Meissen's LT1 Build-up Thread

[MP81]

Post some vids!

There's a ton posted....

[meissen]

I updated the very first post with links to the posts with videos.

[MP81]

Did you ever upload the POV startup (from the camera you were holding)?

[meissen]

No - I didn't have any sound.

[WMCCjames]

Sorry, I was a little behind...Awesome job Brian and Larry!...Heck of a team you guys make. I wish I would of had a father around when I was younger to do stuff like that with....Brian, your a lucky guy. Congrats!!!

[98blackbeauty]

Well the neighbors will be happier, we got y pipe connected and also got tail piece to cat back connected. Lot quieter when starting.

[meissen]

Trust me I know about being lucky to have my dad to do this stuff with. It's the best father son project I could've ever asked for and it'll be something I'll always remember and hope to be able to pass on to my son when he's my age.

Made some more progress today - and like Spencer's experiencing, 1 step forward, 1 step back.

The damned transmission cable that I got from NAPA is the wrong damn size - the detent lever is still too big. So either my detent lever is the wrong size or that's now two cables that were the wrong size.

My dad found two leads on Craigslist for transmission cables and he asked to get the detent lever with it just so we won't have to worry about it.

Unfortunately - he can't pick up the transmission cable from the one guy that he's talked to until Monday... I was really hoping we could get the transmission cable today/tomorrow, then my dad could get the front shocks fixed tomorrow, I'd install the transmission lever, bleed the brakes, put the front tires on, and TADA she's ready for driving!!!!!

Which then leads into today's progress. I love my neighbors!!! I started the car for about 3-4 minutes to let the headers warm up a little bit so we could slide the y-pipe on. I turned the car off as soon as it warmed up to operating temp and went downstairs to get my jumpsuit on. As soon as I got downstairs there was a knock on the garage door and I was like "Ah crap!" I come up and it's our neighbor Mario (for those that were over a weekend or so ago - the neighbor with the two identical SUVs from VW. ) came over and said he could hear it from inside his house but he wanted to hear it now that he was there in the garage so I fired it back up for him. Gotta love being in a car-centric neighborhood!

So we chatted with him until about 8 and then I crawled under the car and dropped the crossmember plate, undid the U-clamp on the catback which then allowed me to slide the "S" shaped pipe right off so the catback would line up with the Y-pipe, and then I installed the Y-pipe. The catback is definitely a different size and it's not clamped so I have one hell of an exhaust leak but atleast it's 90% a true exhaust now.

We fired her back up and she was much more quieter and also ran a lot better now that the o2's weren't sucking in all the atmospheric air from outside of the headers since the headers were open.

I don't know if I posted about it, but when I was bolting in the driver's side suspension I crossthreaded one of the bolts which then knocked the cylinder that the bolt threads into right out of the rubber shock topper piece... so as we turned the bolt, the bolt was turning freely and that cylinder was entirely stuck onto the bolt. So I got vice grips on it and was able to unthread the bolt. We're going to just use a nut now - the cylinders are oblong.

[bigjon88]

its coming along!! B cant wait

[JoeliusZ28]

i thought that exhaust looked smaller than 3"

[meissen]

Yeah, I never realized it but apparently the v6 Magnaflow exhaust isn't 3"? And here I've always thought that I had a 3" catback exhaust.

Then again - this is the first time I've done anything to the exhaust with my own hands and had a 3" y-pipe that I was sliding onto it.

[sman]

I believe the magnaflow catback for v6s is 2.5in. But good to hear your making progress. I made zero today, haha.

Can you post a picture of the tranny part your having a problem with B? I didnt have a single issue.

[98blackbeauty]

Well you will all be happy to know I did not get demoted from "chief of Pitcrew" So thought I would give you a pic of my sub pitcrew. He is working on the Y pipe and tail piece.

[meissen]

I believe the magnaflow catback for v6s is 2.5in. But good to hear your making progress. I made zero today, haha.

Can you post a picture of the tranny part your having a problem with B? I didnt have a single issue.

Yeah you're pretty lucky. I'm starting to think the detent lever has the wrong size knob on it - what's the odds that two cables are too small for the lever? I'll have to get a micrometer and measure it. My dad might be able to take a picture of the detent lever and the NAPA shift cable we bought. Maybe I can call Mike today or tomorrow and see if he has the right lever that will work for the cable I bought.

[9T8W66]

Hey Brian now that he car has started several times it might be a good idea to recheck/tighten headerbolts

[meissen]

Definitely - now that we have it semi going through the muffler (minus the open downstream o2 holes and the un-clamped y to intermediate) it's time to start doing some run downs - I want to let it idle for about 10-15 minutes, fix the transmission fluid leak, retighten header bolts, I would like to figure out how in the world I can listen for ticks from the valve train but I don't know how I'm going to be able to hear ticking over the exhaust