Pete B's Build Thread

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
:dozey:...waiting on parts....

The GM crate LS3 came with a Camaro oil pan (won't fit), so I bought a Corvette one off e-bay. Seller took over a week to ship :furious:.

OK, wining over...
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
Got the engine and transaxle installed this weekend:




Bill's method of just shortening the water pump inlet and using a 90 elbow worked just fine:


When Fran posted on the Graziano thread that the shift cables were too long, I didn't understand what he meant. Now I do:




Also still waiting on the cable end for the ball mount...:sad:
 
Pete,

That aluminum pipe you have coming out of the water pump, does that come with the car or did you acquire it separately? Also, do you plan on flaring it?
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
The pipe is a tailpipe reducer from the auto parts store. I don't plan on flaring - I didn't flare the adapters I used on my Cobra build and never had a hose come off. After a couple heat cycles you can't get the hoses off without cutting them anyway.
 
The pipe is a tailpipe reducer from the auto parts store. I don't plan on flaring - I didn't flare the adapters I used on my Cobra build and never had a hose come off. After a couple heat cycles you can't get the hoses off without cutting them anyway.


Ah, I see the reducer part now. Can I ask what part number that 90 elbow is? I have a feeling I'll need one.

I ask about the flaring because of the clamps not always sealing well. Are you using worm gear clamps or Gates? (love gates)
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
I bought the elbow on E-bay. Just search for 90 degree 1-1/4 silcone elbow and you'll have lots of options.
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
Bled the clutch today. I'm pleasantly surprised at how light the pedal force is. Looking through the window in the top of the transaxle, I can see the throwout bearing is going the full range of travel and I can't turn the tires the same direction in gear, but push in the clutch and I can turn the tires.

Here's the clutch line to the transaxle:


Connection to the hardline. I added a brake light switch in the line to act as a neutral safety switch. I'm going to run the starter solenoid wire through the switch so the starter won't engage without pressure on the clutch.

 
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Ken Roberts

Supporter
Pete I don't think the brake light switch will last long if you are going to directly wire the starter solenoid through it. It's only designed for the current of the brake lights. A relay would be your best bet.
 

PeteB

GT40s Supporter
Pete I don't think the brake light switch will last long if you are going to directly wire the starter solenoid through it. It's only designed for the current of the brake lights. A relay would be your best bet.

The starter solenoid draws 8-10 amps when cranking. The switch is rated at 20 amps.
 
Pete,
I have the Honda S2000 start push button. Not that, that information is relevant. What is, is that on my schematic(which I didn't wire into my car) there is a clutch safety switch in line and its principal of working is the completion of a circuit to ground from the relay that supplys the power to the starter. Ratings of any switch are listed as their max carrying capacity. This is usually there about, 20% over what should be flowing. Maybe off on that number, but you don't want a spike over that rating, or it will/could fry the switch, leaving you stranded next time you try to start the car. If what you are stating is the true amperage then you will probably be O K. I just wouldn't want to take a chance. A safety switch is just that. Not one that should carry the load. I have several safety switches on my car. One of the biggest is for my fuel pumps when the oil pressure falls below 15 psi. When it does it cuts the power to the pumps which is their relay ground wire not their supply power. The relay will do that. When starting the car I have a bypass switch that allows the pumps to run during starting.

Bill
 
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PeteB

GT40s Supporter
As a Systems Engineer, I have some experience in reliability engineering. Adding a 20 amp relay (which is just an electrically activated switch) into a circuit to protect a 20 amp switch is actually going to decrease the reliability of the overall system. If I was really concerned about it, which I'm not, I would add a bypass switch so in the event the pressure switch failed, I could bypass it. Or I could just use a jumper wire.

Another way of doing this would be to mount the pressure switch near the pedal box and have it interrupt the ground from the start switch to the ISIS mastercell. However, this would prevent the ignition from turning on without pressing the clutch and I didn't want to do that.
 
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PeteB

GT40s Supporter
Almost done with the cooling system.

Made some brackets and mounted the expansion tank:






Tee to connect the lines from the water pump to the expansion tank, water pump and heater valve.




 
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