Great White: A Chevy K10 Build

[Ouiwee]

The trailer plug is recessed into the bottom.




The small holes along the bottom are drains. The plate is 3/16 chromoly.


I worked on this thing 20 days straight for 10-12 hours per day. I reckon there is still 2-3 weeks of work to do before it will be up and running. I have a new front drive kit ordered and most of the ancillary parts I will need should be on the way or at least easy to get.

I have to build a catch/vent can for the dry sump oil system. I will need to fabricate a reservoir tank for the supercharger coolant as well. I have a very large Setrab cooler in front of the radiator for cooling the intake air charge (air to water intercooler).

The dry sump oil pan isn't like most dry sump pans. It holds 3-4 quarts of oil and has a filter housing. It nearly cleared the cross member, if not for the drain plug that is directly in the way (I have the ORD high clearance one). So, I have begun building a new cross member that will also integrate skid plates down to the transmission. The plates will likely be 0.25 inch 7075 aluminum. I'm using quarter inch walled 1.5" tube to build it and should be able to get that done this weekend.

 

[Kingsize24]

This thing is looking great! You are doing a spectacular job on the build.

 

[Ouiwee]

This thing is looking great! You are doing a spectacular job on the build.

Thanks. Maybe this thread will help someone in the future looking to do something similar.

 

[Ouiwee]

I fabricated an aluminum supercharger intercooler tank.



It is big, which should help to avoid heat soak. The fill port is -10 and connects directly to the supercharger out port.



The pump feed is -12 and has a bung welded into the bottom of the tank.



I used some high quality 3/4" hose to connect to the pump infeed. I had to re-clock the pump to push through the radiator support to supply the cooler.

 

[Ouiwee]

The hose out of the pump shoots through the radiator support and snakes around to the -10 hose end and Setrab cooler. I used the hose that comes with the Z-06 oil cooler tube.






The cooler is huge. It would have been half as much to go with the Corvette intercooler core, but it would be difficult to fit and I would not have the option of adding another core on the other side.

Here is the -10 hose that fills the tank.



I'm attempting to get all the OEM quick disconnects to make this installation clean.

I managed to make some progress on the air intake.

 

[Ouiwee]

I intend to build a box here and connect to the air intake that pokes through the radiator support. Maybe someday I'll sort out a snorkel set up.




Here is a shot of the engine compartment. There is plenty of room above the engine...maybe the LT5 would sit nice in there one day...




I have made good progress on an integrated subframe and skid plate. I'll see about finishing that one tomorrow and attempt to post the results.

I'll be waiting for a while on the accessory kit. I'm going with the Wegner Motorsports kit since it keeps the dedicated supercharger belt and includes a power steering pump:

LT4 Dry Sump Accessory Kit

The oil reservoir will live on the passenger side since the feed port is on that side. I like to keep tank as close as possible on a dry sump system in general, but I do not think it so important in this case since the pan holds about 3 quarts of oil.

 

[bknudtsen]

Outstanding!

 

[Kingsize24]

Unreal!!!

 

[Ouiwee]

Some shots from below.







The oil ports for the external reservoir are on the passenger side, so I built a guard as close as I could to match the slope of the dana 60. I don't think they will meet but there isn't much room.

 

[Ouiwee]

The cross member attaches to the motor mounts in the usual spots.



I have to fabricate a forward extension to cover the front of the pan.



I'd like to have a piece of 1.5" tube bent in a loop and then just plate the bottom. The axle is right below here, but I don't want rocks, stumps, trolls, and so forth getting caught in between and taking out the oil pan.

In the top left one can see the fuel pump. It will also require a skid plate. However, I'm still not convinced that a spur gear mechanical pump cannot be configured off the ATI damper to spin slow enought.

 

[Ouiwee]

I have to weld on a piece on the rear of the cradle for the transmission skid plate that will tie into the transmission cross member. And figure out something for the front.

I did manage to get the bottom motor mount points installed. A bottom tube was near the pan so i clearanced the tube with the help of a trusty BFH and flap wheel.





It never fails to surprise me how much time goes into something like this. Anyway, it is a bespoke fit to the dry sump pan complete with skid plates for the oil cooler and lines. Servicing the engine should not be difficult from either oil drain plugs or filter change.

If there is any contact with the axle, I'll consider moving the bump stop on that side to eliminate the problem.

 

[Ouiwee]

I got the GM quick disconnects for the heater circuit and supercharger cooler.

The heater connections turned out to be quite simple. I'll have to think about the heat shields on the headers, due to the proximity to the heater lines as well as the wiring harness toward the rear.





The supercharger cooler circuit is complete but it is not clear where the accessories will be located.

I got the crossmember/subframe/skid plates back from paint--bedliner sprayed on. It is installed and everything is bolted up tight. I'll sort out how the rear of the shield mates up with the transmission skid plate and rear crossmember once the exhaust route has been determined.

The header parts are ordered. I ordered Ultimate Headers and what a nice product...a damned shame it would not fit. The pipes, collectors, flanges cost nearly as much as finished and coated headers.

 

[Ouiwee]

I have gotten some work done, at least. I had to redirect the exhaust pipe up and over the transfer case.



I'm not about to quit my job to be a welder...



The clearance is just right. I began by locating the merge collector and then the exhaust flange. Yep, there is a wood dowel there and a ratchet strap to get the pipe where it needs to be.

This is really not the sort of thing one should take a day to do. The first pipe took an entire day to set up and get tacked. This sort of thing makes more sense if you intend to make 500.

I noticed that the exhaust flange just about rested on the spark plugs, so I had to modify the flanges to leave room for the spark plug boot, which is nice since it has an integral heat shield. A 3/4 ball end mill did the trick.




Here is the difference.



I chamfered the relief just to be sure.

 

[Ouiwee]

Well, I started with an attempt to miss the motor mount and reach up to the exhaust flange within a hair.



I got the geometry sorted with some aluminum dowels to the various mounting holes in the flange. Blah, blah, then the starter and starter heat shield had to be considered.



I do not entirely understand how heat moves things about, so I take it slow (and bend things when I must). Nonetheless, I have a start on the easy side.

 

[bknudtsen]

So much Wow... I wish you were my neighbor.