So it begins.......

[tucker298]

Well I took this week to heal up from a surgery, next week will begin the electrical! Couldn't help but sneaking out the garage out back and start tinkering,trying to figure out cell placement, the master cell is an easy choice by the steering and I'll probably put a plate to cover the hole in the rear where I believe the factory fuse box went but up front is still a toss up

[Fraser D]

Just keep in mind that the problem that I have with anything under the dash in my GTM, fuse panel, relays, etc is that I can't get my head up in there to see what is going on without removing the drivers seat or using a mirror. If possible mount your components that need to be viewed on a hinge panel.
Other than that just take your time with recovery. I never could and have had to deal with the consequences.

[tucker298]

Hinge panel! So simple and brilliant, thanks Fraser D

[tucker298]

It doesn't look like it but I know what's going on here! Lol this part of the build intimidated me but thanks to infinity box and phone calls to some friends I've pretty much got it figured out.

[tucker298]

Could someone let me know if all the power cables from the cabin fit through this hole?

[kabacj]

Could someone let me know if all the power cables from the cabin fit through this hole?

Hey Tucker. Yes you can use that hole as a pass through especially if you plan to mount your relays on the aluminum that would be known as the firewall in a front engine car.

I personally re arranged the wiring since I used the infinity box (Isis) power distribution box. Regardless of how you wire the car just keep in mind that easy access to fuses and relays once the car is assembled is important. Seems obvious, but after the body and windshield go on your access to the dash area and under dash gets a lot harder. Instead of standing next to the car you are on your back in the foot well.

Actually I just read your earlier posts. I fed the power to the Isis down the center tunnel. The wires that go between the master cell and power cells easily route across the car through available holes. This keeps the drivers foot well less cluttered with wires.

[tucker298]

Kabacj, thanks for the reply! I guess to be more specific with the wires I intend to run through that hole is the plug for the throttle, the obd2, all the thick wires coming from the back of the gauge panel and the infinity box can cable, seems like a lot but I think it will fit, and is there some wiring that I'm not planning for that will also go through there?

[tucker298]

Sorry for the lack of updates! I've been busy with work and family but a milestone has been reached!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xi63Ft248rw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://youtu.be/xi63Ft248rw

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[tucker298]

https://youtu.be/xi63Ft248rw

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xi63Ft248rw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Why can't I embed the video?!

[tucker298]

So I'm trying to quiet down this beast, I did leave the stock LS3 manifolds on and put a race muffler on each side before the H pipe, now I've got these in and I'll weld them up after the H pipe, I'll also send it off to get coated once it's all said and done. I should have about 300 dollars wrapped up in the exhaust before coating. I do like the kooks exhaust, more on the wide open side than idle, but I've blown the go cart budget already and am trying to save some money here on the exhaust. There is a chance I hate this set up when it's all done and if so I can just replace it down the road but these will suffice for now either way.

I should be done with it all this week and I'll post pics of the whole system.

[tucker298]

[tucker298]

More progress! My cheap exhaust system is finally done....... Kinda, I didn't remount the factory five adjustable exhaust attachments that go from the H pipe to the transaxle, I'm going to see if there's something else I can use with a rubber bushing, I don't like the fact that the exhaust has nothing to allow flex from the motors movement. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!





Now that I know she starts and the wiring is good I'm starting to put wire loom on and do a better job of routing the wires, if you can't really see the wires in the pic that's a good thing! Lol the wires really do blend into the black panels.



Notice the before pic, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to clean up the wires to look good enough but I'm pretty sure I've got this under control now.

[tucker298]

So the exhaust is on, I'm still having troubles getting the motor to idle. I thought it was a vacuum issue but I fixed that and still having problems. I have a friend coming over this week to check the tune and codes to see what the issue is. I did send the computer off to get it tuned with the cam info and that should've been close enough so not sure what the issue is but I was able to turn the motor over and rev it a few times, I liked what I heard from the exhaust.



I finally turned my attention to figuring out the AC canister, I was going to mount it in a unique spot in front of the metal divider on the fan/radiator side but after looking at it again I figured out a way to do it that only requires me to heavily modify one line instead of two. First I had to cut and re-weld the head of this line at a different angle to line up the bolt hole



Then I just made a really simple bracket to hold the canister to the frame



And it fits nicely



Now I still need to figure out a shop to fabricate me a special line to connect these two

[beeman]

Hard to tell where your MAF is, do I see it there by the filter?
Here is what the GM crate engine control system instructions have to say about it:

"Ensure the MAF sensor is oriented correctly in the induction (it will
only read correctly in the proper direction). An arrow is located on the
sensor indicating correct flow direction. Verify this before welding the
mounting boss, as the sensor will mount only one way in the boss.

Ensure the MAF Sensor is mounted in the middle of a minimum 6 inch
length of 4 inch diameter tube, and is a minimum of 10 inches from
the throttle body."

Those curves in your intake, while sexy, may be sending turbulent air through the MAF...

[tucker298]

Thanks for the heads up! I did realize the MAF needed that much space for a correct reading but I'm not sure I knew the sensor was directional lol I'll double check to see if I have it right

[tucker298]

Beeman! I owe you one! So the MAF was backwards lol I'm embarrassed, It didn't completely fix the problem but it greatly improved it. The motor revs smoothly now and it wants to idle but just can't do it, will have a friend come over with the right tools to scan the ECU and see what's going on. He's pretty certain the base air flow needs to be bumped up.

Now second issue/concern of mine, the oil pressure shoots to 40 when I rev it but doesn't even register at idle. I've been running down a few small leaks and there was a small oil leak right at the oil pressure sensor so I assumed that was the culprit. I tightened it a little more and the oil leak stopped but the oil pressure at idle didn't improve.

[crash]

This is pretty normal. IIRC oil pressure barely reads on the gage at idle and the book value expected at greater than 4000 rpm is around 25 psi. 40 is pretty high. I don't think I have ever seen that high on a stock LS engine. You might be running some thick oil.

[mlkwd1]

Now second issue/concern of mine, the oil pressure shoots to 40 when I rev it but doesn't even register at idle. I've been running down a few small leaks and there was a small oil leak right at the oil pressure sensor so I assumed that was the culprit. I tightened it a little more and the oil leak stopped but the oil pressure at idle didn't improve.[/QUOTE]

I have a LS3 in mine and when it is warm it runs 22-24 lbs and higher RPM it gets to 36-42 lbs hot running 10W30. You may want to plug into your computer are read what the computer is seeing. Mine shows about 3 lbs lower than my digital dash gauge. If it were zero you would hear it.

Michael

[tucker298]

So the verdict with the rough idling engine is....... The fuel is WAY too lean at idle. So I packaged up the ECU and sent it back to get re-tuned with the adjustments needed.

I pulled the valve covers and there's oil pumping up through the push rods at idle so I'm not too worried about that anymore, I'll get another gauge on the oil pressure but I know it has some.

And my exhaust was a little off center when I installed it, turns out that one of the sections welded up was a 1/2 inch longer than the other so I'll trim that back and get it back on next week around the time my ECU gets back hopefully!

I had coolant leaks in several places,the brass fittings on my over flow can and where the water pump hoses meet the coupler to the metal tunnel tubes. Rookie mistake on the brass fittings I guess, my mechanic friend said you can't use the tape on those threads you have to use the TFE paste, and I shouldn't be surprised the water pump hoses leak at the coupler, the clamp tighten down on the soft hoses and there's nothing solid to bite on, I need to slip a short metal pipe inside the water pump hoses so when I tighten the clamps it has something rigid to bite on to.....in hind site I probably would've just kept the corrugated stainless steal bendable coolant hoses factory five gave me.

And while I wait for my exhaust and ECU to get back I'm doing some small stuff that I've put off for some time now, like painting up some panels and installing a few more

[tucker298]

And I did get the drier canister all hooked up, just needed to adjust the metal head on one fitting by cutting and rewelding it and the other hose I mocked up with a brake line and found a shop that makes hydraulic lines and for 40 bucks they had me a longer line that could make the downward turn and connect the canister to the AC unit.

[tucker298]

So i just went to order the roof scoop from factory five and its $100 for shipping?! That's half the cost of the scoop itself

[The Stig]

So i just went to order the roof scoop from factory five and its $100 for shipping?! That's half the cost of the scoop itself

You've gotta love freight company rates for fiberglass or carbon fiber. If it's a large box that weighs 2 pounds, you're going to pay through the nose. When I bought my roll bar cover kit, I think I paid 399 or something like that. Freight to get it from Califonia to Charlotte was around 400 or more. But I wanted it for the car...

Shane always made sure that we didn't get ripped off too much on his parts.

Enjoy the build.

Mike

[tucker298]

You know I was thinking, if it's was 300 bucks and said free shipping then I probably would not have said anything lol

[tucker298]

Ordered some goodies today!

Adjustable seat bracket from factory
Shane's brackets seat brackets
Shane's E brake bracket
Roof scoop from factory five
DEI heat wrap for my battery and infinity box power wires going through the tunnel

I keep thinking I'm almost ready to put the body on but I keep finding more things I need/want to do. I'm anxious to move on to the body but trying not to rush it only to cause problems down the road.

[Aceflo]

Hey Tucker...Keep at it man. I was gone for while, but came back to really enjoy seeing your progress.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

You've gotta love freight company rates for fiberglass or carbon fiber. If it's a large box that weighs 2 pounds, you're going to pay through the nose. When I bought my roll bar cover kit, I think I paid 399 or something like that. Freight to get it from Califonia to Charlotte was around 400 or more. But I wanted it for the car...

Shane always made sure that we didn't get ripped off too much on his parts.

Enjoy the build.

Mike

Thanks, Mike! Yes....that is why the majority of my louver parts ship flat and require assembly. They simply get to large and too expensive to ship once formed to shape. Shipping charges have really gone up a bunch in the past year thru UPS and USPS.

[tucker298]

Hey Aceflo! Yeah it's getting exciting again. There was a little bit that the progress was real slow and I wasn't sure if I'd ever figure out a couple issues I was having without spending a ton of money, but with help from here and local friends we eventually figured it out. Now it's just a matter of getting out in the garage and finishing up my punch list. Which never seems to get smaller lol everytime I go out there and scratch three things off I think of three more things to add.

[tucker298]

Car is retuned and starting up and idling MUCH better, my friend will come over and scan it to see how close it is for a drive able go kart tune. No more leaks! And the wifi finally works so I could start my car with my phone. Like I said before, the build is really fun again ...... Don't bring me down by bringing up body work lol.

I do have a couple issues though, my starter doesn't always seam to engage..... It just makes a spinning sound, other times it engages just fine and starts right up. Thoughts?

Any ideas for where to put the inMotion module? It was on back order and just came in and I didn't really have a good plan for placement...... I kinda forgot about it.....my power cell is up front by the AC canister and my rear cell is by the fuel filter. Is there an ideal spot to put for easier wiring to the window motors?

Thanks for any help guys!

[mlkwd1]

"I do have a couple issues though, my starter doesn't always seam to engage..... It just makes a spinning sound, other times it engages just fine and starts right up. Thoughts? "

Tucker, I chased low voltage issues at the solenoid terminal for a few months along with some parasitic battery draining issues. I was getting the solenoid pulling in but not consistently engaging the starter motor, especially when hot. The battery draining turned out to be a failed vintage A/C control box that was intermittently engaging my A/C clutch with the car running or not running. Found that one by accident when replacing the battery/adding a second ground strap. I heard a click that sounded just like the A/C clutch when I landed the last cable. Replaced the starter was next because the current draw seemed excessive but hard to tell what is normal when the small Porsche starter is trying to turn a V8. That helped but still not consistently starting when hot. After a lot of hours trying to work with wires that are buried through the interior of the car, I never found the cause of the lower than expected voltage at the starter solenoid. What I did to correct the issue until this winter when I can pull the interior apart is install a relay near the starter that is power directly from the battery cable and jumps 12 volts direct to the starter solenoid. I used the original wire from that went to the solenoid to pull in the relay. Works perfectly.

Once I get to the harnesses and can do some invasive troubleshooting this winter, I think I will find the solenoid wire size is too small or there is a bad connection somewhere on one of the slices.

Your issue sounds like you are partially pulling in the solenoid, enough to pick up the starter motor but not enough to push the Bendix of the starter out into the flywheel or you have a defective sprag clutch in the bendix of the starter. Either one would be a starter replacement as a solution. You may also want to put in a temporary second ground off the starter to the frame and see of anything changes. I looked for a few month for a high torque replacement and never found one so I ended up with the Auto Zone rebuild for $200 and it works perfectly.

[tucker298]

Thanks for the input Michael!

[tucker298]

JUST VENTING

So I wanted to be able to adjust my driver seat, I saw the thread on the other site that talked about the different options. I went with the factory five roadster seat tracks and bought the brackets to mount them. The seats in the "how to" thread were gen 1 seats and the brackets from factory five have changed slightly from when the thread was written but I didn't think it was enough of a change to matter. Ofcourse with everything on this car, you find out 1.) after a lot of hard work how something might not work out the way you thought and 2.) there's never enough room to comfortably do anything!

So what am I frustrated about? When I put the seat in, unbolted down, to see where they should be mounted.....I hopped in the seat with a little bit of excitement being my first time really being behind the wheel of my dream car, and the excitement slowly faded away is it seemed like everything was wrong. My last car was a lowered C6, I'm use to falling into a car to get in, but the gtm's seats with high sides and the roofs low height is exceptionally more difficult to fall into. The next thing I noticed was the Halo bar about an inch away from my head, that with padding on would more than likely be touching my head, I'm only 5'11, and yes the seat is practically sitting on the floor pan. Then the steering wheel seems to be closer than it should be....... Not sure if I can adjust that yet. I was not really happy about all of this and went to get out of the car and the struggle to get out began. I just walked way and closed the garage door. Before you start flaming me about what did you expect from a race car built for the street ill explain a few things. First of all, I'm just venting AND hopefully I can adjust some of these things to more exceptable ranges. Second I am a little mad at myself for making such a large investment without ever going to see one! So many members would gladly offer up their car for a walk around and sit in it. The cost of that trip would've been pennies compared to the cost of the build. So I'll take any advice on seating/steering wheel/ pedal setup. I'm heading back in to the garage to look at this with an open mind.

[fastthings]

I think you'll be happy. Tilt wheel is nice, telescoping is not necessary, mine stays all the way in. I had to move the location of the wheel just a bit, to make me happy.
Scrap the adjustable seat, just like the wheel, you won't need to move it.
Weld some L brackets to the floor and get it as low as you can, get it the angle you want and go with it.
At your height, it should feel nice and cozy.

Thant's my opinion

[beeman]

Trust me, the disease isn't as bad as the cure...
I sat in FFR's GTM at London years ago (maroon I think?). Same deal, I'm 6'3". Very difficult in/out but the seats had huge bolsters. For me that was doable, but I was worried about headroom /banging a roof bar - especially with a helmet. But I loved it - and so did my wife which is essential- so I bought one. Now I'm dealing with my self imposed purgatory of making it more personalized, basically giving it a new cockpit.

[Aceflo]

I was surprised how difficult it was going to be to get into this car AFTER I drove to Texas and bought it. Umm.... yeah .....I cant see over the hood hardly. The seats that are going into this car are made of carbon fiber and they have pretty high bolsters. The seats are not mounted on slides. They are dropped to the floor and mounted with custom brackets. My first attempt to sit in this car was pretty laughable.....actually ...... getting in was not as bad as getting out. LOL
Anyhows, after discovering that the steering column was a tilt column, I find getting into and out of the car was much easier with the wheel tilted up.

With the current arrangement, the inside of the car feels pretty roomy "so far".

seats.jpg

They are pretty comfortable in the current position, but I think I'm going to change the angle a bit. I'm 5'6", and I want to see over the hood a bit more.

[mlkwd1]

Tucker, I had issues with the seat location/design as well. I am 5'9" and the seat sat so low that I could hardly see over the dash and with the 5 point harness on, I could not see out the side of the car at a crossroad that was any less than 90 degrees. Tried several seat arrangements including raising it 1 inch and moving it forward an inch. This helped dramatically but still not right and the seats felt too far inclined (unless you like feeling like you are doing a luge). I had a more significant issue I wanted to fix. The 5 point belts had no pass-through slots on the seats and the one on the inside of the car would just about fall off my shoulder so I had to wear the sternum belt as well. I spent the money to buy the Kirkey seats from FF and installed them with the Kirkey brackets. What a major improvement. I mounted the passenger seat all the way to the rear but my seat is about 2 inches forward and sits a little more upright made easy with the slotted brackets. The Kirkeys seats have a much more upright design than the FF seats and put me where I can see out the side and over the steering wheel. They are super comfortable and you can ride in them all day. Here is the drawback. With the seat set in the optimal position to drive. I have to have a quick release wheel to get in an out. These seats are higher on the sides and are harder for me to get in an out over the high sides. Out is not too bad but getting in seems torturous.

Michael

[Fraser D]

I cut down the sides of my Kirkey drivers seat to allow access without issues with the steering wheel.
The seat still supports my thighs and does not allow my legs to move around on track days.

[mlkwd1]

Fraser, This looks like a good winter time project while the rest of the interior get some attention. Though 5'9" I am about 220 and my lower back is not great so it is fairly difficult to get in over that spot you cut down. Track days were my issue for really needing to change the seats. These are a 100% improvement in keeping me where I am suppose to sit and the seatbelts are much safer with the pass-through slots.

Was the seat cover pretty easy to modify to fit properly or did you just leave it alone?

Michael

[Fraser D]

I have not cut down the cover yet but it is something that is on my to do list.
From looking at it I don't see it being an issue for someone with decent upholstery sewing machine.
I have included a photo that better shows the process of how I cut the seat.
Once the seat was mounted I just drew a line parallel to the door line.
Oh and disregard the rail adjuster as I eventually discarded this and just bolted straight to a sub frame that I welded in. I did not like just bolting to the floor pan.

[Roger Reid]

I also used the Kirky buckets. The key as Dave pioneered, is to remove the edging, shape the seat and re attach the edging. Shaping the outside of the seat to be flush with the frame member allows entry and exit much nicer without loosing side support. His pictures show this.

If I had to do this again, I would cut and re weld the inside seat belt bracket to inside the tunnel. Then re do the tunnel sheet metal to seal off the tunnel. This would give more room to move the seat closer to the tunnel as to align the seat center to the steering wheel center.

[tucker298]

So I've run into a streak of bad luck it seems, the car ran rough at first but not overly concerned, the tune was off. Sent the computer off to fix identified issues and the car ran better but not great. The car started slowly running worse, ended up being fouled plugs. Replaced them and it ran better again, so I started looking into the low oil pressure issue that I brought up earlier. Put a mechanical gauge right at the source and sure enough, only 5 pounds of pressure at idle! Pulled the intake out of curiosity and the valley cover. The lifter valley was covered in oil. Seemed like the welded smooth oil pressure boss was not sealing at the gasket. The oil spray pattern seemed like that's where all the oil was coming from. After further inspection the bottom of the valley plate wasn't as smooth as it could be wear the oil pressure boss was welded shut and smoothed down. So it made me hope maybe that was the source of the lost oil pressure. I took it to the fab shop at my work and they smoothed it out quite nicely, I also put a ring of silicone on the top on bottom of the gasket to get a better seal. I let it dry over night and started the motor today. No change ,sigh, still 5 pounds of pressure at idle. Oh and a new fuel leak haha why not. Soooo I'll be pulling the motor and have a friend go over the motor with me. I'm guessing at this point the oil pump has an issue or the o ring came off somehow when I put it back on after the cam swap. Not happy about this. Was just finishing up wiring the AC and tidying up,the wiring to get ready to move onto the body ......instead I'll be pulling the car apart. Of course I have a deployment coming up and was hoping to leave with the car on the up and up. Now I'm afraid I'll be struggling to get her back together before I leave.