More LT4 Updates

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Progress on the Engine/Trans install

So I had been waiting since January for the Control Module to arrive (ECU, FPPM, Harnesses, Pedal, Sensors, etc). I finally received that last week, and quickly got to installing it.




The installation went quite well. I was able to route the harness in such a way that it is mostly hidden, with a super clean look on the visible connectors.



After I got all of the engine connectors hooked up, I needed to fit a rather large bulk of wires through the firewall. So I pulled out the heater block-off plate we had fabricated previously and modified it with a few holes for some large grommets to pass through. I also mounted the FPPM (fuel pump pressure module) to the firewall just above the block-off plate.




The ECU did not have any mounting options available, no holes, brackets, anything. I wanted to mount it on the trans tunnel, under what will eventually be the 10.5" touchscreen in the center console. So I cut up what was left of the top of my welding bench and made a mount.





Next up I needed to fabricate an air intake to hold the MAF sensor. So I ordered a bit of 4" aluminum tubing, a silicon 4" 90* elbow, and a universal K&N filter. After cutting the elbow down, I really only needed a small 9" section of tubing to place the filter where I wanted it. I then marked out where the MAF needed to go, cut out the slot for the MAF to go into the tube, and welded it on.






Digital Dash

Next up I needed to figure out my dash. The speedometer never worked in this car, and the stock dash only had Speed, fuel level, and a few dummy lights. So I decided to go back to one of the things I founded this blog for... a completely digital dash.

I found a 14"x4" screen with a control module and HDMI processor for $109... which would fit perfectly in the gauge cluster. So I removed the stock cluster, fabricated some brackets, and got the screen installed.







I then wired it up to my Raspberry Pi 4, loaded up OpenAutoPro, and got it installed back in the car. I also configured and wired up a 2nd Raspberry Pi 4 to another separate 10.5" touch screen that will be installed in the center console.




The cluster's Raspberry Pi is connected to the ECU via the OBD2 diagnostic link, where it is able to read and process the realtime data stream on the CANBUS. 

I have a few more parts on order that I need for a first time startup, but once I get those (and a bit of time) I should be able to get this car started for the first time.

Until then... enjoy.

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