Halfcent's summer of 2012
02-04-2013, 08:14 PM
#126
Yup, I researched that in the beginning. The ABS module can automatically modulate the bias as needed. I switched to the SS module from my LS module due a small difference in the biasing valve that is better for the rear disks instead of the original drums.
Looking forward to the bushings. Send them my way whenever you can.
Looking forward to the bushings. Send them my way whenever you can.
yup will do
02-05-2013, 12:13 PM
#127
Senior Member
iTrader: (6)
So converting to the rear disks without changing to a SS ABS unit will cause the rear pistons to hold the pads against the disk? I was about to relook into this again (turbo is coming soon)
02-06-2013, 09:38 PM
#128
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Sticking to my theme of 2 steps forward, one step back...
I got the brake line done. Works. No leaks.
Got the ABS module flashed to match the car and had run though its self-test to bleed the module out. So, brakes are done. They even work! I noticed the brake pedal is a bit softer than it used to be, but still locks up before reaching full travel, so that should be fine.
Got the alignment done. Got Firestones lifetime package which is nice. You can just stop in anywhere, anytime and have it checked. The road noise got a lot better afterward. I noticed I have lot less turn radius now. Can't turn nearly as tight as I used to. I'm guessing thats a function of the GM Racing knuckles steering arm being a bit longer so the rack can't push it as far over. Everything works nice, I might just have to accept that as an issue. I'll look into more.
Got the refrigerant charged. That was no biggie. Got the trans fluid check done while up on the rack. No biggie there either.
Here's the problem.
Fired it up this morning and it bellowed steam like a locomotive. Apparently I did not fix the water leak with the water pump replacement. Which sucks, because the only other place it could be coming from is the head gasket.
It's all brand new. The block, head, studs, gasket, it doesn't make sense. But, the white smoke don't lie. So tomorrow I'll start taking the head off, again. Dammit.
I got the brake line done. Works. No leaks.
Got the ABS module flashed to match the car and had run though its self-test to bleed the module out. So, brakes are done. They even work! I noticed the brake pedal is a bit softer than it used to be, but still locks up before reaching full travel, so that should be fine.
Got the alignment done. Got Firestones lifetime package which is nice. You can just stop in anywhere, anytime and have it checked. The road noise got a lot better afterward. I noticed I have lot less turn radius now. Can't turn nearly as tight as I used to. I'm guessing thats a function of the GM Racing knuckles steering arm being a bit longer so the rack can't push it as far over. Everything works nice, I might just have to accept that as an issue. I'll look into more.
Got the refrigerant charged. That was no biggie. Got the trans fluid check done while up on the rack. No biggie there either.
Here's the problem.
Fired it up this morning and it bellowed steam like a locomotive. Apparently I did not fix the water leak with the water pump replacement. Which sucks, because the only other place it could be coming from is the head gasket.
It's all brand new. The block, head, studs, gasket, it doesn't make sense. But, the white smoke don't lie. So tomorrow I'll start taking the head off, again. Dammit.
02-07-2013, 10:22 AM
#130
02-07-2013, 06:37 PM
#131
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Yes, of course the level is dropping. Not leaking while sitting still, but burning off while running.
There is an ACDelco service center close to me. It's a little odd because it's not associated with an GM car dealership. Most shops that are usually will not flash stuff in your car unless the CAL file matches your VIN. This is a problem we have experience with on the Secondary Air Injection removal procedure, kindda the same thing. But this shop doesn't care.
There is an ACDelco service center close to me. It's a little odd because it's not associated with an GM car dealership. Most shops that are usually will not flash stuff in your car unless the CAL file matches your VIN. This is a problem we have experience with on the Secondary Air Injection removal procedure, kindda the same thing. But this shop doesn't care.
Last edited by Halfcent; 02-07-2013 at 08:06 PM.
02-07-2013, 06:59 PM
#132
Senior Member
iTrader: (6)
Yes, of course the level is dropping. Not leaking while seating still, but burning off while running.
There is an ACDelco service center close to me. It's a little odd because it's not associated with an GM car dealership. Most shops that are usually will not flash stuff in your car unless the CAL file matches your VIN. This is a problem we have experience with on the Secondary Air Injection removal procedure, kindda the same thing. But this shop doesn't care.
There is an ACDelco service center close to me. It's a little odd because it's not associated with an GM car dealership. Most shops that are usually will not flash stuff in your car unless the CAL file matches your VIN. This is a problem we have experience with on the Secondary Air Injection removal procedure, kindda the same thing. But this shop doesn't care.
I assumed it was dropping, I guess being around my gf too much and hearing exaggerations all the time (the comment about it smoking like a locomotive) thought possible could be coolant spilled in exhaust system just burning off (again wasnt thinking straight after reading through the thread you do some really clean good work)
02-08-2013, 08:54 PM
#133
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Didn't I already do all this crap?
So, I started troubleshooting the coolant leak today. Bad DeJaVou all day long. Started with the spark plugs, found trouble right away.
Number 1 was soaked with coolant. 2-4 were okay. So I kept going...
Injector port was flooded. Kept going...
The gasket had coolant everywhere. You can see that #1 is washed clean from the coolant. 2-4 again were okay.
The dome was also washed clean as you can see. However, I could find NO problem. Anywhere. The gasket was fine, no crushing, cracking, no indication of where the leak could be. The head and block sealing surfaces appear perfect. I cleaned up the block deck...
It was perfect. No issues. Cleaned all my parts for reassembly, again...
I'm dropping the head off with the gasket at the machine shop so they can clean, inspect, and pressure test it again. That number 1 cylinder is the one they repaired, so maybe they missed something. It'll be Monday before I can get it there.
Number 1 was soaked with coolant. 2-4 were okay. So I kept going...
Injector port was flooded. Kept going...
The gasket had coolant everywhere. You can see that #1 is washed clean from the coolant. 2-4 again were okay.
The dome was also washed clean as you can see. However, I could find NO problem. Anywhere. The gasket was fine, no crushing, cracking, no indication of where the leak could be. The head and block sealing surfaces appear perfect. I cleaned up the block deck...
It was perfect. No issues. Cleaned all my parts for reassembly, again...
I'm dropping the head off with the gasket at the machine shop so they can clean, inspect, and pressure test it again. That number 1 cylinder is the one they repaired, so maybe they missed something. It'll be Monday before I can get it there.
02-11-2013, 04:59 PM
#135
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Dropped the head off first thing this morning at the machine shop. The guy thinks he might have cut into a coolant passage when he did the port and polish on the intake port. Oops. I still have the core head, and dropped off both of them together. He is going to look at the first one first of course, but it might be a while. I'm basically stuck until it's done.
02-14-2013, 11:46 AM
#138
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Called the shop today. Sure enough, they messed up the repair on the first head. At least now I don't feel like an idiot for doing something wrong. He said they pressurized the heads coolant passages and coolant started squirting out of the new valve stem guides they pressed in. So, they are now rebuilding my core head for me. Should be done tomorrow.
I'm going on vacation next week, so I won't be able to put it back together until I'm back. Stay tuned.
I'm going on vacation next week, so I won't be able to put it back together until I'm back. Stay tuned.
02-26-2013, 08:10 PM
#139
I'm old school
Thread Starter
So I went back at it today. Shop finished the second head, picked that up first thing. They rushed it, so the P&P job isn't as good as the first time. They are going to take the valve seats and guides out of the first head again and redo the repair work, so I'll have a bare, clean, P&P'd spare head out of the deal. Maybe I'll use it to build a turbo head with some Comp Cams as a side project later.
Ran into a small issue today. After washing the timing chain, there were no timing marks left visible anywhere on the thing. Kindda hard to put the engine together if you have no timing marks. Its the original from 2005 with over 100K on it, so I just ordered a new one. Probably time anyway. That will be in first thing in the morning and I should be able to wrap this up.
Ran into a small issue today. After washing the timing chain, there were no timing marks left visible anywhere on the thing. Kindda hard to put the engine together if you have no timing marks. Its the original from 2005 with over 100K on it, so I just ordered a new one. Probably time anyway. That will be in first thing in the morning and I should be able to wrap this up.
02-27-2013, 08:37 PM
#141
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Okay, I'm back on the road. Reassembly went perfectly. No issues. I had a scare when I started it up the first time. Coolant was STILL pumping out the ass, and I got really pissed and freaked out. But I carried on, let it warm up to temp, drove it a bit, still had the smoke. I only had one thing left to do which was change the oil. So I did that...
I originally put 7 quarts in it in the beginning. The engine was completely dry from the rebuild and it has the new 6 quart LSJ pan so I knew it was gonna need a bit more than just that 6. When I drained it today, I took out 9 quarts of liquid. That's how much coolant leaked into the block.
This time I refilled it to the rated 6 quarts since the engine was now oil-primed and it immediately cleared up the smoke within a minute after start. It just had to flow the old oil out and it was perfect.
By the way, my L61 dipstick will not read any oil. I guess I'll need to get an LSJ stick to match the new pan. That's easy.
Tomorrow I'm going to do all the finishing up details. Gotta test the ABS, cooling fans, I need to tweak the steering a touch to get the wheel centered up (about 5 degrees out, just enough to be annoying). Then the whole thing needs a serious bath.
On todays drive (after the oil change), everything went great. Suspension is like a go-cart. TIGHT! I took a couple of turns doing 40 and never got a single chirp. Braking is perfectly level. There is no nose-diving into aggressive stops, the car stays level. Then when you let go of the brake, there is no movement there either. Quiet, balanced, good pedal feel, not overly touchy when you first apply pressure, just nice. There is a lot more tire noise, which I expected. Suspension movement is lot louder over a bump, but not really any worse ride-wise in the cabin. Just louder. I have in fact lost some turn radius due to the GM Racing knuckles. I'll check lock-to-lock steering wheel movement tomorrow but I'm sure it's just something I'm gonna have to live with.
More updates tomorrow with some finished pics.
I originally put 7 quarts in it in the beginning. The engine was completely dry from the rebuild and it has the new 6 quart LSJ pan so I knew it was gonna need a bit more than just that 6. When I drained it today, I took out 9 quarts of liquid. That's how much coolant leaked into the block.
This time I refilled it to the rated 6 quarts since the engine was now oil-primed and it immediately cleared up the smoke within a minute after start. It just had to flow the old oil out and it was perfect.
By the way, my L61 dipstick will not read any oil. I guess I'll need to get an LSJ stick to match the new pan. That's easy.
Tomorrow I'm going to do all the finishing up details. Gotta test the ABS, cooling fans, I need to tweak the steering a touch to get the wheel centered up (about 5 degrees out, just enough to be annoying). Then the whole thing needs a serious bath.
On todays drive (after the oil change), everything went great. Suspension is like a go-cart. TIGHT! I took a couple of turns doing 40 and never got a single chirp. Braking is perfectly level. There is no nose-diving into aggressive stops, the car stays level. Then when you let go of the brake, there is no movement there either. Quiet, balanced, good pedal feel, not overly touchy when you first apply pressure, just nice. There is a lot more tire noise, which I expected. Suspension movement is lot louder over a bump, but not really any worse ride-wise in the cabin. Just louder. I have in fact lost some turn radius due to the GM Racing knuckles. I'll check lock-to-lock steering wheel movement tomorrow but I'm sure it's just something I'm gonna have to live with.
More updates tomorrow with some finished pics.
02-28-2013, 06:53 PM
#142
I'm old school
Thread Starter
Okey Dokey, here it is...
All cleaned up and back on the road. Here are some close ups...
Rear wheel
Front wheel
Reassembled engine bay
Interior shot after being cleaned
Not bad for a 2005 LS, eh?
The timing of getting back on the road yesterday was fortunate. My tags expire today, so I had just today to get to the emissions test and the county clerk. Worked out well. Then I cleaned it. Then I did the steering wheel adjustment, which worked fine. I checked the wheel lock-to-lock turns while up on the stands and got about 2.8 out of it. I can't find the GM spec right now for what it should be, but it did travel cleanly all the way from the left rack stop to the right.
So, a summary of everything that was done in this project includes...
Salvage restored parts:
Front cradle - 2006 FE5 with 2-bolt sway bar clamps (powdered gunmetal)
Front sway bar - 2006 FE5
Steering rack - 2006 FE5
Control arms - 2006 FE5 (polished and powdered clear)
Rear 5 lug hubs - 2006 FE5
Rear axle - 2006 FE5 (powdered gunmetal)
Rear brakes - 2006 FE5 (powdered red)
ABS module - 2006 FE5
Master Cylinder and booster - 2009 FE5
LSJ 6 quart oil pan
Dual radiator fans - 2006 FE5 (custom wiring harness fabricated for use on L61 original harness)
New parts:
CAB's - Powell Race Parts
Tie rods, ball joints, strut mounts - Moog
Front knuckles - GM Racing (powered clear)
Front 5 lug wheel hubs - Raybestos
Front brakes - 2009 FE5 Brembo (powdered red and logo-ed)
Shocks and struts - 2009 FE5 (SS/TC)
Wheels - Enkei PF01
Tires - Bridgestone Potenza RE760
Stainless brake lines - OTTP
Parking brake cables - 2006 FE5
Rear axle bushings - Powell Race Parts
Repairs:
Ported and Polished head installed (twice, goddamit)
Timing chain replaced
Water pump replaced
Cabin blower replaced (you know that little tick you get on old motors at slow speeds? Ya, fixed that.)
Antenna splitter installed for HD radio module
Drivers door interior handle replaced (you know how the foil peels off? Ya, fixed that too.)
Rerouted trans fluid cooler line for use with dual radiator fan
Custom brake line to attach 2009 master cylinder to 2006 ABS module
Replaced cracked header
Replaced sunroof regulator
Had the transmission rebuilt (I didn't do this part, had a shop do it while it was out of the car)
Polished the headlights
There is probably more to that list. I know I did countless tiny things as I came across them each day. Anyway, that's pretty much that.
So now what? Bodywork. I have a list of things that need doing this summer. Starting with this problem right here:
What the hell is that? The paint is literally just fading away. So along with that, I need to paint...
Smooth lock covers
Grill bowtie
headlight frames
Front and rear RKSport lips
Repair front facia
Passenger door B-pillar vinyl
Then, I've got this list of other little stuff to do as time allows...
Fix passenger side C-pillar trim
Sound proof the trunk
Do the Momo parking brake handle mod
Install the Smart Start module on my Viper remote starter
Repair the front right wheel well splash gaurd
Resecure the RKSport running boards
Replace the lights in the steering wheel controls
So that's it. I'm budgeting the turbo installation for this time next year. I'll keep posting my repairs in this thread as they happen. Stay tuned!
Hmm, looks like I need to update my Sig file pic...
All cleaned up and back on the road. Here are some close ups...
Rear wheel
Front wheel
Reassembled engine bay
Interior shot after being cleaned
Not bad for a 2005 LS, eh?
The timing of getting back on the road yesterday was fortunate. My tags expire today, so I had just today to get to the emissions test and the county clerk. Worked out well. Then I cleaned it. Then I did the steering wheel adjustment, which worked fine. I checked the wheel lock-to-lock turns while up on the stands and got about 2.8 out of it. I can't find the GM spec right now for what it should be, but it did travel cleanly all the way from the left rack stop to the right.
So, a summary of everything that was done in this project includes...
Salvage restored parts:
Front cradle - 2006 FE5 with 2-bolt sway bar clamps (powdered gunmetal)
Front sway bar - 2006 FE5
Steering rack - 2006 FE5
Control arms - 2006 FE5 (polished and powdered clear)
Rear 5 lug hubs - 2006 FE5
Rear axle - 2006 FE5 (powdered gunmetal)
Rear brakes - 2006 FE5 (powdered red)
ABS module - 2006 FE5
Master Cylinder and booster - 2009 FE5
LSJ 6 quart oil pan
Dual radiator fans - 2006 FE5 (custom wiring harness fabricated for use on L61 original harness)
New parts:
CAB's - Powell Race Parts
Tie rods, ball joints, strut mounts - Moog
Front knuckles - GM Racing (powered clear)
Front 5 lug wheel hubs - Raybestos
Front brakes - 2009 FE5 Brembo (powdered red and logo-ed)
Shocks and struts - 2009 FE5 (SS/TC)
Wheels - Enkei PF01
Tires - Bridgestone Potenza RE760
Stainless brake lines - OTTP
Parking brake cables - 2006 FE5
Rear axle bushings - Powell Race Parts
Repairs:
Ported and Polished head installed (twice, goddamit)
Timing chain replaced
Water pump replaced
Cabin blower replaced (you know that little tick you get on old motors at slow speeds? Ya, fixed that.)
Antenna splitter installed for HD radio module
Drivers door interior handle replaced (you know how the foil peels off? Ya, fixed that too.)
Rerouted trans fluid cooler line for use with dual radiator fan
Custom brake line to attach 2009 master cylinder to 2006 ABS module
Replaced cracked header
Replaced sunroof regulator
Had the transmission rebuilt (I didn't do this part, had a shop do it while it was out of the car)
Polished the headlights
There is probably more to that list. I know I did countless tiny things as I came across them each day. Anyway, that's pretty much that.
So now what? Bodywork. I have a list of things that need doing this summer. Starting with this problem right here:
What the hell is that? The paint is literally just fading away. So along with that, I need to paint...
Smooth lock covers
Grill bowtie
headlight frames
Front and rear RKSport lips
Repair front facia
Passenger door B-pillar vinyl
Then, I've got this list of other little stuff to do as time allows...
Fix passenger side C-pillar trim
Sound proof the trunk
Do the Momo parking brake handle mod
Install the Smart Start module on my Viper remote starter
Repair the front right wheel well splash gaurd
Resecure the RKSport running boards
Replace the lights in the steering wheel controls
So that's it. I'm budgeting the turbo installation for this time next year. I'll keep posting my repairs in this thread as they happen. Stay tuned!
Hmm, looks like I need to update my Sig file pic...
Last edited by Halfcent; 02-28-2013 at 07:45 PM.
03-18-2013, 10:20 PM
#148
I'm old school
Thread Starter
A quick follow up...
So far so good. I have learned after a bit of research that there is in fact a difference in the turning radius specification of the FE5 versus the other cars. All the other Delta's turn at about a 33 foot radius, while the FE5's turn at just under 40. The stiffer front anti-roll bar causes some under steer, and the FE5 control arm has a different camber (according to John at Powell). There are probably a couple other little contributing factors (like the wider tires), but the good news is there isn't anything "wrong", it's just how it is now.
I've put about 1500 miles on it. The stiff suspension does take some getting used to. It does not like bumps. But I have yet to chirp a tire of lose traction in any turn. I haven't had the chance to do any of the follow up work yet. I'm coming into a busy schedule at work and probably won't get a chance until mid-April.
I have a **** load of left over parts I'll be getting rid of. I have photo-ed and inventoried everything, now I just need to create classified listing for them all. If anybody is looking for something that they saw in this thread, let me know, I probably have it.
So far so good. I have learned after a bit of research that there is in fact a difference in the turning radius specification of the FE5 versus the other cars. All the other Delta's turn at about a 33 foot radius, while the FE5's turn at just under 40. The stiffer front anti-roll bar causes some under steer, and the FE5 control arm has a different camber (according to John at Powell). There are probably a couple other little contributing factors (like the wider tires), but the good news is there isn't anything "wrong", it's just how it is now.
I've put about 1500 miles on it. The stiff suspension does take some getting used to. It does not like bumps. But I have yet to chirp a tire of lose traction in any turn. I haven't had the chance to do any of the follow up work yet. I'm coming into a busy schedule at work and probably won't get a chance until mid-April.
I have a **** load of left over parts I'll be getting rid of. I have photo-ed and inventoried everything, now I just need to create classified listing for them all. If anybody is looking for something that they saw in this thread, let me know, I probably have it.
03-19-2013, 02:24 AM
#150
A quick follow up...
So far so good. I have learned after a bit of research that there is in fact a difference in the turning radius specification of the FE5 versus the other cars. All the other Delta's turn at about a 33 foot radius, while the FE5's turn at just under 40. The stiffer front anti-roll bar causes some under steer, and the FE5 control arm has a different camber (according to John at Powell). There are probably a couple other little contributing factors (like the wider tires), but the good news is there isn't anything "wrong", it's just how it is now.
I've put about 1500 miles on it. The stiff suspension does take some getting used to. It does not like bumps. But I have yet to chirp a tire of lose traction in any turn. I haven't had the chance to do any of the follow up work yet. I'm coming into a busy schedule at work and probably won't get a chance until mid-April.
I have a **** load of left over parts I'll be getting rid of. I have photo-ed and inventoried everything, now I just need to create classified listing for them all. If anybody is looking for something that they saw in this thread, let me know, I probably have it.
So far so good. I have learned after a bit of research that there is in fact a difference in the turning radius specification of the FE5 versus the other cars. All the other Delta's turn at about a 33 foot radius, while the FE5's turn at just under 40. The stiffer front anti-roll bar causes some under steer, and the FE5 control arm has a different camber (according to John at Powell). There are probably a couple other little contributing factors (like the wider tires), but the good news is there isn't anything "wrong", it's just how it is now.
I've put about 1500 miles on it. The stiff suspension does take some getting used to. It does not like bumps. But I have yet to chirp a tire of lose traction in any turn. I haven't had the chance to do any of the follow up work yet. I'm coming into a busy schedule at work and probably won't get a chance until mid-April.
I have a **** load of left over parts I'll be getting rid of. I have photo-ed and inventoried everything, now I just need to create classified listing for them all. If anybody is looking for something that they saw in this thread, let me know, I probably have it.