I tried the Dynaspark unit..$$$ and it worked fine for a while.. they "fixed" it and it worked a little longer. The best unit is a "real" new GM unit. To do conversions you have to "pay to play"... or you get a second and third try.

You should go to the supplier of the motor mounts for the information about the correct isolator..having the manual and support is very important in finishing up from where you are at now.. What radiator to use? What fuel line routing and fuel pump/regulator..fuel filters. Where will you mount the PCM? Is your harness long enough to reach inside or will you have to keep the computer in the engine compartment? Just some of the many questions..

 

!. I messed up and busted the WP drive unit. Saved. Mezzierre electric pump. Seal issue gone. On the install, I sprung for a new Optilite. the real one, good deal via son s friend with connections. In a loss of a belt, I can limp home. Sans PS and Pb, but running cool.
Efans as well.

2. Ram horns came with the kit from the recycle. brand new in the boxes. but no abels as to origin. Plugs for air rails. I made up a set to fit from a pair of used one from son's junk. Today, I'd drill for the big hole needed for the air pump hoses.

The horns needed grinding along the top of the inner edge for valve cover clearance. my little HF grinder di the job easily.

I did grind a flat spot and drill for the EGR pipe. Came pout looking original.


I did not match the ports. today, I would.

No gasket to the head. just HT RTV. Works just fine.

The Sun Coast sourced down pipes fit perfectly. I used new brass nuts and antiseize.
The kit provide a means to holdthe gasket in place for the nuts to go on the studs. I staed the studs on the bench to eepthem still and accept the nuts from down under.

My down pipes support all the front of the exhaust!!! . No issue as of nw. It purrs at idle....

My harness guy got one thing right. reflashed the PCM to eliminate the VATS.
Other stuff ??? but, it satidfies the scan data for a 94 Cadillac Fleetwood brougham.
That makes the Smog guy pleaded.

Yeah, my son ran his machine shop for decades. Ugh,. closed it and went into on line performance parts. some he makes on self repurposed old machines. CNC mills. Automated....

Some machne shops still grind away....

Carl .

 

Hi, guys, this is Andrew from Jaguar Specialties. I've been watching this thread for a bit and I'm sure it will be a great project and a great driver ultimately

I wanted to make a small clarification though and I hope you don't mind. There was a comment in this thread from the project owner along the lines of "neither conversion company was helpful because I wasn't a previous customer." that in part referred to JS (which I think is us, Jaguar Specialties). He was in contact with us and sent pics of the parts which appeared to be our kit (but not all of it) and our supporting parts for an LT1/XJ6 conversion. What was missing was all of the documentation- conversion manuals, instructions sheets for the separate individual electrical and electronic pieces- and several key mechanical components. All of this came with a car he bought from some previous owner, exactly who was not clear, at least 1 or more down from the original purchaser. Without the manuals and other paperwork, and the missing mechanical bits, it would be like Chinese puzzle to complete the car, so we offered to help.

To that end we promptly provided a quote for the following:

1) Complete conversion manual set, supporting documentation, and full phone/Email/Text support for questions/problems/issues on the project as it progressed from start to finish, just as we do with any conversion customer.

Note- occasionally we will sell our manuals alone mostly as reference material to customers who have conversions that were never finished or done poorly. That is just the paperwork as a reference, nothing else, and it goes for $100-$125 depending on the application. In this case more was needed, and the quote here was higher as it included much more documentation and also our support for the build- not unreasonable considering what was included.

2) Missing parts- we quoted the parts that were missing, and shipping .

In the end, the customer chose not to move forward on any of this and instead go at it on his own.

Conversion companies face this issue from time to time when say a kit or part sells second hand on Ebay or elsewhere. In a case like that where paperwork and detailed support beyond will likely be needed, what is the company to do? Provide materials and support time forever, and at what charge?? I think you can appreciate the issue.

Again I just wanted to clarify on this topic. Those of you who know me and Jaguar Specialties know we work very hard to support customers to be sure they are successful and we make extra efforts to be responsive and available, even on weekends. I wanted to be sure you were clear nothing has changed

Thanks
Andrew
Jaguar Specialties

 

Believe me Roger, I can appreciate your statement and am the first to admit that I have a harder row to hoe than if I were "paying to play". I am completely understanding of paying for what I get from a vendor who has a store-front or website open to the public, specifically to sell something. I have tried to merely ask a question about some obvious conversion parts that came with this car. I sent pictures that had the business name right on the plastic bags some of the parts were still in. Clearly, someone bought these parts from the vendor in question and the other parts were on their website for sale also. What I got for an initial reply was (paraphrased...…….".obviously some of your parts are mine, but I don't want to talk about the other parts until we have an agreement and you have become a customer. Let me put together a proposal for a couple of things you will surely need to complete your project and we can go from there") At that time I had not had the car in the shop or even looked at any part of it in detail and was not aware the motor mounts were actually bolted on the cross member already, I only saw the trans mount in the trunk. The vendor emailed a proposal for $695+or- for the (2) engine mounts and the (2) power steering hoses. This price also included the conversion manual and a $250 fee to allow me to talk to him when I needed to. It was about then that I felt sure that some, or most, or all, the other parts came from the same vendor, and yet that vendor would not own it until I payed the fee. The fine print on this vendors website also has several stated and implied commitments that are expected of potential customers that are beyond the financial transactions.. To me, this is not "pay to play", this is bordering on extortion and I will cut off my nose to spite my face when it is presented as such.

So, instead of having a manual outlining the steps and tips for the conversion, I have my own experience, this Forum, and the help of my Son and other hot rod friends to get through one issue at a time. And isn't what old guys working on cars is all about? As for the steps you mentioned: I have read posts on this Forum that point to a specific radiator; this car was fuel injected and should have a stout pump in the boot with a two-line delivery and there is a regulator on the LT1; I have the original PCM/Harness from the donor Caprice which mounted the PCM in the engine compartment, it that doesn't work, I'll figure it out.

I am very thankful to all of you who have commented and suggested while I've been a member and I don't mean to alienate anyone. I do have the problem of my filters disappearing when I get irate and I apologize for that. As I've said before, this will be my last build and I have already told my wife and kids that they have to sign a sworn statement that they will never sell this car (smiley face here). Thanks Roger, I appreciate your comments.
Dave

P.S. I sent my Accel Optispark II back to Summit this morning after everyone's comments. Thanks again for sharing, I'll decide on a distributor when I get to that stage.

 

Hello Andrew, this is Dave. You must be able to see what I'm typing before I even post it.
I have not seen one single negative post or comment about your business and that's why I was glad when I saw the interface's with your packaging. My initial contact with the picture was just to see if the items I had were from you-that's all. If you had said yes, I planned to purchase other items from your website to help with my conversion. But you didn't. The quote you sent was as I put in my last post; 2 motor mounts, 2 power steering hoses, manual, and talk privileges-for a lot of money. There was no doubt that more parts were going to be needed before I was done, but that's not what I was trying to establish, only who sold the few parts I had and would I be able to buy more parts. As for giving me a quote on the parts that were missing, at the time, the motor mounts would be a high priority, but I can think of many other things I would have been interested in buying before I needed those hoses.
There was never an idea on my part to buy a conversion kit/package from eBay, I would not of thought to look there. And honestly, I am in favor of business' making a living and charging for their goods and services, but it left a bad taste in my mouth when it seemed I needed to pay a "membership fee" just to buy some parts. If I'm wrong, I apologized.

I won't respond to this subject with anyone in the future. I am not interested in making this a pissing match and as I've said, JS has a good reputation from what I can tell. Any experience I've had is just that, my experience and nothing more.

Dave

 

No harm done and it sounds like everyone is on the same page.

Perceptions about our products, and more importantly our support need to both be very good to inspire confidence in potential customers. You don't get a good reputation overnight and it's important that, if you want to continue, it remains that way. A newbie sometimes reading and innocent forum post may get the wrong idea, and that was my only motivation to pipe up here. Your situation was very different than most, but again, all is good now.

Best regards,

Andrew

 

No harm on this end either. I'm glad we had the chance to air it out.

Dave

 

Well, that's 1/2hr of my life I won't get back. I did something and my post disappeared. In a nut-shell, this is an update on my project and a show-and-tell to boot. Finished the front suspension and brakes this morning and took a couple of pictures. Also included pic's of both versions of a spring compressor I made. You can tell which one is the keeper.
Everything that moves in the suspension has been replaced and the calipers, master cylinder, and booster have been replaced or rebuilt. All bushings and joints are new. Wheel wells have been recoated with undercoating and paint. The steering rack and sway-bar are next and then on to the rear suspension.
The addition of a ball bearing "wheel stud installer" between the 3/4" nut and the load is the secret to smooth operation. Pipe T is 1-1/2" and the flat piece below it is actually a 3/8" pipe floor bracket that is bored out to 3/4" and inverted into the T. It locates the rod in middle of the T and is the flat surface for the stub installer. The other picture shows what happened to the first prototype with a piece 1/8" angle iron and no stud installer. To all of you who are contemplating a spring removal, don't under-estimate that spring. It creates a tremendous amount of pressure when you start compressing it. But don't be afraid of the task, just be respectful of the process that is required.
Dave

 

Let me know if you need a Great stock TB. Have all the needed new gaskets. Only have it and the stock alternator left for a LT1...changed alternator to 140 amp unit for use with new sound system...

 

Roger, I'm going to have to finally show my ignorance and admit that don't know what a TB with all the gaskets is, but I do appreciate the offer. I've been following your thread about your new exhaust venture. In my mind, yours is what I have imagined-glad to see pictures. Have you ever had any issues or concerns with an exhaust system using the "crush" bending method vs using "mandrel" bent pipe? My thoughts have been to buy a mandrel bent kit from someone like Summit and then put it together and hang it myself. I don't trust my welding ability, so it would connect with band clamps or something. I can picture ugly written all over that. No one (shops) in my area has or will work with a customers mandrel bent pipe so I'm beginning to think having a well known and trusted shop build and hang one with their standard crush bender. They've quoted about $1550 having not seen a 1985 XJ6 before. Oh well, that problem is still a long way in the future.
Dave

 

Dave

In one of your posts you said your Throttle Body (TB) was in bad shape... mine is great with new gaskets.. but the cheap price ($25.00) might be less than the shipping to Alaska!!

 

TB=throttle body, makes perfect sense. Again, I appreciate the offer, but I already found one that I cleaned up and it should work.
Dave

 

The front end of my car is complete now and I have the rear sub-frame out and on the work bench. As most of you know, this end will be more complicated with many more parts to fit and measure. I have discovered that the right side caliper, hub/hub carrier, rotor, etc. have been "worked on" by someone who ran out of patience and the correct tools before the job was properly done. The two taper-head bolts that hold the inner fulcrum bracket to the diff case were little more than finger tight, but had a piece of inappropriate safety wire in place to pass visual inspection. When I removed the bracket, there were no horseshoe shims on one side and the remnants of two shim on the other. I haven't tried to mic them yet, not any flat spots left. My problem is now I don't know if the other side should have had a couple of shim's too and what thickness they would be. I can see where having unequal shims, from side to side, would try to affect the caster slightly and load the inner fulcrum bearings slightly, but I don't get why there would be any shims here at all. Camber is adjusted by shimming the half-shafts and the radius arms and lower wishbone are not designed to move front-to-back. Does anyone have any experience with this shim issue, the shop manual just says keep track of the shims and put them back. I'd like to understand what these shims do and how to determine how many should be there. Thanks for any ideas anyone might have.
Dave

 

The shims between the lower pivot brackets and the diff case itself are there just to adjust for tolerances in the manufacture of the rear suspension cage. Once the diff is installed back in the cage the brackets and long fulcrum shafts are brought to the assembly. Shims are used (same amount, front and rear) to get the bracket mounted to the diff such that the fulcrum shaft slides smoothly all the way through both the cage holes and the bracket. You may or may not need any shims depending on tolerance buildups. That's it. Your original shims likely corroded away and fell out. The safety wire is original and it may very well be that no one has been in there since the car was new.....

I hope that helps

Andrew
Jaguar Specialties

 

Thank you Andrew, I appreciate that info. That makes perfect sense if you are trying to align three separate parts. When I put everything back together then, I will use the cage holes as the reference and shim (if necessary) the bracket to fit. Would that be the best way to approach this? The diff/suspension had definitely been worked on as the bracket was so loose that I could wiggle it by hand and the safety wire was the very thin type that might be used to string beads for a child's bracelet. The nuts holding the half-shaft to the rotor/output shaft were rounded badly and the axle nuts were tight, but the hub carriers slid off the stubs by hand. This might be an issue and I will have to figure it out once I get everything cleaned up. Oh... and the caliper bolts were also loose.
Thanks again Andrew, you've been a big help.
Dave

 

This is interesting as when I rebuilt my rear subframe (new diff, calipers and rotors) I thought the same thing - but as Andrew stated it's more likely that the shims fell out. To get around this when reassembling, I made my own shims using a peelable shim strip that I got from a friend who works in aircraft maintenance. You basically peel off what you need. I drilled the shim material so that my shims would not fall out - unlike the stock u-shaped shims. I spent a LOOONG time getting everything straight! Do some measuring, make a shim, torque everything down, check whether the shaft slides in easily - rinse and repeat (many times). Finally got it perfect - so I thought. This was about a year ago. The other day I was under the car and - what the hell! The thinner shims had clearly undergone some stress and were warped and bunched up to the point where a couple had torn and were hanging by a thread - so I'm back to the state where it looks as if some lazy mechanic said - that's good enough and just wired it up. Not sure how concerned I should be..

 

Oh, me !!! I recall those shim packs. Once used in reconditioned Babbitt connecting rod bearings. Soft brass !! As the Babbitt wore, just remove the cap and peel of a layer.
But, in a connecting they were very well clamped in place. .

In a suspension???? But, useful in the fitment. Once the "thickness" established, remove measure with a caliper and create a shim in hard metal. Use that one or those !!!

At times, stuff can seem securely fashioned when in fact it is not !! Parts just nmot settled in... Or just tired arms at the end of a hard day....

Carl

 

I can't argue with the experiences that you and Andrew have had, if shim(s) have fallen out that could explain the bracket being loose. The shims that remained in one side were fast becoming just large flakes of shim stock and probably would have fallen out in short order. This is a good example of why I am inspecting, rebuilding or replacing everything that moves in the suspension/drive train. It didn't run when I bought it. Thanks a lot for story, I think I will Lock-Tite the bracket bolts when I put it back together.
Dave

 

Yeah I did that too.

 

aircraft maintenance. You basically peel off what you need. I drilled the shim material so that my shims would not fall out - unlike the stock u-shaped shims.

Carl was correct, in aviation, these peel and stick whether Aluminum or Stainless Steel would be for clamping loads only, and probably with high strength-closes tolerance bolts, or for two miss matched aluminum skins to be riveted together.
If you get suspension right with the U shims (fastest way), measure total stack and replace with Grade 8 washers as shims, you could slip in one SS washer (usually thinner) in between two grade 8 washers to get final thickness.
Rgds
David