LS1 engine now running in Avanti, more still to be done.

[grobb284]

Fired the LS1 engine Thursday night, running from the battery. Wired the CS130 alternator today, have 14 volts at idle, even with the cooling fan on. Pleased with that. Gauges are coming to life, voltmeter, tachometer, and vacuum gage. Will have some more functional next week.

Around 20 "" of vacuum.

No cooling leaks when started, but had two power steering leaks. Fixed those Friday, now no leaks. I assume that will change when I put the Studebaker emblems on.

I'm thinking of putting the water temperature sender in the engine outlet tube where water transfers to the radiator. Has anyone done that before and was satisfied with it? The VDO 1/8 npt sender is to large for the 1/8 npt to 12 mm adapter for the LS1 engine.

I'm liking the engine start via the rocker switches on the overhead console.

Need to do more wiring , some more welding on frame, run the brake lines. Not yet thinking of body work or interior.

Working on heritage tags for engine, transmission, and differential so no unsuspecting person confuses this for original at a later date. (kidding)

I do have some cool tags for the body. Will try to post pictures later.

[Pat Dilling]

Congratulations! Sounds like you are making excellent progress. I am running my temp gauge off the passenger side head, but do not have VDO gauges. Have you contacted VDO for a possible solution? I see Summit has a 12 mm sender for VDO that should work if it matches your gauge.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vdo-323092/overview/

[plwindish]

We are anxiously awaiting pix of your project. That LS will look and perform well in the 63. I also want to see what the car looks like set as a two seater with the independent rear suspension.

[grobb284]

Have you contacted VDO for a possible solution? I see Summit has a 12 mm sender for VDO that should work if it matches your gauge.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vdo-323092/overview/

Pat,
Yes, contacted VDO in the hopes that they had a 12 mm sender for the OEM, as they had none for the aftermarket.

The offering from Summit is for the 300 degree gauges, unfortunately mine is for the 250 degree gauge. I purchased a 12 mm to 1/8 npt adapter from Autometer, but the probe end of the VDO gauge is too big.

I tried machining it smaller, with unfortunate result. The end is just a thin shell, and fell apart. As far as opening up the hole in the Autometer adapter, it is marginally thin already.

I thought about using a 16mm adapter for the side of the block, but my experience with Chevy cast iron small blocks (not the LS1) is that a temperature sender can sense to more than 25 degrees different depending where you put the sender in any of the accessible cooling passages.

I'm thinking that sensing the water leaving the block would be the highest temperature. Only problem being external to the motor itself might be if you lost the belt at the water pump, where the water would not circulate. Being serpentine, though, would loose power steering right away, should notice that.

Still admiring the work you did on your Studie. I've been thing of some unique fuel rail covers to cover the coil packs.

[Pat Dilling]

Here is a solution I found searching the LS1Tech site, read posts #2 and #6:

http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-external-engine/937961-water-temperature-gauge-help-port-above-starter.html

I worked with these folks to develop my Fuel Rail covers. I had my Studebaker Script made in vinyl at a local sign shop and sent it to them. Then we picked a color, I was trying to get close to the color of the aluminum engine. They painted and finished the covers in Silver then applied my lettering and cleared over that. They were good to work with.

http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/fuel-rail-covers.html

There are many more options these days than there were when I did mine.

[junior]

"No cooling leaks when started, but had two power steering leaks. Fixed those Friday, now no leaks. I assume that will change when I put the Studebaker emblems on. "

now THAT is funny...can't wait to see photos! cheers, Junior