Corvette C6 DSVette Leather Sunvisor Installation
Down South Vettes Leather Sun Visor Installation
Instructions.
Adding a Down South Vette's Leather Sunvisor is a great way to upgrade the interior of your Corvette C6.
Difficulty: 3 out of 5.
Time: Plan on about 30 minutes.
The tools used are:
A medium blade screw driver
A small flashlight may help get a better look at the work location as you start.
Let's get a look at the project. If you have a coupe, you may want to remove the roof. If
you have a convertible you may want to lower the top. This will both make maneuvering
the visor assembly easier but it will also provide you with better lighting in the cockpit for
your task.
Here are a few side by side comparison photos of the new Down South Vettes visor and how
it compares to the OEM unit you will be replacing.
The DSV unit starts with an OEM core and removes the fabric treatment and replaces it with
the same
The Down South Vette unit starts with an OEM core and removes the fabric treatment and replaces it with
the same high quality leather used in each of the other interior parts
The leather treatment to the sun visor will add a little bit of thickness to the unit.
Start the installation by tipping the sun visor down towards the windshield as if you were
trying to block out the sun while driving.
Next, unhook the sun visor from the latch up on the windshield frame. Once you have done
this it may be a good time to grab your flashlight and take a look at the steps that you will
be doing next. In the picture below you will see the screwdriver placed near the slot that
you will use to release the sun visor from the pillar.
To describe the task, you need to place your screw driver up in to this slot as shown here
Now, while pressing your screwdriver up in to this slot you need to press firmly with your
left hand and using your right hand, rotate the entire sun visor assembly counter-clockwise
(counter-clockwise for the driver side, clockwise for the passenger side) back towards you
as if you were moving the lowered sun visor from the windshield to the side window. It
should only take about a quarter of a revolution of the bezel as pictured above. This
quarter turn will translate to about 45 degrees of the sun visor relative to the windshie ld. If
the windshield is 0 degrees and the side window is 90 you should end up about halfway in
between. You will feel it when it unlocks. You will see that the bezel is no longer seated
against the roof. It will look like this:
Once the bezel and the assembly are unlocked from the car you will need to pull down on
the sun visor arm to remove it from the hole. You may need to work it back a forth slightly
to free it from the car. Don't pull down too hard. Firm is fine but be prepared for it to come
loose. Now that it is loose from the car you still have the connector assembly to contend
with. You may need to reach up inside the opening to free the connector. The connector
looks like this:
To disconnect the connector you will need your screwdriver again to free the clip from the
detent on the mating connector. You can see the slot for the detent pictured below. Insert
the screwdriver in the top righthand corner and gently pry forward until the clip is above the
height of the small tab. This will allow you to pull on the connector and free the visor.
Once you have the connector disconnected it should still have the bezel attached and look
like this:
Now you need to remove the bezel from the visor assembly. If you look down at the
connector end and bezel you will notice three locking tabs on the bezel that hold it on the
visor assembly.
Using one hand to hold the visor assembly near the arm, with your other hand you need to
pull out on the three tabs to free them from the locked position on the visor assembly.
Once the bezel is unlocked it will float freely on the visor arm.
To remove, align the triangle on the bezel with the triangle on the visor arm and you can
slide the bezel up and off the visor assembly. Now just free the connector from the bezel.
Pick up the new Down South Vettes visor and take note of the shape of the locking
mechanism at the connector end. You will notice three distinct shapes to the corners of the
connector triangle.
Each corner has a different radius and will match up with a radius on the bezel as pictured
here:
Match the shape on the bezel with the same size shape on the visor assembly and slide the
bezel over the connector and down onto the visor assembly. When you first slide it on it will
look like this:
While looking from the top down as pictured above, rotate the bezel clockwise and you will
feel it lock in to place on the visor assembly. Once locked it will look like this:
With one tab of the bezel now aligned with each tab of the visor assembly. You should also
notice that the base of the bezel as viewed from the side is now flush with base of the visor
connector mount. You are now ready to put your new visor back in the car.
Grab your screw driver as you will need to reverse the steps you took to get the visor out of
the car. Place the visor up on end in your lap and re-connect the visor electrical plug:
You now need to tuck the connector back up into the frame. Tuck it up in towards the
rearview mirror side.
It's time to push the visor assembly and bezel back up in to the frame. There is only one
way for it to go back up into the car. You may need to work it a little bit to find the location
but try to remember the angle at which the visor was at when you removed it. Once you
find the slot for the latch to go into, slide it up and press it firmly in place. You will need to
hold it in place and reach for your screw driver. It should look about like this:
All that's left to do is latch the assembly back in to place. You will need to use your
screwdriver and place it back in the slot like you did to remove it. This time, place the
screw driver to the right side of the visor arm (This is for the drivers side. In either case,
place it into the slot and have the shaft of the screwdriver on the rearview mirror side of the
visor arm.) While pressing up firmly on the screwdriver rotate the visor and bezel assembly
from the arm pressing against the screwdriver blade and this will cause the bezel to rotate
and latch into place on the car. Congratulations, you've just installed your new visors.
Refinish the Corvette C5 Coupe Targa Top
How to refinish your Corvette C5 Targa Top....
I bought a used clear targa top and wanted to restore it to new condition for use on my Corvette C5 Coupe. This is what it looked like when I got it.....
All you need to refurbish the top is:
1000 grit wetsand paper
1500 grit wetsand paper
2000 grit wetsand paper
Rubber sanding block
Squirt bottle
Dish soap
Shammy
Terry towels
Porter Cable Polisher
Maguire's medium cut, Fine cut, and swirl remover
First thing I did was to remove all of the old clear coat and the oxidized plastic from the top. I just used 1000 grit and wet sanded it down. This took about 3 hours to accomplish. It was easy to tell if I was finished because you can look at a light through it and see where it was fully sanded or not. A tip for wet sanding. I used an old shammy to continually clean the surface I was sanding. This makes it easy to remove all of the material from sanding and it the surface will quickly dry so you can tell what areas need more attention.
There are two ways to finish the top from here. At this point it is ready for paint or clear coat. I sprayed a thick layer of PPG clear coat that I had laying around on it. This gives the acrylic UV protection and gives more material to polish out. It is recommended that the surface be sanded down with 600 grit, but I just kept it at 1000 because I was scared of using that course of paper on the top. The coat has stuck fine so far.
(EDIT: I got some requests for the type of PPG Clear that I used. It is Deltron High Velocity Clearcoat. DC3000)
I am not the best with a paint gun so the finish had an orange peel effect to it. I wet sanded the top again, this time with 2000 grit paper in preparation for polishing it. Looking back I should have started with 1500 grit and then worked my way up to 2000, but again, I like to start with a finer paper and just do extra work so I take off as little material as possible. When sanding for polish, always sand in one direction, then when you step up to the next grit, sand 90degrees to the previous grit. Keep sanding till you can't see the marks from the previous grit. The following picture is where I started sanding the top after paint and you can easily see the orange peel.
When you get the whole thing sanded out, you are ready for polish. I used a PC 7424 to polish it out, but any polisher will do. I started with the medium cut cleaner and worked it till all of the sanding marks were removed from the finish.
The medium cut cleaner does a good job of removing the sanding marks, but does leave the finish on the top hazy. I stepped up to a fine cut cleaner and polished out all of the haze.
Then for good measure I stepped up to the swirl remove and got a great finish on the top.
The other way to finish the top is to skip the clear coat step if you don't have access to paint gun or booth and just polish the acrylic. Step up from the 1000 grit finish to 1500, then 2000, alternating directions each time. Then polish as mentioned above.
You might also be able to find a local shop that can spray the clear for you for a good price. That way you won't have to mess with buying the clear and getting a booth and a charcoal mask to protect yourself from the fumes.
Hope this helps someone.
Halltech C5 Honeycomb MAF Straightener Installation
Instructions for the Halltech HC.125 Laminar Airflow Straightener Screen
History: In 2002, GM removed the laminar flow screen on the Z06 in an attempt to increase horsepower
from the 2001 Z06, which had the screened MAF. All LS1 motors came with the screened MAF sensor.
GM did not make any power claims for this mod, and since there were no changes at all in the MAF
tables, there is little doubt the difference was negligible.
The problems all began with aftermarket intakes, which had a predisposition to more turbulence at the
MAF wire pickup, and without this screen, some popped lean codes daily, even the Halltech STinger had
issues here.
This problem has become one of the reasons many C5 owners have stayed clear of aftermarket intakes
since this subject came up weekly on the Corvetteforum.com
Those days are over. Halltech has invented an new Honeycomb Flow Straightener, with little to no
airflow restriction, and has 50% less restriction than the C6 MAF, which makes 436 HP from the factory.
Our 1/8" (.125") honeycomb cell will not restrict flow, and you will find big time changes in your
performance, from throttle response, to mileage, less surging from turbulence, to more importantly, NO
MORE LEAN CODES.
We have sold only 8 of these to date and here are 5 testimonials hot off the press:
Installed mine today. Perfect fit. One suggestion; be very careful with the edges, as there're small
particles like flashings that can easily break off, and wind up ingested by your motor. Metal down the
cylinder is never a great idea. It would no doubt increase the unit price to make the outer circumference
encased somehow, but since I believe that this is a very effective product, the market would pay a little
more for peace of mind. All things considered, it does seem to work as advertised, and even helped
throttle response, at least on my application. Kudos.
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Here's an update on my experience to date ('03 Z06 - stock other than Corsa extreme and x-pipe)
Installed a Halltech tunnel plate, C5 venom and the flow straightener about a week ago. Clocked the
MAF to match the TB plates. Have driven the car about 300 miles. Throttle-response is better, idle is
slightly smoother, and the car sounds really angry at WOT! Seat-o-pants meter says maybe more power.
Not a single code to date. Great job on this little tweak, Jim!
6/1: Update. After driving the car on a nice 100 mile jaunt over the weekend, my throttle response on
the freeway has markedly improved. The Venom is doing its job, along with the Halltech tunnel plate for
fresh air. Still no codes after about 500 miles!
Doug
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I have installed the screen and have driven the car about 300 miles so far.
No more lean codes and no surging. I had it down to 20 mph in 4th gear
and no surge. Will keep you posted. Larry
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I have an 03 Z with a Vararam, CF power duct with silicone couplers, predator tune and Borla cat back. In
warm weather I got CELs for lean left and/or right banks almost every day. Always at very low throttle
angles, like when coming to a light, or inching along in traffic. I pulled the system apart at least four
times working to eliminate any possible air leaks.
I put the honeycomb screen in my MAF, put the system back together, once again being super critical of
possible air leaks.
I instantly, like in 50 feet, knew something was different on the first drive. The car sounded different and
the lean feeling, not quite a stumble I've always had when the engine is cold was much less. The car
drove better, throttle response and smoothness, from the time it warmed up.
I have about 6 trips to work (35 miles, mix of fast back roads and some traffic) and no CEL. The car
continues to feel and sound different as the LTFT are adjusting. Throttle response, and general
smoothness remain improved. I have noticed soot on the back of the car and tail pipes, which I've nver
seen before, possibly from when the car had not adjusted to the new readings. I'll know more after I
wash the car. and it either comes back or doesn't.
When I saw the product I told Jim that this looked like a simple fix that would work, and it does. I can't
beleive I spent so much time trying to adjust my way out of the CELs with the predator tuner, and fixing
leaks that were probably never there, with a $30 almost drop in part. I am back to the canned predator
tune, the car runs better than it has in as long as I can remember. It's like you just did a tune up,
everything is just a little bit better than it was before.
One question, how long does it take the LTFT to adjust and settle in? Is my car settled with 175 miles or
so on it? If yes, I'm perfectly happy the way it is.
I was not a Beta tester, though I asked to be. I asked to pay the original asking price and get free
shipping, and didn't get it. I paid full price, and am getting nothing in return for this review. Like the title
of the thread says, at least in my case, this simple part has ended my lean codes. Quite a simple product
that does what it's sold to do.
Mike
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I'm not a "tester", but just happened to buy one after reading this thread. I'm still reviewing the screen
(that's some work for a water jet). I disconnected the battery, and also went thru the idle relearn steps.
I've only been thru 2 cold cycles so far and can already tell some difference with reduced surging. I didn't
have any prior lean code issues, just low speed light throttle surges. Mine also sounds different, but I
also installed a Jantzer ported throttle body at the same time. I'm glad they made it so pretty so I
could just cover it all up... The first drive was wild with the idle hanging at 1200 until fully stopped, and
went thru swings down to 500 rpm, but all that mostly cleared up during the second drive. So far there's
an improvement. I didn't want to report my findings until after a couple more drives just to make sure.
Be back in a couple days.
BTW, the packaging method was great!
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Here's an update. I had been running a dual cone intake on my 02 Z06. Lean code would pop up, and live
data revealed that long term fuel trims were above 25 percent. I verified that there were no post MAF
air leaks. After reinstalling the stock air box, the LTFT's were way down. I recently installed the Halltech
screen, and reinstalled the dual cone intake. I let it idle, and drove it about 150 miles here and there
under various conditions. No lean code ever showed up, and live data shows LTFT values as 10 - 12
percent at idle, never higher. Fourth gear acceleration seems to be much more responsive, under very
similar conditions. All in all, a very good product at a very good price. I would highly recommend it!
Corvette C5 Headlight Switch-Blinker Arm Removal
This write-up will show the steps involved with removing the headlight switch / blinker arm / multi-function switch assembly, either for repair or replacement. There wasn't a good picture-rich write-up that I could find so I documented my process, and maybe it'll help somebody out.
My particular problem was that when I turn on the headlights, the taillights wouldn't work and the instrument panel would not illuminate. After removing and repairing my headlight switch, I'm fully functional once again.
Tools Needed:
-Beer of Choice (to be used whenever the heck you feel like it!)
-Torx driver or keys, for the following: T15, T20, and T25.
If you are going to open the headlight switch, add T8 to the list.
-The T25 should be a one-inch bit, OR an L-shaped key with a one-inch leg.
-1/4" open-end wrench
-Diagonal cutters (optional)
-Flat-bladed screwdriver or other thin prying device
10mm socket, 4mm socket, 7mm socket, socket wrench, and 6" extension (or equivalent set of nut-drivers)
The Procedure:
In order to get to the blinker switch, we'll be removing the knee panel that goes under and beside the steering wheel; the steering column covers; and we'll loosen the center console pieces. Here's how to do all this.
0. Turn the steering wheel such that the TOP of the wheel is facing LEFT. You'll see why in step 10.
1. First, I'd recommend loosening the center console and radio bezel. This just makes it easier/safer to remove the paneling around the steering wheel I think. For a good procedure on this, check out this guide at Vette Essentials:
Beginning with step 2 in that guide, it'll show you how to remove/loosen these pieces. That guide also parallels some of my write-up here, so you can refer to that guide for additional pictures/info. Once you have those panels removed or loose, come back here and continue on!
2. Remove the trunk release switch panel by using a flat screwdriver or somesuch to pop it out of the dash panel. It's connected to a wire which easily unplugs once you pull the switch forward.
Behind this switch is a T15 torx bolt; unscrew that and set aside with the trunk switch.
3. Next, we'll unscrew the big knee panel under the steering wheel. There are two T15 torx bolts that hold it in place... unscrew those.
4. To remove this panel after having unscrewed those two bolts, you'll need to pull TOWARDS YOU from the LEFT SIDE of the panel. There are two tight clips that you need to unsnap: (red circles are where these fasteners attach; you'll see those once you pull the panel off). The blue circle is the wire that was attached to the trunk release button.
5. When you have the left half of the knee panel loose, carefully begin to work the right half of the panel free. The HVAC sensor is attached; so mind the connecting wire (red circle in below picture). It's easily disconnected; and at that point you should be able to remove the knee panel completely and set it aside.
6. Next, let's remove the steering column covers. First we'll need to remove the bottom half. It's held on by two T20 screws, located as follows:
Once those screws are out, gently pull downward on the bottom half. It will separate from the top half... they are connected at this point solely by plastic latches (red circles) and hooks (blue circle), as shown below. With some maneuvering, the bottom piece will come free. The tricky part is getting it off from and around the tilt steering lever.
7. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of this step; but I'll try to explain the removal of the top half of the steering column: It's held on by two torx bolts from underneath. However, these are not normal torx bolts. Instead of the torx pattern being recessed like most bolts; this star-pattern is RAISED. I don't know about you, but I don't have torx equipment for those bolts. I found that a 4mm socket does the trick nicely. A six-inch extension is preferred to reach the bolts with. There will be one bolt on each side of the steering wheel. You can see them if you can get your head underneath and look up. Unscrew these bolts, and the top half of the steering column cover will come right off.
8. Now we have the headlight switch exposed, but before we remove the thing, let's tend to the wires first. To get to them easier, I would remove the metal guard that sits behind the knee panel we removed. (It's got the styrofoam on it). You'll want the 7mm socket and a 6" extension to easily do this: Insert the socket/extension through the holes (circled in red) to get at the bolts (circled in blue). Obviously, this picture is AFTER the guard has been detached but you can still see where and how to get at the bolts.
9. The wiring from the headlight switch attaches in two locations to the car: There is a large blue connector and a small black connector. You'll want to unplug both of these. They are shown below. (To detach the blue connector... push on the small tab (circled in red) and pull apart.
You may also find that the wires from the headlight switch are cable-tied together with some other wires... If this is the case, use some diagonal cutters to cut the tie away so you can fully free the wires from the headlight switch. There is another, larger clasp/cable tie that can simply be undone without cutting it through.
10. Now we can remove the part! For this step you'll need the T25 bit/driver and the 1/4 open-end wrench. here's the part, fully exposed: Note there are TWO bolts; both T25's. The one on top is easy to get at if you tilt the steering down as far as it will go. The one facing forward, however, sits behind the steering wheel.
To remove this, we'll simply use our 1" T25 torx bit and the 1/4 inch wrench to turn it from the side: Real easy!
Get these bolts removed, and you're home free.
One word of advice... when you remove the headlight switch, you may inadvertently beep your horn. The front of the switch has a small brass pin that sticks out, that... upon touching the steel disc at the base of the steering wheel, evidently makes the horn sound off. Remember playing that game "Operation" in preschool? It's rather like that!
At this point... your switch is free of the car and ready for repair or replacement.
Corvette C5 Hatch Mechanism Repair
I have a 99 Coupe with the two hatch mechanisms (things that pop the rear hatch) So I don't know if this will work with newer vette that just have the one. My driver side mechanism would make an awful squeal/screech when I used it and eventually stopped working all together (would make the noise but not release the hatch. So I bought two (left and right) used ones off the forum.
The whole thing took me less than 30 minutes (mostly because I was taking pictures as I went) and on a scale of 1 to 10 1 being changing the oil and 10 being porting your own heads with a Dremmel and a prayer this is a 1.
You will need
1. New working Mechanism
2. 10MM socket and socket driver.
3. Screwdriver (Phillips or flathead doesn't matter)
Step one: use the manual release cable to get your hatch open (I had attached a piece of rope to mine and ran it to behind the driver seat)
Step 2: Remove the little black piece that you connect the cargo net to. You may also need to remove the cover for the little Cargo bin on that side, I removed mine to get to the socket set I keep in my car I have never tried it with it on so not sure if it is a must. 
Now the entire panel was more or less held on by that plastic piece. Make sure to pop the little deal the holds the targa in place in the rear of the car forward. So working from the top pop the panel out making sure to get it clear of that little thing that hold the Targa in.
Note: It has a light on it so don't try to remove it completely just pop it out and let it lean forward.
Step 3: Disconnect the two Electrical connectors that power the unit. If you have ever worked on a Corvette before you will notice GM doesn't use the same type of connector in close proximity here is no exception so it is basically idiot proof to get them Re-Connected. On the bottom where the yellow and black wire lead to a connector It is head in place by a gray clip, Just slide the connector of the clip (in my case towards the outside of the car but it is on a swivel so yours might be different) 
Once you have the lower of the two connectors free frame the mechanism frame Disconnect the, The lower one you'll need to pull up on the Tab On the upper connector which is actually part of the drive motor you'll use the screw driver to push in the tab and pull out the male end of the connector. 
Step 4: Using the 10MM Socket and driver remove the three Bolts that hold the Mechanism to the frame. Make sure to keep a hand on the mechanisms once these three bolts are off there is nothing holding it in place.
Bolt the New working Mechanism on, replace the bolts, replace the connectors, then hit the hatch open button you should hear a slight noise coming from both sides. Put the Panel back on and eyeball the alignment, it should be pretty dead on the Three bolts once secured don't have much room to move around. If everything looks good Re secure the panel, close your hatch and see if it opens.
As with any DIY your mileage may vary. It took me ten minutes of head scratching and 20 minutes of labor to do mine it really is a simple job. I probably could have taken more pictures but I think it should be pretty clear what you need to do just from looking at it. I had a bit of a hangup disconnecting the wires but luckily the spare I bought off the forum had the wiring still connected so I figured that out on my own.
Corvette C6 NPP Retro-Fit for Multi Mode Exhaust
NPP in a box, a set of NPP mufflers and a M2W switch will give you an incredibly easy way to have just the sound you want, when you want, if you have a pre-2008 C6. In my case, throw in a set of LG headers, and you have rolling thunder at the flick of a switch. The combo of the headers and the NPP in Wild gives you AMAZING sound and "HEY, LOOK AT ME!!!" volume…the tonality and sound is that of a NASCAR stock car at WOT outside the car, yet quieter and less drone inside the car than the GHL exhaust I was so fond of. The install is very straight forward, easier with a lift, but as Ed has shown with his car, you can do it on jack stands. Here are some pics and descriptions of the step by step process; you will receive complete illustrated instructions with your purchase.
NPP Mufflers waiting for Install
Factory Exhaust Removed
Run the Vacuum tubes through existing frame locations
After dropping the rear sway bar, snake the NPP mufflers up and over
Attach the pipes to the mufflers
Connect the vacuum hoses to the NPP mufflers
Make sure your muffler pipes are straight and level
Muffler hardware done and vacuum tubing run
And of course, a quick run with Ed's Polishing kit
That's all there is to it.....All that's left is to go out there and have a blast with your new found customized sound.
Corvette C6 Z06 Battery Charger Installation
Corvette C6 Z06 CTEK Battery Charger Installation
This is a quick and easy way to install the Ctek Battery Charger in the two rear compartments of your car and have 1/2 inch of the AC power cable right above your license plate. Everything is in the car, all you need to do is plug it in when you want the car to be charged.
Tools Needed
T15 Torx bit
1) Open your rear hatch and unscrew the 4 holding caps that hold the rear carpet in place.
2) There are two plastic push fasteners in the center of the carpet on the receiver for the latch. Just pull straight out and they will pull out.
3) Once the carpet is pulled back, on the right side (passenger side) of the rear portion of the tub (almost behind the first taillight to the right of your license plate), is a large rubber plug with a single wire running through it. Pop out the plug, leaving the wire in it in place.
4) Using the T15 Torx bit, remove the screw on the first taillight to the right of your license plate. Carefully pull the taillight out of the socket, being very careful not to dislodge the clip the torx screw threads into. Let the taillight gently hang on out of your rear bumper, or you can disconnect it at the plug and set it aside. Either one should be fine.
5) Next, lift open the left compartment (one without the battery), this is where your Ctek will rest. Take both the AC plug end and the Ctek plug (that will be plugging into the battery) and gently fish the full length of them under back side of the plastic bezel the surrounds the compartment. You are going to need every inch so do not leave much slack in the compartment.
6) Run both of the wires along the back of your car, behind the carpet, under the hatch receiver, the Ctek charging lead goes into the battery compartment in the same way the you routed it out of the other compartment (under the plastic surround bezel).
7) For the AC power cable, fish it through the hole where the rubber plug was. Using one hand, reach in through the taillight that you removed and grab the plug and run it down through the hole above your license plate. It is a tight fit, but will come through if you angle it correctly. Let it hang out about an inch. The rubber stopper that was in the hole will need to be cut halfway to the center, be careful not to cut the existing wire that is in the middle of it. This splice will allow you you insert the ac power cable and then put the plug back into the hole it was removed from. After you get the plug routed out of the rear of the car, go ahead and make the cut and reinsert the plug with both wires in it.
Go ahead and connect the negative and positive leads on the battery terminals. You can either remove the existing nuts (will lose power to your car) or run to your local hardware store and buy two nuts to screw right on top of the existing nut so that you will not have to disconnect battery power.
9) All done, neaten everything up…put the carpet back and you are done. You now a have a nice full self enclosed battery solution. All you need to do is plug in the car. Just do not forget to unplug it before you go on a drive
Corvette C5 Output Shaft Seal Leak Fix
Contributed by A.J Johnson/Digital Corvettes.com
Here's the scenario. You pull your baby out of the garage and notice that something has leaked out of the rear of the car. The odd thing is that the leak is not dead center of the rear, it's more to the left (or right if you're really having a bad day). What you are probably experiencing is the failure of the output shaft seal (normally the driver's side in the C5). I say probably because doing a little "wide open throttle" (or WOT as it is known here) can also cause you to wake up to a wet spot. In the case of WOT, this is a normal occurrence, as the differential has a exhaust outlet in which differential fluid will leak out of in order to relieve case pressure.
If you're more of a cruiser, then you probably just have a leaking output shaft seal. You have 2 ways of identifying the source of the leak.
The professional way if the leaking source is not obvious is to add some Black Light Oil Dye to the differential and then check the area with a black light after some normal driving. The fluid will glow either a bright yellow or bright green. This allows you to identify the leak without doing unnecessary and costly repairs. If you want the GM dye, one place you can order it from the GM Special Parts website (this site only works with Internet Explorer). The part number is J-28431, which can be used in engine, transmission, and rear axle oils, as well as power steering fluids. (Note: part number J-29545 is only for use in engine coolants)
The second way if the leak is obvious enough, is to do a visual inspection. Look at the picture below.
You can clearly see how the leak is confined to about a 180 degree area of the seal. The differential side covers have been known to leak due to a design flaw although in this situation, this is not the case (just be aware of that possibility). We know that this is not the case here as oil does not leak in a upward direction.
Now that we have identified the leaking source, let's get that baby fixed!
The first thing you should do is get some replacement differential fluid. Now would be a good time to replace that old, stinky stuff. The service manual calls for SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lubricant or equivalent. The manual also states to add 4 ounces of Limited-Slip Differential Lubricant Additive. Today, you can buy this gear oil already mixed. Mobile one and Red Line are two brands that I found with the limited-slip additive already built in.
NOTE! After replacing the differential gear oil, do not go WOT for a minimum of 300 miles. Doing so may result in scoring of the ring and pinion gears leading to differential noise!!!
Some of the tools that were not in my "shade tree" collection that you may have to get, or that will make the job easier are:
Torque Wrenches - the nuts and bolts in this repair have specific torque settings. Since your life is depending on the tightness of these nuts and bolts, it would be smart to spend a few dollars and make sure that you torque them to the GM specifications. You can view a PDF document of the fastener tightening specifications by clicking here. You can view those settings for the brake components here.
A 21mm wrench for the lower arm ball joint nut, a short set of Hex sockets (notice the sizes in the picture - that 10mm is for the differential drain and fill plugs), and a 33mm deep-socket for the axle bolt. If you don't screw up your parking brake assembly and do not have to separate the stabilizer from the upper and lower control arms, then you will not need the 21mm wrench. Ask me how I know...:rolleyes:
A drift punch or something equivalent.
Last of all, you'll need the replacement seal.
Notice the grease that is inside the interior lining of the seal. Do not wipe that off!
Here's something you should consider. The differential has 2 output shaft seals. The right seal is not known for leaking but you never know. I bought 2 seals for a couple of reasons. One, because the differential has two of these seals. Two, the seals were dirt cheap; they were something like $12 each. Lastly, knowing how much of a shade tree mechanic I am, I wanted to have an ace in the hole just in case I screwed up one of those seals. Well guess what happened. I screwed up one of the seals when installing it. This is something you may want to consider if your mechanic skills are anything like mine.
My method of doing this repair differs from Cajun Dude's in that I actually removed the drive shaft. The reason I did so was because of the limited amount of space that I had to work in while trying to seat the seal. Look at this picture:
Even after I removed the drive shaft, it was still somewhat awkward to get up in there and figure out how to swing my hammer to seat the seal. One thing that Cajun Dude said that was right on target was tap, tap, taparoo... :yesnod:
As some of you may know, I bought the J-46405 tool that the TSB concerning this repair calls for. I have mixed emotions about its effectiveness when doing the repair the way I did. If I had taken the entire differential out of the car, the tool would have been a must have for me. However, using it in this situation was helpful, but what probably would have worked best was if this tool had a 3-foot shaft. That way, I could have stood back from the wheel well and whacked away on that seal. I did use it to do the install so I guess it ended up paying for itself.
The Repair
Okay, let's get started! I'm going to keep this as close to the manual as possible. Note: One thing that I did when removing nuts and bolts was to put them back where they originally went so that they would not get lost, and so that I would know where they went when it was time to reassemble everything. Good rule to follow for a shade tree mechanic!
1. Shift the transmission into PARK (A/T) or NEUTRAL (M/T).
2. Work the parking brake a whole bunch of times and then apply it. This will loosen the shoes up from the rotors. If you don't do this, your rotors may be a PITA to get off. They may also rip the parking brake shoes!.
3. Raise and suitably support the vehicle.
4. Remove the tire and wheel assembly.
5. Insert a drift or punch into the brake rotor cooling fins and against the brake caliper to prevent the wheel hub and bearing from turning.
6. Loosen (do not remove) the spindle nut retaining the rear wheel drive shaft to the hub.
7. Remove the drift or punch.
8. Release the parking brake.
9. Using a 15mm socket, remove the caliper bolts. You'll need to hold the caliper pin still using a 5/8" wrench. Be careful not to stress the brake line going to the caliper.
10. At this point, use your jack to support the lower control arm.
11. Remove the 2 bolts at the top of the shock absorber.
12. Remove the 2 bolts that hold the upper control arm to the frame.
13. Separate the outer tie rod end from the knuckle and reposition the tie rod toward the rear of the vehicle.
Here's the way I removed mine before I got smart enough to go buy some Hex sockets:
14. Disconnect the wheel speed sensor electrical connector.
15. Disconnect the parking brake cable from the parking brake lever. Now here comes the fun part. First of all, if you skipped step 8, you'll never get this cable off so make sure that you performed step 8.
You're also going to have to free the parking brake cable from the bracket that holds it in place. This is a real PITA. Do not get frustrated and break those tabs off. A new parking brake cable is not cheap! Look at the picture below:
Here's a trick that JDaniel over at CF used to get his cable off. I quote: "After I unhooked it from the hook and needed a way to get the prongs collapsed to get it out of the bracket, this is what I did. I grabbed a 1/2 combo wrench and used the boxed end. Its a tight fit but you slide the end of the cable theough the wrench and up to where the prongs are. Just push it up around the prongs and to the bracket and they all collapse and pops right out. Then you just slide the cable through the wrench and out of the bracket! Easy as 1-2-3!". That may be of some use when you get to this step.
If you get frustrated and decide to remove the bracket bolts, here they are:
At this point, you are ready to take a break and have the Junkman Special "Dagwood" Pizza!
For those of you on a budget, please substitute a bologna sandwich and get back to work.
Shaft Removal
16. At this point, the service manual calls for part number J-42129 to separate the axle from the stabilizer, and J-29794 to separate the axle from the differential. Here's what we're going to do.
First, jack the lower control arm up so that the axle is somewhat straight (not hanging down). Loosen the spindle nut up about a half-inch. Grab the top of the stabilizer. You're going to use it like a slide hammer to "bump" the drive shaft out of the differential. Just bump it firmly toward you and the drive shaft will eventually work its way out of the differential. At the same time (if you're lucky), the bumping will loosen up the axle at the stabilizer too. If not, you may have to give it a slight whack to disengage it from the stabilizer.
Note: Do not whack the end of the shaft while it is still seated inside the differential. There's no telling what damage that could cause. Also, if you get the shaft out of the differential and have to give it a whack to dislodge it from the stabilizer, pay particular attention to the end of the shaft by the differential as to not allow it to bang up against anything - especially the differential!
Be careful not to whack the wheel studs also.
Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of removing the stabilizer with the axle attached to it like this:
If you do, you've just created a lot more work which is now why I'm so good at removing the entire shaft and control arms. In 3 days, I must have put that thing in and pulled it out of the car at least 5 times. Like Michael (Mike94ZLT1) said in one of my other post, you get real good and quick at this after you've done it a few times. I couldn't believe how fast I put it back together the last time I did it.
Once you have the axle loose at both the differential and the stabilizer, you will need to bend the end of the shaft and simultaneously rotate the stabilizer out of the way in order to remove the axle. Check out the picture:
17. Now that you have the shaft out of the way, clean up the differential. You want to be able to see any new leaks if you don't install the seal correctly.
18. Now you're ready to remove the old seal and replace it with the new one. The old seal does not come out easily. It does however have a slight lip around the outside edge of it that you can feel and I used a seal removal tool to grab that lip and pull out the old seal. Be careful around this area. You don't want to gouge the differential and create a permanent leak.
19. Seating the new seal will be the fun you get to have. Whatever you do, you don't want to start tapping the edge of the seal and working your way around. You want to use something that will allow you to seat the seal evenly as you tap it in. Again, I used the tool that I bought that the TSB called for. I heard a block of wood works well and I've heard that they make universal seal installing tools. Whatever you decide to use, make sure you keep these tips in mind or make sure you buy a bunch of seals. :willy:
20. After you get the seal installed, you want to physically and visually inspect your work. Run your fingers around the edges of the seal. You should not feel any gap between the edge of the seal and the differential. If you do, you still need to tap, tap, tap-a-roo.
One thing that you want to inspect is the wiring harness back here. The factory electrical tape that was on mine had began to come unraveled. Thus, I re-wrapped it with one piece of tape and zipped tied the ends. I didn't have a black tie wrap but at least it doesn't show with the wheel on!
21. Now you are ready to put everything back together. Just reverse these steps and you should be fine. Remember to use the torque settings that I provided here for everything but the brakes bolts and here for the brake bolts. You need to take the car for a ride in order to check for leaks and heat up the differential fluid. The fluid needs to be changed while it is hot and care needs to be taken so that you don't burn yourself.
22. Once you get back in the garage, draining the differential is no major undertaking. The drain bolt is located directly on the bottom. Remember, you want to drain the fluid while it is hot. Make sure that the car is level when you drain and fill the differential. Here's where a 4 post lift would come in handy.
23. After you have drained the fluid and replaced the drain plug, you'll need to fill the differential with new fluid. As you can see by the location of the fill plug, this is a tad bit difficult.
Fill the differential up to the bottom of the fill hole. It holds about 2 quarts of fluid.
You can drop by you local auto store and buy a siphon to fill the differential. This is what I bought, although its crappy design is why I have to clean up the garage floor now:
If you get one of these (I think it was $10), make sure that when you are using it to siphon any type of thick fluid that you hold on tightly to the output side hose! Not doing so will cause it to blow away from the siphon pump and shoot a healthy wad of whatever you are pumping all over the place. As you can see by my garage floor, it was not a pretty sight!
Once you get the differential fluid in, make sure that you do not go WOT for a minimum of 300 miles. Doing so may result in scoring of the ring and pinion gears leading to differential noise!!!
I will probably be updating this over the next few days if I see any mistakes so give me a few days before printing it.
Here she is, all assembled and cleaned up:
Alrighty then! You now have the knowledge necessary to tackle this job. I will have Rosie O'Donnell inspecting your butts for leaks at the next gathering and I hear she hates wearing gloves! 
Lowering your C5 Corvette
This is a picture by picture crash course in lowering the front of your C5 yourself. These steps are necessary to cut the front bushings or to remove the lowering bolt all together.
-Note- before hand you will need to make some ramps that are at least 3" tall so that you can remove your jack from under your car once it is lowered.
The first two pics show what the suspension looks like before anything is done.
At this point I jacked up the suspension so that I could unbolt and disconnect the upper a-arm
This pic shows after the a-arm has been disconnected and the suspension has been lowered down again.
Then unbolt the lower part of the shocks (2 bolts) and you will need a deep socket wrench to reach the bottom of each of the bolts.
Then disconnect the sway bar (next 2 pics)
Loosen the top part of the sway bar bolts to swing the bolt out of the bottom part (next 2 pics)
Finally now you can remove the lowering bolt or raise it to its highest point to cut the bushings. It has a reverse style thread pattern, so to lower the car rotate it counterclockwise. (Note to remove the bolt you may have to jack up the leaf spring to gain clearance)
(Be careful not to damage the leaf spring by using a small piece of wood to protect it)
When putting everything back together, reverse the pattern that was used to take it apart. To reconnect the top A-arm use an allen wrench when tightening the bolt to keep it from just spinning.
Optional for removing the shock absorber totally
If you can do the front, the rear is so easy I won't even have to explain it. (I also forgot to take pics 
) I did mine with some longer bolts than stock to get a 2.5-3" drop in the rear.
lowered pics
Bigger Here
***New*** Lowered With bolts in front completely removed.....
***Newer*** New I-Forged wheels. I didn't have to make one adjustment to the suspension. In Fact I found out that even though the new wheels are 18/19's where the stock were 17/18's, that the new wheels are the same height as the stock wheels. This is due to lower profile tires in both the front and rear of the car.
C5 Corvette LED Tailight Halo Mod
Parts needed:
- about 2' of Small gauge wire (I used 24ga stranded thin)
- (4) 5-packs of 470 ohm .5 watt resistors ($4 at RadioShack)
Tools needed:
- Voltmeter
- Wire stripper
- Solder/solder gun
- Scissors
- Phillips head screwdriver
- black marker
Here's the procedure for 1 light:
1. remove the light from the bumper
2. remove the rear panel from the light itself: remove the 4 phillips head screws and use scrape away the silicone seal from the panel on the back. NOTE: be gentle when removing the screws or you will damaged the plastic. Then slowly pry it loose with your hands (no extra leverage is necessary) It should look like this:
3. Cut the 2 white wires in the center as close to the circuit board as possible. One is positive and one is ground. To find out which is which, strip about 1/4" off each, go back to the car and plug it back into the socket. Turn on the parking lights and use the voltmeter to identify the positive and ground. use the sharpie to label the ground wire.
4. You'll see 4 wires going to the sides of the light: red, black, yellow and orange. each of the 4 LEDs gets its own pair of wires (there are 2 per side) Cut the wires on both sides as close to the circuit board as possible and strip 1/4" insulation from them. The polarity is as follows:
red and orange are power wires
yellow and black are ground wires
twist the black and yellow ends together and solder. Install resistors on the ends of the orange and red wires. Use your 24ga wire to join the power wires on both sides and the ground wires for both sides. Then connect them to the main power/ground white wires you labeled earlier.
5. Make sure your connections are soldered and insulated with electrical tape then test. Make sure your socket is installed in the correct direction.
Created by Radio Flyer from the Corvette Forum