zraffz

Oh man, it should totally be driven to prom after all the hard work! I've been watching this thread for a while and have been waiting to congratulate you, so congratulations on the build.

When is the new thread coming out "first cam swap- LT1-LT4 Hot Cam"?

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

well the cam isnt happening this summer, next on the line is body work and weatherstripping, but i like the way you think

yes, VA antique is 25 years, my car is an 85

yes my sig means k thanks bye, its an old internet term, more of a joke than anything



today i called a hot rod shop in the area and got a quote for 1500 bucks to build me a stock routed exhaust and custom Y pipe... wtf?

how much should a proper exhaust cost, and how much should a dual setup cost from a shop?
it just seems silly to spend 3/4 the price of the car itself on some pipes...


~Steven

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

Did they quote that price for using mild or stainless? What shop was it? I could understand that if it was stainless... but then again I've always thought the price these guys charge for simple exhaust fab is too much.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

$2-300 for a custom Y-pipe all the way back. Whatever muffler you pick likely wont be included for that

$1500 means they didnt want to fool with it

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

That is way expensive for an exhaust. I could MAYBE see that quote for a set of custom big block headers with a y-pipe or something but not a stock exhaust. I paid my local rod shop $545 for my exhaust, which included fitting my chambered tube (which I bought separately for $73.00) in there correctly and welding up new pipe from the y-pipe back and tightening my headers to the y-pipe. I thought THAT was expensive, but they did a perfect job on it.

By the way, I've read good things about the Crane 227 cam, now known as the "Compucam." It's a cam that is designed specifically around the flow of the LT1 heads, and I hear it rips pretty hard. The best price I found on it was here, but it's out of stock. I think Summit would match this price, though, if you call them about it http://www.streetsideauto.com/produc...te%2BMarketing

Or you could contact this guy, if he's still in business http://www.lt1boost.net/

I'd love to turbo my LT1, once it is all installed and running properly.

zraffz

I don't think the stock lt1 heads assembly are capable of building power at 7 grand, maybe on a machined set of heads that cam is good.

zachkuby87

i wish i would have never clicked that link my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard at all the retartedness stemming from that link thanks for the good laugh though....

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

I respectfully disagree with your statement. He wouldn't need 7000 revs to make power with the 227 cam. 6000 rpms would do just fine. He'd just need some valvetrain parts (locators, new springs, retainers, and locks), and he'd be set. The 227 cam is designed to work well with stock LT1 heads. It is an LT1 specific camshaft, as far as its specs, due to the exhaust/intake flow characteristics of LT1 heads.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

well in any case the cam isnt happening soon lol

i drove the car around quite a bit the last few days, not to prom..., and it runs great.

the steering is still surprisingly loose, so i am going to try to tighten the pinion in the box soon, its the only variable in the system that i havent fixed other than the worst tires of all time...
the exhaust is ungodly loud. im going to try to find a few more shops tonight to quote and then take the car in monday or tuesday. i need to decide true duals or not, so feedback there would be appreciated.

i still cant believe i can drive it after all this shinanniganry


~Steven

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

Since you have the long tubes, you might as well go with true duals, since you'll need a custom y-pipe anyway. That's what I would do, and I'd use the chambered tubes from here:

http://www.classicchambered.com/index.html

I'd use two 18" length, true 3" flowpath tubes. They'll sound frickin' sick, and they're pretty cheap, too.

Glad she's running well for you.

zachkuby87

so i read the entire thread and i didnt see anything on why you had to mover the car from the school...... nice job though i wish i had the resources and money to do what you did

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

...we're all still waiting on that story

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

alright fine :P

im not going to go over all the fine details since it was so dumb, but basically:

i went into school on saturday cause the transmission wasnt mounted and the jack under it leaks (the school isnt open saturday...).
i left the garage door unlocked so it could be manually opened with quite a bit of effort, anyway
my dad and i went in and got the trans mounted and were on our way out when school security rolls up and tries to arrest us for trespassing.
you can see where this is going.

i called my teacher and he was like this is ridiculous let them go, so they did, but they still filed it with the county. then the admins at my school were all like slap on the wrist, but the principal took it personally and suspended me for three days.

so yeah, i was dumb. i acted like a teenager for once in my life. my teacher has a less than six month old at home so he cant stay after to let me work, and due to budget cuts my club was shut down half way through the year.
my logic was pretty simple. half my life savings are in the project, and if it isnt done by the end of the year im screwed.

so there you go.
long and short of it i was stupid (although i think its silly getting in trouble for trying to work overtime...), the principal didnt understand my situation, and i got screwed.

so then the car came home, i had to notify both ga tech and nrotc, and they both let it slide because there was no guns or drugs etc, and no ill intent.

sounds silly now that im done but at the time it made sense. i think we've all had those moments.

~Steven

cprmn14

iTrader: (3)

very nicely done man!

ive also been following this swap since the begining, and im very impressed, and cant wait to start mine. PROPS

congrats man!

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

thanks, i really appreciate it.

i called up a local shop today that pointed me to another one for an exhaust. i am currently leaning towards true duals out around the crossmember, back into an x pipe, and then turndowns before the axle.

anybody have any experience with powerstick chambered mufflers? i was thinking those with glasspacks as resonators might make a unique sound.

~Steven

ericjon262

I'm thinking about running a set of supertrapps on my car once I'm done with it.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SU...3019/?rtype=10

v10viper04

My car has Hedman LT's into a cutcom Y-pipe (duel 2 1/2", single 3" out) then it goes into a summit brand glasspack(like $20, for a resonator) and then stock routing over the axle into the factory location crossflow (flowtech afterburner muffer) and into the duel 2 1/2" pipes. Sounds great to me. Here's a vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuCMeWn1D2U

She likes to get loud when you get on the gas. Little bit of drone but too bad. I'm impressed considering its one the of cheapest crossflows i could find lol

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

yes! The powerstick is what I am running. It's a chambered tube. You'll love the sound.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

is it too loud to enjoy my music at idle? i want something quiter at idle but that roars on the throttle.

i like the powerstick clips online i just want it to calm down when cruisin

~Steven

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

They are quiet while idling and don't drone when cruising, then when you stomp the gas they will scream. You will really love the sound.

Mine sounds great!!

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

cool. ill keep them in mind- im heading to the shop thursday morning to talk to the guy about what i want and hopefully get started on it

~Steven

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

Who ya going with?

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

Whitey's in chantilly.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

finally got my actual plate

drove the car to my senior picnic today, which was awesome. it was at a park (burke lake park) so everybody heard me cruise in haha. i stopped by the shop in the morning, and have decided to notch the spohn xmember, run two pipes back to the center, and Y them into one muffler and a turndown at the axle. I ordered two 16" powerstick chambered mufflers to run in a row after the Y. I cant wait to quiet her down so my ears dont ache after running around.

~Steven

edit: for the record, this shop is actually reasonable. quote was 190 in labor and about 3-5 hours for the whole job. the guy i talked to was mainly concerned with ground clearance and knew his stuff.

9014josh

iTrader: (1)

Are you driving with open headers right now?? i took my car for a ride down the road today with the lontubes open and it sounded like a nascar race lol

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

yeah im running open longtubes...

its loud as all hell

9014josh

iTrader: (1)

holy hell lol i wouldnt dare go farther than what i did going down the road today i would get pulled over as soon as i hit the main road around here...why dont you just hook up those cheery bomb things to have to the end of the headers temporarely so you dont go deaf driving it

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

i would but for two things:
1 the only way i have to attach them is with clamps which would dent the collectors/reducers
2 they dont do a damn thing lol

~Steven

for the record: two cops passed me today without any trouble (i was near idle albeit, but still)
guess i was lucky, although i was legitimately traveling to and from a shop in the morning

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

well still waiting on the mufflers to arrive before the exhaust is finished.

in the meantime- i was wondering how difficult it is to replace the steering box. I found remanufactured and new quick ratio boxes for under 300 bucks online, and didnt know if i could swap it out myself.

http://www.discountsteering.com/addt.../82-00073.html

also in the tire department, i was wondering how big i can run on my stock 15" wheels.
i believe the biggest it gets on those is 235/60R15...
im trying to justify spending 1000 dollars on these: http://www.oewheelsllc.com/Wheels-fo...02195-3-1.html

2.25" adapters, and 275/40/R17s, at least in the back and more like 245s in front...

we'll see.

with my graduation money i should be able to get something done. Most likely i will splurge on weatherstripping and a paint job, and get fresh rubber on the stock wheels.

~Steven

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

Did you try tightening up your box yet? The job really isn't that hard to do relative to what you've done at this point. Just search a bit for swapping them out... it's pretty straight forward. Just remember to bleed the pump before trying to drive on it or you'll kill it pretty quick.

As far as wheels go, if you want performance, I'd put $0 into the 15's that you have right now. The sidewalls will always be soft, you'll be extremely limited in the width department, and if you'd ever decide to upgrade brakes, you'll have little room to work with. You're going to find you're short on traction pretty quickly once you're actually able to get into it some.

My suggestion would be to come up with a plan for your rear and wheels at the same time, and go from there. The reason I suggest coming up with a plan for your rear is just because of spacers - if you keep the 3rd gen, you'll most likely need spacers for 4th gen or Vette wheels. 4th gen axles are a quick, cheap, and easy way to get a much more desirable ratio, low miles, and disk brakes all at once.

The wheels - Keep your eye out on craigslist. You can find newer Camaro or C5+ wheels w. tires for cheap all day long... and the DC craigslist is one of the best markets I've found for wheels.

Just my .02

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

i did go through and tighten up the box- the steering feels great once it catches, and the car tracks well, but there is still a good 4-6" of nothing when you turn the wheel either direction- every component is new except the box and pitman arm, so im going to go ahead and blame it.

i also had my brother turn the wheel while i watched the pitman, and the input to the box turned, but the pitman didnt...

for the wheels, you're right, i should look at a rear end swap. i had put it out of my mind until the car was driving, but its a good idea.

~Steven

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

FYI - I got my 4th gen rear for $100 - Complete with brakes and all. 3.23 gears, 100k miles and the posi still holds with sticky 275's. I was in a hurry to put it in... I haven't even put in new pads and it's working like a charm

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

well let me know if you find a deal like that again! ill drive all over VA for that. ive looked a few times before and never found a deal that sweet.

~Steven

thenjoshsays

iTrader: (1)

I'll keep my eyes out for you. That's probably the best one I've come across so far, but if I find something close to it, I'll nab it for ya.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

alright well in any case the mufflers came today, and the shop is all set for early tomorrow so I will have an exhaust by tomorrow night!

cant wait to make it more reasonable and really start giving her exercise.

i also ordered some intake piping and couplers to move my hot air intake legitimately over into the drivers side battery tray area.

~Steven

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

I had to wait a month for my Powerstick from Classic Chambered Exhaust. You got yours quick!!

Swapping a steering box should be just about as easy as unbolting the stock one and bolting it back in, with the exception of filling the steering system with fluid, which doesn't seem like a big deal.

Also, after you've been running open headers for as long as you have (I did the same thing for a while), even the loudest exhausts sound quiet.

My buddy, who has a 400 79 Trans Am, was way envious when I gave him a ride in my Camaro, after I got the Powerstick and exhaust system done. He said, "Dang, I want my car to sound just like yours!" He loved the sound, too.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

well i just got home from leaving the car at the exhaust shop, which went smoothly. Guy said he'll cut the outlet/inlet off each muffler and weld them together (aka a 32" chamber powerstick, the perfect size they dont make). He said it will be done by noon if he doesnt get anybody wanting an inspection.

the bad news is my dad was following me there to give me a lift home, and he said the passenger side rear tire is wobbling like i have a bent axle. I obviously dont have the car to look at right now but i believe it. Which means im going to start seriously looking for a nice fourth gen disc rear to install sooner than i thought.


edit: to make my morning even better i just found oil on the ground where the car was parked and where i pulled out from- three spots each with more than just a drop
ugh.

~Steven

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

finally, a proper exhaust. driving the car feels/is 1000x better now.

the guy only fit one 16" powerstick muffler, but it sounds great and the volume is right where i want it. a little bit low right where it Ys by the spohn x member, but functional for now. I'm not going to be picky- it works, it sounds excellent, and it was 190 bucks total.

now to fix my oil leak...

~Steven

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

YouTube - Exhaust Fabbed Up

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Dang thats some kind of low

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

I envisioned a fabbed y-pipe that goes over where our stockers run and having the pipe run like stock--like mine, but I forgot about the T-56 crossmember, plus the longtubes may make it harder to make a y-pipe that runs anywhere near like the stocker....I never had longtubes, so I don't know for sure.

It loks like that crossmember would be in the way, anyway.

We want a WOT sound clip for sure

and dang that thing must really rip quite loudly at WOT, with only half the Powerstick I have.

I must hear it!! Time to take your camera for a ride

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

yeah im going to live with it for now- like I said it works, i was fairly cheap, and it makes driving more comfortable.

and i actually do really like the sound. ill take the camera out with me sometime soon.

first i need to fix a leak... turns out it wasnt engine oil on the ground, its power steering fluid.

the hose going from the reservoir to the pump is wet along its entire length, so im not sure where it is leaking but its definitely ps and not oil... whew.

~Steven

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

I'm glad it was just power steering fluid. That's way easier than fixing an oil leak.

I'm glad you like the sound of the Powerstick. Looking forward to hearing it on the road.

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

Steven, it looks like you modified the battery tray so it would fit in that smaller stock location. Am I right? I did sort of a test fit today with mine (without cutting the hole yet) and it looks like it will be kind of cockeyed because the frame sits nearly an inch higher than the stock tray area. I know I'll figure it out, but I was just wondering.

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

actually no- i just printed out a template for the exact shape of the hole and cut it out. The tray rests on the frame outside of the actual battery tray depression, and the bolt that holds it in is through the frame as well.

I will try to get you some better photos tonight if i can, as well as the thread that i found the template in. Somebody has a picture with a ruler in it, and then i just scaled it and printed it so that 1" was to actual scale on the ruler.

~Steven

New2Chevy

iTrader: (11)

Thanks Steven. I got mine cut, too, and just need to fasten it in there. Pics would be cool.

9014josh

iTrader: (1)

your def gonna wanna upgrade your rearend now...i broke my 9 bolt 3.27 today with my LT1 5 speed....

Falconiroc

Swap looks great! It was a really good read, I really Enjoyed it, I am just thrilled to be doing a swap myself, I hope it ends up just as great as yours!

kthxbai

iTrader: (5)

thanks man, just working out the kinks now


so turns out the power steering isnt really a leak so much as it is a constant bleeding...
DO NOT USE HEATER HOSE FOR LOW PRESSURE PS LINES
i didnt know but the ps oil bleeds through the rubber on heater hose. i went to the store today and got six feet of the proper size fuel line, which will be ok. If you are using rubber hose use something rated for fuel, oil, or steering- not heater hose.


in terms of engine oil leaks- i do have a bit squeezing out from around the oil level sensor port (no longer in use). I believe i read someplace that that fitting can be removed and replaced with the proper size plug. I think i may seafoam the engine and do an oil change, and plug it then.

other than that i have a very minor drop of oil condensing at the bottom of the timing cover (the only gasket i didnt replace on the front...)
but its not enough to worry about at the moment.

im going out now to swap out the power steering line, and then we can hit the road for a while longer

shes been driving great
next on my list is the rear end, after that wheels to go with it.
my dad convinced me to hold off on paint since she will be sitting while im at college this winter anyways- point taken.

~Steven

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Actually trans line is better suited for PS. Something in it just lasts longer, not sure what it is