jbeech

Hi guys, Lulu's been on hold for the last few years and hence, it's been a while since I've visited Hybrid-Z. Anyway, I'm presently rewiring her using a Painless kit and all's good except my Multi-Function Switch is funky. It's not switching on the headlights. Does anybody either have a spare Multi-Function switch laying around, or know where I can source one? While she has a GTO body on her, the foundation is a '74 260Z and she's close to going back on the road. http://www.hobbytrading.com/modelsport/gto/

Yeehaw . . . you da man Jeff! I appreciate the part numbers, that's what I needed. A round of beer on me!

I am re-wiring my GTO using a Painless wiring kit. The problem is I just swapped the existing 350/TH350 auto for a new engine with a T-56 6-speed (out of a 95 Camaro) but I don't have the wiring harness for the tranny, i.e the various sensors - speed, reverse, plus something else - yes, there are three places to plug into the tranny. Can anybody help me? I really just need the plugs themselves as I can fabricate a new harness. John Beech 407-302-3360 john at modelsport dot com

The motor is 450 hp and 470 pounds of torque in theory. Unfortunately, in practice the dyno didn't start recording data until 3000 rpm - at which point the motor was already down to 435 hp and 450 pounds of torque and headed south. It's exactly like I want it (I think) but the proof of the puddin' will be in the driving. In case you aren't aware of it, the T-56 tranny is heavily overdriven (5th is a .75:1 and 6th is a .50:1overdrive) so that dictated a torque monster would fit the bill. What with a solid lift roller cam, it's easy enough to change, especially with a two piece timing cover making it easy as I only need remove the water pump and possibly the radiator to swap it out. In any case, the finished flywheel weighs 27 lbs and I'm not too worried about it on the street, as I'm pretty sure it will hold its own. However, should the opportunity ever arrise where I can drive one with a light flywheel, I can always drop the tranny and swap it out.

Thanks John, I appreciate the rapid response, i.e. from someone with real world experience. I decided I would go with a stocker for 50 bucks plus 25 more to have it ground and saved the 300 bucks for a lightweight. I'll be happy - I know what I'll get while from your description I suspect I might not have been.

Mike and Scottie, I am in Sanford and extra hands, or shoot the bull visits by you guys are always wlecome! I-4 to exit 98, Lake Mary Blvd. Through Lake Mary 5-6 miles until you cross Ronald Reagan. Or, Greenway to exit 49, Lake Mary Blvd. After the toll, head east to next intersection (a few hundred yards) which is Lake Mary Blvd and Ronald Reagan (CR427). Proceed east on Lake Mary about 100 yds past the intersection and hang an immediate right (south) on South Sanford Avenue. Go exactly 1 mile, and just before going under the Greenway overpass, a street called Pine Way opens to view on your left. Go 1.1 miles (east again) and my place is #2255 (on your right). If you pass a street sign for a sand road called Hallelujah, then look over your shoulder because you just went past me! By the way, if you miss Pine Way, another mile, or less, sees you to the dead end of a boat ramp on Lake Jessup - famed for alligators, airboating, and some pretty good Speck fishing (known as crappie by everyone else but locals). My business is located in buildings behind my house so I'm usually there, but call ahead of time of course, Tel: 407-302-3360 or Cell 407-417-7071. I look forward to meeting you guys!

Thanks for the thread for the wiper motor, but it's NOT the one. I remember reading about it here, somebody used a motor of a Honda or somesuch and it worked like a charm! I sure wish someone could let me know if they find it.

HI folks, I've never had other than a stock Chevy flywheel in my SBC powered Z car, but I'm about to join my new engine/T-56tranny and wondered about lighter flywheels. I know the theory, anybody experienced with the combo care to say something?

Thanks Mark, but I was hoping to find just a shift lever, not the entire shifter. Until I actually drive mine, I will go on the assumption it's just fine stock. I recall from driving a T-56 Camaro last year that it shifted fine.

So I bought a replacement for my GTO a couple of years ago in CA off eBay and drove it across the coutry to NC with my pal John Dozier. I've driven it some but was somewhat bummed because while she's beautiful, mechanically Lulu really wasn't up to snuff . . . and worse, she had an automatic tranny. Imagine that! I picked up a T-56 a year or so ago but life interfered and it sat, and sat. Recently I got started. I thought about the Weir kit but ended up buying the hydraulic TO and adapter from Red at Mcleod instead. Also got his pressure plate and clutch disk. Red's a nice guy, very knowledgeable. Meanwhile, we pulled the 350 last Friday and I'm working to install the aluminum 408 this week. I'm pushing it back about 1-1/2 inches from the original Scarab position - whch puts the shifter of the T-56 coming up through the hole in the center of the tranny tunnel. I'll be pounding the tunnel as needed tomorrow, or the next day. Also, I finally got tired of the stock wiring and the dim headlights, the slow wipers, etc. so I bought a Painless universal wiring harness. Stripped wiring over the weekend and hope to have that roughed in tomorrow. Of course I'm probably dreaming, but who knows, it could happen. Still need to find that post where someone used a Honda wiper motor though (so I can find one of those tomorrow too). More likely it'll be Friday before we instal the engine/tranny. Then a new driveshaft and oh God, I'm still screwing around trying to figure what to do about the headers because the new motor has Brodix spread ports and the adapter plates aren't really close for modifying the old Hookers. Plus, I don't want to spend 1000 bucks on hand made headers right now so instead I'm going to do some creative rigging instead! If it last six months my cash flow will have recovered and I can go for the custom headers. It's nice now that I live in the Orlando area, lots of talented folks around. Anyway, I thought some might have wondered if we fell off the face of the Earth. We didn't, but we did arrive in time for the three hurricanes which slammed central FL this last season (four total for the state). And here I thought leaving North Carolina's hurricane coast meant no more hurricanes! Tore the roof off my 26x80 foot garage - waaaah - worse, no roofing contractors available yet. pics at http://www.modelsport.com/gto

So where do I go to find one? What brand is it?

Glad to hear there was a resolution but sorry to hear you had to go through such a pain in the rear as to pull the starter more than once!

Hmm, did you buy a new solenoid when you bought a new starter motor?! Let's do some old fashioned backyard mechanic troubleshooting before spending money - or jumping to assumptions there's something really bad wrong! Here's what to do . . . and by the way, you did good in checking your battery, but you did it the hard way. Synopsis - you turned the key and heard "clicking", but no "starting" noises, i.e. the starter motor doesn't turn the engine over - right? Fortunately for you, it's happened in the most convenient place possible, i.e. at home next to your shop and tools. This can happen in the worst of places, a parking lot when you're the last one to pull his boat from the lake, in the woods in the middle of nowhere (your date won't be amused), etc. Remember, the Boy Scouts have it right, "Be prepared!" Before turning a wrench, I too check the battery, but I'm lazy (smart, experienced - choose your adjective). How do you do it when you're away from home and have no tools? The same way "I" do it if I 'am' at home! I turn on the headlights and see how bright they are. Are they as bright as usual? If they are, then it's not the battery. If they're not as bright as usual, you have other problems (and the clicking solenoid caused by a low battery, or a poor connection simulating a low battery by not allowing the juice through, is but a symptom). Thus, presuming the lights are strong, it's fair to rule out the battery as being the root cause of the problem. Next, pop the hood and check that all connections are clean and that there is nothing wrong with them. A visual inspection is often adequate (you do maintain your ride, right . . . or are you one of those lazy fools who maintains their battery connections with a repair when something goes wrong?) Hence, I next use logic (Occams Razor will do - i.e. always use the simplest theory which fits the facts), to guide me. Let's recap. If you crank the car and nothing but clicking occurs when you turn the starter switch, and the battery is good and cable connections all look good (I presume this fellow did all this before baring his soul and asking us for help), then there's probably something wrong with the solenoid itself - either there's not enough juice getting to it (for the thing to engage), or it's stuck. Why such an involved answer? Because it's better to teach him to fish than to buy him a Fillet-O-Fish :>) Anyway, for those who don't know, a solenoid is just a magnetic switch; an electromagnet actually. When you energize the electromagnet (just like the one you made in grade school), it slides within the solenoid body and when it reaches the other end it, it closes an electrical circuit. "This" is the circuit (equipped with the big wires that go to the starter motor) that permits the large amounts of juice drawn by the electric starter motor to do its thing without melting the little wires in your ignition switch. Right about now (usually), a smart-ish student will wonder, "What makes the solenoid element move in the other direction once you de-energize the electromagnet?" Instead of leaving it as an exercise for the student, I'll just tell you. The answer is, "A spring does it!" Yes, the electromagnet has to be strong enough to overcome a small internal spring (which opposes its movement). The spring moves the internal piston (opening the switch) hence de-enerizing the starter motor's circuit when you open the circuit leading to the solenoid (the ignition switch). In the case of the Chevrolet V8 solenoid, it resembles a cyclinder with a piston. When the face of the piston moves within the cylinder it makes contact with one end and closes the circuit. Well guess what? In case you are new to Chevy V8 engines, Chevy solenoids are "notorious" for getting cooked by headers, or a lack of heat shields on manifold/exhaust systems and getting stuck! Thus, this is a case ideal for visual inspection and then a bigger hammer! Huh??? The clicking is the solenoid trying to move - but not being able to. If there's enough juice to move it and it doesn't, it's likely stuck! Often an electrical connection is what's wrong (we're not getting enough juice to energize the magnet which moves and closes the starter motor circuit - but presuming all the wiring connections look OK following visual inspection (and the battery is good), my next move would be to grab a rock (hammer, wrench, what have you), and tap "lightly" on the side of the solenoid. This often is enough to unstick a stuck solenoid, so now try to start the engine again (either using the key in the ignition, or by shorting the terminals of the solenoid with a wrench, screwdriver, etc. - and no, don't do it with your wedding ring if you value your ring finger and/or the relationship. Anyway, if you are rewarded with the starter motor turning the engine over, then it's possible one of life's little problems has been resolved. However, what if you still get clicking noises? It's time to tap a little less lightly! I advise you to balance how energetically you tap with how far away from civilization you are - all while balancing this by how desperate you are vs. how much trouble replacing a somewhat dented solenoid (in which the circuit can "never" close because the damn thing can't move due to the dent in the side) will be. Seriously, this will probably fix your problem as the tapping on the side unsticks the darn thing! Trust me. Ford on the other hand, uses a remote solenoid - away from header heat and more conveniently located for energizing their starter motors . . . by the way, nothing wrong with adapting this system to your Chevy. Anyway, lightly tapping a solenoid with a hammer often frees them right up!

I too made (am making) this same decision. Since I don't drive 5000 miles a year on my hybrid, I decided to go solid roller and the Hell with worrying about adjusting the lash. I used to be into hot VWs and adjusting lash on them was no big deal so this will just be more of the same - easier as I don't have to lay on my back to do the job. I'm going with a http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=00422&prn=0 cam for my motor. Pics at http://www.modelsport.com/gto if you are interested. Meanwhile, I missed the article in PHR, which issue? John

Yes, please post pictures and a diagram! I will buy a wiper motor as soon as I return from my trade show this weekend. This is great news. What would be invlved in making the intermitent work . . . does anybody know how? Electrical circuits and wiring are NOT my strong suit.