The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 2: No Replacement For Displacement

[femurphy77]

When I saw the failed lifter I was pretty sure you were going to have this issue.
I hate that for you man I really do.

Have you "Spoken" with Comp or "E-Mailed" them

Well that absolutely sucks. Like a swift kick in the nuts. I hate that for you. You haven't had much luck lately

Comp won't respond to my inquiries, I'm calling them Monday but hold out no hope. Even if the warranty the cam and lifters I'm still out the block, machine work, bearings, labor, etc.

I'm done with it, we'll inventory everything tomorrow and start out with craigslist and then move to ebay. It was borderline stupid what I have in it now without having to redo everything I've already done once. I just ran a quick count on the numbers and am ashamed of what I have in it vs what I could have bought one already running. The plus side on this one is that the body is solid as hell. Oh well, hopefully the curse goes with the car and doesn't stick around

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

So ive got a lot of hardware coming in, after i get everything in the car, whats next? Do i need to start thinking about ignition?

 

[churchmouse]

Comp won't respond to my inquiries, I'm calling them Monday but hold out no hope. Even if the warranty the cam and lifters I'm still out the block, machine work, bearings, labor, etc.

I'm done with it, we'll inventory everything tomorrow and start out with craigslist and then move to ebay. It was borderline stupid what I have in it now without having to redo everything I've already done once. I just ran a quick count on the numbers and am ashamed of what I have in it vs what I could have bought one already running. The plus side on this one is that the body is solid as hell. Oh well, hopefully the curse goes with the car and doesn't stick around

I get a lot of satisfaction from doing it all myself and having been screwed before I really trust no one. Even if I buy a runner I am compelled by the voices to drop it down to nuts/bolts and rebuild it. Call me crazy.

 

[churchmouse]

So ive got a lot of hardware coming in, after i get everything in the car, whats next? Do i need to start thinking about ignition?

No distributor with the engine...??

 

[halfmileharry]

Comp won't respond to my inquiries, I'm calling them Monday but hold out no hope. Even if the warranty the cam and lifters I'm still out the block, machine work, bearings, labor, etc.

I'm done with it, we'll inventory everything tomorrow and start out with craigslist and then move to ebay. It was borderline stupid what I have in it now without having to redo everything I've already done once. I just ran a quick count on the numbers and am ashamed of what I have in it vs what I could have bought one already running. The plus side on this one is that the body is solid as hell. Oh well, hopefully the curse goes with the car and doesn't stick around

Going fast has never gone cheap.
It's an expensive addiction that's left me talking to myself and needing psychiatric help to understand the obsession of a hobby that costs me so much money.
Shake it off, sleep on it, and get out the chalk board and start over. No way you can walk away from it.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

No distributor with the engine...??

A distributor is there, surely ill need more parts than that right? Battery cant go straight to distributor right? Could it be that simple

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

A distributor is there, surely ill need more parts than that right? Battery cant go straight to distributor right? Could it be that simple

Im at zero research, havent even used the google yet.

 

[churchmouse]

Im at zero research, havent even used the google yet.

Take a pic of the distributor and send it to my phone. This is important.

 

[Bigtanker]

 

[femurphy77]

I get a lot of satisfaction from doing it all myself and having been screwed before I really trust no one. Even if I buy a runner I am compelled by the voices to drop it down to nuts/bolts and rebuild it. Call me crazy.

Agreed 100%, that's what I've told the GF. It ain't yours until you spent money, bled on it and cussed at it but I'm WAY to deep into this to build another short block. It's a shame isn't it, the cost of a short block but given the lousy luck with this one I just can't see putting any more into it, I could easily have 20k in a "decent" driver. I'm just don't think I can do that in clear conscience anymore.

Going fast has never gone cheap.
It's an expensive addiction that's left me talking to myself and needing psychiatric help to understand the obsession of a hobby that costs me so much money.
Shake it off, sleep on it, and get out the chalk board and start over. No way you can walk away from it.

If you knew what I had in it you would have tried to ***** slap some sense into me several thousand dollars ago! And I'm not even trying to go fast, just wanted a decent cruiser to visit "The Suds" in and maybe make one of the runs down along the coast occasionally.

 

[churchmouse]

Agreed 100%, that's what I've told the GF. It ain't yours until you spent money, bled on it and cussed at it but I'm WAY to deep into this to build another short block. It's a shame isn't it, the cost of a short block but given the lousy luck with this one I just can't see putting any more into it, I could easily have 20k in a "decent" driver. I'm just don't think I can do that in clear conscience anymore.



If you knew what I had in it you would have tried to ***** slap some sense into me several thousand dollars ago! And I'm not even trying to go fast, just wanted a decent cruiser to visit "The Suds" in and maybe make one of the runs down along the coast occasionally.

Man I really hate this for you.
When we sold our 65 Biscayne I took the ape crazy small block out of it and put a much tamer 454 in it. The engine was brand new with an Erson camshaft in it. We lost the cam on break in. All the components were there. The process was correct it just ate the freaking camshaft. I had the car sold and the new owner was waiting on it. Panic cam change and engine flush. Put a comp in it and it still runs.

 

[thunderchicken]

Comp won't respond to my inquiries, I'm calling them Monday but hold out no hope. Even if the warranty the cam and lifters I'm still out the block, machine work, bearings, labor, etc.

I'm done with it, we'll inventory everything tomorrow and start out with craigslist and then move to ebay. It was borderline stupid what I have in it now without having to redo everything I've already done once. I just ran a quick count on the numbers and am ashamed of what I have in it vs what I could have bought one already running. The plus side on this one is that the body is solid as hell. Oh well, hopefully the curse goes with the car and doesn't stick around

Dude I feel your pain. We started building the Tbirs back at the end of 2001. Got al the chassis & body work done and was ready for an engine. Bought a used race engine, pulled the pan and checked bearings, pulled intake and plumbed in the 2 kits of nitrous and we discovered all the threads in the heads for the intake were trashed. Had to helicoil all of them. Got it all together, fired it up for the first time and had less than 15psi oil pressure raise the rpm and it dropped to 5psi. Had to yank it out, take it to the machine shop for a complete rebuild. In the process found out the connecting rods were stretched, had a junk cam (too puny), and the heads needed some work. It was very discouraging but we had too much in it just to let it go. Give it a few days and see if the old girl still speaks to your soul. Don't just shove it out the door because you got screwed

 

[churchmouse]

Dude I feel your pain. We started building the Tbirs back at the end of 2001. Got al the chassis & body work done and was ready for an engine. Bought a used race engine, pulled the pan and checked bearings, pulled intake and plumbed in the 2 kits of nitrous and we discovered all the threads in the heads for the intake were trashed. Had to helicoil all of them. Got it all together, fired it up for the first time and had less than 15psi oil pressure raise the rpm and it dropped to 5psi. Had to yank it out, take it to the machine shop for a complete rebuild. In the process found out the connecting rods were stretched, had a junk cam (too puny), and the heads needed some work. It was very discouraging but we had too much in it just to let it go. Give it a few days and see if the old girl still speaks to your soul. Don't just shove it out the door because you got screwed

And this is why I hate buying other peoples junk.
I bought an 85 MontiCarlo from a guy I knew. Grew up with his dad. It had a "Fresh" 383 in it. T-400 reverse valve body good converter 12 bolt etc.
The engine was supposed to have Forged pistons in it. I parted out the car as was my original intention keeping the engine and trans for my 65 Biscayne.
It ran OK in the 65. I added the nitrous as was my intention from the start. 150HP sniper plate system. Tiny by fast guys standards as it was just an enhancement.
50HP tune in the kit and it was a hoot on the street. Took it to Wed street car race (run whatcha brung night) and put the 150 tune in the kit. I wanted an 11 second ET slip even if it got me ejected from the track. Car was legal to 12 seconds. No bars and the original lap belt. Street car after all.
Kit was on an RPM chip. Car launched at 3500 on a chip and the brake. Kit came on at 3800 so it was a nice kick in the tail and it shook the tires loose. Noid made the 2nd gear shift at 6500 and the #5 and #7 pistons basically evaporated. Turns out the were KB Hyperitetic POS cheap ass pieces. What a mess.

 

[femurphy77]

GF's trying to talk some sense into me so I'll give it another week or so before I finalize the eviction notice. She said she knew I was tired of working on it, I clarified the point that I'm not tired of working on it just tired of working on the same thing over and over again. Good thing I have plenty of other things to keep me busy for awhile!

 

[halfmileharry]

GF's trying to talk some sense into me so I'll give it another week or so before I finalize the eviction notice. She said she knew I was tired of working on it, I clarified the point that I'm not tired of working on it just tired of working on the same thing over and over again. Good thing I have plenty of other things to keep me busy for awhile!

We've got to have our hobbies.
I've been thinking about your misfortune and wanting out of the addiction.
I can tell you 100% that EVERY TIME I've gotten away from this addiction I get back into it.
I've dumped off hundreds of thousands of dollars of gear only to start right back over into this. It costs more to get out and back in than it does to stay in.
I've downsized many times just to have a good cam, gears, and my vibrating azz in the seat get me right back into the deep end of the pool.
I don't have to go balls to the wall but it seems I'm drawn to it like the proverbial moth.

 

[femurphy77]

OK, stupid question. . .just to make sure I'm not over simplifying things. . . . .measuring stroke is as simple as measuring the distance the top of the piston travels. . . correct??? I mean it doesn't make a difference how long the rods are, stroke is the distance the piston moves tdc to bdc, right?

 

[ChristianPatriot]

OK, stupid question. . .just to make sure I'm not over simplifying things. . . . .measuring stroke is as simple as measuring the distance the top of the piston travels. . . correct??? I mean it doesn't make a difference how long the rods are, stroke is the distance the piston moves tdc to bdc, right?

I think technically stroke is tdc to bdc of the centerline of the crank journal where the connecting rod bolts to it. Theoretically should be the same at the top of the piston.

You have to add crank stroke, rod length, and piston compression height to get the right clearanance for the block deck height.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

That's why you can go on Jegs or Summit and get a 4.000" crank or a 4.125" crank or whatever other number

 

[femurphy77]

I think technically stroke is tdc to bdc of the centerline of the crank journal where the connecting rod bolts to it. Theoretically should be the same at the top of the piston.

You have to add crank stroke, rod length, and piston compression height to get the right clearanance for the block deck height.

Nothing so technical, I was just looking at the old motor that came out of the car and had been told it was a 352 but basing the stroke on the distance between piston tdc and bdc it appears to be a 390. If I had looked into it further back when I started putting together the engine that grenaded the lifter it's possible that it would still be in the car.

 

[Gluemanz28]

My buddy in Pigeon Forge, TN bought a 59 chevy Apache that had the body put on a 1979 C10 frame. It has a mild 350 with a 350 trans.

It was black primer when he got it. He put flame red krylon on the truck after a 400 grit wet sand. Then back with flat black.
He then went to work sanding through the paint to give it the patina look.

Then off to get a top coat of high gloss clear. He has a total of $348 in the paint job.
People flag him down all the time to look at the truck.

He is thinking about pulling the motor and installing a hot 383 in it.
I told him to leave it alone. Just cruise it and don't create more problems.

Its weak as a turd but fun as heck to drive.