Until you pointed it out, I did not realize that. I was only there for like 4 days and on a mission so I didn't even really see much of the state. If I make the trip again though I'll swing by for damned sure :tup:

It's too expensive for me to return to stock and get another car, I love the Z styling and the handling so it made the most sense to keep it and junk the power plant.

Will have most of it home by weekend so I can get the car on the lift again and at least cut the transmission tunnel for the shifter.

The majority of the parts are here! I'm still waiting on a few key pieces like the shifter relocation & drive shaft but I have quite a bit to do before I will need those.

First plan of action is to separate the engine and transmission so I can install the following:
Improved Racing crank scraper/windage tray
Improved Racing oil gallery barbell
Sikky oil pan, pick up tube & oil filter adapter
Melling high volume oil pump
Summit Pro LS cam shaft
Replace all relevant gaskets and seals
Sikky CAGS & reverse lock out delete
ICT Billet 6AN transmission cooler fittings

The powder coater is out of Cerakote so the headers can't get coated for another 3 weeks which is fine. I refuse to use header wrap ever again in life so here we are.

The aim is to be ready to drop the engine in once the shifter relocation assembly arrives, from the few pictures available it appears I will need to cut a slot in the top of the tunnel to clear that.

Transmission is separated, the clutch was a Spec Kevlar disc unit. There’s a few hotspots on the flywheel and pressure plate so I think I might replace it on principle.

All of the front accessories and stock oil pan are off so I pulled the stock windage tray and installed the New crank scraper and windage tray from Improved racing.

I don’t have the right crank pulley puller so tomorrow I’ll grab one and get the cam swapped out so I can reassemble everything with the new Sikky oil pan and pick up tube.

Unfortunately I have to wait a few weeks on the fitting to block off the oil coolers water port on the block.

I swear if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any. The auction pictures had the drivers side valve cover pulled to show the valve spring & trunnion upgrade. They did not pull the passenger cover which would have showed both number 4 rocker arm trunnions worn through and both push rods out past the rocker arms. One of the rocker arm bolts pulled right out of its mounting boss in the cylinder head.

I pulled the head fully expecting to see bent valves and fly cut guide marks in the pistons but by some miracle the valves did not hit the pistons so all appears well on that side. Tonight I'll be pouring some gas in the combustion chamber to see if any leaks past the valves as a precaution.

They are doing a partial refund to cover parts and labor. I'll be placing an order for new rocker arms, lifters, push rods, head gaskets and head bolts.

After a thorough inspection of the rest of the top end of the engine I went ahead and swapped out the cam and oil pump. The unknown cam ended up being a Howard 190355-12 cam (232 int./236 exh. duration 0.625 int./0.625 exh. lift 112 LSA) The new Summit 8711R1 cam went in (234 int./248 exh. 0.625 int./0.605 exh. lift 113 +3.5 LSA) along with a Melling high volume oil pump.

Last night I got a few things done. Installed the oil pick up tube & brace, oil pan & filter adapter block, oil gallery barbell and lastly the LH engine mount.

The RH engine mount bracket requires a little grinding/cutting on the AC compressor bracket.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...7-12-35-3-.jpg
Oil gallery barbell from Improved racing, it doesn't allow the oil to bypass the filter like the stock one does.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...7-12-35-2-.jpg
Another small Improved Pacing part, oil pick up tube brace. Not sure why even the aftermarket tubes don't use both mounting bolts.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...5_07-12-34.jpg
Pretty slick how they designed this adapter block, it bolts from the engine side with copper crush washers and there's no room for the bolts to back out. I still used some blue thread locker though.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...5_07-12-35.jpg
The oil pan required one allen head bolt for clearance up front but the stock bolts went back in for the rest of the locations.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...5_07-12-23.jpg
Highlighter green is now my favorite color

No more work for a while, I made the stupidest decision yesterday and cut most of the way through my left index finger tip.

Before that moment of infinite wisdom I did manage to trim the LS3 AC bracket to clear the Sikky engine mount.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...ee67ececf4.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...18a2ccbcd0.jpg
The low profile AC fitting block is from Hawk Motorsports

Damn! Sorry to hear about the injury. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Yikes! Sucks about the finger!

Dude, I'm just gonna say it.... It looks like Sikky copied what I did for a rear sump oil pan. I'm not mad about it. I just wish they came out with the damn thing earlier so I could buy it. lmao.

Thanks guys.

I was surprised as hell when they said it was rear sump, must barely clear the rack.

I'm not entirely useless right now, it would seem.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...8_07-32-52.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...8_07-32-57.jpg
Machine shop bent the edges of my "CAD" radiator shroud so all I have to do is bend up some 3/4" wide strips to weld onto the sides. The plan is to find some threaded aluminum bosses (or some 1/2" aluminum rod to drill and tap) to weld to the end tanks to mount the shroud to.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...1_16-47-16.jpg
The shifter relocation from Sikky arrived yesterday as well. It's a pretty cool piece of engineering & machining. That was the last piece I needed to be able to install the drivetrain.

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...0_07-21-35.jpg
Sealed up the sides of the radiator shroud (not my best welding) and got the rivnuts in so the fans can be bolted in. Next step will be to weld some 2" strips to the end tanks to give me something to bolt the shroud to.

Once the mounting strips are on I'll take a DA to the shroud to neaten up the surface finish.

Man, I love seeing big builds! Keep the pictures coming!

I'm still taking little bites of the project every day until the finger starts throbbing at least :rofl2:

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...2_07-34-41.jpg

I think I mentioned before that the TR6060 has an internal pump like an automatic so you can use an external cooler. Turns out GM uses the same fittings/thread on their automatics so a pair of fittings from ICT went in to convert to 6AN. I also popped in the Earl's 4AN clutch line adapter fitting.

Finalized the fan shroud mounting for the most part, 4 more rivnuts and it's good to go. The new assembly is 6.5" thick where as the OEM radiator/fans were 10" deep, if I get them mounted in the same spot I should have ample clearance.


http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...2_18-11-35.jpg
Ordered up some 1/2" ID energy suspension bushings to use as radiator mount bushings. I need to weld some 1/2" rod to the bottom of the radiator and drill the required holes in the subframe (which I apparently have to straighten)

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/m...2_18-12-32.jpg
Expansion tank location, I will not be using the mock up tank in the picture as the sheet I used is too thin and I can only booger weld with 9 fingers it seems. I'll cut the rad cap fitting off the radiator, plug the hole and weld a 10AN bung on the back side right at the top as a fill point to be fed by the expansion tank. The steam vents are going to be plumbed straight to the tank with some 4AN hose.