Journal Updates

To provide maximum ground clearance, the exhaust on the Corvette runs through the gearbox crossmember. When the new exhaust was fitted the clearance on the left side was very tight, and it was rattling a little when driving. SR Performance tweaked the exhaust on the left side to create more clearance, this solved the rattling issue.

After fitting a new fuel pump, SR Performance ran the car on their dyno to check air/fuel ratio. The results were almost identical to when the car ran on the same dyno in March 2022.

The new pump that I fitted in 2020 (a reproduction 40083-style pump) started leaking. In December 2023, SR Performance replaced the pump with another reproduction 40083-style pump. In April 2024 this pump failed and was replaced again. It was difficult to find a suitable pump, the Holley carb on the L-79 wants only around 7 pounds of fuel pressure, most of the mechanical pumps available deliver at least 14lbs. SR Performance fitted and tested three pumps before they found one that had the correct fuel pressure.

A couple of years later and I realise the headlight buckets are now opening but not closing. I'm sure the motors are OK, so I suspect the headlight bucket roll switch is faulty.

I replace the fuse as a precaution, the headlight bucket motors use an auto-resetting circuit breaker that automatically disconnects the circuit if an overload is detected, and then automatically resets itself.

In the end I replaced the switch with a reproduction from Zip Corvette – problem solved.

I was never 100% happy with the steering box rebuild from 2021. The steering feels great, but the box was still leaking. The oil that was leaking was light weight, not the heavy grease that's supposed to be used in Corvette steering boxes.

When I had all the driveline work done in late 2023, I opted to get SR Performance to take the steering box out and redo the seals. They refilled the rebuilt box with the proper heavy grease, and this time the result is perfect — no leaks!

The replacement Rear Blower Vent Cable I purchased from Zip Corvette broke the second time I used it! That was a waste of US$139.00. I complained to Zip, and they sent me a replacement — I think I'll keep it in stock for now and see if I can come up with a fix for the broken one. The point of failure is exactly the same as the old cable I replaced, the hard plastic cable sheath just pulls out of the metal sleeve that connects it to the under-dash bracket. The rear blower motor is useless anyway, so I doubt I'll ever use the cable, it's more about knowing that everything on the car is correct and functional.

Based on a recommendation I saw on a forum, I tried cleaning the type discolouration using Steelo Stainless Steel Soap Pads. These worked surprisingly well, the white walls look a lot whiter and cleaner. I'd rate this the most successful of all my cleaning attempts so far.