I Drive a 55

Here’s the latest on the new engine.
The brake lines are in.
And so is a line-lock set-up that had been sitting around on the “around-to-it” list for years.
I’ve noticed that I’ll gather up things that I want/need for the car and then never get around to installing them.
One project becomes two and so on and so on, until there’s the big project where everything can get installed.
I mean, the brake lines had to get rerouted anyways, so I might as well drop in a line-lock right?
As we were getting ready to put it on the cherry picker Manny and Martin noticed the water pump pulley didn’t line up with the rest of the front accessory drive pulleys.
Seriously?!?
The water pump pulley sat an inch inside of the rest of the pulleys causing the belt to bend in to stay in contact with the water pump pulley.
If I kept it that way it would be a “belt thrower” and I didn’t want that.
I called up Holley and found out that I got the water pump.
I got 22-100 and I needed 22-101 which sits out an inch further and lines up with the rest of the front accessory drive pulleys in my system.
Whew!
Holley customer support is the best!
The new water pump is in and everything lines up.
Which is nice.
The engine and headers went in without a problem thanks in part to the CPP LS install kit that includes their adjustable engine mounts that are powder coated black and come with counter-sunk Allen head bolts with nylock nuts for a super clean look!

Not too bad right?
We were ready to install the coolant temperature sensor, the oil pressure sensor and the knock sensors but they weren’t included in the kit I got, so off to the parts store.
It’s always something right?
At my local Chevrolet dealer I got the knock sensors I needed.
But does $101.50 for a knock sensor sound right to you?
Oh yeah – and you need two of ’em!
To add insult to injury, they’re in AC Delco baggies with “Assembled In Mexico” stickers on each sensor.
I remember the quote I saw above the doorway into Dick Guldstrand’s garage years ago.
It read: “Speed is just a question of money…   How fast ya wanna go?”
All of the sensors are installed.
Now we need radiator hoses.
I never would’ve guessed that a 2001 Camaro upper radiator hose would work, but it fits like a glove.
The K&N oil filter I got was wrong too.
I had the HP-1007 and I needed the HP-1017.
I love K&N oil filters – they’ve got a little “nut” on the bottom so you can take em off with a wrench or ratchet – you don’t need one of those stupid oil-filter wrenches to get it off.
And that makes life easier, especially with headers.
We moved the engine towards the front so the headers could find their happy-place and in doing so created the need for a new, longer drive shaft.
I had one made at Driveshaft Pro that I’ll use until I step up to a QA1 Carbon Fiber Drive Shaft.
The 4L60E transmission and driveshaft went in without a problem.
Now time for some fluids.
Nothing but the best for The 55 so I’m using all Red Line Oil Products.

Red Line 5W-30 Motor Oil, D4 Synthetic Transmission Fluid, 75W-90 Rear End Gear Oil, Power Steering Fluid, RL-600 Brake Fluid,Water Wetter and their Complete Fuel System Cleaner.
Remember, that pile of parts I was telling you about?
Well, my buddy Trent from Comp Cams happened to show me this super cool shifter on the Hot Rod Power Tour so the TCI Diablo shifter became a part of the build too.

I’ve never used a shifter like this, so it’ll be an interesting learning curve.
Here it is in and ready to rock.
I’m using the two red buttons for the line-lock and the N2O.
I’m also keeping the old shifter up on the column for now to keep the old school vibe.

And thanks to @MobileTechLucky for the old school Holley Air Cleaner cover.
I dig it!!
I’m not a fan of the coil-packs sitting on the valve-covers so I’m using Holley Vintage Series valve covers which means we had to relocate the coil-packs.
We ended up hiding them where the distributor traditionally lives in a 350.
The N2O solenoids are in, but they’re driving me nuts right there out in the open for everyone to see.
Once we’ve got a few miles on it I’m planning on hiding them out of sight.
Another one of those parts is new carpet.
Once that’s in, it’ll be almost like a new car.
I can’t wait to drive it!
A big “Thank You” to everyone involved in this project!!
Holley for the Terminator MPFI, Front Accessory Drive, Throttle Body, Intake Manifold, and Valve Covers.
Mahle for the forged Pistons
ATI for the Damper
ARP for the fasteners
Comp Cams for the Camshaft and Valve-Train
Tory Diblasi for the forged Eagle Stroker Crank, Forged H-Beam Rods and Rectangle-Port Heads
CPP for the LS Install Kit, Doug Thorley Headers and Holley Oil Pan.
Accel for their Ceramic Tipped Spark Plug Wires
CPR Engines for balancing, blueprinting, and assembling the engine.
…and the killer Lambda.
Hiro’s Transmissions for rebuilding the 4L60E to withstand the abuse it will receive.
Nelson Gill at Boss Hog for the custom Torque Converter
K&N for the oil and air filters.
Special thanks to John/Cholo & Manny for getting it all in, bending all the lines, re-pinning the ECU and learning me how to use the new shifter.
You guys rock!!!
Oh yeah…
I finally drove it for the first time last night!!!
Tom the Tuner came by to give it a proper tune and I got to drive The 55 for the first time with the new set-up.
It started out a little rough.
But Tuner Tom patiently worked his magic on the keyboard and after 20-30 minutes of driving it, he softened all of the sharp edges.
The Holley Terminator computer is amazing.
I could actually feel the engine change as he was pressing keys on his computer.
And it’s only going to get better he says.
My buddy Charlie told me that this new engine is “going to chance my life.”
I asked him what he meant by that and he said that he used to like to look at his gauges.
That all changed after he got his first LS.
Now he doesn’t look at his gauges anymore – except the fuel gauge every once in awhile.
I check my gauges religiously, so this is going to be interesting.
There’s still a few things that still need to get buttoned up before its road worthy.
But it’s so close my head is kind of spinning right now.
I’m so excited to drive it and to get some miles on it.
But the question is – where do I go first?
Wherever it is – I hope to see you there.
Until next time.
#idrivea55