Project Cojones Updated

[LOLVTEC]

Out of curiosity Craig how did that setup ride? We all know that the Eibach's are semi-stiff but how do the Bilsteins compare to say the KYBs? Much more stiff, more noticeable. I'm putting the suspenion on tomorrow.

Got a lot done today, got the engine and the cars (My GTU and GT as well) from my friends house. The GTU has been sitting there since 05, lol... (once I got my GTZ I put every other project on the back burner).

Here's some pics. Cleaned up the 3400 as best I could and gave the car it's first wash in probably a decade... Graphic content ahead, it's not pretty...


Motor was pretty dirty, it cleaned up o-k


Think I'm going to detail it up a bit, black/silver theme.


Doubt it's been washed in 10 years... lol


Cleaned up pretty good for sitting so long I guess... Minus the paint and surface rust...






Yeaaah definitely think I'm taking a trip to maaco... It is a sleeper but DAMN... I can't be seen in paint this rough...


This is the look I'm eventually going for (add z-34 vents). Similar to what Woody did with his 91, strip the whole car and repaint one color. The color I think I want to go with is a very bright metallic silver, one I had in mind was early-mid 2000's Honda civic color...

I go back to work tomorrow so no major work will be done probably till sunday on Xmas day... I'll pull the motor and see what I need exactly from there... Will keep you updated!

[LOLVTEC]

Oh yeah, I realized that I'm going to be into the upper end when I go to rewire the injectors and such... I might as well do the LIMG's while I'm in there I guess... The engine only has 40k on it but I should probably play it safe... What gasket do you all recommend?

Hell, if I can find a 3500 top end cheap enough I might even consider swapping that on, so long as it's not too complicated... what's the skinny on that again? I seem to remember that it's pretty straight forward but much like the 3400 swap there are some differences... I remember hearing that 3500 intakes and heads outflow ported 3400 upper ends...

Also, does anyone have a v6 fidanza for sale?

[woody90gtz]

If you use a 3400 UIM with 3500 heads and LIM it's pretty simple. I believe the CTS in the LIM is different or something though. Jon knows.

Use the metal Fel-Pro "Perma-Dry" gaskets. I can get you a part number for them...I got mine on RockAuto pretty cheap.

[3X00-Modified]

There is no hole in the 3500 LIM for the coolant temp sensor, its in the side of the head.

If you have an older setup where you have a 2 pin sensor and the 1 pin sensor this doesn't generate many issues, You just use the stock 3500 2 pin sensor in the head and then either re-locate the 1 wire sensor to the back of the block with a thread adapter, or you drill and tap a hole in the corner of the head like I did on Roberts car.

For a 96 style harness you can re drill and re-tap the hole on the side of the head to fit the 3pin sensor, but it's hard since you need to re-center the hole, if you just open it up your making one area of the head very thin... not good for warping issues. I had a 3 pin sensor turned down and re-threaded, but it makes that itself very fragile too, since your turning it very close to where its drilled out on the inside, so it has to be done carefully.

OBDII beretta's are 3 pin sensors located in the LIM, OBDI.5 Beretta's are a two pin sensor in the LIM and a 1 wire sensor in the corner of the head, Neither the 3400 or the 3500 has that hole for the 1 wire sensor on the head corner, so if you go with a 3400 you can re-wire your harness to have the three pin sensor like the 96 and just put it in the LIM, or you can do the above on the 3400 head as well and just use the two pin sensor in the LIM as before.

You can see the 1 wire sensor on the right head on this pic, as well as the stock sensor right in the side of the head.

[LOLVTEC]

So basically I would be doing what I would be doing with a 3400 swap anyway, because the 3400s have only one coolant sensor, where as the old motors had two...? Just a different location? Doesn't sound too bad, anything beyond that? It there's no other major modification I think I may look into that. If I did the top end swap, what gasket set would I need to use? A 3500 upper set? I imagine this is something that can be tuned for by say WOTTech or guys like superdave, if it even requires anything further?

[3X00-Modified]

Use 3400 head gaskets since you have a 3400 block and then use the 3500 LIMG and the 3500 UIMG even if you decide to go with a 3400 upper for ease of install.

3500 LIM sit higher than 3400 ones so be very generous with the sealant on the valley, it has to be a thick bead.

[LOLVTEC]

Thanks for the info Jon. I'm reading up on the swap and stuff now, not as much material out there as I was expecting, at least I'm having a hard time finding it.

From what I understand, in order to use the 3500 UIM you need to buy the TB adaptor, as the 3500 TB is a drive by wire or something like that? I've found a pair of heads for as low as $90 a set, and intakes for about $50-75 a set. I think I would prefer to use the 3500 upper if that as well, isn't too involved.

[3X00-Modified]

Its not too involved, yes you would need the TB adapter and then also re-design/re-route vac lines and such. I always forget that the TB adapter is rather cheap

when done right the 3500 upper does look nice



but so does the 3400/3100 one..

[Robert 89gt]

Yeah while the engines already out a cam and 3500 heads would be really nice.
Looks like a cool project.If you needed a gtu lip i have one?

[LOLVTEC]

I do have a milzy stage 2 cam and some of the other goodies for that setup, bu that would just complicate this build i think... I am tempted to do all that but i intended this to be a simple straight forward, low budget project... If i did all that thatd be probably another $500 at least... Plus the tuning headache that may come with that cam...

Im probably not gonna do the 3500 thing now, probably later when i fully restore this car. I just want something with some balls to drive right now, and im sure this car will have plenty of that like this.

[woody90gtz]

FWIW, I'm happy with the power of my bone stock 3400/5spd with just bolt ons. And it knocks down over 30mpg highway.

[Robert 89gt]

I was happy with my stock 3400.Until i drove it with all the new parts on there.lol
Its your car i was just saying if i could do it again. I would have done the cam from the start=) GOOD LUCK

[LOLVTEC]

How involved would putting the cam in be? I know you want to upgrade your valve springs (which I have LS1 springs), push rods (I might have those too...) and perhaps even upgrade your roller rockers (would have to research that). I think my biggest issue would be the tuning, if it could be tuned efficiently through a memcal burn... I'm very tempted, it would be nice to have the cam and 3500 top end, the car would seriously haul ass...

Eventually when I get around to restoring the whole car the motor would come out anyway for a complete rebuild, including higher compression and built up low end (be cool to do a stroker too...). What about AC delete? I intend to eventually have functioning AC on the car but I don't really need to or feel like messing with it, can't I just get a shorter belt to run all the other accesories and pumps and such? (I was able to do that on my Geo lol)...

I'm contemplating how to do my true dual exhaust idea. The headers I got from Boner he got from some Jbody guy that custom made them... They sure aren't the best looking thing out there, definitely homemade looking but headers are headers... the front header is wayyyy longer than the rear, the rear is short as hell and looks like it wouldn't give a 1/3 of the power the front would yeild... either way, I'm thinking that maybe 2" individual mandrel pipes ran from each all the way to the rear would work, or do you think 2" would be too big? I plan on doing the X-pipe thing too, that would be neat.

[Carson21R]

question. what engines in that car now? 2.8? does it run? if it does and the price is right ill come get it. just throwing it out there.

[LOLVTEC]

Yeah a 2.8. No this one in particular is locked up. I do however have a good 2.8 in another car I could sell you. I also have a 3400 with 200 miles on it (valve bent in one of the heads or something), however it has been sitting outside in the weather (semi-covered up) for a long time, I'd have to take a look at it to see if it's worth anything.