jt1

I have no clue where your noise is coming from, but....back in my circle track days a friend and myself took our distributors to a well known engine builder who had a distributor dyno. It's a machine that shows your curve, scatter, bounce, voltage, etc. on a oscilloscope type screen. I was amazed at the noise the machine made with a dist in running, it sounded like a large sewing machine. I commented the machine was really loud, and the guy pulled the dist out. The machine itself was almost silent. I still don't understand where all the racket was coming from. John

Mark, I'm glad you got yours running OK. Freshening the motor and dealing with the other problems in a month was a pretty good project, I know some late nights went into that. I hope it does well and you have a good trip. Let me know on the private day, I'm interested. Mike, sometimes a group (10-20) gets together and rents the track for a day. Only six cars on track at at time, but you still get to run a lot. Last time my elbow was bloody from propping on the door going thru the carosel, I think I ran almost 4 hrs. http://www.carolinamotorsportspark.com/ Cool place, in the sandhills of SC. Not as beautiful as VIR, but a track with both fast and technical sections that is challenging. I go there a good bit because it's only about a 2 hr pull, VIR is 4 hrs. John

It's been almost three months since I've been to the track, Dec. 10th, and I've had the itch for about two of them. Mark and Mike and all the TriZ guys were killing me talking about going to VIR in Feb, but I just couldn't make that one. The time is here; I'm going to Carolina Motorsports Park for three days, Fri with Turn One Motorsports, Sat and Sun with the Porsche boys. The car is ready; oil changes in motor, trans, and diff, run the valves, check timing, check frt wheel brgs, brake pads, flush and replace the brake fluid, check driveshaft and halfshaft bolts, vacumn the radiator, and give everything a good look. Tomorrow afternoon I'll load the car and all the stuff to go to the track, hook up the trailer and then hit the road about 4:30 Fri morning. To say I'm looking forward to it would be a huge understatement. Weather forecast is looking pretty good, highs near 60 with only a slight chance of rain Sat, so I'm hoping for a perfect spring weekend. Maybe I'll come back with a better attitude!!!!!!! John

I feel for you, it reminds me of this time last year. Started out fixing a minor oil leak and wound up with a complete motor rebuild. I hope when your done, the original problem is solved OK. At least you now know all this other stuff is in good shape. John

I just noticed that when you're looking at a thread, there's a box at the bottom that shows several other threads with content matching what you're looking at. This is doubledamn awesome, especially when you're searching for something. It's kinda like a mini-search. Has this been there and I've been too obtuse to notice it, or is a new feature? Anyway, I like it. John

Yep. Breather one side, PCV the other side, baffle under the PCV is a good idea too. Only a full race engine doesn't need a PCV. John

That's a bubble T, which means you must use bubble flared lines with it. If you're using flares like came on the car originally, they're a double flare and will not work with the bubble T. John

Well, my mistake. But you need to inform the growing young lady who works at the Quick Stop in Kershaw. She seems very certain that you're the responsible party. Your secret's safe with me, Snake. I didn't tell your name or address or anything. Is the lighter fluid related to this somehow? John

Why are you guys so mean to me? I don't have time to search, just tell me what I need to know.

You should see them when they get to fighting at the track. It's usually not too bad unless mark V3.207 shows up. That's the one with a samurai sword in one hand, a spitting cobra in the other, a bandanna that says "DEATH TO ALL NONBELIEVERS" and wearing a sumo wrestling style loincloth with a can of charcoal lighter fluid tucked into the waistband, all while running around a beautiful 73 Z. I generally give that one some room. John

Hmmm......... And people around here think I need therapy???????? Maybe we can get a joint deal. Combo bipolar/schitzo/z heads. John

Angle plug heads were originally thought to reduce the possibility of detonation and allow a little more timing, compression, or both. There was no power gain unless timing or comp was increased. With more timing or comp, angle plug heads seemed to be worth 10-20 hp. Some say with modern combustion chamber design that advantage is lessened, I don't know. Most pro engine builders today use them, and if the headers fit OK, changing plugs in a lot easier on AP heads IMO. The only way to know if yours will work is research them or physically try them on a head. Different manufacturers use different amounts of angle, but the difference is not huge. John

When I've not got track pads on my car, I run Hawk HPS. They have excellent cold bite and are quiet as can be. They do generate a good bit of dust. John

1. Be very thankful your wife likes cars and supports your car addiction. She's a keeper, treat her nice. 2. Don't worry about the woodage. I suspect at least 90% of HybridZ members would need a strategically placed plate if we had a beautiful young hottie like that sitting on our lap. We're just jealous. Once again, keeper. You might want to give camera angles more thought the next time you let somebody take pictures with her sitting on your lap. 3. All car projects periodically require blood to be sacrificed. I currently have a slashed knuckle on my right hand from working on my exhaust. Yours is a lot worse, I hope it gets better OK. John

The credit card thing under the hood is called a "certicard". The name on it is the original owner, and it was used for service and warranty work. 273's have adjustable rockers on them and the rockers are desirable. If you drop in a 360 don't let the rockers get away for nothing. A 360 will bolt in right where the 273 was, same mounts, trans pattern, etc. The 360's are externally balanced, the 273 is internal, so you'll need a 360 flexplate or converter. Several people make 4" cranks for the 360's to make them 408's, and it's pretty much a drop in, just new crank and pistons. Check out moparts.org, it's a high class, high tech, low BS board much like hybridZ. My 67 Coronet R/T: John

The bleeder screws should always be on top, on both sides. Otherwise air in the caliper would be trapped, and you would never get a firm pedal no matter how much you bleed them. John

That looks fine. Move the hubs "lock to lock" and make sure the line isn't close to touching anything, then install a wheel and tire and make sure it isn't rubbing anywhere, again thru the full range of movement. John

Here's a couple more. Regarding ride height, my car is 6" from the ground to the flats on the bottom of the rockers. This yields 1 3/4" ground clearance on the P side header. The damage you see didn't happen on track, rather when I was on the way to a car show and came up on a repaving project where there was a dropoff where they had quit for the day. For my application, a TKO with GM 10.5 bellhousing, the collectors could be moved in a couple of inches to gain footwell clearance. I suspect that would conflict with the pan on a auto application though. John

Marcus, I'm running an Edelbrock RPM airgap with the engine in the JTR postion. With a Holley DP, you can run a 3" element with at least a 1" drop base air cleaner with plenty of clearance to the stock hood. I'm running a 4" element with a 1 3/4" drop base and it is very tight, probably less than 1/4" clearance to the hood. Also should mention I'm talking about 14" diameter air filters. When checking for clearance, the tight place is not in the center, but rather where the "power bulge" in the hood rolls down to blend in with the rest of the hood. How's that for a rambling disjointed reply? EDIT: I should also add my car has the JTR crossmember spacers. John

Couple more: These are NOT the stock 5205. Based on advice from members who used these previously, either Nullbound or Andrew Bayley, I special ordered these with the collector rotated down 5 deg. Imagine if they were pointing up more! Camera batteries died. Later today I'll try and get some showing bellhousing/footwell clearance. John

Pete, the biggest problem I see with these headers is the section where the four tubes come together, radius, and then go to the collector. The section form the radius to the collector is nowhere close to being level. It slopes upward from the radius to the collectors, about 1" on the D side and 2" on the P side. The collectors are nowhere near the lowest point, the lower tangent of the radius is, and there no reason for it, there's just empty space above the radius's(sp?). So I think the radius point needs moved up, but the collectors are in about the right place, for starter and oil filter clearance. When I change my oil, there's only about 1/2" clearance between the filter and the header when the oil filter clears the threads on the block. Not much room to move them up there without requiring a remote oil filter. If S&S thinks they've got V8 Z's covered, send them this: My car isn't that low. John

Wow. That's sharp. I've never seen one with a V10, and I've always been a fan of Cobras. They have a lot in common with V8 Z's. Gimme a hankerchef, Aux. John

WHOA!!!!!!! Great post, Mike. That one needs to go into the FAQ's or rules and guidelines somewhere. John

Stock 400 cranks have the first throw drilled, they're the only ones to have that. The holes you see drilled into the counterweight are from balancing. That looks like a factory balancing hole IMO. John

Most likely a stock cast 400 crank, 3.75 stroke. Does it have a hole drilled thru the front throw, the one #1 rods are on? 4.165 is probably a 30 or 40 over 400 block, I can see the steam holes in the pics, so it's either a 406 or 408. At least you know he's a good honest guy........ Good luck getting it resolved. Edit: He probably knew it was a 408, and just stuttered when he told you "448"...........right..... John