Replacement build thread. 1999 firebird.

[zeeman]

Well. I am about to go out and give the garage some attention. Its really bad out there. Lol. If you have been reading along you know about my plan to use single stage paint in a spray can to finish the bottom of my car. Well that plan is off the table. I decided to use that money to buy a small compressor and cheap gun at harbor freight. itll do for now. You see, I did the spray can thing 20 years ago, and it worked out great. My how things have changed. $60.00 A CAN!..... I figured I would need at least 8 cans $480.00 lol. that aint happinin! So next week I need to get a dryer/filter and some paint, reducer and hardener etc. and a mask. So I might end up with a body color engine compartment. I don't mind painting, I don't want to start doing body work though. I never know when to stop. Looks like Im going to have to move some more parts into the basement! Man I need a bigger garage.

[zeeman]

Timing set showed up yesterday. I need to figure out the fuel system. I have the basic routing figured out but I need a way to adapt the connections over.

[1BADAIR]

thats a VVT front cover isnt it?

[zeeman]

Looks like it is.... didn't realize it till you pointed it out. Crap. I don't know if I can use that now...damnit!

[1BADAIR]

what year is your engine?

[zeeman]

03. But I have another cover coming. $30.00, cheap enough.

[zeeman]

SCORES! Picked up a damaged ws6 hood! $150.00! A little work and some glasss Ill be in buidness.20160102_110133.jpg

[zeeman]

So I went to the Junk yard today. I picked up some air conditioning lines and a steering shaft from Astro van for the rag joint mod. I cut out piece of rear quarter to weld into my car to fix the rust hole behind my fuel door. Instead of working on the engine like I was supposed to, I played body man and welded the patch in. Have I mentioned how much I dislike body work? Well it's done. Needs to be filled. I wanted it done before I reinstall the fuel tank.

20160102_165928.jpg

[zeeman]

heres the patch welded in and primed.

20160103_231907.jpg

Todays project was to remove the 4.8 pistons from the 4.8 rods. But I don't have a shop press. I do have ingenuity though. so I made a mechanical screw press and removed all 8 pistons from their old rods.
Heres the newly released pistons. I stripped out 2 pieces of all thread and a carriage bolt. but I have it worked out now.
20160103_231922.jpg
I will get to do that again to the 5.3 pistons. Then I will have to come up with a way to install every thing together. I have a couple ideas. It will center around the way Mark Birch did his, But I need a way to center the rod. Ill figure something out.

[meissen]

Nice job on the patch job - I know I have rust bubbles forming around my gas filler too. And nice score on that Ws6 hood!

[zeeman]

Thanks B , yeah I was all over that hood, its aftermarket but for a buk fitty, Im good.

[1BADAIR]

The making of an L33?

[zeeman]

5.3 h/o

[zeeman]

new front cover showed up. I think I might polish it.



One issue to solve. Apparently I jumped the gun on the dash cluster. I used the cluster from my 98 Camaro in the 99 bird. But 98 is all by itself for some reason. Any one know what that reason is? Is this correctable or do I need a 99 T/A cluster?

[Atrus]

I am pretty sure you'd need a '99+ cluster, but I am not 100% positive it can't be modified.