The 98GT - 4.6L to 460 (and a turbo!)

[BBR]

Felt like crap today but I still went to the shop. I should have worked on the Red 95 but this car has been at the front of my brain lately.
I yanked the serpentine setup that I made off. That was a neat idea, but man there are plenty of things for me to worry about without that being one of them.

I slipped a mechanical water pump on it and trimmed up the power steering bracket a little to clear the frame and to clear the flipped exhaust manifold that is behind and below it.

In doing so, I think I may have come up with a much better way to actually do a serpentine-ish belt. I can low mount the alternator on the passenger side and that will open up space in front of the turbo where I can actually put an air filter on it.

On the power steering/ac compressor bracket, there is one boss that is supposed to bolt to the water pump right near the water pump inlet. This particular boss was broke off on my power steering bracket, so that left an unused boss on the water pump that is in the perfect location to mount an idler pulley.

I'm not going to try to figure out the AC right now. That is something I can do later because I really just want to get this thing running and moving.

It was a good day. I feel so much better about this setup than the one I built.

[Captain]

Reaccess, Adapt, and Overcome!
Sometimes the Distance is the SAME,
To Go AROUND a Mountain as to Go OVER It.

[BBR]

I have been failing lately in regards to getting this thing to run. I have been slowly checking things and still do not have an ignition pickup signal.

Another issue that I am experiencing is the belt keeps riding up on the side of the ac pump pulley. This is happening at cranking speeds, so it will probably exit completely if it actually starts.

I am *really really* considering scrapping the front drive I made and just use a normal 460 FEAD with the electric water pump mounted in the normal place. I am feeling like the serpentine setup, while novel, is somewhat unnecessarily complicated and will just make working on this car a bigger pain in the butt than it has to be. This switch will likely require me to move the radiator forward a little, but that's not a huge deal.

The AC pump and lines may be temporarily disconnected during this stage because they will need to be moved to a completely different (and much better) location.

[BBR]

Start up attempt #2. No crank signal. Gotta figure out why.

[BBR]

[BBR]

Tried to fire this thing up today.

I failed because I left the battery hooked up with the trunk open = trunk light on = battery almost dead.

I also had to modify the belt tensioner so I could actually pull on it it release it. I just welded a nut to the arm so I could pull on it!

[BBR]

Mad at myself because I thought this was going to be a good vid, but my mic receiver died.

[DanStokes]

Filled it with fluids and checked for leaks. Fuel, water, oil, some ATF. I had one braided like that gushed fuel. It literally got hard inside and broke. I could bend it and it would snap like a twig inside.

I fixed that and the fuel system pressured up perfectly.

Check out this little 1min vid I made.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xZHhHgf-e...TixHxOXBWNSFgE

I'll add one: Do NOT use hardware store compression fittings! They're only made to hold minimal pressure and even then are suspect. Go to your local Parker or Swagelok distributor and pop for the good stuff - it's cheaper than a car fire! Yep, did that on the Camaro.

[BBR]

Filled it with fluids and checked for leaks. Fuel, water, oil, some ATF. I had one braided like that gushed fuel. It literally got hard inside and broke. I could bend it and it would snap like a twig inside.

I fixed that and the fuel system pressured up perfectly.

Check out this little 1min vid I made.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xZHhHgf-eyo?si=88TixHxOXBWNSFgE

[BBR]

Top end reassembly continues!!

[BBR]

I finally put the intake back on.

It took me forever to find enough bolts that were long enough to go in the newly drilled vertical bolt holes.

[BBR]

Intake adapters are back on!

[BBR]

Plates showed up today. All fixed. Whoo hoo. Now I can get back to working on 2 projects!

[BBR]

I shipped the adapter plates back to Price Motorsport today. When I spoke to them on the phone, they were not certain how long it would be before they could fix them and send them back. Since the holes that need to be drilled and tapped are on an angle, they have to set up a machine to do it. I really just wish they would send me a new correct set and be done, but whatever. I'm not in a super big rush. I have other stuff to work on.

[BBR]

Found the source of the leak. The intake adapter plate was not seated properly on the head. It was hung up on one of the small button head allen bolts that secure the valley pan. I stuck a light into the intake port and it was close, but not down flush.

There was about 1-1/2 cups of water in the pan. Blah.

Everything is cleaned up and ready to reassemble. However, I may send these plates back to the mfg to have the rest of the holes drilled & tapped. Backstory: a little while after I installed these, the mfg (Price Motorsport) called me and told me they had a few sets slip out without having all the bolt holes drilled and tapped. They asked me if I wanted to send mine back but since it was already assembled and at the time, it was going to be naturally aspirated, I didn't think it was a big deal. It probably still isn't a big deal, but since they're off, I might as well try to get them fixed correctly.

When they get back I will add a small clearance notch for those button head allen bolts.