grumpyvette

now Im sure most of you guys have seen or used both types, (the old cork 4 pice sets and the newer synthetic one piece design oil pan gaskets) in my opinion the newer synthetic one piece style is FAR superior! if you read the instructions they say to not use a sealant, Ive found that use of contact cement ONLY on the surface between the upper gasket and blocks lower edge to be a better idea as you can slide the gasket in place then install the oil pan, especially if your under the car, but I also advise the use of STUDS in the BLOCK whenever you can use them as its so much more precise and keeps the gasket from moving as much durring the installation procedure. BTW the 4 corner studs are a differant dia. (larger) so keep that in mind and you don,t want the studs to extend to far below the block as it can cause clearance and installation problems if your sliding the pan on/off under the car with the K-member, http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=MOR%2D38350&autoview=sku your oil pan seal thickness /type, and blocks rear seal type , the year and dip stick location will determine the correct gasket ASK QUESTIONS , and KNOW THE ANSWERS BEFORE ASSUMING ANYTHING and remember the oil pan will only clear that K-member with the crank counter weights in a single location,on some cars so if your having a nervious fit trying to get it to clear the K-frame the counter weights more than likely in the wrong rotational location, SPIN IT OVER A BIT TO CLEAR :thumbsup: THERES OIL PAN GASKETS DESIGNED for EXTRA stroker clearance , USE THEM! ONE PIECE OIL PAN GASKETS HERES A BASIC LIST SMALL BLOCK FELPRO http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_746664_-1_10197 TWO PIECE REAR SEAL OS34509T: Thin seal OS34510T: Thick seal http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_47050_-1 one-piece main seal blocks use this one: OS34500R Which type you use is dependent on your oil pan, not the block or timing cover. BBC LISTED ALSO http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_746664_-1_10197 http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&Ntt=oil+pan+gaskets&searchinresults=false&N=700+115&y=8&x=43

I hope it all works out well for you, but I don,t think the odds flow in your favor if its like my area,I have about a dozen "MACHINE SHOPS" in my area, Ive seen the work most of them do... and I know of only ONE that can be SEMI TRUSTED to do decent work. I was FORCED to learn how to do most of my own work and inspections as I found repeatedly that I was being charged for work that was either not done or done in a slip shod manor by people that could give a s$%%^^ less about doing the work correctly as long as they got paid. one shop that gets good reviews from the guys that can,t tell a port from a valve, with stickers being the main speed part on thier cars, charged me to install a splaid main caps and tried to give it back with a $1200 machine work charge and STOCK 4 bolt main caps, even thou Id paid for and supplied milodon splaid main caps, and it was obvious there was no hone work, or any of the other work that was listed and prepaid for, done, when I complained they admitted that they were trying to give me the wrong block back and could not find mine, and they would not return the $1200 Id paid up front or the supplied main caps as they insisted ID already picked up the correct block, (SOMEONE HAD BUT the signature was not mine or even close to the correct name) I eventually got $1200 in (FREE) machine work, but was out a good block, but only after lawyers got envolved (a loose/loose proposition I detest some machine shops employees I learned to take detailed before & after pictures of all parts and document EVERY LITTLE BIT of the work to be done,costs envolved, too stamp parts with ID numbers and get detailed reciepts and set dates for work completion, I learned to carefully inspect the work, and learned I needed to do as much as I could myself, and understand EXACTLY what needed to be done and WHY it was being done, and that every hotrodder needs measuring equipment like mics and dial indicators, calipers, magnifying glasses, degree wheels,etc.

, I know I could easily be wrong here,but, I can,t help feeling that it sounds like they gave you a good snow job to justify useing crappy reworked stock rods with crappy 3/8" rod bolts and less expensive pistons, to make the job cheaper and easier to assemble. Id be surprised if the shop used aftermarket forged rods at all in the short length. WHY? well most aftermarket pistons and rods are fairly expensive compared to stock rebuilder, style replacement stuff and the use of short stock rods , stock damper and flywheel,allows the use of 350 pistons to build the 383 which is the least expensive sbc piston easily saving the builder a couple hundred in ballancing and machine work to produce a functional 383

read thru this http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/index.html http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ http://micapeak.com/info/oiled.html http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=67979 http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81691&highlight=cooler I use mostly WIX , MOBILE 1 and PUREONE ,filters I personally use this rule,the basic rule is DON,T use FRAM, simply because Ive seen more internally ripped filters that were FRAM than any others,KEEP EXCELLENT RECORDS,USE GOOD QUALITY OIL, and change your oil filter at each 3500 miles, you can change your oil at 3500 miles with mineral base oils or at 7000 miles with the better synthetics but change your oil filter at each 3500 miles, if your serious about CLEAN OIL. remember CLEAN oil under pressure maintains the film that protects your bearings and transfers the heat off the bearing surfaces. keep in mind youll need to check trans fluid and oil levels EVERY TIME you fill the gas tank and your car should have a trans fluid temp gauge and an oil temp and pressure gauges btw, add a few magnets to the oil pan and drain back area in your engine, the trap and hold metalic dust that comes from wear and increase engine life span by preventing that crap embedding in the bearings http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetai...d=D66SH&cat=13 http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D66SH these are even more tollerant of temp swings and retain strength at even higher engine oil temps plus they are smaller and easier to use The SH material in the D66SH magnets, means that the magnets can be heated to 300° F without any loss of magnetic strength, unlike standard neodymium magnets that begin to lose strength at 175° F. Suitable for many high temperature applications. and having a BAFFLED 7-9 qt oil pan and a windage screen, and a decent remote trans fluid cooler with an electric fan helps a good deal BTW stuff to read http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85963&highlight=magnets'>http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85963&highlight=magnets http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85963

ITS JUST a high quality, HIGH DETERGENT MACHINE OIL, BUT its great for lubracating and cleaning engine parts, it dissolves crud and keeps things from binding/galling, and once its been flowing over hot parts it forms a film that slows rust forming a bit also I add a pint to my oil in the cars pan and it helps a bit on keeping the engine running crud free, no, myrical, but a decent product that does its intended job well!

if the hydrolic lifters are adjusted correctly the lifters will pump up within a few seconds once the oil pressure and flow returns, how long they take to drain while the engine sits varies with the type of oil filter and lifter designs and the spring pressures, If everythings correctly adjusted the correct preload will return in under 60 seconds once the engine starts, and theres usually no need to pre-pressureize the oil gallerys BTW adding a QT of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL to the CLEAN oil in the sump tends to keep the lifters cleaner and quieter oil filters that don,t have an anti-drainback valve tend to take slightly longer, and should be avoided, oil viscosity should be sellected to maintain a 15-25 psi pressure at hot idle, thicker viscosites tend to slow oil flow to the lifters & bearings and increase wear, and while they raise idle pressure readings , thats usually with no increase in luberacation, thinner oils show lower pressure readings and in SOME cases don,t lube as well in high temps, but modern synthetics can be thinner and still work very well

saw that picture and it made me think back and shudder well Ive luckly never yet lost a finger tip but my hands look like a map of the interstate with scars and I lost a few finger nails temporarily in the past. if you do enought mechanic work you eventually bust wrenchs or slip, or get burned and get some scars, but in most cases its a painful yet temporariy problem, isn,t it amazing how frequently you bump or re-injure an injured finger while its healing!!

BTW I got asked about these torches, Ive seen them before and know people that like them, but IVE never had the opertunity to try one yet and don,t know much about them, SORRY I can,t be more help http://www.cobratorches.com/ http://www.cobratorches.com/11.html http://www.cut-like-plasma.com/ http://www.cut-like-plasma.com/info_henrob_torch_kits.htm do any of you gentelmen have valid info?

http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p001643.htm well my old torch setup was a victor unit and like a fool I loaned it out, I got it back in pieces with several missing, and the torch is $%^^&* up, so as its 34 years old and I just said screw it!, I went down to the local miller dealer, asked about the best value in a torch combo for up to 3/8" steel and purchased the harris combo, I mostly use a torch for brazeing and finer work, as the TIG and MIGs in the shop do most of the heavier stuff.

your totally correct,about making the best of a bad situation, but having gone the rod sellection route both ways and having seen the cost and results Ive gotten with reworked stock rods and aftermarket rods, I now pitch stock connecting rods in the dumpster rather than waste the time and effort. rods normally fail when the rods rod bolts stretch, at high rpms, and a 7/16" cap screw rod bolt is easily 20%-100% stronger than a similar 3/8" rod bolt(remember theres several differant quality rod bolts like the L19 alloy, 8740, 8740 heat treated, ARP2000, etc.) http://www.arp-bolts.com/Catalog/Catalog.html Id also point out that many (ROD FAILURES) were not rod failures at all, but the result of detonation damage breaking a piston and the resulting damage when the rods forced to try and compress a solid slug of aluminum or a bent valve when valve float occures, or lack of proper luberacation when the oil systems not set up correctly, no rods going to do that well, under those conditions.

while all the above are good points to know,its been my experiance that use of most chevy stock type rods is wasted time and effort, and a bad waste of money, WHY? ITs mostly due too ,cost VS strength most stock rods are not 4340 forged steel most stock rods use a 3/8" rod bolt and nut design which is WEAKER than the 7/16" ARP cap screw designs available in even the lower priced rods look http://www.scatcrankshafts.com/ http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Eagle-6-0-H-Beam-Connecting-Rods-SB-Chevy-CRS6000B3D_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33623QQihZ009QQitemZ190193051211QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-SBC-CHEVY-5-7-H-BEAM-CONNECTING-RODS-350-400-SET_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33623QQihZ007QQitemZ170188121520QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW you can buy matched sets of 7/16" ARP rod bolt equiped rods made from 4340 steel for under $400 most are FAR STRONGER than any of the stock 350 connecting rods and will cost less

valve control issues are a more likely problem above 6000rpm but the lower rotating assembly with stock rods is not the ideal as IM sure you realize, piston speeds over about 4000 feet per minute are pushing things pretty hard if your useing reworked stock rods with 3/8" ARP bolts, so that equates to 6400rpm and Id be very reluctant to exceed that rpm.

A GREAT DEAL of the results will depend on the exhaust header design,MOST commercial headers are designed with low cost and ease of installation in mind rather than max scavaging and max HP. but the exhaust restriction level behind the headers can kill most of the potential results from even the better designs, if your not willing to change the whole system to optomize the results then a stock or modified stock or shorty headers will be a decent choice, if the FULL LENGHT HEADERS are MATCHED to a full length, 3" exhaust with an (X) that will significantly lower the restriction to flow rates. the stock corvette exhaust manifolds tend to be far better than most stock exhaust manifolds but they still fall far behind what a decent set of full length headers and a low restriction exhaust will do for your cars power. design the system correctly and you can significantly increase the exhaust scavaging of the cylinders and increase power,do it wrong and youll hurt power. http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/waebpt01.html readings above about 1.5 psi usually indicate a restriction thats costing you power. the main IDEA is to REDUCE restriction and EQUALIZE the flow, AND INCREASE the CYLINDER SCAVAGING to help power by increasing the cylinder filling efficiency. side benefit is usually a more mellow exhaust tone lets say your car has two 2.5" exhaust pipes, blending the flow thru use of an (X) doubles the area and cuts the restriction almost in 1/2, plus if designed correctly it helps scavaging, a single 2.5" pipe cross section is approximately 4.9 SQ" a single 3" has approximately 7 sq inches of cross sectional area, so adding an (X) effectively reduces the restriction almost in half but stepping up the size and adding an (X) beyond the header collectors does far more at reducing the restiction THE (X) BY FAR is more effective, the (H) may equalize the pressure to a great extent but the (X) blends and exqualizes the flow, http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/html_product/sue462/backpressuretorquemyth.htm http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/lcb-c.htm http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/header-tech.htm http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~allan/fluids/page7/PipeLength/pipe.html you can easily meassure this, get a pressure gauge and drill a 1/8" hole in the exhast behind the headers and bring the engine up to full throttle with the gauge attached, (I usually suggest running thru the gears on a semi hard accelleration test run with a partner in the pass seat watching the gauge readings, with a temp test line to the gauge running into the cab thru a window. whats the differance? lets say for the example the exhaust pulse is a quart to water moving at several hundred feet per second, but unlike water it can be compressed,since the exhaust pipe inside dia. is set the length of the pulse or slug of exhaust exiting the engine every 90 degrees of rotation (v8) has inertia/energy/mass, if it passes a right angle low pressure exit point, at first it flows into both routes but as the mass passes the opening a slight negetive pressure forms and it reverses and the flow changes, put a vacuume gauge on the (h) and it vibrates, wildly. install an (X) and the flow from both sources is FORCED to BLEND, line up, equalize and BOTH sections of the up stream flow benefit from the as each inertia/energy/mass, and slight negative pressure that forms, but its far more equalized. gases unlike liquids will expand to fill any void. put another way if one side was pumping out dark green water and one side was pumping clear, an (H) would have dark green exiting one side and light green exiting the other, an (X) would have both sides an equal, slightly lighter green flow .now at low rpms , or with a smaller than ideal pipe dia. thats no big deal, but at high rpms, BOTH the SCAVAGING of the cylinders your trying too scavage enhances the effect and the reduction of the restriction to flow tends to be better with the (X) put a vacuume gauge on the (X) and it vibrates. but not to nearly the same extent, and the changes in pressure reading remain more consistant BUT,DON,T be thinking that either is a mandatory huge improvement, it may or may not help the power, the degree of restriction, displacement, compression ratio, cam timing and the efficiency of the headers has a good deal to do with your results, and sticking restrictive mufflers on past the (X) or (H) can effectively kill most of the potential benefits

as I mentioned before, a good set of LONG tube custom built headers, added to the combo too replace the shorties your now running and a better low restriction exhaust behind it will build on the combos results. your probably down a couple tenths due to the lack of an ideal exhaust scavaging combo

first congrats on the new best time! what carbs/intake are you currently running? whats the rpm your going thru the lights at? are you getting a good 60 ft time? is that 118 mph trap speed consistant? whats the car weight with YOU in it?

" I'd probably settle for sound advice, for or against 3/8" plate." Ok your NEVER going to bend a 3/8" thick boxed or even correctly multi-gusseted & tig welded, steel motor mount simply because anything on the cars frame you bolt it or weld it TOO will bend first if enought stress is applied, you might also consider the potential stress and weight of the drive train are FAR below the tensile and sheer and torsional strength a correctly designed 3/8" steel mount less than 8" long will have

IT might help if you gave SOME idea as to the engine your useing, the drivetrain its mounted too, your skill level and budget and your horsepower goals here! ETC.ETC. if you just want a KILLER ENGINE PACKAGE to INSTALL... http://www.ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html 620 Super Class Complete Motor This is a special project for the Super class, and serious bracket racer, that needs power and torque, but also has to make rounds all day without motor maintenance. This engine now makes 900 HP at 6400 RPM with 830 lb. ft. of torque at 4800 running 33 degrees of timing. The cam lift is only .748 and the rockers are Jesel shaft mount. No need to check valve springs and lash between rounds. Engines are built with Merlin III blocks, Brodix BB3X, or Dart 345 heads, a Profler intake, Ohio Crankshaft fully center counterweighted 4340 crank, H-beam rods with ARP 2000 bolts, Canton pan, Comp cam, Felpro gaskets, and Melling oil system. Every component is available off the shelf, the bore size will allow two rebores, and the compression is 14.3:1 which does not require the ultra expensive gas, or could be run on alcohol. The Best part is the price at $9995, less carb, ignition and valve covers, this is a really great deal. Complete engine $9995

they screw onto a stud then the cam action lever depresses the valve, so its loose on the valve retainer, if the heads off you then wack the valve head with a plastic hammer and it comes appart from the retainer/keepers they work , but remember to pressurize the cylinder to 120 psi to keep the valve from dropping into the cylinder or to insert about 10 ft of 3/8" cotton rope into the cylinder at BDC then rotate it to TDC before removing the keepers if the heads are ON THE ENGINE and dont forget to rotate to bdc and remove the rope when you go to the next cylinder btw tie a large knot in one end of the rope or theres a chance it all falls into the cylinder

now IVE never done a datsun,6 cylinder, but this is what I use on chevy,mopar and pontiac,caddys ETC. http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=PRO%2D66832&autoview=sku this generally gets more use http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=WMR%2DW89409&autoview=sku heads off http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=SUM%2D906784&autoview=sku heads on this type used to be popular, they work but are slow http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdengi13.html?ref=googleadws&kw=valve+spring+compressor&gclid=CLixwdr68JACFReQGgodJx1l0g they make pneumatic power ones for head shops, but they can be expensive

HOW to find a decent machine shop THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT SO DO THE HOMEWORK & TAKE THE TIME AND EFFORT! THATS SIMPLE GO TO THE LOCAL DRAG STRIP with a PAD and pen, ask every guy with a car running 11 seconds or faster (1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP (2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP take notes keep in mind your not looking for the guys that will make your car FAST as much as your looking for who can be trusted NOT to screw up your parts, and follow instructions on repairs and mods you’ve selected to do ,and those machine shops where the machinist will take the time and effort to advise you and do the job correctly and you also need to know who is doing sub-standard work, and should be avoided, that’s why YOU NEED TO ASK both questions and in that order (1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP (2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP take GOOD notes, collect business cards if you can and remember many guys who have slower cars than the 11 second bracket generally are using mostly bolt on and go parts with little use for a quality machine shops skills that’s EXACTLY why I do all the work possible on my cars and engines....WHY I’ve collected thousands of dollars in tools and done years of research... I got soooooooo... tired and pissed off from dealing with scammers, thieves and morons who were in business too collect money from the CLUELESS masses of guys that won’t or don’t take the time and effort to find out what actually needs to be done and exactly how its supposed to be accomplished and finding out that a huge percentage of the mechanics/garages and machine shops were at least partly staffed with guys who knew less and cared FAR less about doing the job correctly than I could ever comprehend, If your going to BE in business you might THINK you’ll want to build a good reputation and look for repeat business, but all to frequently they are in it for a quick buck and screw the results or customers I’ve seen machine shops throw ALUMINUM cylinder heads in a CAUSTIC SODA bath to clean them, I’ve seen MORRONS try too charge me too torque plate hone a block, when they didn’t even know what a TORQUE PLATE WAS or OWN ANY that fit that family of engines, I’ve seen guys try to beat piston pins out of rods, guys who think a valve job is simply slapping grinding compound on a valve and using a drill to lap the valve into the seat, guys that charge for degreeing in a cam who don’t own a degree wheel or a dial indicator and think aligning dots on the cam drive is degreeing in a cam,.....I could go further but you get the IDEA, LEARN and DO as much as you can yourself, collect the tools and manuals you need, and join a few clubs and find the knowledgeable few guys that do their own work rather than pay exorbitant prices to shops and take their chances... you’ll be way ahead! keep in mind the three most comon screw ups I see (1) not having a well thought thru plan and parts list, OF MATCHED PARTS (2)getting side tracked ,buying "DEAL" parts that don,t fit your PLAN OR ARE NOT ON THE LIST (3)dealing with morons, scam artists & incompetants at machine shops

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93645 cheaper version

if you take the time to have these TQ wrenches tested (and I was lucky enought to have mine tested for free several times) by a buddy in the areo-space industry youll find that most exceed the listed acuracy percentage in REPEATABILITY & CONSISTANCY which is MY main concern and many are very close on the actual tq lbs its REPEATABILITY & CONSISTANCY that I look for more than the actual weight as I usually use ARP BOLTS OR STUDS and lube the threads and tighten and loosen the ARP BOLTS OR STUDS plus the fact that I USUALLY use a bolt stretch gauge on rod bolts http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=ARP%2D100%2D9942&N=700+115&autoview=sku

btw http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=808 don,t bother, MY brother-in -law bought one, we tested it against several of mine, its NOT consistant

adding LENGTH to the tq wrench handle will NOT change the tq readings it will mearly make it easier to apply the force necessary on the end of the handle to reach the readings look you can buy what you need fairly cheaply, Ive got several TQ wrenches, and youll be surprized but most sears/husky/and similar priced tq wrenches are fairly consistant and reasonably accurate, and if your off by 1% or so IT WON,T MATTER A BIT http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100058237&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&PID=1319015&URL=http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BuildLinkToHomeDepot?linktype=product&id=100058237&cpncode=08-42923053-2&AID=10368321&cj=true&srccode=cii_13736960

this thread almost makes me want to find an exceptionally clean Z32 and build something vaugely similar, I might, have, if I didn,t have three c4 corvettes to work on constantly that keep me broke