589 replies to this topic

[Statler]

At this point i'm over it!

Nothing fits, buying parts in this town is a frOcking joke!

Been fitting the extractors for the past couple of weeks. ............. yes ..... WEEKS!

Finally got the p/s pipe to fit after pinching a finger, then after healing i sliced my thumb open on the gasket while fitting the pipe & pouring claret all over the car.

Then it was on to the d/s pipe. This is where the nightmares are really starting to pile up!

No way on this earth was it going to fit from underneath!
Remove alternator & barcket. Remove steering column. Remove engine mount & suspend engine from crane. Fit pipe ..... FAIL!

Think again ...... remove injector rails, blower, intake manifold, cylinder head ..... fit pipe ..... FAIL!



Suspend engine again .... lift ...... fit pipe ......... FINALLY!


Go over town & eventually buy a VRS kit. Refit gasket, clean & lube the cylinder head bolts , torque the head back down to specs ..... fit pipe ............... SHOOT ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Fouls on the bellhousing. Fouls on the X-member. This isn't going to be an easy fix!
Resist all temptation to grab a FBH & retort to my Boilermaking roots ..... close bonnet & go to pub!



At this point, i am seriously considering cutting the pipes & letting the bloody exhaust shop butt rape me for a price!

Gotta love building old cars!


How far out????? ............

Edited by Statler, 18 December 2012 - 05:02 PM.

[wot179]

"I'm a big fan of Pacemakers. This is the only set i have ever had that didn't fit out of the box. They aren't that far out, & i can use an oxy."





lol.

[Statler]

Oh that was soooo tru of the passenge side pipe! LOL

These must have been a 'friday' set of pipes.

[Mort]

No no no, take some time away from it and enjoy Chrissy and restart in the new year, failing that go back to your boily roots, grab an FBH, grinder and welder and make a custom one off set, you know you can do it and it's gotta be better than being raped by the exhaust guys.

Do you know if anyone else has done the same conversion.

[Statler]

It's just an EFI in a Torana at the end of the day. Been done many times before.

I'm already contemplating jigs & heat. I know it's going to be a stuff around, but i'm confident i can make these fit. It's just a bit of heat & bend. Asking an exhaust joint to heat & bend is pointless. They think it can't be done! PFFFT! I've been turning pipe dreams into reality for years!

BTW, i fkn hate exhausts as much as i hate electric spaghetti! ....... & that's next on the adjenda. :(

[Statler]

New X-member fabricated. ....



& fitted.

[Statler]

I'll give you the dimensions & you can make your own mate!

[Ice]

You better pull your finger out col remember you said purple would be at the fest this year at this rate it wont be until 2015

[Statler]

You better pull your finger out col remember you said purple would be at the fest this year at this rate it wont be until 2015

Atleast i have a Torana!

I'm crossing things off a very long list. I have a deadline.

Huh.....what are dimensions......Me - Signwriter........You - Boilermaker

I'll let you know the Font sizes mate, you can build it out of cardboard.

[Ice]

Now col you know i have 2 toranas what the frOck are you on about my freind you just havnt seen them

And there on the road

[Statler]

I bought a $23 can of Pacemaker blue. Thats why the p/s pipe looks good! lol

[Statler]

& they have to come back out again! Seems Pacemaker don't make a pipe to fit the T5!

Exhaust shop want to modify the pipes. Up to 10hrs work they tell me, @ $100/hr!

Back to the VT HSV headers i think! frOckitall!

[Statler]

The car is in the exhaust shop on the hoist right now!

The HSV items don't fit, the Pacemakers don't fit, so i'm out of options.

If only i was still in the trade & had access to the equiptment! :(

[fatslr]

Hey Col i have got Pacemakers in my hatch with a T5 i haven't really noticed any wild mods on them to make them fit .Not sure why? .
The hatch was built when i got it as you know i will have to take a bit more notice next time i am under it .

[Statler]

G'day Garth!

I'm using the VN T-5. They foul on the cable clutch bracket. Strange that they will fit a T700/T400, but not a tiny T5! lol

Just added another $1212 to the exhaust total for a pair of Castle hill pipes.

This system is costing around $4000 so far! What a frOcking joke!

[derrin71]

I used to work at an exhaust shop mate, looks like you only have to modify the lower section after the 4 pipes merge into 2, at the most 1 hour labour plus materials if they want to charge more than $200 take them to court for fraud!

[Statler]

They want (up to) 10 hrs to fix it! At $100/hr labour.

Gotta love living in a mining town.

[Statler]

Castle headers ordered today. $1212 fitted.

Still don't know how they arrived at that figure. I thought the pipes were around $800 & 1/2hr to fit.

Edited by Statler, 21 January 2013 - 07:07 PM.

[warrenm]

Castle headers ordered today. $1212 fitted.

Still don't know how they arrived at that figure. I thought the pipes were around $800 & 1/2hr to fit.

The joys of mining towns.

[Statler]

Another call from the exhaust shop today ...... Ah we can't get this pipe out. Can you come & remove the head?

It was a choice to either remove the head, or they wanted to destroy the extractor getting it out. FFS!

Takes down a bunch of tools, look under the car while it's still on the hoist, admire my now bent Hi-energy sump that they used as a jacking point. Lower car to ground, admire the now crushed heater box that was freshly modified & painted.