Well done! Congrats!!! That has to feel pretty good after this journey.

Wanna come help me pull my transmission? It's already on jackstands for this coming weekend. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Thanks! It really is. I was really nervous.

Yeah I'll help you pull the transmission! Oh wait, I just remembered I have that...thing. Guess I can't make it. Maybe next time. 😄

Heh, that "thing" seems to happen a lot. Strange.

No leaks or other weirdness?

Yeah...kinda like moving day.


I dumped all the power steering fluid, probably didn't tighten something down. Tons of smoke on the initial start, that had me really worried. It was more than I expected. I shut it off and checked the radiator and oil to make sure a head gasket wasn't sealing or something. Then started it up. It smoked for a while then right about when I was ready to shut it off again, it cleared up. So it was just all the oil and crap inside the engine burning off. The lifters were noisy at first but that was to be expected.

Here's the first start. I had pulled an ignition fuse and cranked it over a bunch to build oil pressure before attempting this start. The tach initially jumped up the dropped to zero.



https://youtu.be/c-joK05YEQ8


It's making great oil pressure! So I'm sure I just have a wiring issue. Just sucks that the cam position sensor is such a bitch to get to. Most have to pull the manifold and I really don't want to do that since the threads aren't in the greatest shape. They are all torqued, but I'm not sure if I'll get away with it again. I should have paid more attention to the wiring harness at the back of the engine. I thought I had it where it needs to be, but maybe not. It might be easier to lower the cross member a few inches to give me more room.

My plan is to run it some more, let it get up to temperature and then change the oil filter. I'm sure there's trash it's catching. I have tap water in the radiator for now, I'll also flush that.

So with a mild cam, it's safe to drive without tuning, correct? Is there any danger? I know it needs to be tuned, but I'd like to drive it for a few hundred miles to work the bugs out before tuning it.

Tap water will lead to calcium deposits in the radiator. I had to have the AFCO radiator in my 3rd gen professionally tanked and cleaned to get the crap out of it after I did that. Don't do that. Surely don't drive it that way. And I'd flush it until you were sure you had the majority of the tap water out of it. Flush and fill with distilled water.

Yeah I know. It'll be in the car for like 24 hours. I'll flush it with distilled water and then add water wetter. I think I'll just run that until this winter and replace it with antifreeze.

A step backwards today.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Steve91T/Camaro/FB278E4A-AAD5-4300-AAB9-4B431670815B.jpg)

Found the problem! I forgot to connect the cam position sensor. That'll do it! In the process I broke the wire to the oil pressure sending unit, so I had to solder it. I had to take the connector apart to get enough wire, I really hope it's making a connection.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Steve91T/Camaro/0A817528-82F9-454F-B0F6-697D6DFD407E.jpg)

All better! The threads for the intake manifold held up and all is well. I was worried at first because when I first started the car I had no tach. I. Was. Bummed. But I gave it a tap of the gas and it came to life. And my oil pressure gauge is working, so my soldering fix worked. I probably should have removed it while I could get to it and cleaned it, but I didn't think of it. All I know is it's working and the engine runs great. I still have a check engine light, not sure if that's because of the cam or not. I'll pull codes later tonight.

Heh, that's not a step backwards! You didn't have to drop the engine back out, so you're good!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

Very true!!!

I'm going to finish up the other things like bleed the brakes tomorrow and then go for a drive. Hopefully I'll be able to get it tuned on Friday.

If I can get it tuned, then I might drop it off with him and let him put some miles on it. I think he's really excited. Right now he's storing my Camaro and he said he took it for a drive the other day and he couldn't believe how nimble it was. He said it reminded him of his lotus Elise. Ha. I'll take that as a compliment.

I'm having one of those "put the tools down and back away" moments....


Wtf am I missing and why the F can't I find it!?!?!

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/Steve91T/Camaro/003AF171-8222-4DE4-8243-E52309D82A2F.jpg)

I have the exhaust hooked up and the new tuned ECU in and the last thing on my freaking list is to blead the freaking brakes and I have one bleeder screw totally rusted and rounded and apparently I've lost an entire brake line!

Found it! Bastard was snaked into a hole in the frame.

Went for a quick ride! The engine ran awesome. But I had very little brakes and I blew a power steering hose, so other than that it was a success!!

That sounds about like progress. My first Corvette drive was at night (I have a rule about that and I broke it) and the alternator was dead. Barely made it home. Lights were nearly off and the car barely ran....

Maiden voyages seem to go that way sometimes.

I want to do something with the front end. The grill has been removed, which looks ok. I saw a picture of an OEM grill that was sanded and painted and I think it looks better. What do you guys prefer? I was considering a black billet grill but I'm not sure I like it.

Also I really like the look of some aftermarket projector headlights. I think the darker ones look pretty good bu most seem to be halos.

I'm just curious what you guys prefer.

I just took the grill off my original 2002. Well, the body shop did when they repaired the nose when I hit the deer. I just had them leave it off.

So yesterday I fixed the power steering line and took the car to autozone. I can't believe how smooth this car runs on a mail order tune! I was in 5th at 1200 RPM at like 35 MPH and there was no cam surge at all. My dad is going to absolutely love this engine.

So, oil change and radiator flush today. Then I'm going to try my hardest to get the brake bleeder screws out. I have new ones, so if I can get them out, all will be well. If they break off, then I'm going to upgrade to CTS-V 4 piston calipers.

I'm still looking for 18" Z06 wheels but I'm not having any luck.

Which cam did you ultimately use?

Texas Speed 224r 112 LSA

You can tell it has a cam in it at idle but it's subtle.

Sweet! I think that's larger than I want to deal with, but maybe not. No headers on this one, right?