Project V6 Firebird (lots of pics)

[WarShrike]

Well, I got a phone call with some bad news about my injectors.  I bought those things after the completion of my last build, supposed to be LS6 injectors all around.  Turns out 2 of them weren't the same, were of a different part number even though they looked exactly alike externally.  The guy doing the match/cleaning found them to range from 240cc to 270cc in flow after cleaning and when he couldn't figure out why the flow was so far out of spec, he noticed the part #'s were different.

This explains a few things that I had noticed while doing scans w/ HPTuners where my fuel trims would bounce around a ton.  I might just get some injectors to handle the necessary flow for E85 (something around 42lb/hr).

I'll post up whatever transpires.

[Ringo64]

That's surely interesting. Did you buy them separately or in the engine of your last project?

[WarShrike]

They were installed on the engine last time around when I was running the stockers in a really high duty cycle just NA.

Went with what was supposed to be LS6 injectors all around...Turns out they weren't at all.

New injectors are getting taken care of though, fresh take-off Bosch sets off a Mustang SC upgrade kit.  The owner at Fuel1 is cutting me a great deal and is flowmatching them right now.  He highly recommended them as he likes their durability and spray pattern that atomizes better than older designs.

[WarShrike]

Update on the injector stuff.  I'm getting a killer deal from the owner of Fuel1 on a set of brand new Bosch 0280158227 injectors.  These are rated at 36 lb/hr, flow matched and ready to go.  I'll have to swap to a newer style connector on the harness, but that's not too bad of an ordeal with how direct plugin adapters are pretty common on the market nowadays.

Otherwise, I'm snowed in for the next few days (not something I'd expect to say here in Texas) so I'll probably brave the cold temps in the garage (currently 26°F outside in the sunlight) and maybe try to bolt a few things together like the front and rear swaybar assembly, test fit a few other items and make some measurements.

Still need to get a nice set of 18" wheels and sell my 17" Speedlines, gonna have to get the tires off of them and clean them up before I post them FS.  They might be the only set of the Mistral 6's left in existence, so it's hard to tell how much to list them for...

[WarShrike]

A little bit of progress tonight. Very cold in the garage but finished the front suspension entirely. I need to go run some errands tomorrow including getting the rotors honed to fit over the hubs.

Shout out to Keith from Fuel1 Injector Services for sending me some high quality injectors after my last fiasco that I had posted before.

Need to run the front brake lines, ABS harness and then install rear swaybar and watts link tomorrow!

CTS-V Two-piece rotors up front, there's more clearance than what you see in the picture.  The caliper was just loosely bolted into place, with it level with the upright, it had plenty of clearance.  Going to head out to get the rotors honed in the morning...

[Ringo64]

Very sexy! lol. Keep it up!

[WarShrike]

Well today was the good old birthday and got to spend my day off trying to tie up all the loose ends on the car.  Waiting on the last little bits of things here and there.

Got the brake rotor hubs opened up by a local shop, D&S Machine did them for $20/ea, not bad considering how much it can cost hourly on for general work in a machine shop.

The 36lb/hr injectors are installed, waiting on the plug-in adapters.  I've already spliced in the EV1 connectors from the mismatched "LS6" injectors, and I don't want to do more splicing on this harness if I can avoid it.

Working on installing this Watts link has been an absolute PITA.  Bought it used from somebody and apparently they lost the shims that go in the clamshell spot for the axles.  Should have just bought it new and never looked back...

Still waiting on wheels...

Still have to do:
• Rear swaybar.
• watts link.
• header mods.
• plugs/wires.
• PCV re-route to catch can.
• UMI Driveshaft loop.
• Fluids and bleed/burp system.
• Wheels/tires.
• Have a local shop tie in the last part of the exhaust.

[Ringo64]

Wow! It's definitely coming along though, great progress. What headers are you getting?

[WarShrike]

Just using the longtubes that are already on there but changing to a newer collector design.

[WarShrike]

Dead day today so I added horsepower mods to my tuning laptop:

Got in some slip on turn downs for my headers until I can get the whole exhaust connected since I'm using a system intended for an LSx powered F-body.  This is so it doesn't piss off my PCM for reading it being too lean due to reversion at the collector and killing the car in traffic when it starts dumping fuel... I had it happen a few years ago, lesson learned.

Also so that I can direct the sound more diagonally instead of straight down. No more brown note for me!

[Ringo64]

Mexico Racing League  

[WarShrike]

Haha yeah, I actually came up with that.  It's kinda blown up over the last few years.

[Ghost]

dude that is looking great. im really liking that brake setup!

[WarShrike]

Forgot I did this awhile back, got to spend some quality time with my daughter in the garage, took a timelapse run of it with the gopro. Hadn't done this before so it was essentially a test run.

 

 

 

 

[Ringo64]

Nice! Very cool that she is interested like that

[roxer]

Cannot wait to see the final (as if it is ever final) build - that is an awesome project. Loving that!

[WarShrike]

Modified the Force Fed Fabs longtube headers to run a different collector design I ordered from Davis Headers. This venturi style collector will help with keeping the exhaust velocity up, something I’m concerned about since this is a higher compression engine. Turn down tips are by Kooks. Needs a few finishing touches like the O2 bungs and retaining springs.

Needless to say, I was a bit concerned about cutting into a very uncommon set of headers, but I went for it anyway.

Test Fit:

Comparison between the two designs:

Turndown tip for driving with the open headers, keeps the O2 sensor a little happier...

[Ringo64]

Nice!

[WarShrike]

Headers should be completed today, excited to see them.  Can't believe this is getting so close.

Waiting on axle tube shims for the watts link, need to do the pcv catch can mod, top off the fluids, bleed the brakes/clutch lines and get it ready.

Wheels come in tomorrow, oh yeah forgot to mention that.  I'll post pics when they come in.  I really dig them, kind of a mix between a Z06 Spyder wheel and the CTS-V monoblocks.

[Ringo64]

Nice! Can't wait to hear and see everything together  

[WarShrike]

Doss Wheels FF1's, 19x9.5, ~21lb flow formed wheel, waiting on a few odds and ends including tires before I can get this finished up.

[Ringo64]

Pure sex right there!

[WarShrike]

Mitch Walraven at Total Engine Service added the O2 bungs and welded on the retention springs to these modified Force Fed Fabs Longtubes. Really nice welds, good placement of the springs and O2 bungs. The pics just don't do it any justice!

[roxer]

On 1/22/2016 at 1:14 PM, WarShrike said:

Doss Wheels FF1's, 19x9.5, ~21lb flow formed wheel, waiting on a few odds and ends including tires before I can get this finished up.

Good god that's gorgeous!!     Wanted that style for mine, but not available in the bolt pattern/offset I needed.

[WarShrike]

Had a productive afternoon, installed the headers, plugs and wires as well as connected other odds and ends.  Waiting on a couple fittings so I can do a PCV catch can, taking care of a few loose bits right now.

Slip on turn-downs so it will help keep the O2 sensors a little happier without getting a lot of air reversion back in there and making it dump fuel or not idling right.

While I waited for some stuff to dry, did a test fit with two wheels.  I need open end lugs since I am running long ARP wheel studs for racing duty.  I know it'll look a whole heck of a lot better once it's on the ground.