Kevin Shasteen

If you do get your engine/trans first just make sure you protect it well from any possible humidity. Wrap that sucker tight! Kevin

quote: Originally posted by chevsun: while I have the motor out of the Z I am considering shaving the heads .025 from stock (running flat tops)and going to add roller rockers. How can I calculate the added lift if the cam I'm running has a gross .465 lift now and I add 1.60 rockers. Also how much will the shaving change the compression. Any input appreciated. thanks Steve Steve, I'm guessing your current valvetrain is stock; stock meaning your rockers are 1.5; divide the 1.5 into your .465 & this will yeild .310 "Cam Lift". Take your .310 "Cam Lift" & multiply that by the newly installed 1.6 rockers & that will yeild .496 lift. The actual lift depends on how you achieved your initial .465 lift. About the Compression question; Its a rule of thumb that for every .004-inch removed that the cyl.head chamber volume is approximately reduced likewise by 1cc. To make it simple; if you wanted to reduce your Chamber Volume CC's down by 6cc you'ld ask your machinist to mill your heads .024-inch (.004 x 6.0 = .024). Becarefull about cutting too much from the heads. If you're not sure about the previous history of your heads you may cut too much as they could have possible already been cut by a previous owner. Also you can remove metal from the Deck of the Block as well. I know you said you'ld be using flat top pistons...but dont forget Piston/Valve Clearances; discuss this w/your machinist. I'm not sure how to put this formula into this forum but here goes. If you want to know how much metal to remove from your cyl.heads: Amount to Mill = New Disp.Ratio - old Disp.Ratio; once you have that figure you will need to divide it by New Disp.Ratio x Old Disp.Ratio. After you have divided the second number into the first number you will need to multiply that answer by the "Stroke" of the crank you're using. The final answer will be the amount you need to mill. Unfortunately; the only true way to know your comp.ratio or the Cyl.Head's CC's is to have the Cyl.Heads CC'd. Anything else is just a guess. Hope that helps & wasnt to confusing. Kevin [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 27, 2001).]

I cant remember who asked this; if it was pertaining to someone's Ford or Chevy instal into a Z. I recently purchased two books from Barnes & Noble on the Ford 5.0 & one of them touched on ECU's. It stated they were Automatic & Standard Transmission Specific! However, they did not go into detail as to why! I'm not usually a Ford V8 promoter but I couldnt pass up one of these books as it had so much information I had to buy it; the other book I bought to compliment the previous. The first book I feel every Ford 5.0 guy should have. It goes thru every possible upgrade on a 5.0 eng & Dyno's each upgrade: Im talking "2000 Dyno Pulls" Incredibly put into one book. The book has Dyno Pulls from Factory Setups, Induction Systems, Exhuast Systems, Ignition Systems, Cams/Valvetrains, Superchargers & Stroker Kits: you get a true perspective on what parts make power & which parts dont! Very Instructive! Wish someone would make a "DYNO TEST" book on the SBC. Anyway, the Ford book's title is: "5.0L Ford Dyno Tests" by Richard Holdener Copywrit @ 2000 Published by: Cartech Inc, 11605 Kost Dam Rd, North Branch MN 55056 Overseas Distribution by: Brooklands Books Ltd, PO Box 146, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1LG, England PH#01932.865051 For you Auzie's: Brooklands Books Ltd, 1/81 Darley Street, PO Box 199, Mona Vale, NSW 2103, Austrailia ph#2.999.78428

When you say the rear end moves to the left on accel & then moves to the right on decel; do you mean the rear axle as in differential or do you mean the rear end as in the rear of the car? If you feel it is the rear end as in differential; can you see it shifting in your side mirrors...how do you know it is shifting? Can you actually see it shifting or is it more of just a sensation of shifting? If your car is hooking up well it will squat & get sideways on you till you let up! A little futher explanation should help in defining your problem. Kevin,

Jerimio, Thankyou for agreeing to write the letter. I hope you dont feel I'm being pushy about this. However, when I was handling claims & upon calling the claimant; I always got the same response from them as I've witnessed from you...in that the Dealer gave the runa'round & hassled them from day one. I do feel for you in that respect. I hate deception, deceipt & lies & as bad as a this may be for you......There are actually some good dealers out there; just hard to find! For starters, when you address the Letter; address it: "Attention: "Name of the General Mananger C/O Michael Jordon. Also, I would insist that you mail it Return Receipt Requested. When you mail it Registered there is no proof that the dealer got the letter & they can just trash it. Their Atty knows this & if the General Manager is a Spineless Crook...then he knows this also! Glad you decided to write the letter; Keep us updated....and read my final comments on the "VG30" thread. Also, do not even hint to anyone that you have done work on the Van. If the question comes up on how do you know so much about mechanics-tell them you are a Shade Tree Mech & understand general auto mechanics-but since your problem was an electrical one-you decided to take your car to the dealer! READ THIS, READ THIS, READ THIS!! If, at any time-you're being questioned by anyone who has contacts w/or represents the dealer, ALWAYS, & I mean ALWAYS keep your answers as short as possible. Its when you begin rambling (maybe from nerves) or are not sure about the answer & begin rambling from that; that we get ourselves in trouble. Always keep your answers short & sweet. If they dont like your answer-Then you can ask them to refrase the question as you feel your response has fully answered their previous question! Stay tuff/not rude-just tuff & steadfast. Good luck-keep us advised. Kevin [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 26, 2001).]

That cam is way too big; just to reiterate everyone else's thoughts. Usually when someone gives you their @ .050 duration figures...you can tach on another .050 to .065 thousanths of an inch to determine advertised duration. For streetability; you dont want anything more than a 280 advertised duration...& that's pushing the borderline. Regarding "Detuning"; just changing the cam might not cure things. Remember; its a total package that makes the car run right. If he has spent a lot of money to get the cyl.heads, intake & carb to flow w/the cam; you may have to detune the heads, intake & carb...possibly an expensive endevor. But, I agree; the 4spd trans is bad-use that as a leverage in haggling & wave $5000 under his nose...eh, wave $4500 under his nose as you can always go up-but you cant go down. Never know what you'll get when you wave hard cash in front of someone's face. If he doesnt bite on $4500; give him a week; wave the $4500 again; if he wavers then offer him $4700 as a final offer. If the car is still there next week....offer the $4700 again; ect, ect. If its a nice car & the rust is minimal or non-existent...that alone is worth a little extra. Kevin

Jerimio, I agree w/you about the Puller -vs- Prybar; That Is A Valid Argument! I dont know how to make you understand, (From an insurance stand point). Believe me when I say this. It doesnt matter what the technical manual says! The Issue here is CARE-CUSTODY-CONTRL! Even if the dealer did not intend to break your crank-The Fact Remains That It Did Break While Under Their Care-Custody-Control: Therefore-Fault is not determined by "Intention" but is IMPLIED because of the "Location" at the time of its breaking! A quick lesson on CARE-CUSTODY-CONTROL. The phrase CARE-CUSTODY-CONTROL is a legal term & has specific ramifications in a legal forum. "Care" as the dealer is suppose to reasonably protect your vehicle; "CUSTODY" in that they have "Gaurdianship" over your vehicle; "CONTROL" in that what-where-when-who sees, touches, operates, repairs or damages your vehicle is "Supervised" by them. Hope that explains the Care-Custody-Control thing as it is extremely important. Intent in this case is immaterial. Intent would only be a factor in a "Liability" Claim (Liability Claim means a Collision between you & another car also called a Third Party Complain). Your claim occurred in their premisses, under their care & under their control...its a First Party Claim & "Intent" is immaterial! Please let me digress. The company I worked for "0nly" insured New/Used Dealers nation wide! I have handled so many product liability claims that they were actually boring to me! I have also talked to claimants atty's who didnt really understand "Care-Custody-Control" issues from a Garagekeepers standpoint. Yes, you consulted an atty! If all that atty can tell you is for you to consult another mechanic.....Then that atty doesnt understand Care-Custody-Control! Most atty's concentrate on "BI" claims (Bodily Injury) because most atty's are not mechanically oriented and there's no addt'l damages awarded from an Auto/Mechanical claim like yours! Atty's are greedy so they go after the big dollar claims "BI" thus their nick names of "Ambulence Chasers". Please just write the letter; what are you out other than your time, a piece of paper, a stamp & the Return Receipt Request charges (if there are any)? Remember; Care-Custody-Control on most cases does not consider INTENTION all it cares about is the final outcome: Who had Care-Custody-Control when the incedent took place? The fact that your timing cover is bent should lend credence to favor your complaint & justify your story in that the mechanic was excessively forcing the hub off! Secondly; once you get thru to their insurance-You need to keep the mindset that you intend on taking this to small claims court & make sure you tell the insurance adjuster that you plan on having your trial heard in front of a "jury". Believe me; every insurance claim is handled from the standpoint of "What will my claim look like if it makes it to a jury" that's why insurance companies operate in good faith. They know if a jury has to endure a trial whereby a BIG MEAN NASTY DEALERSHIP mistreated a "Nice-Hardworking-Taxpayer" that the jury will in most cases find fault w/the dealership & rule in your favor! Please, just write the letter! Dont worry about what the atty said! I've talked circles around most atty's dealing with Care Custody Control issues that I know from experience that most atty's are not mechanical & dont know what they are doing regarding auto mechanical claims! And when you write the letter; take it to your local courthouse & get it entered into public record...this creates a "DOCKET#" & that docket# gets stamped on your letter; That will scare the pants off the dealer & they will in turn either turn it over to their insurance company or to their corporate atty! And, if they dont have a corporate atty-they'll have to justify getting one to answer your complaint or if they dont get an atty then they will be forced to turn the letter over to their insurance company. Either way; you've made your stand & the dealer now knows your are not a push over! REMEMBER; Whomever you speak to, The Issue is not "Did The Tech Brake My Car on Purpose" the issues is THE FACT that MY Crank Was not Broken nor My Timing Cover Bent When I took My Car Into The Dealership! They did that damage while my car was in their Care-Custody-Control & they owe you for that damage! Stay On Point & Dont Chase Rabbits (Tangits). Always stay on point, no matter what they say: keep reiterating your point & dont deal w/their tangits (chasing rabbits). Hope you write the letter! Kevin PS: Even if you dont win & the case does go to small claims court; you have forced the dealer to get an atty and show up for trial (That Is Time/Money From His Pocket). This expense alone will exceed the cost of your engine. If you make it thru to the insurance carrier...they will always keep this in mind. The insurance carrier would rather settle w/you than take their chances in court in front of a jury! [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 26, 2001).]

Arif, Sorry you're having prob's. Here's my 02c's worth. When you see the smoke; is it a continuous smoke cloud, uninterupted; then that usually indicates rings (more than one ring). If the smoke cloud is interupted; kind of like your tail pipe is sending S-O-S signals...then that usually indicates a bad valve/or valve guide. A compression test/leak down test would be the tale/tell sign of any cyl's not sealing. Definately some machine shops are used to doing Chevy/Fords only. If you take an off brand engine in; make sure you know-your Machinest knows what the clearances are. They're not always the same! Hope you get it figured out. [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 26, 2001).]

Just one question; Can I put a Blower & Twin Turbo's on it? (Just Kidding) I'll take two of them; one for daily driving to go into the family queen truckster & one for fun in the Z. Kevin,

I like the 377ci idea. There are multiple volume paper back books sold by Cartech which compiled multiple Hotrod articles. This particular book is volume 9 entitled "How to Build Big Inch SBC's". In it they did a 4 part section from beginning to end-using a low budget builders prices & built a 377. The engine produced 516 lbs.ft. @ 5400rpm's while kicking out 589HP @ 6500rpm's. They rev'd the engine on the Dyno all the way up to 7000rpm's where it made 432 lbs.ft. & 576hp. They didnt give final $$'s for the package. But at the end they discussed what could be done to get 700hp out of it & made the comment then they would exceed the $5000 mark implying their 377ci was kept under the $5000 build. Not to bad for all that power. BTW: This eng.build was done by Ron Shaver @ Shaver Racing. He didnt like the idea of using "Bearing Spacers" so they chose a Strong Bow-Tie 4bolt block. I found the book at Barnes & Nobles in the automotive section. Kevin, [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 22, 2001).]

Jerimio, I'm not trying to kick a dead horse here; but time is limited. Your best bet is to write the dealer a letter yourself & mail it Return Receipt Requested. That letter should go like this: I)Make sure your letter is Dated in between your name/add & the Dealers Name/Address. 1)Put your name/add/ph# in the upper right hand corner. 2)Put Just below that & in the Left Hand Corner: a)Name of The Dealer b)Address c) Attention: (Name of Owner of Dealership) d) RE: Defective Product/Workmanship 3) Dear (Mr/Mrs Owner of Dealers Name) 4)Body of Letter: 1st Paragraph) This letter holds a two fold purpose. One, is to summarize my extreme disappointment in my most recent visit & two, to place RPM Nissan/Lincoln/Mercury on Notice as your mechanic, (State His Name), damaged my car beyond its ability to run and drive. 2nd Paragraph) Futher, because your technician, (State His Name Again), attempted to hide this destruction of my property; I have been extremely indecisive on getting an atty. 3rd Pasragraph) I feel we are all adults and should attempt to resolve this matter appropriately; as you know if I am forced to get an atty your expenses increase proportionately. 4th Paragraph) Be advised, the damages to my vehicle occurred out of a Bailment issue and arose while my vehicle was in and under the Care, Custody & Control of RPM Nissan/Lincoln/Mercury (which ever dealer it was). The vehicle is at my premises and remains in the same state as your tow truck left it in; your insurance carrier may inspect it upon my approval. 5th Paragraph) Please forward this letter to your carrier that handles your Garagekeepers Insurance for proper handling of this matter. 6th Paragraph) If I do not from your carrier within a few days I will be forced to seek other more costly measures. Sign it appropriately. Shoot them off another letter in two days reminding them that you have not heard from their carrier & this is their last warning. hope this helped some more, Kevin, [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 22, 2001).]

Ellobo, I wouldnt worry about polishing them; I've read that polishing doesnt really benefit an engine at low rpm's & may cause your engine a loss of heat at the detriment of power. If after the machine shop confirms they're not warped nor cracked then I'ld only ask the machine shop to deshroud the valves & a mild porting of the Intake/Exhause ports: which would aid the air density/filling of the cylinders. Ellobo-did you ever find the Dallas Salvage Yard#'s you asked about....if not; You can find them on the Second Page of the Buy/Sell/Trade Forum. Good luck on your heads-that's a bummer. Kevin [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 22, 2001).]

Jerimio, Just to give you a little hope; maybe a light at the end of the tunnel (No, its not a train about to mow you over). One claim I handled which just came to mind. I had this dealer that replaced an output shaft seal on a Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 transfer case. The tech replaced the seal w/transfer case still in the truck. You may say...so what's wrong w/that. When the tech pried (with a screwdriver) out the old seal he gouged the casing in which the new seal was placed. The customer went on his way not knowing he had a worse leak than before. He was traveling on vacation & crossed a few states. His seal blows on him & the second Dodge dealer, in another state, notices the gouged metal housing encasing the seal. The customer had the work done & drove on & turned the claim in to the first dealer only after he finished his vacation & returned home. Normally damaging or altering the crime scene is "Spoliation of Evidence" & warrants a denial letter; even tho the customer kept the old parts, I wasnt there w/him when said rear casing of that transfer case was replaced nor was anyone from my insured...we didnt have to take care of this guy. But we did. Simply because when I got the claim-I called the dealer & took a statement from the tech-he admitted prying out the seal w/screwdriver while the transfer case was still in the truck. Thus the fact he didnt use the correct tool. I offered to reimburse that customer for the repairs for the second time. He threatened to get an atty because he wanted a new transfer case & he wanted us to pay for both repairs. I told him that is his choice of getting an atty & we didnt owe for the original repairs; however, my offer to him or his atty remains the same & would not change. Long story to say this; three months later the guy accepts my offer & I settle the claim; only because I acted in good faith. The insurance company is who you need to deal w/now...doesnt matter what the manual says-the crank broke under their Care, Custody, Control......they owe you that much at the minimum. If you plan on seeing this thing thru-dont make any repairs to your vehicle & dont touch it any more than you already have. When you do finally get thru to the insurance company-tell them you'ld like some consideration for the down time of that vehicle since the dealer jerked you around for so long & you had no alternate transportation; request $35 a day ever since your vehicle has been down. Lastly & most importantly: Each time you make contact w/the dealer regardless if its on the phone or in person: 1) FOLLOW UP W/A LETTER TO THE DEALER BASICALLY SUMMING UP EVERYTHING YOU DID/THEY DID. THEN DEMAND THEY TURN THIS OVER TO THEIR INSURANCE CARRIER. What this does is creates a record, A Public Record. So, in the long run if this does make it to a courtroom: The Judge will see that you acted properly the whole time while the Dealer acted very Improperly. (The Letter Follow-Up is Extremely Important). Keep the letter to one page. Keep it simple & restate somethings that I talked about in the previous posts: AKA-About Care, Custody, Control; This is a Bailment Issue!" Ect. Have that letter carbon copied, mail it to them Return Receipt Requested. Once they have this "Time Bomb" ticking in their hands; they will be forced to comply-they can no longer ignore you! If no response w/in two or three days-then shoot off another letter. Wait a few days-then go get an atty & say Tag-sick'em atty. The pen is mightier than the sword! Keep us posted. Kevin, [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 22, 2001).]

Jerimio, Sounds like you did a great job negotiating for yourself. Dont give up as this was just round one. Remember; I told you-the dealer will usually be hesitant to turn in a loss as anything their insurance pays out means possible premiums going up when renewal time approaches. The purpose for meeting w/them was two fold. 1) To place them on notice-they cant be aware of their problem if they dont know a problem exists. 2)To judge their reaction; See them eye to eye & get a "GUT" feeling of who is telling the truth & who is not telling the truch. I made a call to my old buddies at PDP: Sorry to tell you-RPM Lincoln nor any of the sister dealerships are insured w/PDP. This means they are with Universal Ins. or John Deere. Now, What you have to remember is; even tho the Haynes Manual....and any other manual says to pry the crank hub off is immaterial. Does the Haynes/Chilton manual also say-by the way when you pry this hub off you're goint to break the crankshaft snout? Of cours not. So, how the crankshaft broke is immaterial; what matters is the crankshaft broke while it was under their care, custody & control (AKA:Bailment). Remember-under a bailment situation they have the duty to return you property in equal or better condition than when they voluntarily accepted it. As I explained in my previous posting: If they elected to choose the "Direct Primary" clause in the coverages-then it doesnt matter if they broke it or didnt break it as "Direct Primary" is a coverage that accepts liability even if the dealer isnt liable. We aready know they are liable-its just a matter of getting past them & turning it into their insurance to find out exactly what coverages they have. Believe me; of all the claims I handled, only a hand full of Dealers understood Insurance. The guys on the front line are merely stupid Centurians who think they have to defend the dealer until Death. It would appear they are a customer oriented dealership; however, they have now pushed you to a little further extremes. Get a picket sign that reads "All Customers Be Weary of RPM Lincolns Service Dept. They'll break your car & not accept Responsibility" or something like that; put that article in the paper. As you're picketing tell any driver that stops by your story. That will get the dealers attention. Remember; if the Mfg designs a shoddy manner of removal of that crank hub-that's not your fault nor is it really the dealers fault, however, the dealer works on your car & when it breaks under their Care, Custody, Control-then they are liable & they have a responsibility to fix any failures they cause while the vehicle is in their Care, Custody, Control. Keep us advised what takes place; this is where it gets interesting. Once you break thru the "Front Line" of defense-then things will pan out. What you can do regarding an atty: is explain the story to an atty of your choice. Tell the atty you dont wish to retain them at this time but you would like to have said atty write a letter to that dealer. Have the atty write the letter in a way that demands this matter be turned over to their insurance carrier & expect a return call from said carrier w/in 10 days or a suit will follow. Now the 10 days thing is actually a sham (the insurance co. & other atty's know this but the dealer doesnt know this). That should get the ball rolling. Once the insurance calls the atty-the atty can redirect the calls to you. You're only out $50 for the letter & now you have the insurance's co's name. add, ph# & claim#. Kevin,

Jerimio, I was about to edit my previous entry to tell you the same thing. What Dealer is this? There are only about 3 to 4 major insurance firms that handle Garage Operations. Most dealers will use one of the larger 3 to 4 carriers. There's a 40% chance their carrier is PDP (Preferred Dealers Protection) or John Deere. those are the two largest Garage Op's Carriers & I worked for PDP. You dont have to allow them to repair their screw up. You can take it to any shop you want. Take it to the most expensive shop in town-what ever damages the previous shop did-their carrier is responsible for. However, first & foremost "Fault" has to be proven & accepted from their carrier. Once their carrier agrees that their insured was a fault-then you can drop the "I dont want those idiots working on my car" thinking on them. First Fault has to be determined. Get the dealer involved & get the dealer to turn the loss into their carrier & then report back to us....I'll be watching this thread so dont feel like you're in this alone. Believe me; I've handled thousands of these types of claims-this is the first time it happened to you; but it will get taken care of. Keep your cool; its ok to show emotion when talking to the dealer-but dont "Lose Your Cool" & start demanding this/that & shaking your fist/threatening this/that. As personal as this is for you-your mindset has to be like an atty (ice in your viens); this is business now-It effects you pocket book! Be polite-even tho you dont feel like it; but be firm. You may feel a little anxious when you first begin-just remember we're here walking you thru this! Like I said earlier; they may not want to turn your claim in; sometimes this is a bluff just to see if you'll go away. Look the Owner of the Dealer, Shop Forman, Claims Clerk in the eye & tell them, "Guys, I'm not going away! You damaged my car & I expect you to repair what you damaged!" This is the equivalent to a Gambling/Card game-whoever blinks first loses. If they dont want to help you-then go get an atty; you can even tell them if they dont help-you will get an atty. If they are a "Customer Oriented" Dealer-then they will bend over backwards to you. How they respond will be an indicator of what kind of dealership they are. As far as the vehicle leaving the scene before you noticed the damages; dont worry about that. "YOU ARE NOT THE EXPERT HERE". The dealer is the expert & they acted in bad faith. You merely acted on their "Alleged" good faith. Which makes them even more at fault. Tell them this if they try to give you a hard time. Tell them their actions are exactly what an atty loves to get hold of, "A DEALER ACTING IN BAD FAITH". You can also tell them, "THIS IS WHAT AN ATTY CALLS-DEEP POCKETS". Also remind them that if you do get an atty-because they acted in bad faith that their bill is going to increase. They would diminish their loss if they handled their screw up before an atty gets involved. Make the above statements into one statement: Dont play this hand prematurely-let the dealer play their hands first. If/When they give you a hard time. Tell the Owner of the Dealer, Shop Formean, Claims Clerk: "Guys, right now all you have is an auto Claim, since your mechanic & your service writer attempted to hide this-gave me false info; which equates to "Bad Faith" & now you're telling me you're not goint to help me....If you force me into getting an atty-you no longer have a simple auto claim You now have a "Defensless-Bad Faith" suit. When you tell them this also ask them: "Wouldnt it be better to you in the long run-to fix your mistake & diminish your losses by accepting your mistake; I dont care how you reprimand your mechanic or the service advisor....I just want my car fix'd. If they act in bad faith-that changes many things & an atty would love to get hold of them. Remember, its all a chess match/card game. Whoever blinks/flinches first-loses. Let us know tomorrow how things go. Kevin, [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 21, 2001).]

Jerimio, Now you're in the realm of my specialty; or should I say, my Ex-Insurance job specialty. This is going to be rather lengthy but simple. The Dealership has insurance for this & if there is any remote possibility that they did break the tip of the crank-then their insurance will send an expert out...at their expence to perform an investigation. What you need to do; as pissed off as this might have made you, now is not a time to act irrationally. Dont get an atty yet; most insurance co's will handle a claim properly & in good faith. An atty cant do anything for you that you cant do; on an auto claim-there is nothing for an atty to get out of it in the way of extra damages...such as punitive damages; this means any settlement you get from the dealer (if they do this in house) or from the dealers insurance company will be diminished as the atty will expect 33% of your settlement as payment. What you need to do; first thing in the morning-you need to be at the dealership-get there an hour early if you can-that's when the General Manager's & Shop Formans usually arrive. Ask them who handles their "Insurance Claims" for their "Garage Operations." That's gonna get his attention-dealers dont like turning in insurance claims as their premiums go up when its time to renew just like our premiums do. Usually the General Manager will handle such claims; sometimes its the Shop Forman & some dealers have a claims clerk that does this for them. Dont explain your problem to anyone else other than the to the Owner of the Dealership, General Manager, Shop Foreman or the claims clerk if applicable. Once you have the correct individual: the information you will need from them is: Who is your carrier for your "Garage Operations". Garage Operations is the exposure this kind of loss will fall under. This loss; since this loss occurred while at the dealers premisses-makes them liable. This is called a "Bailment" issue. Bailment simply means you handed over some property to a second party (Dealership) who voluntarily accepted your property (the car). Because they accepted your property voluntarily, they have the duty to give your property back to you in equal or better condition than when you dropped it off. That's all bailment means. There's three possible coverages that apply when dealing w/property not owned by the dealer yet in their car: "Direct Primary", I dont remember the Second & Legal Liability. This claim falls under the "legal liability" exposure as it was their own incompetance that damaged your vehicle. No outside party was at fault here-only the dealership's employee is at fault; this is a First Party Coverage Exposure; their insurance will take care of it. What you have to remember is: 1)This may have been the first time for this to ever happen to you (so it feels personal) 2)Yes it is personal as it was your car that got damaged; however, now its business because it affects you pocket book 3)The dealer may deny it, they may give you a hard time before ever turning the claim in to their carrier. 4)If the dealer is a "Customer Oriented" type dealership then they will do everything they can do to take you out of the middle & indimnify you (make your call whole-again). 5)As new as this to you; it happens to dealerships nation wide everyday & there is a procedure for handlins such events. ^)You have to let this procedure play out-in the end once their expert/or field appraiser/adjuster does their investigation-fault will be determined. The first stage is to get the Owner of the Dealer, Shop Foreman, Claims Clerk...back out to your vehicle; if they dont want to take back your vehicle-then they need to at least turn your complaint into their insurance carrier....that gets the ball rolling. Dont go get an atty-believe me; I've handled thousands of these claims & there is nothing different I would do for you I would not have done with an atty involved-that's called good faith and every insurance acts appropriately in good faith. Atty's dont scare insurance co's unless its a big fatality suit or something like that. By the way; most Insurance Carriers have a 24hour contact policy-they should contact w/in 24hours....sometimes this is actually a 48hour wait; but they will contact you. Their carrier should offer you alternate transportation since it was their insured that messed up your car. They dont owe you an identical vehicle-they owe you "Reasonable" transportation. If you have kids & your wife does all the grocery getting & erands...tell thim this: Because, believe me-they will try to put you in a Yugo if they can get away w/it. The reason it may take 48hours instead of 24 hours it the dealer, once they agree to turn this loss into their carrier-will have to call & turn the loss into their agent (agent-the entity that sold the insurance to the dealer) & the agent will complete a "Notice of Loss" form & fax it to the Claims Center. The claims center probable gets 100 new losses daily; they have to sort out their losses-get the losses to the correct region; input the loss into their computers creating a Claim#; then assign the claim to an overworked & underpaid adjuster. The adjuster then calls the dealer & gets their version of what took place. Then the adjuster will call you & get your version-they may want to take a Recorded Statement so dont flip out when they ask for that. If the dealer doesnt want to turn the claim into their carrier & agrees to fix your problem w/out involving the dealership-that's ok. Many times dealers will attempt to take care of claims "In-House" as this aids to keep their premiums to a minimal. If the dealer agrees to do this-then ask the dealer to sign something simple on paper basically describing the situation & what they're planning on doing-have witnesses sign it: this protects you from any funny stuff-it doesnt have to be elaborate; just firm. The first step tho is to get the ball rolling by placing the dealer on notice-demanding (respectfully) that they turn this into their carrier, or repair the damage they caused w/out charging you for said damages they caused. When their carrier does contact you; Get the: 1) Carrier's Name, Address, Phone# 2) Name of the Insurance Adjuster 3) Claim# & Policy#(they probably wont give that to you but ask for it anyway) 4) Ask what they plan on doing to rectify their insured's incompetance & when can you expect their procedures to begin? Let us know what takes place; hope this helped. Kevin, [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited February 21, 2001).]

quote: Originally posted by jeromio: !!AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! BROKEN CRANKSHAFT??!! Jerimio, No sarcasm from me; just sympathy. We've all been there-done that; Some of us are still there. Sometimes it seems like it cant get better. But, you will get thru this & things will get better! Kevin,

Didnt someone say in a few other threads about the trasnmission depth from flywheel to input shaft bearing is a different from the LT1 to the LS1? That would mean only finding transmissions from an LS1 set up. Kevin,

Tony, I'm not familiar w/the ZZ430. When you say you added the "Hot Cam" are you referring to an aftermarket cam or a stock GM Hot cam. What are the spec's for that Hot Cam: Is it a hydraulic roller/flat tappet cam? 1)Lift on Int/Exh 2)Advertised Duration & Duration at .050 3)What is the Lobe Separation Angle-sometimes called Lobe Displacement Angle. Just curious? Kevin,

Razor, I'm speaking for the Dallas/Ft.Worth area, but I would imagine that every good size industrialist type town will have one-maybe two shops that can custom make your high pressure lines while you wait; be it power steering, A/C or Metal Hard Lines. Find one of those shops by asking around; I'ld start w/asking the local parts stores like Pep Boys, Auto Zone ect, ect-they all out source that service & are well aware of who in town can perform the custom making of high pressure lines. Once you've found that shop you can stop by & talk to the guy that does the fabrication of the lines. Show him what you have & he'll tell you what you need. If he's not a mechanic & tells you "I only Make Lines I dont know what you Need". Then find an A/C shop-show them what you have-let them tell you what you need....then go back to that Custom Line Fabrication shop & tell them..this is what the A/C shop said I needed; how much will you charge for making me those lines? Once the lines are made-install them yourself & then have an A/C shop do the recharging of the system. The only option to putting A/C in you car I can think about-is do you want 134a or do you want to go to the more expensive R12? I believe the 134a involves a special adapted compressor & condensor; yes-extra cost, however, if you go w/R12 the extra $$'s per pound for R12 is gonna cost also! Someone else might wanna chime in here if they know the exacts on switching from the R12 to the R134a. Razor-does you car have A/C now; Had A/C but was never hooked up after your V8 was installed; your car never had the A/C to begin with? What Brackets are needed, what A/C components are needed? Help us to answer your questions by giving us more info into what it is you're needing. Kevin,

quote: Originally posted by blueovalz: in '76 whilst I was beginning life as a young man in Tulsa. I came across a I'll not ever forget that vision and feeling in seeing that car. Terry Terry, I as I read that I could hear the Celtic music playing in the background. By the way; I remember first seeing your car in the Z magazine; felt the same way-Very Nice Ride you have. I was even contemplating the FordV8 due to it being slightly lighter than the SBC. Kevin,

I'm not a wiz-kid at supercharging, turbo'ing or nitrous. When you guys start talking about Chrystal Power, Space Time Continuem & Anti-Matter...you lose me. However, I do read a lot on performance & wont make a decision until I understand an issue. Its funny this subject came up as I was reading about nitrous & its hazards just the other day. The book is Chris Jacobs's latest book on Performance Ignition by HPBooks. He lists the 5 major causes of engine failure using nitrous: 1) Over-Reving: This is a problem w/any engine but especially a nitrous driven engine as the breaking point is reached much quicker-only resolution is a ref-limiter. Yet rev-limiters limit rpm by cutting off the spark; if un burned nitrous is not ignited as spark is limited; then its once spark comes back on your Exhast is an instantaneous Combustion. 2)Lean-Out: Nitrous releases extra oxygen when being burned & will eat any metal when in contact while burning. If fuel is lean then nitrous will turn to your piston tops & valves. 3)Detonation: He claims that most drivers are not familiar w/detonation in a nitrous powered car-its not the usual "Elves W/Hammers On Top Of Your Pistons" sound-instead, w/nitrous, detonation will sound more like a "Rumble of Distant Thunder". Also said any engine running both on & off nitrous needs two timing curves to survive. 4)Misfires: Nitrous is more difficult to ignite than gas & air. First-the same reason a ref-limiter is dangerous w/nitrous so too is a misfire-this could cause the same problem when misfiring. Also, When a misfire occurs it creates the "Jackhammer" syndrome which causes one cylinder after its Ignition Stroke to oppose next cylinder firing: yet in a nitrous ignited engine this is much more detrimental than a NA engine. 5)Too Much Nitrous At Too Low an RPM: A Nitrous System big enough to give you real benefits at the hight end will break a motor if used at too low an rpm. The lower the engine rpm, the longer it takes for the piston to move down, so the more nitrous is in the combustion chamber when ignited. Hence, the lower the rpm the more violent the explosion. If this is done at a low rpm the nitrous overfills the chamber, when overfillin is ignited-it breaks the engine. Nitrous ran engines need a more precise dependable ignition system. Having read you portions from his book; he goes on to state what safety features should be installed in a nitrous system: 1)Master Nitrous Safety Check-off Lists a)Limits maximum rpm to a safe lever & shuts off nitrous/fuel enrichment before cutting spark b)When fuel pressure gets too low-the system will shut off the nitrous c)Must shut off nitrous first before shutting off the fuel d)When running both an on/off switch-a nitrous system needs to incorporate a timing retard/advance mechanism too eliminate detonatiion when in use & when not in use. Scottie; I envy you & others who do understand nitrous; I would just caution those who dont to make sound judgements when choosing something outside your realm of understanding. Now after saying that; Beam me up Scottie! Kevin,

If you have a helper; jack the car up in front....put jack stands in the appropriate positions. While you slide under the car; watch the slave cylinder movement while your helper pushes in on the clutch pedal all the way. If the hydraulic hardware of your clutch is working then the slave cylinder should be fully extended. Then if it is fully extended....you know it isnt your clutch pedeal, clutch master cylinder, clutch hydraulic line nor the slave cylinder. Having removed these items from the possible defective list will allow you to concentrate elsewhere; like the clutch assembly. Maybe, you should just remove that bolt! Kevin,

quote: Originally posted by jeromio: I'm soooo displeased. Wish I could help ya man; I hate wiring shorts myself. Kevin,

quote: Originally posted by BLKMGK: If Energy Suspension had put in ANY instructions at all I might have been able to avoid this. Sheesh! P.S. I'd have documented this but I was so darned cold Myron, How bout a picture of you freezing your butt off....you're definately a trooper. I didnt like their instructions either. Took me awhile to figure out their TC-Rod set up as well. Some illegal alien being paid less than minimum wage must have written their instructions. I was also a little miffed when it hit me that front sway bar bushings were not included; guess they know that most owners will install a beefier front bar. About the grease impregnated bushings...not sure I'ld know one when I saw one, sorry. Kevin,