CR3171 Finally going back together!

[Aussie Mike]

More engine tinkering.

LS motors have steam cross over pipes between the heads. I think this is a great idea as they help get air pockets out of the cylinder heads and make for a more efficient cooling system. The LS1 has all 4 corners connected via a complicated manifold of pipes joined together. With the Edelbrock manifold all that plumbing is out in the breeze on display. There was a line running under the manifold connecting the front together with the rear but I deleted it and silver soldered up the pipe.



I was never very happy with how it turned out as it looked a bit ordinary with a coat of black paint to hide the solder repairs. I'd seen a kit on the web that used AN fittings and braided hoses. It had some neat little adapters to bolt in place where the steam pipes attached to the heads. I thought about making one but then found on closer inspection that there's plenty of material to drill and tap 1/8" NPT holes directly into the heads.



I had some AN-3 Teflon hose left over from another project so bought a few fittings and here's the end result. Looks a bit more race car this way



When I puled the gearbox I removed the clutch to check it was OK. All was fine with the clutch but when bolting it back on I thought about the clutch cover bolts I had used. When setting it up originally I used ARP flywheel bolts but clutch cover bolts weren't readily available. I used good quality Alan head cap screws instead. When at the local parts store collecting AN fittings I saw they had the ARP bolts on the shelf so bought a set.



Bolting up the pressure plate gave me the opportunity to use a gadget I bought some time back. It's a digital torque wrench. It just clips onto your regular breaker bar or ratchet handle and instant torque wrench. It reads in ft/lb or Nm. You preset the torque you want and the LED will glow when you get close and then it beeps when you hit your mark. The display also shows how much torque you are applying as you go. A bit of a fun tool to play with.




I like having a work bench you can sit a motor on.

Cheers