Roadkill's 1983 Chevy Z28 - (Work Starts on Page 5)

[Roadkill]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

It's why I hate dealing with UK companies, there's no "can do" attitude.

Totally.

The plan - if any - is to get her rolling under her own steam ASAP . . . major engine work can come later.

The next engine I intend to buy, however, WILL be from the states but will be of a Cadillac nature, not Chevy, the '58's waited far too long.

[Big Mouse]

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Personally I wouldn't let a UK engine builder anywhere near a proper chevy build.

Pete built Andy Frosts engine, Jason Weir 540, Alex McIntoshs BBF..oh, and my 434. He also builds engines for a lot of circuit racers, is one of the only people in the UK who you could trust with an LS engine. He was crew chief for the only true independent TF team and worked wonders with one engine to finish 4th in the series

He will work on any engine if you really want him too, and he will do a very good job but he won't spend your money if you're paying for his learning curve.

Then theres Rob Loring and Nick Davies over at ICE in Silverstone, built some of the slickest engines in the UK race scene including Splinters twin turbo BBF.  How about John Sleath? Builder and owner of, currently, the quickest street legal car in the world with a home built BBC.

Buying from the US is fraught with issues, Jason just bought an engine from the US, over £25k - only to find bent rods and f*cked springs.Who was it one here who paid for an engine that never turned up?

There's good and bad with both but there are lot of very experienced engine builders in the UK

[HardRockCamaro]

I'm not saying every engine builder in the US is a god.

But the ones here want to be shit hot for what they charge...

While I don't want to cause offence, I do feel the need to point out that in my recollection your engine wasn't a shining example of reliability and good running for what you spent on it?  But then I guess I don't hear the bad side about the US builders as I don't follow any of their builds as closely as obviously I heard about yours so maybe that's the norm at that power level.  

[Rocky]

I havnt had any probs with the engines I have built

[HardRockCamaro]

Choppers don't count Rock...  ;)

[Rocky]

Got a big block pontiac motor Im doing at the moment, Done loads of SBC
my vert will be running 400bhp plus very soon, my yellow Iroc has a tuned up SBC with lingenfelter super ram. Oh and my uncles 73 TA runs in the 9-10 secs now not bad when its driven there.

[HardRockCamaro]

Nice!

my vert will be running 400bhp plus very soon  



Still need to pop in and see you re some skid plates...
When are you closed over xmas?

[VIPER]

Peter Knight does good work but is VERY VERY pricey...... Had a set of viper heads done by him in 03 ... Saying that he does do alot of GT2/3 work..

[Roadkill]

Still she sits.  

Still (shockingly) I have enthusiasm.

Had a set back trying to finish off the steering towards the end of last year . . . seems Spohn never had my Third Gen in mind when they introduced their Pinto Steering kit for the Third Gen !!

Nevermind - It's all part of owning a modified car I suppose.

I'm glad I'm still philosophical about these things.

I should have the parts I need to sort the steering and I'm hoping with a bit of backyard engineering to get it done in the next couple of weeks (assuming the weather stays good).

Apart from that, mechinacally she's pretty-much there (still got a oil leak but I have my theories).

There's just "a few" electrical bits to do - I'm assured.

Then.  Paint.

[Titsy]

Quoting: Roadkill

Then. Paint.

Nah, get some miles on it...

[Incursus]

Quoting: Titsy

Quoting: Roadkill
Then. Paint.


Nah, get some miles on it...

...though how many miles is it till the first speed bump?  

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Titsy

Nah, get some miles on it...

If I don't finish it now, it'll never get finished (you know me).

Plus until it's done, I can't start on the Caddy.  So it's being done and painted.  And painted by me.

[Titsy]

Rattle-can black?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Titsy

Rattle-can black?

Satin, yes, probably.

No point spending ££££'s on a show paint finish when it's likely to pick up war-wounds.

In the grand scheme of things it'll only delay finishing her by a couple of months at most and that's nothing compared to the time put in already.

I will need the electrics finishing though.

[Andy]

So is the end goal a road racer (drag strip) or was it just a heavily modified Z28?

[Roadkill]

The end goal is getting it Taxed, MoTed and on the road.  

I don't care at all what's it's labelled as after that.  I just want it done !!!

[Roadkill]

Well what with everything else I had to do this weekend the time I had spare to tinker on the Camaro ended up only being about an hour and a half.

The good news is that I've managed to whittle a new mid-section for the steering column and shorten the end nearest the steering box.

It still runs close to the chassis rail but I'm hoping that with some minor relief work, some welding, re-routing the brakelines slightly and adjusting the angle of the column by a degree or so I can improve this.

The next job is to raise the front wheels off of the ground and centralise the box gearing as currently I can turn the wheel fully to the right but only slightly to the left . . . .

I reckon one more full day of work and she'll be "driveable"  

[Andy]

Sounds like your steering is setup perfect for going round a NASCAR track the wrong way!

[Roadkill]

O.K.  Now I think the Camaro is actively resisting getting finished !!!

Had a couple of hours free yesterday afternoon so popped outside to "finish" the steering . . . I quickly noticed some wear marks on the steering columns U.J's which mean they'd been binding slightly.  Not good as there's not much I can do to improve the angle in which they rotate . . . .

Nevermind - I'll concentrate on just centering the wheels to the steering box (simple enough).
I disconnected the spindles from the trackrods and nudged the wheels (visually) straight.  Then turned the steering wheel lock-to-lock (4 turns) to find the central position (2 turns back from lock, obviously).

Great, now adjust the trackrods and reconnect them to the spindles . . .



Drivers' side went O.K - looked like there was a bit too much thread showing, nevermind.
Passengers' side.  Hmm. the ends of the threads actually overlap !!!

This all means, basically that despite . . .

i) Printing various pictures from the Spohn web site showing the install,
ii) Watching all the (fairly useless) videos showing the set up and install on Spohn TV,
iii) Thoroughly reading the (brief and generic) instructions through several times,
iv) After contacting Spohn a few times expressing my concerns that the details were vague . . . . . and finally . .
v) Spohn getting back to me and assuring that it was all straight forward.

. . . despite all of that, the brackets for the box mounting have been welded on about 1 1/2" to far to the P/S !!!



Now only Ian will know this but there was simply NO WAY of welding it much further to the D/S (maybe 1/2" but that's all).  I had to do some modifying of the brackets to get it to fit as it was.
We got it matching the pictures from their website but Spohn didn't offer any clue as to any physical dimensions or reference points we should make/take.

Net result is it's wrong.  The bracket can't simply be cut off as it'll weaken the cross member in the process.

I now need to go back to the drawing board, once more, and start over.

My initial experience with Spohn a few years ago was excellent.   Steve Spohn himself would reply to my emails and advise as needed - even discounted a few bits when I brought multiple items and was really helpful . . . however after that when I was after advice regarding a header set-up they sold they simply didn't respond.  Even after reminding them how many $$$$ I'd spent with them did nothing and the last email I got regarding positioning the manual box and rack was barely a one-liner !!!

Not happy.

The Camaro is dragging on as it is . . . this just sours it all further.

[ianjpage]

Quoting: Roadkill

the brackets for the box mounting have been welded on about 1 1/2" to far to the P/S !!!

Oh FFS really- how the hell can they sell the kit for that very x member and it not fit right.....

[Roadkill]

Exactly !

I've got two major issues :

Box position and Shaft angle (I'm waiting for the mis-quotes )

I can possibly reposition the box a little by notching the existing bracket and adding a spacer/off-set plate . . . . need to have a proper look, first, though.

This, in turn, will improve the shaft angle slightly but not enough, I don't think.
I reckon I need to increase the angle by 10* (degrees) to get it to stop binding . . . I could add another UJ but that will make it more unstable AND there's no where for it to go !!!

EDIT - I've been on the Flaming River website and they don't seem to suggest anywhere a minimum angle that their UJ's can operate under !!



F'kin hell !  Get it together !!!

[Andy]

How do you mean 'overlap'?

Maybe a few photos and a few of us could come up with some suggestions. It's all sent to try us someone told me!

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

How do you mean 'overlap'?

As in normally while in line they (inner and outer track rod) should have a gap between them to allow for the tie rod adjuster.

I've got a big gap one side and a "minus" gap the other.  Meaning the box (in this case box, rack and inner track rods) is off-centre.

I could cut the tie rods down a bit to free up some gap and I could cut down the adjuster on that side to free up some more but that'd be weakening the arrangement which I would obviously like to avoid.

[Jamieg285]

This sounds very similar to the issue I have on mine at the moment, but fortunately for me there's enough adjustment in the tie rods to get around it.

Are you 100% certain that you've attached the bottom end of the column to the box input shaft correctly and not 90* out?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Jamieg285

Are you 100% certain that you've attached the bottom end of the column to the box input shaft correctly and not 90* out?

The box end has a splined shaft, but with the box centralised I don't see what difference the position of the steering column would make ?

Once the box is central the inner tie rods would be in their "neutral" position - ie. unbiased to either side.
In the same state the front wheels should be (roughly) inline with the rears.
Both of these are correct but once the outer tie rods are connected to the spindles there is a clash one side and excessive gap the other . . . .

Theoretically you could turn the wheel half turn to the left (as seated) which would even up the gaps for everything to bolt in . . . . the only issue is, obviously, you've got 2.5 turns to the rights and only 1.5 further to the left.



Or you shift the box/rack over to suit - which is my current thinking . . .

(see sketch)