Project Camatsun - RUNNING AND DRIVING!

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Byron510
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Posts: 12658
Joined: 01 Jul 2003 23:06
Location: Maple Ridge, BC

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by Byron510 »

Good to see progress, do keep us posted

Byron
Love people and use things,
because the opposite never works.
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

So over thanksgiving I worked on the 510 a bit more (we're playing with the name Camatsun... and Dataro... awful? or genius?). We've gotten to the point where the engine will run, but it will not idle. We're operating under the assumption that this is one of the many faults in that superb 90s GM engineering and the idle control on it isn't functioning. So that will be tested for during my next break and hopefully we'll have a solid idle after that.

In other news we got the front brake calipers mounted, and have Tokico 280ZX coilovers that are on it already. We've given the driveshafts to the shop for them do work their magic to get us set up in that department. Hopefully we'll have this thing actually moving before too long!

Here's it "running" for now. We got it to run without ether later... we learned you just need to floor it for it to start.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgTFNSw1w_o

Next on the list:
Idle Control
Brake lines and master cylinder
Install driveshaft
Install shifter and clutch lines/pedal
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

So continuing this project. Long long break. The 510 is at the shop now getting headers made for it. We got the emergency brake working, connected the drive shaft and all that, hooked up the clutch lines, and hooked up all the brakes. A couple of the brakes work, at least one does not. The clutch master isn't long enough throw apparently to actually move the clutch.

Once we have headers made work will be done on the cooling system, clutch, and the brakes will be finished.

Worlds longest 510 Project? lol

As it currently sits:
Image
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

SO! After leaving this at the performance shop for them to build custom headers for almost 7 months with them getting precisely NOTHING done we towed it back home. But fear not, we ordered some pacesetter V6 camaro headers which absolutely did not fit... forwards :twisted: . However, if you put them on backwards they almost fit. So after some intermittent chopping and welding we got them to fit perfectly.

Here we have a front view of the engine compartment with the headers modified to fit backwards:
Image

Now the driver's side header in place! EGR will be removed.
Image

Now the passenger side header! Had to divot the header a little and grind on the motor mount to get it to fit.
Image

And the next problem: The right header meeting the collector
Image

Current solution is to just cut it back a little and weld a pipe with a flange between the two to get them to meet up nicely.
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gooned
Posts: 1043
Joined: 07 Jul 2003 23:19
Location: Langley

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by gooned »

Thanks for updating us on this one.

What’s the plan to this to the backside of the crossmember?
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

Not really sure. Taking this one little baby step at a time. We've got the serpentine belt situation taken care of now, simplifying the front. The exhaust should hook up here and have a pretty good straight shot to the rear of the car.
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

Got the headers installed permanently (wrapped them up pretty nice with some header wrap). And added a picture of how the car currently sits. Also filled the little rust holes under the windshield with weld and painted them so we're ready to install a windshield and radiator/support next.
Image
Image

We also removed the powersteering pump and pulley so yay weight/rotational mass reduction.
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: New Guy with unique project

Post by wcrowe »

This last weekend we went ahead and fitted a Chevy S10 radiator. It looks like it should work, drilled the mount hold in the frame and it sits pretty nicely. I did forget to take pictures so boo me. Fitted up the radiator support and almost got to welding it, but ran out of time... next time!
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: Project Camatsun

Post by wcrowe »

Updates!
S10 radiator DIDN'T work. So we went with a half radiator from a civic. We hope it'll give adequate cooling, but if not we can probably fit another small radiator somewhere and hook them together. Intake is finished. Exhaust is permanently routed. Injectors were checked and some of them were not plugged in properly. Old gas was swapped for new gas. And the clutch was bled and WORKS on the camaro T5 transmission with a nice engagement point about an inch from the floor. Basically, here is the result so far:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzYTcGc ... e=youtu.be

Next we hope to figure out the accelerator pedal routing, get that last cylinder firing, and start buttoning up some of the wiring. Who knows, maybe we'll get rowdy and put some of the lights on and get them hooked up properly.


Also we did decide that the name "Camatsun" had a nice ring to it. It's just obnoxious enough yet rolls off the tongue nicely.
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: Project Camatsun

Post by wcrowe »

FINALLY it is running and driving! The engine had a strange tapping sound, but it has calmed down after about 10 minutes of slow driving up and down our driveway. The Camatsun sounds incredible and has way too much power for the little baby dry-rotted tires on it now.
Videos:
https://youtu.be/5HEXxkYycZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLNHOW3-Jo

Skip to about a minute for it to start actually driving, I think. Sorry I haven't gotten a chance to actually edit it.

Brakes seem okay now, not too great though, will probably need some extra work in the future.
Next steps I think will be wiring inside the cabin and getting the suspension and steering sorted better (needs some new tie rods and whatnot). It's finally becoming clear that it WILL work. Too late, I think, for this AutoX season, but maybe next year.
wcrowe
Posts: 25
Joined: 19 Jul 2013 11:13
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: Project Camatsun - RUNNING AND DRIVING!

Post by wcrowe »

So there have been a few hurdles we've gotten through since March of last year. We got some guages working (well.. at least through Torque), and we have a working alternator (harder than we thought it'd be).
We almost caught it on fire because it only had one engine ground and the battery ran very low so it was pulling a lot of current. So we added 2 more engine grounds.
The Exhaust is on all the way to the rear, which is new. We had a no-start condition for a while, and it ended up being a bad ignition control module. Got one from the junk yard and it's back to life.
Finally we replaced all of the rear brake lines, cylinders, and shoes and re-bled the brakes. Now the brakes are quite good. Maybe we'll install the disk conversion we have one day, but for now we're happy with well working brakes.

https://imgur.com/a/OyoGp8c

Now we're at the point of chassis wiring for lights and starting body work.
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