Mikelly

Managed to finally get the hubs and rear brakes installed... Those .625 knurl ARP studs are NOT the proper size. The knurl information I found online was clearly incorrect. Had to drill them out by hand and man did it suck... In the process of installing the differential now... Note on the 8.8 install, the mustache bar should be assembled and installed and THEN install the differential... The bolts go thru the uprights that hold the rear of the control arms in place... Getting there...

John, That rule in NASA is apparently region dependent. I've had several NASA tech folks look at my cage and although it has bends totalling more than 180 degrees, they all agreed they would pass my cage for competition.

I have two different kits that mount the alternator higher right or mid-high left that I never ended up using if you're interested in either. Let me know, as they're just sitting in my shop. Mike

LS3 based 403 stroker using Callies Compstar crank and rods, along with SRP pistons. The heads are L92 and the injectors are 48#. Intake is a stock Ls3 and the Tbody is a nick williams. Oil system on this one is a DRYSUMP from Nutter Racing Engines. The lines are Parker Pushlok and the tank is a butlerbuilt square 4 gallon. We plumb it with a Moroso -16 vent tank and also vent the PCV system with twin tanks plumbed to both chambers of the top of the motor. Everything is managed by the FAST XFI and XIM systems and all data is monitored with the integrated FAST DASH with data logging. The Drivetrain consists if a custom T56 I hand built, and a Ford 8.8 rear IRS, that I also completely rebuilt. The car is NOT a street car and is going to start the 2015 season as a Time Trial car in NASA and move over to wheel to wheel in VINTAGE Outlaw.

So here is the assembly, Starting from the outside spline inboard... The OUTER JOINT and 31 spline setup is from a FORD F150 4X4. The spline matches the female spline on the Intrepid hub. The spline also matches the axle from the Sandrail supply companies out there, as well as the Porsche 930 style setups. From there you go inboard for the Porsche style inner CV joint. That unit mounts to a custom flange that welds to the INNER splined Ford Explorer CV axle, which matches the FORD 8.8 differential. You have to have a script to keep up with all the parts. The total cost on the CV axles is just under $500 for the pair. To put it into perspective, I had $1100 in the Q45 axles that Tim240Z built for me way back in the early 2000s.

Very well done man... VERY well done!!! How did the one inch bar do for you? My 1.25 is to large and stiff and picking up the inside corner... Need to go a little smaller. Mike

THIS is the most valuable WISDOM posted in this thread...

Do NOT use that info I posted... turned out NOT to be .625 knurl on the hubs... Ugh... drilling them out was a f'n nightmare... Mike

Managed to get a fair amount done in a short hour in the shop. Cut down the Intrepid hubs to clear the wheels, pressed fifth gear in place on final assembly for the T56, and I assembled and safety wired the wilwood rotors. I have to return some parts to Summit Racing (wrong rotor bolts and wrong 8.8 axle seals) and I need to order some long ARP studs and the right seals. Otherwise, all is coming together!

If you are not already, I would recommend data logging it. Hard to tell whats going on when your eyes are looking in your mirrors or down track, thru corners and such. BTW, My EPC valve was shipped to me incorrectly marked for flow direction.

Looks like it does Keith! http://www.improvedracing.com/baffles/ls1-camaro-firebird-body-racing-oil-pan-baffle-p-30.html

This is what we learned back in 2005 after I blew the LS1 in my Corvette. We ported an Accumulator to that plug in the front left corner of the block and ran the pressure switch there. I believe it was Jeff Creech at Carolina Auto Masters that pointed me to it. It was a better solution than the oil filter base. But he warned me then that it would still not fully recover under some hard cornering/acceleration events with the right suspension and tires. All that said, With the LS3 403 stroker I spent about $3800 going the dry sump route (The AC Nutter Kit and Parker Lines) because I figured it was cheap insurance compared to the down time, cost of the fix or replacement and I was just tired of worrying about pressure drop at places like NCCAR and Watkins Glen T6. I monitor everything through my touchscreen dash. The EFI/Dash combo allow for 16 analog channels to be data logged and I log everything for oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, trans temp, diff temp and other parameters. I also run a breather tank for the 4 gallon oil tank and TWIN PCV catch cans in the PCV system, per recommendations from MTI and COBRAMATT. As to the PCV/ oil/crank pressure issues... After the problems I repeatedly had with the 383 stroker (which data logs helped me troubleshoot) I was done with the accusump and catch cans as the only solution for oil control. As Cary McCallister stated about three pages back, if you're able to pull serious corner loads and road course driving is your thing, an accusump-catch cans/bandaids solution is wasting time and money. Pete Agapoglou is having the exact same issue with his professionally build 1st gen SBC engine in his Zcar up in Connecticut and we chat offline all the time about his oiling/blowby issues. I spend a lot of time at the track with NASA and other clubs and every times I've come across an LS equipped car in the pits with the owner and crew thrashing, it's ALWAYS puking oil and they're ALWAYS trying to fix it so the driver doesn't get back out there and get black flagged again. These risks are not worth my time/money, which is why I think all you serious road course guys should seriously think about the solutions available. Do NOT follow my recipe because it wasn't nearly as cost effective as Cary's. I know guys are not going to want to ditch their Accusumps because they are an easy solution, they hope is doing the job. They are nice devices, for some applications. Based on what people far smarter than me have told me, they are a bandaid and not effective in all situations, some yes, but not all. They also are slow to recover once discharged and will not be fully effective in a platform capable of 2G cornering on a busy section of track where the tank will be discharged thru much of it and the oil will be going to the wrong area. Even if you fix the location of the oil discharge, you're still going to run out of oil recovery time, because the device simply can't recover and discharge quickly enough in some track configurations, again, according to people far smarter than me.

My CV Axles are finally done... Getting down to the last few hundred things!

This evening I cut down the other replacement CV axle and have it soaking in solvent. Man it is pretty stiff as well and I havent pulled the cage out of it yet... just letting it soak over night. Will get back to it on Thursday.

I didn't weigh my Q45 setup, but this setup is significantly lighter if in no other area, the axles alone... Easily 5-8 pounds per axle. Those things were ungodly heavy.

Unfortunately with the parts associated with the 8.8 conversion, you have to build them from scratch. Soooo....

I have $13K in a drysump configurated Forged LS3 403 stroker complete, oilpan to intake, headers, plumbing, clutch kit, everything to run it. The rub here is I already had a FAST EFI standalone unit. I also spent $1200 on T56 parts to rebuild a $600 T56 I bought from a friend. I offset that by selling my TKO600 for $2200. I then dove into the Ford 8.8 Rear diff conversion and sunk $2200 into that, which lead to me selling my Q45 setup for $1100.

The rear Cobra rotor is smaller diameter than what you spec in this kit. It's sourced from a 93-04 Cobra. BLKMGK would be far better off sending you his caliper/rotor/mount so you can see what's what... As to the Ford F150 outer joint... I rebuilt one yesterday afternoon and it was tight. After being re-assembled it has minimal articulation. These things are stupid Chinese puzzle territory. Hahahaha... Lost a bearing last night for the second one, so the shop will likely be dismantled today to find the damned thing... Ugh... GREAT deal of force was used in assembling the first one... more than I had expected, but I don't play with CV axles much, so I'm sure it's "normal" Edit... Just threw the second one in the trash... Bearing cage was DISTORTED... Don't use "to much" force on them. Off to the parts store... Again!

Some of you think I've lost a few screws... Well that's not quite the case... lost a ball... bearing... These Ford F1504X4 CV axle outboard joints come with 6 each, which are a different size than the inboard joints... And I managed to have one come up MIA... Gonna be a loooong Saturday morning... lost it last night... I got nuthin' Ugh... On the upside ONE of the joints is reassembled. For those following along, it's a PITA to re-assemble them and requires a fair amount of force to get all 6 bearings back into the cage. Very minimal articulation with all 6 inplace as well...

Going absolute batshit crazy trying to assemble the outer CV joint on the Ford Spindle units. On another note... I got the brake pads for front and rear calipers and compared them...

Any of you guys assembled the outer Ford Stub Axle onto the center axle yet? Wondering how that included snap ring is going to pass through the spline, as it sits up pretty high in the groove. Nevermind... Just re-read the instructions... The outer just floats...

I was really surprised that the spindle bolts, which are really strong, BENT when I was pressing them out. This should give you guys an idea about how much the powder coating reduced the size and how unforgiving the stuff is. Take the time to clean them out thoroughly and make sure you don't OVERsize the spindle-pin holes. Those bolts need to fit in there snug, but not bind. I'm also removing the powder coating on the face of the upright where the hub bolts up. We see brake rotor temps in excess of 700 degrees at the track, and my guess is the powder coating will met under those conditions on contact surfaces like that and the caliper mount tabs, so I'll be making sure to remove those as well. Otherwise, torqued bolts can become loose with the heat. You street use guys won't have to deal with this. BLKMGK, based on my basic mockup, it looks like the cobra caliper would have plenty of room to mount. The question would be offset for caliper centering over the rotor. The rotor hat depth is the limiter here. But you'd probably have to send your stuff off to Will. I know there might seem to be some bitching on my part over the issues I've run into, but this is no reflection on Will or his parts. I'm pointing out the issues so others don't make the mistakes I made. That spindle pin stunt was stupid and I should have taken my dial caliper out and measured before trying to drive them in further than they wanted to go. Where it became complicated was trying to get those pieces to sit flat on a press while lining everything up to get the offending bolts pressed back out. The four hours I wasted was because of my own stupid human tricks.

Will, dont worry about it. Only reason I brought it up is so the next batch would be addressed for future buyers! Managed to disassemble the second axle and get all parts soaking in the parts washer tonight! Did not take pictures due to how simple this process should be. You need something to cut the boot straps with, snap ring plyers to remove the inboard snap ring, a manget on a wand to help with fishing the balls out of the joints, a gear puller to pull the inner knuckle off the axle, a grinder with cut-off wheel, and they key to the outboard side is really cutting within half an inch of the nuckle. You will also need to fish the inner clip out and pry it off the inboard axle when you flip it around. Care should be taken NOT to cut into the bearing cage or nuckle, or the spindle. Make sure to save all the boots so you can reuse them. Mike

Managed to completely disassemble one of the Ford Truck axles and will document the other one tomorrow when I tear into it. You want to start from the inboard side, removing the cap of the inner joint. Take a pair of snapring pliers and remove the ring from the axle asseembly then remove all the ball bearings and use a gear puller to pull the joint off the axle. Cut the CV boot straps taking care not to cut the boots. You will want to reuse them. The key is definitely getting the axle cut as close to the outer nuckle as possible so you can rotate it 180 degrees after you remove all of the ball bearings. Messy job for sure. Def. plan to clean these well gang... Parts cleaner is pretty much mandatory.

It looks like they copied the Ground Control units. Here is how mine are mounted...