August 2009 Update

Although the blog has been silent a while, SOME progress has been made.

As seen here, received and installed the chassis skid kit from Russ Thompson. Also, completed drilling the COUNTLESS rivet holes to secure panels to the chassis. While you're eyeballing the underside here, I've about decided to leave the center tunnel closeout panels off the final build. I suspect it'll decrease the heat buildup in the tunnel, and maybe promote a little more airflow around the engine/drive.


The AC condenser unit, Shane's fan relocation tin and the fan were installed.




In June, I sprung for my insulation package, LizardSkin Acoustic and Thermal spray-on insulation, along with the gun.


The local Sales Rep delivered the goods, and I had most panels "mocked up" so we could decide how to proceed.





We decided to finish the build "in white", and at teardown for body finishing, we'll remove the panels as well and coat each separately. This will also allow for firm-up of which panels will be riveted, and which screwed on for access.

Next, installed the rack & pinion and the suspension.





And THEN, of course, just had to hang the rubber on her, and properly introduce her to the ground for the first time, on June 23!





OK, enough playgames, back up on the stands and to work.

Next, installed the tilt/telescope steering assembly.




Next, with the help of sons 2 & 3, stabbed the mill. We were able to install the LS376-480 with ALL the accessories on the front!! The Kooks headers wouldn't go, and had to be installed after the engine was "home". It's obvious that the panel behind the driver will have to be "opened" for clearance of the alternator, similar to the right side one which is opened by FFR for the AC drive.





We then tried to stab the transaxle, but kept hitting a metallic stop about 1" out from flanging up. We tried everything we could think of, and finaly let 'er lay.

By the way, a good bit had gone on with the transaxle in the intervening as well. I purchased a KAAZ LSD from Erik @ Carquip. Then I got to looking at gear ratios, and became dissatisfied with 1st, 4th and 5th. First was a real stump-puller, making it virtually useless for such a light weight powerful car. 4th and 5th weren't "long-legged" enough to really realize any top speed or low cruising rpm. So, bundled it all up and sent it to Erik. They replaced 1st, 4th and 5th gears, as well as installed the LSD and performed the upside-down mods, and sent it back looking like new. Ratios are now:1st-2.83; 2nd-2.059; 3rd-1.407; 4th-0.867 and 5th-0.656, all with a final drive of 3.44:1. These ratios mean that if you red-line each gear, it'll drop down nicely into the torque curve with the successive gear.

Back to the assembly story. I finally muddled to the realization that the transaxle input shaft sleeve was stopping against the throwout bearing, instead of piloting into it. A call to Erik got the right sleeve on the way. However, in trying to remove the incorrect sleeve, one of the two phillips-headed(!) screws got wiped, so I had to drill the head out of the sleeve. This left the screw body in the hole. I tried an easy-out (What a RIDICULOUS name for the thing), and of course it broke off up in the bolt. Bought a special carbide bit to drill out the easy-out, and, you guessed it, it broke off in there too!!!! (email me - I'll share some newly coined profanities resultant from this experience!) Finally had to swallow my pride(not too big a gulp any more) and cough up a C-Note to have a local shop extract the bolt. You can BET the new screws ARE NOT Phillips heads!!

That's where we stand as of now. When I'm up and about again, the saga will resume!!

Engine Front

Got the front of the engine dressed out. New early-year water pump(for clearance), rebuilt AC compressor and alternator, along with all new tensioners, pulleys and belts. The oil pressure sensor is homeless once again; it had to be evicted from its spot at the lower left front of the block since the alternator wanted to live there. This is the first of, what I expect to be, many, many "it seemed like a good idea at the time" episodes during this build. It took a full day of running around to amass the bolts, nuts, washers, plugs and other parts to complete this installation. By the way, used only one FFR spacer on each alternator bolt, and the alignment looks spot on. Also, note the brass plugs in the water pump where the heater hose connections used to be. I'm going to connect the heater to the coolant pipes at the front of the tunnel, to eliminate the two long hoses, and their contribution to heat in the tunnel. By the way, yes, that's a tired old LT5 in the left background of the first pic. Amazing to compare the engines - the LS3 making 100 HP more, and weighing 150# less. Ain't technology sweet?

I'm Baaaaaack

Illness and family obligations notwithstanding, SOME work has progressed on the GTW. Forthwith, an updating of the blog.

A call to Factory Five verified that the angles of the bends in the aluminum are correct. So, contrary to my SOP, I referred to the Manual this early in the build! Sure enough the rear wheelwell panels fit as supplied, IF you follow the Manual sequence!! Whodathunk!!


Since it's said that the car is built around the AC evap, I test fit the unit. You can see Shane's Fan relocation "tin" in place.




I reimagineered the front support for the rotisserie, which strengthened the setup and provided a means to stabilize the chassis in the sideways position.



On March 18, I decided it was time to finish disassembly of the transmission, German engineering be damned! I finally figured out that the inner bearing races in the two shafts were a snug machine fit, and had to be worried off. That was the key, and soon the box was apart, as you can see below. Now the mods can begin.








Here are a couple of shots of the chassis rotated on the rotisserie, ready for work on the underside.



Here are the four suspension knuckles, bearings, hubs, brake calipers and brackets disassembled, "Corvette" removed from the front calipers and ready for cleaning and painting.


Since I had received the adapter plate, I decided to have at the engine on April 16th. Below are the results. This first pic is the back of the engine after I had removed the factory-installed flex plate from the crank.


Here's the pilot bearing installed in the end of the crank. Unlike a previous project, I made sure there wasn't a bearing already in there before installing this one!?!?!?!?!?


Here's the adapter plate mounted on the rear of the engine.


Here's the front casing of the tranny mocked up for fit. Looks good!




Here is the flywheel installed.


In order to install the intake manifold backwards, the oil pressure sender had to be relocated. In the first pic, the allen flat plug covers the cut-down sender fitting on the back of the valley cover. Approximately 2" had to be removed, and the hole enlarged and tapped to accept the plug. Also, some of the waffle-pattern reinforcing moulded into the bottom of the manifold had to be removed to even clear this low-profile plug. The second pic shows the oil sender in its new home on the lower left front of the block(from whence came the plug shown in the previous pic).


Here's the result of a very satisfying day in the shop. Note I also installed the clutch pressure plate, disc and throwout bearing.

Here are the "leftover parts" - slushbox flexplate, assembly retainer clips for fuel rails, cover from atop the intake manifold and the cast-iron exhaust manifolds which will be replaced by the stainless steel Kooks long tube headers a-coming.