🔧 BUILD LAME Turbo V6 Camaro

[v6buicks]

Part out?

I really wish I didn't just do that. That was a decent amount of work just for unsuccessful exploratory surgery.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Is this the basic idea behind what's going on in the 3800 timing cover?

If so, I'd either need to have some sort of failure in my sensor circuit or a physical blockage upstream of the timing cover.

Lucky for me, I have a factory service manual. The gauge does not quite work how I expected. High resistance or an open circuit makes the gauge fail high. WTF GM?! Oh well. I think it's a good idea to finally replace my timing chain tensioner anyway. Then I'll go look into the gauge wiring. I already know that my sensor pig tail is rotted to hell, so I might shoot the parts cannon in that direction.

 

[Rdrnnr]

Dude you really don't fuck around do you [emoji23]

 

[v6buicks]

Dude you really don't fuck around do you [emoji23]

All I ever do is fuck around! I just removed the whole front of the engine for no reason. ? Just wait. My intake gaskets are going to be the real problem.

 

[Rdrnnr]

I wish I could stay on mine for any amount of time and then when I do I end up doin other stuff than what I should be. Currently drilled out the window regulator rivets to replace the motor so now I gotta deal with that the pedal and gettin thru my firewall instead of pullin my trans or gettin my headers on

 

[v6buicks]

Not a lot of pictures were taken because I am going for time. This car needs to go back (mostly) together today. I am done picking my ass while waiting for parts, so I'm going to button some things up, push this bitch to the side, and bring the GN home. Tomorrow is my only chance to go to the storage barn before I start getting to busy. Here's where I was at before finally taking a break.

I just noticed that it looks like I pooped on the floor and rolled around in it. Oh well. I guess that's the perfect representation of my current sanity status. Anyway. Things are going well for the most part. The rear cover is on and flush with the block's oil pan rail. The timing cover is installed with and looking pretty cleaner than I've ever seen it. The only things that really suck are the coolant elbows. I replaced them with aluminum because it was all I could get on short notice. What a scam. The orings are so small that installing the elbows without lube was like throwing a hot dog down a hallway. I ended up taking the orings from the used plastic elbows and using those instead. The fit was tighter, but still not what I wanted to feel. I have a feeling that I'm going be back here again in the near future. If I wasn't rushing, I would have measured and taken pics. The point is probably moot anyway. People love these elbows for some reason despite the $10 plastics being a superior part that only needs to be replaced every 15 years. ?‍

Whatever. Maybe I'm not that smart anyway. I did in fact break my PS pulley installation bolt inside the pump shaft. Although the pulley is installed all the way, it's the last time it will be installed on that pump! The pump is original so replacing it really won't be the end of the world.

 

[Rdrnnr]

Not a lot of pictures were taken because I am going for time. This car needs to go back (mostly) together today. I am done picking my ass while waiting for parts, so I'm going to button some things up, push this bitch to the side, and bring the GN home. Tomorrow is my only chance to go to the storage barn before I start getting to busy. Here's where I was at before finally taking a break.
View attachment 85116
I just noticed that it looks like I pooped on the floor and rolled around in it. Oh well. I guess that's the perfect representation of my current sanity status. [emoji38] Anyway. Things are going well for the most part. The rear cover is on and flush with the block's oil pan rail. The timing cover is installed with and looking pretty cleaner than I've ever seen it. The only things that really suck are the coolant elbows. I replaced them with aluminum because it was all I could get on short notice. What a scam. The orings are so small that installing the elbows without lube was like throwing a hot dog down a hallway. I ended up taking the orings from the used plastic elbows and using those instead. The fit was tighter, but still not what I wanted to feel. I have a feeling that I'm going be back here again in the near future. If I wasn't rushing, I would have measured and taken pics. The point is probably moot anyway. People love these elbows for some reason despite the $10 plastics being a superior part that only needs to be replaced every 15 years. [emoji2369]

Whatever. Maybe I'm not that smart anyway. I did in fact break my PS pulley installation bolt inside the pump shaft. Although the pulley is installed all the way, it's the last time it will be installed on that pump! The pump is original so replacing it really won't be the end of the world.

I don't like drilling the edges of the broken pieces of the plastic ones out so there's that. I throw a shitton of dielectric on em never had any issue. I'd rtv em but I don't wanna deal with gettin em back apart

 

[v6buicks]

I don't like drilling the edges of the broken pieces of the plastic ones out so there's that. I throw a shitton of dielectric on em never had any issue. I'd rtv em but I don't wanna deal with gettin em back apart

I've always used a small saw blade to cut through them in two spots, pull a chunk out, and use a screwdriver the pury the rest out. If you have to do an early car with the cast in elbow, you'll find out that aluminum can make the task much more difficult. It's not worth arguing. I just don't think that the grass is necessarily greener.

 

[Rdrnnr]

I've always used a small saw blade to cut through them in two spots, pull a chunk out, and use a screwdriver the pury the rest out. If you have to do an early car with the cast in elbow, you'll find out that aluminum can make the task much more difficult. It's not worth arguing. I just don't think that the grass is necessarily greener.

I don't doubt that considering the aluminum truck wheels ive seen seized on cast hubs so that makes perfect sense from that side too. Plus dexcool. Time is hell on everything

 

[v6buicks]

Again. I was trying to hard to keep busy to take pictures of anything but the car is as together as I want it to be for now. The garage is looking cleaner than I've seen it in a couple years, and the car got washed in place. I'm thinking that the cover is going to go in it until I get the transmission. Until then, I'll make a windage tray for the pan, weld on a new bung, and drill the crank for bigger bolts which I decided to just go ahead and by from Summit. From there, all I will really NEED to do is finish the transmission conversion.

 

[GTPpower]

I'm not a fan of the aluminum elbows either. I always run a bead of red rtv around the oring on them so they seal and it also helps prevent corrosion.

 

[v6buicks]

I'm not a fan of the aluminum elbows either. I always run a bead of red rtv around the oring on them so they seal and it also helps prevent corrosion.

I debated it, and wanted to wait to see if it would leak. I'm going to be waiting a while though. Lol

 

[Rdrnnr]

I was just scared that they'd stick worse but I'll be changing my ways after reading this

 

[Rdrnnr]

I'm probably about to get shit for choosing Fel-Pro. Oh well. I was feeling ultra lazy and dumpy yesterday despite the gorgeous weather. Waiting for my parts to slowly funnel through the Suez Canal or whatever the hell is going on is really demotivating. Hopefully putting a few parts back on the car and seeing it go the other direction will help.

What's the low down with these pins and rubber strips? I've seen them in product descriptions, but never actually got them in my kit before. Reading the instructions on the package only makes me more confused because it doesn't seem applicable to the 3800. Also, I wish I had that crank seal install tool when I did this last time. lol
View attachment 84783

I was thinking about what Turbocharged400sbc was saying in regards to my oil blockage... That's probably got something to do with my rocker tips chirping. I guess the front cover is coming off too!

Going back to this did you figure out what the strip are? I'm gonna start puttin mine back together today and really don't wanna be back in here any more than necessary. Was there anything necessary to get the torque wrench out on? I was thinkin cover flywheel and converter bolts would be my biggest concern?

Kinda sad to see you rollin this one out back for a while it's been a tremendous help to my build as you've usually been right ahead of what I need to do

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

if the kit was opoened someone tossed parts from another gasket kit in there.

im trying to rack my brain for the eengines that have the rear main cap exposed and requires sealing strips and guide dowels before the main is tightened and the rear main installed.

i wanna say some of the ferds were like that as well as mopar but my memory isnt what it used to be

 

[v6buicks]

Going back to this did you figure out what the strip are? I'm gonna start puttin mine back together today and really don't wanna be back in here any more than necessary. Was there anything necessary to get the torque wrench out on? I was thinkin cover flywheel and converter bolts would be my biggest concern?

Kinda sad to see you rollin this one out back for a while it's been a tremendous help to my build as you've usually been right ahead of what I need to do

I determined that Fel-Pro doesn't understand how our blocks and rear covers are shaped. The strips went to the trash can. Just be sure to get the alignment with the block rails close. I put all the bolts in finger tight which is enough to hold the cover in place. Then I used pry bar to move it where it needed to go.

Go figure. Jegs sent me tracking info for my flywheel bolts. ?‍ Now I guess I'll have two sets. Maybe my transmission will come early too? We'll see. Realistically, I'm not going to be delaying the Camaro progress much. I'm really just getting the GN so that I'll quit worrying about driving the Camaro this summer. Now that I'll have a fun car to drive, I can focus on doing the Camaro correctly without cutting corners.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

slowly sneak up on snug for the rear cover esp near the water jacket and oil ports, 1/4 to half turns to keep you from squeezing it out and to let it slowly compress and conform.

i toss the gasket onto the package/carton and paint it with the super 300 brush , flip and paint, toss on.

be carefull, some of the "brush in cap" bristles can come free, i had to use side cutters to crimp mine down a bit more to hold em firmly

 

[v6buicks]

I didn't bother to look up a sequence. Hopefully I don't regret that. I just did one that made sense to me.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

rule of thumb, picture a center, outward spiral, now alternate opposing sides as you tighten in the spiral path working from the center outward. if you look at 95% of Tq sequence diagrams....thats the pattern

 

[v6buicks]

rule of thumb, picture a center, outward spiral, now alternate opposing sides as you tighten in the spiral path working from the center outward. if you look at 95% of Tq sequence diagrams....thats the pattern

Right. That's what I went for! It should be even.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

if you went to sa certain tightness, check it again in 10 minutes after the gasket has relaxed

 

[Rdrnnr]

This was kinda my plan except I was gonna smear a lil black on both sides to hold it in place and then once bolts were in I was gonna try and shove it down from the top to seal against the pan. As for flywheel bolts I ordered new ones and got the wrong ones (they ended up bein for the old buick/Pontiac block) so I guess I'll use the old with some red loctite and hope for the best.

You guys are the best

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

Technically grade 8 5/16 - 18 bolts from the hardware store should work fine for you however usually the heads are a little tall so once you install and tighten them down you may need to check and make sure they clear the torque converter or you'll have to grind a little bit of the bolt heads for clearance.

If you are we using the factory torque to yield flywheel bolts check them by holding them up to a new or known good 5/16 18 and check for light coming through the thread profile between the two as that will definitely indicate whether one has stretched permanently. Also you'll feel it slightly get easier to tighten the moment before it snaps off and then you have to hurry to remove it before the red Loctite cures

 

[Rdrnnr]

Technically grade 8 5/16 - 18 bolts from the hardware store should work fine for you however usually the heads are a little tall so once you install and tighten them down you may need to check and make sure they clear the torque converter or you'll have to grind a little bit of the bolt heads for clearance.

If you are we using the factory torque to yield flywheel bolts check them by holding them up to a new or known good 5/16 18 and check for light coming through the thread profile between the two as that will definitely indicate whether one has stretched permanently. Also you'll feel it slightly get easier to tighten the moment before it snaps off and then you have to hurry to remove it before the red Loctite cures

Sounds about right. Bein a tire guy I'm pretty good at makin tight bolts loose really fast [emoji23]

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

I actually never use Loctite on them I always use an ARP Lube.
I've put the arp bolts I use all the way up to 30 foot pounds. The stockers if I were call it something like 11 + 90 which if I work all ends up closer to 25. Don't hold me to that though

 

[Rdrnnr]

I actually never use Loctite on them I always use an ARP Lube.
I've put the arp bolts I use all the way up to 30 foot pounds. The stockers if I were call it something like 11 + 90 which if I work all ends up closer to 25. Don't hold me to that though

25 seems about right and your absolutely correct on using lube with any fastener now that I think about it.

Basic tire 101 is that you use a light oil rather than penetrating oil or antiseize because it increases the clamping force where the other two lessen it. Actual torque is only accurate with clean threads good fasteners and good lube to get it where it needs to be.

I always kinda considered it like a woman. You absolutely don't Ram it in dry.