VR Senator with LSx454

Bit more done this week end. Nothing photo worthy.

Couple of jobs have been sitting in the back ground. I didn't put the trans dipstick in before dropping motor as I wasn't sure what room I would have back there with the induction etc, and the old one was pretty crappy. Went and saw the boys at Norwood autos and they kindly gave me a basically new tube and stick, I think its maybe off a later model as it was longer. So after trial fitting it in and out a few times, I cut it down using the tube cutter, and use the old shorter dipstick. I then flared it to give it a neat bell mouth. Just had to tweak the bolt hole on the mounting bracket and it was perfect. Took quite a while but glad that one is done.

Then another one that has been bugging me is I had to block off the central dipstick hole in the block that isn't used. I really should have done it when the engine was out but to be truthful forgot. You buy a $2 small pressed metal blanking plug from Holden, but I really didn't like it, to me its an accident waiting to happen. Its just a small piece of metal and if it were to work loose and fall it would pretty much go straight into the sump, that wouldn't be pretty. So the hole is a shade under 10mm (9.90), so I cut down an M10 stainless socket head cap screw I had above the thread to make a nice pin, then turned a very slight taper on it in the lathe, used some 569 loctite sealer and then gently knocked it home, came up sweet. Much happier with it, so another one that's been concerning me knocked off.

Frank dropped off the redone boot/spoiler today, its on, most of the lights etc are in, next week he will get the bumper to me so the car will be whole again. Also chatting to him he has an auto elect. starting with him using a corner of his new workshop who according to Frank does nice work. Going to speak to him about finishing the ECU & wiring, I would be much happier knowing its in Franks workshop under his eyes.

Just need to get onto Di Fillipo early in the week and get the bits for the exhaust happening so I can stuck into that.

 

Well a week end spent doing a lot of mucking around but not a huge amount to "show" for it I guess, really just wanted to get my head around what's in front of me. Unpacked it all, sorted through it all, for some reason the cats weren't included with the stuff, but will sort that tomorrow.

Set it out on the floor, first time building a full exhaust of course but also first time I have seen a twin 3" system laid out in the flesh, man they are big! Makes a 2 1/2 look like a Pee shooter Should look and sound pretty sweet once its done.



So spent yesterday cutting up small rings of tube and playing trying to tig weld them together. First impressions, harder than it looks but I seemed to get better pretty quickly. Actually having no trouble welding, just getting way too much penetration. Hopefully during the week will get the chance to see my mate and get a few pointers. Tacking looks pretty bloody simple, so worse case I will build it all tacked then get him to finish it off, wait and see. This is me playing around.



Did get the front passenger side cut off, so I can make up the two 2" to 3" collectors. A tip if anyone is tempted to buy one of these expander tools, forget it. They might be alright for fixing an out of round pipe but no way are they good enough to expand even the 2" mild steel let alone 3" stainless. Have cut the tubes and reckon I will just go to a muffler place and get them to expand the two ends for me.



This is what not to buy.


Also had a look at the rear twin 3". It is reasonably tight, but I think if I just massage the vertical steel edge of the spare well it will give it enough clearance. Might see about finding some stick on heat stuff just for the side of the tank.

 

Hi naaf, thanks for that. It really seems the "best" way to do a merge/kiss/X /H pipe is one of those very controversial/personal things that everyone has "their way" I chatted at length to Darren Di Phillipo, and in no way whatsoever am I doubting you or your knowledge but in his opinion an H pipe effects flow and performance and according to him he has tested it on a dyno. In the end I have decided to go as planned above but again its a very line ball decision, which you may well be right on. Time will tell, and will of course post up once the thing is running on what it sounds and goes like

 

Bloody excellent explanation right there, I really like to try and understand the why not just "do it". For now I think the primaries really are too small anyway for maximum power at high rpm. So maybe I will go with the kiss, but once I have got bored and start chasing hp, the engine is coming out, and a nice set of custom 2" primary headers are going in amongst a few other things, but that will be a long way off. Sounds like that will be the time to experiment with the H pipe. Much appreciated.

 

OK is this one of those saying us old farts don't get and the kids laugh when I ask what that means?

 

Thanks for that, thought it might have been some young secret squirrel thing!!

 

Yea good, have all the gear now, picked up some 10mm stainless rod for the muffler hangers, the cats have arrived, also some heat proof sheet I am going to fit between the rear muffler and tank. Got the two 2" pipes for the new collector end expanded at a local exhaust place, so that ready to go. Took my new tig down to a mates yesterday after work and he gave me a bit of a lesson and set it up for me. Actually once I sort of understood it I was pretty happy how my welding was going. I had the current way too high, its nothing really like mig (anyone who can tig reading this will be laughing now), its so much like oxy but more "delicate" and precise. So going to hopefully get into it on the week end, not sure how slow/fast it will come together. Plan is to cut and tack it all first.