Ford lover, saves a 94' Z28

[grasshopperglock]

Just a suggestion...

If you plan on putting any power to ground and hooking you should forget about Goodrich T/A's. Rock hard tires.
You want this car to handle in curves,those tires will not hold. Hate to see you wrap it around something after all the work you are fixing to put into it.

I want a harder compound tire. If she hooks up too much. The 7.5 will explode. I've ran a 396 in a 79 Monte Carlo. The pin that went through the spider gears, seared in half. Axles came out. Car got wrecked. Imo.... These rear ends are junk.

They're reasons I'm a Ford fan. We don't have to deal with crappy, glass axle GM rear ends. However, this car called my name. So I gotta deal with it.

BF's are a decent wide tire in the rain. The cars being set up "drag style". Cornering is out the window with 15x5's.

Roll it up on 2x6 sections.

Or, get one of these ...

Hydraulic Jacks · DK13HLQ · AC Hydraulic A/S

Made my life so much easier

Damn. 2x6's......Why didn't I think of that?

You GM guys are pretty bright.

 

[J. Fred]

I want a harder compound tire. If she hooks up too much. The 7.5 will explode. I've ran a 396 in a 79 Monte Carlo. The pin that went through the spider gears, seared in half. Axles came out. Car got wrecked. Imo.... These rear ends are junk.

They're reasons I'm a Ford fan. We don't have to deal with crappy, glass axle GM rear ends. However, this car called my name. So I gotta deal with it.

BF's are a decent wide tire in the rain. The cars being set up "drag style". Cornering is out the window with 15x5's.



Damn. 2x6's......Why didn't I think of that?

You GM guys are pretty bright.

I can't disagree with anything you said.
Should be a fine ride with how you are thinking everything through in your planning.

 

[outdare]

Check out the nitto motivo
It is the only 60k mile performance tire I have seen. I have a set on our mustang and they handle well.

 

[TheDan]

Lol, I'd rather raise the car 1".

I want a harder compound tire.

Dude, you're killing me... Cars are supposed to be low. Trucks are supposed to be tall. Both benefit from "hooking up" unless you're a drift dweeb

 

[mitchntx]

Dude, you're killing me... Cars are supposed to be low. Trucks are supposed to be tall. Both benefit from "hooking up" unless you're a drift dweeb

Glad you said it 'cause I wanted to ...

 

[grasshopperglock]

Dude, you're killing me... Cars are supposed to be low. Trucks are supposed to be tall. Both benefit from "hooking up" unless you're a drift dweeb

I'm not raising it. But I'm not lowering it. BtW, I'd drive a mustang off road. Put some nasty murders on. Tear ass.

Glad you said it 'cause I wanted to ...

Then you should of.

Orders have been placed. Gears are 4.10. There's 7mph difference between 3.73 and 4.10.

Summit sells 4.10's for series 2 carriers.

For tires, I haven't bought. The budget is $500. Remember me saying I can get tires wholesale. From what I've seen at tire places, it's about $10-$30 markup.

You goobers recommend me a tire. I want 27" high. Rear tire tread width, I want from 8.5" to 9.0". (I wanna make sure this tire has as much clearance as possible. I'm not sure if a full 10" tread will clear the wheel well or quarter lip.) Better safe then pissed off.

Recommend me a decent priced tire. That's not a street drag....... I can't afford some $250 nikko either.

 

[mitchntx]

Orders have been placed. Gears are 4.10. There's 7mph difference between 3.73 and 4.10.

yep and almost 1/2" in diameter of the pinion shaft.

I would suggest you stick with the hard-assed BFGs.

 

[grasshopperglock]

yep and almost 1/2" in diameter of the pinion shaft.

I would suggest you stick with the hard-assed BFGs.

That's what I figured. They stuffed lots of gear in a really small housing. Bet they look fine.

Fine teeth gears...wonder if it'll whine like a cat? My luck; Yes.

Ill come across a 12bolt. They have swap meets at the bell county expo. In the mean time, it's $300 in cheap bfg's and 4.10 watch gears.

 

[mitchntx]

If Richmond gears, then yeah, they'll talk.
GM gears seem to be quieter.

4.10 has a 10 tooth pinion gear while a 3.73 has a 12.
That's a big difference in diameter.

So, be gentle with that trans brake, LOL

 

[outdare]

Troll the web for slightly used tires you should find what you are looking for. A buddy of mine found used rear tires for his vet for cheap.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Tires ran me $430. Coopers on back, kumho on front.

Rears I had to get in 28". Wheel well looks likes its 29"...

Fronts are 26" with enough load rating. Like 1700lbs each. No blow outs for me.


"Sent from a puff of smoke"

 

[grasshopperglock]

And transmission was change to "level 3" shift. I want wiplash as the bubba rears tires I bought, churp.


"Sent from a puff of smoke"

 

[grasshopperglock]

Last order. And the most sucky one.

Dex4 synthetic transmission fluid, 12 quarts. $98 bucks....Damn

Gear lube with additive, 2 quarts $22

Royal purple engine earl' $38

K&N oil filter, $12

Autometer ultralight trans temp gauge,100-250 degrees, 2 5/8"....freaking $70. The cup, $32.

I'm going to wrench a wreck's this weekend. I need a trans cooler. Maybe they have one hanging off a truck... or BMW...

If I can't find a dedicated trans cooler. Then Ill use a small a.c. condenser off some Honda. Solder on some American line fittings. GTG

I've read folks changing their thermostat to 160...just to cool their tranny. Imo, that's nuts and way too cold. Why these folks don't just route the fluid straight to a cooler....instead of running it through a 190degree hot radiator....Ill never know.

Why not get a 150 thermostat? Lol

Maybe it's a racer thang?

 

[mitchntx]

For an iron block SBC, heat and heat soak kills power.
For emmissions puposes, NOT is 200-210.
But, a 160 thermostat would do nothing for temps if the fans weren't reset to come on at 170.

A common "modification" was to by-pass the cooling hoses routed through the throttle body.
In the drag pits, a common practice was to throw a bag of ice onto the top of the intake.
Good for a couple tenths ...

Also, have the radiator cap tested for lift pressure. so many of the caps bought OTC would lift at 60-70% of rated.
When running 210 NOT, keeping the system pressurized to 10-12 psi is important in hot Texas summers.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Parts are starting to show up.

Adjustable Torque arm(that has to weigh 75#.) BMR

15x10, 7.5BS weld (2 count)

Wheel studs (10 count) arp

Spacers .375" (2count) billet specialties

Lug nuts, weld (20 count)

Center cap (2) weld

Gears. Summit 4.10

Distributor cap and rotor. Summit special

Steering wheel, grant classic, 13.5" (wrong adapter, that's getting returned)

View attachment 31160

Monster emailed me. Tranny is now being built to order.

Rock Auto was shipped yesterday. (these are the parts I need to start working on the Z)

I have no clue on the rest of the order from summit. The 15x5's are being shipped from another warehouse.

Oil, fluid, lube, and trans temp gauge was ordered last night.

Parts I still need, 4 valve stems. Cheap bottle of k-y gel ( it's for mounting the tires). Manifold for the tranny temp spending unit. This I get at Lowe's. Summit sells one for $45 bucks. I can find brass fittings that'll do the same thing. Polly $7 bucks.

 

[Brains]

Keep in mind the LT1 is a reverse coolant flow setup. If you don't get the air burped out of the system through the two bleed screws, you'll end up with no coolant flow and a REALLY hot motor. Transmissions die mostly due to heat, but running at normal coolant temp in a factory power level street car is no big deal. My wife ran no external trans cooler on her 76mm turbocharged 10 second daily driver (well built) 4L60e for years with zero issues. Just another thing to leak, IMHO.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Keep in mind the LT1 is a reverse coolant flow setup. If you don't get the air burped out of the system through the two bleed screws, you'll end up with no coolant flow and a REALLY hot motor. Transmissions die mostly due to heat, but running at normal coolant temp in a factory power level street car is no big deal. My wife ran no external trans cooler on her 76mm turbocharged 10 second daily driver (well built) 4L60e for years with zero issues. Just another thing to leak, IMHO.

True, true, and true.

I've saved the most 'pain in the ass' parts for the last...The spark plugs, hoses, belt, distributor cap, oil change.


The game plan, suspension first. Tranny second. Motor third.

If I had a lift. I'd drop the motor. Work on it outside the car. Cuz, I'm not looking forward to the spark plugs. Since I'm picky, heads are alloy, the plugs are getting torqued. Whatever 11lbs is in inch pounds.


Then Ill jack with the optispark. Check the water pump, fan, sending unit. Find my tiny leak. Replace the bypass hose. Flush the block, radiator. Ill check the motor mounts when I'm strong arming the transmission. Praying it don't slip, fall on my face or nuts.

The front end is (imo) easy pesy. In stead of getting bushings for the upper. I bought two rebuilt a arms. $10 bucks more then ball joint and two bushings. These ill check to make sure they did the bushings right.(correct depth, bla, bla) Then it's install....

Rack bushings look like a huge pain to change. Ill pull the entire rack. Clean out 80,000 miles of the famous chevy oil pan leak...



Rock Auto needs to hurry up.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Well, "I crawled back under my green 94'...lmao. S.A.'

This is why parking under trees is bad. If it wasn't for the entire sub structure being galvanised. This would have caused some rust issues.

View attachment 31170

View attachment 31173

Wheel well liners pulled. And this mess fell out. Pine tree needles suck.

And joy joy....Monster called. The tranny is going to be sent late. Thanksgiving holiday....oh well, it is what it is.

Here's the tires. 275/60 and 205's.

View attachment 31171

View attachment 31172

Ill mount the skinnies when the rims show up.


Here's the bottom of the battery perch. Thank the Lord, it's the only rust on the car...

View attachment 31174

 

[grasshopperglock]

View attachment 31175

Real funny GM. The master cylinder has to be unbolted, so you can reach the two Torx bolts holding the strut perch.

View attachment 31176

View attachment 31177

 

[grasshopperglock]

Ok, today's wrap up.

15x5s showed up. Tested the fit. These are 3.5BS. .375 spacer.

View attachment 31179

View attachment 31180

View attachment 31181

View attachment 31182

Knuckle and strut perch, cleaned, zinc primer, Sun yellow.