I'm still wrenching on my car getting it ready for its maiden voyage. In an effort to make the car more enjoyable to drive I decided to add power steering. I bought a type II pump from March systems. I purchased a 600 series steering box from Detroit Speed and engineering. The March pump uses a remote reservoir. I purchased a nice remote reservoir from PSC Motorsports. I had to build a bracket to mount the reservoir to the radiator support.

I also decided to add a hydroboost setup as with the new shaft rockers/taller vavle covers I only had about 1/8-1/4" clearance from the 8" dual diaphram booster to the drivers side valve cover. I also removed the electric water pump and twin Flex-a-lite electric fans. I installed a GM high performance aluminum water pump that I've had for years along with a factory style clutch fan and shroud. The electric stuff was just too much of a draw with all the EFI components even using a 110AMP alternator.

The hydroboost stuff should be here tomorrow. Once I get that installed I will be ready to test drive the car. Oh wait, I have to install new coil springs as all the extra weight (battery back up front, heater installed, power steering box, pump, Bowtie block, and all the EFI stuff) has the car sitting way too low with the 6 cylinder Moog springs that I've been using. It seems with everything I do lately I take two steps forward and one back. Hopefully I'll be finished soon :( Here are a few pictures so far.

Ken,I couldn't help but notice the black fabricated valve covers! Can you post a large pic of the motor and where you got the valve covers at?

That steering set-up is something I dream about. Im piecing together a similar set-up myself and like what you've done.:thumbsup:

Ken,I couldn't help but notice the black fabricated valve covers! Can you post a large pic of the motor and where you got the valve covers at?

That steering set-up is something I dream about. Im piecing together a similar set-up myself and like what you've done.:thumbsup:

Hey Chief,

Below is a picture that was taken several months ago before I got a lot of the wiring, plumbing and other parts installed. It's a little blurry but hopefully you can see it ok. The valve covers are billet aluminum and were purchased from Biondo Racing. I had them powder coated black as the engine compartment was getting too much "bling" for my tastes. There is still a fair amount of aluminum, but I think the black valve covers and breather create a nice balance. Here's a link to the valve covers:

http://www.biondoracing.com/ValveCovers.shtml

It seems with everything I do lately I take two steps forward and one back.

I know that dance well. :D

Looking good, Ken! :thumbsup:

is that steering box smaller than stock, or the same size

Thanks, John.

Forced Ind... I'm not sure how this steering box compares to a stock GM power steering box as I'm replacing a manual steering box. According to the specs this steering box is 6lbs lighter than a stock GM box. 6lbs is like throwing deck chairs off the Queen Mary in my case. I'll be anxious to scale the car. I'll bet I have more than 2,200lbs over the nose now :(

sweet, like that clean looking firewall.

nice set up, will the fan clutch set up handle all that horsepower? i have heard its not safe to run those type fans on high horsepower engines

Hi ken looks great, my car was down for 6 years thought it would never run again but as soon as you get it back on the road you forget all about it as you start working out the bugs and start smiling alot more:hurray:

Love the radiator hose clamp. A souvenir? My 70 still had all the factory clamps on it when I bought it in 87, still has them now.

that thing about clutch fans on performance engines is phony. They're better than the blade pitching aluminum flex fans.

looks good Ken...looks like you made the transition on the project to 2 steps forward and 1 back from 1 forward and 2 back :) you mounted that reservoir exactly the same way I have mine...you will really like the hydroboost set up...

keep us posted...

Thanks for the kind comments and encouragement. I hope this is over soon. I'm way past the burnout stage on this project.

Thanks for the kind comments and encouragement. I hope this is over soon. I'm way past the burnout stage on this project.

Ken, did you envision the depth, cost, time, and final outcome of this build from the get-go? Or did it just evolve as you went?

Ken, did you envision the depth, cost, time, and final outcome of this build from the get-go? Or did it just evolve as you went?

Honestly John, this project was more of an evolution than anything else. When I first started out I was just planning to get the car painted (no frame off). I intended to leave the roll bar in and continue racing. The 540 was planned as I wanted to get into the 9's or at the very least be able to run at the bottom of the no electronics index at Atlanta Dragway (10 flat). I had the car media blasted (as you may recall) and found a fair amount of stuff that I wasn't expecting. A paint job turned into a "better do it once and right" frame off. I had to cut the roll bar out to get the body off the frame. I kept getting farther and farther into the project and didn't want to cut any corners. At some pointed I decided it was no longer going to be a purpose bracket car rather a real street and some strip car. In hind sight I'm sure that many of the complications that have arisen could have been avoided if I would have had a plan and stuck with it. It is what it is, though. I just want to get it finished so I can enjoy driving it again. It will be a long time before I ever do something like this again (maybe never).

In hind sight I'm sure that many of the complications that have arisen could have been avoided if I would have had a plan and stuck with it. It is what it is, though. I just want to get it finished so I can enjoy driving it again. It will be a long time before I ever do something like this again (maybe never).

Ken, don't get me wrong, that wasn't a leading question or anything. I was just curious on how it all came about (especially the EFI and manual tranny). I'm due for paint myself. I've been putting it off for 2 years while I've been tweaking combo's and chasing et's. I plan on new paint after this spring, once I've had the opportunity to tweak this combo and run in good air. I just want to stick with a good paint job and fix some small stuff. Maybe turn the 427 up a notch while it's out. Something simple that should take no longer than 6 months. I myself just don't have the time or energy right now to undertake what you have done (which in my book is top shelf BTW). :thumbsup:

Looks pretty good to me. That things gonna be a beast on the street. Wow, power steering and power (hydro-boost) brakes...sheesh, what next power windows and locks?;):D

J/K

So, when's the maiden voyage? I'd be chomping at the bit to take it for a short drive if I was in your shoes.

Ken,

The car really looks great. I can relate to the being anxious in combination with burnout. Keep picking away at it, and you will be rowing gears and making noise before you know it.

A couple of observations...

If you are really worried about tossing a fan you can make some adjustments via pulleys. The factory GM setups all ran the fan about 1.2X the crankshaft speed. Many aftermarket aluminum crank pulleys are undersized and provide a 1X fan speed. This will provide a pretty big drop in fan RPM on the top end. But is will also reduce cooling somewhat on the low end too. The fan clutch may also reduce fan lockup at high RPM and further reduce speed of the fan on top.

The other note is that the external reservoir power steering pumps tend to be noisier than the old integral reservoir Saginaw pumps. They are especially sensitive to the input fluid supply. Your setup of having the reservoir clear across the core support from the pump will make this worse. You really want to have the portion of the system subject to suction to be minimized compared to the portion that is pressurized. It would be much better to run the fluid return lines a longer distance and have the reservoir mounted on the PS of the core support. Perhaps even better would be to have the reservoir mounted on the front of the cylinder head above the pump. Think short pump feed line. A larger feed line diameter can also help reduce pump noise.

As usual Ken, everything looks first class. I'm jealous! Even that Aeromotive Y-block in front is a nice touch too. Those things aren't cheap either! And unfortunately, I too know all about taking "one step forward, and two steps back"...but that's okay as long is it's the way that you want it in the end, right? Keep us posted. :thumbsup:

A couple of observations...

If you are really worried about tossing a fan you can make some adjustments via pulleys. The factory GM setups all ran the fan about 1.2X the crankshaft speed. Many aftermarket aluminum crank pulleys are undersized and provide a 1X fan speed. This will provide a pretty big drop in fan RPM on the top end. But is will also reduce cooling somewhat on the low end too. The fan clutch may also reduce fan lockup at high RPM and further reduce speed of the fan on top.

The other note is that the external reservoir power steering pumps tend to be noisier than the old integral reservoir Saginaw pumps. They are especially sensitive to the input fluid supply. Your setup of having the reservoir clear across the core support from the pump will make this worse. You really want to have the portion of the system subject to suction to be minimized compared to the portion that is pressurized. It would be much better to run the fluid return lines a longer distance and have the reservoir mounted on the PS of the core support. Perhaps even better would be to have the reservoir mounted on the front of the cylinder head above the pump. Think short pump feed line. A larger feed line diameter can also help reduce pump noise.

Steve,

I'm not concerned about tossing a fan. That was someone else's question.

As to the reservoir... The low side fitting on the reservoir is only 9" from the input on the pump. I was told from both March Systems and Hydratech that as long as this hose was less than 12"-16" that the system would work fine. There really wasn't a lot of options for mounting the reservoir. The hose is -10 AN. Do you think this will be a problem?

Looks pretty good to me. That things gonna be a beast on the street. Wow, power steering and power (hydro-boost) brakes...sheesh, what next power windows and locks?;):D

J/K

So, when's the maiden voyage? I'd be chomping at the bit to take it for a short drive if I was in your shoes.

I'm hoping to take it for a test drive this weekend if everything works out.

Ken,

The car really looks great. I can relate to the being anxious in combination with burnout. Keep picking away at it, and you will be rowing gears and making noise before you know it.

Thanks, Jason. I'm sure a little seat time will help put all the work/expense/frustration behind me.

Thanks Billy.

Ken, don't get me wrong, that wasn't a leading question or anything. I was just curious on how it all came about (especially the EFI and manual tranny). I'm due for paint myself. I've been putting it off for 2 years while I've been tweaking combo's and chasing et's. I plan on new paint after this spring, once I've had the opportunity to tweak this combo and run in good air. I just want to stick with a good paint job and fix some small stuff. Maybe turn the 427 up a notch while it's out. Something simple that should take no longer than 6 months. I myself just don't have the time or energy right now to undertake what you have done (which in my book is top shelf BTW). :thumbsup:

No worries, John. The EFI and 6 speed came into play once I made the decision to do a full frame off and put the car "back on the street." Good luck on the paint work. It's hard to find people that will do a good job in a timely fashion on these old cars. I went through three body shops in the process of getting mine painted. My dad is restoring a '55 stepside pickup and having similar problems with his painter. Your car looks real nice already. You might just want to keep racing it to avoid a situation like mine :) Everyone thought I was crazy to take my car apart and have it painted. Other people don't view a car like the owner does. Prior to getting my car painted is had a number of places where the paint was bubbling. It used to drive me insane every time I had to look at those spots when I was around the car. In hindsight maybe it wasn't that big of a deal afterall.

re the reservoir location....you should be ok with the length of the hose...I am using the same setup with the type II pump and it works with no noise, since I switched to the psc reservoir....

just make srue that you bleed the system really well per hydrotech's instructions and give your pump 200-300 miles to bleed the rest of the air out and ger rid of all the noise...

I want a ride in it!:D
What kind of radiator you have up there? A mech pump and a clutch fan going to keep a boosted 540 cool on the street?

Thanks for the tip, Yanniz.

Jim, no boost. Just a measely N/A 540 with fuel injection :D The radiator is a Griffin. I sure hope this setup keeps the engine cool as I plan on logging some serious street miles.

Jim, no boost. Just a measely N/A 540 with fuel injection :D The radiator is a Griffin. I sure hope this setup keeps the engine cool as I plan on logging some serious street miles.

?? I could have swore it had a hair dryer planned for this build??
Either way,..."measly 540". Ummmm.. I don't think so.:noway:

?? I could have swore it had a hair dryer planned for this build??
Either way,..."measly 540". Ummmm.. I don't think so.:noway:

Jim,

I was toying with the hair dryer idea at one point. Honestly, I'm not sure I could fit all the parts necessary for a turbo under the hood. As you can see from the pictures it's pretty crowded already. I'll see how I like the 540. If it gets boring I may consider a power adder later on.

Other people don't view a car like the owner does. Prior to getting my car painted is had a number of places where the paint was bubbling. It used to drive me insane every time I had to look at those spots when I was around the car.

Ken, that's exactly what I deal with. I have a couple small spots that just bug the crap outta me.

Ken, that's exactly what I deal with. I have a couple small spots that just bug the crap outta me.

John,

I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone in that regard. Just knowing that there was rust looming under the paint was enough to set this whole thing into motion for me. Anything that even remotely resembled rust was removed/repaired/replaced during my frame off (outer wheel wells, trunk, floors, both quarters reskinned, both doors reskinned). I didn't want to have to go through this again in my lifetime. The finished product is very nice, but I'll be the first to admit that it was extremely painful getting from A to B.

I'm not concerned about tossing a fan. That was someone else's question.
Yeah I know but it seemed topical information :)
As to the reservoir... The low side fitting on the reservoir is only 9" from the input on the pump. I was told from both March Systems and Hydratech that as long as this hose was less than 12"-16" that the system would work fine. There really wasn't a lot of options for mounting the reservoir. The hose is -10 AN. Do you think this will be a problem?
Perhaps I misinterpreted the picture. I thought I saw the PS pump hanging out on the PS of the engine and the tank on the DS of the core support. That must not be correct because that is a lot further away than 9".

It sounds like you have done your homework too. You have the bigger feed hose (many of the tanks have -8) and a pretty short length. So you should be fine. The better tanks will have an offset to the return rather than run it right into the center. This helps keep the air out of the fluid, which is cause numero uno of noise in the pump. JimL has commented that many of the imports put a fine screen into their reservoir not as a filter but to break up and eliminate bubbles. I have a GM OEM tank and note it has a horizontal baffle above the intake to prevent any vortex action from reaching the surface where it could suck air in. Obviously air is a very bad thing in the power steering system ;-)

That EFI and 540 CI should make for a very nice ride. I was looking at an EFI 502 crate from Arizona Speed and Marine that had 700+ ft/lbs torque from just over 3000 RPM to over 5000 RPM. Made me drool :cool:

Yeah I know but it seemed topical information :)

Perhaps I misinterpreted the picture. I thought I saw the PS pump hanging out on the PS of the engine and the tank on the DS of the core support. That must not be correct because that is a lot further away than 9".

It sounds like you have done your homework too. You have the bigger feed hose (many of the tanks have -8) and a pretty short length. So you should be fine. The better tanks will have an offset to the return rather than run it right into the center. This helps keep the air out of the fluid, which is cause numero uno of noise in the pump. JimL has commented that many of the imports put a fine screen into their reservoir not as a filter but to break up and eliminate bubbles. I have a GM OEM tank and note it has a horizontal baffle above the intake to prevent any vortex action from reaching the surface where it could suck air in. Obviously air is a very bad thing in the power steering system ;-)

That EFI and 540 CI should make for a very nice ride. I was looking at an EFI 502 crate from Arizona Speed and Marine that had 700+ ft/lbs torque from just over 3000 RPM to over 5000 RPM. Made me drool :cool:

Ah, I see where you're coming from Steve. The other pump you see is an engine "vacuum pump." The PSC reservoir seems like a pretty good design. It's supposed to help eliminate aeration. Here's a link if you haven't seen it before:

http://www.pscmotorsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_48&products_id=153&osCsid=a0bfe44074834710543ca80b06ae52d1

Looks like you're doing first-rate work as usual Kenny, thanks for sharing. Hope I get to see it at the track next year.

What, no air!? ;)

Looks stunning Ken, in a refined way. Please get that thing on the road, we are all crazy with anticipation!

Thanks Mike and Gene.

Mike, the car will definitely see some track time. I'm aiming to make a few passes at the Cobra SVT shootout in Jackson, SC in November. If the car won't hook at that track it won't hook anywhere. That will be a good event to test changes on the clutch base pressure, too. I'm also making a few changes to the front suspension to compensate for the additional weight over the nose ;)

Gene, I may put air on the car later depending on how it does on long trip, etc... I wouldn't mind driving it to Chevellebration next year :)

Looks good Kenny.

I too have various spots on my Camaro that irritate me but I'm not ready to do a complete resto on it. For what I'm doing with the car a few bad places are fine to live with.

Looks good Kenny.

I too have various spots on my Camaro that irritate me but I'm not ready to do a complete resto on it. For what I'm doing with the car a few bad places are fine to live with.

Thanks, Garret. My car had a few bad spots on it when I first bought it 8+ years ago. I continued to watch them spread like cancer over the last 8 years. After having taken the car completely apart I don't regret the work/time/expense of doing the frame off. There were some areas that might have posed structural concerns at some point (rust on the gas tank support straps, rear body mount to trunk braces, etc...). It's like a new car now. Hopefully I can keep it that way for years to come.

Absolutely! You'll likely have your Chevelle the rest of your life so it might as well be to your liking.

Ken, that is one helluva car. You do us all proud!:yes::bow:

Nice project. Should be interesting to say the least. Any idea what the weight of the car will be when it is done? Are you going to 4-corner scale it and try to bias/shift anything around?

...I kept getting farther and farther into the project and didn't want to cut any corners...It will be a long time before I ever do something like this again (maybe never).Ken - This is the bane of all folks that tend to be anal. But, generally speaking, and obviously in your case (and Todd's and John's and several others on this board), it all pays off in the end. As for never doing it again... I doubt that. A zebra can't change its stripes.:)

Thanks, Dan.

Jim, I'm guessing the raceweight will be around 3,900 lbs (up from 3,745 last outing). I've added some JL audio stereo equipment (including a sub), 3.5" exhaust dumps/with X-pipe, bowtie block (I'm told this alone is 70lbs), power steering, hydroboost, put front sway bar back on, heater box back in, sound deadener on floors, in doors/quarters, and on roof, EFI stuff, etc... I will definitely be four corner scaling the car and tweaking to get the bias as optimal as possible.

Roger, lol. You're probably right.

A stereo and potentially air. dammit, I'm one helluva lot more jealous then I was when your ET's were well below any I'd achieve. :)