Off season Aspen projects have begun

[Oldiron440]

Every part in the system will be new so it should work I would think.
Would it help to use a bleeder on it, I have a vacuum system?

 

[Aspen500]

The one and only time I've ever dealt with DOT 5 was at the Audi dealer on an R8 and used a pressure bleeder. The customer wanted it changed because he runs it down at Elkhart Lake (Road America) on weekends. Pressure bleeding pushes all the old fluid out, which was DOT 4, along with using a scanner to also bleed the ABS unit by pulsing the valves. Obviously not a concern with our cars! Vacuum might work but that usually doesn't even work all that well with DOT 3 (my experience only).

Looking back, I kind of wish I'd have used DOT 5 right away. Like your car, every part except the pedal and drum backing plates, was brand new. I just need to make it a point to change the fluid more often. The fluid that came out of the rear brakes was barely discolored though, unlike the fronts which was brown. I still think the calipers had rusty bores when I put them on originally during the car's build. It always had a slight pull right when braking and the new EBC pads made it pull really bad, since they grab a whole bunch better. In 4 or 5 months, when winter is over, I'll be able to find out if it's good now. In the meantime,,,,,,,,,,,,,IS IT SPRING YET?

 

[barbee6043]

Bad on me, BUT I have 95 Ram 3500 bought new, never has had brake fluid ever changed. 25 years, 240000 mi. Always has had good brakes. Guess I am lucky.

 

[Aspen500]

The universe is right again in Aspen land. Since they ran the street sweepers on parts of the main roads, got the car out and made a couple laps up the frontage road to a park about 3/4 mile south (as far as the sweepers went so far) and back. For one, it sure is nice to have some actual hp under my right foot again after driving that slug of a Dakota all winter. Second, with the new calipers, the brakes work good and it stops perfectly straight with no pulling to one side(!).
Thirdly, even though I haven't done an alignment yet, the upper control arm bracket shims did the trick. The car hasn't handled this good in a quite a while. From my street to the Rib Mt. water dept is a 1/4 mile of straight level road and I didn't have to touch the wheel once. If the road didn't curve past that, it would have gone farther. The steering wheel is dead nuts level too. Have a feeling that putting the shims in without physically adjusting anything, put the alignment back to where it was when I lined it up originally. Still going to check it of course when the time comes.

It's been months of waiting to know if all I did took care of the problems and since they did, I'm a happy guy!

 

[Aspen500]

Something I should have done over winter but hadn't any plans to do. I've decided to add a pair of resonators to the exhaust to kind of tone down "the bark" a bit. Basically muffle the high notes better. Settled on Vibrant ones. Reading the reviews, sound like they'll do exactly what I'm after without any restrictions. Going to put them up front, just behind the flex pipes. It'll drop the dB level by 2 to 3 points, mainly the higher frequency levels. They won't be here until later this week so, maybe next weekend I'll put them in.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-1792

 

[Duke5A]

Definitely waiting to hear your opinion on those!

 

[80mirada]

I'm with Duke on this one, I need to start designing my exhaust soon

 

[Aspen500]

I'll let you know. I'm really hoping they tone the exhaust down a bit. It's not a matter of "if it's too loud, you're too old", it's a matter of it just being to darn loud period. Noticed it after I switched from Super Dynomax reverse flow mufflers (with unbearable interior drone) to Dynomax Ultra Flow welded mufflers. I knew it would be louder of course, just not THAT loud. They took care of 90% of the interior drone though. I ordered them Friday evening but Summit says shipping is slower right now because of the Covid crap and they won't go out until tomorrow but, should have them here for next weekend.

 

[jasperjacko]

I have a borla pro x s muffler and the borla straight resonator in the tailpipe. I love it, ZERO drone.

 

[Aspen500]

With the Super Dynomax mufflers, the interior drone was so bad you couldn't stand it. A conversation with the passenger was impossible at anything over 45 mph and listening to the (stock AM/FM) radio over 30 mph? Forget about it! Odd how those exact same mufflers with the old engine and a car with basically zero sound deadening had almost no interior drone and resonance. That's why I went with the Super Dyno's again when I did the complete rebuild of the car. Guess there's a difference between a mostly stock 440 with manifolds and a mostly NOT stock 500 with headers. Even WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back in the very early '90's when my car had fenderwell headers on the mostly stock 440, the drone with the Super's was minimal.

 

[Aspen500]

The resonators came today at some point. Dang them's shiny, lol. Want to TRY putting them on this weekend. All depends if I can get some energy back. At work, "busy" doesn't even begin to describe it and I am just plain worn out. My next move from this desk in the den, is to the couch in the living room and then,,,,,,,,,,that'll pretty much be it I have a feeling. Doesn't help any that it's gray and rainy out either.

 

[Aspen500]

Took the Aspen down to work earlier this morning to do an alignment. After putting the upper arm shims in last winter, the short couple drives this spring showed it drove straight and the wheel was centered. Put it on the rack, got the machine all set up, looked at the readings on the screen and took the heads off and shut the machine back down. Perfect as is, no adjustments needed

Also last winter, I had balanced the tires. Forgot all about it until this morning driving down to work. The couple short times I had the car out so far this year weren't above 35 mph. At 55-60 this morning, completely smooth, no vibration or shaking. The way it drives and handles now, the brakes stopping straight and without both feet on the pedal, and being smooth on the highway, almost like driving a whole different car now. I'l take it!

Next up, get my old butt under the car and put the resonators on. Not today though I don't think. If it wasn't for my sore back, shoulders, arms, legs, neck,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well, you get the idea. Can I please be 30 years old again? Please????????

 

[Oldiron440]

Not if I can't!

 

[Aspen500]

Not if I can't!

I'm working on it!

 

[7T8 Custom]

I`d settle for just being 40 again. Seem to remember being able to get alot more done on a weekend then I have energy left for now after a long week.

 

[Aspen500]

I used to get TONS of stuff done on the weekend. Seems lately all I really feel like doing on the weekend (or week nights for that matter) is lay on the couch and watch TV through my eyelids. It's sucks...........

Started the plan of attack on the resonator install. First hiccup, I can't put them where I originally intended. I only glanced under the car when I first decided where they would go, but a closer look and "oh yeah" there's a bend about 10" behind the flex-pipes. There is room to put them farther back though, closer to the mufflers. Ideally they'd go in the tailpipes but that's not even an option. Hiccup #2. I only ordered 2 of the stainless band clamps because "I have 2 of them on the shelf yet". Another one where I should have looked closer. Sure, there are 2 of them up on that shelf, except they're for butt joints, not lap joints. Darnit............. Not the end of the world I suppose, just a kick myself moment for not paying more attention beforehand. Oh, can't forget the 3rd, and hopefully final hiccup, discovered the only metal cutting blade I have for my reciprocating saw has no teeth and wonder why I put it back in the case like that last time I used it. Guess it wasn't meant to be this weekend.

 

[Aspen500]

Isn't much but I did get the car up on stands and mapped out where to cut the exhaust pipes. Last night when I ordered 2 more band clamps from Summit, also ordered a new wide-band sensor for the A/F gauge. It seems to have failed, almost always reads 13.8 and on a quick throttle, jumps to 17 (which makes no sense at all) and back to a steady 13.8, no matter the speed, load, or rpm. Last summer it was working fine and then all at once it stopped working and I wasn't going to worry about it. When I had the car out Saturday morning, it bugged me so now I'm worried about it, lol.

 

[Duke5A]

Isn't much but I did get the car up on stands and mapped out where to cut the exhaust pipes. Last night when I ordered 2 more band clamps from Summit, also ordered a new wide-band sensor for the A/F gauge. It seems to have failed, almost always reads 13.8 and on a quick throttle, jumps to 17 (which makes no sense at all) and back to a steady 13.8, no matter the speed, load, or rpm. Last summer it was working fine and then all at once it stopped working and I wasn't going to worry about it. When I had the car out Saturday morning, it bugged me so now I'm worried about it, lol.

At what angle is the O2 sensor in the pipe? It should be ten degrees or more nose down otherwise condensation can get into it.

 

[Aspen500]

It is approx 10 degrees nose down. I think what may have done it in is my dumping a couple gallons of leaded 110 race fuel in with the rest unleaded premium all the time. Don't have that "problem" anymore though. The only station in the entire metro area with race fuel at the pump (Rib Mt. Petro Mart just a few blocks from home), closed last fall. I really miss that place, not just because of the race fuel. Pretty sure you can buy race fuel out at the oval track, but only on race nights.

This is where I wanted to put the resonators, right behind the flex pipes and hangers:

This is where they're going to end up going. Marks are about where the cuts will be:

 

[Duke5A]

Holy smokes, you could flip that thing upside down and eat off of it it's that clean. The work you put into this is phenomenal.