Thursday, January 28, 2010

Camaro Update: Engine, brakes, and steering

I've been starting to research the final parts I need to get the Camaro back on the road. For now, I'll just break it down into a few steps. I'll update my "Quest for 9 seconds" link off to the right when I get a chance.

Engine: I've got most all of my engine parts with exception of my cylinder heads and a few odds and ends to put the thing together. I decided upon AFR heads, which will set me back a cool $3,400+. I had pondered Canfields, though recently discovered that the company seems to have went outta business when the owner retired. I'm not sure if anybody bought them out or not, but either way, I decided I preferred the stability of a company that has been around the block and a proven leader in moving air. Once my tax return is here, the heads will be ordered.

I called up my machinist/builder at Tico Performance Engines to touch base. I told him my game plan, what parts I had, and inquired about recommended pistons, compression ratios, harmonic balancers, and other parts. I was relieved to find he had absolutely no doubts about the durability of my 2 bolt block (I pondered a 4 bolt splay), nor my factory forged crank. He did advise possibly going with a flat top piston if I were going to load up on nitrous though, so that is one area we'll have to discuss further. Idealy, I'd like an 11-1+ engine, as with that compression you get a nice crackle/rumble from the engine. If all goes as planned, my engine should be at the machinist no later that March.

I'm going with a Barry Grant Demon carb, though still unsure of which model, even after speaking with their tech department and receiving their recommendation. They have recommended an 825 Race Demon, which flows in the 900+ cfm range. I was a bit surprised, as the description does not seem to apply to the engine I'm building. Last engine build, they recommended their 750 Race Demon, and I'll admit, it seemed perfect for the build. Perhaps I should leave my selection to the experts and go with their recommendation. I suppose my one option could be to go with the RS (replacible sleeve) so I could always flow more air if needed, or built a bigger engine.

Brakes: I have checked into various brake systems, as the options are almost limitless when it comes to a 69 Camaro. Not only are the many companies, but the options of manual, power, hydraulic, vacuum, , rotor size, and whether to go standard/slotted/cross drilled rotors. In the end, I have decided to go with a kit by Wilwood. They seem to be used by many builders of vehicles on all levels, have been around many years, and offer the type of system I am confident will bring my car to a hault. I'm going with a manual setup, 11 inch slotted/cross drilled front rotors, an aluminum brake cylinder, proportioning valve, and sticking with my rear drums for the time being. Once I either build up my 12 bolt, go after market, or go Ford 9 inch, I will upgrade the rear setup to discs.

Steering: I had planned on converting my car to a manual rack and pinion. I have thrown that idea out the window. My thinking was, it would be nice to drop 30-40 pounds off the front of the car. Unfortunately, several concerns arose. First, few are setup for a big block car. Secondly, and of much greater concern, was the snaking of the linkage between the exhaust headers. I'd spent $450-$500 on my headers, I'm not about to start with a new set, possibly costing much more since they may have to be custom made. Then, on top of that, the $1,300 for the rack and pinion. Instead, after some net surfin', I found a much more economical option. While I won't drop any weight off the car, I will have quicker/tighter steering than my junk steering box that came off the car. I found that many people are installing 3rd generation Firebird/Camaro boxes into their 1st generation cars with great results. As luck would have it, I have a close friend with a parts car I can get the box off of. Total cost to install it will be in the $100-$200 range.

So there is a quick update as to what I've been up to. Expect many more entries in 2010, and a good number of Camaro related entries as I strive to get the car on the road by the time summer hits!

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