grumpyvette

http://www2.zhome.com:81/ZCMnL/tech/R200.htm

Exactly locating ,isolating, and defining the problems cause is usually a good deal of the process in removing or curing the problem. example, my Brother,In LAW, has complained for two weeks about the car missing sporadically, and its lack of power at times, I suggested he bring it by, but hes too busy, so I suggested adding injector cleaner and replacing the spark plugs, fuel filter,air filter and doing an oil change and checking the ignition timing as a first step. he calls me today all excited, says the car runs like NEW! I asked a few questions.....my Brother,In LAW, admits spark plugs, fuel filter,air filter are all original equipment with well over 110K miles.......I just shake my head and try not to say something I might regret........#$$%^%^ sometimes your better off not knowing how other people treat thier cars

Ok lets say,youve rented a garage, or storage space to work on your car while your garage is being built! youve got access to electricity but not the correct outlets.. the correct route is to have a qualified electrician add a sub panel , installation, of which allows extra places to add extra breakers, naturally that has limits due too the total potential draw rates,the feed amps, wire gauges, permits,and local laws. (BUT the land lords very unlikely to allow that) THE correct answer in YOUR case is to buy a portable welder/generator,(and mount it on a small trailer, possiably with a compressor) that allows you to weld or power a portable compressor, I had the exact same problem at one time, heres the solution, it allows both ARC and TIG (with an optional equipment package) and supplied both 110VOLT and 220 VOLT feeds http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=K1419-5'>http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=K1419-5 heres a smaller cheaper option, (that includes a mig welder and small trailer) http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907345'>http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907345 http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=72 HERES AN OLD POST AN BITS OF IT MAY BE USEFUL Ok Ill assume your looking into purchaseing or already have purchased your first DECENT SHOP welder, something like a 220 volt 180-350 amp range, in a ARC,MIG, or TIG and in most cases it both HEAVY and doesn,t come with a cart, so youll need one, so it makes an easy and necessary first project example , the three main welders in my shop MY LINCOLN ARC welder weights 630LBS THE MILLER TIG weights 930lbs the MILLER MIG is a newer model and weights only about 200lbs ALL WITHOUT the argon tank(thats easily 180lbs extra) YOUR BOUND TO HAVE A STEEL SUPPLY STORE NEAR YOU, THEY WILL GENERALLY CUT THE STEEL TO LENGTH FOR MINIMAL COST, IF you PAY extra and know the lenghts and type of steel, since cutting steel can be a P.I.T.A. without the correct tools ID strongly advise useing thier services as they are far more likely to get it correct on the first try, measure the welder base add about 3/4" for clearance in width and 10" extra length , EXAMPLE , lets say the welder measures 24" bye 40" (your cart would be 24.375" bye 50" so youll want two 50" sections of 3" angle and two 24.375 sections of 3" angle in this example and 5 sections of 1" box 24.375" long)and use that as the cart width,& length, youll of course use the real dim. of your welder) Id suggest using 3" angle iron as its both easy to weld and nearly indestructable in use, lay the angle iron on the concrete floor , on top of a sheet of junk plywood ,to tack weld with one edge flat, (THE EDGE youve had cut at a 45 degee angle) and one edge strait up an the two long edges parrallel, have the supplier cut two that width ,they weld the same way with the edge up placed inside the two sides so theres a rough 3" corner seam on each corner, and a 3" lip all the way around, USE A CARPENERS SQUARE and CHECK the 90 DEGREE CORNER STRAITNESS BEFORE DOING MORE THAN TACK WELDING, once its strait and level and tack welded move it to the welding bench or place it on a sheet of expendable plywood as you don,t want to be welding dirrectly on concrete as it bioth chips and stains if you do) youll want the corners cut at 45 degrees, so the inside flat on the floor sides shorter and the outside vertical edge is longer ,so they form a large rectangular pan with no center, but a lip thats 3" all the way around to set the welder on, buy five sections of 1" box steel the same width and weld those parralel to the front and back edge on the bottom base and the second of each pair about 3" in towards the middle but parralel, too the ends to weld the four SWIVEL caster wheels on the base too, (use at least 350-500 lb rated swivel casters so you can easily move the welder in the shop, and bolting the casters to the drilled 1" box before welding is not a bad idea here) this prevents flexing, weld the fifth 1" box steel ,vertical and weld a strap to keep the tank steady if you have an argon tank, if not the extra length can be used to store supplies......BTW some guys drop a piece of 3/4" plywood in to form a floor for the welder to sit on, (not a bad idea) QUESTIONS? BTW 1/4-3/8" thick 3" angle iron is fairly hard to screw up with bad welds and a good place to practice your first welds on those 45 degree corner seams, the 4 parrelel box steel cross braces the casters mount too further increase the stiffness and strength, when youve finnished you can paint the cart and youll have learned a good deal about how your welder works....btw most welders come with instructions as to hooking up the ground clamps, type of sticks, or wire and settings so read the instructions BEFORE STARTING AND DON,T EXPECT TO GET IT 100% CORRECT ON THE FIRST TRY _________________ if you can,t smoke the tires from a 60mph rolling start your engine needs work! looking to buy a used welder? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BTW, if your looking to buy a welder ID strongly advise taking a course on welding FIRST so you understand what your looking at and what to expect and so you have a good feel for what your looking to do and what equipment is necessary,then stop by a few large welding shops and ask the owner if hes ever considered upgrading his equipment? stop by a few welder dealers and ask about trade ins.? most will jump at the chance to unload older equipment if given a reasonable offer, the TRICK is knowing EXACTLY what your looking at, having a good idea as to age and condition and value and getting a DEAL, Id generally avoid anything priced higher than 1/2-1/3 of current retail. http://www.welders-direct.com/ https://weldingsupply.securesites.co...ogs.pl?UNDEF:: but be fair! include all the accessories in the bid! look around your local area for the guy or guys that do welder repairs, they can very often get you a decent deal on a used welder or point you to someone whos looking to upgrade thier current equipment that you might be able to make a good deal for on thier older equipment. just stick to name brands , and ID STRONGLY ADVISE STICKING TO WELDERS that REQUIRE a 220volt single phase electrical feed lincoln miller ESAB HOBART HTP THERMADYNE because having access to parts and service and manuals is MANDATORY if you do buy equipment thats USED ask for a demonatration on BOTH the thin sheet metal like patching a fender and exhaust pipes and thicker 1/4-3/8" thick stuff DON,t forget the welder requires a MATCHED electrical feed in your garage and it may require a tank of shield gas and may require accessories or longer cords, and consumables like wire for MIG units or sticks of filler rod for stick or tig welders, all those things add up fast!

locating those intake manifold or other vacuum leaks yeah the way I find vacuum leaks on carb OR MPFI intake manifolds is clean and easy with no mess. get a propane torch,or you can use your oxy-acetolene welding torch if you have one, (DON,T TURN THE OXY tank/or valve ON) (DONT LIGHT IT) just SLIGHTLY open the valve so its allowing gas to flow at a low voluum,start the engine and let it idle at the lowest speed you can then place the tip of the UNLIT torch at any suspected vacuum leak and listen for the rpms to increase and watch the tach, gas flowing into a vacuum leak will increase engine speed. look for loose or missing vacuum hoses, cracked or broken power brake connections, emmisions system hoses that are loose, vacuum connections to the trans or ignition, loose connectors missing or loose bolts cracked hoses missing assessory connections etc.

if youve got an engine leveler/tilter [color:red]IF you WELD a large thread rod coupler NUT[/color], in place of the crank arm you can use an air ratchet and socket to quickly adjust the angle.[color:red]and won,t run into clearance issues turning the crank[/color] adding a swivel like this between the leveler and crane GREATLY AIDS THE ENGINES REMOVAL, AS IT PREVENTS THE TENDENCY OF THE ENGINE HANGING ON A CHAIN TO CONSTANTLY WANT TO SWING BACK INTO A SINGLE LOCATION, BUT DON,T GET STUPID or CHEAP, GET THE 3400lb rated one not the 1200lb size (REMEMBER YOULL BE UNDER THAT ENGINE SOMETIMES) youll need two of these rated at similar load strength[/b]

YOULL need to verify the valve train geometry after ANY change in valve train components, but in the vast majority of cases If ALL the ENGINE & VALVE TRAIN clearances are still ok the geometry will remain within acceptable limits, when you swap ratios from the stock 1.5:1 to 1.6:1. Its comon for the pushrod slot clearance to need to be checked or corrected. youve installed 1.6:1 ratio rockers and the pushrods rub...in the guide slots in the cylinder heads, this is a comon problem,easily solved... YOU NEED A louis tool, YOU WANT ABOUT .060 CLEARANCE, IT MAKES THE JOB EASY http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PRO%2D66485&N=700+115&autoview=sku These Proform pushrod slotting tools are designed to elongate the pushrod slot in the cylinder head. They will make room for higher ratio rocker arms. Use these tools with a drill and a 5/16 in. drill bit to elongate the pushrod slot. btw place a magnet like this under each pushrod slot to catch the drill chips from iron heads http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D82SH&cat=167 many, but not all, aluminum performance cylinder heads already were manufactured with the longer slots, now I generally use ALUMINUM ,BRODIX,TRICKFLOW,AFR, ocasionally DART, heads and I can,t remember a recent set that was needing to be clearanced there. but remember the rockers you sellect, pushrod length, spring height all effect the geometry and the clearances can easily be changed a rocker stud girdle helps also, as it tends to stabilize the studs flex and minimize the changes in clearances as the springs load/un-load keep in mind most performance heads your pushrod guide plates not the slots in the castings to align the pushrods (BOTH the pushrod guide plates and rocker girdles are usually unique to that particular heads geometry, so make sure what you want fits the application when ordering parts):thumbsup: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=TFS%2D30400700&autoview=sku http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=TFS%2D30400701&autoview=sku

My thoughts almost exactly! plus I bet you need to replace bent wheels monthly

Id have too see the car, but smog air pumps, catalitic converters and associated hardware gets scraped/replaced , ignition timing gets the advance curve changed to give full advance at 3000rpm, the T-stat should be a 180F-190F and the air fuel ratio gets richened up to about the 13:1 or slightly richer range vs the 14.7:1 range and if you can install headers, a free flow exhaust and yes you can keep the PVC its usually not hurting a thing, if you can boost the CPR with a thinner head gasket Id do that if, it makes a noticable increase over the stock cpr. If youve got charcoal canisters etc. those get scrapped.

THE ISK-201274 would be my choice, the extra .040 lift (.490 vs .450) usually means more than the couple of degrees in durration, in fact adding 1.6:1 ratio rockers would boost the lift to .522 lift IF youve got the clearances necessary

Actually IVE made a few deals, I find a car , sitting on the lot, with a great deal of parts I want and I bargin with the guy for the car "AS IT SITS, COMPLETE " to be picked up and dropped off at my shop,I strip everything I want then cut the rest up and dump it, or donate it to a friend, "depends on condition" you can generally get a semi complete car for $600 or so. and if you let them start counting out parts the totals much higher. btw if you ask around sometimes you can arrange , for new pick-ups to be delivered to YOU rather than the yard IF they know what your looking for,(slipping the driver $20 to give you a call, won,t hurt) that way they just pay some guy $75 for his car that won,t run, and deliver it to you for $300-$400

NOT REALLY, if your fuel systems set up correctly you NEED a return style fuel pressure regulator in the loop. http://www.centuryperformance.com/fuelish-tendencies-understanding-fuel-pressure-and-volume-spg-140.html Keep in mind, that installing a return style fuel pressure regulator allows the FUEL FLOW thru the fuel pump too absorb and transfer heat away from the fuel pump, generally increasing its life,expectancy and usually supplying a far more consistant pressure and flow to the carb. under high G-forces.

If you were local it would be easy to diagnose, but lets start with the basics whats the COMPRESSION TEST reading for each cylinder? HOW did you adjust the valves? CAN you post detailed pictures of EACH spark plug? whats your FUEL PRESSURE?(does it stay steady as the rpms build?) HAVE you verified the throttle blades in the carb and linkage fully open? is there water or crud in the gas or fuel filter? how are the carb FLOATS SET? what air filter SIZE and is it clean? whats the TOTAL IGNITION ADVANCE? whats the VACUUM READ AT IDLE? whats the VOLTAGE at the COIL? AT WHAT rpm does the advance reach MAX advance? WHAT is the exhaust back pressure reading? (IDLE and 4000rpm under load) HOW did you determine true TDC or did you just assume the timing tab and damper are correct? What color is the ignition spark? what is YOUR OHMS reading on the plug wires? whats your spark plug gap? CARB JETS? METERING RODS? HAVE you REPLACED the cap and ROTOR? ANY indication of a MISS or BOG? HAVE you tried a DIFFERANT CARB? have YOU verified EACH cylinder is firing? have you VERIFIED the FIRING ORDER IS CORRECT? HAVE you VERIFIED the LASH/PRELOAD on the rockers RECENTLY, and are you sure the cam is not worn? are you SURE the trans fluid and rear differential are filled to the correct levels? whats the engine temp after it warms up? whats the trans fluid temp?

Ok first,If I understood you, your looking to to build a 350 chevy with a slightly undersized journal size 327 crank? Im forced to point out the 350 has pistons designed for a 1.560 pin height and a stroke 3.48" stroke the 327 for a 1.675" pin height and a stroke 3.25" stroke, if you use 350 pistons on a 327 crank youll find your running a VERY low compression 327 combo. with around 6.8:1 -7.5:1cpr http://kb-silvolite.com/calc.php?action=piston_comp http://kb-silvolite.com/calc.php?action=comp

Most, BUT NOT ALL, hp/e.t. calculators give you or USE, REAR WHEEL HP, not dyno/flywheel hp, which is generally about 18% higher,some calculators give or use one and not the other. IE if you’ve got 360 rear wheel hp that’s about 425 dyno or flywheel hp. Your combo should produce closer to 450 plus flywheel hp with the tunnel ram, BUT Id suspect the restrictive exhaust might be holding you back.,keep in mind ,that, if your not getting good cylinder scavenging you can’t get full power) Your combos a good basic hot rodders 383 and can certainly reach that 450 PLUS flywheel hp, with the right headers and exhaust and tuning. DON,T get worried about HP, numbers,(their just numbers) just concentrate on the cars speed and E.T.(performance) and screw the theory and hp........most guys never have a MID 11 second car like youve already got! and you can certainly get into the high ten second range with the right suspension,tires and exhaust, which is a very rare accomplishment for a street driven car. don,t get crazy chasing numbers ENJOY the car,its far faster than most guys ever own NOW! http://www.competitiondiesel.com/Phil/bg/ http://www.prosystemsracing.com/calculate.html I’ve owned one VERY low 10 second vette, (10.25-10.27 @ 137mph several DOZEN runs)(BEFORE nitrous, and decent tires)it was impressive too own a car that fast, in the 1970s, but it was a major p.i.t.a. too drive it on the street, WITH ITS FULL ROLL CAGE, AND OTHER REQUIRED EQUIPMENT. I had alot more fun with the cars that ran in the low elevens and even low 12 second cars, that required far less maintinance but were still much faster than average. YOULL NEVER be the FASTEST guy at the TRACK on the budget most of us are forced to work from, so ENJOY what you can reasonably build on that budget, because youll make yourself crazy trying to always get a 1/4 second faster on a limited budget and without the time necessary to work on the car(most of us have jobs and families that are a higher prority)

personal opinion! that looks like an EXCELLENT WAY to have a car pre- set -up too fall off a lift, look at it this way,simple geometry says supporting each corner is far more stabile than ballancing the car fron the center even if the total foot print of the 4 jack stands was only equal to the single lift base, the lift is far less stabile than a quality jack stand placed under each corner of the car and you would be out of your mind to place the car that high on jack stands that are not anchored down,,so why would a lift thats not anchored down and less stable be a good option, one good shove and that cars over on its side, that and the fact theres little or nothing gained in access under the car with that lift, over 4 12 ton jack stands once the tires clear the floor by a few inches, and you can easily use a mechanics creeper to access most of it http://kwiklift.com/commercial.htm http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=98 at least with these two designs the base is wide enought to be more stabile

the gains of a low restriction 3" dual exhaust combined with a good set of full length headers won,t be huge over shorty headers and your current 2.5" exhaust in measurable HP, but it will produce a measurable gain in both hp and tq , over MOST of the rpm band (especially above about 4500rpm), Id expect about 20hp in peak numbers and 10-12 over most of the rpm band in my opinion thats well worth the effort. bunch of dyno info but in most cases long tube headers show more mid and upper rpm hp http://www.lgmotorsports.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=3

I remembered the heads and cam,(we had a long thread on those) and Ive looked up most of the other components in past posts ,but for some reason I thought you upgraded the headers by now to full length versions

ID EXPECT TO SEE ABOUT A 15-20 HP ADVANTAGE ON YOUR combo, with a properly tuned tunnel ram vs a good single carb. With the components you’ve selected PROVIED you run open headers and have about a 19-21" slightly tapered collector on the headers to further increase scavenging. Id suggest going from collector dia. on the header exit to 1/2" smaller dia. at a 20" length exit with a slip on or bolt on collector extension you can cheaply fabricate. Its a small point, but frequently worth the effort with a tunnel ram to get the full ram effect on the intake.(what goes in needs to get SUCKED out with negative pressure wave tuning for max efficiency) the extra collector length tends to lower the rpm,s of and widen the torque band a bit. Post your current parts selection in case I missed any changes and ILL run it thru my software dyno, to get more detailed info. http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0703sr_fabricating_tapered_cones/index.html

http://www.yother.com/plates.htm http://www.yother.com/perf.htm this info should help

I was WELL aware of the FPR in the picture,I posted from your site, but like I stated its not uncomon for guys to install a second one on the return to tank fuel line,and the GAUGE in the corner looked like it just might be attached to one (FPR)

It looks like a nice clean set up, The rpm info , you posted, gives me a starting point to work from. The cam itself (if its installed correctly and its not worn) is only a minor factor in your idle problem, its going to idle with a very noticeable lope and probably not lower than 1000 rpm, (but it will probably produce decent hp) Your fuel pressure should stay steady at about 45-50 psi, the drop when the throttles are opened tends too point to a defective or incorrectly installed fuel system or fuel pressure regulator. Personally ID STRONGLY suggest swapping to a good ADJUSTABLE fuel pressure regulator, if you don’t currently have one. I’m not 100% sure from the pictures, because its easily possible to run two on a system this might help http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MAA%2D4315&N=700+4294908216+115&autoview=sku http://www.amazon.com/Fuel-Injection-Installation-Modification-International/dp/0879387432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227106093&sr=1-1

great find! best of luck with the car

There are several routes you can go, on the tachometer, but an MSD ignition and a matching and compatible tachometer, seems to be the easy route. http://www.msdignition.com/Products/Ignitions/Street/Strip/Digital/6421_-_MSD-6AL-2_Ignition_Control.aspx http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedFiles/MSDIgnitioncom/Products/Ignitions/6421_instructions(1).pdf

Most temperature sensors get mounted into a cylinder head, or intake manifold, not the water pump.

Ok, let’s start with some basic info, Without that info, it’s going to be very difficult to diagnose, or isolate problems. I don’t yet know what your transmission, is or what your rear gear ratio is, you’ve provided no plug gap, or injector size info, and I don’t yet know your ignition, advance curve or total ignition timing, and I’m not sure your timing tabs and the TDC marks on the damper are correct, and I don’t know your fuel pressure, or if it varies. Anything you can add like plenum vacuum readings or exhaust temps. The info will help, to isolate the potential problems.