Kevin Shasteen

About the converter flash problem; I think it was Myron that had the problem...sorry BLKMGK/couldnt remember if it was you or Myron. Well I guess it was Myron. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Yea I know what you mean Terry, about the gov't; my rose collored glasses came off in the 80's. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Vizard's book is so full of information about the SBC's airflow-there's only one way you can grasp it.....read it a dozen times/then read it another dozen times; and so on, and so on. Each time I read it (scan thru it) I learn something knew. About perf.books in general; when I find a knew one at the book store-I scan thru it looking for those neat little side remarks/it seems each author has their own perspective & experience/knowledge to add; everything else in between (usually) is pretty much the same. But Vizard's book is full of one fact after another; he's been modifying cyl.heads since the 50's: very good stuff! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

This is kind of long-but very informative. Dont get confused; I read it for a couple hours till "That Light Bulb" went off-then the dynamics of the process were clear. I was reading How to Modify & Build SBC Cyl.Heads by David Vizard again for the umpteenth time. I was attempting to bridge the gap between the Port Velocity, Max.CFM & Chamber Volume together in an attempt to understand their interrelationships. I know it depends on Velocity, CFM & the needs of the engine; but what got my attention were a couple formulae he gave for determing Max.RPM & Max.Output (HP) based on the cylinder head. The first actually has two formulae w/in the process & addresses the "Power Limiting Port Area". Vizard claims just like the length of an intake manifold's runners will determine peak rpm...well, the Intake Port's minimum corss section area will determine a cyl.heads maximum efficiency! Vizard claims this "LPV" is the determining factor w/in the cy.head that aid's to the torque curve peak-and after its reached-the curve falls/plumits downward. Further, this "Minimum Port Cross Sectional Area is found right at the entrance of the cyl.head's intake port (adjacent to where the pushrod comes thru) as Chevy has to limit it's port width due to the pushrod's location-this limitiation in port size also limits Airflow. As Vizard explains; air weighs .078 lb/cu.ft. Its a known that if a port velocity exceeds .55 to .60 of the speed of sound then the port itself becomes "limited" in efficiency; (port velocity is good but too much is not good). Vizard claims that w/the thermal qualities of an engine sound will travel at 1200 fps; so 690fps is about as fast an Airflow Velocity one would want for all out performance. 690 fps represents 57% of 1200. If you're planning on building a perf.engine & are not sure of what cyl.head requirements you need you can play around w/the following #'s. The minimum port area measurement must be made in sq.in. To determine peak power at a target rpm the minimum port cross sectional area (LPV) can be determined by using the following forumula. LPV = .00353 x RPM x S x B^2/CA LPV = Limiting Port Volume RPM = Max. RPM for a Perfromance Engine S = Stroke of the crank B = Bore of the engine's cylinder CA = Minimum Port Cross Sectional Area in Sq.In. If you already have a set of heads & would like to know what their Max.HP is capable of-then this formula is one you can play around with as an aid to cam selection. A conversion factor from a choice of three conversion factors must be chosen-and they are: 1) 177,780 = for a flat tappet cam 2) 184,136 = for an Endurance Race Roller Cam 3) 195,558 = for an all out Pro Stock Drag Cam The formula is as follows: Max.RPM = CA x 177,780/S x B^2 Take a SBC 350; Vizard uses the 186 Heads w/an Minimum Port Sectional Area "CA" of 2.2: 2.2 x 177,780 / 3.48 x 4.03^2 391116 / 3.48 x 16.2409 391116 / 56.5183 RPM = 6920 As far as Peak HP he gives the following: *Note1: Formula assumes a 10.0:1 Comp. Ratio and an adequate intake/exhuast system *Note2: You will also need to determine what your choice of cam w/rocker ratio factored in gives as max.valve lift; the cyl.head Mfg should have airflow measurements at .050 increments-you may have to call for the specs or have your cyl.heads tested on an airflow bench. Conversion Factors: 1) 1.95 = Flat Tappet Hyd.Cam 2) 2.0 = Flat Tappet Solid Cam 3) 2.05 = Hyd.Roller Cam 4) 2.1 = Solid Roller Cam Conversion Factors for Engine Capacities (he only gave conversions for SBC-that's what the book is about-so nothing else was included) 1) 1.1 = 400ci 2) 1.0 = 355ci 3) .95 = 327 4) .9 = 302 This formula is: CFM at Max.Valve Lift x Cam Type x Displacement Conversion Factor = Max.HP His example used a 400 w/041 heads midly ported, and a Hyd.Comp Cam w/.511...so he assumed @ .500 after pushrod flex. .500 is a figure head porters use anyway as a flow measuring point; the 041 heads flowed 220 CFM at .500 lift. Work the formula as follows: 220 x 1.95 x 1.1 = 459.8 hp Cool, huh! If one is using Low Comp.Cy.Heads then you can deduct 20-50hp. One addit'l formula; His test are done at 25" of water pressure; not all test are done at 25". Some are done at 28", 12", 5". Suppose you need to know the results at 25 but the tests were done at 28": use the following: Flow @ NPD = SQRT(NPD/OPD) NPD = New Pressure Drop OPD = Old Pressure Drop NPD = SQRT(25/28) NPD = SQRT(.89296) NPD = .945 You can take the .945 & multiply it by the test result #'s at different .050 increments for your knew results. I know this was a long post; but the idea is one I think answers a lot of questions we have regarding cyl.heads; thought I'ld pass it along. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ May 05, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

If the car hasnt had a tune up in awhile and is actually running "fair" then maybe the air filter, oil change w/filter, w/tune up (cap,rotor,plugs & plug wires) will be all that's needed; might as well rpl the fan belts while your at it...you never know(?). Are you limited by how many test you can fail w/in a year or can you take as many as is needed to pass? Also; check those vacuum lines (the large ones) all this aids to engine emis's. When I replaced all my vacuum lines I could tell the engine idled differently; so they do have an effect on the engine's efficiency. Maybe a hotter spark (aftermarket coil) if nothing else works. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Yea, I have to agree-that looks good. I never even thought of using the side flaps as potential vents...good idea & it'll put those "special touches" to your car which will put an emphisis on Hybrid in your HybridZ! Thanks for sharing. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Thanks Q, appreciate the commentary; I've done the Poly Bushings & Tokico Illuminas. Cant afford the engine/trans swap yet! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I've never seen one advertised for sale. I read about the DOHC engine in a book; real short article. Just FYI (for the next Trivial Pursuit game you play) Japan offered a tax break to any of their citizens that purchased one of the DOHC Z's when they first were being sold new; the DOHC engines, if I remember correctly, were 2.0 liter engines & their emissions were far less than the SOHC engine. When I first read that article-it hit me/now I know why the Z's engine bay is so wide; it had to be in order to fit the wider DOHC engine. Anyway-just thought I'ld pass that along. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Well, I guess I'll have to address both of you as Yes Sir & No Sir as you're both obviously my senior's. As a little kid, I only remember that stuff as I saw it on the 10 o'clock news; never could understand what all the anger was about; also couldnt understand why everyone made such a big fuss when talking agout a bug (the Beatles)! I also remember seeing the Vietnam highlights on the news & confusing them w/WWII-I remember thinkinhg, "Why are they playing reruns of WWII on the news"(?); I was just a kid & hadnt put 2+2 togethter yet. My mom always bought me those flair legged pants, which I wouldnt wear-had to have my straight legged Sears Toughskins! I remember the styles-BTW, of which quite a few of them are now back in style! Just memories from a little kids point of view. The only musclecars I remember are the mustangs...because my Uncle had one & a Superbird...because my friend's dad bought his brother a plum purple one/my friends brother worked at a gas station pumping gas(!) of all things & had one of those cars...too cool! Hey, I also remember the LOVE BUG's; remember Flower-Power...never understood the idea-just remember the wild cars & VW Busses painted w/the craziest schemes. Oh well; so much for the memmory lane. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ May 05, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

So, t = time while v = velocity; I was wondering where those two came into play. Also, what are the three dots forming a triangle & what do they represent? If all I want to know is position; do I have to worry about velocity? How bout we use the 350 SBC & work this problem thru? One step at a time? One I'm shown how to work a math problem I usually dont have any problem picking it up; its obvious if I too go on this alone it'll take me forever...as it's taken my a couple weeks just to understand Sin, Cos, ect , ect! BTW-I found software that does just what I'm looking for...determines velocity, position & you can even change the length of the rod & the stroke; all for only $15. The only drawback is that its in MacIntosh format Doh! I'm doing good just to learn the IBM/Microsoft stuff...much less invest in a Mac set up! Thanks for the pointers everyone. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I've never had any actual experience w/the Borg Warner 4/5spd's; however, Most Mfg's during the 70's/80's created their 5spd by using their 4spd housing & merely adding a 5th gear& its counter gear to the outside/tailend of the transmission housing, just before the rear output shaft; then they added a seperate cover (stamped metal housing) that was bolted over the 5th gear assemble. So the housings should be the same; the only problem is you cant just swap gears-you also have to swap the countershaft. The countershaft also contains gears opposite the actual set of gears that your synchro's engage whenever you shift gears. The gears attached to your synchro's can be removed individually while the countershaft is one piece; so you can't just swap gears you also have to swap the countershaft; which means your 4spd gears & 4spd countershaft would have to work with the 5th gear on the tail end of the 5spd as well as its countershaft assembly. Not having any actual experience-I would say you'ld have to have both trans assemblies on a table side by side for comparison as you dissassemble each, one piece at at time; and dont confuse your parts! Maybe someone else has done this; I havent. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Thanks for humbling me once again Pete (haha); I've noticed a few more symbols in there I wasnt familiar with/looks like my adventure continues-guess I'll have to hit the library a few more times. Thanks for the scan; a piture is definately worth a thousand words....I feel (think) I'm like right on the 'verge' fegureing it all out....it'll just take some thought on my part. Pete; this Spreadsheet-will it be some kind of 'search engine' where one merely fills in the variables & clicks enter for the answer-or are you going to actually input all the answers for one specific (crank/stroke) engine: & will this be on HybridZ or on your personal site? BTW: Barnes & Nobles has "3" books w/the title "Mechanics of Machines" by your Author w/three different copywrite dates. Which copywrite date does your book have? Thanks again Pete for the responses! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

About performance books; dont limit yourself to just one. I've discovered that the write up of most books are about the same; yet each book will have its own {tasty morsal} of wisdom or {graph} which will turn a few light bulbs on. Even if you dont buy the book-take a pen/notebook w/you to the bookstore & scour thru their books; when you come to something that catches your eyes-write down their thoughts in your own words on your notebook...now you have it for your own records for as long as you wish. A book on the SBC I came across that claims to be a "STEP-BY-STEP" guide as well as {Picture Guide} is: "How to Build the SBC" by Larry Atherton & Larry Schreib; published by SA Design w/a 1993 Copywrite. I already had multiple SBC perf.books when I found this one-what caught my eyes was the fact that they claim it is a "Step-By-Step" build & includes step-bystep "Photos". So I thought why not; add it to my collection. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Q, Glad to see another 2+2 q/the 350/T56; other than the heat. How's the charachteristics of your car? It has been an idea of mine that the longer (slightly longer) wheelbase of a 2+2 & the fact the 2+2's integrity has been stiffened more than the coupe...should hanlde the a extra power of the SBC 350 &T56 & equate to a "smoother" ride. Did you have to pound on the trans tunnel to get the T-56 to fin? Anyway; about the engine heat; I havent done this yet...but I've thought about installng engine vents. Of course this means cutting the Aprons & welding tubing or installing plastic tubing & directing it outward to the sides just behind the rear of the wheelwells; something like the Pontiac T/A's of the 70's & early 80's. Many sport cars now days incorperate Fender Vents; so your choice of style depends upon you. I've also thought about using my Hood Vents (already on my 78Z) by replacing the Vents w/a low profile Hood Scoop (like something from the mid 80's Twin Turbo hoods) onto the top of my hood & directly underneath my hood redirect that air to my transmission tunnel; not sure how much I'ld benefit....but something would definately need to be done as the heat does become quite unconfortable in the summers. Wow; NY @ 90*F already; we N.Tex's have been lucky-lately w/all the wind; its given us cloud cover & kept us just at 80*F...for now/I'm sure we're only a week or so away from the 90's as well. Let me know how your ride feels/how crazy did you go w/your SBC build? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Yea Mike, I would definately tell anyone to read all you can about an engine...the more you read the more you learn. Bill, I'm not sure anyone can help you about which bearings you have-that's kind of something one would have to have in front of them; what you can do is get the engine block numbers off of your engine-perhaps if you had those numbers someone here could cross reference them w/info they had at home; still the size bearings you need is totally dependant upon your tolerances. I would not put your pistons/rods in your engine w/out bearings; I'ld store them; soak them w/oil-wrap them in news paper & ziplock them in a gallon ziplock back out of the sunlight; make sure they're in a cool/shaded area as any sunlight will cause condensation which could cause things to rust. Or if you have a tub of some kind-fill it up w/oil & drop those puppies in it. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Thanks for responding guys, Hey Richard did you happen to catch the Monday Night game between Colorado & LA...that was nothing less than a Braul! What I'm attempting to do is determine the piston's location in the cylinder by knowing the position of the crankshaft. For a quick explanation (quick is a relative term) go into this forum (Miscllaneous Forum) & scroll down till you come to the thread titled "Octane/Comp.Ratio -vs- Cam Selection"; after you read that you will see Pete's response. What I'm attempting to do is map the cranks rotations, in degrees, & come up w/the pistons position w/in the cylinder; this is known as the Kinematic Equation for a Slider Crank Mechanism...so I've recently been told. If you can imagine a cut away of an engine-while its running...you'll see the piston moving up/down in the cylinder as the crank rotates caused by the crank's throw (Stroke) away from the center of the crank. Now picture that crank rotating, piston sliding up/down....and that at any one moment-the engine stops; based on what you know-the length of the rod, the cranks stroke....where would the piston be in the cylinder? That ladies & gentlemen is what I'm attempting to find out. Instead of the random stop of the engine; start the formula while the piston is at TDC & for each crank degree determine the pistons location in the cylinder till you reach BDC. Once you have this you can determine how much Volume is left in the cylinder at any one crankshaft degree. This will aid in the camshaft selection...once you've read the previous mentioned thread "Octane/Comp.Ratio -vs- Cam Selection". So to help me understand the triangle, after drawing the diagram on paper, I then turned it to the left making the piston on its side (horizontally) pointing to the left while the crank is on the right: the centerline from the piston pin to the center of the crank represents the hypotenuse of my triangle. But to determine the location of the piston I have to know the {Angle} of the rod at any given crankshaft position. From Pete's formula this was assigned the name "Phi". Pete's formula was as follows: x = (R+L) - (R cos(theta) + L cos(phi) R = Length of the crank throw (1/2 the stroke) L = Con Rod Length, center to center theta = Angle of the crank measured away from TDC (ATDC) phi = the imaginary centerline from the piston pin center going all the way to the crankshaft journal's center. If I can figure this out/then I wont have to manually mic an engine...BTW-I did manually mic an Olds.Small Block I have & it took me over two days; as I took 4 measurements for every 1*(degree) of crankshaft rotation. Yea it was a pain/but once it's done-its done & I've got it for ever. As you can see by now (I hope) that the triangle created may be a scalene or a right anle; it just depends on where the crankshaft is when you're taking your measurements. My problem is that the angle created by the Connecting Rod (from piston pin to the crank/connecting rod journal) has me stumped. Am I hopeless; or is this something we (Yes I have a mouse in my pocket) can figure out? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Pete...or any other mathmaticians out there....SOS....SOS....SOS. Okay Pete, ever since you dangled the Trig/Algebra in front of my face I have been researching the subject...specifically Algebra. I now understand what the Sin, Cos, Tan, Csc, Sec & Cot represent; yea believe it or not the "Light Bulb" flickered on & I have a firm understanding of their meanings. Now, for my question. What I've been doing is drawing a diagram on paper which represents the piston/rod/crank throw of an engine & determining their relations. The knowns would be the crank throw (1/2 the stroke), length of the connecting rod; for the final known-I'ld pick a * (degree) AFTDC on the crank rotation....say 20* & attempt to find the other variables...length & anlges remaining. My problem is I can get all three lengths but I cant seem to work out the angles of the rod (piston pin center to con.rod center @ crank) both where it connects to the crank journal & also where it connects to the piston pin. In the previous formula you obtained from "Machanics of Machines" you called this angle "Phi". If you do feel like answering this: lets choose a 350 SBC & go with these measurements. If the answer is too involved-just say so & I'll keep hitting the studies till I have another breakdown...oh, I mean a break thru (haha). Rod Length = 5.700 1/2 Crank Stroke = 3.480/2 * ATDC = 20* The geometry (Location of the Triangle) I've been working with has the piston to my left & the crank to my right...on paper that is with the 20* ATDC pointing upward toward the top of the paper. C = Represents Crank Angle A = Represents Piston/Rod Angle B = Represents Bottom of Rod to Rod Journal Angle c = leg obviously opposite "C" a = leg obviously opposite "A" b = Hypotinuse My problem ocurrs when I approach determining Angle B & C. My formula I have for determining the two is: Tan A = a Sin C/b-a Cos C Sin B = b Sin A/a Again, if you think the answer is too involved-just say so; no obligation! Just not knowing is driving me crazy! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) PS: Gotta go watch the Dallas Stars lose again. Be back in a couple hours. [ May 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

[DarkEternal]...whose your daddy-Darth Vader(?) just kidding & welcome to the club. As far as where to start-Get the JTR manual if you havent already. If I hadnt looked at my copy & attempted to understand what everyone was talking about I could've half way understood but to fully understand all the issues involved you need to have the manual in front of you & memorize it. Even tho the manual concentrates on the 240/260/280 the process is the same. There are a few on this board running around who have done the ZX swap & can assist in filling in the grey areas. Then once you've gone over the manual a few dozen times you main concern-besides which components to use will be "What Purpose Your Car Will Serve". Once you decide your cars purpose you can then build your plans on components that allow your power to peak in the appropriate speeds. Your questions should be: 1) Weight of the Car 2) Basic RPM a)grocery getter b)mild street c)H/O street/mild strip d) H/O Strip e)Heavily Modified Strip 3) Transmission of choice 4) Rear Gears/Tire Size Basic RPM used to be considered 60mph; with the increas to Hwy speeds up to 65/70...it would be your decision which speed you prefer to call "Basic RPM". The other speed concer will be 1/4mile times-this is what a performance set up is gauged against; how well it performs in the 1/4mile. Unless you want a high rev'g rally car. Buy a Summit magazine from the newstands-look/scour/dream thru their pages-after awhile you will begin understanding how the components work together...and read the archives of HybridZ. Hope that gets your stated/now you've been bit-there's no turning back! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Ross, sounds like a nice tight set up; sorry 283z...didnt mean to get your thread off track. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I havent done my swap so I cant tell you what to use; but I can tell you that the Z eng bay gets really hot & you'll want to use a Radiator Shroud. So make sure your set up includes a Shroud...even if you have to fabricate one. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Dont feel bad; I didnt know what it was either till Mike answered you. Guess I'll have to get w/the times...speaking of that-Does anyone want to buy my Beta Collection? (Just kidding-I dont have a Beta collection) I really didnt know what SDS meant either-till now. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

The local Import Salvage Yard I go to when I need a part has told me in the past that he's never had a request for the lower end of a Z. He's been in business since the early 70's & has purchased dozens of Z's. He says his calls, from all over the nation-as he advertises naionally, is always for cyl.heads; most people who run their Z's hard always warp a cyl.head. He also said he's never even heard of the bottom end of an Inline 6 Z engine letting go; to that-he's never even sold an entire engine-it's always a request for the cyl.head only. That alone should tell you how well built the bottom end of a Z is. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Well, I hate to admit it/but I think California would have many more resources than Dallas has. Whenever I need a custom hose I go to a shop in Plano that special cuts your hose & can even install pressure fittings of your choice. Check out any Tractor Supply Shop, Big Rig-Semi Truck Tractor Supply Shops or just ask your local auto parts store where they outsource their request for special hyd.hoses; they should know off the top of their heads. Go there & you'll be surprised all the options of rubber hoses & different sizes that will meet & exceed any auto requirements you may have for any job. I agree w/Terry-if its a high pressure line you may wish to consider pressure fittings; if its a low pressure line/you can get away w/hose clamps. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

If you can see a scratch but cant feel it-that usually translates into about .001"; I wouldnt have a crank turned just for that. If you're gonna plasitgage it-do so; once you've obtained your spec's from that you can check it against your tolerances. If your tolerances check out-I'ld grab some of the proper grit paper...you can buy it by the foot from your local machine shop & fine/polish the crank journals by hand till they look nice & pretty/shining nice like. When you put it all back together-just make sure you use assembly lube & that the crank turns smoothly w/each piston & rod assembly you install. Turn it slowly at first confirming there isnt any binding. Make sure you put the pistons/rods in facing the correct way! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Ditto to what David said; and....if you dont know the history of the heads-then you dont know how many times a valve job has been done on those particular valves. You dont know how many times the heads have been milled. If you dont know the above mentioned-then I'ld be leary about putting those heads on my engine till a competant mahine shop checked them out. You definately want to confirm your heads are not warped; definately want to confirm the valve's edges are not knife edged; definately want to confirm your valve springs are not worn out to the point they are not keeping your valves on the seats when they are suppose to. All of those variables are something I'ld want cleared up prior to putting any cyl.heads on an engine. Sorry to be a doom & gloomer but engines are like computers; the output is only as good as the input. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)