VR Senator with LSx454

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well I have to say I cant fault the service you get form Jack Hayek at Earls Performance.  He has got the pump, its being tested right now, but he has a new one ready to go, so this afternoon he has promised to either send mine back rebuilt if they sort the problem or send me down a brand new replacement.  He said its got a lifetime warranty and he stands by it.  Gotta be happy with that.  Should be back on the road this weekend.  happy days.

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

Thats great service…. Got to be happy with that.  How big job to fit it?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Pretty easy to fit.  It mounts on the front section of the tank.  It sits pretty much behind the passenger side tank mount strap, which is nice as it protects/shields it.  So support the tank, remove strap, 4 bolts from underneath and the fittings each end.  Maybe half hour all up.

 

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

So the pump never made it to the post in time.  So while I am waiting for it to turn up, and its up on the hoist I thought I would start tinkering with how I am going to fit the Dakota Digital gear selector readout unit.  Its part of “Project legal” that the gear the cars in has to be seen day and night.  No way  want to get pinged by the cops for something so basic.  So the kit comes with a potentiometer that you hook up to the gear selection lever on the side of the gearbox.  Needless to say on mine that’s no easy task room wise.  I wanted to keep everything away from the heat of the exhaust as much as possible too.

So I came up with what I think is a nice little solution mounting it forward of the gearbox on the bell housing.  I then made up an linkage out of some scrap ally strip I had.  Suesy kindly volunteered to climb up into the car and run threw the gears for me.  I will turn her into a petrol head yet!!!  So the linkage works a treat.  I packed it out with nuts, maybe should have turned up a little spacer but meh, I might do that later.

I then had to run the cable around and up through the tunnel into the car.  I had some 1/2″ ally fuel tube left over so I made up a nice tube to give the cable some mechanical protection.  Pretty happy with how its turned out.  It comes up through the same grommet we did for the trans brake.

So now at some stage, maybe next week end I will play around mounting the controller etc in the car, and work out a nice way to mount the LED’s.

At some stage I will try and score a glide bell housing cover, when I do I will trim and tig up a nice little cover for the mechanism, although its actually tucked up nice and out of harms way.

Also adjusted the ride height up at the front 25mm as it was just too low, thanks to the guys for the tips on how to do that properly by cracking the lock nut at the base of the struts and turning them.  Fell a bit amateur not realising that how its done, so of course set the spring pre-load at the same time.

Nice to be working on it again, just so lovely working on it, also took a pic down the side getting its shine on

So with a bit of luck, just fix up this fuel pump niggle, and away we go again

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  VRSenator065.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

One pump rebuilt, tested and ready to go.  When they say lifetime warranty they mean it

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

What actually failed?

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

What kits did you get for the gear indicator?

I’ve got one sitting at home

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well the rebuilt pumps fitted, whilst it was on the hoist did a look around. Found the drivers side O2 sensor was loose, so did it up tight,  pretty sure its why it was hard to start. Started first hit of the key. Took it for a drive, stopped to have a look at everything. A random guy comes up to me and asks if this the car with an LSx. Have a good chat about the car, turns out he saw it in Street Machine. He couldnt believe it was  a Gawler car, great little chat. Very nice i have to admit, good for the ego   cars running awesome, yes Cav it fries tyres at will.  Thinking I might drive it to work tomorrow.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

cava454 wrote:

What kits did you get for the gear indicator? I’ve got one sitting at home

Sorry mate missed that, Dakota Digital http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=60/category_id=401/mode=prod/prd60.htm

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

sands vs wrote:

What actually failed?

Not totally sure tbh.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Living the dream, I built this car to be driven not hidden.  Just a nice lazy legal drive to work today in my new daily (or occasional daily).  No issues at all, very hard to drive and resist the temptation to light it up all the time, but I managed it. 

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

Good pic really shows the rear wheels they look fat…. Glad you drive it does it get much attention and looks when you drive it in general?

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

The best thing about this is not just that it’s daily driven (or close enough to…) but how unassuming it is. Somebody would have to be looking pretty closely to notice any small details. And they’d probably still think it was nothing special, right up until they got their doors blown off.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Doesn’t really get a second look.  Just went out for lunch had to turn onto Churchill rd and there was a cop car parked, don’t reckon he even looked up from his hamburger :).  At least now I can start to pop around and see all the guys that have helped me along the way and take them for a squirt.  Its not really ever going to be a daily, but it is nice to be able to drive it anytime I want.  Starting to get a feel for the power and delivery now, its peels off at any speed in low, and its nice being able to bang it up into top and its still spinning up.  Certainly have to get it onto a track some time so I can actually wind it out, after a second or so on the street you run out of road/speed limit.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  VRSenator065.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

VRSenator065 wrote:

Doesn’t really get a second look. Just went out for lunch had to turn onto Churchill rd and there was a cop car parked, don’t reckon he even looked up from his hand burger

 

LOL, hand burger.

Glad to see it finally out and driving after following this car for ages on SC and now here. Who says project cars are never finished??

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

So now its a driver, I can tackle one or two of the things I did that I would like to neaten or fix up.  There’s only a couple of relatively biggies.  One is of course getting the gear selector indicator working, which is on the go, but the other is the fuel return lines back to the reg at the rear of the injection set up.  Hard to see in this pic but the two outer braided lines currently go to a bit of a dogs breakfast of fittings and tees, then a 180 degree bend before back tot he regulator.  I always had in mind a nice custom rail and have decided to have a crack at making it myself.  So I bought some swept bends, tube and fittings and made a start.  Many thanks to Jake Bain and IJ for giving me the heads up on the importance of purge welding something like this.  So first task was to design up what I wanted, then carefully make the pieces.  The middle elbow had to be hand filed and fitted to fit neat.  Its then all tacked up using no filler rod.  I then need to set up a purge line for the tig gas, so the welds on the inside are nice and pure.  Hopefully I will do that this week.  Buts at least its a start and have to say was a nice fun job so far, and will just make that area so much neater, with the added bonus of less fittings to leak, fail or whatever.  few pics

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well pretty much have pieced everything I need together to make my little purge set up for the TIG.  Just waiting on the valve I ordered off eBay which should be here today or worse case tomorrow.  Also have the extra 6AN 200 series fitting I needed.  So with with a bit of luck might get that knocked off and also get stuck into the gear selector read out gizmo over the week end.  Also am chasing up some Uscar electrical connectors for the injectors, my mate the ex auto elec has said he will help me swap them over on my loom for me so that way I won’t need to run the adapters.  Might look at getting the JDM purple anodizing redone on the adapters to black at the same time.  All together that should neaten up the injection set up a lot.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Well this is one of those jobs that to someone else may not look like much but has taken me the best part of the day.  It also may not look that much neater but the mixture of fittings from before I just wasn’t happy with.  You can see what its replaced.  For an amateur like me tig welding is all about being able to get into a comfortable position.  On something this small its very stop start and difficult angles.  Anyhow pretty happy with how it turned out, pressure tested it to 120psi and its fine, also took it for a run then, still puts a smile on my dial.

 

What it replaced

Before

After

 

[JabaParticipant Perth, WAVZ Senator View build HERE Member since: February 18, 2015 Posts: 103]

Great work mate, the shame about these small details is most people will never notice and appreciate the time, effort and skill required for these sorts of little pieces.

Another reason why in depth threads are the best way to look at someone else’s build. 

[vs manta 218Participant Vs hsv manta View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 796]

That’s a shit load better Gary

 

7 fittings for that little piece coming in at $20 each, it’s a expensive little section you just replaced there

 

Looks 100% better through and weld on fittings are 100% better then the hard line hose ends fittings in my option

 

iv got a few hard line parts I want to make my self as well one day

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