• Just passing by? Feel free to reply to discussions, no account needed.
    Or, quickly register using Facebook or create an account the old fashioned way.

BUILD Broke EF turbo LS SC400 Build

Broke EF

TCG Elite Member
Dec 8, 2017
1,194
2,593
The sticks
Look, a giant box showed up today!

i-vvXs4TW-X2.jpg


Lets take it in the house to open it :D
i-nNk9hxh-X4.jpg


Back to the garage for some better lighting
i-XNmM778-X2.jpg


I am not really a fan of vented hoods, but I think this one looks pretty good. Some other options for this car a terrible. I have enough issues with temp I figured going vented should help somewhat. I am going to line the area above the downpipe with the gold heat shielding to help not melt the hood. I also have some Aero catch hood pins for it as well. It does have a latch, so I am debating pins only, latch only, or both. Probably will go pins only, but not sure yet.
 

Broke EF

TCG Elite Member
Dec 8, 2017
1,194
2,593
The sticks
Well today I started on the hood. It looks OK, and its lighter than stock, but is pretty eh overall. For example I had to cut some holes for these hooks that are part of the hinges.
i-j92g5Z4-X2.jpg


You could see the marks where the hole is factory, but they leave it closed so I hole sawed it. Once we had it off to do that I started on the gold heat shielding.
i-VfjjcG5-X4.jpg


It took a while, but I am pretty happy with how it came out. Not perfect, but good enough.
i-s9qg7xL-X2.jpg


Once that was done we threw it back on.
i-gk7RZ54-X4.jpg


i-Ppvk7QW-X4.jpg


Then I started the long task of deciding where the hood pins would go. Once I had a spot I laid them out.
i-ZFkDq3h-X4.jpg


And then just went for it :D
i-hKf89ZN-X4.jpg


I am going to borrow some templates my buddy has from way back when to make marking out the holes a lot easier. So thats all for that project right now other than I did clean it up after the pics.

Then I moved on to something really simple, replacing headlights. I bought new HID's last year right before Drag week, and broke the driverside bulb putting it in. I decided to change them to LED this time around. The passenger side was no issue just like the high beams. But the driverside... First one of the tiny set screws that hold the collar to the body would not come out, so I just drilled it. Then I went to put it in the housing so could index the bulb, and it wouldnt even fit.
i-dG62w4F-X2.jpg


Quick measuremet shows that there is no chance.
i-m7zmfqs-X4.jpg


i-LjXKvJc-X2.jpg


This headlight was a replacement after the car got hit but I checked, and all SC's from 92 to 2000 have the same bulbs. Who knows what happened to it before I got it. Not sure if I am going to do a whole lot about this.

Well that concludes my car vacation. I start my new job tomorrow which is great, but also I want to just keep working on the car! I will probably keep taking care of small things throughout the week. I need to get my license, so I need the car to be ready to go. I should be getting some replacement sensors this week so I can get the boost controller working. That way even if I struggle with the hit I can crank up the power down track to get my license :D
 

Broke EF

TCG Elite Member
Dec 8, 2017
1,194
2,593
The sticks
So I attempted to get my NHRA license today, and failed miserably. Lets back up a bit though to last night. I had to do a few things to the car to get it ready for today. First up was changing the dome pressure sensor. It wasnt reading, and if anyone remembers the dome pressure sensor wiring was what melted and shorted at Drag Week so that sensor probably go fried in the process. Well that is all fixed now :)
i-c5mwNpL-X4.jpg


New sensor, new wiring, and I verified all the wiring just to be double sure its right.

Next up I swapped out my torque converter bolts. I had the "long" ARP bolts in there, they are 1.25" and they ended about half way into the nut. That wont do, so I swapped them for some fresh grade 8 bolts that are the right length. Good thing too, since two of them were lose enough to take out without tools :D

i-gfhJQ6T-X2.jpg


i-mTfZbdn-X2.jpg


I buttoned up some other little odds and ends, and was ready to go.
i-2j96VCx-X4.jpg


I need to get those water spots off somehow. Also I took the hood off because I havent finished cutting for the hood pins. I need to borrow my buddies jig for them (to make it easier) and havent gotten over there yet to do so.

I also decided to get the trailer hooked up and ready to save time in the morning.
i-WnkJmBM-X4.jpg


This morning I got up and loaded the car, and then headed to Byron.
i-gfXWxTX-X4.jpg


i-8j4DxRg-X4.jpg


I got all set up, got through tech and got into the lanes for my first hit
i-SVHCJTg-X2.jpg


And it was terrible
i-TTZ4HzC-X2.jpg


So it wheel hopped really badly which it has never done before, I peadled it and then the boost was running wild and it hit boost cut. I lifted and shifted second, got back into it just for it to give me ALL the boost agin and cut out again. I tried lifting and getting into it again but no dice.

Lukily my buddy Mike showed up right about then and got to work on the laptop making some adjustments.
i-4L6wWLt-X2.jpg


I go back up, and many hours later make another hit, basically still the same.
i-FJRS77F-X2.jpg


At this point we make some changes in the computer and took the car out on the road to see whats going on. We detrmine something is either wrong, or we are not setting things up correctly, and ditch the boost controller. Make a pull on the street to verify its good, and its holding around 14lbs. Perfect, lets go back up with the SLIGHTLY more agressive launch settings, but the reasonable boost and see what happens.
i-QH7FjmV-X2.jpg


Getting better, but clearly much slower than GLD from a week ago. It wheel hopped badly again and I pedaled twice. Also on this pass, I had waited in the staging lanes for 3.5 hours watching everyone on the property make multiple passes. Then when I do my burnout and get to the line they tell me my belt is coming off. I said are you going to let me run? He asked if it would over heat, and I told him not if you shut the fuck up and let me go LOL The tensioner slipped and let the belt come lose, but it did stay on so I fixed that up and got right back in the lanes. We had backed down the launch again, still spun/wheel hopped. The air was also worse at this point so I lost some MPH. I didnt take a pic of the slip, but it was 10.7 @ 131 or so.

After that I loaded up and headed home. I was there basically open to close, and was only able to get 4 runs in all day. Tomorrow I am going to try and work out whats going on with the boost control. I also am going to have to get back to Byron to get my passes done. I think I can come out from idle and just give it more boost up top and get it done, but I would probably need to be able to get more passes to be sure! Overall I am happy though, Car is running good, and is making good power. The trans is good, and I still learned some things. I guess stay tuned to see what other BS may go wrong on this thing :D
 

Broke EF

TCG Elite Member
Dec 8, 2017
1,194
2,593
The sticks
The saga continues! Today I fixed up the wiring on the dome pressure sensor. We did it kind of shitty last year in the thrash for drag week, and it was causing some issues. So this morning I did it nice, and then spent some time setting up a baseline for the boost control. I also changed the spring out to a 3lb for a base. I didnt mind going so low since I am using onboard compressed air, so no worries about running out.

Once that was done I got it all loaded up to head back to Byron and get my damn license!
i-jnVBWfK-X4.jpg


I dumped it off the trailer and made a hit. Car 39, right lane
i-74V3zbj-X2.jpg


Not terrible off the trailer, with about 14lbs of boost. Basically same as it did with the same boost (or very close) at GLD a few weeks ago. I got the 60 foot better by putting some more air in them as suggested by a buddy of mine.

That was very promising, so I grabbed the laptop and turned it up some. I didnt go crazy with it, left the leave soft and then gave it more on the top end. That netted me this pass.
i-VMFJjmZ-X2.jpg


FINALLY a fucking 9 out of this car! This was about 2lbs of boost at the hit, and peak around 15lbs. I still think it can go a 9 with 14lbs, but not until I can leave harder. This is the cars best 60' to date, and I dont really think I can do better without changes.

Anyway, I went back to the laptop and ramped in the boost a bit quicker, and I also added a little more at the end just to see how it was.
i-WzHcb8N-X2.jpg


As you can probably see it didnt like the faster ramp in. It spun/hopped so I had to pedal it, got back in it and it felt great so I stayed in it. At the very end of the run I saw 18lbs. BUT THEN, after I let out suddenly had a flood of water coming over the windshield. I noticed it was basically center of the windshield but wasnt sure why. The guys on the top end were kinda dicks about it. They were like "smells like antifreeze" Literally nothing in this cooling system or engine has ever seen antifreeze. They also had it cleaned up pretty quick. When I was back in the pit I heard the announcer saying if something happens pull over. I was like I know that wasnt directed at me! I was going 136 plus MPH and lost ALL of the water from my engine and didnt even wiggle. I slowed down and pulled off the track like any other pass.

So I wasn't entirely sure what it was. Like I said I noticed it seemed concentrated on the center of the windshield. I had my suspicions as to what that would be. I let it cool off for a bit and then brought it to the hose to fill it up. When it got to the water pump it just all dumped out. Yep, you read that right, I broke a stock OEM water pump for an LS! This was brand new OEM AC Delco from a dealer when I put the car together. It knocked the backing plate completely off, and its just stuck hanging out behind the pump for now. I ordered a new AC Delco that should be here tomorrow. I really want to go electric, but its just too much to do right now, and plus I need to be back at Byron Monday to get my license.

At least it finally ran a 9, if only just barely. It has plenty left in it as well, so thats nice. Here is a little photo dump including some pics the wife got. I will put up some short videos tomorrow.
i-nrzxPDq-X4.jpg



i-n4th4gK-X2.jpg


i-2qgq537-X4.jpg
i-W5whmWC-X2.jpg


i-qVb2JMv-X2.jpg


Oh, I was also messing around with my possible Sick Summer pack out setup. Not 100% sure I am going to use this rack yet, but wanted to see how things fit.
i-mz8q4TB-X2.jpg

Sticks out kind of far since this is for a 2" reciever, and SC has a 1-1/4" reciever. So I had to use an adapter.

i-qX3gLtm-X4.jpg


I was really hoping the roller base fit nice so it would make it a lot easier for taking it in and out of the hotels. but nah
i-B2L7g23-X2.jpg


Not in the trunk either
i-6wBnxC2-X2.jpg


Thats all for now. Stay tuned for more disapointment.