Winter Withdrawal Blues

**mackzilla** · 01-03-2018

I've been without the car for about 6-7 weeks now, and it's really starting to wear on me! So I've got the winter time, Ohio blues. This thread can serve as my placeholder for pictures and other random BS.

Before the holidays I removed the top end of the motor to do some routine maintenance, improvements and some general tinkering. I'll share some "cool stories" and redundant crap.

Things completed:
1. Powdercoated the intake and valve covers "hacienda red". _20180103_214049.jpg
2. Powdercoated the carbon fiber airbox with clearcoat. For some reason, it was exposed CF and a total bitch for me to clean. IMG957404.jpg
3. Cleaned/serviced air filters
4. Replaced and gapped spark plugs
5. Replaced oem coils with demon coils
6. Sent injectors off to Tony armour for filter replacement and cleaning service
7. Fixed hacked wiring on a few sensors
8. Added a catch can and one of Matts billet mounts
9. Painted the hood cowl and found a cheap solution for weatherstrip for you guys. EBay "z-shape adhesive weatherstrip". It's all the same. This stuff is like $10 a roll tops and does a great job. DSC_1071.jpg

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10. Powdercoated rear diffusers and hood vents satin black
11. Added oem-style black badges
12. Resealed by b&b manifolds collectors. Drivers side was nice and tight. Passenger side was bad, very loose.
13. 1800* heat wrapped the exhaust manifolds.

Awaiting not-so-shit weather:
1. Fuel filter replacement
2. Battery + alternator wire upgrades
3. Find my coolant leak

Pretty excited even though this is a lot more basic compared to last winters project. I would like to turn the car over next week. But I'm not doing that fuel filter unless it's at least 30+ degrees before I fire up my garage heater.

**ACR_Matt** · 01-03-2018

The powder coating and carbon fiber looks awesome! When I had my powder coating business I had tinkered with the idea of using the oven as a makeshift autoclave for cf parts but never got around to drilling holes for vacuum lines. Wish I had now! Was your cf intake clear coated in powder coat?? That was another of my "wish I had tried it" projects.

**mackzilla** · 01-04-2018

Hey Matt! Ya my buddy does my powdercoat work. The carbon fiber was bare originally. So I asked him one day: "can you powdercoat carbon fiber?". He tells me about how his wife had gotten him a new wedding band that was carbon fiber, and while it looked cool it wasn't smooth. So he shot it on clearcoat and it worked perfectly. I was test pig number 2 and it is awesome and easy to spray clean now.

**71firebird400** · 01-04-2018

Very cool! The carbon fiber and intake manifold turned out great and I, for one, really appreciate the shared knowledge on stuff such as that weatherstripping you mentioned.

I do a similar thing with my car each winter; put it on jack stands and address a bunch of minor items. A lot of the time goes into wiping down suspension components and keeping the chassis as tidy as possible. This winter I am installing coilovers, swaybar endlinks, fresh motor mounts, bleeding the clutch, and swapping on a later 10-quart oil pan. Last winter was brakes, coolant, diff fluid and addressing a transmission input shaft seal leak. I really enjoy working on the car and the winter affords me enough time to go about it at a pace that makes things a lot more fun.

**mackzilla** · 01-04-2018

Originally Posted by 71firebird400

Very cool! The carbon fiber and intake manifold turned out great and I, for one, really appreciate the shared knowledge on stuff such as that weatherstripping you mentioned.

I do a similar thing with my car each winter; put it on jack stands and address a bunch of minor items. A lot of the time goes into wiping down suspension components and keeping the chassis as tidy as possible. This winter I am installing coilovers, swaybar endlinks, fresh motor mounts, bleeding the clutch, and swapping on a later 10-quart oil pan. Last winter was brakes, coolant, diff fluid and addressing a transmission input shaft seal leak. I really enjoy working on the car and the winter affords me enough time to go about it at a pace that makes things a lot more fun.

Couldn't agree more, homie. I've got a link updated there already. I'll post the pics this evening.

**BrianACR** · 01-04-2018

I know how those blues work!! Been parked for coming on 2 1/2 months now....
I've also got my top end pulled so was gonna powder coat the IM and valve covers. When you got it done, did they cover all the polished stripes on top, Viper logos on the valve covers and the injector holes, or did you have to clean them off once you got them back?

**Venomess** · 01-04-2018

Luckily im in NC so I can usually drive my cars year round minus a few days here and there. Ive always wondered how powder coat guys keep those lines so perfect. Like the bare aluminum strips on top of the intake... and the word "Viper" and the logo. How is it just not all the same color? I want mine done in black textured but want it like yours. Make sense??

**ACR_Matt** · 01-04-2018

Originally Posted by Venomess

Luckily im in NC so I can usually drive my cars year round minus a few days here and there. Ive always wondered how powder coat guys keep those lines so perfect. Like the bare aluminum strips on top of the intake... and the word "Viper" and the logo. How is it just not all the same color? I want mine done in black textured but want it like yours. Make sense??

I'll fill you in on that one. Before the parts cure in the oven you can easily remove the powder. We would use several methods but my personal favorite for letters and logos was to wipe it off by hand then follow it up with a vacuum tube reduced to a pinpoint to suck up whatever powder was left over. Doing this resulted in incredibly sharp details and a much better result vs taping it off.
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I did the valve covers, intakes and some other odds and ends for Brodix for several years. This engine was used by Lucas Oil for promoting a new line of oils I believe.

**Brian GTS** · 01-04-2018

Oh, I remember the snake hibernation days. If you can, move south! We moved from western PA to NC 7 years ago and talked my family and a close friend into it as well. It's the best decision we made. It still can get below freezing from time-to-time, but precipitation is less, and salt infested roads are very rare. The other difference I noticed is that most days are wall to wall sunshine compared to the seemingly constant overcast sky of the Northeast....especially during the winter months. With the exception of a day or two here or there, it's always Viper time!

**Next Phase** · 01-04-2018

Originally Posted by Brian GTS

Oh, I remember the snake hibernation days. If you can, move south! We moved from western PA to NC 7 years ago and talked my family and a close friend into it as well. It's the best decision we made. It still can get below freezing from time-to-time, but precipitation is less, and salt infested roads are very rare. The other difference I noticed is that most days are wall to wall sunshine compared to the seemingly constant overcast sky of the Northeast....especially during the winter months. With the exception of a day or two here or there, it's always Viper time!

I second what Brian just posted, moved to NC from Ohio almost 15 years ago. Once you live somewhere with no snow, you'll question why you ever dealt with it for so long.

Just got back from Ohio for the holidays and it was absolutely beautiful, but after 10 days in the snow...was glad to get back home.

**mackzilla** · 01-04-2018

I hear you guys. And I would like to move to a place where I can drive and race year round too. For now I'm anchored, with my lady, we'll be mobile in a few years. Edited first post with the weatherstrip. Hope this shows the idea well, that cowl is large. While I'm on the topic of that cowl, I looked everywhere for a similar to oem strip and just had no luck. The shape of it was like a Y but the top section more resembled a U in shape. I had this "z" shit laying around from sealing headlights on my track car.

**mackzilla** · 01-04-2018

Originally Posted by Venomess

Luckily im in NC so I can usually drive my cars year round minus a few days here and there. Ive always wondered how powder coat guys keep those lines so perfect. Like the bare aluminum strips on top of the intake... and the word "Viper" and the logo. How is it just not all the same color? I want mine done in black textured but want it like yours. Make sense??

Ya that makes sense. This texture is like oem, it's called a "krinkle" powdercoat. I almost did black myself. And mopar blue. Kinda kicking myself on not doing the blue.

Matt has one way he mentioned which is cool. My powdercoater applied the coat then ran a fine grain sand paper over the embossed stuff. Then baked it. I had that black discoloration that wouldn't scrub clean on the bare metal.

**mackzilla** · 01-07-2018

Got the car together today and it looks good. I have a code p1296 which the scanner says is "injector failure multiple faults bank 2" however the internet troubleshooters point to the map sensor having a bad connection.

**Purple Haze** · 01-08-2018

I live in Ohio too. Been Viperless for about 9 weeks now. I did sit it them today and enjoyed that, for whatever that's worth. I had to push them forward a few feet so not to have flat spots on my tires...Anyway the wait continues...

**1BADV10** · 01-10-2018

Yep, those winter blues do suck but at least it gives us time to look everything over, fix whats needed and make any changes for the next "Viper season" or just sit on a bar stool sip on a cold one and stare at it...hey, whatever gets you through the winter...lol. Simple winter projects for me, I'm going to lower seats 2" and change out the power steering pulley with a billet Ipsco version.

**mackzilla** · 01-29-2018

I am up and running. I opened up the harness, learned myself on voltage and continuity and used the manual to find a ground to signal in my MAP wiring from where it looks like something had been spliced in to borrow output from the MAP signal (middle of sensor) wire.

Went on a cruise yesterday with great weather and awesome results. Dyno is scheduled for the 12th of February as long as I don't get stopped up by snow.

I needed that slumbuster.

**BrianACR** · 01-29-2018

Good to hear you got her up and running!
Maybe you could post a pic of your recently powder coated engine bits all but back together...

**mackzilla** · 01-31-2018

Brian I have horrible light in my garage. I'll snap another this weekend when I can get the car in daylight. Lmao

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