[Hat Trick]

after thinking about it, you might need different mounts. By shimming 5/8 under the Mounts you are changing the engine bed just a little. New angle mounts might put the mounts higher with the same measurements between them at the big bolt.
Tom

 

[sdcerreta]

hi tom, thanks. i do have new mounts and these do appear to have a good angle. i just need to get the alignment right. i think the new plan will work out better. just need time now and that will be in a week.

 

[R/T]

Got my baby back and it is faster than ever..
.Just need a new interior and AC. Then I will be done. hahahahaaaa.

Bet your not..........................................
😁

 

[sdcerreta]

no bet. i know i will lose. someone suggested that i get a new steering column with modern touch ignition switch to compliment my PCS shifter and it is on the list already. haha.

 

[sdcerreta]

Im having trouble tryig to decide which upgrade to do next. Many of my upgrades are small budget ones, but these few are bigger budget upgrates. I'm not sure if there is really a logical order.

What do you guys thinks I should prioritize on this list.

1. TMI interior package - Seats, door panels, center console, headliner and Dynamat.
2. Ididit Steering column with push button ignition.
3. Classic Auto Air A/C system with new March Perforance pulley and bracket set.
4. Baer Rear Disc brakes with master cylinder, proportioning valve and line lock.

 

[R/T]

Since you are in sunny AZ, here is my thinking on the order of those items (for what it's worth).
1 A/C - It's hot in AZ
2 Brakes - Safety issue
3 Steering column - This way your interior won't get damaged by the workman or yourself
4 Interior - now the interior can remain pristine.

 

[sdcerreta]

Ok, so for today I have an order. This is likely to change. I do like the AC coming early so this can easily get bumped to #1. Winter is coming and i dont even have heat right now, so this system gives me year around AC and heat.

1. Digital Dawg push button ignition with remote start and door locks. Will start out by placing button in lighter location hole. Later move it to the center console. Dynamat in doors.
2. Headliner and sun visors. Dynamat in roof.
3. Ididit Steering column with ignition delete.
4. Classic Auto Air A/C system with new March Performance pulley and bracket set.
5. TMI interior package - Seats, door panels, center console, seat belts and Dynamat everywhere else.
6. Baer Rear Disc brakes with master cylinder, proportioning valve and line lock. I already have front disc brakes, so the car stops amazing. This is really to complete the 4 wheel Baer disc brake system.

 

[A. McGovern]

Ok, so for today I have an order. This is likely to change. I do like the AC coming early so this can easily get bumped to #1. Winter is coming and i dont even have heat right now, so this system gives me year around AC and heat.

1. Digital Dawg push button ignition with remote start and door locks. Will start out by placing button in lighter location hole. Later move it to the center console. Dynamat in doors.
2. Headliner and sun visors. Dynamat in roof.
3. Ididit Steering column with ignition delete.
4. Classic Auto Air A/C system with new March Performance pulley and bracket set.
5. TMI interior package - Seats, door panels, center console, seat belts and Dynamat everywhere else.
6. Baer Rear Disc brakes with master cylinder, proportioning valve and line lock. I already have front disc brakes, so the car stops amazing. This is really to complete the 4 wheel Baer disc brake system.

Cars coming along nicely! I agree with the advent of AC. I would love to have AC in my car too. Gets hot here in the SoCal desert as well. I haven't driven my car in months. Need to chase a few issues but haven't had the time.

 

[R/T]

Ok, so for today I have an order. This is likely to change. I do like the AC coming early so this can easily get bumped to #1. Winter is coming and i dont even have heat right now, so this system gives me year around AC and heat

Keep sending updates of your progress. Pictures of your progress would be nice..

 

[sdcerreta]

Hi Tony, good to hear from you.

Yeah, I too have been chasing problems. I was thinking of changing the thread name from Lots of Mordern Modz to Chasing Problems.

R/T more photos coming. Trying to get the engine lifted to gain clearance over the steering arms which has resulted in indents on the oil pan.

 

[sdcerreta]

Update on the last couple problems.

1. The valve cover gaskets do not leak anymore. The Moroso blue gaskets are like gold. I love these gaskets and have them on the tranny pan too. I stll have a little oil leak somewhere, but not sure where. Still chasing that,but I need to clean up hte blow back before I can further detect.

2. Sanderson Headers are working great. I had to retorque these after 200 miles and most bolts were loose. They also built the pipes knowing that I would lift the motor upwards about 1/2". When I started that lift there is plenty of clearance around the firewall. I am really digging these headers.

3. The current problem is the motor mounts. I bought two Moroso shim kits and used most of the thick plates for a 5/8" lift. This appears to give me the clearance I was looking for over the steering linkage. But, I am having trouble getting the motor aligned properly. I need to do more research on how to do this properly. The shop could not get my car in, so I decided to try it myself. Another stupid idea, but now I am all in. I did manage to get the passenger side mount aligned and two bolts are in. I think this was the wrong path to take. I think I should have lifted the motor and attached the shims and mount to the motor then try to lower into the single carrier bolt. I need to research this. Does anyone know the preferred way to install motor mounts without removing the motor??? The tranny is connected, but the mount is loose.




Oil Pan Damage-11 Here is a look at the shim stack. I painted them all back, then used super glue just to line up the holes to make install easier. There are four plates. The two thicker plates are on the outside and the two thinner plates are inside the sandwich.

Oil Pan Damage-12 Here you can see the layers and total stack height of 5/8" Now I am ready to move forward with lifting the car, then I used a jack under the oil pan with a 2x4 to push the motor up. Bolts removed of course.

Oil Pan Damage-13 Oh, crap. I was not expecting this. So the new Summit Racing Polyurethane mounts have a plate with a dimple. This allow the plate to lock into the proper position on the mount, but I cannot stack the shims on top without a modification. So, the easiest solution seemed like using an angle grinder to create a negative dimple in the shim stack.

Oil Pan Damage-16 This added an hour to the project, but came out fine. I painted them black and now ready for the install.

Oil Pan Damage-17 Here you can see a wood block under the oil pan. The motor is lifted and you can see the damage to the oil pan. The steering linkage has zirc greese fittings on the lateral sides of the tie rods. These were apparently punching the oil pan and caused these indentions. I removed the fitting from the passenger side and replaced it with a cap. The driver side fitting was alreadyh broken off. I tried to remove the remains, but could not extract it. So, it will stay as is. I can't think of what else to do.

Oil Pan Damage-18 A closer look at the driver side damage.

Oil Pan Damage-19 A closer look at the passenger side damage.

So, the next step is to try this again. I also learned that I can loosen the single bolt that connects the motor mount to the frame mount. This may giv eme more lateral movement so I can grab the motor which is backwards 1/2". I also think that if I just mount the motor mount to the bock then lower the motor I may have an easier time prying the motor from the back firewall forwards into the frame mount. I will give this a try next weekend. I am determined to get this one done. Not like I have much choice. haha.

 

[R/T]

Wow. Everything sure is tight in there.

 

[Hat Trick]

How about one of these?
Tom

 

[sdcerreta]

Changing the pan is another option, but that requires pulling the motor out. That comes at a bigger cost for sure and not work that i can do.

i already went that road to fix an oil leak and the shop ended up breaking the motor and/or tranny which is why I have a new power plant. I'm a bit traumatized by that event so no pan swap if i can avoid it.

 

[sdcerreta]

I think I am going to proceed forward with the AC system. I want to reach March performance to confirm a few things first, then i will pull the trigger.

I hope to get the motor back into the mounts on Friday night. Then I can do a quick polish and attend a car show on Saturday. Weather has been nice this past week.

 

[sdcerreta]

So, three days, about 15 hours and 3 different tactics were used to get the motor mount shims in place and get the motor lined back up into the mounts. This was really hard and I regret not taking it to the shop. My appointment was canceled so I thought i woudl give it a try.

What I learned is that you need to loosen the tranny mount but dont taek teh bolts all the way out. I used a jack with wood under the oil pan and tanny pan to lift th emotor about 1-2" in order to move things around. I did dent eh oil pan a little but, but not too bad.

In the end, it worls best to remove the single bolt from the frame mount and then add the shim stack and mount directly to the motor. Then I was able to lower the motor into the lower mount. The passenger side fit nicely, but I had to use a 6" C clamp on the driver side to move the motor into position so the nbolt holes lines up.

I was super excited to get this done. I was fist pumping in the garage with my success. I felt a little embarrased, but damn this job was hard. It felt good to get the motor lined up and about 12 hours of trial and error.

Here are the final photos of getting the bolt back into position.

 

[sdcerreta]

I pulled the trigger on the Classic Auto Air AC system. I spent hours researching pulley kits and I really like the March Performance kits. They have the best price and looks. I really like the location of the AC compressor being on the passenger side and below the alternator. Most other kits have high mounts and the AC is typically up high on the driver side. The problem I have with this is clearance for the PRoFlo4 XT and the Cold Air Intake tubing. I think most other kits and some of the March kits are likely to interfere.

The Sport Track kit seems like a good blend. I have seen some horrible reviews of March, but I had a good call with the tech center and hope my experience goes better than some of the others.


In addition to this kit I am also adding the nose covers for all five pieces.

 

[sdcerreta]

I have been super busy at work. Finally had a couple days off over the weekend. I made some extra cash so time to invest in those projects on the list.

I bought the Digital Gaurd Dawg electronic keyless ignition with remote start and two door actuators. This has a modern push button starter. I am going to install this now even though the interior is not done and I do not have the center console. I will either mount the push button in the lighter socket hole or in the center console. i think it would look cool that the "Lighter" is the ignition button.

I am also going with the Ididit steering column with tilt. I am going all out on this. It will have the ignition delete, so no switch and no column shifter. I am also getting the install kit with the newer style 3/4 x 30 spline rag joint to match with the Lee PS gearbox. I am adding the headlight dimmer on the tilt lever. The foot switch is in a weird position behind the kick panel with speakers, so this will make it very easy to put on the brights. I am also adding a Dakota Digital cruise control switch on the blinker lever.


This setup should be like a modern car and also adds a basic alarm system, which I never had before. The coulmn will be black of course, so blending in with the rest of the car and steering wheel.

 

[sdcerreta]

Well, all that extra cash is gone, because I quite my job. Good thing I have a few major projects to catch up on with the El Camino. And a dive trip to Turks and Caicos. Should keep me busy for a couple months until I find a new job, but no hurry. Getting burned out in health care as so many are.

I did rip the car apart last weekend to install teh door actuators and dynamat the doors. They are totally dead now. I had some problems with the Gaurd Dawg wiring so I hoep to get back at it this weekend and see if I can get this figured out. I'll try to post some photos when I can.

 

[sdcerreta]

Ok, so here are some photos of the iKey Premier keyless ignition system with alarm and door actuators.



i-key Premier Install-2 High quality product with OEM style key fobs. The bottom section can be used to hold the door key. This system replaces the need for a keyed ignition. I have an ididit column on order with ignition delete. So, until then I will use the original column.

i-key Premier Install-7 The first step is to install the door actuators to activate the door locks. This requires adding electrical wires to the doors. I wanted this to look right, so I found some door boots from the local junk yard. Toyota has the best standard boots with round holes and fairly small in size. Others are too big or have shapes that are hard to drill.

i-key Premier Install-4 I found two tools that made drilling the door a breeze. Since I could not drill the door without removing it, I bout a 90 deg angle extension from Harbor freight for $20. I also used there metal hole bit. I used 7/8" for the door and 1 1/8" for the kickpanel.

i-key Premier Install-5 The drill fit in nearly perfectly. There was a small angle, when sneaking the tool into the door slot. But it worked.

i-key Premier Install-6 Thin wall in the door. Drilled right through. You can see the angle of the bit when penetrating the metal. The hole through the kickpanel is a straight shot. No issues there.

i-key Premier Install-8 Small end goes into the door and large end fits into the kickpanel.

i-key Premier Install-11 Here is the view inside the door panel with the boot in place. Nice and flush with plenty of room in this area for the wires. Straight shot for drilling too. No angle bit required here.

i-key Premier Install-10 Boot installed. Looks OEM to me.

i-key Premier Install-13 These are the Digital Dawg actuators. I added wire extensions and twisted the wires. Then I add stretch loom.

i-key Premier Install-14 Wires run through the door and then into the kickpanel area.