Project "Insert Really Cool Title Here"

[kerber63]

Originally Posted by 66chevy43

Well I just found this thread and sign me up! Love the build and hope to see your truck around town and she sounds real nice.

Thanks, I'm always driving somewhere between Salem and Springfield/Eugene so you'll probably see me buzzing around somewhere. It's almost car show season and I'm planning to hit as many local shows as I can. Hope to see you around.

[kerber63]

Here's a youtube video of my gauges operating as turn signals.

http://youtu.be/ziV1d22JqOQ

[Ta2Don]

Turbo… and the video of it at idle...

[kerber63]

It's been a while since I've put any updates up. In the last year I've changed jobs, moved, and had a baby. Things have been busy, but good.

I decided to swap out my Qjet with a holley. I loved the Qjet, but I couldn't figure out how to get more out of it. It was good up to about 5 psi, then the boost started messing with the vacuum circuit. The mix would never richen through the secondaries. After trying and trying, I decided to test out a mechanical secondary. I hunted around and picked up a holley 830 double pumper. I tore it down and built it up and slapped it on.

I've been running the holley for a few months now and am very happy with the change. I've had it up to 12 psi with no problems. I plan to richen the jets a little the next time I have it open.

[kerber63]

I haven't been on the freeway much, but I got out Saturday afternoon and went for a run. Here's a pic of the tach - uphill in 6th gear, 6" vacuum (no boost!), running steady. That motor makes tons of torque.

When the turbo does kick in, it gets up and goes. I've blown the tires off a couple times in 5th when the boost starts climbing - it's and odd feeling.

Sorry about the glare.

[kerber63]

Well it was fun for a while. The motor let go a few weeks ago. 2 broken pistons = lots of smoke and terrible noise. So it's off to the machine shop for some work. Fortunately there was no major damage to anything. The block's going to be worked over another .010" bringing it to .030" total. The crank will be polished, new forged turbo pistons installed, and the whole shebang balanced. Hopefully it won't get stuck at the shop for too long.

[Robert Haas]

16 months with no update, bummer.

[kerber63]

Originally Posted by Robert Haas

16 months with no update, bummer.

Sorry.

Update! I got the block back from the machine shop bored out to .030 total. They also faced my flywheel, polished my crank, put new forged turbo pistons on my rods, and balanced the assembly. I got everything home and started slapping it all back together again. I got a comp turbo-spec cam and matching springs this time around.

I had been running a Summit mini starter, and I found that it had only been engaging about 25% of the ring gear. The ring gear was shot, so I popped it off and heated a new gear on. I dumped the mini starter and went with a high-torque corvette starter. It has a much longer throw and engages the whole gear.

[kerber63]

I decided with this rebuild that I’d try to improve on things that I didn’t do the first time that I wished I had. I ran coolant crossover lines from the rear to the front of the intake manifold; I ran the turbo oil feed line from above the oil filter and stabilized it with a mount on the block; I replaced the standard vacuum advance pot on the distributor with one from an ‘84 Volvo 240. It advances timing under vacuum, and retards timing up to 6 degrees under boost. I had to make my own rod and modify the distributor base to remove the negative stop. The Volvo pot is quite a bit bigger than the standard gm one, so I had to mount it to the outside of the distributor housing. It looks good and works great!

[kerber63]

So I got everything together and fired the motor up to break in. No problems, it was a relief to hear it fire and run again! I slapped the motor back in and got to work hooking everything back up. Then I ran into issues caused by the tiny changes I’d put in place. Coolant crossover lines - now in the way of accelerator linkage. New vacuum advance pot - now have to reclock the distributor to clear the firewall and intake manifold. Stupid little things that took a few minutes to put in but hours to make work again.

[kerber63]

I picked up a stainless coolant overflow tank. I figured the best place for it would be next to the radiator, but that pesky battery was right in the way. So I pulled the battery and tray out and mounted the tank on the radiator baffle. Looks good and works just like it’s supposed to. I modified the battery tray and moved it under the bed just behind the cab on the driver’s side.

[rusty76]

Cool I’ll be checking out the sub