PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

I figure I would start a new thread in an appropriate area being that I am no longer brainstorming any more.
Incase you missed it:
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 12&t=22440

And here is how the drop went the other day(copy and paste from lesabret.com) Don't know if theres a limit for pictures in one post, I think I remember seeing that some where... let me know if I need to tone it down.

The engine placement went extremely well! From just fantastic weather to good company/help and plenty of beer.
So the day started with wheeling out the engine from the garage at 9:00am:

One last look at the bay without the engine:



Started figuring out the hoist brackets. I needed to shave down a head stud the slighted bit to get the exhaust stud to clear:

Installed dynamat on the knock sensors for good measure:


Got it off the stand and torqued the flywheel bolts plus 50 degrees:

Then installed the 2750 stall torque convert that I bought used. Only had 500km on it and plenty of fluid left in it, filled a couple coffee cups of ATF:

Once that was torqued, we pulled out the rebuilt transmission from under the stairs and bolted it on. Went on with ease:


With the tranny on, we started installing most of the mounts, passenger side rear dog bone pictured...I have a bone to pick with this one, literally, you'll see why. Also installed the tranny to engine bracket:

Driver side rear mount location, we left this installed on the sub frame because it would have been impossible to have it on the tranny and slip it past the power steering rack(location is where the three bolts are sticking out):

Driver side front, this bracket needed some minor grinding to fit properly due to poor manufacturing standards:

Passenger side front, no issues here:

This passenger side front removes requiring this gigantic TAM mount that surrounds the timing cover and rests on the frame rail.

In the mean time, my brother was installing his WRX JDM head lights:


Also added some tips for him

Once we were done with a little break, swapped the tranny pan and starting to lower:





and installed 8-)

Me as happy as can be:

so the only issue we had is the dog bone mount:


You can see how it is off by a good inch. And the dog bone is wayyy to long. I know there is an adjustable dog bone out there which should solve the long issue, and I'll get my brother to make me some spacers to push out the mount that is on the transmission end to match the subframe mount. Longer hardware will be required and it should be good.

My brother was well lubricated by this point and had the bright idea of wheeling the buick out for a wash. I was somewhat against it because some suspension things still needed to be attended to but everyone else was pushing me to do it so I did. And what great idea! The Buick had never seen a hand wash while in my possession and it needed it:

This allowed for some real nice shots and let me see how the wheels fit and how low she'll be sitting:









Not nearly as low as I thought it was going to be, which is what I wanted, I think its a perfect height:


6.5" clearance at the front spoiler and 26 3/4 at the top of the fender. Is anyone able to measure what the stock dimensions are? Would like to know how much of a drop it made.
Started to fit the headers, only got the front loosely fitted but looks good:



While the Buick was out, we gave the garage a well needed sweeping and a quick re-organize. Its still dishevelled, but with time I'll clean it out.

Having a look at what the headlight covers look like. Its been determined that they won't be installed:


Here are some nice detail/general shots taken by random friends:









I didn't have a chance to snap some pictures of the BBQ lunch, but here is everyone settling down for some pizza after a long day. Continued the night with more beers

Like I said It was a great day, 30 degree weather, lots of laughs and good times. Its amazing how someones infatuation will bring this amount of people together to help or just attend. It was really nice to have family and friends around the entire day and they all saw a glow in me the entire day. I hope to have many more of these days, regardless if its my project or someone else's.

That engine looks amazing! I can't wait to see the end result of this

So, who's the ghost in the passenger side??

Engine looks *dang* good!

Looks gook. I like what you have done so far.

Looks awesome man.

Nice work.

The passenger side dog bone won't work correct without the big luggin torque axis mount - I tried several iterations and lost two axle boots. The dogbones don't have enough rubber to bear the wheight of the engine & trans and not vibrate. You have the trans tail mount end installed backwards is why it's not lined up right.

I Modified the OEM mount for the T-Type, I used a 1/4" thick angle iron piece and cut it to fit the 4t65 and the OEM rubber part. It's a tight fit.

Looks good!!

You've done a really great looking job! - BC

Wheel choice...Excellent! Fun with family/friends, priceless!

Did that drivers side mount happen to be Anchor brand? We had trouble getting one to fit a 95 recently

Thanks guys. Now that i have the engine it, it'll allow for a lot more work to take place. I'll be posting all update from this thread from here on so stay tuned.

Matt - do you happen to have any pictures of that mount? I think I might still try the spacer route with the adjustable poly dog mount. I reallllllllyyyyy want to avoid the TAM mount.

crzydmnd - are you wondering about the front or rear driver side? I had to go through this for the rear... viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30777&p=306604#p306604
And if I had to replace it while the engine was in the car, then it would have been a pita.
The front only needed to have one edge ground down because it was hitting the transmission. I'll grab a picture tomorrow.

As for that ghost SR, he is just remenants of sand blasting material, which has finally been washed free from the Buick and garage.

Check out west coast fieros. They may make you any dogbone mount you want.

IMO the only way you're going to avoid the TAM is if you add a GP or LN3 style lower pssenger side engine mount. That dogbone, poly/adjusted is no where near up to performing the task that the TAM does. Even with a new rear, bolted front, and poly/adjustable dogbone, my engine sags bad without the TAM.

crzydmnd72 wrote:Wheel choice...Excellent! Fun with family/friends, priceless!

Did that drivers side mount happen to be Anchor brand? We had trouble getting one to fit a 95 recently

Anchor sucks. The first one I bought any two of the three bolt holes lined up with the trans, the second one all three lined up BUT the lower bolts didn't unless I pryed real hard to get them to line up.

95naSTA wrote:IMO the only way you're going to avoid the TAM is if you add a GP or LN3 style lower pssenger side engine mount. That dogbone, poly/adjusted is no where near up to performing the task that the TAM does. Even with a new rear, bolted front, and poly/adjustable dogbone, my engine sags bad without the TAM.

nasta, do you mean this LG3 mount:

I retained the bracket from my old 3800 Vin C, ground off the AC bracket, wedged it in behind the L67s aluminum AC bracket and used a '88 Lesabre mount front engine mount. Didnt know the GPs had the same.

Matt I tried flipping the trans tail bracket and its still off by 22mm. The bracket is centered to the trans tail bolt location.

I've already ordered the poly dog bone.

Thanks for all the help.

I'll see if I can find a picture of mine, if not I have to wait until friday to get one or sketch something up. The nice thing about the rear passenger LG3 mount is it can't sag, so my axle boot can't rub on the subframe.

I seem to remember fidgeting with the dogbone mounts to get them to line up, once they did the OEM dogbone fit but sagged. One (or both) of your brackets are (were) backwards. They should line up. Try flipping the one on the subframe? I think the dogbone should sit near vertical.

I take it back, I thought the LN3 had a mount similar to this:





If you could modify the GP mount and the subframe to accept this style, I think it would work.

I imagine you guys are talking about this mount:

I thought I threw this mount and bracket out, good thing I didn't.
It looks like it could work with minor fabricating. Like you're saying Matt, it'll be a tight fit, but won't allow for any sagging.
I already have the poly db on order, so I'll try with that first and make sure I don't mis-place this LG3 bracket mount. The mount looks easily sourcable online anywhere, so thats not a problem to replace.

In other issues, what did you do for a throttle cable Matt? Did you use the L67 SII cable? theres no way my '88 is going to be compatible. If you did use the SII cable, then hopefully I can find an H-body with an SII at a yard that I can pick at.

Yes, the SII cables are a direct replacement for the LG3 cables.

Yes, that is the mount. I recommend extending the bracket that bolts to the sub frame so it sits about an inch lower and make the tail end bracket tall enough to offset it. The one stud interferes on the trans, lowering it will resolve that issue.

Excellent, thanks for the info Matt.
I'll try sourcing a SII cable.

Onto more interferences, I bolted up the rear headers(what a pita) and down pipe and this is what came out:


I'll have to check my receipts but I'm sure it was an H-Body down pipe. Worst comes to worst, I'll get a shop to cut just after the flex pipe and take it from there.

Got the adjustable poly dog bone and shortened it a short as it will go. With the engine un supported, the dog bone was still too long by 1/4". Jacked it at the tranny 1/4" and it fit:

Still need to make some 20mm spacers for the trans bracket as you can see.
We'll see how well this holds up and if things fail, then I'll get on to making the LG3 mount.
Heres a shot of the axle with the car jacked up:

I don't think there will be any rubbing issues. Wheels should be back from the shop tomorrow and will do a test fit.

I've come along way since my last post, but nevertheless, shes running nice other than a nasty sounding exhaust.

I know reviving old threads is frowned upon, but what I dislike even more is digging up old project threads and never having closure.
Here is my closure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvjjnaUpxJ8

enjoy and thanks to everyone whose help me along the way!!