zdaddy123’s 1987 Chevrolet Camaro

This was VIR at the Shelby Club invitational.  I had a blast even with the T5 letting go.  Special Thanks to Tyler Daum for allowing me to drive his Corvette on day two.  Unfortunately his car suffered failure as well due to a Harmonic Balancer bolt failure.  The good news is that there was a recall that covered the entire repair.

I like everybody else has destroyed my fair share of 10 bolt differentials! So like everybody else, I optioned to purchase a 12 bolt Moser in place of the weaker 10 bolt. There are a couple of minor issues with room for the 12 bolt not to mention it's larger parts do tend to create more inertia and reciprocating mass with the ill effect of lost horse power. After living with it for a year, I bought a used differential out of an early model 1LE and began the R&D to create a bullet proof 10 bolt. Not possible you say? I don't blame you because I was equally as skeptical!

Check out the car In HOT ROD Magazine, August 2008 Issue. We had the car at the Hot Rod Magazine Top Speed Challenge!  I've owned my 1987 Camaro IROC-Z with the 305 HO TPI, Borg Warner T-5 and 10-bolt 1LE differential for about 10 years. I run a tire, service, performance store and we have on and off played with the car to see what we can do to maximize the car as a bolt on only project. I had no success with the differential and modified the internals as well as created a few parts to strengthen the smaller axle shaft tubes to make a pretty darn bullet proof differential without moving to a 12 bolt or the Ford nine inch conversion (not to fond of putting Ford into Chevy or Chevy into Ford). The detailed pictures and specs are on the 3rd page.

HERE IS THE DEATH OF A BORG WARNER T5! I have had several conversations with G-Force and reguardless of previous claims state they do not have a T5 build capable over 600 gross HP.  Astro Performance claims it is not a problem!  I have seen a lot of Forum chat about both companies and intend on allowing Astro Performance to build me a T5 this Spring.  I will post more pics and results along the way....

WHEEL AND TIRES- 19x8 Auto Art 3 piece VY design front 19x10 Auto Art 3 piece VY design rear 275/35ZR19 Bridgestone Pontenza RE050 295/35ZR19 Bridgestone Pontenza RE050SUSPENSION-BMR Tubular K-Member BMR Tubular Lower Control Arms Eibach Sportline spring kit KYB Adjustable front Struts and rear shocks Energy Suspension urethane bushing kit – full car Hotchkis front strut brace Hotchkis front and rear sway bars Hotchkis tie rod connectors Hotchkis sub frame connectors Hotchkis adjustable pan rod bar Hotchkis trailing arms Spohn Performance caster/camber plates Edlebrock adjustable torque arm Competition Engineering 12-point roll cage Manual S-10 gearbox swapBRAKES-Baer Track Plus front and rear Holley line lockDRIVETRAIN-Center Force DX Clutch SystemCenter Force SFI flywheel Borg-Warner T-5 World Class Transmission (AXED) B&M short throw shifter Inland Empire Driveline aluminum driveshaft CT Tuners custom 10 bolt- Moser Street/Strip axles Richmond 2.73 gears Richmond Power Trax locker system Moroso pro wheel stud kit Custom Summit aluminum diff cover w/ fabricated supports SPC fabricated tube supportsINTERIOR MODS-Sparco Torino seats Sparco Steering wheel Sparco aluminum pedals Sparco shift knob G-Force 5-point cam lock harnesses G-Force Window net kit G-Force arm restraints Ignited carbon fiber switch panel White gauge kit Autometer double pillar gauge pod Autometer Phantom air/fuel ratio meter Autometer Phantom 30psi boost gauge Autometer Phantom NOS/Cryo gauge Autometer shift light MSD digital 6 ignition control MSD knock sensor meter APC blue fire bottleSOUND (ICE)-Sony flush mount CD changer JBL Audio 3x5 w/ titanium tweeter JBL Audio 6x9 w/ titanium tweeterEXTERIOR MODS-Custom paint by Rich Antoneck Carbon Creations universal side splitters Carbon Creations fabricated rear under car diffuser Clear parking lights Clear turn signals Fiberglass IROC cowl induction hood Custom Vinyl by Right On SignsENGINE MANAGEMENT-O.E. General Motors My own creation of a FIC with 150 lbs Accel fuel injectors (2 bar map)ENGINE-Vortech V7-Ysi supercharger Vortech Polished intake elbow Vortech Super FMU Vortech altered blower bracket ASP fabricated custom carbon fiber poly cogg systemTIAL 50.5mm blow off valve Spearco 6 core sheet metal after cooler AEM custom blower intake Lingenfelter matched fuel injectors Altered GM fuel rails with fabricated adapters MARCH polished aluminum pulley and bracket set TCI Rattler harmonic balancer Moroso blower return oil pan Moroso polished aluminum valve covers MSD billet distributor MSD Blaster coil MSD Boost Timing Master Crane Cam roller camshaft Comp Cam non-pump up roller lifters Taylor 10.4mm Pro ignition wires w/ keepers K&N chrome breather Optima Spiralcell Red top battery Be Cool catch can Hooker Header ceramic big-tube headers w/ O2 sensor mod Mandrel 3-inch dual exhaust w/ “H” pipe Flow Master 40 series dual mufflers Holley 58mm dual port throttle body Aeromotive fuel pump A1001 Aeromotive fuel pump controller SLP altered and ported polished runners Custom altered and ported top and base plenum Carbon Creations engine compartment accents Moroso solid engine mounts Moroso oil cooler Moroso high flow water pump Polished alternator Accel Phantom fuel pressure gauge w/ chrome cupPRIMARY ENGINE-SRP flat top forged piston set Swain Technology Inc. Gold Coat ceramic armor and PC-9 solid lube sides Eagle forged H-Beam rods with ARP bolts Eagle forged and balanced crank shaft ARP head and main stud kits Moroso high flow oil pump Edlebrock Performer centerbolt aluminum cylinder head (worked for blower) SCE ICS Titan head gaskets Comp Cams timing belt drive system Lunati forged roller rockers w/ Lunati push rodsI did a lot of research on axles and found that a full competition axle will not live on the street due to the brittle forging process so I ordered up a set of Moser Street/Strip axles. Then came the center section. Found that there are two different carrier sections for the 10 bolt 7.5 and the stronger of the two is the 2.32 carrier section and also requires a thinker ring gear (more durability!) I optioned for the Richmond gears (ratio of you choice), Richmond Powertracs locker, and Richmond master bearing kit. I installed the Moroso bolt in stud kit. Make sure your tolerances are perfect! Now comes the VooDoo!The weak point on the 10 bolt isn't just the carrier, it's the axle shaft tubes. They are small and under extreme acceleration pull forward push the ring gear away from the pinion gear causing catastrophic failure. If the ring and pinion gear can maintain perfect contact, then the failure horse power is MUCH HIGHER! So we purchased a Summit Racing Cast aluminum differential cover with the main cap supports. This helps keep the main cap bearings from walking some but not entirely! We sent the diff cover to have supports welded to both end and then welded equal supports to the ends of the axle tubes. This with the main cap support almost eliminates ring gear walk!So the biggest part of maximizing the car was Horse Power of course. Started off a couple years ago with a direct port nitrous injection system with a progressive controller and that was a lot of fun! After a lot of testing (lolo) decided to pull that in favor of a Procharger D2R system but found along the way the ATI has sort of crappy support, so we pulled the Procharger of and moved to a Vortech V7Ysi and that seem to be the best fit! Vortech was very helpful over the last year and a half with helping come up with brackets and a 10 rib pulley combinations that works very well! The biggest part of the challenge was fuel delivery! With the NOS system it was easy, just put bigger jets, with a supercharger it's all about EFI! Keep in mind I'm still using the OE MAF system and customized a 3.5 MAF housing last year to stay with the factory ECM.