The 83GT

Definitely efi. I did a blowthru on a small block turbo and it worked ok at WOT, but part throttle and driveability was very hard to get right.

I'll probably do a dual tank setup and run E85.

Rockers adjusted and it's all ready for the intake!

I was thinking about how tightly the header adapters fit the heads and started to get a little concerned about the difference in expansion rates between steel and aluminum. Header bolt holes are sloppy enough it is not a problem, but I was concerned the expansion would eventually crack the holes in the heads.

I decided to cut the adapters so each cylinder has it's own plate. If I ever do a version 2.0 of these, I will probably do them separately and let Send Cut Send drill and tap the holes.

Next is installing the adapters and the intake.

Oh and if you are wondering, no I am not putting a stud girdle on this engine. I just liked how the taller adjustment nuts worked with the taller rocker studs.

BigBlockRanger wrote:Rockers adjusted and it's all ready for the intake!

I was thinking about how tightly the header adapters fit the heads and started to get a little concerned about the difference in expansion rates between steel and aluminum. Header bolt holes are sloppy enough it is not a problem, but I was concerned the expansion would eventually crack the holes in the heads.

I decided to cut the adapters so each cylinder has it's own plate.  If I ever do a version 2.0 of these, I will probably do them separately and let Send Cut Send drill and tap the holes.  

Next is installing the adapters and the intake.

Oh and if you are wondering, no I am not putting a stud girdle on this engine. I just liked how the taller adjustment nuts worked with the taller rocker studs.

I think you will be fine without a Stud Girdle with a Flat Tappet Cam what are you closed and open spring pressures?

118/333

I am not going to put girdles on it. No real need. I put 2.3" rocker studs in it when i prob should have put 2.0's. This made the set screw in the regular poly locks stick out of the top a bit. I didn't really like that and I had these available so I put them on.

Also, I used 8.80" pushrods on the intakes and 9.25" on the exhaust.

Today's episode of Thirty Minute Mechanic is pretty boring. All I did was bolt the adapters to the heads and replace the set screws that lock the injector bungs in place with allen-head bolts.

Really more of a peace of mind thing than anything. I just kept thinking one of those set screws was going to come loose and eventually drop into an intake port.

did you epoxy the injectors in and thats it? or you have something else holding them in ?

BigBlockRanger wrote:Today's episode of Thirty Minute Mechanic is pretty boring. All I did was bolt the adapters to the heads and replace the set screws that lock the injector bungs in place with allen-head bolts.

Really more of a peace of mind thing than anything. I just kept thinking one of those set screws was going to come loose and eventually drop into an intake port.

The 10-32 allen head bolts thread thru the intake into the bungs. The JB Weld really just seals the bung to the intake. Been fine since 2019. Coated the bung and wiggled it in.

what efi setup you useing . ? i am looking at a holley dominator setup . but they are pricey . by the time you buy all the harness and the injectors and sensors like 5000usd pretty much

BigBlockRanger wrote:Definitely efi.  I did a blowthru on a small block turbo and it worked ok at WOT, but part throttle and driveability was very hard to get right.

I'll probably do a dual tank setup and run E85.

I run an older Megasquirt. I've had good luck with it. I tell everybody it is just one notch above a carburetor. Haha. Not too sophisticated, but that's fine, I just do this for fun anyway.

Can't go wrong with the Holley stuff. The user support base is huge.

i forgot to ask you what brand header adapters you use for the bbf to chevy header ? looking for a set just not sure.

BigBlockRanger wrote:I run an older Megasquirt.  I've had good luck with it. I tell everybody it is just one notch above a carburetor.  Haha.  Not too sophisticated, but that's fine, I just do this for fun anyway.

Can't go wrong with the Holley stuff.  The user support base is huge.

I had these made using Send Cut Send. Pretty cool process.

More to-do's became ta-dones! I ground off the tips of the injector bung screws that protruded into the bungs, installed the intake, cleaned and installed the timing cover and the engine mount plate.

I also added some tabs to the engine mount bar that bolts to the heads. I wanted them so if I ever needed to pull the timing cover, to change cams, fix a leak, or whatever, the engine could still be supported by the bar.

The OG Motorsport SVO valve covers are making a return appearance. That notch makes it so much easier to access the valve cover bolt by the brake booster.

[quote="BigBlockRanger"]I had these made using Send Cut Send.  Pretty cool process.  

did you draw the cad file yourself for these? if so you care to share i would like to get a set or two of these made. would you care to share the cad file you had these made from ?

Yeah I drew it in AutoCAD.  I don't mind sending it.  I might be able to attach it to a post as a zip file.

The attached version has the BBF bolt pattern shifted slightly (0.05") to move the closest bolt away from the exhaust port hole.

The bolt holes in the CAD file are just pilot holes.  SCS can make these any size you want, tap them, countersink, or whatever.  

Also, these are just flat and do not account for the differing exhaust flange angles from BBF to BBC like some adapter do.  I didn't care about that.

EDIT: The forum won't let me attach. Evidently the max file size for a zip file is 0kb. Haha. Shoot me a message and I can email the file.

Balancer and water pump are on.  Valve covers and engine mount are getting a new coat of paint.

I also started looking at how I want to route the fuel lines.  Previously I was feeding the rails as a loop. In one rail, looping around to the other, then to the reg.   After checking the plugs a few times, it really seemed like the plugs on the second bank were leaner than the first bank.  This time, I am going to Y the feed line and feed each rail independently.

Gosh I could just stare at this all day long. Haha.

Cardboard aided design version 2.0!

I looked at a bunch of 460 alternator mounts last night and It seems like every one of them was flat and used a bunch of spacers to move the bracket out to the alternator's mounting plane. I didn't particularly like any of them.

After I made the cardboard version, I cut this one out of a piece of flat steel with my bandsaw. Then I bent it in the vise with a big hammer. Kapow.

This one is not finished and I'm not sure if I'm going to leave the adjustment arm in that position, but you get the idea.

Since I am going down the front exit exhaust rabbit hole, I needed some small mufflers to knock the edge off the sound. There are a lot of bullet type mufflers available, but I didn't think they would probably offer much in the way of sound dampening. I decided to go with a small chambered muffler, so I bought some Flowmaster knock-offs. They are 12" total length, 3" offset inlet, centered outlet.

The plan is to route the left header to the right side with the muffler being under the frame rail and fender area. The right header goes to the left, so the offset inlets will allow the pipes to pass one another and the fender outlets should be in the same place on each side.

BigBlockRanger wrote:Since I am going down the front exit exhaust rabbit hole, I needed some small mufflers to knock the edge off the sound. There are a lot of bullet type mufflers available, but I didn't think they would probably offer much in the way of sound dampening. I decided to go with a small chambered muffler, so I bought some Flowmaster knock-offs. They are 12" total length, 3" offset inlet, centered outlet.

The plan is to route the left header to the right side with the muffler being under the frame rail and fender area. The right header goes to the left, so the offset inlets will allow the pipes to pass one another and the fender outlets should be in the same place on each side.

Make sure you post a Video with it running with those Mufflers!!

I will!

I should start a thread like this on my 06. I sure like seeing your progress I just forget to take pics when I get things done.

Do it! The #1 reason I document this is so I can go back and remember what I did and why I did it!

Going back in! Ran out of time today though!

How much does it weigh??

This much.

All bolted in!

Didn't do much today being Valentine's Day and all.

I did open up the bolt holes in the headers a little so they would fit.  They would not bolt on with all the studs installed because they were about as crooked as your Arkansas cousin's teeth. Which really is less about a problem with the adapters and more about my inability to hand tap holes 100% straight. Haha.