts up and runs. There's an issue with the cam/crank sync. Now we have to wait until Link can determine the cause of the problem, and fix it. Sigh..

It's so hard to have an opening for the dyno (because tuning is booked up for the next 2 months) so my car can only get on if someone cancels. Once they fix the cam sensor issue I'll have to find out who's next on the dyno and offer them money to reschedule.

It's been almost a year. I haven't heard my car run for more than 3 seconds. I just want to video the dyno run and order my new license plate (dependent on the results).

[[ion] C2]

583 whp / 600 ft-lb

Bittersweet. Disappointing that we lifted the head and had erratic boost control, but it's still the most powerful GM 2.4L LD9 on record.

Once it's fixed it should be well into the mid 600 whp range. Insane. Getting some CA625 studs and a fancier head gasket and clamping it down.

Sj_BwaaqiTQ

[homegrown]

That's hugely impressive, Chris.
Too bad about the HG, but I'm sure you'll get it sorted out.
Congrats!

[[ion] C2]

That's hugely impressive, Chris.
It is wild when you look at the list of the top WHP: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KwYCfpSz3QKtMqsk4GRASgWgbw6JDYffE_Q7ogieE_c

The amount of torque that was made seems to indicate that the WHP will be much higher than I expected as well. We might need to tone it down a bit for the sake of these basic Eagle rods lol.



I've got a Cometic .051" MLS on order, and an SCE ICS Titan on order. Not sure which to use. Will have to consult with UMS.

The ICS Titan has seemingly better tech for ensuring a seal with the built in wire ring. However, it requires retorquing after the engine idles to operating temp... so double-work on teardown/assembly...

https://i.imgur.com/yebyHa1.jpg

But the ARP Custom Age 625+ studs might allow for much higher clamping load anyway and keep things sealed on the MLS just fine... I dunno.

[homegrown]

I suppose the only other questions are - any worries about putting the power to the ground, or turning the chassis into a pretzel?

[[ion] C2]

I suppose the only other questions are - any worries about putting the power to the ground, or turning the chassis into a pretzel?

Hmm I didn't think about bending the body with FWD, there's j-bodies launching with slicks at high power without issues.

When it's time to configure the body for AWD/RWD it will be tubed and reinforced, so no worries there. As of right now, it's flexible. I figure the axles/trans will break before anything crazy happens to the body.

[Young Gun]

C2;667432']
When it's time to configure the body for AWD/RWD it will be tubed and reinforced


Interesting. Didn't think anyone would still consider going this route on this platform.

[[ion] C2]

Interesting. Didn't think anyone would still consider going this route on this platform.

I'm the one. People do things to all kinds of cars:

1971 Trans Am - AWD (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWKSUlectK4)
2019 Corolla - RWD (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxOhP0v21Gc)
RX-7 - AWD (https://www.youtube.com/c/RobDahm/)

This car is going to be great at:

power
braking
handling
comfort/modern features
appearanceIt already handles amazing, but the bodywork involved in the AWD configuration will massively stiffen the chassis and allow me to use completely new suspension components that will make it even better.


The power is going well, once we button up the head issues.

I have TPMS, a digital customizable screen display, great headunit, etc. on the interior. Once the body work is done it will be fully caged and sound dampened, and I want to have someone do some work on the interior to make it look even more high end.

It's out of the ordinary, but it's fun to drive and fun to continually improve.

[dbral]

Holy crap....What donor vehicle do you have in mind for the AWD driveline??

[[ion] C2]

Holy crap....What donor vehicle do you have in mind for the AWD driveline??

Probably older GT-R like everyone seems to use. Curious about DSM since their engines are mounted the same way as ours, though.

[[ion] C2]

I've been thinking about how best to keep the head sealed. I pretty much settled on using the Cometic MLS gasket and using ARP Custom Age 625+ (extremely high tensile strength) studs. My intention was to torque those things like crazy (75% of their yield strength) which as far as I know is something like 120 ft-lb or more. I figure this clamping force and preload will keep things snug.

However, I've read/seen some interesting things about tightening the head down with higher torque and causing distortion in the head and block, causing the cylinder walls, valve seats, etc. to be misshapen. I've seen pictures and videos of cylinder bore wear being incorrect even on iron blocks from people using higher torque on their head studs.

As power levels increase you need more strength in the stud, but you DO NOT need or want a similar major increase in preload, all you will do is distort things so they'll never seal.

When you go way over the OE torque numbers, it distorts the cylinder head

When ARP calls back with the CA 625+ cost and timing information, maybe we can ask them about their thoughts on torque/preload for this application. The assembly manual for the engine only specifies 40 ft-lb on the long head bolts, and 30 ft-lb on the short head bolts as factory specs (but that's for an engine making factory wimpy torque). I torqued all of them to 85 ft-lb when I switched to ARP 8740 studs, because that's what everyone said to use on j-body.org.

Maybe that's why I had so much crankcase pressure after this engine was built: the cylinder walls were distorted and had blow-by. Over time it sealed itself up. Who knows.

These guys are discussing the exact thought I was having - head and block should be machined with the torque plate installed at that extreme clamp load.
https://dsportmag.com/the-tech/head-torque-plate-solutions-save-valves-and-improve-efficiency/

Maybe distortion isn't a big deal and the clamping force is really necessary to keep things secure. I know some 1300+ whp 4 cylinders in this shop have head studs torqued to like 140 ft-lb.

I have the highest torque LD9 ever made as far as I know, so it's uncharted waters.

[[ion] C2]

After a couple weeks of trying to get answers, it's going to be $1500 for custom studs from ARP. At least when the head gasket manufacturers were talking about doing a special run, they were including like 25 head gaskets in the cost. With ARP, you get one set. :lol:

[[ion] C2]

All torn apart. Hopefully the parts get here soon. I heard Cometic is taking like 6-7 months now to fulfill orders.

https://i.imgur.com/I4Yypqoh.jpg

[Young Gun]

C2;667457']After a couple weeks of trying to get answers, it's going to be $1500 for custom studs from ARP. At least when the head gasket manufacturers were talking about doing a special run, they were including like 25 head gaskets in the cost. With ARP, you get one set. :lol:

Commitment right here!

C2;667462']All torn apart. Hopefully the parts get here soon. I heard Cometic is taking like 6-7 months now to fulfill orders.

https://i.imgur.com/I4Yypqoh.jpg

Oh no!!!!!! I hope not but being a one off custom I fear for you

[[ion] C2]

Well, I got a Cometic .030" gasket from a fellow LD9 modder so I don't have to wait 7 months for Cometic's manufacturing lead time.

But ARP is still dragging their feet on the studs. Shop is still struggling to get the order going for some reason. It's been weeks. Like I don't understand, give them sizes and tell them to make it using the CA 625+ material and process.

[[ion] C2]

As of today, ARP still hasn't confirmed our order for the custom studs.

[Young Gun]

C2;667479']As of today, ARP still hasn't confirmed our order for the custom studs.

Dang!

Side note I get excited when I open up aleromod and see you have an update let alone just a new post :awesome:

[[ion] C2]

I reached out to ARP directly to ask them what we need to do to get moving on this order, because UMS Tuning has reached out over two months ago and even though we're waving money around we can't get anyone to reply after the initial confirmation that they can do it.

I immediately got an answer from one of the employees who requested the measurements and said it's 8-12 week lead time. That sucks and if we would've had this rolling in the beginning it would've been done by now. Now once they finally figure out what's going on and actually send us an invoice that we can pay, it will still be 2-3 months until we get parts. Meanwhile my car is just sitting there. I would like to use my expensive toy.

I am not a patient person, especially when the delay is related to people not using every tool at their disposal to accomplish a task. Why email ARP once a week and have no reply when you can call them? Tag them in social media? Email a different person?

I'm just someone who happens to get shit done. I've said it in interviews and people just brush it off, but seriously, if there's something that needs to be done, I will get it done the most efficient way possible. So many people just drag their ass and I hate it. If I leave things up to others, play the waiting game, nothing gets done. Just how it is. With business relationships with suppliers, too. If I'm not there micromanaging them, things just do not get done. It's sad.

[[ion] C2]

I think we're close to getting the stud order officially entered, and the 10-12 week lead time on manufacturing started!

:dance1:

$2,000 - $2,500 for the set of studs though. Hoping I can get two sets for that price, as I plan to build a second engine while the main one still runs.

[dbral]

$2,000 - $2,500 for the set of studs though. Hoping I can get two sets for that price, as I plan to build a second engine while the main one still runs.
Jesus, making that kind of horsepower is expensive however it will be rewarding in the end for sure.

What plans do you have for engine #2?

[[ion] C2]

It's in the stage 8 section on the first post.

Just stronger rods, pistons, a dry sump oil system with a lot of attention to keeping everything lubricated. Mildly ported head. Want to make the strongest version of this engine ever made, so that it can endure the higher power and last. When I go AWD, I will probably have to increase the engine power since more will be lost via drivetrain, and the car will be heavier due to the added bracing, full cage, sound deadening, etc. Can't have it get slower! lol

The stress that parts endure on a high HP 4-cylinder are crazy. I would feel more comfortable if the engine was built with this power level and more in mind. Right now it's over 150HP per cylinder, this engine is feeling similar forces as a 1200HP V8.

[dbral]

It's in the stage 8 section on the first post.
Okay there it is! Nice plans for moving forward. Personally, I'm not counting out your current engine's set-up just yet. Once you get that head clamped down good, it just might hold together for plenty of 600+hp bursts of insanity.

Happy to hear that you got the ball rolling on those studs. Dealing with custom parts can be quite frustrating at times.

[jhubbz]

I had a random itch to sign back in and check out what's been going on with everyone. This is one hell of a build, and it's great to see you still going strong with everything!

[[ion] C2]

$2,886.15 (well, at a minimum, he said) for one set of studs.

I wish I could get two for that price, because I would love to have the other engine build complete and buttoned up and ready to rock while this one's still running, but I guess the head will have to stay off on the second engine.

It's been a long journey to get them to officially make a quote, but now I still have to wait for the drawings to be made, and then the 12-week timer on manufacturing can begin.

I just want to know if the studs will keep the head sealed, and actually drive the car. It's been so long and there's nothing I can do to expedite it. I need studs.

[homegrown]

That is crazy just for a set of head studs. Makes you wonder if they are just throwing a stupid number at you because they really don't want the job.

[[ion] C2]

That is crazy just for a set of head studs. Makes you wonder if they are just throwing a stupid number at you because they really don't want the job.

One offs are always expensive.

Extreme Bolt quoted me nearly $10,000...

Drawings are approved, ARP says they "will get rolling." Hopefully that means the 12 week lead time has begun. So, middle October is when I should have them. Ugh.

[[ion] C2]

Finally! Some custom made ARP Custom Age 625 Plus studs specifically made to maximize thread engagement on the GM LD9. The off-the-shelf ones people have been using barely thread in on the short studs and aren't using the full potential of the others either.

However, the big difference here is material. This stuff is the best of the best when it comes to head studs.

Now we can get this engine back together and hopefully cross the 600 whp threshold without leaks. Here's to hoping sometime in December it will be back in my hands.

https://i.imgur.com/Nol2vqD.jpg

[homegrown]

Pretty.
Hopefully, they work out for you.

[[ion] C2]

Pretty.
Hopefully, they work out for you.

After 19 months of having my car in a shop I'm ready for things to work :panic:

[Young Gun]

C2;667538']Finally! Some custom made ARP Custom Age 625 Plus studs specifically made to maximize thread engagement on the GM LD9.
https://i.imgur.com/Nol2vqD.jpg



Yay! I can't wait either

[dbral]

Awesome!

[[ion] C2]

Currently on the hunt for stronger valve springs before reassembling everything. The stock ones are only 35 lb, I think. Considering we're producing 35 lbs of boost, the valvetrain probably isn't running as efficiently as it could.

So that's the current hold up. Measurements being taken and comparing to options out there.

[Young Gun]

C2;667553']Currently on the hunt for stronger valve springs before reassembling everything. The stock ones are only 35 lb, I think. Considering we're producing 35 lbs of boost, the valvetrain probably isn't running as efficiently as it could.

So that's the current hold up. Measurements being taken and comparing to options out there.

Cool cool. Can't wait for it to be turned up!

[LRM88]

Impressive project.

[[ion] C2]

So for the last 5 months we've been trying to get a valvetrain pieced together from off-the-shelf parts, or a combination of that and custom machined retainers and/or locators.

However, something we didn't anticipate was that every manufacturer would feign interest, be extremely communicative, and then ghost us.

GSC Power Divison
The first manufacturer we spoke with just stopped replying to emails in early January. I left a very polite "just following up" voicemail once a week. I emailed expressing my willingness to pay whatever it takes to make, etc. Completely ghosted.

Kibblewhite Performance Machining, Inc
I reached out to another manufacturer, and they were very responsive, very fast, up until the point that I sent my stock parts to them for one final fit-check. They said it would be about $750, so to consider that before sending in my parts. Cost is not an issue on this so I immediately shipped them. It's been over 6 weeks since they received my parts, and they immediately went silent. I've only gotten a few blips of "sorry we were busy" and "I'm working with your parts today, will have an answer Monday or Tuesday" which of course was weeks ago.

Ferrea
I reached out to another place and explained that I'm having bad luck and everyone is ghosting me. They were communicative but did not have a good retainer/base solution. Recommended RD Spring.

RD Spring
They had a spring but said would need custom retainers and such and they don't do that.

I decided to reach back out to GSC Power Division last week. I emailed and explained that I left a few voicemails and emails that went unanswered, and I don't know why, but is there any way you can help. I need this done and I will pay big.

I called immediately to follow up and was able to speak to the owner for a long time. He said the reason he disappeared was he assumed I wouldn't be interested in the 2-3 month lead time. Come on. I'm 5 months in researching and trying to get a valvetrain solution, and they ghosted me because he thought it would be too long? Regardless, today is a new day and he is willing to help based on my persistence.

So now GSC and KPMI both have sets of my parts for comparison. I emailed KPMI with a desperate sounding plea for follow-through on this project, and explained that I spent a LOT of money on this car and this isn't :censored: in the grand scheme of things, I just need it done, and done quickly. I am tired of waiting, my car has not been driven by me in 2 years, etc.

However.

I continued my research and found that there is a fast, even inexpensive, solution that should result in about a 105 lb installed spring force.
Crower springs P/N 68190-16
2.3 Quad 4 retainers (P/N 22531219)
Comp Cams shim(s) on exhaust side (P/N 4717-16)Then you grind off the inner raised lip on the intake rotators for the spring to fit.

That's it. I've got the parts on order.

Since you're technically supposed to use a locator on the base of the spring, I also ordered Isky 255VSL locators, which are basically the perfect size to use on the exhaust valvetrain. This way they have a shoulder that the spring can be "located" by instead of just resting on a flat washer with nothing helping keep it centered.

The intake side won't be ideal for now, as to install the spring on the existing rotators, we have to remove the raised shoulder that normally centers and locates the spring. I've heard quite a few people running things that way, so it must be OK for a while. I will have custom rotators made for the next engine, but it should work for now.

I hate not having my car. This is a car that was my daily driver for so many years. When it had issues, I was in a bad mood overall. When it was running good, I was feeling good. Dunno, it's weird.

[[ion] C2]

Machine shop that's doing the head resurfacing didn't like our idea of grinding/milling off the raised part of the intake rotators, so they're machining actual locators. Intake valves won't spin anymore, but they'll stay centered, which is good.

Anyone's guess as far as how long it will take to get the head back though... hopefully quick...

[Young Gun]

C2;667645']Machine shop that's doing the head resurfacing didn't like our idea of grinding/milling off the raised part of the intake rotators, so they're machining actual locators. Intake valves won't spin anymore, but they'll stay centered, which is good.

Anyone's guess as far as how long it will take to get the head back though... hopefully quick...

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a5RdrrhAs0A/maxresdefault.jpg

[dbral]

Fingers crossed that your Crower valve spring and related parts idea works and it sucks to hear about the lack of support from all of those companies. You are in uncharted twin cam territory with no help from above. Keep pushing on as always.
I hate not having my car. This is a car that was my daily driver for so many years. When it had issues, I was in a bad mood overall. When it was running good, I was feeling good. Dunno, it's weird.

Not weird at all to me... I can relate to this

[dbral]

LOL young gun! Hopefully more like one week later....

[[ion] C2]

Head's back. They ended up using the Isky 255VSL locators on the intake side and machining a spacer so they are as tall as the original rotators.

So on the exhaust side they just used the Comp Cams shims I had originally planned to use. Not ideal, but it will work.

Next up, assembly.

https://i.imgur.com/iCQhY5R.png

[[ion] C2]

Ayy head's on!

https://i.imgur.com/W7LIHRR.jpg

Too bad it's gotta come right back off. The screws I ordered for the cam towers were a hair too long, and they cracked the head. I got long screws to prevent them from stripping out (as the OEM ones leave a lot of unused thread), but apparently they were too long.

https://i.imgur.com/9vPiz06.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YpxMGzi.jpg

Going to weld the cracked areas and hope for the best. Always something. I just need this engine to make over 600 whp and me be able to drive it for a while. I'm going to get a spare block ASAP and build that even stronger.

[dbral]

Dammit that sucks. Yes, weld and maybe drill and pin also? Looks like there might be enough material to set pins? Either way, should hold up. Thinking cam cover is gonna help keep that area rigid and stable and also don't think that there will be much lateral stress. Yes, weld and full send. Let's see what this engine is capable of

[[ion] C2]

It ran, but unfortunately there's a leak where the cam tower meets the head for some reason. There's a gap. Hoping it's a simple fix, but need to remove the whole timing setup to remove and evaluate the exhaust cam tower seal situation.

Always something delaying things. Really want to achieve the goal on the dyno and get it back in my hands.

https://i.imgur.com/cO2WZUS.jpg

[leroBob]

It's been a literal month since anyone's posted a thing on the forums... Aleromod has less going than inbetween Joe Biden s ears...

That is all..

[[ion] C2]

Lol. Most car forums are just gone unfortunately. People like the instant-action photo-centric Facebook groups. Honestly the search works decent on Facebook groups so I don't knock it anymore.

My car is still perpetually "almost done" - it's one thing after another. Oil leak, vacuum leak, etc. Still need to rebuild one of the axles that's leaking. I heard the new exhaust the other day which sounds great so far. Will have to determine whether it's what I want after the dyno and driving it. Might need to add a branch 1/4 wave resonator (to eliminate particular frequency drone like it usually has around 3000 RPM) and/or a vibrant ultra-quiet resonator.

Basically just some tidying up (ensure hoses are routed properly, configure the AEM dash, confirm all oil leaks are taken care of) and it's dyno time.

I did buy a spare engine and I have the Pauter rods. We're going to have custom heavy duty JE pistons made, and I'll get another set of the ARP $$$$ studs if everything holds up on the dyno.

[[ion] C2]

It's just sitting there ready for the dyno for the most part. The axle boot still needs to be redone as it's throwing grease everywhere, but otherwise it should theoretically be ready for tuning...

2.5 years.

Not very excited to get it on the dyno, mostly because I don't think that will happen for a long time yet. There's always some little thing that for some reason is dragged out forever. Or even if it does go on the dyno, we'll sprout a huge boost/vacuum leak.

The new tech working on things unfortunately took off the intake manifold in an attempt to find a vacuum leak, and inadvertently caused a bunch when trying to re-seal it. The head even went through the machine shop with the manifold still attached because it was so hard to get it to seal. However, he did confirm that the flange is very curved. He was able to get it to seal with the Right Stuff that I recommended but only on the third try.

So I'm not confident it will hold. I'm going to order parts to make another manifold and have it milled flat. That will get the stupid previous fabricator's nameplate off things and give me a nice shiny new manifold that's flat.

All in all, the car just looks neglected, things aren't as pretty in the engine bay, everything is all scuffed up and exposed aluminum parts are getting surface corrosion, etc. I'm just not very happy with the whole situation taking forever and constantly worrying "Will the head-block stay sealed?" and spending a metric ton of money on things and still not having it prove whether it can stay sealed yet. All I want is to make 17 more wheel horsepower than last time and keep the head-block seal secure. That's it.

Then I need to clean everything up and do a ton of tidying and customization to make this damn car clean looking again. Meh.

https://i.imgur.com/7AQD25g.jpg

[Young Gun]

Dyno sheet is cool and all but what about that time slip :D

[[ion] C2]

Dyno sheet is cool and all but what about that time slip :D

would break the axles or something in the trans on the first launch lol

will probably try it though. i can just replace the trans/axles if they break and keep driving it for a bit til it's time to swap everything over to AWD

this would easily run somewhere in the mid-low 10s

[homegrown]

C2;667676']would break the axles or something in the trans on the first launch lol

Precisely why I haven't taken mine to the track since I got it back 2+ years ago. I'm afraid to break something, and let's face it - parts are getting difficult to find (a replacement dual-mass flywheel for me is basically unobtanium at this point). I might still go to the track for fun someday, but any timeslip would be very unremarkable since I would need to launch it hard to get that number. Cars are no fun when you can't drive them.

[[ion] C2]

Yeah, I planned to take it easy while I acquire parts and built the AWD chassis. Haven't driven it in 2.5 years, don't really want to instantly break it. But once I have some spare parts handy and the built engine ready to drop in... maybe a quick strenuous 1/4 mile run is in order.

[[ion] C2]

Was on the dyno with "minor problems" - seems like a wiring issue on the radiator fan, and they don't like my nonexistent catch can setup...

Waiting for a custom catch can to be made...

[xXManwhoreXx]

It’s so close!

[[ion] C2]

It was on the dyno yesterday, making around 560 ft-lb torque, lower than last year, and the torque comes on later and smoother. They adjusted the ignition timing, but they also think maybe I had a cam sprocket a tooth off, which is definitely possible - I remember it was super difficult to install the new chain last time.

The engine reportedly sounds and performs very healthy. But there's still a big issue with erratic boost control, so they're taking apart the wastegate to evaluate physical issues. After tuning so many cars over the years, they are confident something is physically wrong with the wastegate. They don't want to push it on the dyno while the boost is fluctuating since we don't want to lift the head again.

Hopefully an obvious flaw is found in the wastegate, a new part is installed, and it can safely and smoothly touch the 600 whp mark within the next week or so.

I just hate waiting.

[dbral]

Hope you get it sorted out. Looking forward to hearing what it is like to drive on the street too.

[[ion] C2]

Wastegate diaphragm was torn. Replaced and ready for the dyno (supposedly this week).

[[ion] C2]

3h-OBA-qUgs

Spent a few hours on the dyno today fighting the persistent boost control issue and got it to behave (although it's still not the right way to do it). This run came out smooth but we run out of fuel up top and the clutch now slips. On this run we turned down the boost and let it rise slowly to keep it from slipping, and made 601 whp.

The car easily reached 612 whp at 5800 rpm (which is where fuel cut) and has plenty available, but I just want to keep it a little above 600 for now until the next engine (which will be built stronger) is ready, to be safe.

We're in the home stretch. Working on finding a stronger clutch (hard to do on this platform) and installing a fancy brushless fuel pump with massive capability.

Currently I have a Bully Stage 4 clutch (which everyone laughs and says they've never heard of, and also how soft my clutch petal is seems to indicate it's fairly weak on clamping). We're hoping ACT can make a clutch with a super strong pressure plate... or any other reputable manufacturer.

And then, a smooth dyno run and buttoning things up so I can finally drive it a little again.

[dbral]

Congrats and hope that you will be driving it soon.

[tw0123]

Big numbers out of the 2.4!! Congrats Chris, can't wait to see some videos of it out on the streets!!!

[[ion] C2]

Thanks guys! I ordered a Clutch Masters FX725 twin disc setup supposedly capable of holding 725 ft-lb. They said they could make one that holds 850 or something too.

Luckily only a 2 week lead time.

[[ion] C2]

Fuel pump's installed. Clutch supposedly going to be installed this week.

We might be almost there for real.

https://i.imgur.com/Rg7tvhG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FTcilKU.jpg

[dbral]

Damn, that clutch is hardcore! Nice on the lead time too.

[sleepyalero]

Looks gnarly.

[[ion] C2]

Pretty much settled around 636 whp. Boost is controlled to come on softer at the initial spike so we don't lift the head with excessive torque.

Still some issue with PID control across the board, I guess. They're working on resolving that before giving it back to me. They want it to be 100%.

So it's close to being back in my hands, so I can get some new photos and videos finally.

https://i.imgur.com/hV30ao6.jpg

[dbral]

That thing is going to haul the mail. Congrats! Next up AWD? Judging by those numbers, you are going to really really need it now lol

[[ion] C2]

Yeah I really want to drive it and see what kind of highway monster it is. Ordered my license plate "636 WHP" lol.

I bought a spare trans in case I break this one between now and the AWD project because I plan on driving this for at least a year before doing that. I've got a few buttoning up/cleaning up items I want to take care of and just drive the car for a while, get some badass videos/photos etc.

I hate having my car down for so long, so the AWD project will be tricky to coordinate so it doesn't take years to do. The easiest way to do it of course would be to get a spare low-rust coupe and modify that while I still drive the main car. The problem is the main car has a little sentimental value so I don't really want to swap bodies again....

[dbral]

Enjoy your car. Looking forward to your feedback.

Yeah, AWD will take some time for sure. I understand wanting to keep your original body too. You'll figure out a technique to keep it pointed where you want it until then. Be careful and have fun!

Right now, i'm imagining your engine in a sky/solstice....

[tw0123]

Those are crazy numbers out of a ld9 man... congrats!!

As for the awd project.... since this car has sentimental value to you now, what about finding a shitty car to use as a mock up... that way it can take however long to get it right, then it would be just a swap to this car when everything is right...

[[ion] C2]

Supposedly next week I can take it. Although that was supposed to be this week too. And a few weeks before that.

Constantly in the state of "almost there" but as far as I know the only things that need doing are: trimming the front bumper slightly, tucking a little bit of wiring, and moving one hose out of the way of the engine cover.

They spent a lot of time trying to get TPMS to work but the companies involved keep providing incorrect configurations or something. Seems like it'd be a simple task to sync up sensors with the AEM display but it just ain't working. Will have to figure it out later.

They did a bunch of cold start testing/tuning to try to optimize cold starts on high ethanol content fuel.

I asked some tuning questions and found that a full 91 octane tune was done (somewhere mid-400 whp), as well as scaling from E20 to E85, so it will definitely safely auto-adjust based on fuel used.

Eager to get it in my hands so I can do my own buttoning up on everything else that needs to be done.

[tw0123]

Hopefully they come through and you get it next week!!

[[ion] C2]

I did make a preliminary dash display layout that I think will be pretty cool:

https://i.imgur.com/u3fgB54.png

[dbral]

Cool reminds me of a mid 80s Vette. Hopefully not much longer....

[[ion] C2]

It's in my garage. 2 years and 10 months later.

The clutch is incredibly difficult to use. Everyone kept saying it, now I see what they mean. I stalled it like 15 times just going from the shop to my house, it was outrageous. Very interesting how it feels, like nothing I've ever driven before, and the pedal requires a lot of effort to press. I looked up the specs and realized it's rated for "race" use only with "rare" street use. It's literally two solid discs lol I don't know why I didn't realize before that it's an unsprung clutch. I need a sprung one. Gonna call Clutch Masters and see if they have any other options, like their 850 series has a sprung version.

Edit: Also it is wild to drive at full throttle... will get videos as soon as I button up a few things.

https://i.imgur.com/f8MynFz.jpg

[tw0123]

Glad it's finally back home Chris!! Sucks about the drivability with the clutch issues; hopefully it can be resolved quickly so you're finally able to drive it and enjoy it again!! Can't wait to see the videos!!!!

[dbral]

Awesome!

[[ion] C2]

Today I cleaned up a few things, installed my Halotron fire extinguisher (no residue). Wiped down the engine bay to monitor any potential leaks, moved a hose, just looking over it thoroughly for any potential issues like wires or hoses rubbing on things that might cut them over time etc.

Just got word back, Clutch Masters is going to make a custom 850 Super Single system. So that should hopefully drive like my old clutch worst-case-scenario lol. I think the clutch that's currently in it is like, if you HAD to get it from A to B you can, but it's supposed to be track-only haha.

Also based on my first drive I'm going to change the current resonator to the newly released Ultra Quiet version (or add it inline with the existing one) to try to tone things down a bit. Too loud for my tastes currently, can't hear the turbo as much as I'd like.

The good news that's a surprise is there was a spare Cometic head gasket in the car, the same one that's on it currently, so there's only a couple more parts to grab before the next engine build can happen, which will be nice insurance to have in case anything happens to this one, and will be more durable.

[[ion] C2]

https://i.imgur.com/uJoGPZi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3QOtVFe.jpg

[dbral]

Sucks to hear about the clutch engagement issues but was def. worth a try on the one that is in it. It looks indestructible in the pics. Did not expect it to work like an on/off switch though lol. Would be cool to make it more streetable and keep it somehow. Maybe there is a way to help get a more gradual engagement? Crazy thought but maybe reposition the master like 1" further up the firewall and drill/weld another stud off of the clutch pedal up the same distance?. Should at least make it easier to push the pedal and give a little more finesse maybe? Or possibly adapt one of those wilwood performance master cyls somehow? Have you talked to Clutchmasters about trying to make it somewhat driveable? It would be great if you could keep that clutch. Looks stout as he!!. Any videos yet? Have fun bud!!!!

Edit; Just got the dash pic looks great

[[ion] C2]

Not really, it specifically says on the product information that this type of clutch is not designed to slip.

They're building a custom 850 Super Single clutch and flywheel, which should make it drive well and still hold the power. Should be ready in 10-15 days they said. Then it's back to the shop for a hopefully quick clutch install and buttoning up a few minor things.

[dbral]

Okay, good deal. Don't forget the videos lol

[[ion] C2]

Yeah buddy once it reasonably drives I'll be out getting some pics and video. I have binaural mics for my ears, a head mounted camera, and other cameras and mics to place around the car. Will have some fun stuff.

[[ion] C2]

Replaced my outrageous vibration causing front engine mount with an OEM style one to try to improve some driving comfort. Will probably take it out today or tomorrow and drive it a little for pictures or video to see if the vibrations are improved and try to learn to drive it a little better although it's very unpleasant. The pedal takes so much effort to push and it only disengages at the very bottom of the press. I was used to my super lightweight pedal lol.

I paid a $750 deposit to Clutch Masters to make me an "850 Super Single", but UMS isn't a big fan of Clutch Masters anything, and recommended I try to get a custom Exedy or ACT clutch, as they can make things that drive nice and hold power.

ACT said no, they don't really care about making custom parts. Haven't talked to Exedy. I talked to Clutches Unlimited (aka California Custom Clutch) and they're supposed to get back to me on possibly putting together a clutch that will be more comfortable to drive but still hold the power... they were impressed with the torque level from a 2.4L.

[dbral]

Keep doing what you are doing. You will rein it in and make it your own. Your car has to be crazy fun once it gets rolling though. Can only imagine what it is like on the highway.

Clutchmasters has treated you well with good lead times. Would be a tough decision to try another company, but there is always a chance they might be better too

they were impressed with the torque level from a 2.4L.
LOL!

Just a heads up, tried to order an oem clutch master cyl. from GMpartsdirect a few weeks ago and this is the reply;

Thank you for ordering parts with us.
We are writing to inform you that order VG28407920 has been voided. Your order has been voided because of the following reason(s): The ordered part(s) have been discontinued (no longer available) and/or is backordered with no ETA date by the manufacture.

Not sure if you are still running the stock master (or slave?) but beware, the aftermarket ones are very hit/miss. Add in the extra stress of a heavy clutch and who knows?. Maybe in the end, a lighter effort clutch like you are going to try might keep you from having issues with that side of things. With that kind of power im guessing you will know if the new clutch will hold in one very short road test lol

[[ion] C2]

Yeah I've got a new clutch master cylinder, not sure what brand though.

I think Clutches Unlimited will have a good solution - they have high reputation for being able to make things others can't, quickly, and having a massive inventory of options. I'll have to call them back tomorrow to follow up.

[[ion] C2]

Clutches Unlimited says they are sure they can make something work. They think a good sprung 6-puck along with a strong pressure plate will do the trick. Says they have many making 600+ ft-lb with single plate setups.

So do I cancel the $1800 Clutch Masters second attempt? Get my $750 deposit back before they do anything? Or wait and have that setup ready to go in case the Clutches Unlimited one doesn't hold...

[dbral]

Tough choice. Wish i had some experience with what you are going through and with the companies you are dealing with to help you. You are probably 1 of 1 with that kind of output, unless the j body people have managed to come close somehow. If it was mine, and i could budget it, would prob. keep both clutches. Would be nice to have a fresh clutch ready to go with the other new engine that you are planning or if one does not work out like you said. As far as the clutches holding your kind of power....there is only one way to find out for sure lol. The J body people might be helpful, if you can get a hold of them. The Jbody forums are dead but maybe facebook or something?

[[ion] C2]

True, I like having options, and on-hand parts, so I'll probably keep both.

Got another GoPro with suction cup mount and a way to connect my under-hood microphone. I also have a POV head mounted setup with binaural mics. Might go get an alignment tomorrow and take some video footage of how this thing is.

[[ion] C2]

I drove it to the alignment shop today and didn't stall it at all. In fact, I was like hey this isn't too bad actually, maybe it's fine.

Had both control arms replaced and full alignment. It was extra squirrely on the highway when I first drove it probably because the control arm bushings were horrible, one was popping out and the other was completely missing. It's a lot more stable and smooth now.

https://i.imgur.com/FVETW0b.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/i32AWgm.jpg

Called up UMS and said maybe I'll just keep using this clutch since I was doing okay so far today. Then I proceeded to struggle with stalling it probably 5-6 times on my trip home lol.
Probably will put in the 6-puck... at least for the cushioning effect of it being sprung so it's not so hard on things. Observe the final time I stalled it while a bunch of people were behind me trying to get on the highway:

https://youtu.be/ZCaYoTH4I9k (https://youtu.be/ZCaYoTH4I9k)

I would've gotten more video, but the first pull I inadvertently was zooming up onto a state trooper, the next time I went to do one a state trooper was sitting at the on-ramp, and the third area which would have had some room for like 30 - 100 stuff, I passed yet another cop. I figured I should just table it for now.

One weird quirk happened today. Went to lunch and parked, and when I went to leave the car kept stalling every time I turned it on, so that was weird. 3 times in a row I'd turn it on, it would run for a sec and then RPMs just go down to nothing. All the gauges looked fine and gear was in neutral. Ended up just giving it throttle to keep it running and took off, seemed to operate fine after that.

[dbral]

The car pulls great! Keep the videos coming. It was interesting seeing a car lift set up outdoors too. Guess you have the weather for it out there though.

[[ion] C2]

It was interesting seeing a car lift set up outdoors too. Guess you have the weather for it out there though.
Yeah it is interesting, there's a lot of various auto shops that have outdoor lifts and tool areas (usually covered by an awning/roof). Would be annoying to work on in the summer but maybe not as there's more breeze with it being so open.

I plan to get a nice longer pull video asap.

Plan is to get the new clutch put in, resonator, and a couple other small things done as quick as possible, and then hire a photographer for some good rolling shots and video.

[[ion] C2]

Monster Clutch (known for high torque holding, but OEM feel) refuses to make a setup for me.

Centerforce, however, is interested. So I'm going to work on that lead and see if they can make a clutch with OEM like feel but can hold the torque. Would be sweet.

Took it out today for some pulls. For some reason fuel pressure dropped, as well as oil pressure. Only like 45 psi at 6000+ RPM, when a run 10 minutes prior had 60+ psi. Couple quirks and notes to discuss with the shop and see what can be done. Fuel pressure issue I'm sure is easy, oil pressure is the one that scares me. I know the LD9 oil pump is supposedly a bad design, but I hadn't experienced any lower than normal pressure thus far. Guess I will have to do the 2.3 oil pump swap...

Also I think I'm probably just going to leave it FWD, at least for now. I'd rather just polish up what I have and focus on quality. Not having my car for 3 years made me think a lot about what I want it to do. I want this car to be reliable, comfortable, fun to drive, handle extremely well, brake well, sound good, etc. It has the power, now we increase reliability, reduce/eliminate annoying vibrations inside, make the bodywork and paint perfect, and do some crazy stuff with suspension/brakes.

Ordered a Quaife LSD to install in the new transmission I have sitting around. Might as well put that in during the clutch swap.

https://i.imgur.com/6TZSUUu.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Now that I'm staying FWD I guess I can upgrade my brakes using parts that fit the current spindles. The Camaro brakes are feeling underpowered and I remember how good my Brembos were on my Subaru.

From my research, it looks like CTS-V calipers and Z06 rotors (14") will bolt right on. Based on my wheel spoke to Camaro caliper measurements, it should fit without spacers. They say you need at least 1 inch clearance between the Camaro calipers and your wheel spokes to clear CTS-V calipers, and I do. (https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1117381-super-cheap-big-brake-kit-info-4.html)

And then the usual 100% Pontiac Grand Prix GXP rear brake setup.

Should be neat. If anyone else wants to try this too, here's the parts list I just ordered:

FRONT
Calipers: Power Stop S4902 (04-07 Cadillac CTS-V)
Pads: Hawk HB453.585 Ferro-Ceramic (04-07 Cadillac CTS-V)
Rotors: DBA 42992S (2006 Corvette C6 Z06 - 7.0L)


REAR (All parts for 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP - 5.3L)
Calipers: Duralast 99R17370A (left); Duralast 99R17370B (right)
Brackets: Included with calipers
Pads: BOSCH BP922 QuietCast; Semi-Metallic
Rotors: RAYBESTOS 580365

$1388 including taxes/shipping, and the calipers are already powder coated red.

[dbral]

Nice upgrade right there. Thanks for the parts list and ideas.

Hopefully Centerforce comes through for you on that clutch.

[tw0123]

Didn't you buy Matt's old acpr (or whatever the letters were racing front caliper set?
You had me confused at first on the rear where you said g6 but then gave the part l list for the grand prix gxp... was thinking to myself; since when does g6 stuff work since they have a different bolt pattern hahaha

[[ion] C2]

Didn't you buy Matt's old acpr (or whatever the letters were racing front caliper set?

Yes he had AP Racing calipers, 12.8" rotors, custom brackets. Rear setup was all Grand Prix GXP stuff except the calipers (Corvette, unknown specifics offhand). I sold all that stuff because I was going to go AWD with different spindles etc.

Now that I'm staying FWD for foreseeable future, I pieced together my own setup based on what I found online, as these already come with a nice red powdercoat finish, and are bigger, and don't require any custom parts.

You had me confused at first on the rear where you said g6 but then gave the part l list for the grand prix gxp... was thinking to myself; since when does g6 stuff work since they have a different bolt pattern hahaha
Whoops, edited lol.

Yesterday I learned that big brakes actually don't do anything for stopping distance (under normal conditions). Tons of articles and videos about it, but this one laid it out well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql9eYh31kTw

Main reason I'm doing it anyway is so it fills out the wheels better and looks good, plus for any heavy use I know it has a lot more capacity.

[[ion] C2]

I screwed up on the rear calipers. I didn't realize Rock Auto didn't filter the results properly to only GXP even though all these parts are under the specific tree for "2005 Grand Prix 5.3L V8".

This is what came in. Some goofy spring assembly on this caliper, can't be right. The base model for 2005 must use some caliper-based parking brake.

https://i.imgur.com/ffL7qTl.png

Luckily the rotors and pads are correct. Now I'm ordering these calipers from AutoZone:

Duralast 99R17370A
Duralast 99R17370B

Hopefully they are the right ones. It filters properly, and they're the only pre-powdercoated ones I can find.

[[ion] C2]

Dropped off the LSD and spare transmission to get put together. Still waiting to hear from Centerforce. Supposed to hear something last Thursday, then first thing Tuesday... but today's end of day Wednesday...

[[ion] C2]

Email today from Centerforce: "Chris, give us until next Tuesday to get this reviewed. There are some other projects we need to finish up this week." :(

I called Clutch Masters and discussed the 850 Super Single that they made and they insist it will be the best option for what I'm looking for. They say there's not enough room in the bellhousing to make a regular FX850 twin disc. I might have that one installed when the other transmission is ready...

Options:

Clutch Masters 850 Super Single (sintered bronze ceramic full face disc)
Clutches Unlimited 6-puck with heat treated pressure plate
Centerforce potential custom design

[dbral]

Sweet! Happy to hear that they finally responded and willing to help.

Sucks about the wrong brake parts. Had a similar issue with rock auto when trying to find trans. mounts as there was a parts filter mix-up that happened with that as well. Not totally their fault as other major parts stores had the same error in their listings too lol

Did you get a chance to post anymore videos yet? Hope she is running strong

[[ion] C2]

Did you get a chance to post anymore videos yet? Hope she is running strong

Nope, minimizing the amount I drive it with this clutch, it is seriously harsh and I hate making the engine/trans shake/shudder so bad when taking off poorly lol. I have a photoshoot on April 14 that will include an outside video on the highway though so I'll be sharing a bunch of photos and some video shortly after that.

Coordinating installation and fabrication of new brakes, rear wheel spacers, intake tube, new charge pipe that doesn't rub against stuff, etc. hopefully next Monday/Tuesday.

I have a headlight retrofitter that will be making my new lights around April 17.

And once the transmission has the LSD in, and I have a chosen clutch to install, then I'll be driving it a lot. It is honestly terrifying at speed at the moment with all the back and forth torque steer FWD stuff going on. I'm told the LSD will help, but it's really a matter of overall suspension geometry. We'll see if my custom coilovers and chassis stiffening improves things in the near future. :)

[[ion] C2]

Transmission looks mint on the inside, definitely seems to check out as a 220-mile new take off as described.

Unfortunately parts are hard to find lately. I found the side bearings easily, but they also need an intermediate shaft seal (09120610), which is proving to be quite difficult to locate. Wish I stocked up on stuff when it was around. I suppose once this transmission has an issue that can't be fixed, that is when I'll go AWD on a more readily supported trans (like the Evo X).

https://i.imgur.com/azE0Hgr.jpg

[[ion] C2]

I was able to get bearings and the shaft seal from a vendor in France, as well as the bearings straight from GM. Trans shop is putting it back together now.

However, it seems like it will take a while for Centerforce to get a clutch solution. The last 2 emails include phrases that tell me this is going to be a 6+ month project: "Thank you for your patience on this. We do not specialize in custom products." and then "engineering has multiple projects right now." So in the meantime, when the trans is ready, I will probably install the 6-puck with heat treated pressure plate. My worry with that one is that the pedal will become really stiff and could contribute to crankwalk if it's got a huge force being applied. Changing the engine anyway but still.

Took the car to my fabricator friend's place but I mistakenly thought we were gonna work on things right then and knock it out in 1-2 days, but actually he was just squeezing me in so he's gonna do the fab stuff I need (redo charge pipe, build intake pipe, add resonator to exhaust) over the course of the next week and then we'll both install the brakes and see if they fit. If not, we'll make it work.

He also confirmed for me that it would be far better to get a rust-free Alero and strengthen its chassis (adding the half cage, fender bars, and other bracing to make it sturdy) than to go through and try to fix up this Alero. I had recently planned to just fix up the Alero I have, thinking it surely can't be too bad - you can repair any rusty stuff, and you can, but he says it's not worth it when you start adding up the time involved. So I immediately went to check Facebook marketplace and the car I was eyeing sold a few hours before. My luck. :)

[[ion] C2]

Bought a truly 100% rust-free Alero today. Never seen one without rust before. Unfortunately it has a few dings and that nasty crease behind the driver's door, but it will all be fixed before painting.

Time to remove literally everything from it, cut the holes to support a clutch pedal etc., and figure out what to change in the engine bay to support wire tucking and making it super clean looking. Weld up a cage and other bracing.

https://i.imgur.com/zRBImwq.jpg

[dbral]

Wow nice! Did not know your car had any rust issues. Sorry to hear that. Best of luck moving forward with your new build

[Oldsnut]

Is this the car from Facebook Chris?

[[ion] C2]

Yep. As soon as my fabricator said I should get a rust free body, I went to buy the damage-free one but it sold just hours prior. So next best thing was this one. $3200.

[[ion] C2]

Turns out the front rotors I got don't have large enough holes to fit the Alero's 5x115 studs. Need to have a machinist mill them. They're currently set exactly for the 5x120.7 pattern that the 2006 Corvette C6 Z06 uses.

I figured that might be a concern but didn't check. I found a local machinist who can do it on Saturday, amazingly.

[dbral]

Good deal. Post a pic of them if you can please.

How far have you got on your rust free body swap so far? Hoping for no major problems....

Hopefully you will not have crank-walk issues with a heavy clutch either. Was not considering that side of things. Did a little digging on the internet with no real solutions. A high hp Supra owner disconnected their clutch switch so they could start it in neutral. Dangerous, but would def help prevent wear on cold starts. Really wanted to see what the old timers did about it back in the day of 4speeds and v8s but had no luck. Praying it will not be an issue for you.

[[ion] C2]

Lots of pics coming in the next 2 days for sure

How far have you got on your rust free body swap so far? Hoping for no major problems....

Oh that's the long term project. It's been sitting in my driveway in the same spot since the day I drove it home. Gotta check my fabricator's schedule and take it there to be stripped down. I don't have enough room right now for the vehicles I have, and don't want to leave my cars outside while I slowly remove all the parts from that one in my garage lol. My main focus is getting the blue one comfortable to drive in the meantime.

Hopefully you will not have crank-walk issues with a heavy clutch either.
Yeah that's one reason I'm hesitant to use the 6-puck that just showed up (finally) with the higher force pressure plate. Centerforce is still actively working on making a solution for me, though. I recently gave them a bunch of measurements, so maybe they'll have the "Goldilocks" just right option that's smooth and enjoyable but will hold the torque when it needs to.

[[ion] C2]

My new quad projector headlights are ready. All four act as low beams (and high, when switched). Sorry to everyone else when I go over hills lol.


Morimoto Mini H1 8.0 projectors
Morimoto H1 5000K HID bulbs
Hylux 35w HID ballasts
Morimoto HD quad wiring harness


https://i.imgur.com/DhqntYq.jpg

[tw0123]

Those headlights look awesome... definitly would love to see some output shots of them and how the pattern goes compared to my single projectors... I've debated doing a set with the 4 projectors as well...

[[ion] C2]

Definitely will do. I was supposed to have my photoshoot today but with how last-minute things have been with my fabricator, I can't do it. Gotta reschedule yet again. Two major visual modifications were not completed:

The wheel spacers for the rear require longer studs, which I did not find out until last night when I suggest we make sure they fit.

The brakes were put on hold at first because the rotors were a different bolt pattern, but now because they claimed the bolts I have don't work with the calipers. After some research last night I don't see how that's possible. The F-Body and N-Body both use the same M12 x 1.75 bolts, and that's the thread size for the CTS-V calipers. I have a feeling one of his young underlings stupidly tried to use the bolts that hold the Camaro calipers to the caliper bracket, when in reality the CTS-V calipers bolt directly to the steering knuckle....

So without the brakes or my wheels spaced properly, I didn't want to waste $500 on a photoshoot. Plus my fab guy was only installing the new resonator today and would be done by 5:30PM. Way too late for me to clean the car and drive really damn far to go meet up with this guy before it gets dark.

Says he can't actually adjust the fitment between my passenger door and fender due to there being too much rust. It's been a long-standing issue that appeared when I had the car painted in 2013 - a horrible creak/groan due to the door colliding with the fender.

https://i.imgur.com/zs4yWmH.jpg

And here's my new charge pipe off the turbo. Kinda ugly until it gets cleaned and polished/powdercoated, but it avoids colliding with anything (I hate rattles). The next car we're going to relocate the fuse box, and change the brake master cylinder to one that can be relocated/hidden as well, which will clear space to run a 4" tube and the giant air filter I have.

https://i.imgur.com/kGOpn8Q.jpg

[[ion] C2]

I'm not sure why literally no one mentions this, unless my Power Stop remanufactured CTS-V calipers have been drilled and tapped larger... but the factory Alero (and F-Body) mounting bolts (which should be M12 x 1.75) just slide right through the caliper's mounting holes.

https://i.imgur.com/oxFjpoo.jpg

Based on all my research across forums and GM parts sources, the CTS-V, F-Body, Alero, etc. all have M12 x 1.75 threads. I went to the hardware store and found out the calipers actually have M14 x 2.00 threads. Ordered some flange head class 10.9 black oxide screws in 35 mm and 40 mm (in case we need to space anything out to line up the caliper with the rotor).

[tw0123]

Those caliper bolts look like the same size used on the front caliper of the gxp that uses a 13" rotor... I have debated drilling my knuckle to use them over the standard F- body front calipers I currently use, but haven't made any decisions to date since they're is still so many other things on my list to finish first...

[[ion] C2]

My picture shows the stock Alero screws (M12 x 1.75) loosely floating in my apparently uniquely threaded (M14 x 2.00) CTS-V ones.

Hopefully late next week everything will be buttoned up and I can adjust and take pictures of the new headlights and brakes as they look installed, and get back on the schedule for my photoshoot.

https://i.imgur.com/X43rLXf.png

[homegrown]

C2;667804']My picture shows the stock Alero screws (M12 x 1.75) loosely floating in my apparently uniquely threaded (M14 x 2.00) CTS-V ones.

Hopefully late next week everything will be buttoned up and I can adjust and take pictures of the new headlights and brakes as they look installed, and get back on the schedule for my photoshoot.

https://i.imgur.com/X43rLXf.png
Of out curiosity, what's the normal application for these rotors (what vehicle are they for)?

[[ion] C2]

Of out curiosity, what's the normal application for these rotors (what vehicle are they for)?

--v

C2;667755']
FRONT
Calipers: Power Stop S4902 (04-07 Cadillac CTS-V)
Pads: Hawk HB453.585 Ferro-Ceramic (04-07 Cadillac CTS-V)
Rotors: DBA 42992S (2006 Corvette C6 Z06 - 7.0L)

[dbral]

Turned out great. Machine shop did a good job with the rotors too. Odd about the 14mm bolts. Keep the pictures coming

[[ion] C2]

The calipers had to be spaced outward a bit to be centered on the rotor, and my wheel spokes collide with the calipers.

I need 10mm spacers to clear properly, so now I'm waiting for those to be made. Always something delaying my ability to drive this thing. My front wheels are going to be poking so bad. They already stick out the maximum I would want them to. Will have to see how much negative camber I can add.

[[ion] C2]

Bad news from Centerforce on figuring out the ideal clutch:

"Chris, as of right now we do not have anything that will fit off the shelf. We do however have another project that is in the works, and it may offer us some flexibility. That will not be completed for a bit though. Please be patient with us on this one. This is not a highly demanded item so other projects are ahead of it for development time. We continue to work towards some options for you, but I cannot really say how long it will take to figure this out."

As a fellow business owner with multiple projects, I wouldn't estimate them having something for me until next year.

Current clutch has no springs, is definitely way too harsh on the drivetrain and is uncomfortable and frustrating to drive. It must be replaced.

Option 1: Clutch Masters 850 Super Single. This is a larger diameter clutch, with springs, but only one disc. The disc is a large surface one though like what's used in the twin disc setup. I think my only fear is that that the single disc may not hold the power.

Option 2: 6 puck clutch with higher force pressure plate. I used to drive a 6-puck, and while it did catch me off guard a few times, it was driveable. I'm told that "not all 6 pucks are the same" so it might feel totally different (better or worse) than what I used to have. It having a higher force pressure plate also concerns me that not only will the pedal be harder to press, but it could lead to problems that force acting on the crankshaft over time.

Option 3: Use my measurements to reach out to another clutch manufacturer that supposedly is capable of making OEM-feel high torque holding clutches.

[dbral]

Dangit man. More bad news, but hopefully the brakes will be sorted out rather quickly.

Any thoughts of building an automatic at this point?

[[ion] C2]

Hah, no, never. I'm sure either one of the 2 clutches I have will be tolerable, I just want the best of all worlds. I have the spare transmission that has the LSD installed, that's what will be going in. Eventually I might still go AWD using something like the Evo X transmission, which has a lot more aftermarket support, so no worries really.

I mainly just want to button things up and just drive it for a bit and enjoy everything working. I've just been dumping money into it forever and not been able to enjoy the results yet.

[[ion] C2]

Got it back. New clutch install (and LSD-equipped trans) scheduled for June 16. I stalled it 3 times on the way home lol it's very stressful to drive. Headlights are aimed at the sky but I'll adjust them this weekend and get some pictures of how well they work.

Rear brake install fun.

https://i.imgur.com/C4vlySj.jpg

Had to grind the caliper bracket a bit to fit right.

https://i.imgur.com/UIAzjXs.jpg

Looks great.

https://i.imgur.com/L3WMaxk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TscJP9W.jpg

Fronts barely clear, required me to space out these wheels.

https://i.imgur.com/5fXsM24.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/alc0lwt.jpg

Major poke. I'm going to have to get some super high offset version of these wheels to get it more inline with the fender. Exploring options. Hard to confirm that the spokes will clear the caliper without test fitting or having 3D models.

https://i.imgur.com/J9EXqNf.jpg

[dbral]

Love the look with that wheel choice/brake set-up. Headlights are over the top nice. Sucks about the wheel fitment issues though. Hopefully you can keep that style of rim.

Happy to hear you are staying with the manual and maybe the next clutch will be more friendly so you can enjoy your build a little more. An Evo drivetrain will make that car a monster though. Next license plate should read "EVOLERO" lol

[[ion] C2]

Ha, yeah. It's like the Trans Am that uses a GT-R transmission so he has a GT-R badge on it lol.

[[ion] C2]

Headlights are perfect. Insane light output with 4 projectors.

https://i.imgur.com/PnkZg05.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fEg0MeZ.jpg

[tw0123]

Those are amazing Chris!! I've debated on trying a quad retrofit ever since you first mentioned it to me, but this really makes me want to do it more!!!

Hopefully you can sort out a clutch and the wheels without too many more headaches and finally get to enjoy it before you go nuts on the swap to the silver car... are you doing a colour change on it as well or undecided as of yet?

[[ion] C2]

before you go nuts on the swap to the silver car... are you doing a colour change on it as well or undecided as of yet?

I'm actually selling the silver car and getting a manual Alero to make the swap simpler, possibly "Mike N Leslie's" on FB.

Yes it needs to be a dark blue like this, but I want it to be a little more blue and deeper/shinier. Not sure yet what will do it, but I photoshopped how I want it to look:

https://i.imgur.com/DS4h7Trh.jpg

[tw0123]

Nice!! They take very good care of their cars from what I've seen in their posts... hopefully it is as nice in person to make life easy for you on it!!

The photoshop of that blue looks amazing; hopefully you can get it recreated to pop that well in real life!!

[[ion] C2]

Nice!! They take very good care of their cars from what I've seen in their posts... hopefully it is as nice in person to make life easy for you on it!!

Yeah it's got a lot of miles on it though (195,000 mi / 313,822 km), not that it really matters for the most part since I'm using my own engine, trans, new suspension, etc. but it's just been used heavily and things wear with use.

And they want $5,000 firm for it.

[dbral]

Ha, yeah. It's like the Trans Am that uses a GT-R transmission so he has a GT-R badge on it lol.

That car is awesome.

Dang, holy brightness with those projectors. Surprised you found a five speed car. They come up from time to time on Copart but usually in terrible shape:( Congrats on the find

Call me crazy, but i like the stick-out tire/wheel look on your car in the last pic for some reason? Kinda like the FWD drag car image maybe? All things being equal, as long as it is legal and doesn't hurt the paint i would roll with it. Any thoughts of a wide body kit? Custom and very expensive but might look good and give you plenty of room

[[ion] C2]

Still looking around for a rust-free manual coupe but it'll probably end up being the $5k one. They made so few manual Aleros, and then finding one that isn't crashed or rusted out makes it even harder.

Originally I was going to 3D scan the car and have someone model up some ideas for bumpers/side skirts. Might still do that eventually, but I'm really liking how it looks in most angles as-is. My least favorite angle is the one halfway between front and side view, the "front 3/4" view. It's where it looks the least aggressive/cool IMO, however the pic above in my garage looks decent...

I cut the bumper yesterday so the tires don't rub anymore, so not in a hurry to get new wheels. I think with -2 degrees camber the front will be fine the way it is. Still might get some Volk TE37 wheels with +44 offset and see if that clears the calipers and lets me bring the overall wheel inward a little. Current wheels are +30 offset but from a different manufacturer. Not sure if the spokes would be "flatter" and further out with the higher offset, or they just remove material from the lug mounting area.

Once I get the new clutch installed I'll schedule my professional rolling/stilll photos and they should look awesome. I've had to back out twice so far and feel like a jackass but the car kept having things done to it for longer than expected.

[dbral]

Yep, those cars were pretty rare, even back in the heyday.

The Volks are nice. There is even a (rare?) hyper-blue set shown. Really like the bronze ones though. Maybe the mfg. can send specs. that you can transfer to help verify a good fit? Any thoughts of having some CTS-v wheels machined? Those might look ok too, but it is hard to beat the look of open spokes.

Yeah, my fav. pic so far is the garage angle shot. The car looks good to me as is and it still has the factory lines. Have to admit that i'm still a fan of the 90's JDM style with the skirts and flares though. Imagining that look could be pulled off with an Alero if it had to be done.

[[ion] C2]

The main issue is that the brakes are pushed out farther than stock, on a CTS-V the hub is probably further inward on the car. I would get TE37s and then have them stripped and nickel plated probably. I really like the shiny silver look. The fit right now will be fine once I add -2 degrees of camber, but if I had +45 offset it would only help fit.

I'll probably still scan the car and see what can be modeled up

[[ion] C2]

Ticking noise from the engine when I was adjusting my headlights the other day prompted me to do a few quick tests.

Boost leak test found a big leak between my charge pipe to throttle body, fixed it. I also found my fuel feed line rubbing against metal and wearing down so tied that away... people never think about things vibrating. My engine vibrates a lot and anything touching will wear through.

Exhaust leak test found a leak at the manifold to turbine, again. It's just so difficult to install everything when nothing flexes. I wish the wastegate was mounted using a flex tube. Something needs to be able to flex in order to align all the v-bands perfectly. Will have UMS fix it while it's there for the clutch/trans change. With exhaust and boost leaks fixed, responsiveness should go way up.

https://i.imgur.com/Fug8caw.jpg

[[ion] C2]

Back in the shop as of today.

Installing:

new transmission w/LSD
Clutch Masters 850 Super Single clutch
New shifter assembly
New shift cables


Fixing:

Leak between manifold and turbo (will improve spool/efficiency and reduce noise)


It sounds good driving around, my two resonators really made the exhaust deeeeeep and mild. Hopefully will have it back next week, and will be able to finally schedule the photoshoot, and get some videos too.

Front and rear need some good camber to avoid rubbing when I get the alignment, hopefully it can be done with the suspension components I have. The shop knows a place that can make custom coilovers for me, so that's cool. KYB AGX are discontinued, plus it'd be nice to have total control over ride height.

[dbral]

Excited to see how she turns out and hear some feedback on that clutch too.

New shifter/cables should improve things. Remembering that our car's shifter was like a mashed potato stick when we first bought it lol. Could barely shift it. Are you going to use the oem shifter assembly?

[[ion] C2]

Yeah I'm sure it will be decent enough for now. I just gotta rev it up 2-3k and let it engage slowly, shuddering or not, and it will go without stalling. I basically have always tried to treat the clutch overly nice and take off at far too low RPM because as they say with this clutch and my old 6-puck "not supposed to slip it" but every knowledgeable car builder I ask says "that's what they say, but you have to to drive it on the street".

My shifter has been getting worse over time, it keeps popping out of first when I'm ready to go take off from a light. Compounded with the hard to drive clutch, it makes me have way too many annoying situations at intersections. All this stuff being replaced should fix it and definitely make it more fun.

Just OEM parts. There was a guy on the J-Body group who claimed he was going to make an all metal shifter assembly that was ball bearing and such, some super smooth, solid rig, but as expected, he lost interest over time, no time/money to do it. I might work on a custom assembly, but I gotta learn about the OEM setup and what exactly is important in the design before I dive in trying to improve it.

[dbral]

Oh man, that current clutch would be hard to live with.

Would be awesome to have an upgraded shifter available. The OEM is a joke. Wait till you see how it is designed lol. It's no surprise they wear out so quickly, even when used gently.

Wondering if anyone has tried using the Cobalt shifter? Maybe they are just as terrible and not worth the trouble? Can't speak for the older N-bodies, but the older J-bodies had some decent shifters. Had a 92 and 96. Both of mine went over 200k without trouble. Thinking different trans though so maybe they would not work without a lot of modification? Our current J-body is a 2000 and has the same design shifter that our N-bodies use and made it about 100k until it started to develop play :( and that is with me being very careful with it. These shifters are awful lol

[[ion] C2]

Exhaust leak is fixed. New transmission, shifter, cables are in and apparently work great, but there's some hydraulic issue. They ordered a new master cylinder, waiting and hoping that fixes whatever was wrong.

[[ion] C2]

So the issue is the previously installed Luk plastic master cylinder cracked during bleeding. The new Luk metal design master cylinder refuses to be bled. They bought a Power Torque aftermarket one and will be trying it tomorrow.

[dbral]

That sucks, man. Two steps forward and one step back. At least the hard part is done. Crossing my fingers for the Power Torque master cyl. Have never tried that brand. Hoping it works out.

[[ion] C2]

They ended up pulling the internals out of the Luk plastic master cylinder and installing them into the metal version, and that resolved all the issues. The clutch pedal feels great now. Dunno, clutch hydraulics can be finicky.

I'll have to break in the clutch at night now that it's hot as hell here. Was a hot drive home today at 111 degrees with no A/C. But the clutch is much easier to drive and can be smoothly engaged.

My ignition switch however broke and the cylinder can't turn all the way to OFF. Was wondering why one of my switches had illumination while the car was off.

[dbral]

Happy to hear your car is back home and is much improved. Wondering if the shop hooked up the reverse interlock cable when they replaced your shifter? Did you try to put it in reverse to see if the key will turn to off by any chance...i disconnected ours when the shifter was replaced. GM and their safety stuff lol

Looking forward to more videos and hoping she is running strong now

[[ion] C2]

Hmm I imagine they left it disconnected. I did try to put it in reverse and try but it didn't make a difference. My ignition cylinder was already messed up since I was always able to remove the key at any position, even while running.

The shifter is nice and solid now, it used to be a total slop fest. No longer pops out of 1st, but instead it pops out of reverse lol. Tricky to get it to lock into position for reverse. I'd rather that than a forward gear though. Minor nuisance.

Yeah I'm hoping to get badass pics/vids asap now that everything's pretty solid.

[[ion] C2]

Front camber is now -2 degrees, wheel fitment looks good now. The rear apparently can't be adjusted as-is. Tires rub on the fenderwell, so I need some rolling, but that'll just crack the paint more lol.

Bunch of stuff was reassembled wrong when I got the car back, annoyingly:


Coolant was way overfilled.
Throttle cable, which has breaks/bends in it, was installed so there's a massively sharp bend right at the throttle body.
Wire harness was rubbing against the shift mechanism.
BOV hose was under tension and rubbing against something, routed poorly
Fuse box is just floating in the bay, unsecured


Fixed everything but the fuse box. Not sure how it normally mounts. Added a rubber cushion where my charge pipe passes through by the washer fluid bottle, seems to have quieted things down a lot as far as vibration.

https://i.imgur.com/RJDLquM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eBW7ejE.jpg

[dbral]

i'm looking at that throttle cable and thinking what would happen if it hung the throttle wide open?!?! Good you got it all squared away but sucks that you had to tie up the loose ends.

Oh yeah, a new shifter makes a huge difference. Weird about the issue in reverse though.

There is an ebay page selling what they claim to be oem ign. lock cyls/keys. Spent quite some time looking for the key blank with the olds logo on it a few days ago and had no luck. The Intrigue key w/logo is avail. but is a different part# than our cars according to GM. Gave up and ordered the blanks that have the GM logo on them.

[tw0123]

Glad to hear some progress is still happening Chris!!
The fuse box mounts onto a bracket but is a weird design; there's a channel it slides into on the bottom of the box and like a pressure clip the secures it

[[ion] C2]

Ah I saw a stamped steel piece on the side that it seemed to slide in, but didn't see anything that holds it toward the firewall. I'll look more tomorrow.

Gonna try and replace the ignition cylinder solely via the gauge cluster area, guess it works if you can reach around and press the release tab with a tool.

[[ion] C2]

Took forever to replace the ignition cylinder, finally got it after I bent one of my curved picks just right. However, that wasn't even the problem lol. It was the reverse lockout. That lever behaves all messed up, so after I disconnected it everything works great. Kind of annoying now my ignition key is different than my doors/trunk.

My old ignition cylinder was messed up though, I was always able to just pull the key out at any position. And realized while I was messing with it you could even turn it just with a screwdriver.

And the reason reverse was acting weird is the same reason (probably) 1st gear used to act weird for me and pop out and feel mushy. I have a stupid clump of wires underneath the shifter bezel that get in the way of the movement of the cables lol.

Since my headunit doesn't turn on for an unknown reason, and I need a new alarm system/keyless entry, I'll just tell the audio place to rewire my floor LEDs to my headlights instead of to the switch I have on my shifter bezel.

After looking up some pictures of the fuse box from eBay sellers, I figured out I just needed to push the fuse box rearward more until the bottom triangle shaped bumpout snapped into whatever bracket there is.

[[ion] C2]

Had the rear fenders rolled/trimmed, but there's still some rub on extreme bumps/forces. I'd like to tilt the wheels inward a little, but for some reason the place I had do the alignment claimed the rear can't be adjusted.

The guy doing the fender rolling said that's nonsense you can use camber bolts just like the front. So I'll try to get another, higher end place to get me some rear camber.