The L31 swap is exactly what I was planning with my third gen. I've got an LT1 but it's so incomplete I'm still not sure if I'm going that direction without a parts car.
Mine will be less racy than yours, but I'm going to do basically the same steps. Fix what's wrong before you start souping it up.
I've loved reading the progress and can't wait to see it back in action.
Too late now but everyone on Thirdgen.org said to get 4th gen rear Konis. They apparently bolt on just the same and are on car adjustable while the 3rd gen versions aren't. No idea if this is actually true.
At least the rears are easy to change.
I got an update from Wild Performance. And a couple photos.
Test fitting the SFCs.
That side isn't so bad.
Gah, that's berked.
This thing has clearly been jacked up by the pinch weld a few times.
"I can fix it with fire" -Mr Wild.
Much better.
This part might get cut out and plated
As of last night the rear suspension is done and the SFCs are installed. You'll get more updates as I get them.
Installed.
front:
Rear:
strut mounts:
Unfortunately the aftermarket strut mounts didn't solve the interference issue, so I'm going to have to make some proper spacers.
also the SFC's interfere with the y-pipe, which needed to come out to be modified. Now we're waiting on new gaskets before that can go back in.
Almost ready to come home.
Opted to weld in an o2 bung to help me with tuning and I have to find a new place to power the fan relay from. but she's almost ready.
Mini-starter installed
and exhaust mods are finished:
I haven't picked out a wideband yet but that's the next mod. then I can dial in the carb.
A weird side effect of the mallory to hei swap is a tach that reads twice as high, I don't have any idea. suggestions welcome.
AClockworkGarage said:
A weird side effect of the mallory to hei swap is a tach that reads twice as high, I don't have any idea. suggestions welcome.
Some aftermarket tachs have wires you snip or an adjuster screw depending on the number of cylinders. 4-6-8
The tach is factory.
The car originally had the electronic quadrajet and distributor, then the PO installed an edelbroke and mallory ignition, I've now removed all that and installed a QFT and GM vacuum advanced HEI.
Ok. the car is "done"
The suspension is fitted, the ignition is working everything is happy except the carb. The acceleration bog it had is significantly worse and now its backfiring through the carb.
We've installed a wideband on the car to try and diagnose the issue but we're currently at a loss. Bringing in a carb ringer this weekend to take a look at it.
I'll keep you guys posted.
So, turns out I'm dumb. I didn't think I was, but here we are.
we've traced the issue back to it's source. Some time last august. Right about here:
that aftermarket timing pointer, identical to every other pointer on the market is not the right one for my car. I need one that looks like this:
which places the mark conveniently behind the water pump.
That explains why I wasn't able to get the timing light to make sense. I wound up setting the timing my feel, which is not something I am good at.
When we put the HEI distributor in we timed it correctly. Or so we thought. it was actually off by about 30 degrees. They don't run so well like that.
In the end the valve covers came off and TDC was verified manually. A new mark was made on the balancer and the timing was set. She lives and is as strong as ever.
A basic tune has been set with a jury rigged wideband
And I will eventually install this one:
I got a nice gauge pod for it, I just need to find a good place to mount it.
good thing I got the deep one...
The carb guy found a few other "I'm stupids" while he was poking around in there, including the cause of my high idle, a slightly too short throttle cable:
...that kept the butterflies from closing fully. So while I am ashamed I'm not doing this work myself, I feel I've learned more this way than if I had.
that being said the car should be coming home in a few days. I still have some electrical issues to iron out and I want to get the Jeep shaft installed before I get it aligned, appointment with chase race in Duvall for a race alignment next week, then a shakedown event in Auburn on the 8th.
Wish me luck.
That has to be the most embarrassing way to learn lessons. Yes, I sympathize with you. 
Good luck.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
Compared to what I went through on the Vette, you made a smart choice taking it to a pro to sort out.
She was supposed to come home today but Mr Wild decided that he wanted to try and chase down those electrical gremlins and 'might need the weekend fir this one'
If he wants to open that can of worms, I'm not going to tell him no.
I took a drive down yesterday to help wrap up a few things on the car, now that my old creaky bones are behaving a bit better. I got a ride down and was dropped of in a "you're really brave" moment. With no ride home I would have to finish the car before I left.
There wasn't much to do. Wild was still messing with the carburetor. "Thank you for reminding me why th only thing I own with a carburetor is my lawnmower" he remarks.
I set to work on the gauges. Composite fabrication is literally what I do.
The plan was to move the chrome Chinesium gauge pod down into the radio slot, then wire the wideband up and mount it where the gauges were. Easy, right?
Before:
I had a bit of Carbon fibre from a scrap helicopter part that would fit the bill.
Fabricating on site was tougher than I wanted. I missed my table saw and drill press and fancy D-reamers, but I got the job done with a die grinder. It's not perfect and it's ticking me off, but it'll do just fine.
This is where the project gets stupid. turns out that you can't disconnect the mechanical temp lead from the back of the guage so I had to disconnect it from the engine, snake it through the firewall, run it through my panel, back through the console, through the dash and hook it back up to the manifold. Easy...
But I'm a professional.
the spacing bothers me way more than it should, so I'll be keeping my eye out for another good peice of scrap but this will work just fine for now.
oh yeah...
Fancy.
As for the carb: We did it! Stabbing the throttle no longer causes it to lean out and die! A combination of accelerator pump cams, re jetting and larger squirters have eliminated the problem.
As I hopped in to drive home I discovered a new issue. if you gently roll onto the throttle, it leans out and dies.
FML.
Everything was already packed and it was getting late so I decided to drive it home anyway, drag launching it from every light. Not ideal, but effective. When we figured out the ignition the engine vacuum increased from an abysmal 11 to a reasonable 20. We swapped power valves to suit.
Once it warms up a little, I'm going to swap them back.
hopefully that fixes it.
The new suspension is plenty stiff but the car is a bit scary. The eyeballed castor and camber makes it wander a bit a speed or after hitting a bump. Should be getting an alignment this week, then a busy weekend of car show and shakedown autocross.
I'll update again in a few hours after I've swapped power valves.
Nope, that's way worse. Now it idles rough and dies if you though the throttle at all.
Back to the drawin board.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
I'm sure I'll have my own headaches, but you're reinforcing my decision to keep my TPI.
Carbs are fine if you know what you're doing.
That image is me during most of the things I try to do.
Through some trial and error, staring at a vacuum gauge and timing light as if I understood them and swapping in 4 different power valves I managed to accidentally make it drivable.
It's been a long road, but she's starting to look presentable.
now to get it aligned.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
That's me with carbs, we just don't get along....
Well today was fun. Made the trek up north to Doug chase's shop to get a race alignment done. Not much more expensive than the local tire shop but it's done by a guy who actually gives a carp.
Had to drive under a super hot rally 240 to get on the rig.
Here's what we eyeballed it at to start:
and here's where we finished.
Sadly the UMI strut mounts interfered with the master cylinder and wouldn't allow more than a degree of static negative camber. Also the rear has a bit of offset to it that I cant adjust out. I had planned on getting adjustable trailing arms eventually, looks like I'll be doing that sooner than later.
I'm going to look into the MC interference thing. It seems like a big thing somebody should have noticed.
Well, we're here. I wrapped up the last handfull of nuisance projects after work today. New wipers and rain-x, tightened the shift knob, adjusted the choke and swapped out the throttle return springs
She's running really well. Really rich, mind you, but really well.
Tomorrow I'll be taking her out to Tacoma for a cars-n-coffee type event. I'm hoping to meet up with my buddy as there actually isn't a photo of the money sponge and the turbo-turd together yet. We'll see.
Sunday is, weather permitting, my first race out at Emerald downs in Auburn. It'll be the first event in the new suspension. looking forward to it.
I've driven it a little bit after work every day this week. People keep waving and giving me the thumbs-up. It's weird. Don't they know that third gens aren't cool?
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