262C with LS1

Progress!!

After waiting nearly a month, I finally got the bits to build a set of headers. Or some of it anyway. I wanted 1 5/8 primaries, and merge collectors to 2 1/2". I wanted the small sized primaries for clearance and also to maintain column enertia at lower RPM. I.e. Torque at cruising speed. I'm not building a race car so am not looking for power at 7000 rpm . But they sent me 1 3/4" primary tube and a 3" merge. They also only sent enough tube to do about 1 primary pipe. Most frustrating, but I decided to make it work anyway. I'll order some more mandrel bends soon.

Today I mounted the left collector where I wanted it, mounted the flange, and mocked up a header with Fuelmiser PHD 1.5 flexible tubing and hot glue. The tube is great to work with. I can fine tune the routing and make all the bends simple and correct radius. The outer diameter is almost exactly 1 3/4", i.e. the same as the metal tubes . All the primaries will be close to equal length.

Now I need to pull each tube out and replicate it in steel. And make sure I can actually remove and install it, and get to the spark plugs and so on.

The fun will really start when I move to the RHS. I have been searching for a Range Rover steering shaft as suggested, but no luck yet. The one that I did find was on a going vehicle (in Lightning Ridge). I get the impression that when I call a junk yard, the part is just not worth their effort to go and look. I am worried that the heat will damage the rubber isolator in the Volvo shaft. Although the truth is, at the tiny power settings the LS will be runnning at most of the time, it will probably be a lot cooler than the exhaust of the poor old B-230 working hard to do the same job.



The second merge and header flange is on the car. But this is all the tube they sent.

Thanks Michael.

I finally got some mandrel bends to play with. Let the fun begin:



Here's the weekend's work:

I made a jig out of a piece of old counter top. It pivots around the bolt and is attatched to the piece of table top that slides in and out. Works great and allows me to transfer angles from the flexible tube to the metal primary and cut a really square cut.



I tried hard to get the primaries length equal. So the Number 1 tube is a straight shot. Once I had that all tacked into place I could lift the flange, tube, and merge out of the car and work on the bench, test fitting as needed.



When I put this in the car I discovered that Number 5 primary completely obscured the sump drain plug, so I had to redo it.



Here is the revised routing:



And all assembled:



The tubes are within about 20mm of being the same length with number 3 being the longest, oddly enough.



This is of course the LHS. I can get it in and out of the car, access the sump drain and all the spark plugs just fine. At the moment it is all just tacked together. Once I have verified that it will fit in the 262 I will finish weld it all. Under the car it is extremely tight. The 4L60e is really large. A manual transmission and/or a tri-Y type exhaust might be a lot easier.

When I have regained my sanity, what little I had in the start, I will have a go at the RHS.

Thanks mate. I am rather pleased with how it came out, but I have a bad feeling about the RHS. The LS and transmission were designed to go in a LHD car, so everything hangs off the right side of the engine, right where our steering shaft is and right where I need to run 4 large tubes. Even the transmission pan is offset to the right.

I have just had an epiphany! I have spent the last couple days walking past the car, looking at the right hand header, scratching my head and walking away. The main pinch point is between the starter and the rear bushing for the lower control arm. But the bracket that hold the lower control arm can be removed and swung out of the way.

Progress has been mostly online this last few weeks. I have mocked up the RHS header and fabbed up one cylinder primary tube, but I just was not happy with it. Way too close to the starter and too close to the steering shaft. So I pulled the shaft and UJs out and turned it over. All that achieved was moving the problem to another spot. So I decided I really needed to ditch the fat Volvo shaft.

I looked on Gumtree and contacted anyone selling an old Range Rovers to see if they had any parts or suggestions. One bloke came back and suggested Black Stallion Motors in Victoria. Mostly a ferarri shop but for some reason they have a huge collection of old rovers. They were very helpful and promised to look.

While they were doing that I had another browse and I must have typed just the right thing into Google. Voila! Coleman Racing in the US do exactly what I need. Part Number 119-112. For $29 USD! Plus $170 Shipping!!! I about died. So I looked again for the exact part. Jegs sell it for $51 plus $76 shipping. So looked again and, what do you know, there is a bunch in Queensland who sell the shaft, but none in stock. :-(

https://www.ianboettcherraceparts.com.au/shop/Coleman-119-112.html

I gave them a call and found they had an "identical" shaft made by Sweet for $40 . Sold! I got one here a couple days ago but it did not fit. The Coleman shaft has 4" of spline on each end allowing you to trim as required. The Sweet shaft only had 1" of spline. I could probably make it work by removing the entire steering shaft and then sliding everything back in, but I decided to get smart about the Coleman shaft.

The Shaft is 3/4" x 48 Spline, 12" long by the way. 3/4" shafts almost always have 32 splines. 48 splines are used on 1" shafts. So this is a bit of an oddball.

I've sent the Sweet shaft back and contacted some friends in the states and ordered the Coleman shaft for $29 plus $18 shipping to Georgia. Kim will ship it on to me for perhaps about $30.

A hundred bucks is really no big deal in the grand scheme of things but I hate being ripped off. I think the US merchants have realised that everything in Australia is 3 times the price so they just crank up their shipping quote about 5 times and know that they will still be fairly competitive. That or they don't really want to bother with the business unless you are happy to be raped.

Black Stallion just got back to me and they now have a Range Rover shaft on the shelf, so that will be my plan F.

In the mean time I came across this guy in the States who has done a similar conversion:

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=255021

His LS seems to be mounted further forward and higher than mine. Also, he chopped the cross member something serious, which I doubt would impress our local inspectors. He was able to use off the shelf hooker maniolds, but he did not have to clear the starter and steering shaft simultaneously.

I now await Australia Post.

Comes of living out in the bush. Everything takes longer and costs more. (except perhaps realestate...plenty of that around)

Coleman did get back to me with a revised shipping:

James,
Lary, off this week.
Shipping is estimated at $137.46.

I'll definately check out Shopmate. I've not heard of that one. Thanks.

I lived in the States for 15 years so I know what a USD will buy. I grind my teeth every time I see Australian prices. And shipping is only a small part of the issue. A couple years ago I busted a piece on my dozer. $4000 used from Newcastle, or $1800 rebuilt from Portland, Oregan. With all the paperwork filing fees and AQIS inspections etc. it cost more to get it out of the shed in Brisbane, than it cost to air frieght it over. And two blokes would not be able to lift it. In spite of shipping costs etc. I still saved $1000 and got a reman part.

Back to the Volsvo:

I have got the power steering sorted. I took the Volvo tube off the rack and the Statesman tube off the pump, took them into town and had a mate join the ends with a new piece of hydraulic line. Fits great, looks factory. I may have to reduce the pump pressure a bit. we will see.

Thanks mate. I think I am sorted but I will get back to you if that all goes pear shaped.

The starter will definately be getting a heat shield. To be honest, I am probably betting carried away but I would rather err on the side of caution. I used to fly a Piper Navajo and at night you could look out the window, through the louvered side of the engine nacelle and see the exhaust tubes glowing bright yellow. Granted, the LS will not be running at 85% power continuously but one good hard run up the escarpment, a rapid 3000' climb I do regularly, will put some serious heat in the engine bay.

I have finally made some progress:

I eventually got hold of a Coleman steeing shaft and it is perfect. I could then start work on the RHS headers. This was much more tricky as I had to snake the tubes around the starter and the steering shaft, not hit anything, clear the spark plugs, maintain the required minimum 10mm clearance on the steering shaft, (I aimed for 12mm) and be able to remove the whole lot to access the starter, should that ever need changing.

Below is the result. I plan to redo the third primary as I have nestled it in to close to the starter. I will also need to make a few juditious dents in a couple places for clearance. But overall I am very pleased.

To remove it, I have to remove the RHS lower controling arm and the whole lot drops out the bottom.