Refitting the '97 SSE...undergoing tests 10-18

[sandrock]

No....no webbing back there. I could be asking for trouble with that transmission, or I might not be. If it cracks a boss, I'll just locate an H-body case and rebuild.

[sandrock]

HP Tuners were of no help, so I took things into my own hands. On a hunch, I used my remaining credits on an '03 GP file, flashed the PCM...and it took. Turned the key....and "POW!!...blum blum blum blum" (exhaust still isn't hooked up). Still shut off after a few seconds, but only because it wants to see a fuel enable signal. '03 GPs, turns out, don't care about seeing the BCM...they just want to see the fuel enable coming out of it. A bypass module should take care of that, and all should be good from this point forward. (BTW...with the '05 Impala tune, I couldn't even get so much a fire-off going).

I'm happy to see progress!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Awesome! 1 step closer to working car!

[sandrock]

The past few days I've neglected my online schoolwork...gonna have to play catchup tonight

BUT....I've been doing some tweaking and double-checking to my swap work. Here's what I ran into.

First off, as I stated earlier the '05 Impy file simply will not run the car at all. It wants to see a BCM no matter what, so unless I wired in a BCM it wasn't going to work. On a whim I tried loading in an '03 GP file hoping the PCM wouldn't brick, and it didn't. Started right up the first bump of the key But not without issues.

Somehow, the wiring for the EGR got jacked. I double-check all the connections, and it all seemed ok (I.e. metering out), but something still wasn't letting it work as it should. So, I took the EGR wiring from the '07 harness, soldered in new connectors for the PCM, and just made a separate harness (only tieing into the 5V ref, everything else was its own wire), and it ran beautifully.

Trans issues too. Remember I spliced in the '07 4T65 harness. Though my pinouts were correct, the PCM pins were too short to make connection. So all those had to come out, and new longer pins soldered in from one of my junk PCM connectors. Now, it bench-shifts just fine...got all the gears

Should be making it's way out of the garage today. Gotta clean up the harness again, put in a new trans line adapter, and top off all the fluids. I'll let it run for about 30 minutes outside before taking it out to test for leaks and to get the motor nice and loosened up.

Video will happen today.

[myfirstbonnie]

Cool, still following this. Glad to see you getting the kinks worked out.

[00Beast]

Sounding good Brad!!! Hope it runs and drives as good as ever!!

[sandrock]

Thanks guys. It's been a long uneasy road to travel, but I think it was worth it.

Can't test drive the car until Karen gets home with a part. Turns out I lost the radiator cap somewhere in the void that is the garage But it started and drove under its own power out to the driveway. Just in that alone I could tell a big difference. The trans is much smoother, engagement much more refined.

Latest issue that I've now run across: My PRND321 lights don't illuminate anymore. Gotta figure out why (I have a hunch, and if it's what I'm thinking, I may have to go retro to '96 and below setup with the light and fiber optics). I still have some codes that are coming up that I either need to research as to why (traction control communications error...may be a different protocol. If that's the case, I guess I won't be running traction control), or delete them since I don't have the systems to support them (like the Class 2 communications error. It wants to see modules that the Bonne just don't have).

Engine and trans aside, here is what was replaced:

Struts
Sway bar bushings and endlinks
Front trans mount
Axles
Condenser
Orifice tube
Dryer
Blower Motor
Trans lines
Radiator (swapped to the S1 L67 core)
A few new nuts and bolts

Added to what has already been replaced, there isn't much left to do to this car. Interior will get a redo, and this coming spring I think she will get a new coat of paint. C2 seems very happy with her new stuff so far

[sandrock]

Finally got the video up....



Exhaust popping is something that will have to be taken cared of through tuning. Other than that, it's nearly perfect.

[Jrs3800]

Thats one heck of a step in the right direction..

[2000Silverbullet]

Looking and sounding pretty darn good.

[sandrock]

Oooops.

Well, I can't say I didn't deserve this. I cut a corner and I shouldn't have. Now, I have to do some engineering. Or re-engineering.

You know that rear trans mount issue? Well, this trans doesn't like to mounted in the rear. One of the bolts isn't seating too well, and continued use will cause failure on down the road. So what's a guy to do? I could replace the trans case with an H-body unit, but that will take more time and money than I care to admit to. I want to drive this car, not continually work on it

Next best option? Fab up a side-mount option. There's enough room to do so. Headplan is calling for welding in a mount point right on top of the forward-most control arm mount, another mount point fashioned from a modified L-bracket, mounted on the subframe, welded in between the A-arm mounts. Energy Suspension urethane endlinks to act as insulators on those mount points, connecting to a custom sidepan bracket.

For those that are thinking to themselves "I told ya so!!"....yup, you did. But those that know me, know that I love to come up with crazy ideas that just might work. When I make this mount, it might even be an option for those running high power levels to keep their torque-backs to a minimum. Who knows? I ain't licked yet, and with any luck I might have it ready by SEBF.

[2000Silverbullet]

Sounds like a rightous plan. You must be having fun and that's what gearheading is all about.

Wrench on Sandrock!

[sandrock]

Thanks for the encouragement....kind of need it right now.

Got most of the supplies needed for the welding already. Got some thick-a$$ angle iron, some normal angle iron that's meant for garage door installations, and a flat iron bar to make the base out of. I'll start the cardboard mockups when I get home, and try to remember to get the proper plug for my welder. I keep forgetting to get that

There isn't enough room to adapt a full W-body mounting setup unfortunately. But I do have enough room to adapt the W-body trans plate, even with all the brake lines running along the side. I have to try to find one of those first and get it mounted and see what room I have left at the bottom. If I have enough room to fit this, then I should be good. Either way, I'm incorporating that VW urethane mount into my design. It's low profile helps considerably.

EDIT: Scratch that VW mount. This one here is a bit beefier, and for the same cost after shipping is figured in.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-GM ... 06.c0.m245

[sandrock]

Fabbed up the subframe mount. Didn't take much to do, and it was cheap enough.





The weld job isn't the best....in fact, it was first time I ever attempted welding. Looks like dookie, but it will hold up. Wasn't going much for looks anyways...more for function and ease of service. The other side of the angle iron is where it will be welded to the subframe, with the mount chilling above the control arm. Still enough room for the arm to move about, and the location lends well to replacement in the future (in fact, if I like how it works, I can easily put in that urethane mount in a matter of 15 minutes or so).

Now, I just have to fab up the mounting plate for the trans. Fun fun fun.....

[LeSabreUltra]

I've seen far worse welds. That'll work just fine. Awesome work, I hope to see it puttering around strong by SEBF.
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[sandrock]

It should be putzing around by the end of the week. But, after some thought....after taking care of THIS problem, this inherently creates another...how in the hell am I going to get the original rear mount out of the car???

For those that know nothing about them, the only way to replace the rear mount is to take the steering gear and unbolt it from the subframe, due to the length of the attaching studs. The trans also has to be raised substantially to get to it...meaning the front trans mount must be undone, and probably the rear dogbone as well. I dunno...I just know getting that mount out completely will be a major PITA.

[LeSabreUltra]

This always helps.
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[95naSTA]

It should be putzing around by the end of the week. But, after some thought....after taking care of THIS problem, this inherently creates another...how in the hell am I going to get the original rear mount out of the car???

For those that know nothing about them, the only way to replace the rear mount is to take the steering gear and unbolt it from the subframe, due to the length of the attaching studs. The trans also has to be raised substantially to get to it...meaning the front trans mount must be undone, and probably the rear dogbone as well. I dunno...I just know getting that mount out completely will be a major PITA.

I didn't have to move the rack on my car when I replaced the rear trans mount. I'm assuming the 60 and 65's rear trans mount are the same?

I think I did unbolt the mounting plate from the mount and took the two pieces out separately.

[sandrock]

If they aint the same, they are close enough. And now that I think about it, I don't think it's the rack that's in the way, it's the lines for it that are. But, if that rear plate can be gotten to and removed, that's all I really need to do to render that mount useless and out of the way. Didn't think about that

As an added benefit to this...I will now have a very easy way to drain most of the trans fluid (remember I drilled one boss out, tapped it to accept a bolt, and it went through to the chamber. I sealed it up, but it can easily be unsealed).

[sandrock]

I thought I would update on this. I actually was able to get to drive it for about 15 miles

It occurred to me why the rear trans mount wasn't working after looking at the transmission for a few minutes...on the 4T60, all the mounting bosses were flush with each other. Not so on this transmission SO, knowing this little tidbit of info, and knowing a bolt won't work for this, I thought "Well, what about a stud instead of a bolt?" The idea was to epoxy a stud in, run a nut all the way down to bring the surface flush with the only other mounting boss I could use. So, I used the slow-cure JB Weld to mount the stud into the case, then blanketed that with JB Weld putty. Trust me when I say that stud is NEVER coming back out of that case. EVER. After letting that cure for a few days, I bolted the mount to it...and it tightened down really well, nice and even. Finally, some headway.

On to the side mount. Subframe portion welded on nice and easy. Version 1 of the trans case mount...didn't work as nice as I had hoped. It flexed, and was way too high, which made the trans sit too low. Time to work on V2. Version 2 was made much like the subframe mount...uber-robust, and guaranteed never to flex. And it sits much lower. This one...just right. At the moment, it's running the rubber mount, but I have the urethane mount ready to go in if I need/want it to.

Initial tests...VERY little drivetrain flex as it sits. I still have a few other housekeeping things to do, but on the whole...very pleasing results. Aside from having an alignment done, it drives very nice, shifts are smooth and firm, front suspension is very tight again. It's a totally different animal than it was before. Performance...well, I couldn't do very much. But at 35 mph, when you floor it, it WILL push you back in your seat.

Right now, I'm letting it sit overnight to check for leaks and whatnot, and I still need to crawl back under the car and double check all the fasteners. But, it drives nice, sounds nice, and behaves like a much newer car. It'll make SEBF