Not much good news on this front. I went to move the car over (I had it up against the wall to maximize working space for the vette project), and it appears there is a fuel issue. The car started and ran for a minute or so, then suddenly went way lean and died. Couldn't get it started again, so I checked fuel pressure - 7 psi on the battery, 10 psi on the charger. Not real sure what's going on - at least one of the pumps is on (it sounds like they both are though), but it's just not getting any real pressure at the rails.

It's not leaking externally, so I'm thinking one of two things is happening- one pump failed and the other is 'returning' fuel through its feed line and back through the pump (probably less likely). The other is that a line popped off a pump, so one pump is just making a fountain in the tank, the other is flowing up to the engine and back up the other feed line, and dumping all over on top of the fountain pump (I don't have any external check valves in the system).

Either way, it looks like I get to test out the access hole I cut. Hopefully something major isn't wrong, otherwise I'll just go to a fuel cell with an eliminator in it and be done. I don't really have time for any projects at this point.

I did try test fitting the SS wheels up front. I wanted to get the one side off the donut. Turns out the SS wheels won't fit as is. It appears they hit the caliper bracket. I ended up sticking on a 1/4" spacer on each side to make it work for now, although I'd like to measure it out and see if I can get away with something thinner.

I also realized I didn't have any lug nuts that would work with the long studs other than the specialty tuner lugs I bought back when I was trying to make my previous wheels work. They look pretty awful, but a lug swap will be easy, just have to find some that will look decent.

Overall, the wheels look decent. Definitely not as 'tuner' as the old ones. Also, for reference, this is with the front coilovers at max height. The sleeves can go down another 5". Also, I had just set it down off the jack, which is why it looks like it has some light positive camber.

 

I'm sorry to drum up a 10 month old thread, but this isn't a question or relevant for a new thread. I'm halfway through this one, and have read at least 3 of your other threads today. I'm impressed, seems you have taught yourself a lot. On this thread, in 2015 you said the ball joints were hard to get out, they have you a helluva time. Well I just wanna offer ya a tip if you haven't heard it or figured it out by now...An air hammer with a sharp chisel blade eats the heads of those rivets off. Literally you can have the ball joint out and on the floor w no damage to the control arm in less than a minute. Maybe next time this will help you, if you already know, again inapologize for the old thread. Have a good one!

 

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought about that!

Speaking of this thread, I'll have to put together a how to one of these days. I've got probably 100 pics on my garage camera.

Probably should also post up of a pic of it slammed some day too!

 

No problem at all, I've been down the grinder, hammer and punch route before...Used a torch too. But ya can't beat the air hammer for those rivets. I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the "5th gen" Montes, (didn't know the generations til yesterday) but you sir, have a beautiful ride, it's sharp AF. I picked up my parents 02 SS pace car last fall, finally. I've wanted it since they got it years ago. Being the only car guy in my family, I usually don't get them til they break down if they don't wanna fix em. Sadly this one broke down, but it was AFTER my dad drove it to work for a couple years, then it became the car my 3 younger brothers shared and they all got their license within 2 yrs of one another. It's beat all to hell, getting rusty, missing a mirror, and has a go-zillion miles (281k) but I love it. Still 22-23 in town, 28 highway at 75mph. I'll drive it anywhere anytime. When I got it they had put almost a grand in it, but nobody could figure it out, it had been sitting for 3 months. I talked to em about it, agreed to exchange my labor for it, walked outside and put the charger on it, unplugged the MAF and drove the ol' turd home. Lol, I felt a little bad, but they never asked me to look at it and had already bought 2 other cars. Perks of knowing how to spin a wrench I guess.