Shoeless GTM #501 Here we go!!!

[Edgeman]

I remember that day like it was yesterday. Sure makes you want to getter done now and take that first test drive. Have Fun!

[Shoeless]

I remember that day like it was yesterday. Sure makes you want to getter done now and take that first test drive. Have Fun!

You are absolutely right. I woke up way to damn early for a weekend this morning being overly excited to get to work. A little too early to start making noise in the garage so I put a couple orders together for more wiring supplies.

Man I can't wait to get this bad boy up and running

[Shoeless]

Hey guys,

Couple small items knocked off the list. I've picked the final location of the mega fuses, following some other builds as it makes sense for me, and have the bracket all fitted up nicely and test fitted. I picked up an additional mega fuse holder for the stereo I plan to add so everything matches nicely. Broke this down and a few other items and dropped them off at the powder coated. I'll stick with the theme of Silver Hammertone for accent pieces.





Also got the ever important clutch stop welded, painted, and fit up in place. I didn't like the angle with a regular bolt head so I opted for a rounded head large bolt and it looks like this will fit the bill perfectly.





Also got the rear wing mocked up. I think I have a little more work to do in order to get everything squared up to compensate for a bit of distortion that showed up when welding the mount to the trans bracket, but overall I'm very pleased with the results so far. Thanks again Shane for the great products and a couple pointers over the weekend.

[KGTM]

I am sure you know but just in case, there is a panel that mount there where fuses are ( I see the holes for it) and has angle and help support the the hood and also move air up and out from radiators fans., may be the fuses clear it.

Mostata

[Shoeless]

It will most certainly clear , but thank you for the reminder.

[Shoeless]

I think I'll be tackling the flywheel, clutch plate, and Mendy install this weekend.

Any tips or tricks you guys can share?

I'll likely be going at this venture alone so I think ratchet straps and my engine hoist are going to be my best friends LOL. I've still got my lift plate on the motor and have discovered a ratchet strap over the roll cage allows me to easily change the angle of the motor easily.

[crash]

Don't know if it is the same on the SDR as the S5 but we frequently have to adjust the throughout arm position so that there isn't pre tension on the pressure plate when we get our transaxles back from Mendeola. They can sometimes get them a spline off when putting them back together. Minor issue, but something to double check when installing. Shifter adjustments can be maddening and time consuming, but that is the same for all mid engine transaxles.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

I find it handy to throw a thin board of piece of plywood down on the bottom of the chassis, so that as you're guiding the trans under the X in the chassis, you can set the transaxle down on that board and take a rest or slide the trans across the board and up tight to the engine without scraping the chassis up. Once you have the trans bolted up tight to the the engine, you can lift the rear of the trans up into position and slide the board out the back.

[Shoeless]

Thanks for the pointers fellas!!! This things starting to really come together.

[Shoeless]

Had a great day in the garage today and got the Mendy Stage 2 installed and everything mocked up. Pretty straight forward and I was glad I was able to knock this out by myself. I've pulled the trans mount parts off to run to the powder coater before I take a cruse down to Mexico next week with the wife.

[beeman]

Nice to see the gearbox in there!

[Shoeless]

Nice to see the gearbox in there!

Its a great feeling for sure!!! I can't wait to get the parts all powder coated an installed for hopefully the last time

[Shoeless]

Picked up and dropped off some parts at the powder coater today. I'm really digging the silver hammertone accent pieces I have on this build. Here is the custom Injector Dynamics Fuel Filter, Infinitybox Power Cell, and Infinity Series 7 ECU bracket Shane helped me fab up.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Very nice!!!

[Shoeless]

Hey guys,

Pretty productive Saturday in the garage after getting back from Mexico. I picked up all my powder coated parts to finish the engine/trans install. So far i'm pretty happy how this is turning out. So I threw up the firewall just to check. I still need to remove some material to fit around the roll cage and thought I was going to have an interference with it and the firewall. I walked around for a min scratching my head and then decided to tighten down the intake a bit and damn is that a close fit. I think I will have about 1/16" of clearance when all said and done.

Being this is so close I was wondering if I have the rear rubber bushing and spacer supporting the Mendy trans in the proper orientation (pic 6 - I've got the thicker spacer on the bottom and the thicker washer under the trans support bracket).

Anyone remember the orientation of the rubber spacers and washers for a Mendy setup?

[jamesfr58]

Sean,

I had the same issue with my LS3 using standard motor mounts so sure my issue was just the difference between the LS1 and the LS3. Here is what I did, I had to add spacers behind the bottom of the firewall and pitch it out. The top is in the original position to the seal will hit the roof in approximately same position. The spacers were added tot he bottom and again at the location where my harness bar is located so it bolts up tight. Mine actually just barely touched the intake manifold but believe I have enough room now around 1/4"+ between where the intake manifold and the bottom of the firewall (window wall), this is what it looks like:

IMG_0232.jpg IMG_0231.jpg

[jamesfr58]

Transmission mount looks great, really nice installation keep up the great work. Hope you had good trip but if like me always good to get home and back in the shop!!!!

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

The firewall panel needs to be fitted with the body on and the body positioned properly on the chassis. From the photos above, looks to me like it needs to move up probably close to 1/2" from where it is now or you're going to have a huge gap between the top of the panel and the roof.....you need that to be tight enough that the bulb seal will seal to the roof. Like all of these panels, normally it requires quite a bit of trimming and fitting to fit the body. The span between the halo bars is normally a good profile, but once you grind out enough material around the halo tubes to move it up to where the center will seal against the roof with the bulb seal on, the sides of the panel that seal against the quarter-window area of the body needs to be trimmed back to make room for the bulb seal because it's too tight there.

[jamesfr58]

Shane is correct in his post above, I had to remove material around the halo tubes to get the center section to fit right, then the out section at the quarter window the bulb seat was way to tight and crushed completely so had to remove material on each side to get the fit right without crushing the seal at the quarter wind section. It took several time trying the fit to get it right.

[Shoeless]

Many thanks for the tips on getting this firewall piece in place properly!!! I was about to start grinding away on the halo openings, but I think I'll wait till I get to the point I'm ready to put the body on for a fit check of things before I start grinding away.

Shane,

Do I remember you mentioning somewhere that you have trimmed back the insulation cover on the intake to allow the firewall to go flat against the back frame rails? I wouldn't mind making some spacers like James is doing, but I know he has compensated with all the other components to fit up really nicely and I'm not sure how much of the interior I will do.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Yes, that intake insulation cover on the LS3's always gets trimmed off to clear the firewall. Just make a nice, neat cut and no one will ever notice because it's still going to be sort of tucked up against the firewall there where it's hard to see. I would not use spacers to move the firewall forward as that will effect the fit of the waterfall to the chassis and also the small aluminum cockpit close-out panels behind the door openings....and the fuel tank covers will no longer hold the fuel tanks tightly in place....and the cockpit sidewall brackets that span from the firewall to the door jamb will not fit....and the outer edges of the firewall would be seen thru the quarter windows if you were going to install those.....

[beeman]

Shane knows these cars so well that he can rattle off 14 issues with moving the firewall 1/4 inch. I'm impressed!
My "beauty cover" on the ls3 was also hitting my firewall so I elected to simply remove it.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Shane knows these cars so well that he can rattle off 14 issues with moving the firewall 1/4 inch. I'm impressed!

.....34 GTM builds later.......

[Shoeless]

Shane,

Your knowledge of these cars continues to blow me away. I guess that does come with building 34 of these bad boys LOL. Thanks again for the feedback, it is amazing how minor adjustments will have such a trickle down affect on everything else.

I'll be trimming back the cover and getting it back in place. I would assume this cover also protects against heat soaking the intake.

[jamesfr58]

Sean,

Shane is right when looking at moving the window wall to make room for the intake on the LS3. My window wall does hit he correct spot on the roof of the car but with only the bottom shimmed out about 3/16 – 1/4 inch I had to make a few other adjustment to the interior pieces that seal the cockpit off from the engine compartment. I was going to need to modify these pieces as well anyway because of the way I built the interior as by side panels were changed (remember the small loaf pans etc.), so due the changes and not wanting to attached the bits and pieces that seal off the cockpit on the lower section of the cab these pieces were always going to be modified. The strap that goes from the window wall at the ¼ window area fits without modification and since I am not installing the ¼ window you will not be able to see the bottom of the wall kicked out a little.

Might have been simpler to just cut down the intake insulation but I sis it different knowing I was going to make modifications. My fuel tanks are held in place with a separate system and since I added the stereo equipment boxes to the panels behind the seat I planned for the need to have extra space between he tanks and the panels to attach all the parts with interference or hitting the tanks. I should also say here I did install aluminum tanks not the C5 tanks so to hold them in place I used a different method. A lot of extra work I suppose but it is coming out as planned and again just a different way of getting to the same place.

[Shoeless]

Thanks for the input James, I’ve definitely been following your build very closely and have gained many ideas along the way. I too went with the same tanks as you have and may do something to held them in place a little more than just the back walls sandwiching them in place. I guess I need to drill some holes and bolt them in place at the bottom, before I do the back windows piece, and see how secure the tanks are.

I’ve been making great progress since Christmas break on my build and have been thoroughly enjoying it, adding my own flare of things along the way. I really can’t wait to get all the big pieces and plumbing in place for the trans and engine coolers to then start the engine wiring harness process. I’ve put so much time and effort into just the planning and getting the proper tools, I’m dying to jump right in to it. I may start by wiring up my steering wheel button plate, potting and booting the back of the switches and getting a nice Deutsch AS connector for it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stuff the connector inside the Momo adapter or if I’ll have to run it on the outside. Guess I just need to jump in and see what all fits, but the damn connectors are so expensive I better make sure I have it all planned out properly

[jamesfr58]

Sean

Here is what I did, welded square tubing under where the tanks sits to the frame. Then covered the crossbars with a piece of rubber material like weather stripping and attached them to the crossbars with adhesive. The I build the adjustable tank hold downs that match the taper int eh aluminum tanks and apply downward pressure to keep the tanks from moving. I can adjust the amount of pressure I want to put on the top of the tank if needed. The hold downs are welded to the frame and behind the window wall. It worked out well and with the rubber material on the crossbars they should not move at all. Here it what the tie downs look like:

IMG_1896.jpg IMG_1898.jpg

Just a different idea I am throwing out but from what I have seen of the parts you have designed I am sure you will come up with something that will look really good and functional as well....

[jamesfr58]

Well did it again they are sideways so here they are again right sides up ....LOL

IMG_1896.jpg IMG_1898.jpg

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

That's a good thing to point out. The tank covers normally secure the plastic fuel tanks in place....the alum covers actually bend around the front side of the tank with quite a bit of force to pinch them in place so they can't move. With the aluminum fuel tanks, that is not the case.....the interior tank covers just span from the window firewall panel to the floor pan and don't put any pressure on the tanks at all....so you do need to figure out a way to secure them.

[Shoeless]

I TOTALLY need to learn how to weld LOL. Since we have the same aluminum tanks, I'll get something mocked up and either have my guy come by and weld it up for me or I'll rivet to the frame.

Thanks for the feedback guys. It really helps having a community of builders so willing to share pics and logic around the builds. I know it takes time to post them and give feedback, so I really appreciate it.

[Shoeless]

I hope everyone is staying safe and following the guidelines to self quarantine and work on their cars My work has us on a day in the office/work from home rotation as we fall into the category of essential being we support the military with our APUs.

I've been able to get out in the garage here and there to get some things going. I finally decided to break into the donor axles and pop off the outer CVs, clean and prep them, and do the same on the 930 CVs. I'd like to thank Crash for his video on prepping the 930s and beeman for his detailed posts, and not to mention is special c-clip tool. I referred back to both throughout the process to make sure I have everything prepped and back in the proper orientation. I'd have a hard time getting the wife to help with with putting these pack together, so I'm looking forward to using beeman's special tool. Once I'm done with it I will post up that it is available and I'll cover the shipping to pay it forward. I also decided to clean up and throw a coat of paint on the axles as well. I screwed one up, so I had to strip and repaint it this morning. Couple more coats of clear and it will be done. Once these dry up, I'll be ready to start putting everything back together. I've got some of Crash's recommended Bel-Ray lube, but will need more or another product to do a blend. Stay tuned on that.





I also spent a little time with the gas tanks to see what I could do to "lock" them in place. The easiest thing I could come up with is 1/8" neoprene padding and throwing a small aluminum bracket on the back side. I also put an 8" strip on the frame at the top where the tank would hit the frame. I then put some of the neoprene insulation on the tank front and tested it with the firewall in place. Seems pretty stout to me and the tanks are not moving at all. Hopefully I'm not missing something that goes in this spot down the road. I'm sure you guys will let me know.

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Just a side note....before you drill the chassis and firewall window panel for the tank covers, they normally need some trimming to fit properly once the tunnel alum is installed. They normally need to be notched a bit where they hit the bracket that supports the door striker....so the top of the panel ends up roughly flush with the end of the firewall window panel.

[Shoeless]

Just a side note....before you drill the chassis and firewall window panel for the tank covers, they normally need some trimming to fit properly once the tunnel alum is installed. They normally need to be notched a bit where they hit the bracket that supports the door striker....so the top of the panel ends up roughly flush with the end of the firewall window panel.

Thanks for the pointers Shane. I don’t know where I’d be on this build without the support of yourself and so many others. I envision needing to throw the body on here one of these days to fit up the back window firewall. I’d really like to get that piece fitted around the roll cage and up against the body to know it’s final resting place so I can drill and mount it. That will then lead into fitting the behind the seat firewalls fit and finish.

[crash]

As to the Bel-Ray...you can do 2 CVs with one bottle. I recommend cutting the top off the bottle so you can easily access significant amounts at one time to use for packing the CVs. I use a Hagen Daz pop sickle stick to do the packing. As I have explained before, the prepping, packing, and sealing of the CVs is roughly a 6 hour job. Which is why I don't offer assembled axles. They are very labor intensive to get right. I do need to do a video on exactly how I do the packing and sealing. Maybe during this "vacation" time?

[beeman]

Popcicle stick! That's a good tip. I used a bondo spreader to force it into the crevices too.

[Shoeless]

As to the Bel-Ray...you can do 2 CVs with one bottle. I recommend cutting the top off the bottle so you can easily access significant amounts at one time to use for packing the CVs. I use a Hagen Daz pop sickle stick to do the packing. As I have explained before, the prepping, packing, and sealing of the CVs is roughly a 6 hour job. Which is why I don't offer assembled axles. They are very labor intensive to get right. I do need to do a video on exactly how I do the packing and sealing. Maybe during this "vacation" time?

This is definitely a labor intensive process and I can completely understand why you don't offer assembled axles. Not to mention just a pain in the *** and messy as can be LOL. Seems like we are all getting some things done with this "vacation" time. If you do put a video together, I'm sure the community will be very appreciative. I for one would be since I doing this process right now

[Shoeless]

Popcicle stick! That's a good tip. I used a bondo spreader to force it into the crevices too.

I was thinking a bondo spreader would be perfect for this as well.

[jamesfr58]

I used a Popsicle stick myself never though of using bondo spreader but that would have worked as well.

[crash]

The reason I use a "wooden stick" is because anything larger just smears the lube onto the areas of the CV that I will have to clean in order for the silicone sealer to stick. The Hagen Daz stick is almost the exact size of the balls and therefore makes the perfect spatula to work the grease into the races without making too much of a mess. It also makes for a good excuse to eat a couple of Hagen Daz ice cream bars!

[Shoeless]

The reason I use a "wooden stick" is because anything larger just smears the lube onto the areas of the CV that I will have to clean in order for the silicone sealer to stick. The Hagen Daz stick is almost the exact size of the balls and therefore makes the perfect spatula to work the grease into the races without making too much of a mess. It also makes for a good excuse to eat a couple of Hagen Daz ice cream bars!

You make a good point. I’ll buy my wife some Hagen Daz and she’ll think I’m totally treating her. Til she finishes it and I ask for the stick back HAHAHA. Wish I could eat it myself, but too many carbs and sugar for my diet.