Projected maiden voyage in January?
So I have been busy with multiple things and tending to forum updates is a tall order but here is some info and pics for you.
Steering: I managed to keep the steering rack in its stock location(which was a big hurdle as previously explained, the only modification done to steering was lengthening the shaft from the column 2" since the sub frame was lowered, it fits snugly passed the oil cooler with barely any clearance. Yes, I managed to make this happen with the stock oil cooler/filter setup which I couldn't believe and was making preparations to delete. it has about .5" of clearance from the body(the oil filter).
Exhaust Manifolds: I ended up using exhaust manifolds from a GMC Kodiak as the up pipe flange is located behind the head rather than next to it which made valuable clearance for the engine to fit where it needs to be. I got rid of the heat shields and had them Ceramic coated for a better look as well as better performance. Also the Kodiak exhaust manifolds/up pipes/down pipe are much less restrictive and do not have the flattened tubes like you may be used to.
Intake Bridge: I had to chop off the 2 bolt flange and fabricate a 2.5" hose coupler so I could run a 90 degree silicone hose right out of its place as there is no room for a fancy egr delete pipe under this hood.
Thermostat Housing: The thermostat housing was modified to allow for the coolant hose to be routed easier
Radiator: I purchased a Mishimoto performance direct replacement aluminum radiator for the Camaro which is 2.5 times thicker than stock. I removed and capped the stock inlet and outlet and capped them off and installed larger inlet and outlets to accommodate more flow for the engine, also the placement was changed on both to accommodate the engine.
Intercooler: I am not sure what brand it is but I hit the jackpot on ebay when I through a $60 bid on this one thinking it was some cheap garbage(was intending on using it for mock up). it has to way over 50 lbs and is built extremely well with very thick aluminum cores and tanks. it fits the location perfectly with the tubes clearing around each end of the radiator.
I also had to cut the mount for radiator and move it back up to stock height since the sub frame was dropped 3 inches.
Drive Shaft: I obviously had to build a custom drive shaft for it which was pretty straightforward except for the adapter I made to get rid of the GWEBO joint(rubber flange type joints that all newer cars run). You can see the adapter in the pictures, it pretty much adapts the 3 bolt gwebo pattern to a 4 bolt drive shaft flange, I had to do the same thing on the Charger.
At this point the engine and transmission are mounted, the radiator and inter cooler are mounted most the piping is complete, drive shaft is installed the main fabrication is complete.
What I am waiting on is the wiring harness which I sent down to a great guy named Ken in Florida, he does standalone Duramax harnesses on the side and I believe he works for GE as an electrical engineer. He is very fair priced and his communication is excellent. He is very intelligent and can explain things to someone with little knowledge on the subject. You wont find anyone cheaper and he may give you a discount if you mention my build as he was excited to be a part of it. Note: I searched near and far for this service and have high standards.
Also, he has a few low cost connections on getting the ecm reprogrammed to work with the harness and further more to function without the EGR system.
Here is his Website -
http://www.standaloneharness.com/duramax.html
So once the wiring is back in my hands and installed along with the ecm hopefully it will go smoothly and we will see how a 6.6 duramax powered Camaro performs! Then I can start ironing out all the kinks such as gauges(I will run an edge CTS2 for the time being), fuel tank, exhaust system, cleaning up the odds and ends, etc...
As for the gauges functioning, Ken said that they may all function perfectly or they may not function at all once the can bus wires are connected between the engine computer and the body computer. I'm hoping things go smoothly as far as the gauges but am prepared for the challenge if they do not function.
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/136055991@N05/shares/pKe5yu