What did you do to your Hellcat today?

[2ndAmend]

Now I have the trailer, winch and tow hook, it's like my CCW. I have it if I need it, and expect (hope) to never use it!

 

[drag racer]

One way or another, they are going on. Challenge is to make it as clean-looking as possible, while meeting the main objective of easier plug changes, while retaining all OEM functionality and my catch can. Hoping to get it "done" next weekend so I can test drive the car a bit.

Well, the left side is finally done less PCV plumbing. It was a crap-ton of work and several challenges to solve along the way to make it look like OEM, which is the way these cars should have come. My back is killing me from bending over for hours LOL, but I love a good challenge and knew this would take a lot of time to make look as good as possible. The Blackbird valve covers are simply top notch in every way.

I will say I shed tears of joy as I reinstalled the four coils in about 5 minutes (new plugs installed in a prior session). The Chrysler engineering team who got the 'ok" from the "Maintainability" group for the OEM valve cover design should be bamboo tortured. Now to see what awaits me on the right hand side.

 

[BULL]

Well, the left side is finally done less PCV plumbing. It was a crap-ton of work and several challenges to solve along the way to make it look like OEM, which is the way these cars should have come. My back is killing me from bending over for hours LOL, but I love a good challenge and knew this would take a lot of time to make look as good as possible. The Blackbird valve covers are simply top notch in every way.

I will say I shed tears of joy as I reinstalled the four coils in about 5 minutes (new plugs installed in a prior session). The Chrysler engineering team who got the 'ok" from the "Maintainability" group for the OEM valve cover design should be bamboo tortured. Now to see what awaits me on the right hand side.

View attachment 162183

You know if you drive it around with asymmetrical valve covers, the engine will explode!

 

[Unholy707]

Well, the left side is finally done less PCV plumbing. It was a crap-ton of work and several challenges to solve along the way to make it look like OEM, which is the way these cars should have come. My back is killing me from bending over for hours LOL, but I love a good challenge and knew this would take a lot of time to make look as good as possible. The Blackbird valve covers are simply top notch in every way.

I will say I shed tears of joy as I reinstalled the four coils in about 5 minutes (new plugs installed in a prior session). The Chrysler engineering team who got the 'ok" from the "Maintainability" group for the OEM valve cover design should be bamboo tortured. Now to see what awaits me on the right hand side.

View attachment 162183

The power steering pump clears?? Or did you have to buy that spacer for it? Did you simple move the wires to the top? Passenger side is dreadful let me know how it goes. Looks great!

 

[Unholy707]

Well, the left side is finally done less PCV plumbing. It was a crap-ton of work and several challenges to solve along the way to make it look like OEM, which is the way these cars should have come. My back is killing me from bending over for hours LOL, but I love a good challenge and knew this would take a lot of time to make look as good as possible. The Blackbird valve covers are simply top notch in every way.

I will say I shed tears of joy as I reinstalled the four coils in about 5 minutes (new plugs installed in a prior session). The Chrysler engineering team who got the 'ok" from the "Maintainability" group for the OEM valve cover design should be bamboo tortured. Now to see what awaits me on the right hand side.

View attachment 162183

I wonder if it matters since the plug will be firing first now in a different position in the combustion chamber?

 

[drag racer]

The power steering pump clears?? Or did you have to buy that spacer for it? Did you simple move the wires to the top? Passenger side is dreadful let me know how it goes. Looks great!

The PS reservoir will not clear the Blackbird covers - they are quite a bit taller in that area. I thought about possible remote setup, but not my first choice. I went with the reservoir lift kit from Blackbird, and it's a creative, low cost solution and was happy with it. Although, I needed just a hair more lift than the spacers provided, so added one shim to each spacer and solved it. This was one of the time drags - had the pump on and off three times before I got some clearance, plus a big mess of fluid underneath - I didn't plan well for that.

As far as the wiring, I went ahead and ordered a set of harness extenders as a time saver / insurance policy to have on-hand just in case. But after looking at it again and after hearing Geoff make a comment that the harness "should" be able to be flipped (implying separation of the coil runs), I agreed, and had the vision that I could make it look like the factory did it, and bit the bullet and began the very tedious process of surgically separating the harness with extreme care with the blade - that took me about 4-5 hours. The OEM harnesses are well made and protected - multiple tight wraps, and getting that Tesa tape off is not quick. Glad I did - I found one wire of the four going down to the AC with a small spot of insulation damage and copper showing. The coil wires actually exit the large bundle at the left rear of the engine at the top of the valve cover and actually head down behind and around the valve cover to meet the coils facing down as OEM - so you can see they actually really want to run on top - plenty of length available without needing the extensions.

 

[drag racer]

I wonder if it matters since the plug will be firing first now in a different position in the combustion chamber?

I don't think so, but sure hope I'm not missing something! I'm all-in now with this project and couldn't imagine putting the OEM slugs back on.

 

[BULL]

Are those the cast, or the billet?

 

[drag racer]

Are those the cast, or the billet?

cast - I think I started the custom color frenzy asking if he could get Hemi Orange - Geoff liked the way they turned out so much he said he was putting just that color back on sale for the intro price? I love the billet, but I got three sets of cast covers to cover my fleet for the price of one set of billet - decided I had to be more sensible on this buy.

Going with the black for the Durango, and these are on the way for the Charger - I like a little variety

 

[Unholy707]

The PS reservoir will not clear the Blackbird covers - they are quite a bit taller in that area. I thought about possible remote setup, but not my first choice. I went with the reservoir lift kit from Blackbird, and it's a creative, low cost solution and was happy with it. Although, I needed just a hair more lift than the spacers provided, so added one shim to each spacer and solved it. This was one of the time drags - had the pump on and off three times before I got some clearance, plus a big mess of fluid underneath - I didn't plan well for that.

As far as the wiring, I went ahead and ordered a set of harness extenders as a time saver / insurance policy to have on-hand just in case. But after looking at it again and after hearing Geoff make a comment that the harness "should" be able to be flipped (implying separation of the coil runs), I agreed, and had the vision that I could make it look like the factory did it, and bit the bullet and began the very tedious process of surgically separating the harness with extreme care with the blade - that took me about 4-5 hours. The OEM harnesses are well made and protected - multiple tight wraps, and getting that Tesa tape off is not quick. Glad I did - I found one wire of the four going down to the AC with a small spot of insulation damage and copper showing. The coil wires actually exit the large bundle at the left rear of the engine at the top of the valve cover and actually head down behind and around the valve cover to meet the coils facing down as OEM - so you can see they actually really want to run on top - plenty of length available without needing the extensions.

Man, that’s a looooot of work. Install turned out super clean, great job with the harness

 

[DGatzby]

Looks killer! Easier to scrape front splitter now that it's lower? That's my main concern.

Yes. I agree. Thanks on the looks, and yes, the whole unit of course drops now. Even to get my floor jack under the front now I need to drive it up on at least 1/2” thick boards. I expected it to about half the space in the rear. The specs said less than one inch. Lies. It seemed to take the rear down 2-2.5”. We will see what lap times say about it sometime this summer.

Plus with the body low now, the damn rear cradle looks as much shifted to the left as my ‘15 was. I can see the peek of rubber on the left is dramatically more offset than the right. They must make them this way.

 

[1971demon]

Yes. I agree. Thanks on the looks, and yes, the whole unit of course drops now. Even to get my floor jack under the front now I need to drive it up on at least 1/2” thick boards. I expected it to about half the space in the rear. The specs said less than one inch. Lies. It seemed to take the rear down 2-2.5”. We will see what lap times say about it sometime this summer.

Plus with the body low now, the damn rear cradle looks as much shifted to the left as my ‘15 was. I can see the peek of rubber on the left is dramatically more offset than the right. They must make them this way.

Function will be interesting...the look is way cool though

 

[DGatzby]

Function will be interesting...the look is way cool though

Wish they did not discontinue the after market Mopar Performance shocks. I really did not want it that low, perhaps an inch higher but that makes a difference.

 

[1971demon]

Wish they did not discontinue the after market Mopar Performance shocks. I really did not want it that low, perhaps an inch higher but that makes a difference.

Lap times should be interesting

 

[MikeD1]

Ordered new shoes for the baby today - Conti Extremecontact Sport 02's. Suppose to be here Thurs & get installed Fri.
Still running the OE Pirelli's & they still have usable tread, but are now > 8 yrs old so I figured they needed to go.

 

[DGatzby]

Lap times should be interesting

Should be better. I need to look at the alignment. This thing looks worse than my ‘15. Now that I can get a reference, the rear cradle seems like it is off by about 1/4” to the left. Do they move that much? The ‘15 seemed to be to the left side too.