blu's 04 Supercharged Cavalier build - Page 8 - Photos & Media Forum
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I definitely think you should keep doing the wd40 thing and turn it over. Honestly I've seen worse run just fine with fresh oil.
"In Oldskool we trust"
matt, i saw that adapter/thread you are referring to the other day. It was a nifty looking plate that if i recall, some guy that had an ariel atom and had the plate made as a custom piece.
Good to know it cant just be blocked off, but if I can get that junk out of the way and just run the L61 thermo housing, thermostat I would not have to worry about modifying it, thats a super simple bolt and go situation. I think the adapter was like $50-60 or something. That was also just really to help alleviate any time restraints i would have had, though now i MAY have more time than i initially thought lol.
Ill turn it over after work today and see what happens.
im not worried that it'll run, what im worried about is the longevity and having to remove everything again in a few months or a years time due to the extensive damage to the cylinder walls. If it requires a rebuild so be it. if it comes to that, Ive already decided Ill do it right. But with my contract ending very soon Ive got other fish to fry before i worry about my car...income is sort of an essential part of life lol
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
I would run an oil cooler....why not?
And whats up with the gay picture?? LOL
GMR has got nothing on this
lol I already said why I was contemplating removing the cooler, READ Raf, READ!
no modification required and it may not even really be beneficial, marginally if anything.
and im surprised no one said anything about that pic. i think its hilarious! i was uploading a bunch of pics cause people kept asking so i decided to throw up a pic of something funny (i used it to photoshop a buddy's pic a long time ago) lol
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
so Im going to go forward with the install. Personally I think its smart to do it 100% right, but any slight corrosion is on the very bottom of the stroke and there are no score marks. theres also a weird corrosion/pitting on the piston itself, you can see in the pictures. Its away from the edge so I don't think it'll be a problem.
Had WD40 soaking all night and day. dumped it, used a brass brush and drill to clean up the pistons and cylinder walls, being very careful not to damage the walls in any way. Its hard to tell in the pics, but the corrosion was pretty bad at first glance yesterday and before treatment today. Cylinder #4 was the concern. Ended up pretty clean in the end and prepped the top of the block for the head and gasket tomorrow after work (today lol).
Oh, and I also got the holy grail of LSJ engines...printed out the entire 130 or 140 some page book from GM and it even includes diagrams, part numbers, torque specs, and a special section of the GM performance G-class N/A Cobalt build (did 172mph on the salt flats!)
Edited 3 time(s). Last edited Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:44 AM
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
so talking over on the CSS.net forum, people seem to have mixed reviews on the stock LSJ clutch. Some have used stage2/3 kits at 300hp+ for tens of thousands of miles, while many say they're sh!t.
I priced out the GMPP LSJ clutch upgrade, and its affordable. Theres a few advantages/disadvantages however.
Scenario 1: Keep the slightly used stock LSJ clutch/flywheel/pressure plate I have now. Buy a brand new L61 slave cylinder/tob that bolts up like factory and the master cylinder bolts back up to the house as normal.
Scenario 2: Buy the GMPP upgrade (LSJ uprade kit) which comes with a TOB, pressure plate, and clutch. Then buy the clutch line, the clutch elbow, and have to custom bend/make some possible lines (not hard, just time consuming).
Scenario 1 is good because Ive got everything, infact if i wanted to use my 35k mile slave thats on it now, i dont need anything but flywheel bolts and maybe some pressure plate bolts. Im done. But i wouldnt use the TOB since its about half its normal life expenctancy anyways. $60 brand new is worth the assurance.
Scenario 2 is good because i get brand new everything, its a mucher more performance friendly set up (according to CSS.net fans) and I wont have to remove my tranny in 6-12 months due to a possible slipping clutch.
There could be a Scenario 2.1 though. Go with Scenario 2 but also buy the L61 slave cylinder, use it with the upgraded LSJ set up, and sell the LSJ TOB seperately and basically brake even on the new slave cylinder.
This is time sensative though because Im about ready to put this all back together.
Heres the parts off CED:
$264.94: Ecotec LSJ Clutch Upgrade Kit 19212712
$6.10/ea (x8): Flywheel Bolt 11570626
$8.25: Cobalt Clutch Pipe 24422067
$4.75: Ecotec Clutch Pilot Tool 14534
$23.01: Ecotec Clutch Pipe Elbow 24252286
$349.75 before shipping
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
That piston doesnt loook good. I would swap them out!
Oh im selling the Cobalt if you know anyone interested. Tired of a car paymetn. Did you get my PM? Ive heard the GMPP Clutch for the SS/SC is a SS/TC stock clutch.
GMR has got nothing on this
Raf, at this point Im going to go with it. I really need this thing done and from what Ive read online that shouldn't be an issue with the pitting area away from the edge and no scoring on the cylinder walls.
Selling the balt huh...you know you're going to have payments if you want something reliable. If not, you're still going to be dumping money into something that has high mileage because chances are, you wont be able to pay cash for a very low mileage vehicle.
I paid cash for my cavalier and only owe $2k on my truck. I could pay it off sooner but Im trying to help build credit. But both vehicles are not perfect, though have a much higher private value than what I paid. The cav would have lasted another 200k if I didn't modify it
On another note..... (pics to come when im not being lazy)
I got the head cleaned up, cleaned up the valves pretty well. its ready to be mounted onto the block.
I got the gasket and ARP head studs ready to go. I installed all of the head studs hand tight, some were kinda tough. The original bolts would go in smooth, but the studs didn't on like 3 of them. But got em all in.
Then I got to the torqueing part..the first step which is like 20# (then 40, 60, 85).
The very first stud, I had my torque wrench set to 20#. Something wasn't right, it felt a lot higher than that at a certain point.
So I go quite a ways further and told my friend 'this isn't right..somethings wrong'. So I back it off a hair and notice the allen bit is starting to twist...yeah the torque wrench is jacked or something.
Its BRAND NEW..but from Harbor Freight. So it could broken or need a calibration..but not new ones right?
It adjusts fine, doesn't seem to have any problems. But even at 20# I couldn't get it to click at all, its def not working like it should.
I stopped there. I would have had the head on and ready to do the timing components tomorrow. Im taking the day off so after an interview, ill get back to it. Maybe go swap out a torque wrench. I don't have a vice and its much easier to calibrate with one.any of you ever run into this with a torque wrench? pretty sure im using it correctly, this is the first time using it though.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
I have the Beretta...pretty dam realible....just need to fix the ac on it, Texas weather is beyond hot.
I plan to start spending more money on the cavalier
Anyways, ive had issues with my torque wrench too. Sometimes I think the inexpensive ones are better than the expensive ones.
GMR has got nothing on this
You'd be better off with one of the needle torque wrenches for engine assembly if you don't trust your click wrench.... this way you can at least see as it approaches the FT LBS you want rather than relying on the click. That's just me.
Also - I wouldn't trust that piston either, Raf is right. Sure it might be "fine" and run but you need to realize any kind of pit/score/mark in a piston = hotspot... if your tuning isn't spot on that's going to be the first piston to screw you over due to hot spotting with the richness that is required for boost.
Just my two cents.
-Chris-
-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...
Sweetness, they don't carry the needle one or id take one of those too. But the one I had was defective as were the next 4 at the store I was going to swap it with. finally found one that worked. Came home, tested it, all 10 studs are torqued to the 20# (first stage).
Heading back to pick up some more stuff and ill come back and finish torqueing them down.
At this point, Im willing to take the risk. Youre right and its not so much a money thing its storage space and the time I have to keep messing with this right now. My parents are moving back to the states in less than a month and Im renting a house from them. They want the car out and all my stuff in storage. So I need to look for a new house to rent unless I stay here, but I haven't lived with my parents for like 21 years lol. It would just be weird and bad for dating life
I cant have my car and do work in an apt and houses right now that I would be willing to live in are too expensive for someone whos about to lose their source of income due to gov't cut backs lol. That Im working on, but need to assume it'll drive out on its own power come October.
What I am going to do is plan on keeping this car. Run it for another year or two on the boosted set up ill be at (may come close to 300fwhp at some point but not likely right now). Then Ill buy another LSJ motor and do a FULL build.
So getting it running, have some fun for a few months to a year, and worry about it blowing on me later, hopefully not though. Risky yeah, Im willing to take it. Its been down since May and Im tired of driving the truck and not being able to cruise or have fun with any of my car buddies for almost a third of a year.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
well I don't know wtf to do now.
the bit kept bending at only 20#'s.
I went and bought Craftsman 3/16" allen which is the size of the head studs.
First thing the head studs do at 40#'s, get stripped out. WTF?! I thought these were supposed to be strong? at only 40 ft/lbs they should not be stripping out, and that's not counting the 60/85 ft/lbs ive got to throw at them after this.
Gotta love it. cant do @!#$ if the studs are stripped or wont tighten any further.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
on some forums, people are saying the studs are only finger tight, then the nuts are what get torqued down....I don't believe that's what ARPs instructions say.
Am I just being a retard and over torqueing the studs when I should leave them as is at about 20lbs?
***apparently I am retarded then...bunch of Honda and import forums have them hand tightened (bottomed out), then the nuts get 80/85lbs depending on what your engine is.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Saturday, August 31, 2013 5:04 PM
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
yupe, studs are hand tight with the lube on the threads, then lube the threads on the top, and the base of the nut and washers.
roger that! I realized that and I just got back from trying to locate a 12pt 13mm socket for the fasteners. Got it.
When I was reading the installation procedures yesterday and the day before I was accidentally following the instructions for the Haynes assuming you're installing replacement head bolts...*sigh
I just hope I did not ruin the studs or the block tightening them down like that. Ive loosened them now and going to do it correctly here in a few. Head should be back on tonight. Then I can start working on the timing set pieces and getting that all set up.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
so Ive got everything for the assembly. TTY hardware, new tensioner, new flywheel/pressure plate bolts, etc.
But my plans to have the tranny and engine mated this weekend are going to be put on hold until mid next week, but for good reason...
I figure while I have everything out..might as well do it right!
So this weekend Ill try to focus on the other stuff...detailing the engine bay, figuring out what to do with the battery tray if anything, maybe start mocking up some meth mounting options and perhaps playing with the corvette seats, maybe seeing how I can mate the Camaro/Cavalier brackets up to them with modifications.
I still need to order the oil cooler adapter so I can loop that off for now (will prob do an external one later). But I do believe that is the LAST of needed parts to purchase, finally!
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
So yeah....I got everything re-assembled back up. Chain is on perfect, lined up with all the marks as they should. Crank at 5, Int cam at 2, Exh cam at 10, tensioner (brand new) in. Chain is nice and tight and everything seems great....until I crank it over by hand.
I think the valves are tapping in Cylinder 1..i can hear a 'tap' every time it hits TDC...... fawk.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
Crank has to be at 5 o clock but cyl 1 has to be at TDC when you set the timing.
That is your issue.
Put a screwdriver in the cyl 1 spark plug hole and turn it over tll it gets all the way to the top and just starts to come down. Thats tdc.
I had cylinder 1 at TDC with the crank at 5 o'clock. I made double sure.
The only thing I did was remove the head and turn the cams to adjust them to the proper position for the timing chain to match up correctly.
Set the head back on the block with Cyl 1 and crank untouched. Then tightened everything down.
That's why Im not sure why it feels like its hitting. But if it was hitting would I be able to force it to crank at all?
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
Did you time to the right marks...
like the triangle to the exhaust and diamond to the intake?
Spark plugs out when your turning it over?
yes all of that.
But..it was a false alarm. The tensioner was making the sound. My friend came over after he got off of work and was turning it while I watched the guide. I could actually see it popping against the chain guide. He said tons of the brand new ones do this. So Im soaking it in motor oil over night and he said it should be perfectly fine, was normal.
So now Im going to start detailing the engine bay. Still contemplating the battery location. Trying to order the oil cooler adapter but the guy hasn't called me back since I talked to his wife yesterday (Unique Fabricating). I plan on running an external oil cooler within a few months after everythings running good. I could tap and put in some fittings but I don't want to, it'll look better with the fitting plus I wont have threads in there if I ever want to put it back for whatever godly reason lol.
GMPP upgraded LSJ clutch kit should be here Mon/Tues. Then I can toss in my new slave cylinder, clutch, get it all mated up to the motor, and ready for install after my friend and I make a plate for the CPS.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
on the piston, couldnt you have just sanded that little spot out with some sandpaper?
on the head studs, yea man make sure you use the moly lube that arp recommends. or at least oil on the threads, if not you WILL be doing it later as the nuts will back off.
RIP silver car. You will be missed.
Interested in how you like the clutch setup. I may have missed it but which throw out bearing did you go with?
"In Oldskool we trust"
Yeah the ARP studs came with lubricant, was used on the studs/fasteners as instructed.
Im going to use the stock F23 slave cylinder since its a bolt in affair. The clutch kit comes with the throw out bearing but it would require buying an elbow, lines, bending, etc and i dont feel like messing with that right now. According to CSS.net in quite a few threads, the LNF was not much better if at all than the LSJ tob, as it failed too. A lot of it could have been installer errors though. But the F23 slave set up will work and its brand new.
I heard the GMPP is a great upgrade and for the price, you cant argue! ill sell the TOB right away as I wont be using it.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
I'd agree with your logic on the tob. Seems like both the lsj and lnf tob's aren't drastically better so there's really nothing to justify all the extra work.
"In Oldskool we trust"
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