Thread: Bandook's 01 Imp, top swap-ified

This took forever to get every spot.

MPS pully bling. Gonna contrast nicely with the rust on my car

Stopped in Intense today. I'm gonna just use the heads I have. With my HP goals, the small crack shouldn't be an issue. So with that, I started porting tonight. First time porting cast. I didn't imagine it would cut so easy. So I started with the exhaust, for practice I guess. Basically just cleaned up the casting marks. Not sure if I'm going to try to open them up/gasket match or whatever. But I think they came out OK. I did cut into the valve guide area just a bit. But I don't think it will matter since the guides are just milled from the head and not pressed in, right?


A question about the idler pulleys. Does anyone have the size or part numbers for the 3 pulleys? The ones I have, I think at least one is the wrong size. I got the part #'s from a picture I found, but now I realize that there are different pulleys on different cars. Here is the tensioner bracket I have



When I mock it up the pulley on the tensioner is hitting the other pulley on the bracket. I think the tensioner pulley is 90mm and the grooved pulley is 74ish. I found other pics and it looks like the tensioner should be smaller than the grooved pulley?

Originally Posted by Beatdowncity

My tensioner will hit the other pulley without the belt on because i got a larger diameter tensioner to allow me to use the stock sc belt size.

OK thanks. I bought the smaller belt so I'll get a smaller pulley just in case.

I have been doing some more port work to the heads. Exhaust runners are done. Intakes are roughed in. I'm still not sure how I'm going to finish the intakes. Reading as much on porting that I can, and there's just so much conflicting info floating around. To smooth or not to smooth, or not too smooth. I haven't touched the short side radius because it seems I can really screw it up if I take too much off. Think I'll leave it as is.

Last night I started on the combustion chamber. At first I wasn't going to touch them, but I just couldn't resist. Here's one that I just started on.


And after about an hour.


I blended a lot of the "steps" right up to the valve seat. When I got close to the seats I took the valve out and using my dremel with a pear shaped stone, I smoothed it right to the edge. Still needs a little more work. Might unshroud just a little at the outside edges of the chamber to make them flow into the seats a little better.

Here's a head where left cylinder is untouched, middle is stoned 95% and right is hand sanded a little with 120.


I'll lose some of the L36 compression, but just decking the heads might put me close to where I started. Might end up getting some Cometic mls gaskets that are a little thinner, but I don't know if keeping higher compression is worth it since I'm pullying up anyways.

Gonna wear a better mask next time. Can still taste iron and blowing out rusty boogers is kinda gross.

One head done.


Hope to have the other done by the time I'm called to pick up the blower so I can drop them off to be resurfaced and have valves cut in.

The rest of the exhaust finally came. Looks like I'll still have to buy a piece of 3" and figure out how to get it to mate with my exhaust. He just hacked the end off and its kind of messed up. Can I weld stainless with a gasless flux core welder? Dunno.



I'm still ahead on the deal since he included a couple band clamps, look on the bright side I guess.

Originally Posted by REDCOMPG

I hope your getting rid of the sink trap while your at it. You'll hate that you didn't once it starts bottoming out on everything.


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Um... I'm not much of a plumber. Remind me what a sink trap is?

Edit: ahhhh, the u bend on the exhaust? I thought the headers took care of that? Its hard to imagine how this looks on the car. What do I need to do?

Originally Posted by REDCOMPG

Aka the gooseneck on the header to avoid this



And before everyone says they never had a issue.. Everyone seems to have different experience with it.. It'll be a problem for some.. It was for me but if you ask me.. The more clearance the better.


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OK, thanks. I've got a nice dip at the end of the drive, might be an issue. Would I get a shorter flex and a 45° or something?

Red, your awesome. Thanks man.

So, I've decided I want to go the E85 route now. It's plentiful around me, and it will benefit future mods even more. I ordered a Aeromotive Stealth 340, and I'm working on getting a set of 60lb injectors. Am also going to install the hot wire kit. Found a new machinge shop to finish my heads, mill the HG area and lap in the valves. This guy was so much easier to talk to. Didn't make me feel like an amateur (which i am but there's no need to make it obvious ) and he happily answered my questions and gave me some visual ideas with some parts he had laying around. Plus he actually gave me a time to expect them to be done! This week!

So, If i can get the last few parts...injectors, FP wiring, I think I'll be starting the install Saturday. I ordered a sheet of CE phonelic, gonna try to make a thermal spacer for the M90. Never cut this stuff before, so it depends on how easily I can get it done whether I use it or not. I've always wanted an excuse to work with this stuff, so this was it. Plus, if it comes out good it is only 30 bucks for 1/2" spacer.

Heads back from the shop.


60lb injectors and wideband came in today as well as the phonelic. I installed the Aeromotive pump. The one I got is universal, non venturi. So I'm gonna have to mod the FP canister. Anyone have any tips? Just drill some holes in the bottom?

Install starts Saturday morning. Stoked.

Question: Is the Aeromotive 340 just a rebadged Walbro 255? Sounds ridiculous, but I had someone who considers themselves the voice of 3800 performance tell me this today. I'll let you know who when I have a definitive answer. All the flow testing I've seen shows the 340 spanking the 255 at every level.

This was going to be the weekend, but I just wasn't comfortable putting the heads on with a crack. So...back to the shop they went today. They'll probably pin the crack and I just told them to assemble them for me. I won't have a full weekend to do the install for awhile, so I will probably begin tearing it down mid week and do the install as time permits. No problem for me because I need all the time I can get to learn more about tuning with dhp.

I got the blower back from intense. This will be the last time I ask them for anything, seriously disappointed how he treats locals. ZZP for me. Anyways, everything is painted and ready to roll.


Fuel pump is installed and rewired. Ended up just drilling the canister. Seems I'm losing pressure when the car sits, have to prime the pump longer before it starts. But the 340 is very quiet so I'm happy about that! Decided on the AEM wideband. Need to figure how to get that in to DHP. Ordered a boost gauge today, alternator voltage booster from zzp, and some new ls7 lifters. I really need to get this install on the way because the longer it takes the more crap I buy! So much for a budget build.

Originally Posted by Booba5185

Lookin great! I'm not sure if I was the one who said there was no coating on the rotors, but I know I was involved. It happens, lol, at least you were able to get some better rotors in there. It'll help a bit, and those look to be in GREAT shape, especially for a Gen III.

Just looked back and you are the one. Jerk. Being all right and stuff...

Yeah I'm glad I swapped. The rotors are in really good shape. No deep grooves on the edges and zero slop in the bearings. The ones I had would wiggle a little when I turned the pulley, even with a new coupler.

It's been a long strange trip, but I finally have my heads back and I'm happy. The chamber with the crack had new seats installed, need to touch up the machinist ridges a little but its not bad:


And the rest of the seats were cleaned up on a Serdi. And boy are they perty


Much happier with the results using the serdi. The stone job and lapping left wide and rough seats. Now they sit perfect. Here's a little slap test I did with some marker


For my amateur eyes they look good. I'm going to wait to assemble them until I pull my heads off. My car has less miles than the heads I am putting on, so I'm gonna swap springs and keepers. Won't have a lot of time this weekend, baseball games tomorrow, but I think I'll start tearing down tonight. Wish I could have started sooner because now its flippin hot in my shop. Gonna be close to 90 and I'm not acclimated to the heat yet. Not crying, I work outside mostly, but I do need some nice fans for the shop.

Picked up another pcm from the yard, so if I screw one up I have backup. I tried reading a pcm from a 98 regal sc, now I know dhp won't write to them. I'd like to get someone to write me a base tune, just don't have the time I need to figure that out. Then I can use the guides to dial it in. Anyone around here who does that? I sent overkill Will? a pm but haven't heard back. Maybe they don't like emailing custom bins?