Posts Tagged ‘LS1’

On not settling.

Posted: March 20, 2015 in Buick, HAMB
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I came in from the shop day before yesterday, and announced to my wife that the engine was in the Riviera for the last time, a big milestone in this build.  Then, I added somewhat regretfully, that I didn’t use the 5.3 Vortec truck motors original cast aluminum oil pan, sectioned 2 1/2″, because I ran into difficulty likewise shortening the pickup tube for the sump.  I did manage to shorten it the needed amount, but I was having difficulty making the bracket that secured the pickup tube to the windage tray, and wasn’t really happy with how any of it went.  So, in frustration after nearly all day working on this, I put the GM engine swap oil pan on the engine, and put the engine/trans in the car, even though the sump on this pan still hung down below the front crossmember about an inch and half, making the oil pan the lowest part of the chassis.  Not a good thing, on a car with airbag suspension.

She looked at me with an expression of disappointment mixed with irritation (one husbands know well), and said, “I thought that was the point of having the other one shortened?  I thought was the whole point of the air bags, to get the car really low?”  She shook her had and walked away.

I slept on this, and yesterday, pulled the motor back out, took the pan (a GM engine swap pan for LS engines with a slightly shallower, narrow sump to fit these early chassis, to replace the REALLY deep sump truck pans), and with a clear mine, fixed the recalcitrant pickup tube mounts, put it all back together with the modified truck pan, and put the whole thing back in the car.  I also “fixed” the trans crossmember, and made a nice bead rolled panel to blank out the firewalls heater box opening.

I much happier with the modified pan, it’s the same depth as the front crossmember, and I won’t have to hang my head in shame and call a tow truck when I forget to air up the bags and drive off, or catch the pan on a railroad track or manhole cover.

Thanks Kim!

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BRRRRRR! Arctic blast forces Cool McCool’s Garage to close!

Posted: February 25, 2015 in HAMB
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We’ve had 2 weeks of frigid weather, near or below zero every night, and rising only to the low teens during the day, with several days not getting out of single digits.  This makes it awfully hard to heat the shop warm enough to much, especially since the floor has gotten cold, but today, I decided I had to make an effort.

I went out in the morning and build a fire, then took the Riviera’s inner fenders and core support over to “Consolidated Stripping and Derusting” in Plainwell, where for the ridiculously low price of $20 an hour, one can use their huge blasting cabinets.  It took me just an hour to clean up the parts, and when I got home the shop was reasonably warm, and I got busy cleaning the firewall and frame.  Then, I dusted several light coats of Tractor Supply rattle can enamel on everything.

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Now, we wait for spring for the paint tack up!  (Actually, it was warm enough for the paint to be dry to touch in about an hour, so it’ll be fine.)

After that, I pulled the original heat/air unit out and mocked up the new “Southern Air” unit.  I’ll have to relieve the bottom of the dash to allow the unit to slide up in the correct way.  It fit rotated 90 degrees from where it should, but it’s half an inch wider than it is tall, so a little trimming is in order.  No big deal, it’ll fit very nicely once I do that, and be easy to hook up the defrosters, dash vents and floor vent.  I won’t be able to have the rear seat heat vent, (not enough outlets) but other than that, it’ll be stock appearing and supposedly has enough output for a big car like the Riviera.

Still waiting for the Air-Ride system and my pal Crafty B to weld up the modified cast aluminum oil pan, but as soon as that’s done, I can get engine in for the last time, get the air bags in, and get the car back on its wheels.

Meanwhile, I expect Babe the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyon to come strolling up the drive any day now…

Conspiracy Theory! I hope the gub’ment don’t “throw the switch”.

Posted: January 22, 2015 in Uncategorized
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I was working on the Riviera today, had the wood stove cranked up, it was nice and warm, and I had spent the morning doing the unsung but necessary chores to make it a car, when a buddy rolled up.  He came inside, we talked a little, and he looked at the Vortec engine setting in the car, and asked what engine it was.

When I told him it was a 5.3 Vortec, a Chevrolet truck engine and a 4L60E transmission, he asked if I was “…keeping all the computer shit?”

I told him of course I was, that it’s possible to run a carb but one still needs an ignition system, and besides, I like these engines, they’re powerful, reliable, and much less expensive than tracking down an original 401 or 425 and the one year only Buick Turbo Hydro transmission for these cars.  It makes sense to me, as the car had no engine/trans when I got it.

“Well”, he replied, “You’ll be stuck when the gub’ment throws the switch.  All these cars with all this computer shit are gonna be useless when that happens.”   He went on to explain that (probably according to some goofy, anti-government blog or website), the government is likely any day now to disable every car and truck in North America.  For what purpose he didn’t divulge, and I didn’t press him or argue, as that kind of “logic” is impossible to argue.

After he left, I continued to work on the car, despite the imminent electronic failure at the hands of our current, or some shadowy future government conspiracy (“Well, it may not happen it OUR lifetime, but it’s coming”, he said.)  I pulled the engine and transmission, separated them and replaced the deep truck oil pan with a slightly shallower GM engine swap pan I’d bought earlier.  I then put the transmission back up against the engine and bolted the flex plate to the torque converter, reinstalled the starter (three times, it turned out because I forgot to plug-in some sensor behind the starter, and the little plastic dust shield.

With the engine back in the car, I cut the center of the steering center link out, rotated it 180 degrees (plus or minus a little), tacked it place and checked to make sure it cleared the oil pan.  After making sure it did, I pulled it out, and welded it up solid.  I’ll grind the welds down and gusset the bend, but I’m happy with how it looks, and that it clears the pan.

Now, after all this work I hope the gub’ment doesn’t throw the switch when we’re very far from home..

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