Handling The Curves

I missed posting last week but things are moving.  After installing the engine and doing an initial fit of the upper control arm to the frame, it was clear we have a clearance issue with the water pump outlet.  Looking online, this is a typical problem for some swaps...funny that no one has solution for purchase.  So, it looks like I will be pulling out the current pipes, tapping them for a 3/8" and 1/2" plug and then relocate some pipe fittings else where on the water pump.  The thermostat neck is an easy fix since a straight version is available.  This is part of the reason I went with a cheap used engine first to prove out these solutions before dropping some serious money on a create engine.

 
This weekend, Brandon and I worked on the front suspension.  We are going with a semi coil-over shock to gain the ability to adjust the ride height.  This setup also allows us to adjust the damping level of the shocks.  I'll let Brandon take a few minutes to cover some of our adventures this weekend
 
Hi Brandon here, yesterday we got up bright and early to go to super car Saturday ( http://www.supercarshouston.com/event ) where I got to see  a variety of high end performance cars such as McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Ford GT, along with other common sports cars. Then on Sunday, we built up the front suspension which required us to drill holes into the lower control arm. While assembling the shock absorber and spring assembly, we used anti-seize on the threads of the spring adjuster to keep the metal from corroding.
 


Here is a view of the setup with the shocks installed.  You can also note the new stainless headers and the freshly sandblasted and painted steering box.  The headers are OBX meant for a C5 corvette.  I decided to try these out since they are close enough to the front of the car to accommodate side pipes and they already have the bung need for the O2 sensor needed for the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection).

 
 
Regarding the headers noted earlier, you can see I have a possible clearance issue with the steering box.  The old school approach to fitting headers meant accidentally dropping a hammer, repeatedly, to the offending section.  The other option is to go with solid motor mount to limit the movement of the engine relative to the frame and other items.  Please note the header on the other side comes really close to the frame and may need some adjustment too.


Another area we've been working is the gas tank and fuel lines.  Since we're going with a fuel injected engine, an electric fuel pump is needed and to keep the pump from starving, we went with a new tank with baffles to keep the pump from running dry.


 
In addition to the fuel pump, a fuel pressure regulator is needed to maintain constant pressure to the fuel injector.  Here is a filter / fuel pressure regulator in one unit (C5 Corvette, I think).  Now I just need to bridge the filter output to the line running up the frame of the car.
 

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