Project Phoenix - VR Grange tribute/replica

[someguy360]

Ever tried to replace a dizzy on one of these 5L's? Now that's a pain in the arse... The man who thought it would be a good idea to put the dizzy at the rear should've been executed!

Did that a few weeks ago, an offset distributor wrench to suit a chev/holden off ebay really helps with the retainer bolt.

Bought one from Summit a few years back and always comes in handy.

 

[someguy360]

I have a feeling I will be in the garage for a while tomorrow arvo.....

Replaced the rocker cover gaskets as I have done a thousand times before, paper gasket (all that was in stock in my local stores) and some permatex black sealer.

Fitted them on the weekend, car seemed to run fine, started it up today with the bonnet open and can hear a slight grinding/rubbing noise around 1500RPM and up on the passenger side rocker cover (I had driven it over the weekend and couldn't hear it with the bonnet closed).....nothing looked out of place so figured the rocker cover might have been slightly out of alignment when it went back on, pulled it off, put it back on again with a fresh gasket (luckily I had spares)....same thing.....fk...fk...fk

Now I have to try and find the source of this noise and fix whatever it is before I head off on a roadtrip halfway across the country in just under 2 weeks.


sigh

 

[ephect]

Paper gasket I can only assume is a lot thinner than the usual cork?!? Could it be the rocker arms tapping the cover due to the lower gasket?

 

[someguy360]

Paper gasket I can only assume is a lot thinner than the usual cork?!? Could it be the rocker arms tapping the cover due to the lower gasket?

There is always that possibility, however the ones on there before were also paper ones.

If I can't find a quick solution tomorrow I will pull the cover again and run it without it and see if it solves the issue (means ordering another gasket in though)

 

[iChris]

I take it that your driving the statesman on said road trip? there is no other way to travel long distances by road than in a statesman. your one has the pitted velour trim (like my VR) so no sticky legs for you either.

I do hope you find out what the noise is.

 

[someguy360]

Seems to not have been the covers at all.

Well I have determined it's the oil pump

Used my stethoscope to hunt around and it wasn't coming from the top end at all......stuck it on the oil filter and all the noise was there.

I was still getting oil pressure at least so hopefully the bearings are ok (oil looked clean when I pulled the filter)

 

[Wozza]

Hmmm have you tried running without the belt/belts ? noise is a bit fast sounding, more like a vibration....dunno might be the gear mesh on the pump????

 

[someguy360]

Hmmm have you tried running without the belt/belts ? noise is a bit fast sounding, more like a vibration....dunno might be the gear mesh on the pump????

Yeah, definitely seems to be pump related......stethoscope only picks the noise up when sitting on the oil filter.

Oh well, perfect time for a JP Performance pump I guess.

 

[someguy360]

Well she ended up making the trip.

900km straight through to Melbourne yesterday, temp didn't go over 1/4 the whole way and not an ounce of oil, coolant or ATF lost. (this genuinely surprised me)

Very proud of the old girl.

Also very impressed with the new tune....last year when I made the same trip I was averaging 11L/100km on the standard tune....this time I was I was seeing an average fuel consumption in the single digits (which I have never seen before) managed to avg 9.4L/100km the whole way (even with some spirited overtaking).......if this isn't a selling point for everyone to get their cars tuned I don't know what is.....not bad for what is essentially a 40 year old engine design with some EFI whacked on it.

Now to relax then do it all over again on the return trip Sunday/Monday

 

[someguy360]

Updates:

Made it back from Vic without a hitch, can ran flawlessly the whole way (almost 2000km all up)

Took a new job a couple of weeks back, has a lot more hours involved but on the upside more money to sink on the car.


After the 2000km of bottoming out, horrible suspension bounce and a lot of looks from Vic highway patrol I decided last weekend to go to super lows for a little more practicality and a little less tyre tucking (wasn't a fan of the tucking look)

Also ditched the not so legit 100 cell cat for a 200 cell magnaflow.....I must admit I should have gone 200 cell from the start,it could just be the placebo effect but it seems the drone is reduced, the note is deeper and a little more like a V8 should sound.


Now I just need to try and find the time to actually drive the car, its been 2 weeks since I got back from vic and the car hasn't left the garage. (the fact the whether has been miserable makes me lose motivation in driving)