deMideon

I think I am very sensitive to the lift as well... I have the MSA fiberglass air dam on mine it had about 6 inches between it and the ground... I have a plate between the radiator and the air dam as well and I still was getting noticable lift over 100. So I just added an additional 3 inches to the air dam and what a difference that made! BTW I had a urethane dam on my old 240... I ended up having to put a piece of steel behind it and then build braces for it... you can see at least the bolt sfor it under the link in my sig and under the old Z car folder!

LOL... no I know what the 20w50 oil is supposed to look like, this is definately thicker that it normally is almost lumpy looking, but you can't feel any. The engine is very new about 4000 miles. This oil was in for about 2500.

Yeah.. so can't be fuel in it... it can't be water since it isn't tan... it's 70 degrees (well and the oiil is synthetic) so it's not that making it thick...

Well I started with 20 / 50 I believe... I could believe fuel would get in it, but wouldn't fuel thin it down? And yes water and oil being milky is what I meant and don't have except a little in the valley

I am replacing the intake gaskets since I was getting some oil leaking out of the valley... I found a little water leak evidence (tan oil in the valley). One other thing that is really odd... I was using royal purple synthetic oil, when I pulled the valve covers I noticed the oil seemed really thick... it's only in about 2500 miles... in the valley it also seemed thick, drained it and yeah just doesn't seem right. It's also very black. I didn't think oil and water would really mix and I thought you would get some tan where the water was. Anyone have any ideas?

Hmmm sounds like it will be very interesting! Keep us up to date with the results! I love the look of a satin finish.

Well could someone help me out with this as well? I currently have open breathers. How would I go about connecting it up? Which way does the pcv need to face? I would assume I need a tube going to both valve covers right?

When I put mine together I went to true value, they have a great selection and a lot of Stainless too.

Well from personal experience there are 2 things I have noticed about synthetic oil vs regular. My father had a couple of datsun's that went over 150,000 miles, when I rebuilt the one with synthetic (amsoil I believe) it was very clean inside, very little varnish and no crud. BTW my father changed the oil in both on the same miles schedule.. The one that ran regular oil had significant crud and varnish. So that's the first thing I saw. I also worked at a Z car shop in Nashville for a while and he had run some tests on oils (he also sold an additive which is what this was really for!). I'm sure some of you have seen it, a motor spinning a bearing race, and an arm with a bearing on one side and a spring scale on the other. There is oil in a small cup around the bearing race. So you fill it up with regular oil and put a load on it(pull on the spring scale) and at about 3 lbs you stop the motor from turning. the bearing has a pretty good size dent in it as well. Change the bearing and race and this time add synthetic (don't remember which one he used... Mobil 1 maybe), do it again, this time the motor locks up at 8 lbs, and the dent in the nearing is much smaller. Not much of a test, but to me it shows that under a load the synthetic performs better. These 2 reasons are why I why I always use synthetic!

The only difference I would think of might be the speedo. Isn't the T-10 mechanical? The T-56 is electric.

Exactly! For example, I am putting out 400hp at the wheels, am running 3.54 gears and have a T-56 trans, an aluminum flywheel, and my power band is 4000- 6000. I really like where it is. I am driving mostly on the street and I am not using slicks etc...

Heh... I have a 400 with a T-56 and Weir belhousing.. It's not that expensive when you see how much the pull type clutches, flywheels etc.. cost. Also the stock setup has the clutch slave in the way of where the exhaust goes, the slave is not easily bleedable etc.... Everything with the Weir just bolted up and worked. I was very impressed and I love the hydraulic throwout bearing!!!

Cool! Thank you... after I make my water pump so it will never come apart again... I'll add those to my fluid!

Hmmmm..... I've been chasing leaks for a while now... I wonder if this is part of it since I am using ARP studs as well. Where do you get the GM "pills" is there a part number? Or would you guys recommend the Aluma-seal? Although I am STILL having a problem with the back plate loosening up on my milodon water pump! It's coming off and I'm going to seal it and use locktight blue on the !$$#$#@!#!!! bolts!

Thanks! Now that I am getting it close to having the bugs worked out I am really happy with the engine... it's almost not enough power again! LOL!!!

Actually I used a Scat 400 crank, I don't like spacers. It needed balanced anyway so I had my machinest internally balance it! As far as the dyno... they are full sized, you have to select Download from the buttons over the picture. Then you get the full size version! I have done a lot of work to my engine since then including getting the cam timed, so I've got to get back in to a dyno and see what the numbers are now. Anyway here are my specs: 400 block bored 40 over, decked .020 Scat 9000 crank, 400 mains internally balanced, 3.5" stroke for 6" rods Scat 6" I beam rods w 7/16 arp bolts Keith Black 194 pistons, 10.7:1 w / 64cc heads Canfield heads - 59.2cc Intake valves 2.02 Exhaust valves 1.60 Flow Numbers: .1 - 63.5 - 50.5 .2 - 130 - 94 .3 - 185 - 128 .4 - 237 - 151 .5 - 252 - 165 .6 - 253.5 - 175 .7 - 256.5 - 182 Crane Cam - 114681 VicJr intake Speed Demon 750 w mech secondaries Aluminum Flywheel / Centerfroce 2 dual friction clutch T-56 w Wier bellhousing and hyd. throwout bearing R-200 3.54 gears, Phantom Grip installed

Not to mention that after you are done and you Finally clean up the shop.... Oh! here is where my SFI silicone fluid damper went! LOL! Also I have quite a few thing that I thought would work fine until I actually had everything in fron of me and found out the no.... no that really won't work!

One driving factor for model decisions can be emissions. Does it make a difference if it is a 73 or a 78? If not then my choice is the 280. As dr_hunt said, it is significantly beefed up as far as structural strength. Very important when you go way up in Hp. I had both a 73 240 and now a 280. Everything is stronger in how the 280 is built, but of course.... it weighs more as well!

Well fuel injection is much more effecient... if you get the right equipment and set it up properly. The drawbacks can be getting it setup properly and depending what HP you are at it can be very expensive. Carbs are cheaper and easier to setup.

LOL Well it happens from 0 - whatever speed I am going when I get on it and it does not happen if I am doing 90 just driving.

The biggest problem I've had with high speeds is while I am getting there (it does get there really fast) The torque picks the front end up and makes it really light. I haven't had the room to just do it slowly as yet. I had it up to 130.

Well if there is a get together... let me know as well and I will try to stop out with my Z!

Well... I'm in Northern Illinois!

Ok this was really dumb... While I did have a leak from the intake. I did end up fixing it. Getting the angles machined right on the intake did fix it. I found what the bad leak problem was.... The plate on the back of my water pump was coming loose. It finally came loose enough to have a puddle under the car, so I was able to find it. I NEVER would have thought about looking there. Sheesh...you'd think on a new water pump (only about 2000 miles on it!) that kind of thing wouldn't happen. Well it does seem to be fixed!!! No wonder I was having problems with cavitation!!

Well.. definately water. I can't really say about any vaccum leak. I think with the problems I've had with it I in no way would be surprised. Heh.. yeah the manifold really isn't right. When my machinist was changing the angle he couldn't believe how poorly it was made... it really was very uneven. I just put it on after being machined so I know it at least appears to be in good shape at the water manifold!