RebekahsZ Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) Picked up trailer and now my brake controller is not getting power. Probably another wiring issue from the engine swap in the truck. Glad it's not the night before the race! Downloaded a wiring schematic for the controller and I will do the voltmeter voodoo dance around the truck after work and try to fix it. To get the car to the race I have to keep 3 vehicles fixed: tow truck, trailer, and of course the Z. One step forward-two steps back. And it is prom weekend for my younger daughter. Don't know that Im gonna get started on the bellhousing this weekend. I'm gonna make it! Edited April 11, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'm getting tired of paying folks to do bad work. The brake controller failed due to the jack ask trailer shop (not the one I use now) pushing the wiring between the metal and the grommet on the steering column. The wires grounded on the chassis, broke the wire and blew a fuse. I have that all tidied up and done like any of us would like it. My battery was having a little trouble starting after having the door open and the dome light burning. So I got that tested and it's bad. Engine swap put the battery up inside the rear fender, so that's another project-maybe tomorrow. Test drove the trailer with new brakes on the second axle-now every tire has brakes-it was AWESOME! Truck and trailer stop on a dime! Did some panic stops and it was so much better than before. Tested out the winch on the trailer-a few whacks with a mallet to loosen up the brushes and it works like a champ-it's ugly, but faithful. Tried to make a little more progress on the Z today. Got the fire system plumbing done across the package tray and down the driver's side. Ran out of stainless tubing with only 1' to go to be complete! Damn, Summitt got another order from me! So, I'm not gonna get to the transmission stuff until this weekend. That gives me two weekends to have that done and buttoned up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 18, 2015 Author Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) While fixing the battery relocation installation on the truck and replacing the battery, I noticed a big puddle of antifreeze on the ground. Not the hoses this time. But rather the cheap radiator overflow tank has cracked AGAIN! #%}{€*+#<!!!!!! Gonna swap that cheap POS with an identical cheap POS to get thru the race weekend then it is time for an aluminum overflow tank so I don't have to fix it a third time. Will try to find pre-formed hose to take tension off the milk-jug plastic tank nipple ( where it keeps cracking). The work around the Radiator overflow let me find the problem with my AC-melted wiring. I guess that crap is too close to the header. Big money for a pro swap and now I have a cooked section in the harness within a couple months. #%%^*+#}{}#><>!!!!!! Gonna reroute that to prevent further damage and try to get to work on the Z. Edited April 18, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 (edited) Truck is under control so I spent the second part of today on the Z. Cleaned and applied first coat of silicone to the delinquent 2-piece wheel that wont hold air. Gonna let it cure for a couple of days before applying a second coat. that silicone was a bitch to get off. Finished the electrical safety switches; it starts and stops like it is supposed to now. You can kill it from the key, a master kill switch by the driver, a master switch at the rear bumper (if I had a bumper), and an inertia kill switch kills the fuel pump. Battery relocation is all NHRA legit now. Driver footwell fire system is completed, pics tomorrow in the daylight. I'm afraid to pull the safety cotter pin-it seems like it is under tension, but the big cable is installed and adjusted properly, so I'm probably just chicken. I just don't need any more problems. I will get the safety steward to pull it on race day, then it is his fault if I fill my car with foam. Plus he probably knows what the pin is supposed to feel like. Garage is clean and car is vacuumed. Going to install seats. Stopping point tonight is to have it on jackstands ready to pull tranny tomorrow. Wife is letting me have both sides of garage this week. Edited April 19, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 And here's where I leave her for the night (1:30am). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) Pulled trans down and removed clutch and pressure plate to install Quick Time SFI bellhousing(BH). Tried capping the master cyl and line to limit bleeding requirements after the job. Inserted a spare yoke into the tailpiece to avoid spilling all my expensive Tranzilla gear oil. Made a wooden cradle that contacts the "ears" and keeps the trans from rolling off the jack. The BH needed clearancing around the starter. It also needed some machining burrs cleaned up. The irregular hole in the back of the BH made it impossible to index with a dial indicator, so that pretty well killed progress while I figure this out (see related thread in Gen III forum). Found out that one of my $9.99 Harbor Freight torque wrenches is out of calibration by pulling the threads out of the BH on one bolt hole. All the bolts similarly susceptible will get a back-up nut for insurance-the steel in this BH is SOFT! All the parts are on order to finish up this coming weekend. I inspected my clutch assembly: flywheel looks great with nice even wear. Metallic side of clutch disc looks almost worn out-I emailed Mantic to see if the pucks were thin from the get-go, I honestly can't remember. Organic side looks great. There is evidence of contact between the flywheel bolts and the clutch disc springs. I shaved the heads on a new set of ARP bolts on the grinder to try to stop that, although i wonder if this is related to the thin metallic pucks. Pressure plate looks fine with normal wear. Compared heights of old BH to new BH; by my logic I need to install a shim under my slave cylinder, got that done. Had the shims on hand from when I was having trouble with my truck's clutch. Back to waiting on parts. Edited April 21, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torqen2k1 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Not to get off subject, but can take some pics of how you've mounted the hood pines? I have the same hood that I drove almost 200miles one-way to get. Thanks, Darek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) All safety done to go 9.99 anywhere in the country (as if I could!). All safety done to go 175 at the Ohio Mile (with some aero work, I think I can), maybe at the June meet. May is aero month! The photo doesn't come close to expressing this wicked rake.... Edited April 27, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitsnaugle Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 All safety done to go 9.99 anywhere in the country (as if I could!). All safety done to go 175 at the Ohio Mile (with some aero work, I think I can), maybe at the June meet. May is aero month! The photo doesn't come close to expressing this wicked rake.... Looks wicked. Keep me posted on when or if you go to the ohio mile. My house is about 30 minutes away from it, I'd love to meet up with an such a fantastic Z build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hey, bro. I went last month and ran 167mph besting the old class record of 161. I'm going again June 6-7, leaving home for the drive on June 5. Will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express. Come visit! I've been working on a custom airdam for two weeks. Sanding, sanding, test fitting, sanding, sanding, test fitting-argh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitsnaugle Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Hey, bro. I went last month and ran 167mph besting the old class record of 161. I'm going again June 6-7, leaving home for the drive on June 5. Will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express. Come visit! I've been working on a custom airdam for two weeks. Sanding, sanding, test fitting, sanding, sanding, test fitting-argh! I just crawled my way through this entire thread. Great info all over the place. I'm going down a similar route with an carb'd LS3. Do you have any photos of the JCI motor mounts on the car/engine? I'll be sure to stop by in June and pick your brain on the swap and rear diffs, I think I saw you have a full shelf of them. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) With the engine in place, you can't really photo the mounts. Just come see me in the staging lane and you can climb all over/under the car. It looks better in photos than in real life and has been waxed once in 25 years, so keep your standards low and you'll be impressed. If you haven't been to Wilmington before, the cars and drivers stand in line all day for 2 days, so that's where we can hang out and talk. Chipping away on the airdam. Hoping to finish the inner steel attachment fixture today. I hope to make a couple record runs on Saturday with the full kit installed, then on Sunday when the crowd thins I hope to run in a variety of configurations: full front end kit, then open the small radiator opening, then remove headlight covers. Then close the opening and go without headlight covers, then switch to my urethane airdam and run it without headlight covers, then put the covers on and run. If my axles stand the beating, I should have die good aero data for the aero and landspeed forums. Then next year I hope to play with a rear spoiler. Notice I still have a stock engine and I'm still having this much fun! And we haven't even talked about tire pressures! Edited May 26, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98blackbell Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Lol, that's awesome. Looking forward to hearing your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) Some more airdam photos: Interesting supply cost comparison. Resin: $45 at Autozone, $35 at Home Depot/Lowes, $13 at Walmart. Fiberglass cloth: $7.99 at Autozone, $6.99 at Lowes/HD, $5.47 at Walmart. It's where America shops! Shoes and teeth are optional. I'm hoping to re-do this prototype this winter using only glass cloth (no mat-soaks up way too much resin) using an aluminum belly pan, the steel bracket that I made (with some modifications), and adding closeable brake ducts, radiator ducting, and closeable holes in the belly pan for ratchet straps for attaching to trailer. Then I need a bracket to secure it behind my truck cab. Shouldn't be too bad as my FG skills improve. Edited May 31, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 I have closed down the hole in the front 1/2 way-the lower edge was so low that air was just gonna go under the car. I'm hoping to keep the hole closed-it's just there if I have a water temp issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 tuff z Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Keith, really like how you used the stock bumper bracket mount points for your air dam & splitter frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndyAndTheSea Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Looking good! I'm available anytime to discuss anything you have questions on. For what I can assume is your foray into composites work, you're doing a bang up job so far. Call or text anytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 (edited) Thanks to Andy's advice, the quality of work has improved but there are a lot of early mistakes to live with. Hoping to finish glassing today and get started on headlight covers next. Times a tickin'! Edited June 1, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 (edited) More progress. Got new ignition switch done today, and a redundant direct starter switch that bi-passes the ignition switch-don't want to be found wanting again at the start line. Other than a little sanding, the glass work is done. Maybe a little sanding and bondo before flat black paint (Wednesday?). Tomorrow night is trial loading on the trailer and trying to fit airdam in truck. Also, headlight covers. That will leave Wed for painting and Thurs for washing and loading. Edited June 2, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Flat black paint is very forgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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