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

[Andy]

By now I would've taken the decision open headers would be just fine!

[EDGE]

Yeah, oval pipes is what I was suggesting, front to back.

[FUBAR]

Just another random idea, can you get "Muffler Innards" in Kit form at all? that way you may be able to use the Large Flat crossover section as a sort of muffler ??

[Roadkill]

Due to events I'd prefer not to discuss at the moment, the Camaro MUST be moved this weekend.

I'm not sure how, yet, but I need to do a hell of a lot to it before it moves.

Hey-Ho.

Trailer's booked, anyway.

[ianjpage]

I'll let dean put a full update on but not looking promising on the altenator front, wired up the new plug as per page 70 pics / diags - still only show 11.5 @ the battery (which is what the battery had in it).

Need to do some more testing with a meter to see what's coming out the back of the altenator / what the voltage is on the plug etc before making any conclusions...

[Andy]

http://www.realsteel.co.uk/section3b.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.realsteel.co.uk/section3b.pdf

Page S3/37

Bought mine brand new from them, next day delivery too.

[Titsy]

Is the car back at CRK1 now? Did you want me to pop round one evening and take a look?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

By now I would've taken the decision open headers would be just fine!

I do still need to get it through an MoT, though !

Quoting: EDGE

Yeah, oval pipes is what I was suggesting, front to back.

The Oval section GM use isn't readily available over here hence I had my bit fabricated.
To fabricate two 8-foot lengths would cost literally hundreds of pounds in labour hours and they'd look like banana'd cork-screws over that length.
Other oval sections are available but are expensive in small quantities and elbows/joiners etc . . . do not exist.

Quoting: FUBAR

Just another random idea, can you get "Muffler Innards" in Kit form at all?

You can.  

Quoting: FUBAR

that way you may be able to use the Large Flat crossover section as a sort of muffler ??

If you cut open a muffler inside you'll see perforated pipe making the path, surrounded by fibre.
My Oval section is to shallow to support any perforated tube hence any fibre would just get blown out the ends.

Quoting: Titsy

Is the car back at CRK1 now?

It is.

Quoting: Titsy

Did you want me to pop round one evening and take a look?

That'd be good.  Can you do one day over the weekend as it'll be dark by the time I get in, still ?

Quoting: Andy

http://www.realsteel.co.uk/section3b.pdf

Page S3/37

Bought mine brand new from them, next day delivery too.

I'm still reluctant to buy another yet, as this one was freshly reconditioned by a specialist in the states.
Although now out of warranty, of course.

[Roadkill]

Some pictures from the weekend . . .

My new Stainless "Cherry Bombs" (which may or may not get used . . . . )



The cross-over 99% complete - in a hurry on Saturday afternoon the guy forgot to fit the Lambda boss !
No choice but to take it, really !



The underside of the car, rails protected with heat-resistant wrap (the cross-over also had some fitted to protect the gearbox)



Videos :

Door poppers re-wired with heavier gauge wires, adjusted and working perfectly.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/Roadkill-Auto/VIDEO0150_zps23090b4e.mp4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/Roadkill-Auto/VIDEO0151_zpse97d545e.mp4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">

[Roadkill]

Finally a (jumpy) video of her idling after the new Dizzy was fitted . . . .

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/Roadkill-Auto/VIDEO0152_zpse8b13091.mp4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">

We didn't time her or do any tuning - just dumped the dizzy in roughly the right place and fired her up !

The side-pipes are NOT connected . . . . using just the cross-over she sounded a lot nicer on the ear than before . . . most of the raspy high-pitched noise was gone leaving a much better sound.

She was quieter, too . . . not sure how, but a lot quieter.

I'm now considering loosing the side-pipes altogether and just dumping the pipes out behind the front wheels . . . .



Thanks to Ian for assistance Saturday and Sunday, thanks to Vicky for Jensen-sitting Saturday, thanks to Samantha for a level of patience, thanks to my stubbornness for Friday night and thanks to Jensen for helping me forget the utter misery at times.

I said I'd drive her out of the unit . . . and I did.  Still no steering but she drove out under her own power.   First time in 7 years !!!

Couple of other pictures while she was waiting to go on the trailer . . .

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

The cross-over 99% complete - in a hurry on Saturday afternoon the guy forgot to fit the Lambda boss !
No choice but to take it, really !

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/Roadkill-Auto/IMAG2119_zps2698ee6d.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">

I'd have placed a wedge on the outlets going backwards not forwards

[ianjpage]

Quoting: Roadkill

rails protected with heat-resistant wrap

Quoting: Roadkill

Door poppers re-wired with heavier gauge wires, adjusted and working perfectly.

Quoting: F Body

Quoting: Roadkill
The cross-over 99% complete - in a hurry on Saturday afternoon the guy forgot to fit the Lambda boss !
No choice but to take it, really !


 

Now even I'm confused  

I'd have placed a wedge on the outlets going backwards not forwards

Ahh its simple's really lol.

They originally had to come forward to go backward, otherwise the side pipe wouldn't start at the front of the cill but a good foot ish back...so they come forward, do a "U" then go the whole length of the side cill (well that's currently anyhow lol!) to look better!

Quoting: Roadkill

Finally a (jumpy) video of her idling after the new Dizzy was fitted . . . .

Still can't get over how lovely she sounds like that with just the stubby pipe;s... running nice as well !!

Quoting: Roadkill

Thanks to Ian for assistance Saturday and Sunday

no problems, was really nice and satisfying to see it move under it's own power and go forward and backwards!!

I said I'd drive her out of the unit . . . and I did. Still no steering but she drove out under her own power. First time in 7 years !!!

WOW didn't realise it was that long!!!!!

[Roadkill]

Ordered another 2 steering heims ready for the final assault on the steering !

[Roadkill]

Quoting: F Body

I'd have placed a wedge on the outlets going backwards not forwards

They need to be in that arrangement to miss the SFC's . . . If I go straight back I have to cross the SFC's putting the pipes very low.  By coming forward, partly into the front wheel wells, I run around the front of the SFC's, maintaining maximum height.

[Andy]

As I found out after a lot of head scratching, just because its been rebuilt doesn't mean it'll work. I had to convince myself it was buggered even after they had it twice to rebuild it. The final straw was paying less than half what they had charged me for a brand new unit from Real Steel, once I fitted that and everything was working I ended up telling them their refurb unit was rubbish and they refunded me.

I guess I was lucky in that I had all the test equipment to prove it, and I was able to get it on the car the same day.

[Roadkill]

I'm hoping Titsy can shed some light on it . . . . if not, a new one it'll have to be.

[Titsy]

Is around 2pm on Saturday ok?

[Roadkill]

Yeah, that works.  I'm Jensen-sitting all day but that's around his nap-time.  

[Big Mouse]

That does sound remarkably quiet for what is effectively a straight thru pipe. Your crossover design could be worth a lot if its unique and MOT approved - I'd look at getting it copyright protected if it is

[Roadkill]

Was hoping to have the cash to buy a new registration number for the Camaro before putting her back on the road but have instead opted to buy a new set of pressed plates that break up the $hitty Irish "ALZ5978" reg number into something more palette-able.

I've had to go to a totally illegal US size and style font to add a space - in the wrong place - (AL Z5978) but I don't care.  
There's a lot worse out there and I'll keep the old ones in the boot in case I'm tugged.

To further increase the naughty-ness of them I've also gone to white lettering on borderless black backgrounds.

Meh.  If you're gonna do anything . . . . . . -  

[Jo]

Quoting: Roadkill

To further increase the naughty-ness of them I've also gone to white lettering on borderless black backgrounds

Sounds good. it'll match the car & look great

[Titsy]

Alternator sorted

After a little reading it was a fairly simple fix. The breed of CS130 alternator that Dean has has got a PFLS pinout on the connector.

P is the stator and gives a square wave output that can be Used for a tach or other monitoring by an ECM.

The F pin is connected to the positive field and can be used for fault monitoring.

The L pin is used to drive a lamp on the dash which has the other side connected to ignition. When the alternator is not generating the L pin is grounded and so with the ignition switched on lights the warning bulb.

The S pin is the sense input that ideally is connected to the ignition distribution block and so boosts the output to allow for any voltage drop between the alternator output and the distribution. Dean's car isn't particularly heavy on electrical accessories, so it doesn't matter that the sense wire loops straight back to the output terminal.

The P and F pins don't really matter for much in this implementation either.

The important missing link was the Lamp output as it has a duel purpose. Dean had chosen not to have a warning lamp for this so while the lamp wire was routed to the dash is was left un-terminated. And the fact that this was un-terminated was the extent of the problem, because this connection has a duel purpose. The lamp is effectively used as a pull-up resistor and the ignition feed is used to switch on the regulator output. When the ignition is switched off the regulator is switched off so as not to create a voltage spike as the load is removed. so without a connection the regulator never comes on.

The simple solution was to put a 100 Ohm resistor between the L feed and an ignition source behind the instrument panel to simulate the presence of a bulb. The daft thing is that if your bulb blows then the alternator stops giving an output. Although I suspect most implementations of this setup have a resistor in parallel with the bulb so that if it blows there is still a pull-up, but without one is can very easily look like a duff alternator.

So sure enough with the resistor fitted and fired up there was a nice steady 14.7v at the battery

I must say, that motor and exhaust has a lovely tone, even with only the crossover fitted...

[art b]

Quoting: Titsy

The important missing link was the Lamp output as it has a duel purpose. Dean had chosen not to have a warning lamp for this so while the lamp wire was routed to the dash is was left un-terminated. And the fact that this was un-terminated was the extent of the problem, because this connection has a duel purpose. The lamp is effectively used as a pull-up resistor and the ignition feed is used to switch on the regulator output. When the ignition is switched off the regulator is switched off so as not to create a voltage spike as the load is removed. so without a connection the regulator never comes on.

i was gonna suggest that...

[ianjpage]

Quoting: Titsy

Alternator sorted

Quoting: Titsy

So sure enough with the resistor fitted and fired up there was a nice steady 14.7v at the battery

Cool least it was a relatively simple fix one the issue located

Quoting: Titsy

I must say, that motor and exhaust has a lovely tone, even with only the crossover fitted...

Isn't it just - not too loud that it is obnoxious (sp) but nice and V8 burbly

[Roadkill]

Big thanks to Titsy for enduring the snow to sort the alternator out yesterday.

As he said it was an easy fix, albeit a bit tricky to diagnose - and something that I'll never forget as it's likely I'll hit the same issue when doing the Caddy !

No major update, due to the weather, Mother's day and Jensen sitting.

I did remove the side pipes yesterday, though . . . . This is hopefully for good.  I intend to take her for her MoT without them but if they complain I'll get the glass packs fitted and then re-fit them . . . . . . But I'm really hoping I don't have to.

Next jobs are as follows :

1) Time / tune the engine . . . .
2) Continue measuring and fettling with the steering column . . .
3) Begin offering up the door cards / tweeking / fitting etc . . .
4) POR15 the inside of the doors and put in some drainage holes (the holes on one door were plated over during an earlier "repair")
5) Acquire removable steering wheel - EDIT - Am investigating . . .
6) Get new wheels !

In fairness once 1 & 2 are done she'll be ready for the MoT !!!