jt1

Mine is the slip on version, but max travel is 0.645". Reccomended clearance is 0.100-0.125", so slightly over 1/2" would seem to be about right. You can use less clearance than 0.100", but probably 50 or 60 is absolute minimum. I would try a little less clearance and see what happens. Does your pressure plate specs give a minmum throw for it to release properly? John

WOW! Yeah, details would be nice. John

Sometime, I'd like to get Grumpy and Kevin together, buy drinks, and just sit back and listen to them discuss engine theory. But there would be no way I could absorb it all, so I would bring a DVR. Then I could sell DVD's, pay them royalties, and retire with lots of toys. I gotta plan!!!!! John

What a killer thread. Tons of stuff to think about here. Kevin, IPV vs. CV is an interesting thing to consider, and like Pete, I don't think I've ever seen anybody bring that up. It's a great idea, but I think you'll need to adjust the %'s somewhat for different brand engines. Since the port length varies, that is a minor variable that could skew the results somewhat. SBF ports are shorter than SBC's which are shorter than BBC's. Would cross sectional area or head flow be a better criteria, since it would not include the port length? Along similiar lines, it's unusual to see anyone consider CID when talking about cam specs. The same cam has different qualities in a 302 than in a 406, yet that's rarely mentioned in discussion. John

Are you talking about the large nut on the front end of the pinion shaft? A strong air impact wrench is the best thing to use. Not all impact sockets will go all the way down on the nut, check before you buy. John

Tilton 74.750 is what's on mine. It's a 3/4" bore, bolted right up to the stock holes, and the rod and clevis worked fine with the stock clutch pedal. What's the bore of the stock cylinder? My clutch is a little quick, and I've thought about trying an 11/16 if one is available. John

Buggarising????

When I converted my 73 automatic with the ZX master and booster to manual, the ZX booster would not clear the clutch master in the stock location. I used a 74 booster, which is bigger than the 73 but will clear the clutch master. John

Very tough deal. My thoughts and prayers will be with both families. Hopefully.....somehow.....there will be a silver lining. John

Looks like a little too much air to me, maybe drop it a # or two. The outside rib looks good, the next one is worn a little too much. How close to the triangle on the sidewall are you? What is the cold/hot pressure? Overall that tire looks pretty good, better than mine. John

Terry, find a HDPE/Open track type event and give it a try. It's just like what you describe only longer, more intense, and you don't have to worry about the law or some idiot on the road. Your car is ideal for that type event, and everybody that gives it a try goes home with a big smile on their face. The video Mike posted is an excellent example. John

If you mean 500 - 650 horsepower, you're dreaming. Very reliable, conservative engines of this horsepower range, suitable for swapping into a Z car, do not exist. Engines making this amount of power are highly stressed, high maintenance items. Probably the closest thing to your requirement is a modded LS1. 1st gen 350's have been produced by GM with horsepower ratings from 370 to 165. "stroker" is a term refering to the crankshaft or the entire engine, not the block. The block holds internal moving parts, such as crank, rods, pistons, etc, plus oil and coolant. I don't recommend stealing from junkyards. Typically they are inhabited by large ill tempered underfed dogs with sharp pointy teeth, and ill tempered owners who don't like thieves, or buying dog food. And, there's law enforcement to deal with if the dogs don't eat you first. What's a "witch year"? Is that a term used by ear jewelry salesmen to inquire where you want your lastest purchase installed? John

I bought one, but haven't got the bung welded in the exhaust yet. I'm looking forward to fine tuning my somewhat rich holley. John

Thanks Jamie. John

Off topic, but: How are Ross's hubs different than a 240 hub? John

After thinking the self adjusting part over, here's the deal: When you install the HTOB, you adjust it to get the stroke within the design operating range. This is done by adjusting the threaded collar or adding/removing shims. Once the initial adjustment is done, any of the bearings self adjust for clutch wear, as long as the wear doesn't exceed the stroke limits of the bearing. So, initial setup is required, but you don't have to adjust the HTOB as the clutch wears. John

The completely ridiculous thing was when they passed a law making it illegal to shoot feral cats. If the state of Wisconsin hadn't placed that idiotic legislation years ago, there would not be a need to repeal it now. The best thing for a cat is a 22 rifle. John

Some versions- the Howe, for instance, is held in place by the front bearing retainer bolts. The McLeod can spin freely on the input shaft, the only thing that keeps it from spinning is the fluid lines. The McLeod has a threaded adjustment collar, so you don't need shims. I don't know about the self adjusting one. John

Tony, some of the ceramic coating places can coat the headers inside and out to minimize the amount of heat radiated out of the exhaust gas. Calico coatings in Denver NC is one; They did a high temp reflective coating on the inside of mine, then the shiny ceramic coating on the outside. It makes a big difference, a couple of minutes after you shut the motor off you can touch the headers. John

CCW- Complete Custom Wheel will build you whatever you want, strong lightweight, modular, 16 - 1800. Real Racing Wheels Pro 6 model is a modular, about $1200. Circle Racing has nice 2 piece welded customs, 17 - 1800. John

Interesting. Like Pop, I'm pretty amazed at 500 hp with a cam and springs. Also surprised the carb was about equal to the EFI. How much lighter is a LS-1 than a LT-1 or 1st gen? John

I'm using a 3/4" master with my McLeod HTOB, and it's a little quick. I suspect a 11/16" would be just right. I had one of the early one's with the leaking o rings, after replacing them it's worked like a charm. Stock Car Products has a nice stainless line that works good from the clutch to the master. John

The "cornering" and "straight line" are exclusive to a degree. Three of the tires you list, the hoosiers, kuhmos, and toyos, are excellent road course tires, but poor drag tires. The BFG's are good strip tires but don't corner so well. Sidewall stiffness is the difference. A good road course tire has very stiff sidewalls, while a good drag tire has very soft sidewalls. You'll have to pick a compromise. Better yet, just buy two sets! John

My 700r4 has a "full throttle upshift kit" installed in it, whatever that is. I'm pretty sure it's a B&M item. John

How long does a moderate performance motor last? After a recent track day, I was reflecting on the fact my motor just doesn't seem as crisp as it was. Still pulls pretty good, but not sharp. It was built with a fresh bore and pistons about 5 years ago. Probably saw about 5K street miles and 20 track events, then a year a half ago I freshened it up with new rings, speed pro plasma moly. Since then it has seen about 3K miles on track, and probably 2K street miles. It will use about a quart of oil on a typical track day, and has some blow by, just enough to see a little oil around the breathers. I had it apart about this time last year, but didn't put new rings in. Judging from the piston rock, PW clearance is 10 or 12 thou. Last night I ran a compression test and the results were not encouraging, 115-125 on all cylinders. Not good for a 10:1 motor. Dammit. I was hoping to get thru this season with the motor intact. What kind of life do you see from your builds? Mine's a first gen SBC, probably 400-450hp. John