[TheSilverBuick]

Cold side plumbing arrived. The $64,000 question will be if I can get these piece to fit without resorting to cutting! They are aluminum so if I need any welding I'll have to outsource it. I'm thinking I'll want to install an intake air temperature sensor port in one at minimum.

​

[rohrt]

Your always up to something cool. Awsom stuff.

[Jack Gifford]

Congratulations on the write-up in Poncho Perfection Magazine! Keep it up...

[TheSilverBuick]

Thanks for the reminder to order a copy of that issue!

I've been contemplating what kind of exhaust to put on the car, balancing cost versus efficiency, versus function (sound!). I think I have a rough idea of what I'll do to minimize some of these costs.

I think I'll run a 4" exhaust off the turbo and as soon as the pipe is parallel under the floor boards have a cut out split with a pair of V-band connections on it. The direction with the best flow will get a sealed cap for day to day driving, and have a 4" diameter 90º pipe to take it's place when I want it un-corked. The other direction will reduce down to 2.5", or maybe a pair of 2.5" pipes, that I happen to have sitting around from the Skylarks old system, and run out the back of the car, unmuffled to start but if a single pipe I can add a muffler easily, or spring for a dual inlet/outlet muffler. Then possibly have the exhaust supported in such a way that I can simply unclamp the 2.5 pipe(s) and put the V-band sealed cap over that way to have all the exhaust go out the 4" pipe. Not including a dual inlet/outlet muffler I think I can build this system for around $200. 4" stuff is pricey! I could probably eventually install a remote cutout valve, similar to the Skylark's, on it as well.

Alternatively, I would be around $290-$300 to run 4" pipe to the rear of the car, with some expected complications getting that size pipe around the axle and gas tank, and that doesn't include any muffler cost.

[TheSilverBuick]

Progress! First set of headers I've ever attempted to build, but so far I'm satisfied with the progress. Before I stitch the tubes together I'm going to get a smaller wire for my welder to reduce the chance of blowing through the metal. Once I have the tubes welded, I'll build a pair of collectors down to the 1.75" pipe, then do final metall stretching and welding to the flange.




I'm going to be giving it more thought, but I think this routing will let me use the pipes I have as is. I just need another 90º coupler or two. This routing will require just one hole through the core support on the driver's side. Then I'll build a new intake manifold and line up the throttle body with the tubing.

[vetty]

Looking great! BTW my friend received the package. Cheers!

[TheSilverBuick]

Thanks and excellent!

I picked up the thinner wire, just have to put it in the machine and find time. I think I'm going to try and use my heavy metal rolling work bench as a welding table when I start welding the tubes closed.

[TheSilverBuick]

First go at building a set of headers is moving along. Building the collector ended up more complicated than I had hoped, so hopefully it doesn't leak... I have a game plan of what I'm going to do differently, and better, making the next one. Basically for the next one I'm going to install a ring around the three pipes, seal it up on the three pipes and then weld the reducer to the ring. I may cut this collector off just before it reduces in diameter and re-weld some parts just to be sure it doesn't leak. Live and learn! The next three should go much easier as I'm pretty sure I've figured out what settings to use on the welder when simply welding versus filling gaps. Fun fun.

[TheSilverBuick]

Finally got some time to work more on the headers. I have them exiting straight back, so I can run them naturally aspirated a bit. Both to possibly install them sooner and two to make sure they are completely heat cycled and all the possible crap I missed cleaning them up out. With the 90º's on, they should clear the torque converter and transmission. I still have to work over the flange and do final stretching and welding on the ports.

The merge for the rear collector.

[Formulabruce]

Wow!, lots of fitting, looking good!

[TheSilverBuick]

Thanks! I ended up having to use two reducers on the collectors because I couldn't find 3" to 1.75" reducers. So a 3" to 2.5" to 2.5" to 1.75". Unfortunate, but needed.

Now I need to finalize where the turbo is going to sit so I can build the second half. I plan on building some supports to the flange, so once I have the flange established I can go from the T4 flange back.

[TheSilverBuick]

Bent up some straps to bolt to the head to support the turbo. I will probably make a bolt on lower support from a stud ran through one of the transmission mounting holes just to put some extra stiffening in the support.





In the car, I'll have to move the external oil pressure regulator and re-plumb the electric water pump and reverse cooling hoses, but its doable.




It supports the turbo, but will likely need extra support from the rear, particularly if I put flex couplers on the cross over pipes.

[GTOWAGON]

How much chamber volume did you loose when opening up the spark plug shrouding on the ported head

[TheSilverBuick]

Technically I lost only 1cc, it went from 76cc's to 75cc's, BUT I had the head shaved as much as the machinist was comfortable with after the chamber modifications. So I am not actually sure how many cc's they removed directly. This also includes the area un-shrounding the other side of the valve as well.

Given they started at 76cc's and the 1969 1bbl heads typically measure out to 80cc's, this head had been surfaced before (the machinist thought so too).

This is a picture from when I "balanced" the chamber volumes. 75cc's was the largest volume so I whittled all the smaller ones up to 75.

[cruzn68]

It's been awhile since you updated this thread- What's new?

[TheSilverBuick]

Oh wow it has been! In October I was made a job offer I couldn't turn down and after 11 years of working at the mine I moved across the state. In the process I no longer have a giant workshop, but I didn't get rid of any parts or cars. Last month I finally got my tools out of storage and into the garage at the new house and this month got an RV gate put in so I have vehicle access to the backyard, so I'm slowly working my way back to getting work done on this.

The highlights:
One of a couple loads. There are six OHC engines in there.


Picked up this project 6x6, which I currently have the transmission apart on, but it's the space I now have to work in. My tool box is now against the back wall and most the stuff on the right is going away eventually (empty boxes, packaging, old bed, etc).


Lower ball joint broke in my Skylark, so it got some upgrades in February.




Got the RV gate installed two weeks ago. All that area from fence to house is mine to play with, so will get a few storage sheds and a pad of concrete to play on for a few years.


We've (wife, son and I) been going to every other Sunday morning car shows the last couple months.


Haven't took the Firebird because it lacked seat belts in the rear, but last week I finally got the proper bolts for them and have bolted in new seat belts so we can take the Firebird to the car shows. I'm unhappy with how much fluid the TH200-4r is leaking and thinking of moving ahead with the 4L60e swap before finishing the turbo. I changed the pan gaskets (and filter) but it still leaking. Anyways, that is where it sits today. Still take it out periodically but missed the Drag Week registration so my urgency to get it turbo'd has laxed some. As soon as I have the transmission on the 6x6 back together (parts in the mail) I should be getting back to the Firebird in my free time.


Thanks for asking!

[TheSilverBuick]

I finally got the seat belts installed and this weekend was going to be the moment of truth and we were going to go to the car show in the Firebird.... Almost.

So starting Friday night, even after putting a new transmission pan gasket and rtv in it, and even letting it sit for 24 hours before putting fluid in it, it still leaks a fair amount of fluid so I wanted to jack it up and slightly tighten all the pan bolts and wanted a working surface in the backyard until I save up for some dirt work and concrete so.... For about $100 I now have 64 square feet of working area on the gravel. Still seems to be seeping a bit, time will tell if snugging them helped at all. I'm getting ready to put the 4L60e in it and am going to simply get a Microsquirt controller for it. In the mean time, I've pulled the 4.56 gears out of storage and am thinking of putting them in sooner rather than later.



Then Saturday morning.... Since it was a car show we were going to the next day I thought I'd clean up some wiring under the hood and then go get it washed, and be ready for the cruise. Well..... The wiring I was cleaning up I decided to move the water pump relay and shorten up the wires, well I apparently got two wires crossed and when driving to the car wash the engine got hot so I pulled over to troubleshoot. I could smell electrical burning in the car, not good, and the water pump wasn't running. It also popped the 15amp water pump fuse so yanking some wire connectors off and hotwired the water pump to the battery which cooled down the engine quickly but strangely the fan stayed on. BUT, it still fired up and everything on the screen was normal, so drove home to yank the Megasquirt out. At which point in time the Dog thought he was going to go for a ride, d'oh!


And now the carnage. Opened the Megasquirt and the INJ outputs were toasted, particularly the one the water pump was hooked to was completely vaporized away. If you've read through this thread, you may recall when I first got the Firebird running I toasted the Megasquirt's power circuit when I mis-wired the alternator to the wrong side of the cut off switch, and that white wire down by the exposed copper was a jumper lead I had to put in from burning out the connection in the board.


This resistor (R20) was toasted.


Looking at some troubleshooting schematics, R20 is part of the INJ1 circuit, which is what I had the water pump wired to.
https://www.diyautotune.com/support/...jector-driver/


So I had another Megasquirt board I've scavenged parts off of before (such as the power circuit when I toasted the one here), so thought I'd could just take a few pieces off, maybe make a jumper wire or two and be back in action....


But after transferring the resistor and doing some other continuity checks, something else was shorting the INJ outputs to ground and I'm not sure where. SO I began transferring parts from the burned out board to my spare parts board until it was complete! Look Ma I put the smoke back in! A new board from DIYautotune.com is $219.


Back together with the new "old" board.



Now Sunday morning.... Re-wired the relay, triple checked it was wired correctly, and plugged in the Megasquirt, and success! The water pump cycled on and off as it was supposed to, so off to go get it washed.
https://www.facebook.com/randal.burn...1918502611604/

Then apparently the car show location changed at some point between 7pm Saturday night and Sunday as went we arrived there, no one was there and I checked the Facebook page and it had an "Alternate" meeting location that I didn't want to drive 30 minutes more too. So we decided to go have the coolest car at the Wilbur May Arboretum. Put 40 miles on the Firebird today in 80ºF weather, mixed freeway and surface street driving and it ran flawlessly. So I'm going to call that a win.

[Formulabruce]

Way cool !. Lots of work there too. I have found the mixed cork and rubber 200 gaskets do in deed suck. The original rubber one is the best but hard to find.

[TheSilverBuick]

Yeah this one is a cork one and sucks. I thought for sure that giving 24 hours for the grey RTV to cure would keep it from leaking, but nope, at least half the bolts had a drop of ATF hanging from them. So they got about an 1/8 of a turn snugging and hoping for the best. I have the 4L60e ready to go, just have to get the $340 Microsquirt and wiring harness. Plus, when I put the 4.56 gears back in, it'll screw with the 200-4r shift timing and the governor is a pain in the ass to work on, the 4L60e I just hit a few keys on the computer keyboard and done. I will have to figure something out for the speedometer, but until I get a digital to mechanical speedo box I'll use the 4L60e's VSS to display MPH on the raspberry pi screen.

[rohrt]

So did you ever finish the turbo build on the bird?