383 ez-efi and overdrive

[ttype]

I re-read an article about "Budget Engine Build- A Tough Act To Follow", (to represent how long i've had to piece this motor together, all while driving the pee out of my low budget basement built 327), then"sledgehammer" over and over, and sourced my parts list(s) accordingly. Doing a LOT of homework in the design stages of your build will reward you tenfold when it comes time to enjoy your toytoys. David Vizard is your friend, and if you "study" what he'll tell you for almost free(cost of a magazine from time to time) and "grumpy's garage"... you won't kick yourself in your own pants, when you fire up that ride, break-in a cam, hook-up your torque converter, run through your checklists, then find out just how mismatched your parts combo has become. Bigger isn't always the best approach, and restraint is something everyone should strive for when it comes to a building a car for yourself, that you can take anywhere, anytime in any weather condition.

 

[ttype]

When I took this thing home a week ago from my buddy's place 143km away, (88.85 miles), my fuel gauge was reading a "tick" over 1/4 full. Now if you're mindful of where your g-body send units read... that is remarkable economy. Include the fact that I still hafta baby this thing for the time being... I was thrilled by that mileage. I didn't get all fancy with my fuel system with respect to an efi coversion sending unit, I re-used the factory sender, "spliced" in a return line that travels upward and slightly awayfrom the factory pick-up sock from the v6's sending unit. I will not attempt any spirited driving moves with this thing at below 1/4 tank, (fuel slosh moves the gauge quite a bit) anything over that mark will be more than sufficient.

 

[ttype]

While your fuel system's pump has to be located "below" your fuel tank, in order to get the best mileage from it( everything has a lifespan!) I does not necessarily mean that it has to be right beside your fuel tank. Track cars can benefit from such an install( opinions are just like belly buttons), since parking bullards, concrete curbs (at parking lots, if you're a fan of "back-in" parking...) are an everyday day life for street cars. Mounting a fuel pump near the spare tire well on your street car can be disastrous. Not to mention imprudent with respect to the prying eyes of crooks, so I mounted mine under the front passenger seat. Since I haven't run anything over in that location in a very long time, AND that location is approximately 3" lower than anything "near" the fuel tank, gravity will be my friend when it comes time to keep a prime to the fuel pump. -pretty sure the fuel "weighs more" in that spot, than if it were near the fuel tank, like you see the youtube installers do. (keep in mind, the guys in "most" of those videos will gladly sell you another fuel pump, more fuel line, if the "crappy" one you bought fails perhaps "prematurely")

 

[ttype]

Just imagine being rear-ended, and all kinds of shrapnel like jagged edges of torn sheet metal slice a hole in your return fuel line, or your pressurized one fo that matter(yikes!), how much fuel can you dump at an accident scene before you can utter words like WTFJH?. In my case, getting t-boned will be just as disastrous, but with the benefit of having triple laminated body mount structural members that wrap around an albeit not so impact resistant frame, but the chances of jagged edged sheetmetal slicing a high pressure fuel line are greatly reduced.

 

[ttype]

just got through some reading on an interesting topic, regarding internal balance vs external balance. many a mentor of mine has always stated: " be careful pointing your fingers when looking for someone to blame, because when you do, there's three more pointing back at you!"


http://www.pacificp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7903&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120


page 4 made me uneasy....

id like to think i have been pretty fortunate with my 383 build. i would also like to say that my "bird of prey" stroker crank has survived the torture i have put it through in the short time that i have run it with internally balanced balancer/flexplate on it. after some time with it, and some scientific testing i have performed on it, such as inserting a bashed in worn out "400" balancer on it for just long enough to surmise that the off-idle wobble riddle has been solved. while being the self proclaimed research analyst i think i have discovered this:

the broken internally balanced stroker cranks everybody bashes on the internet have one thing in common: the way they used to balance the front end of them. they were all drilled the same way! a circular hunk of metal is removed from the front crank throws on everyone i saw pictures of, all suffering identical stress risers from rotational forces combining with the 2-1 firing order on that throw...

considering i was disappointed for the longest time with this, i have just changed my tune! my engine builder is indeed an honorable man, he has tried to make this right with me regarding "three times' a charm" for a succesful flexplate installation. he has begrudgingly apologized for the mix-up that he had no control over(even though he won't come out and say it), and has agreed to send me a new blancer and flexplate to numb some of the pain of installing two transmissions because of a mix-up that he had absolutely no control over...so there really was an apology, i didn't hear it since the blood pressure rise must've caused my ear canals to be somewhat retricted.

i managed to get through to page 8 of a 9 page thread of the pasted information in this post.

suddenly, the tightness in my chest has receded, and am almost relieved now that i have an externally balanced crankshaft in my motor, that was sourced from approximately the same time period as the post i sat myself through. hopefully end of rant, i'll have a good sleep and begin tearing my build down with renewed vigor in the a.m.

 

[ttype]

had a good visit today with the fella who assembled my motor... went over a few things... and he's ultra confident there will be no shortcomings with the bit of time i've run this thing with improper balancing and to quit m'damned worrying fer nothing. if i have to run it to move it, just get in and move it. so i'll quit my worrying about it. parts'll be in next week sometime. the left coast is being hammered by Mother Nature these past few days, plows aren't keeping up for the time being, and couriers will not place themselves in danger, or their rides. don't blame 'em. talking with m'brother tonight, he says they've had three feet of the white stuff in the past three days, and hasn't seen mail carriers in just as many. truckers won't attempt the passes. more to come...

 

[pontiacgp]

the rear springs for this gal are moog 5659's. it takes just a little bit of a push to seat them in with factory shocks at full droop.

that rear spring is from a Citation/Phoenix and a single pigtail, same one I am running. I used the F body rear spring isolator for the open spring on top, what are you using

 

[ttype]

I'm using the weight of the car at the moment. At full extension, it takes minor persuasion to get them over the diff' locators. First one is rather easy, the second one needs choreography lessons, or removing the shock bolt(lower). I've only ever hung the diff once without a external lifting device(@Cartier), so stuffed rubber bottom isolators just to prevent the tops
from squirming around in the event i'm ever around Cartier again at 2am. During the last 160 miles of driving, the only noise transmittal felt was loose creature comfort parts(glove box) and smaller decor panel covers and such I couldn't reach comfortably. Once the new balancer and flexplate are in, i'll let you know though. I might look for some next time i'm in paradise. (lots of that "brine" on roads here if Temps see +4 and descending. I use the disposable Impala in times like those. My truck is the keeper.

 

[pontiacgp]

I cut my rear springs so I had to use the short version of the Bilstein AK shock so the springs would not fall out if I jacked up the rear end. The F body isolators fit the 4.3" spring and have a channel molded into the isolator so the spring sits perfectly in the isolator. The isolator also is open in the center so it sits around the bubble used for the pigtail on the G body spring.

 

[ttype]

Oh I like that! Scrappy only had one f-body in last time I was there... is that still a dealer option? I'll go check RockAuto, if it's available there, the guys down the hill can get 'em... thanks! I did not want to chop anything off those ones 'cause of their flatness up top. I use S-10 Rancho's for front shocks(they barely fit through the control arm mind you) and I didn't have a welder when I last worked on the Monte. I've been toyin' with the idea of LCA relocators lately, so... that may materialize all at once. Right on!