grumpyvette

congrats! take care of the stuff and be sure to visit the old lady and help out occasionally in return for the HUNDREDS of dollars in equipment

interesting question, ok, stock vortec heads will limit you to about .475 lift and about a 5500-6000rpm power peak thier 173cc ports are designed for mid range tq. and the port design won,t work correctly with the higher port enterance, matched with the lower intake port routing on the standard intakes.(I DIDN,T SAY IT WON,T BOLT UP AND FUNCTION, ONLY THAT ITS FAR FROM IDEAL), youll want a cam that maximizes the mid rpm tq, but since you won,t be exeeding 6000rpm, so the hydralic cams are fine, something like this should work since its a manual trans Chevrolet Performance Camshaft; Part Number SH3224 http://www.survivalmotorsports.com/ChevroletSBcams2.html http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=401&p=698#p698 GET THIS INTAKE MANIFOLD, (below) its designed for the vortec heads(unlike the standard intake and vortec heads in this picture above) http://www.jegs.com/i/Weiand/925/8121/10002/-1

thats AMAZING work!

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-3-ANGLE-VISE-tilting-drill-press-vises-wood-metal_W0QQitemZ370097885714QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Tool_Work_Holding?hash=item370097885714&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50#ebayphotohosting

looks good! can you get pictures of the headers from below with the car up on a lift? any problems with the fit? "The part number is 520-2243 in the Jegs book"

theres a dozen ways you can go with headers and ignition wire, but Ive used these on several cars with good results and its what my race vette runs http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=TAY%2D99610&N=700+115&autoview=sku http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=TAY%2D99605&N=700+400235+318871+115&autoview=sku big block (above) http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=TAY%2D2566&N=700+400235+115&autoview=sku http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=TAY%2D79651&N=700+400235+115&autoview=sku SMALL BLOCK(above) as far as a skid plate ,a simple plate can be welded to the k-frame that extends back too or past the the sump at a slight angle or you can bolt one onto the k-frame for easier access and removal, a simple pattern can be made from cardboard , and some carefull measurments and a piece of 3/16" stainless steel about the width of the oil pan sump and distance from the rear of the k-fram to the bell housing could easily be fabricated, personally , my vettes got about the same under car clearance with my big old body and a passenger in the car and I just watch very carefully for raised lips on manhole cover rims and curbs and speed bumps and in 40 years of driving corvettes Ive only damaged one sump and that was repaired in a weekend with a oxy-acetolene torch

If a symtom comes and goes, rather at random, ID start looking at the plugs for indications of whats going on in the cylinders. ID do a compression/leak down test to verify its not mechanical in nature, Id verify the fuel pressure was consistant, Id open the carb and check internally for crud or broken parts, Id check the float levels and set the idle adjustemts and if I had a F/A meter ID be using it, to look for indications, and Id use a timing light to verify the timing curve advance runs smoothly, a VOM to do a few checks on voltage and resistance on ignition components , like plug wires and check the battery voltage bunder load,and and Id use an IR temp gun to verify the exhaust temp is reasonably consistant between cylinders as the first checks, you can,t cure the problem untill its isolated and clearly defined

you might want to read thru this http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0901phr_1968_chevy_chevelle_classic_performance_products_brakes/index.html http://www.classicperform.com/NewProducts/MCPV-1/MCPV-1.htm

If those peanut port heads flow decent which they should after some port and bowl clean up, they will be just fine for your intended application,but ID strongly suggest adding better valve springs that allow a .575 lift flat tap hydralic cam, the only decent intake matching that application is made by wieand http://www.holley.com/8017.asp youll want a cam designed for max tq in the 3500-4500 rpm range like a this and those better valve springs http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam_finder.php?part_num=01241&x=18&y=2 youll want a 1 3/4" primary full length header youll have a hard time getting 400hp at only 4500rpm, but youll have a decent tq curve and run cheap gas, my engine software makes its wild guess at 385hp/505 ft lbs with a 650 holley and open headers with a 18"long 2.5" dia, header collector, on that 9:1 cpr 454 assuming your flow rates on the heads are about 8%-10% better than stock

Can you give me one good reason why I should keep my L28E over a small block chev? ONLY IF YOUR A MASOCHIST, thats AFRAID of tire smoke, and winning races masochistic - deriving pleasure or sexual gratification from being abused or someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment

start with the basics, get out your V.O.M. and start with making sure the battery has about 13 volts and the engines well grounded,in at least two locations to the frame and battery ground, then verify the engine spins with the starter,verify all the fuses are good and your getting voltage to each fuse. get a shop manual or the gauge install instructions and verify the voltages and grounds, if youve got test gauges use those to verify the installed gauges are getting data but not displying that data, replace or repair as required, if the gauges are functioning but they don,t read correctly.. next do a compression test, and verify the valves are correctly set, with the proper preload or lash and that the cams indexed correctly to the crank timing.verify that the TDC and timing tab and TDC on the damper MATCH in reality. next verify your getting fuel at the carb or injectors at the correct pressure and its good fuel with no water or crud. next verify the plugs are clean, gapped correctly and getting spark, then time the engine. IF I was local this stuff takes only a few minutes to an hour to verify, but without being there it takes longer and im forced to guess without your detailed info.

http://forums.hybridz.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=11813&d=1233376936 IM IMPRESSED! that level of customizations not comon any more! congrats

napa, and harbor freight both sell a spark plug thread tap, http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97277 just re -tap the threads and start the engine after squirting in a bunch of oil into that cylinder without replacing the plug, the engine starts and makes a smokey & noisy mess blowing the oil out but in under 1 minute the threads are blown totally clear if there was any chips, then just stop and replace the missing plug, if the threads are real bad http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4212608.html http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100428 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CODEAM?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextag-auto-delta-20&linkCode=asn http://www.restockit.com/High-Carbon-Steel-Metric-Thread-Spark-Plug-Tap-Plug-12-mm-1-25-(VER21146).html http://www.automedia.com/Spark_Plug_Hole_Thread_Repair/ccr20020401st/1 http://www.doityourself.com/icat/threadrepairkits

youll want 3.5" long 3/8 nc grade 8 bolts for most engine stands and don,t forget to buy 4 fender washers to prevent the heads of the bolts getting into the stands rotating head mount, occasionally youll need 4" bolts but thoise stands are not comon, you might want to measure your tool head and add an inch to the head depth to buy bolts

looks great!

I don,t know the answer to that as I work on very few fords, but Id point out theres several differant styles of fuel pumps available, varing designs most work like this but not all.. http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/535.cfm

"ALSO for the 110gph version it said no regulator is required so what is the gain for adding one?" thats a good question that deserves some info posted,chevy mechanical fuel pumps throw a supply of fuel in pulsed volume, if youve ever started your engine with a loose fuel line connection to the carb, or tested fuel flow rates, by allowing the pump to throw fuel in a container,youve seen the fuel squirt out in pulses, a fuel pressure regulator tends to smooth out thos pressure spikes the carbs needle/seat sees and provide a much steadier pressure and supply. NOW theres a pressure overload circuit in the pump that keeps the pressure lower than a set maximum, but its not nearly as effective as running a return style fuel pressure regulator in conjunction with the pump. while its true the pump and carb will functuion without the regulator youll generally find more consistant fuel control, and fuel levels in the carb if you use the regulator even with an electric fuel pump.

on that set-up a mechanical pump and return style regulator is fully adequate http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=HLY%2D12%2D327%2D11&N=700+115&autoview=sku http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MAA%2D4309&N=700+115&autoview=sku

KING, COMP CAMS, CLEVITE, and a couple more sources are available,for those spacers and yes several appear to be re-cut bearing shells http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=1050

theres about 3 differant routes you can take and several manufactures of those spacers and yes some look to be re- worked bearing shells. heres one of several http://www.streetperformance.com/part/comp-cams/main-bearings/153520-5620.html

$1200 FOR A miller 250 AMP MIG EVEN IF IT iS AN OLDER MODEL, BUT IN GOOD CONDITIONS, A GOOD DEAL! congrats

http://www.ramairbox.com/ lots of good info here if you look around

ID BET THE PROBLEM is detonation and or ring clearance related http://www.kb-silvolite.com/article.php?action=read&A_id=56 http://www.kb-silvolite.com/article.php?action=read&A_id=58 play with this calculator and read this chart http://www.turbofast.com.au/TFcompB.html read http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=671

http://www.4secondsflat.com/plug_chart.html Obviously from the question, the use of a fuel/air ratio meter is unlikely, so the next best option is learning to read plugs and use a timing light and a vacume gauge for tunning the engine.

the more I read here the more I suspect the ring gaps were never addressed or clearanced correctly and that as the engine heats under load the friction developed from rings butting and expanding to almost lock the cylinder wall to the pistons or detonation problems are causeing or at least adding to the problem