High Feature V6 Swap

[The Dark Side of Will]

There are two reasons to use studs: Ease of assembly, or the friction of torquing a bolt wears the threads in the parent material.

Wear in the threads is always a concern when threading steel into aluminum.

Your turbos bolt directly to the cylinder head outlet, right?
Has anyone had problems with developing exhaust leaks at elevated power levels using stock gaskets and studs? Are they MLS?

Doesn't sound an interface that typically needs improvement.

[draven]

I have custom headers that remot mount a bw efr over the tyranny..

No leaks found or heard of in forums..

Gasket is mls

[ericjon262]

I have stainless bolts, if I go to a LZ9, I'll probably use studs instead, but I don't think it's a massively important factor in durability.

[draven]

Head studs vs Head bolts...

Both heads have been pulled, cleaned, and reassembled with the 82# springs and ready to go back on the LF3 block.

The TTY head bolts on the LFX/LF3/LF4 family are all the same part no. and of decent size:
M11x2.0x158 10.9 grade

Head Gaskets are OEM 4 layer MLS

The "consensus" on LF3/LF4 head studs is that they are not needed until one pushes above 650rwhp. With my goals of "only" 500-600rwhp with a single BW EFR8374 at hopefully "only" 18-20lbs boost is there any reasonable justification that I may not be aware of to go with ARP head studs over the OEMs before I start buttoning up the top end?

[zok15]

There are also ARP or equivalent head bolts that seem to perform to the same level as head studs at a much cheaper cost.

This was a good watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlfVt1wqr40

Awesome build btw

[ericjon262]

Head studs vs Head bolts...

Both heads have been pulled, cleaned, and reassembled with the 82# springs and ready to go back on the LF3 block.

The TTY head bolts on the LFX/LF3/LF4 family are all the same part no. and of decent size:
M11x2.0x158 10.9 grade

Head Gaskets are OEM 4 layer MLS

The "consensus" on LF3/LF4 head studs is that they are not needed until one pushes above 650rwhp. With my goals of "only" 500-600rwhp with a single BW EFR8374 at hopefully "only" 18-20lbs boost is there any reasonable justification that I may not be aware of to go with ARP head studs over the OEMs before I start buttoning up the top end?

personally, I'm kinda stoopid, so I would probably install studs to know it's future proof.

[draven]

Does anyone have any experience installing GDI teflon seals on direct injectors?

I fiddled for about 3 hours yesterday evening attempting to install even one of the two seals back onto my first GDI injector. I have the EN245 GM seal install kit but for the life of me I can't get the seals to shrink and compress back down into the grooves. Even tried a few youtube "ideas" such as putting fuel injection hose over the tip and tightening down a worm clamp with no success.....

[draven]

Still plugging away over here, took some time to dig in and restart learning how to tig with SS instead of Aluminium... A gas lens and pyrex cup really helped me out. SS is far more forgiving but I still suck and end up spending waaaay too much time building heat into the pool and oxidizing the stainless but hey, that's way angle grinders and flapper wheels are for right?

Also bought a powder coater from horrible freight and did several parts of the engine while the top of it was apart cleaning heads, rebuilding the direct injectors, new timing chain, new fuel cam, etc...

Anyway..

new exhaust valves, cleaned intake valves, and seals getting ready to go back in..



The OEM Valve spring installer needs assistance with the aftermarket valve retainers the GM OEM's have a hat to keep the tool from binding against the valve stem



Rebuilt injector on left, consumables in center, and stripped injector on right



Injector tester running



Injectors being pulsed by tester in hydrosonic bath full of seafoam



Tri-chord like tabs require direct injectors to be rotated 1/4 turn before removal and after intallation



Kent Moore seal installer kit (top) and ebay ones (bottom)



Powder coating results





Borg Warner boost wastegate mount cut and set back with Turbosmart Vacuum actuated wastegate to replace OEM but work with OEM system. The linkages are TurboSmart's with an added 304 rod threaded and bent. Turbosmart combines both M6x1 and 1/4x28tpi with their linkages, odd... Not too happy with all the links. It does have a SS ball socket that helps keep things aligned with wastegate arm on turbine.



LH/RH threaded hex coupler to provide adjustable support to set angle properly for turbo


End link bolted to F40 lift ring and attached to "first" SS tig'd bracket I made (excuse the crude welds) for turbo support.


No room for flex pipe in exhaust so decided to hard connect exhaust to transmission and have it easily removable as one unit. Waay over engineered, I know....



Currently reworking some of the wiring harness due to 180deg flipped intercooler manifold, LF3 vs LF4 oil pan sensors, and possibly working ECU/Fuse-Relay box into OEM location instead of trunk. (Fish eye on phone camera makes engine and borla tilted but I assure you they're not. LOL)



The plate on top of the intercooler has some form of phenolic material underneath as the vacuum reservoirs and solenoids for bypass valve and wastegates sit atop of which I will relocate as there's no room for them under the deck lid. Not sure what to do with the plate... coat it black or red to keep people guessing or stick a cadillac "V" sport badge up there...

[Shaun41178(2)]

Exhaust is looking good. Welds look good from here

[Emc209i]

Draven, meant to log in the other day and compliment your swap, but something took my attention and I forgot. So I'm back to say, great looking swap, really classy paint scheme and high quality Borla setup.

I'll watch for a video soon of her spooling up.

[draven]

Maybe against my better judgement with regards to getting this thing up and running... (nothing ventured nothing gained but I've had enough of that with this build, lol)

With the exhaust all but 'reconfigured' again due to alternator interference and needing some 'flex' in the system I'm moving on to fueling. Definately have been getting my SS 304 tig practice in. I still suck and have become great friends with SolarFlux to keep the argon costs down.

I'm installing a slightly modified OEM 2020 Camaro SS/ZL1 fuel module into the fiero tank via a FuelSafe.com access panel and nut ring. The SS/ZL1 pump plays nicely with the ATS-V FPCM at it's maximum 15a at the standard GM PWM freq plus all the fuel pickup bonuses plus only 137$ with tax and shipping from RockAuto. Building an in-tank bracket out of aluminum (will anodize) to secure the fuel module rods/springs vertical in the tank.

I hope the FuelSafe access panel seals as good as they tout... lol

[Series8217]

Nice, I am staying tuned to see how this goes. I got a new tank from Rodney to prepare for a returnless setup for my next swap.

[Shaun41178(2)]

I'm installing a slightly modified OEM 2020 Camaro SS/ZL1 fuel module into the fiero tank via a FuelSafe.com access panel and nut ring. The SS/ZL1 pump plays nicely with the ATS-V FPCM at it's maximum 15a at the standard GM PWM freq plus all the fuel pickup bonuses plus only 137$ with tax and shipping from RockAuto. Building an in-tank bracket out of aluminum (will anodize) to secure the fuel module rods/springs vertical in the tank.

I hope the FuelSafe access panel seals as good as they tout... lol

Curious as to how the access panel will fit? Is it oval? Youre mounting lengthwise on the tank? Obviously the stock tank is very narrow so larger diameter ring systems that are common on mustang and body tanks would be very tight and might not fit or seal correctly.

I looked at the fuel safe part I think you mentioned and it appears oval shaped, so that might fit?

I always looked at options to get a second pump in the stock tank and the access hole is just too small to get a second pump side by side. Curious to see pics of how you do this.

I am currently running a drop in walbro 535 with boost a pump and wire upgrade with id 1050x injectors and I am at about 82% duty cycle at 600bhp on e85. On race gas would do 900bhp I bet

[draven]

The fuel safe 4x6 oval is too small to fit a fuel module and the 6x10 is too big for any side panel on the fiero tank. Their largest circle panel looks to fit. I'll be coming in from the side behind the pump. The nut ring is a 16 bolt ring with a ~5.25" ID and the GM fuel modules are ~4.9".

I'll have to miter cut the ring to get it inside the tank. Although this voids the "seal" warranty I spoke to FuelSafe at length about this over the phone and they said that drivers/builders do this quite often with success.

I have an Gen 1 Fiero tank I may practice on first..

[Shaun41178(2)]

Have a part number of what you're using?

[draven]

Have a part number of what you're using?

https://fuelsafe.com/1pla75/

From my layman's perspective I can justify the cost of the sealed nut ring but the plate and gasket are a little excessive.

[Shaun41178(2)]

Have a part number of what you're using?

https://fuelsafe.com/1pla75/

From my layman's perspective I can justify the cost of the sealed nut ring but the plate and gasket are a little excessive.

Hmm. I need to start writing stuff down. I did measurements on the tank along time ago and now I can't remember.

I too thought of cutting the tank opening larger but had trouble finding something that wouldn't be at the edge of the top of the tank when bolted down and cause a leak. I could have thought I measured around 5.5 inches was max I felt safe of a circumference of the opening. But I could be remembering wrong.

My plan was to use rivnuts, a gasket and prob a homemade plate. I ditched the idea for the time being.

Can you measure the depth of the tank if it's still out? This talk has got me searching in tank pumps again and Magnafuel makes an in tank 750 lph for a 10 inch deep tank. But they also sell an adjustable pickup tube as well if it's deeper than 10.

https://www.magnafuel.com/in-tank-series.html

[draven]

Just for clarification, I'm not opening up the OEM access ring, I'm cutting a hole in the side of the tank and adding the access panel just large enough to fit the standard GM fuel module body inside the tank, 5 1/4". Probably cutting back the fiero OEM fuel hanger/tubes and merely using it as a fuel feed port from the OEM GM module and vapor vent. Securing the fuel module rods to the inside roof of the tank via 1.5" x 2.5" 6061 square tubing with some barrel drilled 6061 round stock tig'd on as guides with set screws for the module rods and then rivnuts on the top of the square tubing to bolt to the top and through the tank. Maybe a better way out there so comments welcome.... pics to come soon...

The only GM Fuel Module I found to possibly fit through the OEM hole by widening just a bit somehow would have been the narrow C7 corvette module but they are just too tall overall.

The 88 tank is ~10 3/8" from opening to the bottom of the tank +/- 1/8" for the baffle on the tank floor.