grumpyvette

I live on a pension,so I know all about money being tight but if your reading thru this thread and looking for a first welder don,t shop on price! SHOP FOR WHAT THE WELDER CAN DO! AND FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU NEED AND HOW TO AFFORD IT! don,t think of buying a 90-100 amp flux core welder, its basically wasted money as its extremely limited in its capacity your far better off saving and waiting until you can get a 140-180 amp name brand mig welder in most cases.the deference in what they can do is amazing http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_140_autoset/ this will do a great deal but its best on exhaust and body panel work http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_180_autoset/ probably the best compromise between price and capacity for most car guys, it will do 90% of car welding http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_212_autoset/ this is an excellent shop mig, that will do almost anything http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_252/ I HATE finding out Im limited by tools so I bought this for the personal shop (took me almost two years of doing odd side work and dropping the proceeds into the welder fund)

buy carefully adjusting the length of a test push rod to center the wear mark on the valve tip, before ordering new push rods or verifying before using old ones if they are the correct length http://www.compcams.com/information/Products/Pushrods/ http://www.thedirtforum.com/pushrodlengths.htm http://www.circletrack.com/techarticles/ctrp_0609_pushrod_length/index.html http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0401_setting_pushrod_length/index.html http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=697 http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=181

in about 90% of the cases I see with that problem the accellerator pump shot length, or duration and volume is to small/short. occasionally the metering rods need to be changed and the float levels need to be reset or the fuel flow pressure and volume feeding the carb needs to be fixed to supply more fuel, and you'll need to verify the fuel pressure stays at a rock steady 5 psi and the system needs a decent size fuel line, return style fuel pressure regulator, and a low restriction fuel filter, theres also a chance the ignition curve is advancing too rapidly of ideal power, but that's less likely it sure won,t hurt to read thru these http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/carbs_acc/pdf/carb_owners_manual.pdf http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=1820&p=4717&hilit=edelbrock#p4717

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34924 what part of BUY and USE (4) 12 ton rated stands like I linked to above is all that difficult these are really good STANDS at a decent PRICE, try to catch them ON SALE you can frequently get 4 for under $130 and once youve used them youll never go back to crappy 3 ton stands

oh yeah! Ive had one guy come back after 70K miles with an engine I did a valve job on,( a 1970 caddy) that already had 80k on the engine and tell me that the valve seals seem to be defective, and when I pull the valve cover its obvious the last oil change he did was years ago, who wanted free repair work, I usually tell people like that the heads are shot after 120K-150K miles and the cost of new heads is cheaper than repairing the old ones they usually leave,but the strange thing is they usually come back begging me to do the work even when I name some silly inflated price, simply because everyone else is pricing the job into the stratosphere, when the cars worth maybe $1500 you can,t expect the guy to pay 2K for a valve job and I see that quoted

if anyone knows where to get a great deal on 10lb,or 15lb ,or 20lb co2 extinguishers please post a link co2 is far less messy to clean up after, than dry chemical

now build with a plan in mind,no matter what you do you'll need a low restriction exhaust, decent performance gearing, a manual trans or a higher stall converter and bigger & better brakes so that's where Id suggest you start, a well designed, low restriction exhaust and headers would be my first suggestion along with matching the drive train, rear gearing and torque converter stall speed, to your goals before even touching the engine, but keep in mind the torque rating of your eventual engines power range when selecting components, then if it seems like the cooling system, suspension and brakes will need to be upgraded those should be given some serious thought before you get into the engine, now that's backwards from what most guys do, but it tends to prevent extended down times or driving a car that's constantly breaking down or having a car with enough horsepower that will have a tendency to get you killed when the rate of acceleration, far exceeds the cars ability to steer and turn, at high speeds or far out performs the brakes, and suspensions ability to stop the car once a decent engines installed. Id also strongly suggest building a second separate pure performance engine, that can be swapped into and out of the car over a weekend so your never out of transportation for long if that car is your main source of transportation rather than a weekend toy! once you get into high compression, larger cams, better heads, superchargers ETC, you tend to run into machine shops that don,t return parts as promised and speed parts that need to be modified before they work correctly etc. you sure won,t be the first guy that gets shipped the wrong parts or has a machine shop ruin component rather than modifying your main, and possibly only cars engine to the point where a break down.(and any car will eventually break down, but high performance engines have a slightly higher tendency, to do so) will put a serious check in your life style. besides, its always nice to be able to drop the procedure your involved with for weeks at a time at YOUR convenience, family concerns, or if lack of funds, lack of time or just lack of interest , or the local machine shops promised due dates, on returning parts, or the local speed shops back ordered parts, prevent you from finishing some stage of your engine build up. having the ability to reinstall the stock engine and drive the car without worrying about getting to work or taking trips is a nice option to have on any long weekend notice. take your time and build a killer combo, but don,t paint yourself into a corner, use your head and plan the steps carefully, you certainly don,t want an 800hp supercharged monster under the hood if the wife needs to use the car to get groceries and you don,t want the dual quads, on a tunnelram a supercharger ,stack injectors , or other really obvious mods sticking out of the hood, if you need to park the car where its not under your constant watch and where its out of the weather and in some place its secure from thieves. if it looks nice people notice and theres a small number of guys out there that seem to think stealing cars or pouring a chocolate shake down your injector stacks is perfectly acceptable behavior! you don,t want to get stuck with just building what came under the hood simply because that's what was there either! do the research,and remember a mildly modified high compression 477-496-502- 540-572 big block will provide a great deal more dependability than a highly modified 283-307-350 with the same hp, without power boosters, and a 383-427 sbc, or even a 396-454 496 etc. bbc with a centrifugal supercharger or a turbo can put out amazing hp levels and still fit under a stock hood, if your really good at fabricating some components and if you give a great deal of thought to the installation, and take measurements before you start selecting the car the installation, will be made in,and components you'll use in your personal cars engine build-up and the drive train that will be used.. heres not much glamor in doing things the reasonable route, if your building a modern hot rod, that's to be used on the street the complementary mods Id suggest be done first are to install headers and a low restriction 3" exhaust, then go for a 3000rpm stall torque converter(if its an auto transmission) and a 373:1-to-3.90:1 rear gear ratio and an over drive transmission, like a 700r4,or 4l80e followed by better brakes, once that's done you can work on the engine , and expect to have a balanced set of components example having a low 14 second car the handles and brakes far better than the car that looks so similar to your buddies car, when his car is running in the low 13s or high 12s because, he went into the engine , in his car first, rather than upgrading the drive train, suspension and exhaust first, like you did, sure is hard for most guys to do! but it pays off later when you swap engines and your suddenly in the low 12s or high 11 second time slot or even faster with a car that's not always in the shop! especially when your car handles, and runs consistent times and his runs off into the barrier at the end of the track because his brakes suck and he can,t turn well, and you see his engine constantly overheats, and hes consistently replacing parts, parts that failed because they won,t work correctly in the application the problem seems to be that most guys can,t accept the idea that a few good(EXPENSIVE) parts that are well matched will produce better results than twice as many low cost parts, that, and most of us have a problem spending $1500-$2500 on a set of heads or a block when parts that look similar cost less than a 1/3rd of that cost and when what they think is a screaming deal on the inferior parts comes along they jump on the purchase rather than getting the more expensive components, that they really need. trust me here, a decent set of brodix,trickflow,dart, or afr heads, that are carefully matched to your other components, selecting the largest displacement you can afford and matching the cam timing to the cars gearing and compression ratio,for the combos application and a decent dart block stuffed full of quality forged components that are,selected for a certain power range and rpm band are going to produce better power than youll ever get close to with ported stock heads and a stock production block and yes every time I get almost enough saved for my dream parts list I also have those EMERGENCYs come up and I find I need to spend a good percentage of the car budget on other things so your not the only guy facing that problem

heres why I sometimes get GRUMPY! guys that ask you long detailed questions about the correct component to use in their engine or drive train build , who then they go and buy the cheapest piece of crap used component they can find at a swap meet, with zero idea as to the condition or its original source or year of production, who buy parts that bear no resemblance at all to the suggested parts, and then who call you back to complain that the part won,t work,or bolt into their car, asking you what to do now? example one of my neighbors buys a mustang with a busted rear differential, I give him the length, part number and cars the correct interchangeable 9" ford rear differential came in, a picture of the rear differential,its measurements,the years it was made and the address of several local salvage yards, he comes back with a 8.8" rear from some pick-up truck and wants me to install it, for him, (its NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN) its not that I don,t want to help, but he put zero effort into finding compatible parts so I don,t feel all that inclined to help if hes not willing to at least buy the correct parts http://dfwmotorsport.com/Fairlane/9inchrearends.htm

got asked? that questions usually asked by the newer guys and guys with a limited budget to spend on the car, looking at the hobby long term, ..... WHATS THE best single mod to DO TO YOUR CAR? unless you've got a huge bank balance some thought needs to go into your goals now to me its rather obvious that you plan your build to get to a goal, if its stopping faster you need better tires, bigger brakes and a better suspension, etc. but those mods will hardly be the best choice if the goal is keeping the engine from overheating in traffic for example. FIRST ,you select a goal and do the necessary research, then you collect the necessary components to reach the goal. and in many cases its not car parts you need as much as a decent place to work on the car and the tools to do that work. Id say the first goal, is having some basic tools and a shop manual, and a decent place to work on the car, if you've ever been forced to work on your car in a dirt or sloping asphalt drive way without the correct tools Id think you'll agree that having basic tools and a decent flat section of concrete floor with a roof over it, even if its a simple car port beats the hell out of lying in the dirt, fighting fire ants and having the engine,stand or your jack stands tip as they sink into the drive way surface or working in the rain.. as to tools, a LIFT, is nice but not mandatory, (4) 12 ton jack stands and two floor jacks worked for me for several years ,a decent WELDER, is almost mandatory and a decent drill press sure helps, GOOD STABLE CAR RAMPS, and a work bench with a vise sure won,t hurt! and testing and tuning tools plus basic hand tools come up before all the cams, heads etc. in my list. if you don,t have tools like a timing light, vom meter, pressure test gauges, and a decent selection of hand tools and a decent place to work, and a secure location to store your tools then THAT should be your first goal in my opinion,that might not be what you wanted to hear but 60 plus years of experience make me think its the correct route to take

one of my friends, called to thank me for constantly bugging him into buying a couple fire extinguishers "HE WOULD NEVER USE" and forcing him to mount one on the door frame of the shop,and another on his inside garage door frame. Id strongly suggested getting two simply because if the fires between you and the only extinguisher the second extinguisher will be very handy seems he had been trying to get his lawn mower started and had pulled the plug to inspect it and put fresh gas in the tank, and had spilled some on the engine, well like most of us he had a less than intelligent moment and tried to start the mower but had forgotten to clip the magneto wire on the plug, it arced, and ignited the spilled fuel on the engine and the open 1 gallon plastic gas can that was sitting next to the mower, well after screaming, cussing and running around for 3 seconds in a total panic, and getting slightly burned he remembered the extinguisher hanging on the wall next to the garage door and quickly put out the mower and the gas can (which luckily for him had only blown off it screw on spout, when the fumes ignited and was starting to melt but had not burst or he would have had about 2 more quarts of burning gas running across the garage floor, total damage was minor mostly because he had instant access to the extinguisher, it could have escalated into something much worse given a few more seconds to continue.

this is a factory produced hamberger oil pan but its a decent example of what can be fabricated TEL: (562) 921-0404 http://www.hamburgersperformance.com/ other options http://www.stefs.com/products/oilpans/supergascompstreetpans.htm http://www.kevkoracing.com/wetsump_chevy.htm http://www.moroso.com/catalog/categorydisplay.asp?catcode=11330

while its true that pumping oil, falling from the lifter gallery , around the crankcase with the rotating assembly, adds some drag and costs some hp, adding a correctly fitted windage screen and high capacity baffled oil pan to route that draining oil back to the sump efficiently minimizes the loss, and your forgetting that oil spray helps lube the rings and cam and cools the pistons, Ive seen more problems caused than solved restricting oil drain back. I don,t restrict oil drain back, I use a windage screen and high capacity baffled oil pan designed to route the oil efficiently back to the sump, in theory at least the vast majority of the return oil flow will only make it dragged around about 240 degrees of the cranks rotational arc ONCE, but then Ive always prized absolute durability and dependability over getting the last possible 4-5 hp from an engine if it might lower that dependability theres an old saying "in order to WIN races the first requirement is FINISHING RACES IN RUNNING CONDITION"

all 1996 corvettes had aluminum heads, so its probably from an impala or similar car, what are the block and head casting numbers and vin codes?

lt1 cylinder heads don,t flow coolant thru the intake to the radiator like the earlier heads do, the water pump is the exit point for coolant flow. NOTICE THE STANDARD DESIGN HEADS HAVE WATER to INTAKE TRANSFER PORTS

lt1 cylinder heads don,t flow coolant thru the intake to the radiator like the earlier heads do, the water pump is the exit point for coolant flow. NOTICE THE STANDARD DESIGN HEADS HAVE WATER to INTAKE TRANSFER PORTS

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=495 you check back pressure with a simple test, explained in this thread

the additive is MARVEL MYSTERY OIL, add a quart to the engine and its solvents tend to break loose crud over a short time you can,t just advance ignition timing randomly you need to KNOW exactly where the total timing advances too and the rate of advance, vs rpms http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=1809

have you taken a exhaust back pressure reading at full throttle? did you degree the cam in or only install it per the dot-to-dot marks? what was your total ignition advance at 3000rpm? what was the true F/A ratio? what was the vacuum reading on the intake at full throttle? go any pictures of the spark plugs?

you might find this interesting http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=795&p=1153#p1153

yes its because your wheel base is longer and yes you'll need a longer drive shaft built

those heads are 40 plus year old technology your best off selling

its very difficult to impress on many guys , just how important selecting good cylinder heads are to the engines potential, both those heads will provide a restriction to flow and result in a significant reduction in the engines power potential let me look around a bit and Ill post some suggestions

rather than give you info Im not 100% sure is correct! and as a result of not working on those engines for many years Id prefer if some of the other guys answered this one

a good machinist can get about any transmission to bolt up with a custom modified bellhousing adapter but there are lots of those , available, look thru the list of links on my data base http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=200 but without knowing exactly what trans you have I don,t even know which adapter would mount up correctly

if its going to have an auto trans and keep the EFI youll want this cam, as its a nice boost over stock, http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=00571&x=51&y=9 if you swap to a carb and a manual transmission, and 3.54:1-4.11 rear gear then this will be a killer upgrade http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=00573&x=51&y=9 personally ID go with the carb and bigger cam here http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/manifolds/chevy/victor-ls1.shtml