There comes a time in every build when all of the tiny obstacles that you managed to avoid along the way come back to get you. And when they do finally pop up, they never seem to come easy or alone. In the case of our project STi Killer, it had been relatively smooth sailing up until this point, with each phase of the build going almost exactly as planned. If you have been following along, you already know that our '01 Camaro SS started life as a beat up, abused roller, which we found behind North Deland Auto Body in Florida. When we first brought it home (in the rain) we knew we were in for a serious undertaking, but what we didn't know is what lessons the car had in store for us.
Our first long night was spent...
Our first long night was spent doing inventory of our existing parts and taking note of what else we would need to make a running and driving car out of our rolling '01 SS. With our GMPP LS6 on site, we were able to prep everything prior to the install.
First and most important, we learned that a cheap car is cheap for a reason. All of the "small issues" that don't seem important on day one will quickly become large issues on day two hundred and eighty-one. When we picked up our Camaro, the lack of an engine and transmission were of no real concern, nor was the lack of any electronics, bolts, or miscellaneous brackets. Unfortunately, those last three things proved to almost be our undoing and honestly, if it wasn't for the help of über-builder and mechanic Greg Lovell (owner of AntiVenom), we would still be driving around town begging our friends for long starter bolts or stealing Body Control Modules out of their cars while they slept. Actually, it is almost impossible to recount how many bolts we needed along way, but if you do embark on a project of this magnitude, make sure you locate the closest parts store with a large Metric bolt inventory and open a wholesale account. Even then you will still find some impossible-to-locate GM-specific bolts, and we recommend turning to your local dealer (pricey) or a dealer like Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center for those.
Since we didn't have many...
Since we didn't have many fancy tools or lifts at Skunkworks, we chose to drop the K-member while leaving most of the suspension in the car. Here, you can see Greg Lovell unbolting the crossmember and lower control arms from the shocks/spindle.
Physical parts aside, we also learned that GM electronics can be a tricky thing to deal with, especially when mixing and matching various used parts. Fortunately for us, however, most of the hurdles can be overcome but you do need to be resourceful. In our particular install, the largest headache came from the Body Control Module (BCM), which is a computer component in charge of everything inside the car including the security system, the windows, locks, door chimes, etc. Unfortunately, our used BCM, which was "borrowed" from an '00 Trans Am didn't match the resistor in our '01 SS key, which meant the car immediately went into Anti-Theft mode anytime we tried to start it. As if that wasn't bad enough, we also couldn't connect to the PCM through the OBD-II port and our dash cluster was a mess of incorrect readings, half-lit bulbs, and randomly blinking warning lights. At this point, with the thought of chasing dash wiring for the next three weeks, Greg Lovell and I almost lost hope but we were able to work through it with some slick tricks. First and foremost, it is possible to trick the BCM into working but it is essential that you know the resistance of the stock key. This means, when you buy or "borrow" a used BCM, you must also get the stock key from that vehicle. After we knew the key's resistance, we were able to wire up a resistance loop, which immediately solved our Anti-Theft light. Our dash and PCM connection problem? They both stemmed from a broken and incorrect cluster issue that we solved by installing a new dash cluster from another '02 Camaro SS. Luckily, our Hawks Third Generation-supplied PCM and wiring harness worked flawlessly, hooking up to everything on our LS6 and firing the car on the stock tune without any issues.
It takes two people to wrestle...
It takes two people to wrestle the crossmember out of the car, but it isn't as heavy as it looks. Make sure to take your time here and try not to snag any existing lines or harnesses that may be in the way.
Our roller didn't come with...
Our roller didn't come with any motor mounts or bolts, so we had to "borrow" a set from another fourth-gen.
With our GMPP LS6 on an engine...
With our GMPP LS6 on an engine stand, we lifted the crossmember up by hand and attached the motor mounts. This way may not look that fancy, but it worked well and is easy to do with minimal tools or equipment.
With the engine and K-member...
With the engine and K-member in place, we lowered the STi Killer over its new heart, taking care not to snag anything on the way down. The engine stand made easy work of aligning the K-member once we got close to the boltholes.
An 18mm socket is all you...
An 18mm socket is all you need to tighten the main K-member bolts in place. If you initially come up a little short, as we did, you can also use some old head bolts to get the K-member snugged up close to the body before switching over to the proper K-member bolts.
Greg attached the shocks first...
Greg attached the shocks first and then slid the steering rack and (control arm) ball joints into the spindle. We won't be using much of this stuff in the future, but it could all be cleaned up and used if need be.
After removing the engine...
After removing the engine stand from under the car, Greg installed our Centerforce LMC clutch and flywheel, along with a used T56 bellhousing. Installing the bellhousing first makes the transmission install much easier, so it is highly recommended.
Due partly to our lack of...
Due partly to our lack of a transmission jack, and mainly to Greg's brute strength, we were able to get our D&D-built Viper-spec T56 in place using nothing but pure muscle. This isn't the best way to do this but without an expensive jack, it certainly will work.
With the transmission installed,...
With the transmission installed, we headed back up front to remove the LS6 crank pulley. With the transmission locked in place and the crankshaft secured, we used a long-handled ratchet and some brute force to loosen the stock crank bolt.