Project Cojones Updated

[KFLO 93 GT]

I hope you took another crack at getting those flywheel bolts to the proper torque.

Those are the only bolts transferring power from the engine to the tranny, you've got to make damn sure they're set to the torque spec.

If you can mill it flat, grind the beveled lip off of an old socket and try that. A belt sander would be the best way to go for regularly available garage crap.

[LOLVTEC]

That's a good idea, I was wondering about trying to buy one or something. All the sockets I have are a bit recessed with their grooves. Might take a while but it's worth a shot. I have access to a mill at school I'll try that. I really was unsure about trying to wing it. If I do round off one of the heads I'm pretty much sol aren't I?

[LOLVTEC]

*(Y(%Y#@Q(THWOUIGHSLKIHFOSAHOGIWHEGT

I'm fucking pissed right now. I was reassembling the valvetrain and go to the first to last roller rocker... It seemed to be threading into the head just fine and after a while I realized I was just tightening and tightening away... So I stopped, and I was like damn, wtf. I noticed that the valve spring had started to compress down so I was like gently caress, I hope I didn't strip this motherfucker... sure enough, after unscrewing the roller rocker off the head I had found the threads were stripped. Fucking A something always goes wrong when I do something. I'm starting to hate working on crap, it never fails.

Anyhow, I did some research and this seems to be something that happens more than I thought... I was thinking I'd have to buy a new head and have that one resurfaced and all the other crap again and be dumping more money away, but from what I've read there seems to be a repair kit or helicoil type deal (much like the Northstar timeserts...). Someone help me, what can I do here? Am I screwed or is this repairable? Thanks.

I also noticed that one of the other roller rockers upon reaching torque spec, it has made the valve open a little bit (intake valve). Is that normal? All others appear to be closed.

Almost starting to wish I had just messed with my GTZ instead of this damn thing.

[Alpinestar10]

Yeah stripped rocker threads can be helicoiled, You can either do it yourself or bring it to a machine shop and have them do it I dont even have a clue what it will cost though cant imagine it being alot.

[3X00-Modified]

just verify that it's a M8x1.25 thread for sure.

http://www.amazon.com/Helicoil-5546-8-M ... B0002SREP4

[LOLVTEC]

A good bit of progress, slowly but surely. First things first I made some really major finds at the junkyard the other day. You're never gonna guess what I found on this 99 Grand Am as I was passing by it on my way to the Berettas...







Never would I have expected to find headers for anything of this sort at the yard... Are these TOG headers??? I can't tell. I know the TOG's require modifying for use in a Beretta, but I'm gonna go back and snatch them up anyway, I could sell them if nothing else. Complete with a downpipe and flexpipe too.

One of the cars I robbed parts off of was a really nice red 93 base 2.2 5speed. I will make a seperate post in the for sale section appropriately but off the top of my head this is what I found:

It had:
-a full cluster with tac, I can snatch that if anyone needs it.
-nice rear panels (I'm sure you all know 93 light gray panels are extremly hard to find parts for being that the only year in that color and that style interior)
-perfect cup holder (have found a few of these actually, probably have 2 or 3 extras now)
-the right kick panel was in good shape
-back seats were in really good shape
-there might be a few other parts that I can't remember off the top of my head

I personally snagged the center console with the shift plate, shifter, knob and all... I noticed that it had this weird boot adapter thing that popped onto the bottom of the shift plate, looked factory... had never seen one like it.

I also pulled the headliner even though it didn't have a hole for the sunroof (which I can always do later). I'm having a hard time finding one locally.

The car also had perfect window trim (the ones that follow the window edges). I'm going back to get that for my car once I figure out how to get it off without destroying it.

There was an 88CL that had nice window trim on it too, but it was in even better shape because it had the chrome linging throughout the middle of the peices, will be getting that as well.

-Picked up rear bumper absorbers (mine were mashed in),
-roof console
-muffler shield for my dual mufflers
-new AC line to replace the one I destroyed because it wouldn't break lose when I pulled the motor out of my GTU.
-2 nice digital compass mirrors out of Caddy's (the nice ones with the rubber toggle button on the bottom)
-pair of tan sunvisors out of a Caddy STS for my tan interior eventually
and probably a few other things I can't remember

As far as everything else for my project I've got most of the last remaining parts on the way. My Custom mount from Dave Hill came in yesterday, very nice work, I recommend him if anyone needs one. There's probably only a couple more parts I may need for the swap then I'm good to go.

Waiting on the tap set to come to fix my roller rocker then the engine will be a done deal.





In the mean time I've done a little here and there. Cleaned and painted the engine bay. Looks alooooooooooot better. Did the heater core, steering rack, installed the Super Dave chip, swapped shift cables. I swapped them from my GTZ. One was the same, the other was different, but I think it may still work... The mounting part on the engine side is further down the cable closer to the firewall, but there is still plenty of travel in the cable compared to the original cable... Any ideas about that?

Also did up my subframe, sway bar, and installed my Energy bushings. Came out pretty nice I think.


How do you like my 5 dollar paint job on my hood? Reference back to the pitted up, rusted thing it was back in December...

I did a little bit of work on the interior. I pulled the old seats out (found some lizard skeletons! nice right?), and started cleaning some Z04 seats I've had for some time now.

I don't have any pictures of the seats yet but let me say they started out as F's scalewise... The drivers seat is still pretty ragged (sorta torn up a little bit but I got them anyway because I knew I was going to have them reupholstered eventually anyway), but these things are looking a lot better... I've done one round of purple cleaner and pressure washer treatment to get most of the crap off of them, I figure one more go around will have them looking brand new.


Had a problem with one of the strut mounts inserts on one of my Boner Bilstein struts... A bolt had been broken off into it from it's Boner days. I tried to wrench it out, then drill it out, and it wouldn't come loose. So I hammered the old insert out until I came up with a solution.






I happen to have access to a Lathe in my Machine shop class at school so I remade the insert and hammered it back into the mount. Pretty proud of myself I guess (even though a new mount only costs like $20 lol...). I'm thinking I might tack it a few times just for extra insurance...

A little bit on the engine below...


My 3500 up with TB adaptor and TCE 65mm... Purdy sexy me thinks. I've read that some guys have tapped into that hole where the charcoal canister attaches to on the side of the intake there to run a vacuum line. Any idea about that? Like as far as what kind of line insert people are using and where they get it? I'm going to run the 3500 map sensor as the upper manifold came with it, I just have to splice the connector for it to my harness.


Question: What is that bracket on the side of the timing cover for? This was on another 3400 I had out of a Grand Am and the same bracket was on the motor I have but was broken into several peices from the wreck. I won't be using that will I?

Some engine teasers:







Anyhow, hoping to get a lot more done this week coming up, and will hopefully have it cranked up and running here soon.

[heavywoody]

That bracket is the N-body engine mount bracket. You won't be needing that. Are you using the older style front and rear mounts for the swap?

[LOLVTEC]

Yep sure am. I poly filled all 3 originals but I have the MRZ lower dogbone.

[heavywoody]

Did you make the new engine bracket for the front or did you outsource it from a J-body guy?

[LOLVTEC]

Outsourced from Dave Hill (Six shooter?) Can't remember his name, he's on Jbody.org I think.

[woody90gtz]

That guy is an OBD1 tuning genius!

Lots of progress...looking good.

[Alpinestar10]

david hill is daveycavy on v6z24.com Six_shooter is chris rook if i remeber right.

[3X00-Modified]

Yes those are tog's and all headers require lots of modification to fit the Beretta. Maybe you'll get lucky and that version will fit the 5-speed better than the S&S ones.

[LOLVTEC]

I already have those ones that go under the trans that I got from Boner. I guess I'll see how these fit or line up before the motor goes in, they do look a lot nicer.

Jon you said something earlier about using washers so that the FPR wouldn't hit the plenum, how many did you use, what's the skinny on that?

[3X00-Modified]

No I used washers to space the rail up so it wasn't over compressing on the injectors... I have the intake spacers so that changed the issues of the FPR hitting and I also have a small spot ground away on the neck of my intake for it.

and the tog headers will not fit really.. they will hit the firewall so testing them on the engine only tells you the fitment over the old style 5-speed mount, but thats not applicable since the other headers you have clear. I would suggest trying to re-sell the tog's since you will have to cut an re-weld them to fit and you can probably make some money on them as is on the GA forums. Or here if someone wants to modify them.