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(PROJECT COMPLETED) My major electrical problem 06.01.2002 - Well, a new Camaro and a new load of projects. I've having an electrical drain and so far I tracked it down to the external voltage regulator which most likely killed the alternator and the battery. 06.08.2002 - I just finished doing a internal voltage regulator conversion I found here but now my car won't turn off with the key in the off position. I have to unplug the brown resistor wire that goes to the gen light in order to turn off the car. 06.09.2002 - Found out with the MSD 6 ignition, that I need to install a 100 volt 1 amp diode with the band facing towards the alternator inline with the brown resistor wire, otherwise the small amount of voltage keeps the MSD 6 ignition alive. I'll be working on this today. 06.15.2002 - This was easily fixed with the diode. MSD has an article on their website on how to do it. It seems to delay prior to shutting off, but it does shut off now! |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) Major Oil Leak 06.10.2002 - I have a major oil leak from the rear corner on the right side... the oil flys back and hits the flywheel which sends it to the headers and it smokes like old people at a bingo game. I'll have to get this fix soon! 06.15.2002 - The lowest bid was $800 to fix my oil leak problem... hmmm... I don't trust any of them, so I'll do it myself. 06.20.2002 - First attempt... jacked up the motor and used bits of 2x4 to hold up the motor so I could drop the oil pan and clear the cross member. I used a one piece Fel-Pro gasket and a new Moroso oil pan... it still leaks... same place! 10.12.2002 - Loooooong story shorten version-> 6 attempts, different techniques, no more patients... but I DID IT!! I ended up using a 4 piece gasket from Fel-Pro and used 3M Weather Adhesive on the gasket to the pan... then black silicon for the gasket to the engine and volia it now holds! I think my previous problems were caused by the gasket shifting too much during installation. This was a major pain to solve but I stuck with it and now I have a LOT of experience with oil pans, so yeah it was worth it! BTW, I added a new high volume oil pump while I was doing all this. She already had a high volume pump, but I didn't know how long it's been in there or what band it was... now it's a Moroso HV oil pump. |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) Valve Adjustment 02.01.2003 - While going to school, my valves started clacking. It got worst so, I called a tow truck as I was afraid of damaging the cam. 04.30.2003 - Well after a lot of debate and reading, Dennis (my brother) and I finally decided to give it a go. We got stuck with hand cranking the engine. I didn't have a center bolt in my harmonic balancer. I bought on and installed it so now thats fine. Then we tried to get the spark plugs out with two problems. One of them we had to use a wrench on the end of the socket as the rachet wouldn't fit. The last one, we had to manufacture a socket small enough to fit as none of my normal ones would. I took one of my old cheapy 5/8 sockets and grinded it down to fit and then grinded the sides so a wrench could turn it. Volia... it fits. The previous owner told me he never changed that plug since he couldn't get it out ;). We called it a day and will start tomorrow in the morning. 05.01.2003 - Well I called Comp Cam and since my heads are cast iron and so is my block, I can subtract .002" from the hot lash setting to get my cold lash setting. My hot lash is .022", so my cold would be .020". After we did the cold lash, we were excited and then disappointed. She still made the clicking noise. Remembering back though the mass amount of reading I did for this project, I remembered someone on the camaros.net forums who had the same issue and they determined it was an exhuast leak that made the clicking noise like a valve. What the heck, so we searched. Sure enough, two of the header bolts fell out and I had an exhuast leak. We installed two new bolts and it worked!!! No more clicking. Well, at least I won't have to adjust the valves for another 6 months or so. Since my brother helped out a lot (since I have only one hand right now, stupid cast), I let Dennis take her out for a spin. Boy, did she spin ;). Thanks for the help Dennis, I owe you one! |
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Automatic Floor Mount 06.09.2002 - I removed the console, since it was beat up quite a bit. Now I need a automatic floor mount / shifter boot to cover up the shifter hole. 11.01.2002 - I couldn't find anything that I liked so for now I simply used a manual boot to cover it up. There isn't an indicator so I have to remember what position I'm in, but that's not a problem. I might end up creating some type of electronic indication but we'll have to wait and see. |
| Lots of gas... lots of speed... lots of power... not much of a fuel saver... but it's not meant to be ;) |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) My major electrical problem 02.05.2001 - The fuse for the dome light / cigarette lighter keeps blowing. If I unhook the orange wire to the fuel gauge, the fuse for the dome light won't blow (strange, eh?). 04.08.2001 - I bought a new dome light bezel / lens. Replaced the old one and made sure that the wires weren't "screwed" through. I also disconnected the dome light harness from in the trunk and hooked a 9 volt battery up to it. It lit up fine but the fuse still blew when the harness was disconnected. 04.10.2001 - I need to replace the cigarette lighter assembly, I order one and should received it soon. It's currently not hooked up. 05.04.2001 - *** SOLVED *** The orange wire doesn't go to the fuel gauge. Nothing does, it get it's connect through the printed circuit and the orange wire actually goes to the cigarette lighter. Removed it and hooked it up the old cigarette lighter and everything works! |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) Overheating problem 04.09.2001 - I found my wire to the temp. sender and hooked it up. When I start my car, the Oil / Fuel senders light up momentarily but the temp. doesn't. I'm not sure if it is supposed. I need to check into this. 05.07.2001 - Well, my temp light seems to work. I over heated my car by going only 30 miles at average speed (30-65). I think I will replace my thermostat with a 160lbs thermostat. I'm checking into this to see if it's a good idea or not. 05.13.2001 - Well I was discouraged to use the 160lbs thermostat, instead I tried the #400-180 (AutoZone) thermostat, but it didn't solve the issue. I'm glad I started there since it had a 160 in it and it was completely froze shut. I was sure that it was my problem, but after 30 minutes she began to overheat again. Well, the next logical step would be a radiator. The question is though, would a 4 row be better than a 3 row? Is there such a thing as getting to big of a radiator (Like over carbing)? Currently it has a small (Can't tell what it is) radiator with an electric fan and an electric thermostat to kick it on. I like the idea of an electric fan but maybe I'll replace it and get a bigger electric fan also. 05.28.2001 - Still overheats, I haven't driven her much. It's been very hot lately and I don't want to press my luck. I bought a new air filter a few days ago, it's a K&N and I love it. It's permanent and was well worth it. I feel a little more throttle response from her now. I also picked up some AC Delco Rapid Fires plugs. I would of had them in today but no one told me they used a 13/16" deep socket instead of the 9/16" like the Bosch Platinum's I currently have in her. Oh well, I'll pickup a 13/16" deep socket soon enough. 11.07.2002 - *** SOLVED *** Hasn't overheating in a long time now... I don't know what I did to fix it other than changing the plugs and giving her a good tune up. Eitherway no more heating problems! |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) Oil Leak 05.13.2001 - Okay, I'm tired of cleaning up oil and smelling it all the time. My driver side valve it leaking and the oil drops on the exhaust manifold.... yuck, I hate that smell. I'll be replacing them soon :) 07.01.2001 - New gaskets do wonders. Fixed. |
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(PROJECT COMPLETED) Battery Drain 01.01.2003 - Hmmm... same as my 67. I think I will do the voltage regulator conversion. 03.01.2003 - I removed the alternator and put a new one. I took the external voltage regulator out of the picture and did the same conversion I did on my 67. Works like a charm! |
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(PART FOUND) Seats 12.01.2001 - 1968 Bucket Seats (Front Seats only), Color Black 05.05.2001 - *** GOT'IT! *** I got them today. I won them on e-bay a few days back and the gentleman (Paul) was nice enough to drive from the LA area to the bottom of the Grapevine. So I only had to drive about 3 hours up and 3 hours back to get them. The drive went a lot slower on the way back though. However, I got the old seats remove and the new installed in about 50 minutes (not bad for the first time, eh?). Here are some pictures of my new 1968 original deluxe seats! |
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(PART FOUND) Steering Wheel 12.01.2001 - 1968 Camaro Steering Wheel, Color Black, SS Emblem 05.07.2001 - Here are some pix so I know what I'm looking for. 05.28.2001 - *** GOT'IT! *** I won it on e-bay tonight!!! Yaaahoooo, another one bites the dust. Of course it is in real good shape, but one fault is that it is red. I'll be painting it as soon as it arrives :) Click here to see it, it's the top one. The other pictures were to get more than just a mental image to focus on. |
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Fender Reinforcement Bars 12.01.2001 - 1968 Camaro Fender Reinforcement Bars, of course I want some nice and shinny chrome ones.... but here is a picture to get the idea! |
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ODM Start: 38152 ODM End: 38282 Gas Used: 11.43 -> 11.37 mpg I can do better than this... ODM Start: 38282 ODM End: 38435 Gas Used: 14.09 -> 10.27 mpg Hmmm... time to start working on this! |