V1 Robinjo #405 Full Cage - 2006 SS/SC Build "Drago"

[Robinjo]

Day 30 8/19/2022
Hours Worked: 2.0
Total Hours: 86.5
(Assembly Hours: 24.5)
In this installment we got the engine in the back of the frame. We rolled the engine into place and just lifted the rear over the engine once close. We did have a little issue with getting the bolts to line up, but that was mostly due to having the engine sitting right on a furniture dolly. If it had been on one or two 2x4's higher, then it would have been much, much easier. In the end, we got it. I was hoping to have all the coolant lines ran and fuse box installed, but the power went out for an hour due to extremely heavy rain, which I left my windows down for on my car.....
Also got a replacement front suspension bolt from Rural King. It's about 1/4" longer than the DF one, but probably only I will notice....

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Suspension Bolt

Engine Installed - Note: keep all the bolts loose until you get at least two in each side. It'll let you move the engine as needed. Also, have the engine on a couple of 2x4's on a dolly and not just a furniture dolly's base. It'll help a lot!

 

[Robinjo]

Day 31 8/20/2022
Hours Worked: 5.0
Total Hours: 91.5
(Assembly Hours: 29.5)
A lot happened today!
We ran the heat exchanger coolant hoses, ran the heater hoses and then installed the fuse box and connectors. A couple of questions came up during the installation. First, I have two identical black with purple insides connectors (asked in a separate thread, but linked below for once it has resolution). How do I know which one goes where. I didn't label them during disassembly like a good boy would have. Second, there are two brown with red insides connectors (link to other resolved thread below). Note: They are for the cooling fans. Lastly, I broke the grounding due to powder coating being all over it. I tried to chase the threads and ended up snapping it. Need to find a new location to ground the starter ground and fuse box line grounds (link to thread pertaining to this also below).
Also, tried to install the clutch hard line into the transmission. With the clip in place, the line will not go in. Without the clip installed, slips in perfectly.
Next, I went to install the fuel line. After seeing other pictures and posting a question, I understand it needs to go to the black nylon hosing, which I used to make brake vacuum hosing. I'll pick more up at Advanced Auto as I need a few other things as well.
Even with no fuel line, we began the test start procedure! Installed the battery into the tray (no hold downs yet) and connected everything up. Turned the key and the lights on the dash all came on along with a lot of items turning on. Had my son work the gas pedal and the butterfly opened and closed on the throttle body. So, tried to test fire and the starter only made one loud click. Tried again and the starter would click multiple times but nothing tried to turn the engine over. I believe this is due to the grounding stud issue, so I'll look for a better location.
As we get deeper into the project the list of issue to deal with has grown exponentially.

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Suspension Bolt - Fixed
Two Black w/Purple Connectors?
Two Brown w/Red Connectors - Fan Connections
Broken Grounding Stud
Clutch Line Clip
No Start
Fuel Line Kit
HX Coolant leak
Extend Coolant Level Wires (apparently I do have them....)
Extend Light Sensor wires

Heat Exchanger Lines Ran - Note: The tunnel opening to the under engine area is starting to get really tight. Luckily all I have left to run is the boost vacuum line and the power/data cables from the Wideband O2.


Fuse Box Installed - Note: just follow the videos. Nothing too surprising happened here. I did mount the box with a couple donor nuts and bolts. You do have to unjumble all the connectors and make sense of where the connectors are going to be. Once you get that sorted, it all plugs in easily. I also draped the rear light wires over the drivers tail light location, just to get them out of the way.
Photos

Intake Installed - Note: The MAF sensor only installed one direction, so make sure the tube is situated to allow the arrow on the sensor to point toward the throttle body. I had it backwards at first. I tried to mock up the old unit that came with my Cobalt, but it hits in a funny location. I may try again as having the filter sticking out the side excited my son.


Black w/Purple Connectors (2) - Which goes where? - Not resolved yet!

Black Connectors w/Purple Insides

On my 2006 SS/SC there are two black connectors with purple insides. They are both between the engine and fuse box space. They will allow interchangeable connections, how do you tell which one is right? Of course, I didn't label anything here like I should have....

dfkitcar.com

Brown w/Red Connectors (2) - What are these? -->Stock fan connections, not needed.

Connectors SC

What are these connectors used for? I have two of them and not sure where they go.

dfkitcar.com

Ground Stud Broke - Mounted to bottom of Fuse Box location? I think it needs to be better.....

Engine Bay Ground Stud Broke

My engine bay ground stud (under the fuse box location) broke I tied into the bolt holding the lower part of the fuse box, but am concerned with it. Is this adequate or should I be looking to ground somewhere else? Any suggestions if so?

dfkitcar.com

 

[Gtstorey]

Grounding stud; I probably would not include it under the same bolt as the plastic fuse box, that will make it hard to tighten it down enough.
You could use a piece of all thread with a 3 nuts and some washers on it through that hole, with one of the nuts between the plastic and the frame, if the fuse box will raise up 1/2". Them put the grounding connector below the frame. Or clean the powder coating off one of the extra holes where the transmission mounts and use a another bolt.

 

[Robinjo]

Day 32 8/22/2022
Hours Worked: 3.0
Total Hours: 94.5
(Assembly Hours: 32.5)
A BIG DAY!
I started by connecting one of the Heat Exchanger coolant lines with a better connector. Advanced Auto only had one, so I will work on the other one tomorrow (or next work day). From there, I drilled out a hole in the transmission mounting plate under the fuse box, cleaned off the powder coating and bolted it all in. I sandwiched the mount plate with a nut and bolt, then mounted the wires with another nut pressing down on the wires. Since I was this far I decided to give turning the engine over a shot, just to see if it would actually turn over. IT DID!. So, I made a fuel line with the newly bought fuel line and items from the DF Fuel Line baggie. Primed the pump a couple of time and tried to turn it over, but it wouldn't fire. We did this about 5 times and nothing. Then I remembered the two black/purple connectors that I thought I sorted. Swapped those and the engine fired right up. Shut the engine down and began filling with coolant as best we could, both at the over flow bottle and at the upper radiator hose on the head. We fired up the engine again and watched the vitals with the OBD-2 scanner dongle and app. I have the iOS version that requires Wi-Fi and do not like it. I have to disconnect from home Wi-Fi and connect to the dongle to read anything. We let the engine idle for a bit (who am I kidding, we rev'ed the engine some too) and filled the coolant as it dropped a few time. I plan to carry a jug with me for a while as othes have mentioned it takes a while to get all the air out.
After all this excitement I did some tidying items. Extended the Coolant Level plug, which got rid of the low coolant message. Also extended the light sensor wires so they will reach the Boost/AFR gauge pod. Ran the lines for the boost and AFR gauges, just need to apply power and ground to finish this item off.

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Two Black w/Purple Connectors? - Sorted, by Trial and error. I need to make little tags for them, just in case I have to un-connect them.
Broken Grounding Stud - Fixed
Clutch Line Clip
No Start - STARTS!
Fuel Line Kit - Ran
HX Coolant leak
Extend Coolant Level Wires - Ran, now no low coolant message!
Extend Light Sensor wires
Black Cable - Ground? --> Yes, connects on the block above the starter
Power & Ground the Boost and AFR Gauge
Clean/Tighten B+ Terminal

New Ground Lug - Note: Paint is cleaned off under the nuts, even if it doesn't look like it.

Engine Bay Ground Stud Broke

My engine bay ground stud (under the fuse box location) broke I tied into the bolt holding the lower part of the fuse box, but am concerned with it. Is this adequate or should I be looking to ground somewhere else? Any suggestions if so?

dfkitcar.com

Fuel Line Kit - Nothing special here. The metal rod goes into the fuel filter and the connectors go on either end of a fuel line to connect from the rod to the fuel rail.


Engine Started[/B] -
Not sure how to post video.....

Black Ground Wire - Note: it ended up running to the block right above the starter. It's very hard to see in the photo.

Two Wires Off Starter

I have the two wires in the same bundle from the starter. One is the fuse box post (red collar) and the other (black collar) is a ground, right?

dfkitcar.com

 

[Robinjo]

Day 33 8/23/2022
Hours Worked: 2.0
Total Hours: 96.5
(Assembly Hours: 34.5)
Today I fixed the heat exchanger coolant leak, after many attempt. It didn't drop any fluid overnight, so hopefully that's a win. The real test will be when the pump comes on. I also installed a new pigtail for the heat exchanger pump as the stock one doesn't mate up with the red capped ZZP pump. Filled up the newly sealed system and fired the engine, no coolant flow. I did make sure there was coolant on both sides of the pump. Also, checked the fuse and power at the pump, good fuse and 12v to the pump. Next action will be to pull the pump and test it with a bucket of water and a power source. Other items worked on, powered the AFR and Boost Gauges and they light up.

I do have a strange issue. The vehicle will start and run, directly after tightening the B+ terminal on the fuse box. However, it the car sits for about 20 minutes, it'll not light up the dash or do anything. It still has power to the B+ terminal from the battery and if you remove the B+ post and reinstall it the vehicle will fire like normal. I need to take the fuse box out to deal with the clutch line connection, so I'll investigate it further. I also cleaned the post and terminal with Naval Jelly, just top make sure it wasn't a fouled connection. While the fuse box is out, I'll double check the new grounding stud I installed, just to ensure ALL the paint is off that spot.

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Clutch Line Clip
HX Coolant leak - Fixed
Power & Ground the Boost and AFR Gauge
Clean/Tighten B+ Terminal
Coolant Pump Issue - Fuse is good and getting 12v to the plug.
No start issue after sitting - Update: Will fire if you turn the light switch from Auto to On/Off. Resolution to this issue. Check your BCM fuses, specifically #8 for Ignition/Pass Key #3. See link below for full description of issue:

No Start Issue - B+ Terminal/Fuse Box

When I connect the B+ stud with wire to the fuse box the engine will fire and run. I can do this over and over for a while. After about 20-30 minutes, however, when I go to crank the engine nothing will happen. No lights, no starter clicking, nothing. It act like it's a dead batter, almost. If...

dfkitcar.com

AFR/Boost Gauges - Nothing to note here.
Photo needed

 

[Rttoys]

You checked 12v at the pump connector, did you check ground?

 

[Robinjo]

You checked 12v at the pump connector, did you check ground?

Yes, I checked the ground side as well.
I read about the reversed wiring issues with the Cobalt heat exchanger pumps. But also read that it would just flow fluid 'backwards' through the system. Is this true?

 

[Gtstorey]

I'm pretty sure the pump is a centrifugal pump and won't move water backwards.

 

[Robinjo]

Interesting. I'll try reversing the wires to see if that does anything. Then it's a bench test if still acting up.

 

[Gtstorey]

Can you feel the pump motor spinning? It should vibrate enough to tell if it's doing something.

 

[Robinjo]

Can you feel the pump motor spinning? It should vibrate enough to tell if it's doing something.

Haven't tried yet, I will before going down the previous two steps.

 

[Rttoys]

It should turn either direction, depending on how the wires are hooked up, but it may not flow fluid either direction depending on how the impellers are made.

 

[Robinjo]

Can you feel the pump motor spinning? It should vibrate enough to tell if it's doing something.

Cannot feel the pump vibrating or doing anything, other than some mild vibration coming just from the engine doing it's thing in the background.

It should come on with just keyed on power, right? If so, I do not feel anything from it in this situation.

 

[Gtstorey]

I think some of the supercharger cars have to be in the run position to come on but if you have 12v and a good ground it should come on. Probably need to sort out your other issue first since this might be related.

 

[Ross]

The ECU on our LSJ has a 10 second delay (after key on) before the intercooler pump starts.
It commonly has worn out brushes.

 

[Robinjo]

Day 34 8/26/2022
Hours Worked: 3.0
Total Hours: 99.5
(Assembly Hours: 37.5)
Today I installed the brake reservoir kit, using red Loctite on the brass fittings as noted by other. Other than that, nothing to really note. My nylon tubing was I also took off the fuse box to install the clutch line into the transmission and make sure the ground location was very clean. I drilled into the metal a little bit just to make sure ALL the paint was gone. It didn't take but a couple spins to make completely sure the metal was clear of paint. I used a wood bit the same size as the nut, just clipping off the little wing tips to make a flat drill bit.

Brake Reservoir - Note: make sure you route your lines or you'll runout of nylon tubing. AutoZone tubing is 'slightly' bigger ID and doesn't work. I've emailed DF to try to buy a bit more.


Clutch Line - Note: the clip needs to be in a specific position. See post link below. I spent multiple attempts trying to get this. 2 minutes of it in the right spot and it slid right into place.
No photos here, it's really tight in that spot.

A Little Adult Supervision Requested

Greetings all, Trying to button up the suspension, brakes and clutch and bleed the lines before moving on. Ran into a snag trying to clip in the clutch line into one of Lonny's new F35 transmissions. Do any of the Gurus out there recognize if the clips below are the correct versions (one is...

dfkitcar.com

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Clutch Line Clip - Done!
Coolant Pump Issue - Fuse is good and getting 12v to the plug.
No start issue after sitting - Has to do with the light switch
Need more 3/8" OD nylon tubing

 

[Gtstorey]

How long of a piece of nylon tubing do you need. I probably have some left over since I used AN lines for my brake reservoir to MC.

 

[Robinjo]

Day 35 8/27/2022
Hours Worked: 2.0
Total Hours: 101.5
(Assembly Hours: 39.5)
Tonight we installed the subframe and lower control arms. The subframe was a b$%#@. It's heavy, it's awkward and it sucks. It took my son manning the jack, my wife holding a side and me fighting the beast into place. First it hit the heat exchanger pump port, so that had to be adjusted up a little bit. Then it just got caught on everything. Lonnie makes it look super simple! Once we got the driver side installed, the passenger was easier. Then, the two rear units that got thought the control arms and into the aft of the frame were really easy. He bolted the LCA's in and followed up with the final torques on everything. Then I worked on connecting the solid transmission mounts to the subframe. It was a little trouble as I torqued everything else down, but once I loosened all the subframe mount bolts up it slid in 'easier'. After that was done, just went around and re-torqued it all.

No photos from this adventure, everything goes where you think it should (eventually).
Note: Do the driver's side of the subframe first, it has the tightest things to go around. DO NOT TORQUE EVERYTHING. Install the solid transmission mounts and then go around to torque it all after it's hand bolted.

Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Coolant Pump Issue - Fuse is good and getting 12v to the plug.
No start issue after sitting - Has to do with the light switch
Need more 3/8" OD nylon tubing

 

[Robinjo]

Day 36 8/28/2022
Hours Worked: 2.0
Total Hours: 103.5
(Assembly Hours: 42.5)
Today my father came over and I let him build with my son, so 3 generations working on the kit together. It was a pretty nice early afternoon. We got the axles installed, rear stabilizer bar, knuckles and struts all put in. We had previously built the struts so it all went pretty easy. A little confusion about way the rear bar goes in, but once it gets sat in the spot it becomes obvious how it orientates. Somehow I was missing one of the lower strut mounts bolts/nuts so I had to order one off eBay. I stuck a dummy bolt in it's place just for now, it'll get swapped out once the new used one arrives. Or, if I find the one I misplaced.

This thing is really starting to look like a vehicle. Also, the amount of boxes is getting very small.

Rear Stabilizer/Tie Rods - Note: It only goes in 1 way.


Rear Knuckle - Note: Tie rods go on the top this time.


Rear Suspension - Note: I put the black top bracket under the frame mount location


Issues to deal with:
Headlight (order new set)
Coolant Pump Issue - Fuse is good and getting 12v to the plug.
No start issue after sitting - Has to do with the light switch
Need more 3/8" OD nylon tubing
Lower strut mount bolt/nut missing - ordered

 

[Sluggonaut]

Also, the amount of boxes is getting very small.

That was my favorite measure of progress.