Ken Roberts
Supporter
Have you given any thought to the fuel filler Joel? I’m not sure the Sparco fuel filler would pass a strict emission requirement.
Joel K
Supporter
Hey Ken, I was reviewing your thread recently since another builder in NJ said they will check the fuel cap. Was thinking of applying your idea of installing an OEM fuel neck behind the Sparco cap. I would like to use the C7 Cap-less fuel neck, but not sure there is enough room.
Ron McCall
Supporter
Joel,
I used the capless neck from a McLaren MP4-12C inder the Sparco cap on my GT-R. AT the track, the Sparco cap leaked badly under braking.
Ron
Joel K
Supporter
To prepare for the engine install, this post covers the serpentine belt alignment using a straight edge and a laser alignment tool.
Back in 2019 on post #59 and #109, I fabricated accessory mounting brackets swapping the location of the alternator and compressor in order to clear the rear frame rails
Pic of the LT4 and custom accessory brackets. Turned out a Chevy Aveo belt fits this setup…
Here is a short video on using the laser alignment tool…
Before the engine is installed I wanted to insure the accessory pulleys are aligned. From what I understand, an alignment of a serpentine belt has 1/32” of an inch tolerance. Since I moved the engine back 1.5”, I am able to replace both the supercharger and accessory serpentine belts without removing the engine, but if I start to chew up belts I’d have to remove the engine to diagnose the problem. So this approach follows the saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
First I used the flat edge ruler against the main balancer method and took some measurements from the belts with a micrometer and things appeared to be within tolerance.
Here are the initial measurements. Was a little concerned the Alternator bracket would need a little machining since it is off by about .03”…
Before I started milling down the alternator bracket I wanted to double check the results with a Gates laser alignment tool. I highly recommend this product. It’s about $100 from Rock Auto and works great. This tool can check for two types of misalignment.
Parallel Misalignment - When a pulley is “out of plane” with the other pulleys in the drive system, parallel misalignment occurs.
Angular Misalignment - This occurs when pulleys are “tilted” because their shafts are not parallel.
Here is the kit, very nicely packed…
It comes with a calibration tool, but I simply checked the balancer to the water pump pulley and a couple other factory pulleys and it checked out. Now on to measuring the custom brackets…
Pic from the balancer to the alternator shows it is aligned…
Pic from the water pump to the compressor. Dead on…
Pic from the compressor to the alternator. Also dead on…
Based on the results of the laser tool I realize there is a margin of error the way I measured with the micrometer. Turned out the brackets were machined well and no modifications were necessary.
Lastly, torqued up all the accessories, double checked the belt alignment and now ready to install the LT4 for what I hope is the final time!
Back in 2019 on post #59 and #109, I fabricated accessory mounting brackets swapping the location of the alternator and compressor in order to clear the rear frame rails
Pic of the LT4 and custom accessory brackets. Turned out a Chevy Aveo belt fits this setup…
Here is a short video on using the laser alignment tool…
Before the engine is installed I wanted to insure the accessory pulleys are aligned. From what I understand, an alignment of a serpentine belt has 1/32” of an inch tolerance. Since I moved the engine back 1.5”, I am able to replace both the supercharger and accessory serpentine belts without removing the engine, but if I start to chew up belts I’d have to remove the engine to diagnose the problem. So this approach follows the saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
First I used the flat edge ruler against the main balancer method and took some measurements from the belts with a micrometer and things appeared to be within tolerance.
Here are the initial measurements. Was a little concerned the Alternator bracket would need a little machining since it is off by about .03”…
Before I started milling down the alternator bracket I wanted to double check the results with a Gates laser alignment tool. I highly recommend this product. It’s about $100 from Rock Auto and works great. This tool can check for two types of misalignment.
Parallel Misalignment - When a pulley is “out of plane” with the other pulleys in the drive system, parallel misalignment occurs.
Angular Misalignment - This occurs when pulleys are “tilted” because their shafts are not parallel.
Here is the kit, very nicely packed…
It comes with a calibration tool, but I simply checked the balancer to the water pump pulley and a couple other factory pulleys and it checked out. Now on to measuring the custom brackets…
Pic from the balancer to the alternator shows it is aligned…
Pic from the water pump to the compressor. Dead on…
Pic from the compressor to the alternator. Also dead on…
Based on the results of the laser tool I realize there is a margin of error the way I measured with the micrometer. Turned out the brackets were machined well and no modifications were necessary.
Lastly, torqued up all the accessories, double checked the belt alignment and now ready to install the LT4 for what I hope is the final time!
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Ken Roberts
Supporter
Here is a picture of the fuel filler I have prebuilt for the future GT-R. It uses the same C6 Corvette fuel filler assembly as on my SLC but I kept to a 1” filler pipe. At the fuel tank end I have a 1” to 2” adapter and the 2” Perko check valve Inside the short 2” fuel hose.
Ken Roberts
Supporter
Here is a comparison between the two. The SL-C version is on the right.
Joel K
Supporter
Thanks for the info Ken. I was also curious about needing a check valve and see you incorporated it into the design. Great work!
Ken Roberts
Supporter
Perko 0635DP2. This is the 2” size. Unfortunately they are about $40.
Most marine supply stores carry them. I bought mine from fillernecksupply.com. Good selection of filler hoses and QD fittings
Most marine supply stores carry them. I bought mine from fillernecksupply.com. Good selection of filler hoses and QD fittings
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Joel K
Supporter
Well the day has finally come to install the engine. Lot’s of work and planning has gone in to getting the LT4 to fit in the SLC chassis. Back on posts #57 and #100 I documented the custom front and rear engine mounts.
Recently got them back from the plater and they are ready to accept the LT4. As designed they move the engine back 1.5”. Pic of the front and rear engine mounts from above…
They also raise the engine 1/3”. This keeps the rear of the oil pan even with the bottom of the frame. NJ inspection checks to make sure nothing hangs below the frame rails. Pic from behind…
Before I lifted the engine up, attached and torqued the transaxle adapter plate. Used M10x45mm cap screws and mill spec washers. Applied anti-seize and torqued to 37ft-lbs. Referenced a torque chart for the LT4 engine where I got the value from.
Putting the Harbor Freight 2 ton engine lift to good use…
The LT4 is looking good in the chassis…
Pic of the passenger side. The compressor belt may be a little too close for comfort…
Here is a close up, have about 1/4” right on the top edge of the frame rail then the belt angles in to the alternator. No idea how much the engine moves when it torques…
Pic of the driver’s side. Should have enough room for the throttle body reversing elbow tube…
Next up is to finish up the cooling tubes and how they attach to the engine.
Recently got them back from the plater and they are ready to accept the LT4. As designed they move the engine back 1.5”. Pic of the front and rear engine mounts from above…
They also raise the engine 1/3”. This keeps the rear of the oil pan even with the bottom of the frame. NJ inspection checks to make sure nothing hangs below the frame rails. Pic from behind…
Before I lifted the engine up, attached and torqued the transaxle adapter plate. Used M10x45mm cap screws and mill spec washers. Applied anti-seize and torqued to 37ft-lbs. Referenced a torque chart for the LT4 engine where I got the value from.
Putting the Harbor Freight 2 ton engine lift to good use…
The LT4 is looking good in the chassis…
Pic of the passenger side. The compressor belt may be a little too close for comfort…
Here is a close up, have about 1/4” right on the top edge of the frame rail then the belt angles in to the alternator. No idea how much the engine moves when it torques…
Pic of the driver’s side. Should have enough room for the throttle body reversing elbow tube…
Next up is to finish up the cooling tubes and how they attach to the engine.
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Joel K
Supporter
Thanks Kyle, as of now not planning on it.
Joel K
Supporter
I thought I’d share this with the forum. On my initial assembly, inserting the washers in the lower front fork was really difficult and time consuming. I made some changes to the lower front fork rod ends in the last body fitment, but did not put the washers back since it is not a lot of fun and a real PIA.
Well I came up with an approach that makes it really easy and figured I’d share. I made a tool by simply trimming down a 5/8” bolt to the height of the washer stack and chassis thickness. This bolt goes through the hole in the footwell. You can apply some masking tape to keep it in place…
I used these very thin 5/8” washers to fine tune the stack so there is no play…
Pic of the tool in the foot box…
Just used the bolt to load the washer stack in the front And the tool for the rear. You can see the washers sit nice and vertical so you can easily insert the rod end of the lower control arm into place…
You simply push the bolt through both washer stacks and rod end. The tool gets pushed out by the bolt and your done. Takes about 10 minutes vs. hours I spent without this tool and trying to slide the washers on one by one…
Well I came up with an approach that makes it really easy and figured I’d share. I made a tool by simply trimming down a 5/8” bolt to the height of the washer stack and chassis thickness. This bolt goes through the hole in the footwell. You can apply some masking tape to keep it in place…
I used these very thin 5/8” washers to fine tune the stack so there is no play…
Pic of the tool in the foot box…
Just used the bolt to load the washer stack in the front And the tool for the rear. You can see the washers sit nice and vertical so you can easily insert the rod end of the lower control arm into place…
You simply push the bolt through both washer stacks and rod end. The tool gets pushed out by the bolt and your done. Takes about 10 minutes vs. hours I spent without this tool and trying to slide the washers on one by one…
Joel K
Supporter
This post covers laying out and mocking up the main components in the rear compartment. Real estate is at a premium in the SLC and I like to mock things up to better visualize how they will lay out. Always looking to place the components to be functionally organized, visually appealing, and serviceable.
Having a supercharged engine with a dry sump adds to the challenge of fitting all the components in the rear compartment.
Here is a short video on the process…
First up is to finish routing the cooling tubes. On the passenger side, positioned the tubes away from the accessory serpentine belt tensioner and pulleys. This way I can change the belt easily. No need to disassemble anything or move the engine. Pic of the passenger side cooling tubes…
Same thing for the driver’s side cooling tubes. Having them tuck under the 2”x6” frame rail keeps them clear of the supercharger belt tensioner and pulleys…
Planning to go with a round Moroso 1.5 quart expansion tank on the firewall. It should clear the compressor and the fuel filler neck which I plan to narrow down a bit. Will also place a recovery tank down low to hold another 2 quarts, this should be enough. Pic of the setup…
Moving on to the supercharger system, the heat exchangers hang off the sides and will incorporate a reservoir tank and pump. Decided to put a tall cylinder style tank on the driver’s side. Right now I have it sized at 6” diameter and 12” tall(1.2 gallons). Will mount it similar to how the dry sump is mounted on the opposite side. Placing it away from the exhaust and making it a decent size should hopefully help avoid heat soak.
The intercooler pump will draw coolant from the bottom of the reservoir and pump it through the twin heat exchangers and back to the engine intercooler manifold. Since the tank is mounted below the supercharger coolant manifold, I’ll need to add some type of remote fill port at the manifold like the stock Z06 does.
With regard to battery placement, following Dusty’s build and going to use a lithium battery. They weight about 25% of a standard lead acid battery and take up about half the footprint. Right now planning on mounting it against the frame on the driver’s side. Keeping it near the starter motor. Pic of the mocked up battery box and Intercooler reservoir…
Another key component is the throttle body relocation elbow. The initial fabrication was done on post #64 back in June, 2019. The elbow was designed to point at the left side of the spider and on a slight angle so the throttle body flange clears the firewall…
Originally I planned to run the intake tube along the 2”x6” frame rail and position the filter in front of the rear side vent. Turned out, due to the angle and position of the throttle body I just couldn’t fit the 4” intake tube in that area without either trimming the body, the intake tubing or a bit of both. Pic of the initial plan…
Came up with an alternate plan similar to Scott Swartz’s approach which snakes the intake tubes to clear the body without trimming either the body or intake tubes. Pic of the alternate approach using a template of SpectrePerformance 120 degree tight radius mandrel bend…
Shaped some Home Depo flexible dryer ducting to better visualize this and check if it indeed clears the rear clam. This routing leaves a nice straight section to install the MAF sensor...
I put the rear clam on the car and the intake design should work. The dryer tube diameter is a bit larger than the actual aluminum tubing so will order the real parts and figure it out.
So at this point I’m pretty comfortable I have a layout that will work and will start fabricating all the parts and brackets.
Having a supercharged engine with a dry sump adds to the challenge of fitting all the components in the rear compartment.
Here is a short video on the process…
First up is to finish routing the cooling tubes. On the passenger side, positioned the tubes away from the accessory serpentine belt tensioner and pulleys. This way I can change the belt easily. No need to disassemble anything or move the engine. Pic of the passenger side cooling tubes…
Same thing for the driver’s side cooling tubes. Having them tuck under the 2”x6” frame rail keeps them clear of the supercharger belt tensioner and pulleys…
Planning to go with a round Moroso 1.5 quart expansion tank on the firewall. It should clear the compressor and the fuel filler neck which I plan to narrow down a bit. Will also place a recovery tank down low to hold another 2 quarts, this should be enough. Pic of the setup…
Moving on to the supercharger system, the heat exchangers hang off the sides and will incorporate a reservoir tank and pump. Decided to put a tall cylinder style tank on the driver’s side. Right now I have it sized at 6” diameter and 12” tall(1.2 gallons). Will mount it similar to how the dry sump is mounted on the opposite side. Placing it away from the exhaust and making it a decent size should hopefully help avoid heat soak.
The intercooler pump will draw coolant from the bottom of the reservoir and pump it through the twin heat exchangers and back to the engine intercooler manifold. Since the tank is mounted below the supercharger coolant manifold, I’ll need to add some type of remote fill port at the manifold like the stock Z06 does.
With regard to battery placement, following Dusty’s build and going to use a lithium battery. They weight about 25% of a standard lead acid battery and take up about half the footprint. Right now planning on mounting it against the frame on the driver’s side. Keeping it near the starter motor. Pic of the mocked up battery box and Intercooler reservoir…
Another key component is the throttle body relocation elbow. The initial fabrication was done on post #64 back in June, 2019. The elbow was designed to point at the left side of the spider and on a slight angle so the throttle body flange clears the firewall…
Originally I planned to run the intake tube along the 2”x6” frame rail and position the filter in front of the rear side vent. Turned out, due to the angle and position of the throttle body I just couldn’t fit the 4” intake tube in that area without either trimming the body, the intake tubing or a bit of both. Pic of the initial plan…
Came up with an alternate plan similar to Scott Swartz’s approach which snakes the intake tubes to clear the body without trimming either the body or intake tubes. Pic of the alternate approach using a template of SpectrePerformance 120 degree tight radius mandrel bend…
Shaped some Home Depo flexible dryer ducting to better visualize this and check if it indeed clears the rear clam. This routing leaves a nice straight section to install the MAF sensor...
I put the rear clam on the car and the intake design should work. The dryer tube diameter is a bit larger than the actual aluminum tubing so will order the real parts and figure it out.
So at this point I’m pretty comfortable I have a layout that will work and will start fabricating all the parts and brackets.
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Roger Reid
Supporter
Joel. My throttle body is positioned close to the same place you have yours. I plan to run my intake tube out and down just past the first rectangular tube. Then use the space most people have their fuel filters and swirl tank as my air box with filter. Trap door on the bottom to change/clean the filter.
Joel K
Supporter
Roger, that is a very good plan.Your TB is at a much better angle than mine to do that. Unless I re-design the intake elbow I may have to stick with the approach in the last pic. I ordered some 4” intake mandrel bends to see how things will actually line up.
Joel & Roger - No idea if this is possible but after seeing Tavarish (on Youtube) add the air intake be the roof scoop to his McLaren build. It also reminded me of the Ultima RS that uses the roof scoop air to also push fresh air into the air intake. I imagine this would mean having a wider but flatter "hose" that would grab a portion of the scoop and bring in down along the firewall. Tavarish hid some of his inside the cabin but put interior over it and it looked OEM when finished. Just a Thought
Joel K
Supporter
Hey Brian, Happy New Year. I think there is a build out there where they did just that.For a modern engine I can see some complexity to accomplish that. A carb engine it would be real easy. I plan to use the duct just to bring a bit of fresh/cooler air into the rear compartment.
Joel K
Supporter
This post is more of a product review than a build update. I thought other builders may want to look at the Racetronix product line of aluminum tanks. Lot’s of choices and ways to configure these tanks. This post covers the config for the expansion, recovery, and intercooler tanks.
Here is a video on the tanks and how you can configure them…
The prior post covered mocking up the rear compartment and the initial layout where all the main components will go. I originally thought to go with the 1.5 quart Moroso round expansion tank mounted on the firewall and a rectangular recovery tank like the 2 quart Canton, Summit Racing, or a generic plastic tank. And for the intercooler tank I’d go with modifying a 4” or 6” round spun aluminum fuel tank made by Sandstorm. Except for the recovery tank, I’d have to weld in some additional bungs and sight glasses. So a bit of work, but not too bad.
I ordered and received the Moroso tank, it looked great placed up on the firewall. The main issue was the side bung interfered with the roll cage down pipe…
So started looking for alternatives and saw the tank Stephan is using from a company based in Canada called Racetronix. They have quite a large portfolio of products. Because their tanks are so versatile I ordered all three tanks from them.
Going to use a 1 Liter for the expansion tank and a 2 Liter for both the recovery and intercooler tanks. I ordered black anodized, but they also come in natural aluminum and red anodized.
They have a lot of nice features. The first being each tank has 9 bungs. 2 top and 2 bottom on each side and one on the bottom which makes these tanks versatile. They are ORB O-ring fittings and come with anodized plugs. Pic of the tank sides…
They also have a really nice sight glass integrated into each of the units with a replaceable seal…
The cap comes with a sintered brass insert which can be replaced with a plug to make it non vented…
Another nice feature is an adapter to add a radiator cap. The cap mechanism is indented so you can clock the overflow fitting at 16 different positions….
Here is the configuration for the expansion tank:
1)16 psi radiator cap
2)Radiator neck outlet 1/4” barb fitting facing right
3)Radium 6AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb fitting on top left for the radiator bleed line
4)Radium 8AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb fitting on top left for the engine steam line
5)10AN ORB to 10AN barb fitting on the bottom to connect to the 5/8” heater return hose
Pic of the configured expansion tank…
Here is the configuration for the recovery tank:
1)Using the supplied vented cap
2)Radium 6AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb banjo fitting on the bottom connects to the expansion tank radiator cap neck 1/4” barb fitting
3)8AN ORB to 4AN barb fitting on top left feeds 1/4” overflow tube
Pic of the configured recovery tank…
Last is the intercooler tank, here is the configuration:
1)13 psi radiator cap
2)Radiator neck outlet 1/4” barb fitting facing right
3)10AN fitting on top right feeds the tank with 5/8” heater hose.
4)Miezere 12AN to 5/8” hose barb fitting on the bottom feeds the intercooler pump.
5)Radium 8AN to 1/4 NPT fitting on lower left for a temp sensor
On the stock LT4, the intercooler tank setup is a closed system with no pressure cap. This is because the fluid doesn’t reach a high enough pressure to require one. But just to be safe and prevent damage to the intercooler radiators will use a 13 psi radiator cap.
Pic of the intercooler tank...
Expansion tank seems to fit in the area on the rear firewall well…
Now the fun part, fabricate some brackets and install the tanks on the chassis.
Here is a video on the tanks and how you can configure them…
The prior post covered mocking up the rear compartment and the initial layout where all the main components will go. I originally thought to go with the 1.5 quart Moroso round expansion tank mounted on the firewall and a rectangular recovery tank like the 2 quart Canton, Summit Racing, or a generic plastic tank. And for the intercooler tank I’d go with modifying a 4” or 6” round spun aluminum fuel tank made by Sandstorm. Except for the recovery tank, I’d have to weld in some additional bungs and sight glasses. So a bit of work, but not too bad.
I ordered and received the Moroso tank, it looked great placed up on the firewall. The main issue was the side bung interfered with the roll cage down pipe…
So started looking for alternatives and saw the tank Stephan is using from a company based in Canada called Racetronix. They have quite a large portfolio of products. Because their tanks are so versatile I ordered all three tanks from them.
Going to use a 1 Liter for the expansion tank and a 2 Liter for both the recovery and intercooler tanks. I ordered black anodized, but they also come in natural aluminum and red anodized.
They have a lot of nice features. The first being each tank has 9 bungs. 2 top and 2 bottom on each side and one on the bottom which makes these tanks versatile. They are ORB O-ring fittings and come with anodized plugs. Pic of the tank sides…
They also have a really nice sight glass integrated into each of the units with a replaceable seal…
The cap comes with a sintered brass insert which can be replaced with a plug to make it non vented…
Another nice feature is an adapter to add a radiator cap. The cap mechanism is indented so you can clock the overflow fitting at 16 different positions….
Here is the configuration for the expansion tank:
1)16 psi radiator cap
2)Radiator neck outlet 1/4” barb fitting facing right
3)Radium 6AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb fitting on top left for the radiator bleed line
4)Radium 8AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb fitting on top left for the engine steam line
5)10AN ORB to 10AN barb fitting on the bottom to connect to the 5/8” heater return hose
Pic of the configured expansion tank…
Here is the configuration for the recovery tank:
1)Using the supplied vented cap
2)Radium 6AN ORB to 8.5 mm barb banjo fitting on the bottom connects to the expansion tank radiator cap neck 1/4” barb fitting
3)8AN ORB to 4AN barb fitting on top left feeds 1/4” overflow tube
Pic of the configured recovery tank…
Last is the intercooler tank, here is the configuration:
1)13 psi radiator cap
2)Radiator neck outlet 1/4” barb fitting facing right
3)10AN fitting on top right feeds the tank with 5/8” heater hose.
4)Miezere 12AN to 5/8” hose barb fitting on the bottom feeds the intercooler pump.
5)Radium 8AN to 1/4 NPT fitting on lower left for a temp sensor
On the stock LT4, the intercooler tank setup is a closed system with no pressure cap. This is because the fluid doesn’t reach a high enough pressure to require one. But just to be safe and prevent damage to the intercooler radiators will use a 13 psi radiator cap.
Pic of the intercooler tank...
Expansion tank seems to fit in the area on the rear firewall well…
Now the fun part, fabricate some brackets and install the tanks on the chassis.
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Very nice write up Joel. They look like very good tanks, with lots of features.
Regards Brian
Regards Brian
Johan
Supporter
(Going to use a 1 Liter for the expansion tank and a 2 Liter for both the recovery and intercooler tanks. I ordered black anodized, but they also come in natural aluminum and red anodized.)
Joel, I would use the 2 liter for expansion and the 1 liter for recovery. I have a 2,7 liter expansion tank (with approx 1liter in it cold) and a less than 1 liter for recovery, works great.
Water expands little more than 8% from 10˚C to 120˚C. I can’t remember exactly but I think my system is 13-15 liter total so the expansion will be slightly more than 1 liter.
Only time I have any coolant in the recovery tank is after complete drain and refill.
