BLKMGK

What will you be doing with this car? Strictly drag racing or street driving too? SCCA track day, parking lot racing around cones (AutoX)? If it's not strictly a strip car I'd suggest sticking with a small block or a GN motor ( ). Seriously, how much power can you put to the ground? My car is running rough right now, an ignition issue maybe, it's certainly missing up high. However I'm able to burn a set of 245 drag radials EASILY. My motor was built to make between 400-450HP, I doubt it's making 400 right now it's running so pig rich. With the power I have I can roast the tires and break 2nd loose quite easily on stickies. What I'm trying to say is that the mods to put that big block in there are just the beginning. You'll need serious additional mods to put the power down. More power after a certain point is just parts breakage and loss of traction IMO. At least two folks here have done the BB, one of them is a single digit dedicated race car. Is that what you wish to build? If so you can make anything fit - I think Ron's got a tube frame up front...

Pull the dipstick, what's the oil look like? Milkshake? If so it could be either head gasket OR the intake gasket. Any bubbles in the radiator while it's running? If so it's likely the headgasket. I had a milkshake happen to me - intake gasket (whew). Not sure what else might have done that but don't panic just yet.

Opinion wantee - I've got what looks like a straight through pipe with 'glass around it now from Sebring. It looks maavelous! However it's louder than I wish. My muffler guy left room for dual mufflers under the car. Would the Spintechs, in conjunction with the muffler I've already got, be good enough to quiet down the car? I'm looking for more rumble, much less roar. I'd like it to be a little less obvious to bystanders when I pull up that I've got a V8 and be able to hear the motor over the exhaust. What do you think guys?

Check out Probe Industries. Probe uses some good parts and has all th estroker stuff you could want for Fords. I seem to recall they use Eagle rods and Ross pistons but I might be mistaken. I've got their stuff in my 351W When you get to the 427 sizes do NOT skimp on heads and do not think that a mostly stock set like a GT-40 could be ported. Go with something that flows and is made for BIG cubes or you'll regret it. I know of at least one person who didn't listen to this advice and made little HP but tons of torque. He's buying good heads and intake now Speaking of intake - GT40 lower isn't bad but go with a BOX upper for a bigger motor. The GT-40 upper has runners that are too long for a big cube app. Those runners are to make torque and in a 392+ cube motor torque is NOT a problem, airflow is! Consider converting a carb intake to EFI.

Try to keep it away from heat - especially if it's one of the big clunky analog units! You could mount it in the glovebox, you could mount it up front by the radiator, you could try mounting over my the clutch master. Maybe the firewall? I wouldn't mount it on the strut tower as it'll get heat from the headers. Do use th eshock mounts if you can but watch them for rubber deterioration if it's supported by them - i.e. hanging by them or on a vertical surface. Hrm, you could even mount it behind the front wheel in the wheel well but shield it well from both debris and water as best you can. I've mounted units in areas like that and had trouble with water hitting some of the connections I didn't use - a condom or silicone can fix that Wherever you mount it I'd suggest labeling things and if possible having an easy way to revert back "stock". Having been left on the side of the road at 3am on a bitter cold night in the middle of nowhere I can appreciate the importance of this. I was able to revert to stock and get going in about 20minutes (it was REALLY cold) when my MSD 6AL died on me for no apparent reason. I also had to do this once before when I hit a big puddle, soaked th ebox, and was left dead in rush hour traffic. Switching the wires then was VERY fast and before the cop who pulled up could suggest a wrecker I was on my way. He was quite shocked Anyway, it's a good idea if possible.

Okay... I've had a HELL of a time doing this on a SBC. Pull #1 plug - forwardmost driver's side plug. Place finger over hole. Crank the motor until you feel compression build and stop cranking. Turn motor over until TDC is indicated on the damper. Insert distributor such that rotor points to #1 plug wire. Note that it will turn about 1/4-1/3rd of a turn as it goes in and make sure the oil pump driveshaft is lined up with the distributor as it goes in. This is how I've done Fords and how I tried my Chevy. I couldn't get it right! I suspect that my damper may not be indicating TDC or that I'm looiking at the wrong mark. IT's not got numbers but is an SFI damper so not a piece of junk. My next step is to order a TDC "stopper" from Jeg's or Summit and a timing tape. I'll get it one way or another...

Ross, I'm still at the point where I meaure them carefully and am still getting used to this whole idea of being able to adjust ride height I've nto been able to easily get my meat hooks in there and yeah the perch is below the wheel rim (shrug). The front IS higher due to the adjustment, NOT spring rate. It actually doesn't look too bad IMO and I'm considering bringing the rear up a bit as well. I'll see how the front reacts when I hit the brakes here soon enough! With a larger MC I think the brakes are all set except for final bleeding. Blue - good point! I hadn't thought of that but I'll bet that's it. I'll check ASAP and see what's up. Thanks for the pointer!

Is that a "new" edition? Mine has a little on the T56, lot's on the 'Vette 6speed but then tells you not to use it, and nothing on the LT1 LS1. The TPI swap book had more info on the T56 than the Z book did! Hrm, 6th edition faintly rings bells with me concerning my book. Sounds like it's time to order another!

WWW.JAGSTHATRUN.COM Go for the 327 over the 307. I'd expect it to sound like a healthy V8 Lot's of discussion here about 327s and what it takes to build that much power. The range of power you're looking fo ris what 90% of us have set as our goal. Read up in the Chevy forum...

I cutgrouond NOTHING on my T56 - it slipped right in. I did have to ding the firewall a bit up front where the tunnel begins on the passenger side. This was MINIMAL. The two fins by the reverse sender stick ut a bit, I'll trim those. When done the passenger side was too close to install the reverse sender and was nearly touching. I used a crowbar braced against the trans to expand that space - it is NOT noticable on th einside nor did I damage the metal. A tap with a hammer would restore this. Lastly, back my the trans mount it was REAL tight. Rather than bash everything up I had my mount sectioned a bit - pics on my site. This was actually a little bit too long still and I have mild depressions in my pantunnel. These were made by bolting the crossmember to my trans and jacking it up into position Other than those mods and removing the old trans mounts with an air chisel (documented here somewhere) I made ZERO modifications to fit the transmission. Oh wait, up by the shifter I trimmed a little so I could more easily get to the shifter bolts The T56, from an install point of view, is nothing to be feared. It does weigh a ton though - install it WITH your engine and set the STARTER clearance before bolting up the engine! Setting it later is next to impossible - trust me.

Only 50 ponies? Heck a bottle will give you that no sweat. No retarding the spark or changing to colder plugs for that low a boost either. Truthfully though - I've been told that a 50horse NOS shot is barely noticable to the driver. I don't know that from experience though but hope to find out. Bottle would certainly last awhile huh? If you're willing to do the turbos and the cost of it then perhaps consider a belt driven blower too. No turbo heat, no wild plumbing for the exhaust either. 5-6lb would be cake for an ATI, NOVI, maybe even an S-Trim Vortech which ought to be available all over the place used. Brackets of course is the big problem and possibly pullies depending on where the front pulley sits....

Heh, I can't keep track of everyone's projects - I have a hard enough time with mine. Besides, there's what 4 Mikes here? I didn't use spacers but I didn't think they would make that much of a difference. I've got maybe a finger width of space in there, how close is yours? Perhaps your motor is further back? I'm using a small distributor and it's not quite against the firewall...? Maybe I'll try to snap a pic of it so you can all see how close it comes. I revved it a few times and it looked like it'll be okay. A good downshift is going to be the best way to tell though I think and I'm afraid that's a little ways away (sigh).

FWIW - based on the advice here I too dumped my spacers and didn't use them. That was after they were powdercoated of course so far as I can tell driveline angles are fine but until I hit the highway I can't be too sure. (sigh) VAT - this is an antitheft deal. If you look at the key on an LT1 or LS1 equipped car you'll see a small resistor. This is coded and the ignition lock has prongs that check it's value. Incorrect value = no start. since the Z column obviously doesn't have the probes to check this you're forced to disable this in the ECU code. I think the TPI motors might have had this problem too BTW. In some cases an additonal black box can be wired in to get around this too Hrm, at som epoint I think we need to have a thread on theft prevention tips. My car could be hot wired with a bobbypin and since my solution to the hood latch issue was to use hood pins with no locks this is a real concern!

Uh oh, guess who put the 225lb springs in front and the 200's in back? Ah well, if it drives and handles well I won't care. They're easy enough to swap out too. Car looks kind of silly righ tnow with the front end up higher than the back due to my spring settings but until I'm sure it's not taking any trips on a rollback that's the way it's staying! Coil overs are great for being able to adjust ride height although getting to them is a PITA. I've also noticed that my front tires were rubbing a little bit on somehing during turns while we were pushing it around - possibly the front of the fender? Will puzzle that out when it's back running on the road!

Mike KZ - do you have a ZX or a Scarab positioned V8? Mine's not so much close to the frame as it is to the tensioning rod that comes back from the front suspension. It hit the oil pan rail on my Moroso pan. The pan lip actually stuck down and wasn't flat. where thay had cut out a wedge I simply cut it straight across. The size of the flywheel makes a difference, if it hadn't been the smaller flywheel it would've been fine. As for the capswcrew... I'm using a Ford solenoid and so I had to put a jumper on there. I did this before installing the starter and actually had to install he hot wire that way too as getting in there with a wrench would've been impossible! And this sucker migh tbe smaller than the really old starters but it's nowhere near as small as the LT1 unit it replaced. That sucker was thinner but longer. No matter, I'm pretty sure this won't interfere with my exhaust!

Heh, I for one really appreciate the information guys. Fiberglass and especially CF parts are BIG interest of mine. I'm not so much looking to make big flares or a hood but little things and the more I learn about it the better! Time, unfortunatly, is my big enemy. I think that whoever ends up with the AZ molds should be someone experienced in this sort of production and who can check out the molds. I don't think this is something for a novice. He's got a bunch of parts that I think would be really neat to have but his prices and attitude have always kept me away. John on the other hand has an attitude I like - hence the purchase of my hood. Yeah, shipping was higher than I liked and I've seen lower for similiar pieces but it sounds like he's licked that problem. So far as packing, wood or cardboard makes no difference to me so long as it arrives intact or with little damage. In my case it showed up in great shape - I've got pics of the packaging on my WEB site for just this reason I too like the idea of one big vendor. Some of my worries though are how this vendor would make it. These molds and whatnot must take up a good bit of space and the business itself would consume room too. That all costs money! It would almost have to be done out West where room is cheaper, around here the rent would eat you alive... I'd also like to say that I'm sensitive to the fact that folks like John, MikeSCCA, and others sell these things as part of a way to put food on the table. There are times when I know I could probably puzzle out what one of these guys is doing and maybe source the part myself for a little less - I don't often try. If enough of us did that there would be any little vendors left around or anyone doing much research. It's one thing when MSA finds some little weatherstriping company and doubles their price to sell to me, it's quite another when I pump someone for enough info to duplicate their setup without spending the hours junkyard hunting +trial and error that they did. Doing that isn't fair IMO. The fact that John and others spend tme here and elsewhere explaining things is great - an if they get more sales because of it then that's even better! So, thank you John for taking some time here and thank you to others who share what they've learned even if they aren't putting foo on the table with it. I appreciate the time that everyone takes to contribute because if I had to learn it all myself I'd not even try - too many other things going on including my own quest to put food on the table Please John, feel free to contribute and come back often. I think I speak for many of us when I say your insight is appreciated a great deal!

I think that's the brand anyway, the $150 unit Jegs sells with the 4:1 ratio. Okay, this sucker is a bit bigger than the OEM starter it was replacing. It's got a big gold anodized mounting block up front and a motor on the back that can be "clocked". In my case I had to clock it one step OUT from the motor as the body of the unit hit. It now comes close to the frame but when I fired the car it didn't appear to rock that far over. Yes, open headers and my ears are rining This sucker is HEAVY! It's at least as heavy as the LT1 starter it replaced in my case. The paper describing how to shim this sucker was a joke! I would've had to remove the trans AND bellhousing to do it. Yeah, my trans it oout but no way amd I goign to get the bellhousing off without big time toruble. Looks like my old flywheel bolts stay (sigh). So, I corssed my fingers and bolted it up. I quickly discovered that the "notch" it has for oil pan clearance was NOT enough on my car. With a 153tooth flywheel it had to be tucked inwards so if you've got the smaller flywheel too be prepared to cut the aluminum block too. I simply chopped the block square with th ecutout they had already created. If you use this starter you'll be able to see what I mean pretty quick. Wiring for this sucker was a PITA. Stud for the positive cable is tucked up against the block and requires a longer cable run than the LT1 unit. Thankfully I had slack. I HAD to use their bolts too - they're shorter. Last but not least I cranked the car over. It turned much faster than the previous starter and I got NO grinding noises. Even when the motor fired it was fine and didn't hang or grind. It would seem that my starter woes may FINALLY be over. My fingers are crossed that it doesn't heat soak and that my exhaust still fits fine. The latter I'm not so worried abouot, the former only time will tell. At last, a little bit of good news on my project. There for awhile though I was less than happy with this starter and thought it would hit the frame - I think it's going to be fine. Whew! P.S. Took some time to scrape the oily goo off the bottom of my car. Ick! Undercoating tomorrow perhaps. I need a lift SO badly it's not even funny. I'm starting to look into this...

Ummm Pete - my hood from John came in a carboard box We also had a bit of a time getting reasonable shipping rates. The prices John is being given are a tad high - Mustang hoods from Cervini ship fo rmuch less. If you're buying a $300 part and shipping is $150 it does make you stop and pause....

Look for the turbo cars. Should have a finned aluminum cover on it and you do NOT want the one in the all white SSE edition cars.

Nah, it's a FOX engine bay just liek the older Mustangs. Racers swap the DOHC engines in and Ford used them as "mules" during development too. Contrary to what Ford advertises, these engines are FAR from "new". Ford has had them on the drawing boards for a good while. It takes TIME to design an engine from scratch! It's quite possible that they thought they would be transverse only but that's the first I've heard that. They do mount that way in several vehicles...

Hrm, that's some bug! If you pay attention to all of th edirections, including dimensions, I've found that the estimator is right on with what the local UPS place charges. I've also found that USPS is VERY competitive. The little Mom and Pop places are th eones to be wary of!

Info on the LS1 editing software is still a little skimpy last I looked. However the software for th eLT1 is pretty powerful and I'd expect at least as much functionality from the LS1 software. Emissions are tightening on the later motors and the OEMs are having to give the dealers some flexability in making adjustments. Plus it simply makes sense for the OEMs to flash program the ECUs and not have to open them up to make changes. A single ECU could then be used for many more cars this way - so long as they can reverse the programming I'd think they could do most anything. I do hope you pointed out to the guy on LS1 that the engine is FAR from crammed in there and that perhaps he should look under his own hood for an example of "cramming". I wonder what the dealer charges to change a set of plugs on one of those cars? If it's anything like the LT1 equipped cars it should be good for a laugh Heh, post a link to your posting if you get a chance

Consider a cowl hood for heat extraction. The SubtleZ hood I've got is a very mild scoop but I can see the heat flowing out of it pretty readily. It also has the later Z style vents on the sideswhich can't hurt. odn't think I'll have much problem with underhood heat with this puppy...

NASCAR? Oh come on - those guys still run carbs for kripes sake! What are the chances of them a) running a bodystyle that looks like anything in the local supermarket lot allowing modern things like fuel injection and c) actually requiring the cars to run somehting based anywhere near a production machine? I'm kind of sick of seeing FWD cars like the Taurus with RWD V8s in them. Why do they even try to make the cars look anything like a production vehicle or bother tagging them with production vehicle names? Just make it a straight race car series with generic blobs running around the track and be done with it. Sorry, NASCAR just bugs me sometimes. Glad to see Chrysler got back in at least. Let's see the new foreign V8s jump in and really turn things upside down

That's SCCA's kit I believe and is on my car. It consists of threaded sleeves, perches for the sleeves, the upper spring mount, and the springs. You'll have to cut off the stock spring perches and weld on new ones for the sleeves so welding IS involved. If you search a bit here on coil-overs you'll get tons of informaiton on this swap. My WEB site should have some pics of the work that was done on my car to install them I think....