TA_C10: Stage 1

[siggyfreud]

I used that on my last build. Seemed like a quality piece too. It was on up the firewall near the passenger side so I could run straight down to the starter. Core support is a good idea to and easier if you need a jump.

[TA_C10]

Update - Vintage Air - Front Drive Accessories

Well I spent most the weekend on drugs trying not to get sick, lot's of vitamin c, shots of flonase and 24 hour zyrtec everyday for last 5 days and it worked. I never got real sick just mainly felt like i was gonna be and hardly any energy. So I just cleaned the garage out last couple days and organized all my stuff better. That is a big task let me tell ya, sucked.

So tonight after finishing rest of that, I decided to install my 2010 camaro mid-mount A/C bracket for Sanden 709 compressor from vintage air. Wasn't too hard. Follow instructions and study the diagrams is all there is to it. It's cool how they figured out you buy a certain tensioner pully and swap its pulley for another pulley they provide(VA) and boom, it all works together just right. I mounted the compressor 90 degree left, didn't think I was going to want my a/c lines on the top but maybe I do, we will see how it looks another time, might switch that.

Also installed the LS alt/ps bracket. Cleaned up the alternator and PS pump that came with my engine and installed them too. Starting to look like a complete engine again

Pics for your viewing pleasure:

[TA_C10]

I also got my new parking brake cable retainer from GMCPauls! It's the little things like this bracket that I lost that really make a big difference. I think I threw my original one away still clamped to the old cable....

I started by prying the clamp open to get it over the cable.




Then I took a pair of channel locks and slowly pinched it back down over the cable. Installed the bolt and pin.




Then I got back under truck and adjusted the double nuts on the parking brake cables and all done. Works like OE

[TA_C10]

Quick update on my power steering too. So after installing I noticed the PS pump return line looked pretty twisted and bent. Figured I was gonna have to get a new one. Then I figure out if I bent it down just a little more the return line could route right through an existing frame hole! Before it was like 1/2 inch from the frame. Now I can get a hose on it no prob.








This is before I bent it down a bit.

[TA_C10]

And for the 4th post tonight...... I have started wiring

[1971Stepside]

Tons of time to do all that. Lookin good. You will be driving her before long.

[cebra]

Looking good, I hope you have better luck with your VA AC bracket than I did (it looks quite similar). I have been battling squeals (4 belts, 2 tensioners, 3 alternators, 2 hours paid shop labor as I threw in the towel) for about 4 months now with mine without success. I just got a replacement bracket so I get to do it again for the ~15-20 time this weekend. Just a tad frustrating.

[MDPotter]

Whoops, didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. cebra has had the worst luck of anyone I know with it. If you end up having trouble, look at his threads on it in the lsx swap section. My dad's had a squeal and through some shimming and just over time it's slowly gone away. My suggestion is to hold Kwik and Vintage Air to a standard of providing a product that works well and insist that they help you to reach an acceptable finished product (if you have issues). I'm considering using a low mount setup on mine if I have the clearance.

[TA_C10]

What do you think?

Here is what I have going fellas. Redesigning the power/ground system from scratch. I went ahead and am going to use a Ford Solenoid for extra protection from the starter. Using 1/0 awg all the way to the jump terminals. This makes a nice backbone so I don't have to worry about voltage drop or distance from battery. However now I realize I have the 150amp Circuit Breaker inline with the starter power feed.... How would you route this?

[SCOTI]

Where do you plan to physically mount the remote solenoid?

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Where do you plan to physically mount the remote solenoid?

I was going to mount it on the frame up close to the starter. Should I mount it closer to the battery instead?


.

[TA_C10]

Ok, I looked closer at the way the circuit breaker works, so I added on the battery side(not protected) a direct link to the starter solenoid. Then I ran the protected side(another cable) up to the rest of system. I was trying to avoid that second 1/0 cable... This should work I guess.

[TA_C10]

Putting this here for my reference:

4awg is good for 135amps
2awg is good for 181amps
1/0awg is good for 245amps

Power rating on my stock style alternator is 160amps

Power rating for my stock style starter is 1.35kW
Ohms law = 1000xpower(kw)/volts(12)=amps
1.35kW = 112 amps

starter could see 250amps under load

Thanks cuz.

[siggyfreud]

Where did you decide to put the solenoid? Given that you're doing a remote mount battery on the passenger frame, low, I'd probably put the solenoid close to it, assuming it would be more accessible there than on the frame or firewall close to the starter.

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

Where did you decide to put the solenoid? Given that you're doing a remote mount battery on the passenger frame, low, I'd probably put the solenoid close to it, assuming it would be more accessible there than on the frame or firewall close to the starter.

Yeah man I moved it closer to the battery. I changed my diagram again, see below.

Changes made:
1. 4awg to 2awg for alt and PDU circuits
2. Slid the starter solenoid back towards battery
3. I might remove the fuseable links since I have a 150a CB in line at the battery. Those fuseable links came with the AA classic wire harness so I figured they would be beneficial since my routing/path from alt to battery is so long but I'm second guessing this.

So everything you see is basically going to be mounted/routed in the frame rail. The battery is on passenger side frame rail, right next to it mounted on frame rail will be the starter solenoid and 150a circuit breaker. I wanted to mention also that I'm not using the frame rails as much to ground a lot of circuits because the Alternator and LS ECM both require clean path's. So with that said, the battery relocated to passenger side behind cab, my PDU mount and ECM will all be together on driver side core support, I'm already running power and ground there anyways so I said screw it, going big all the way to the front

[siggyfreud]

Ah okay, diagram looks good!

Have you decided what you're doing yet for air intake?

[TA_C10]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

Ah okay, diagram looks good!

Have you decided what you're doing yet for air intake?

I haven't decided on manufacturer, but I know I'm getting a kit to build. Thoughts right now are I will aim it towards the passenger side as far as I can. And I purposely left the MAF wires loose with no plug because I will extend it all the way to the filter end of tubing. I learned that the MAF readings should be true out at the filter rather than at the intake. I also learned it should be placed on a straightaway in the tube so I'm hoping to design the intake tubing around that theory as well (no bends at filter).

What are your thoughts? Do you think it necessary/better to build a cold air box instead of leaving the filter open?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

I haven't decided on manufacturer, but I know I'm getting a kit to build. Thoughts right now are I will aim it towards the passenger side as far as I can. And I purposely left the MAF wires loose with no plug because I will extend it all the way to the filter end of tubing. I learned that the MAF readings should be true out at the filter rather than at the intake. I also learned it should be placed on a straightaway in the tube so I'm hoping to design the intake tubing around that theory as well (no bends at filter).

What are your thoughts? Do you think it necessary/better to build a cold air box instead of leaving the filter open?

Where did you find this info (1st statement highlighted)?

Isolation of under-hood temps vs. intake charge would seem 'better'. Cooler/denser air should be better but it's all about the law of diminishing returms as far as "how much".

[TA_C10]

Siggy I'm definitely down for testing a new box man. I'm not going to be that far before December so timing should work out for me.

Scoti let me find that info, pretty sure it was on this site in the LSx board so that statement may not be fully legit. I have not completed my research on the intake tube yet so those statements of mine above are pre-planning phase

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by TA_C10

Siggy I'm definitely down for testing a new box man. I'm not going to be that far before December so timing should work out for me.

Scoti let me find that info, pretty sure it was on this site in the LSx board so that statement may not be fully legit. I have not completed my research on the intake tube yet so those statements of mine above are pre-planning phase

No worries..... Curiosity mainly. I've often wondered if there were benefits to be had when considering the sensor placement when it comes to 'custom' set-ups. I know OE tuning can be disrupted when doing LS swaps & not keeping things consistent.

[siggyfreud]

I'm always a fan of having a box just to avoid the extra ambient heat. The problem with our bays is that to move an open filter away from radiator air you have to have a decently long run of a tube, and then somehow support it, or have the end-filter rest. I have seen people just do a 90* off the throttle body and run a cone filter a few feet away. It works I'm sure, I've just always felt like there are better solutions.

I was asking because I'm actually going to start prototyping a cold air box for our engine bays sometime in December. I've got my large format 3d printer on pre-order now, and am going to start modeling it in Fusion360.

I don't have a fuel injector motor yet, so just keeping my eye open for people who do who might want to test something. Certainly, don't wait on me, but if the timing worked out and you were interested I'd love to have a tester or two.

The idea is to build a box that fits nicely, in this case, in the passenger location, and utilizes an easy-to-find off-the-shelf filter, whether it's a cone style or drop-in-rectangle. It could be designed such that coming right off the box your MAF could attach I imagine.

But curious to hear what your wants and needs would be if you were building the ideal box.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

I was asking because I'm actually going to start prototyping a cold air box for our engine bays sometime in December. I've got my large format 3d printer on pre-order now, and am going to start modeling it in Fusion360.
Certainly, don't wait on me, but if the timing worked out and you were interested I'd love to have a tester or two.

The idea is to build a box that fits nicely, in this case, in the passenger location, and utilizes an easy-to-find off-the-shelf filter, whether it's a cone style or drop-in-rectangle. It could be designed such that coming right off the box your MAF could attach I imagine.

But curious to hear what your wants and needs would be if you were building the ideal box.

I've been known to be a test dummy myself! I am at the point of deciding what should go where under the hood of my 72 also, so if I can be a help to you, count me in. TA_C10 and I live within 30 miles of each other so I'd be easy for us to compare 2 systems side by side, take notes and report back.

I've been pondering the idea of running the ducting through the core support and building a "ram air" style filter box between the grille and support, or just have a filter box there and take the fresh air from a custom built scoop hidden down low. I haven't put the pencil to the paper yet, but will very soon. I'd like to have something unique, as opposed to the 90 bend into a straight tube with the cone filter, like the Spectre 9906.

I saw this custom one at the C10 Nationals a few months ago, an incredibly beautiful truck built by 68 short step. My thought was to continue the piping through the core support and have the filter out of the heat.

If I go that route I'll definitely need to add some length to the harness. Can extending the wiring to the MAF cause any issues?

[TA_C10]

I'm no expert but when I rebuilt my wire harness I did my research and lots of joker's talking about not extending wires but never gave intelligent reasons. My family is full of electricians and they and other research I did lead me to believe that as long as you use the proper methods to joining 2 wires together and use the proper tools/material there is no issue extending wires that will perform well and last a long time. Cheap wire is a bad idea, and cheap material to connect also bad idea. Anything I extend I get good solder and make sure I don't use too much as that can cause problems too. Shrink tube, proper heat, Etc. Etc.

I've done a couple harnesses over the years and never had any problems. Dyno tuners never noticed, and those vehicles are still driving around, one of them is a weekend racer

But again I'm no expert and won't claim my comments are legit but in my experience your fine. There is a distance variable, but inside an engine bay your normally not gonna reach that limit..

[MDPotter]

I would worry if it was reaching further than the engine bay or if for instance you merged 4 injector or coil pack wires without upping the wire gauge. I just hope mine starts and runs! I literally touched every single wire on my LS harness and extended or shortened almost every one of them. I did do a continuity test on every single wire from the C1/C2 connector to the plug when I was done, so theoretically it should work.

[cornerstone]

Thanks guys!