LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I was able to get the carb set for the most part. I ended up having to run a tap through the secondary adjustment screw hole. There was a casting flash on it that wouldn't let me adjust the screw open as much as it needed. The car pulls about 12 inch's of vacuum now at 900 rpms or so and will idle in gear. Four corner idle would help but right now I don't have it.

I am trying to decide what hood to put on the car. These are the two I am looking at.

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/fi...e-instock.aspx

and

http://www.eharwood.com/catalog/prod...?productID=406

This is what the ram air hood would look like. That's what my car looks like:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...-100_0185a.jpg

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i likew the ram air I hood.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Me too, I just want to make sure it is going to be tall enough.

87_GTA_5.7

I wanted to do the ram air 1 too..but I didnt think with my high rise it would clear..but do the ram air if it you think itwould clear..looks sick!

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I ordered the ram air hood tonight from Hawks. Hopefully it will get here this week.

icebird84

looks Good

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Thanks. It's still running and not smoking or knocking.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I found out my intake is leaking again. I am taking it off tonight and checking to see if it's warped. It might need to be ground a little bit.

Good news is I got my hood today. I ordered it late Sunday night from Hawks and it was here early this morning. Overall it looks good. The hood seems flat on the sides and doesn't follow the curve of the fender.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

It has been a long time since I updated this thread. I tried two different intakes and three different type of gaskets to get the intake to seal. I had the intake off probably 10 times! I have worked on cars for over ten years now and I know how to put an intake on a small block chevy. It's not rocket science.

I took the 406 out and put it in the corner. Put the stock 305 back in it with a carb and distributor and have been driving it.

Last week I decided to take the 406 to a different machine shop and have them look at it. Long story short the block was decked wrong. The heads are wider at the rear of the block than they are at the front. I was not really surprised because I had pretty much ran out of options.

I am waiting to hear back from the machine shop to see if the block can be re decked and squared up or if I need to start hunting a new block.

After talking to Tony Mamo at AFR I have decided to go with the 210 heads instead of the 195's I have now and step up to the 294XR roller and a super vic intake. Tony said this setup will still be streetable and make way more power than the setup I have now.

If anyone is interested the heads/cam are for sale.

Since I don't hate the car right now I will start updating as I get new stuff.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

kick butt news man, even if it does mean more money!

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Thanks! I felt like such an idiot that I couldn't figure it out I just stopped posting about it

I should have taken it to the machine shop a long time ago. I was just so pissed off I didn't even want to look at it.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I have been talking the machine shop off and on for the last week. They say the block is decked like a cork screw. WTF?! I think i am going to look for another block. I can't see this one being salvaged. They said the block would have to square decked to get it straight again. I talked to the shop that does that and he said until he gets it set up on the machine there is no way to measure the twist of the block and how much he is going to have to take off. So I don't know what to do.

On a positive note I talked with Tony Mamo at AFR today. The setup we decided on is

The new eliminator 220cc heads, it uses standard valvetrain now
comp cams solid roller, 248/254 @.050 .614/.620 lift w/ 1.6 rockers on 110 LSA
Super Vic intake
950 HP carb

raptor80dad

PM me a price on the heads shipped to 20659,MD.
Thanks Mike T

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

The heads were sold a few days ago. Everything else I still have.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

When you deck a 400, you have to leave the rear bearing in the block when you set it up on the machine. Otherwise you end up decking it at an angle...

-- Joe

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Time to start over again. Hopefully this will have a better ending.

86T/A_Ram_Air

this thread is like a good book.....it climaxed in the missle and ended in a little bit of tragedy. i used those AFR 220 heads on my 383, you will be happy with them, and the cam you are using is just a little bigger than the one i used. when shes all done and running it should be an animal, i know mine was and you will have more displacement.....and we all know there is no replacement for displacement, good luck on the reast of your build and keep us posted

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I appreciate the kind words. What type of bottom end do you have in your 383? Since I am going to be turning RPM's I am thinking about upgrading my rods.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Well things have changed a little bit and I am going to have to do a budget build for the time being. The wife and I are going to buy a house so the money that was going to the new 406 build are now going for other things.

Not a problem. I got a 383 from my wife's uncle that past away last year. The motor had sat for years in his barn. One of the rings had rusted to the sidewall and froze up. There is some rust pitting on the cylinder wall and I decided not to use it because it was going to cost the same to build as the 406.

I was looking at the 383 tonight and decided the rust pitting was not that bad. After a hone job I don't think it is going to be much of an issue. Will be it 100% on that cylinder, no, but that's ok. I took it apart tonight and everything looks great. It has a 400 crank that has been turned down and is standard on the mains and rods, it also has a standard bore. So I guess it isn't a 383. Would that be a 378? It has KB 197 pistons in it and have a 12cc dish. Should be around 10.5 with a 64cc head. I am going to use the steel shim head gaskets to up the compression some too.

After bouncing the idea off a friend of mine he said decided to let me use a set of his cylinder heads. He has a set of 062 vortecs and a set of 461 double hump heads. I wish I wouldn't have sold my AFR's now but at the time I didn't know we were going to buy a house. Oh well.

The 461's have been extensively ported but need new guides. The 062's would need new springs and probably screw in studs and I would have to buy a new intake. I have two air gaps now. So i guess it's a crap shoot.

I am thinking about using the XR roller I have in the 383 but don't know.

Remember budget build! I can re ring/bearing the short block pretty cheap. Just have to decide on the heads. I know it won't make the power of the 406, that's fine. I am bored and need something to work on.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

sell the two intakes you have, use that money towards a vortec headed intake. the cam is going to be way too much for the heads too. the vortec heads will make more power under the curve than the ported 461's though, thus being more drivable.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Hmm. I figured the ported double humps would make more power. I thought about buying a smaller cam. I know several people have put vortecs on a 383. I need to see what cams they used.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

they may make more peak numbers, but the vortecs have a superior combustion chamber and runner design, and will make better torque under the curve.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I will have to cut down the valve guides put in some screw in studs and pick up a set of beehives.

88TPI406GTA

Doesn't Pro Action (RHS) make a set of budget complete bolt-on heads that have those mods already done? You may want to consider it...I understand the "budget" part but sometimes the complete aftermarket iron head is a good deal when compared to machine costs, etc.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I will probably do most of the work myself. Install screw in studs, cut down the valve guides and use a beehive spring.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I can't freakin win. I got the block tanked last week(the 383). I got it home and honed it tonight and washed the block. After it was cleaned I could see several deep scratches near the bottom of a few cylinders. I don't want to put it together and risk it busting a ring and/or burns oil. I guess I am back to the 400 now. :bash

Unless someone has a cheap set of 383 .030 pistons w/ a 5.7 rod

Awesome-X

Wow man you really can't win can you??? I hope you get something figured out before you dump a bunch more money into bad blocks.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Yeah it seems I have not had very good luck. Hopefully I can get some of this stuff sold to help fund the 400 build. I am going to have the 400 block checked this week to see if its good so I know if I am going to build it or just have the 383 bored and use it.

Awesome-X

Well I'll probably be coming to get some of it in a day or 2 so don't worry at least some of it is sold lol I'd come today but it snowed like hell last night.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

What parts are you interested in?

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Well I had some good news for once. I took the 400 block I got to the machine shop last week to have it checked out. They say its looks really good and no cracks they can see but they haven't magnafluxed it yet. Next they are going to see if .030 will clean the bores up. I am looking to get a set of pistons from a board member. I am going to bump the compression up to around 11.5:1.

I have sold a few parts; intakes, rocker arms. I still have two retro fit foller cams for sale. More than likely I will sell the rods and pistons I have now out of the 406 that I had. I think I am going to upgrade the rods to SCAT I beams. 7 grand on stock rods makes even me a little bit nervous.

One really good thing about the this machine shop is they have a CNC machine that sqaure decks the block. That in itself is worth it after what I have been through.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I have done several hours worth of reading tonight about piston rings. I don't see how machine shops measure things down to the .0005. It's just nuts.

I was reading about using thinner rings and such. I am looking at either the KB139 piston that uses 1/16 and 3/16 rings or the KB125 that uses a 5/64 and 3/16 ring set. Both will yield around 11.4:1

I am also trying to decide if moly or stainless rings would be best for my build. I am going to run E85 because its cheap 104 octane.

I emailed KB and I will be interested in what they have to say.

JackRs

iTrader: (2)

Loved this post. Your really doing a great job man i hope this new block works out for you. I didnt understand all the technical engine talk but your pictures really helped. Good luck.

88TPI406GTA

1. I love that the machine shop guy says that everything "looks good" without running the magnaflux test first...LOL. Be happy AFTER the magnaflux comes back good My hopes have been dashed on a couple of bad 400 blocks because of bad magnaflux tests.

2. Why spin the motor to 7000 rpm? I may be the lone voice here...the stockish rotating assembly (rods, crank) are good to about 6K...so if you are spending a lot more money just for another 1K rpm...is it worth it?

Of course, if you build is such that you need the extra 1K rpm (heads/cam setup)...you by all means. As you already know...larger cubic inches mean that you don't need to wind it up like a 2.0L Honda spin toy to make power

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I am hoping for the best on the magnaflux. The cam Tony Mamo suggest is kinda big IMO. He said power peak should be around 6400 so I will be shifting 6800 or so. He said it will still be arrestable to drive around. I told him i didnt want to have to spin the hell out of it to drive around.
I can go down a cam size which would peak sooner. Right now my plan is stock crank, better rods/pistons balanced of course.
I get what you are saying Adam. I hadn't planned on spinning it that high.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Still haven't heard back from the machine shop. I did get an email back about the pistons. They said the KB139 would be better for my application. They said to use a ductile iron moly coated top ring set.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I talked the the old man that runs the machine shop today and not one of the guys in the back. He said they magged the block and it checked out great.

We talked about they way the bore/hone the cylinders. He seemed to have all the right answers to the questons I was asking.

Someone buy my camshafts!

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Usually machine shops pressure test blocks, especially 400s. Magnafluxing won't tell you if the crack is on the inside between passages. Magnafluxing is good for cranks and heads.


-- Joe

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

Just wanted to let everyone know the car is for sale.

I put the stock 305 TBI back in it w/ carb and HEI with a digital box.

The car is setup for a serious small block. PM me if interested.

RSFreak

Sad that so many stories on here end the same way...

avilla20

awesome are these german shepherds?

deadbird

I haven't deserted mine... yet

whitedevilTA

iTrader: (8)

Sad to hear. The old SBC's are so hit or miss these days. It's such a headache to find a good block and by the time the machine work is done and the motor is built, is it really worth it? My solution, go to the junkyard, get a nice low mileage 6.0 LSx truck engine, slap a carb on it, and run 11's. So much easier and so much better dealing with newer blocks, technology, etc. A lot of people shy away from LSx swaps because they think it is so expensive but in the end 9 times out of 10, it's actually the cheaper route than trying to build a SBC from scratch.

Hope we don't see many more stories like this.

White'89

iTrader: (8)

Very sad to see. I agree with abandoning sbc's, thats what I did and I'm not looking back. I'd rather deal with wiring and fuel issues then having a bad deck angle any day

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Have seen core shift in a few blocks over the years, but there is soo many blocks out their to choose from.. You just need a competent machinest.

-- Joe