Thanks Gordon!
Today was an interesting day. Did you know that if you don't have your intake tube tightened up and your MAF sensor at the end of it flailing in the breeze, that you will throw a code? I certainly didn't until this morning when I put the elbow to the air cleaner on and started it up and ran super smooth. Who knew?
Needless to say, my intake is now done.
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use the original hole in the core support that the factory air cleaner attached to. I just didn't know how I was going to do it. Thanks to the Spectre guys that were in Reno for Hot August Nights, I found my solution.
It's a little tighter than I imagined it would be, but it works, and even if I do say so myself, I think it's pretty damn cool.
I was waiting on the elbow that attached to the air cleaner when I fired it up. That's why the MAF was hanging in the breeze and not working right. Once everything was tightened up and the elbow in place it ran great.
It also turns out you can't use the oil pressure switch that was original to the 8.1l engine like my tuner thought. So I had to switch it out to one from a 454. An ACDelco D8050, a 1/4 to 1/8 brass bushing and a oil pressure sender socket is all you need. Ha, ha, ha. Then you need someone with really small hands, a 12" wobble extension and a pad to lay on and then your good to go.
When I felt the snap, I cringed. I pulled the socket and extension out and there was nothing in it. I started to feel better. I managed somehow to break the plastic piece off the nut. I was thanking everyone I could think of for not letting me break off the switch at the block. I reloaded and tried again. It was not the easiest thing to change, but I got it done. Getting the new one in was almost as difficult, but it is done and I now have a functioning gauge.
It would have been much easier to change this when the engine was out. Kind of an FYI for anyone doing this in the future.
Here is a photo of all that was left of the plug in the driver's side head that I broke off the other day. I was more than surprised to see GM use what looks like a cast iron plug in a water jacket.
I got a few more of the wires tied up and loomed. But the temp was dropping fast, so I called it for tonight and came in. Someday, I will have a garage to do all this in. Working on the driveway in the winter stinks. At least it hasn't snowed yet. I'm hoping I can get this finished up this weekend, because I can't believe it hasn't snowed yet. We are overdue and I probably just jinxed myself.