Great White: A Chevy K10 Build

Ouiwee

Observer
I have the headers out for finish welding/blasting. I would like to have some inconel shields built for them.

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I've ordered some flex bellows to allow the headers to move around a bit.

Here is what the shielding looks like.

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Ouiwee

Observer
I have been wiring some new stuff. Here is where the inverter ended up.





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I went to a local yard and did a dive looking for clutch safety switch pigtails and found what I needed. Now I have a safety switch working fine and the ECU circuit that monitors the clutch is now connected.

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It is strange, there are a number of standard transmission trucks in this yard.

I put a new circuit block behind the seat back in the cab side.

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I don't need an ash tray.

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Ouiwee

Observer
I managed to find a top radiator hos that snakes around things just about perfectly.

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I made a reducer fitting out of aluminum and connected the steam vent to where the heater connected before as follows (sorry about the picture quality).

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Ouiwee

Observer
I've managed some progress, mostly on wiring. I want to be careful with the PCV system on this thing since it has direct injection. There is no fuel in the intake port to keep the valves clean and the stock Gen 5 LT4 PCV system seems to send a good deal of oil into the intake tract. I have been on the Z06 boards in the attempt to formulate a strategy.

I've removed the valve that connects the lifter valley with the intake. The top part replaces the bottom so that I can evacuate the gasses from the lifter valley and see about removing the oil that I don't want coking the intake valves.

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I had to loosen and lift the supercharger a smidge to get the part swapped and clock the new part such that I could put a silicone tube on the barbed end--it is a tight fit.

I'm working on a catch can that will remove the oil and other contaminates from the gas evacuated from the crankcase. Forced induction means I need at least one valve to avoid pressurization of the system.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
The space above the engine seems like a good spot for a really elaborate and expensive air filter that would source from a snorkel. In the near term, I have a 4" aluminum tube with a filter on the end. I welded a -6 barb in the tube for the PCV system and fashioned a secondary mounting point on the radiator fan shroud.

Here is the initial intake tube.

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I turned a barb for holding the end of the tube and put some silicone hose on the end. The tube on the end of the intake pipe support allows the intake to move and should damp vibration.

Barb with hose installed. Too many details...

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The intake tube test fit. It was getting dark here, which seems to happen not long after lunch these days.

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I could build an air box at the end of the tube and use the front mounted intake source in the radiator support. However, that would not be complicated enough or involve enough bespoke parts for this build. Worst of all, it could be cost effective. In fact, it might work so well that there would not be so many obscure problems that present themselves while I am stranded 700 miles from home.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
I have the basics of a catch can for the PCV system machined.

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I need to devise an internal baffling system that still leaves some room for some ORB fittings on top (similar to the -6 drain on the bottom). The canister is 3" x 8" and should leave enough room for some internal coalescing media. I don't expect to catch too much gunk, but we shall see. I have some perforated aluminum sheet that might work to form a cage that holds some stainless steel wool.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
I didn’t know it was possible to make an engine compartment on an old square body feel so crowded.

You and me both. I was comparing notes on a C7 Z06 the other day and by comparison there is still loads of room. The OEM engineers must spend an inordinate amount of time with packaging all that stuff into a sports car.

And having room means that you tend to waste it...
 

Ouiwee

Observer
I should have the headers back tomorrow. I've decided to modify the exhaust to include some flex points right after the headers to allow for engine movement and decrease the stress on the headers themselves. If possible, I'd like to have the exhaust completed and installed this weekend.

I should have the front accessory drive kit on Monday. I'm keen to see just where the kit puts everything.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
I think I have a design for the catch can. Time will tell how well it works. It has a core in the center that allows the gases to flow through and into the stainless media. The thin aluminum is tricky to weld.

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I stopped by Lowe's and picked up some stainless scrubbing pads. It turns out that they fit right over the cage and are not too thick.

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And a shot with the barbs on the top.

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I guess I need to figure out where and how to mount it.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
Well, how about this...

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Good grief, how many hours of having a torch in one's hand must this take?

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The welding shop trued up the flanges so they are nice and flat. No boogers on the inside, so the welder certainly understands how to control temperature and back purge properly.

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Overall, fantastic work on the welding. I suspect I should have no issues with cracking or other nonsense down the road.
 

Ouiwee

Observer
I got the front accessory kit, well most of it. It seems ATI is running behind on the damper for the LT4. I'm told mid December until I see the lower pulley/damper.

The news is...everything fits. I'm not sure how it happened, but it appears that everything goes where I hoped it would. I thought that I ordered the 225 amp alternator, but it seems that I did not. I sent the 170 amp alternator back but not before I checked fit.

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I had to move the first fuel filter with the pressure gauge slightly inward, which required a new tube that for some reason I already had fabricated. The AC compressor cleared the sump tank, but it has an aluminum cap that goes on the front and the cap was rather close.

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The bracket I used to mount the tank had some adjustment left in it that allowed me to move the tank just out of the way.

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The idler down on the left has a straight shot up to the compressor, which looked like it might hit the frame. It is obvious in the picture below. A nice thing about the kit is the 8 rib supercharger belt only drives the supercharger.

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What the picture above doesn't show is that the supercharger pulley has to be changed to align with the ATI damper.


Here is the power steering pump, which is a PSC upgraded part complete with AN connections.

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Ouiwee

Observer
The high pressure line out of the pump is a -6 steel fitting. I bought a few stainless -6 tube nuts and sleeves a couple years back, so it was a minor thing to flare the line. Oddly, it fit perfectly.

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There is even room for the feed line.

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It's almost as if the tube was bent to fit this truck.

I have all the accessory brackets and stuff installed, so I decided to swap pulleys. It turns out that GM was very serious about this particular pulley not spinning.

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There is a puller available...for $400 bucks. I broke a cheap 3 jaw puller--it just stripped the threads. I bought a better one and it worked.

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The new one is the same size, so no tuning required. I had to remove the supercharger and the snout to press on the new pulley.

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I managed to get the headers installed and the flex points welded and so forth. I'll take some pictures of that stuff tomorrow.

I have to mount the PSC reservoir somewhere close to the pump. The speed sensor needs sorted out. I have the fluids but need a lower radiator hose. It is coming together, albeit slowly.
 

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