Project 91 "SS" 3400/5spd

[3X00-Modified]

Go on the forum, they seem to answer questions well. I just posted one a day or so ago in the coatings one and I got a reply. Someone has to have a picture of it.

[woody90gtz]

I called and the guy was very helpful but didnt have any advice on photos other than "try a search". I did find out that their satin aluminum has to be baked a 750F to cure, while the shiny aluminum will cure at 500. Since our oven at work only goes to 550 that makes the decision easy. Now I need to find an efficient way to strip the old coating off...what I could hit with the DA was easy, but there are lots of complex areas to get to that will probably take quite a while even with a sandblaster.

[3X00-Modified]

Think about it... they say it will cure on an engine for 30 min at just idle... I doubt the whole header is reaching 750 at idle. I plan to use a work oven too and bake it for like 4hrs at 450 or so.... that should do the trick.

They say a home oven will work and those definitely dont reach 750. Im thinking that temp is the way to cure it the quickest in one hour.

[woody90gtz]

What is this? Am I actually turning bolts clockwise?!?!?!

[woody90gtz]

Finally taking the time to detail the engine a little before reinstall this time...in '09 I just slapped it in without a good cleanup. Smoothed the valve covers and painted them glossy to match the UIM. Also cleaned up the oil pan & timing cover and shot them with VHT flat aluminum. Probably going to do the trans the same color when it's all cleaned up and ready to go...I'm waiting on Rodney to see if he has an input shaft bearing I can replace mine with. I also thought about painting it a metallic gray...saw someone on NastyZ do that with a T56 and it looked tits! Also painted the alt and some brackets black.

Put in all new gaskets and RTV'd the oil pump drive & cam sensor holes and oil filter adapter bolt. Hopefully no more oil leaks. The only problem I ran in to was the UDP. I got a speedy-sleeve for it since I heard the sealing surfaces were machined slightly undersized, but from the looks of it I dont think the sleeve installs far enough to cover the area that the seal rides on. I also checked the timing chain and it seems like it might be a little stretched for only 20k, but not bad enough to need replacement yet. I thought about just using the old stock balancer, but I have no idea where it is or if I even still have it.

Now I need to decide on either stripping & coating my headers myself or sending them out.

[MY91GT(Z)]

hey eric if you want i have a stock balancer sitting on motor thats been in my garage if your interested lmk

[90GTZHO]

Very nice Eric! With all these people cleaning up their motors and engine bays, its gonna be a hard decision which will look the best this year

[woody90gtz]

I took a couple measurements and the balancer seal should ride on the sleeve, so I'm not sure what that old mark is...but I shouldn't have to worry about it.

I dropped my headers off at a friend's with a sandblaster. I don't know if it will work or not, but we'll see. I'll be gone in Boston a couple days this week, but I hope to have the headers recoated and the trans detailed by next weekend.

[Robert 89gt]

Looks sweet eric, i can't wait to install my 3500 heads and new valve covers.I love the red on your valve covers.Can't wait to see your car again it's one of my favorites!!!!

[3X00-Modified]

I took a couple measurements and the balancer seal should ride on the sleeve, so I'm not sure what that old mark is...but I shouldn't have to worry about it.

I dropped my headers off at a friend's with a sandblaster. I don't know if it will work or not, but we'll see. I'll be gone in Boston a couple days this week, but I hope to have the headers recoated and the trans detailed by next weekend.

Unless you got a weird version of the FFP I thought it already came with a steel sleeve on it... I know the one I had came with that. The one you installed also looks significatly larger... is it larger than a stock dampener because if it is I can't see that working with a factory seal.

And that chain isn't stretched... they are not supposed to be tight to where you can't pull it away from the dampener... Mine had slack and it was brand new from GM... That is one flaw I do not like about those chains.

[woody90gtz]

Unless you got a weird version of the FFP I thought it already came with a steel sleeve on it... I know the one I had came with that. The one you installed also looks significatly larger... is it larger than a stock dampener because if it is I can't see that working with a factory seal.

And that chain isn't stretched... they are not supposed to be tight to where you can't pull it away from the dampener... Mine had slack and it was brand new from GM... That is one flaw I do not like about those chains.

Well, that is a good thing then about the timing chain. That means 16k miles of beating the piss out of it with the UDP didnt hurt it. And my UDP did have the steel sleeve as you can see, and I put the Fel-Pro "speedy-sleeve" and matching crank seal on top of it to make sure it won't leak. Someone on 60v6 said there were a batch of FFPs that had leak issues and my engine was drenched with oil in that whole area.

[woody90gtz]

Just bought the Tech Line "Shiny Aluminum"...hopefully it will be here by Friday and not Monday.

Rodney doesn't have one, so I got a new PN for the input shaft bearing from the GM parts guy: 8672128 and it's still discontinued everywhere and VPI doesn't have it. It's in this kit that I found through a Fiero link: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/ ... 5208_31160 but who knows if that kit is really legit.

I called a manual trans parts specialist place in FL and he said it's on national backorder but he will call around to see if he can locate one and call me back. We'll see.

[3X00-Modified]

Find a bearing book and get the dimensions... I'm sure there is something out there that would work.

[woody90gtz]

Find a bearing book and get the dimensions... I'm sure there is something out there that would work.

The bearing itself is fine. The problem is that it's a bearing/seal/sleeve in one. I don't know if I can find a seal that would fit inside. I'd love to find the dimensions somewhere, rather than removing the old one and risking wrecking it. The seal is just barely seeping, and the oil is not contaminating the clutch yet...but I'm sure it won't get any better on its own.

[Robert 89gt]

Eric i just replaced mine when rebuilding my new trans.I orderd a kit from ep you should try them.I just need the right size shim onces the pre-load is set.