'70 Nova LSX swap LY6/TH400 - Page 39

TheBandit · #**761** 01-12-2017, 01:48 PM

I didn't know you had a suburban? Is there a project thread someplace?

My wife got me a GoPro for Christmas and I am really anxious to start using it. As it turns out, you have to buy a smattering of mounts/accessories before these things are useful, so I ordered a dual suction cup mount, helmet side mount, and an assortment of flat and curved-back sticky mounts. I hope to join a local autocross event at the end of February and since I was anxious to play with my new toy, I spent about an hour in the garage scouting potential camera locations. Below are the ones I came up with.

Over the hood:

Down low on the side. I expect to see a lot of speed from this angle down by the ground.

View from the quarter window. This would be cool in side-by-side road course racing so you can watch people pass me.

Helmet view. Hopefully will capture both the driver input and the course.

Driver view for entertainment purposes.

Over-the-shoulder view so you can see other cars pass me and see driver input.

What do you think of these? If you had to pick just two or three views for an autocross day, what would you like to see? I figure I can only use one location per run.

I am going to make some tethers for outside mounting in case the suction fails. The one down low on the front fender is a little sketchy.

CarterKraft · #**762** 01-12-2017, 01:54 PM

Quarter window and helmet view are my faves.

GoPros get addicting, they are also allot like fabrication. You watch some Redbull GoPro footage then get all pissy when your reel looks like cable access LOL.

No build thread yet on the Burban, it's my dads '66 I am putting a 5.3 in. I have learned allot from your thread on the swap even though they really don't share much likeness.

We just have 5.3 truck compressor lines (pain in the ass) and pulling it back out to finish the firewall painting smoothing.

TheBandit · #**763** 01-12-2017, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarterKraft

GoPros get addicting, they are also allot like fabrication. You watch some Redbull GoPro footage then get all pissy when your reel looks like cable access LOL.

You mean I don't get to be an instant Ken Block or BJ Baldwin? No full production crew to plan out my shenanigans, close down cities, and polish the video? Is this going to be like the first time (okay really all times) I tried to TIG weld and instead of a neatly stacked row of dimes, my joint looked like a seagull shat all over an open wound?

CarterKraft · #**764** 01-12-2017, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBandit

You mean I don't get to be an instant Ken Block or BJ Baldwin? No full production crew to plan out my shenanigans, close down cities, and polish the video? Is this going to be like the first time (okay really all times) I tried to TIG weld and instead of a neatly stacked row of dimes, my joint looked like a seagull shat all over an open wound?

I am laughing my ass off....

And yes quite possibly it might be exactly like that. I learned fairly quickly I don't have the computing equipment required to edit the videos like I would like. I also don't have the creativity to tie in the clips and have neat music etc.

I dream like Kindig fab like a roughneck.

Either way it's fun and the videos are cool.

TheBandit · #**765** 01-12-2017, 07:34 PM

You've got to post up your '66 Suburban project. You might be able to lure CaptainFab back onto here. I think he's a fan of that generation. My brother had a '65 shortbed as his first "car", but he totaled it years ago.

CarterKraft · #**766** 01-16-2017, 07:36 PM

Ask and you shall receive, The joke is on you though LOL.

TheBandit · #**767** 01-23-2017, 01:17 PM

At some point back in December, my passenger door snagged the quarter window trim and bent/pulled it out pretty bad. The door was sagging a bit and I guess I hadn't noticed, but it has probably been rubbing in this area for a long time.

Fortunately my Nova has bolt in hinges (later Novas were welded on), so the hinges can be taken off and rebuilt at the bench. I called my trusty mechanic to help me take off the door. We loosened 6 of the 8 bolts holding the hinges to the body, then supported the door with a towel-padded transmission jack while we pulled the last bolts and took off the door.

Here's a video showing how much play was in the hinges:

https://youtu.be/rBKRlEP0RnE

I purchased a hinge rebuild kit from Heartbeat City. This kit is for a '68-'69 Camaro, but also fits my '70 Nova. It came with pretty much everything while other kits may only come with the pins and bushings and not the detent-related parts.

To rebuild the hinges, I had to grind off the formed heads from the original pins, then I was able to press them out using my bench vise. I didn't take any photos of that process, but you can find videos if you search for rebuilding hinges on YouTube. The nice thing about having the hinges loose on the bench is you can use the vise to compress the detent spring and no special tools are needed. Here are some random photos of the rebuilt hinges.

Hopefully this one swings better after I put it back on.

Captainfab · #**768** 01-25-2017, 04:32 PM

Nice work

How are the drivers side door hinges? It is usually the drivers side that wears out first.

TheBandit · #**769** 01-25-2017, 04:45 PM

Thanks Captain! The driver's side also needs a rebuild. It has about the same amount of sag, although the detent roller is in worse shape - the center of it has oblonged. I'm going to tackle it after I rehang this door and figure out what's going on with the transmission. I just haven't had much time lately due to business trips.

TheBandit · #**770** 02-21-2017, 01:25 PM

It's been raining quite a bit the last few weeks, but I finally got a break in the skies to take the Nova for a spin around town. There's a great local restaurant with my namesake (no relation) and I just had to hop out and take a photo.

Driving impressions so far are:
(1) The engine runs great. Very crisp throttle response and plenty of power to set the tires loose at most around-town speeds. No sudden peak/burst in power - just very strong at all RPM. No issues with coming back to idle and it even runs quite well cold.
(2) The 2-3 shifting back & forth issue is driving me bat crazy and I have got to sort it out. It's especially bad around 40mph.
(3) The power steering is very weak. It was weak before the swap and the new pump hasn't improved matters, so perhaps the box needs a rebuild or replace - I am thinking about replacing with a new fast ratio box.
(4) The Dynomax VT mufflers are rattling like crazy at idle. They sound great otherwise and do suppress drone at low/part throttle, but it is not worth the constant clingy-clangy. They simply must go. I will probably replace them with turbo mufflers and tailpipes to quiet the car down.
(5) I can't get around the block or stop at the gas station without someone gesturing a thumbs up or rolling down their window to complement the car. It surprises me because my car has a fair amount of patina and I don't remember getting this much attention before. I think perhaps classic car sightings have just gotten more rare in the last few years.
(6) I LOVE driving this car. God I missed it. This is my happy place.

Graham08 · #**771** 02-21-2017, 08:18 PM

Just awesome! I've been following along on IG since my move...No internet at the house yet.

You might check to see if a used NASCAR steering box will fit in the Nova. I'm pretty sure they're based on a Saginaw 600 series, but are available in much quicker ratios. I would bet a 12:1 or 14:1 box would make it steer like a sports car.

Your transmission issue must be more involved than the governor?

TheBandit · #**772** 02-22-2017, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham08

Just awesome! I've been following along on IG since my move...No internet at the house yet.

Does this mean you've left your old shop for a new one?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham08

You might check to see if a used NASCAR steering box will fit in the Nova. I'm pretty sure they're based on a Saginaw 600 series, but are available in much quicker ratios. I would bet a 12:1 or 14:1 box would make it steer like a sports car.

Yes I think the 600 boxes are a common swap, but sometimes have header clearance issues. If my reading is correct, my box is probably an 800 series variable ratio 16-12.4:1, but I have not yet found any ID information. I am researching options. Lee Steering is not too far from here and they are known experts on rebuilding and modifying these to get the ratio and effort desired while keeping fluid temps down. Turn One is also an option that comes recommended, so I will talk to them as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham08

Your transmission issue must be more involved than the governor?

I really just need some time to troubleshoot. I seem to get consistent performance at specific speeds. I.e. 40mph always has back and forth at cruise. 65mph cruise will stay in 3rd, but just a little tip in throttle will cause it to downshift. Below about 30mph it pretty much wants to stay in 2nd. I don't think the governor is sticking, but maybe it isn't producing enough pressure to hold gear and the balance of governor vs. modulator pressure favors modulator sensitivity? I really don't know. I need to get educated on how this thing operates.

I also want to make sure my vacuum source is good first since this behavior mimics a collapsing vacuum line. I did replace the tubing with no change, but I would like to try a different vacuum port in case this one is blocked internally or something odd is going on there. If that checks out, then I want to double check the modulator valve to be sure I actually did resolve the sticking issue and it didn't come right back after a warm-up or movement of fluid/gunk in the transmission. After that I may start checking line pressures and perhaps go internal.

The difficulty here is I have no idea what is in this transmission. The previous owner of the car put this in and said it had a shift kit. It did shift very hard, especially from park to reverse or park to drive, so early on in my ownership (around year 2001), I took it to a transmission shop and they did something (unknown to me) that resulted in much softer and earlier shifting. I recall they charged labor only, so maybe they adjusted the vacuum modulator or tweaked the weights/springs on the governor. Currently the transmission is shifting very soft - no barking tires or lurching going into gear form park. In drive, the 1-2 shifts are very early - often non detectable.

In the time I've owned the car, the transmission has never shifted on it's own from 2-3 under WOT going up to about 6,000rpm (highest I felt comfortable going with the old small block), even with the kickdown switch disconnected - I have always had to let off the throttle to get it to shift 2-3. This may indicate that the governor pressure or line pressure are simply low and perhaps I need to tweak the governor to bring the speed dependent shiftpoints down (i.e. build pressure faster). Then I could come back and adjust the modulator to delay the shifts according to vacuum signal, and rebalance the control of shifting between the governor (speed) and modulator (load/vacuum). Maybe the new engine vacuum source has somehow exacerbated an existing issue - I imagine the worn SBC was making much less vacuum.

I have seen that the bellhousing area has a crack with a weld repair. I swapped the torque converter years ago and more recently changed the filter and the cooling system when I put this behind the LSx. The kickdown switch is still not connected to anything.

It's a bit of a mystery to me still, but I will probably sort it out and learn a lot about the transmission in the meantime.

CarterKraft · #**773** 02-22-2017, 07:26 PM

No OD in your future?

TheBandit · #**774** 02-22-2017, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarterKraft

No OD in your future?

I am planning to do a 6spd (T56 or TR6060 TBD), but I want to just drive the car for now and tackle smaller and less costly weekend type jobs while I work a few bigger projects (kitchen remodel for example) on the wife's wishlist. I'm willing to put a few hours of troubleshooting into it first, if for no other reason than I'm curious to learn how it works.

TheBandit · #**775** 02-23-2017, 04:42 PM

Called Mike at Lee Steering today and discussed options for upgrading & rebuilding my box. He recommended a rebuild, including replacing the gearing with 12.7:1 and recalibrating for a tighter (more feedback / less assist) "performance" feel. He said they would like to have my pump too so they can calibrate it as a system and make sure everything works together as it should. All sounded good until we got to the price - he quoted $700! Ouch. I think I'll keep researching options.

juicedz4 · #**776** 02-23-2017, 05:22 PM

Have you looked into the 6spd Nissan 350Z/370Z transmissions at all? They are supposed to be quite stout and much cheaper (at least around here) than A T56.

Collins performance sells the adapter, but of course its not cheap at $450. http://collinsadapters.com/index.php...ter-plate.html

Just a thought. This pretty much ends my LS1/T56 knowledge. Oh, that and the front-most and rear-most exhaust manifold bolts tend to fail over time.

Dan

TheBandit · #**777** 02-24-2017, 12:35 PM

I haven't heard of anyone doing a Nissan transmissions in a swap car, other than of course when putting an LS into a 350/370Z. I'll check into it but I suspect it was not designed for the torque of a V8 and would therefore need internal upgrades. Also the cost of the adapter and the unusual nature of using that transmission in a Nova means I'd be likely to run into problems no one else has experienced.

juicedz4 · #**778** 02-24-2017, 03:49 PM

Yup. Just a thought. From what little Ive read it requires no upgrades for mild LS motors and its considerably cheaper. But again, just tossing out a random piece of info.

Dan

entropy · #**779** 02-25-2017, 11:57 AM

Just get that gearbox done and then proceed to the next little modification

You know you need to

E

Graham08 · #**780** 02-26-2017, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBandit

Called Mike at Lee Steering today and discussed options for upgrading & rebuilding my box. He recommended a rebuild, including replacing the gearing with 12.7:1 and recalibrating for a tighter (more feedback / less assist) "performance" feel. He said they would like to have my pump too so they can calibrate it as a system and make sure everything works together as it should. All sounded good until we got to the price - he quoted $700! Ouch. I think I'll keep researching options.

Lee is very much top of the line in power steering, but that's pretty steep when a brand new 12:1 Sweet gear is $429 from Speedway Motors.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Sweet-...g-Box-12-1-250

Another option, anyway...