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Beluga Whale: Brendonak's Alaska '79 245 Build

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Drifting mission up a local mountain road, it has too much grip or too little power. Probably the latter! Been entertaining the idea of a 4.8 or 5.3 Chevy swap, all that torque, yumm.

Also, Kjet is not liking our weather! 12f is not helping my cold starts, I need to LH2.2 this car badly!
 
Drifting mission up a local mountain road, it has too much grip or too little power. Probably the latter! Been entertaining the idea of a 4.8 or 5.3 Chevy swap, all that torque, yumm.

Also, Kjet is not liking our weather! 12f is not helping my cold starts, I need to LH2.2 this car badly!

i have a 5.3 sitting around...too bad my 2.2 car just went away today.
 
In other news I finally got my trailer hitch on, so now I can seriously look at picking up a donor 2.2 car rather than just spout BS about getting one.

I'm waiting for one of those group buy LSX mounts to go through, I'll get on that train. If it never happens then boost time. Either way more power is required. 4.8/5.3 is preferred as I can run regular gas and have an understressed, torque monster.
 
Looking good, great choice on the single rounds and flathood grill, paint the commando bumper and put them back on, haha!
 
2.2 swap time

Pulled apart that 85 I towed home with a blown tranny
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Down to this
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Giving me this
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Further reducing to this
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I also installed this
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And this (25mm sways)
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Which left it looking like this, still K-jet at this point.
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Waiting on some IPD parts, sensors and what not. This weekend hope to finish the install.
 
I'm hoping so. It's daunting especially since I'm taking apart my DD, but I think it should be as simple as it looks. Just install the parts, hook the wires up, and go...I think.
 
Myles has been helping me a bit, nice guy he is.

I see two coolant temp sensors on the b230 block, but only one listed in the wiring? The fuel temp sensor is broken, new one is inbound.

The routing of the stock harness seems chaotic, anything I can do to clean it up some? I'm worried that I won't have it routed properly.

What should I use to re-cover the stock harness? I was thinking of going to an electrical store and ask what they'd reccommend for an engine wiring harness.

People talk about separating the ignition harness to eventually switch to EZK, but from what I can see the ignition harness is already entirely separate. Also the ign. harness wires are pretty stiff. The harness coating flaked off, as you can see. What should I use to prevent this in the future?

I tried to pull the injectors out of the intake mani and the rail out of the injectors (removed the clips too) and they didn't want to come out. Any reason to pull them out, or just leave them be?

What's the best way to clean the intake mani and t body? What about cleaning the amm?

When the engine was still in the car I tried starting it but it wouldn't fire. The chassis was missing a couple relays by the batt and the alternator was pulled, maybe that's why it didn't fire. Cranked over just fine.

Do I need to swap distributors or can I use my kjet one on my b21?
 
Myles has been helping me a bit, nice guy he is.

I see two coolant temp sensors on the b230 block, but only one listed in the wiring? The fuel temp sensor is broken, new one is inbound.

You need the single blue top coolant temp sensor, the other one with a yellowtop I believe is for the coolant temp gauge. I'm not sure what a fuel temp sensor is. The Kjet B21 should have an additional coolant timed switch that you can simply leave in the block. Don't forget the knock sensor.

The routing of the stock harness seems chaotic, anything I can do to clean it up some? I'm worried that I won't have it routed properly.

The stock Kjet engine harness will have to be completely removed. Through the fire wall and if you want to clean it up behind the dash as well. Other than that stock routing for the LH harness will work fine. You may need to open up the harness hole in the passenger side firewall a bit but the big ECU connector should fit through ok.

What should I use to re-cover the stock harness? I was thinking of going to an electrical store and ask what they'd reccommend for an engine wiring harness.

I used heatshrink where it would fit over connectors and electrical tape over other areas. This was not an issue for me because my LH harness came from an '88.

People talk about separating the ignition harness to eventually switch to EZK, but from what I can see the ignition harness is already entirely separate. Also the ign. harness wires are pretty stiff. The harness coating flaked off, as you can see. What should I use to prevent this in the future?

It is separate, but what they mean is to remove the harness from the outer sheathing so individual wires can be seen and if neccesary removed. I have not switched to EZK so I don't know what else. And since I used a late model 2.2 harness, my wires were supple so it did not become an issue. I would look around for a late model harness if possible, or at least do some multimeter testing in case there are breaks under the sheathing.

I tried to pull the injectors out of the intake mani and the rail out of the injectors (removed the clips too) and they didn't want to come out. Any reason to pull them out, or just leave them be?

It would be best if everything could be removed at a later date but you should be able to swap it all in one. You're going to need fuel injection hose and clamps to mate the late model fuel rail to an early model fuel supply.

What's the best way to clean the intake mani and t body? What about cleaning the amm?

Best way to clean them is to have them apart, shoot with TB cleaner and wipe until clean. I don't normally touch the AMM, just the screen on it.

When the engine was still in the car I tried starting it but it wouldn't fire. The chassis was missing a couple relays by the batt and the alternator was pulled, maybe that's why it didn't fire. Cranked over just fine.

Do I need to swap distributors or can I use my kjet one on my b21?

Depends on which dizzy you had. I had the huge Chrysler white cap so I swapped to the LH one.

.
 
K-jets are better for cold weather when working right, which is no big deal really. I'd advocate keeping them, if possible. Much less loss in economy and better engine wear characteristics than the LH-jet. A block heater and oil/water heat exchanger might be wise for cold running, along with a mild battery blanket, plastic tray, metal splash pan with vents blocked off, and something to block off the radiator (sheet of stainless steel for damper areas of AK?).

The parts car is an '84. LH2.0, high compression, automatic B23F engine, raised trim on the doors, DL model car with enamel paint. Nice harness in the parts car, pity to blow it open, it has value..ones in that cold weather condition updated volvo tag are very very hard to find. Pity to part it. Auto-auto is a fast swap.

I'd make it work right with what it came with more or less. B23 engine can be a nice powerplant change, if so desired. It can work well in an early car as a seamless swap with no signs of anything different with the original CI (k-jet) FI.

K-jets or conjoined manifold with airbox and functional (not too warm once "hot") preheat and a good set of stroms or SUs are the ticket for the cold. Uncle Olaf had it right. LH EFI is crap in the cold. Starts and idles good. Hard on economy, hard on the motor.
 
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Then what's the difference between 2.0 and 2.2? I've tried searching and the only things I've found are people switching from 2.0 to 2.2.

I blew the harness open to check for any broken wires. The sheathing was cracked in a few areas and I didn't want to swap in a harness that had any comprimised wires.

My kjet "works" but it gets 13.5mpg, starts after about 10 cycles (lh started after about 2-3), and won't idle untill it's about 20 mins warmed up.

Why do you say lh2.0 is harder on a motor than kjet?

Also Anchorage winters aren't that cold, plus I garage my car, meaning plugging it in and having heaters on the block and battery aren't required. I run a piece of cardboard in front of the rad during the winter. Anchorage is a very dry climate during the winter, and we don't salt the roads.

Lastly, the b23 has about 300k on the clock, I was planning on dropping it into my car while I clean up and +t the b21. Is the b23 just as bomb proof as the b21, just more cc's and more compression? Also I have the RSI N/A cam in my b21, would it help in the b23?
 
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