need your ideas please

[erock805]

I am quickly coming upon putting the motor and trans back into my 73 vega wagon. Its a four speed car (Iblew up 1st gear on the saginaw after installing a new posi 9inch). I am using a richmond 4spd, switching to a manual vega steering box, going to a electric pump and fan combo. I will pull the heater box as well.

So here it is...while i got it all apart, what else should i do...this is my first Vega project. The car will be an occasionally driven street strip car. Oh yeah sub frame connecters are welded in. I can post some pix when i get back to Phx this weekend. I really appreciate your ideas...thanks

[ColinOpseth]

hey Erick,
Remove the k-member. Do the washer mod where you weld washer into the most restrictive inside parts of the k-member's slotted holes. Weld the k-member up so that it isn't being held together with bolts.

Reinstall into your car.

Fabricate a crossbrace that goes across from one side to the other to prevent the body from pushing apart.

That's all I can think about right now.
Later,
Colin

[erock805]

Awesome stuff. Thanks for the feed back. I hadnt known about the K member or the washer mod. I was wondering about side to side pressures, and have been playing with the idea of adding a drive shaft loop with that brace or adding the brace so the trans would mount to it. Which would be better??

[ColinOpseth]

I'll be putting subframe connectors in my car soon and when I do I'll be putting in a bolt-in driveshaft loop as part of the deal. I think some guys have tied their SFCs into the front part of their car near the control arm mounting points.

If you intend to race your car I'd look into fabbing in a driveshaft loop, anyway.

The washer mod is something that Tim McCabe developed (I think). It solves a lot of the alignment problems that H-Bods have when the frame starts to spread.

Welding the k-member helps to increase rigidity in the engine compartment. I believe Erik from Norway welded in a bar from side-to-side. I'll see if I can't find a picture of his car for you to look at.

[ColinOpseth]

Yeah, I found one..

[erock805]

awesome thanks again...

[ColinOpseth]

hey, no prob..

Post some pics of your progress
Later,
Colin

[AusRs]

couple of questions
1 what is the rack out of ???
2 what master cylinder is that you are running

[ColinOpseth]

That isn't my car. As stated, it's Erik from Norway's car

I don't know what rack that is. I emailed him but never got a response. It looks cool, though. I also like how he solved the k-member problem
Later,
Colin

[barebonesracecars]

This is a pic of my modified (Skyhawk) K-member. It's based entirely on Tim McCabe's idea that Colin mentioned above. What is done here is the factory's 4 individual mounting bolts and 'C' clips are removed. In their place is a tube spacer cut to fit inside the body mounts where the K-member fits. You'll then use a long 1/2" bolt all the way through.

Onto the side of the tube spacer, you'll weld a 3/8" bolt. This will point towards the center of the car through a hole you'll drill in the K-member. Put a lock nut on it. Slot the holes in the car's frame piece where the K-member bolts.

Now, when you reinstall the K-member, but before the engine is in, tighten the 3/8" bolts carefully...this will pull the bottoms of the A-arms inwards, helping to correct the negative camber your heavy V-8 will cause (also caused by a weak design by GM).

Works great, and the 1/2" bolts will hold it all tight. You can do this with the engine in, but be aware that while doing it that way, the frame will likely begin to spread as soon as the K-member is removed. It will also take more force to put back together than you can apply with the 3/8" drawbolts...I had to use a come-a-long hooked to the A-arms.

Kudos to Tim McCabe for a simple, effective modification.

[Dick73Vega]

This is what I did in some areas on my bracket Vega maybe it'll help you out. Are you using the transmission V8 kit crossmember that bolts to the sheetmetal floor ? It didn't look to strong to me so I fabed one out of 1-1/2" square tubing that bolts to the stock Vega crossmember holes, just stronger than the one bolted to the floor. If your welding in frame connecters Chassisworks sells a universal Transmission Crossmember that you could tie into your fame connecters. Are you using the stock fuel tank and line (5/16") ? I removed the stock in tank pump and fuel line and replaced it with the moroso 3/8" line. After I ran the car at the track with a Holley blue pump my fuel pressure was getting lower and lower and had a off line bog, what the problem was the stock fuel tank has a vent on top of the tank that is maybe 1/4" (if that) with a diaphragm, it just put the tank into a vaccum once the fuel pump would run for awhile. I took the top out and gutted the diaphram out (3 spot welds) and had the radiator shop braze in a piece of 3/8" tubing in place of the 1/4" . Now the pressure stays steady and bog is gone. As for a driveshaft loop (if you run slicks) I used a Summit kit and it was easy and fast bolt in. Good luck with your Vega.

[v8astregt]

I was gonna do the washer trick, but when I took my crossmember out, the holes weren't slotted?!?


Anyways, I really like the mod above!!! Seems like that would hold it much more steady than a couple little bolts.

[erock805]

Thanks to everyone, great stuff. Dick I am glad you brought up the tank issue, I had forgot about that tiny vent up there.

I was using a hooker conversion now i am switching to a Don Hardy but they both seem to be bolted to the floor. Would it be worth it to weld a mount to the sub frame connectors instead of the stock floor mounts?? That was kinda my plan all along...just didnt know if it would be worth it or not.

I gotta tell you guys the K member stuff scares me a bit. i can check it out though, how does this mod help the car? I saw the bit about negative camber, but what does the negative camber cause? from what i remember you try to set the camber to be perpindicular to the ground at full acceleration. Meaning under throttle the nose lifts thus correcting the negative camber...how off base am I????

[Dick73Vega]

Erick I've seen guys run that kit transmission crossmember at the strip and have had no problems, I just looked at it and came up with something stronger for my car. The biggest thing is frame connecters to stop body twist with a V8, the guys I talked to at the strip running stock chassis Vega's said to put them in or start stocking up on windsheilds. My plan was to build the car strong (roll cage, frame connecters, trans crossmember, saddle engine mount and not cut anything out) with a mild V8 and after I got it sorted out then build a better motor. On your frontend did you put in new bushings and ball joints ? When I redid my frontend to 5 lug and disk brake (1980 Malibu) I did the string and tape messure and it looked good but I took it to a frontend shop and had them aline it and it runs straight and true at the strip the $50 bucks I spent to aline it is good peace of mind. NAPA used to sell offset bushings for the control arms to help the alinement. Good luck with your project.