Hey all,
If anybody followed my build up of my 496 big block combo I finally got
it to track today. My local track had been rained out and sure tomorrow will be as well, I did not realize quacker city dragway in Ohio was racing until
10:30 - racing starts at 10 to 5 TnT.. Still had to run parts store to get 5/8 evac hose, wire up fan, put seat back in and wire cutoff switch and change tires, set timing and load onto friend flatbed then drive 2.5 hours to...
Anyway arrived at 3:00 got teched staged blah,blah,.
First pass was very impressive - nailed gas, rpms straight up and all over limiter and hardly moving.. Did not really start to go ok till about 1000 ft mark
and blasted a 12.7 @ 117. here, car had hardly had any run time up to this point and never in gear. - found trans to be 2qts low once rad and cooler had been filled opps!
luckily had some with me, but had another problems - it has tons of blowby causing oil to come out around breather/evac rubber and through dipstick blowing oil all over passenger side of engine bay..
Hoped it just need some run time to seat rings, went for another pass at 4:30,hit gas expecting nothing - whoa torque.
Was breaking up a little, Still had 7000 limiter in msd and none with me - car need to be shifted about 7600, had to shift 6700. also found cable is not allowing full throttle, about 1/8 shy..
Anyway it ran 10.33 @ 127 on 7000 limiter through traps. 1.49 60ft..

This is bolted on as everything was in box, no tuning what so ever - set timing to 37, but think thats to high, also still had small bushings and heavy springs in Distributer, only allowing 14 degrees at idle - way to low and not full till 4200 or so.
So gotta figure out why there is soo much pressure, clean lots of oil, and do some tuning and rigging to get throttle.
This was like a chip foose show, running to make weekend till last minute - did not even get to shower before track, had to go sanford and son style with out eating for a day and 4 hrs sleep.
But had little choice due to wedding coming up, killing all chances of racing again till after.

Slip:
1.49
4.28
6.61 @ 105
8.58
10.33 @ 127.37 on limiter.

 

frickin' sweet. you get that thing workin' right and it's gonna run some super low 9's if not high 8's! you gonna put a kit on that?

 

Thats sick man!

 

That sounds like one of my typical racing days when I've prepared for everything.

One thing you can do for the dipstick. Get a long spark plug boot and slide it over the dipstick. It will slide over the tube and hold the dipstick in.

For a strip only car, lock out the distributor to full advance. That is providing you can start it at full advance or get an ignition or device to allow a start retard. You don't need an ignition curve on a drag car. Just more things to go wrong.

I use a Holley Annihilator ignition. No pills required for the rev limiters. I remember hitting the limiter a few times. I didn't know why the engine was acting up at high rpm until I realized the limiter was only a couple of hundred rpm above my shift point and I was bouncing off it. I've been only shifting at 7000 with the limiter now set at 7800. I don't really need a shift point. With a powerglide, it's actually better for me to short shift around 6300 then run it out the end nearing the rev limiter rpm. Once I get a throttle stop hooked up, I'll probably do my 1-2 shift during the throttle stop timer which is about 2 seconds out of the hole. I need the shifter automated with a CO2 or electric solinoid.

 

Well if you keep up the not showering you won't have to worry about that silly wedding.

Great results with the car- since you are not utilizing the smallblock I'll send you an adress and I will even pay the frieght!

 

hey 87 t/a, whatever happened to that blown small block that was originally in that camaro?

 

Thanks alot guys! CAr has been causing me much anxiety (spelling?)
Anyways, it was a fun build, thanks to all that helped with the tips - all helpful!
Lots of work! Thanks steven for the advice with dipstick - good tip, Ill try it.
I plan to lock advance, how do you lock it? Just remove weights? I 'm not sure where directions are for the msd. Also found that rotor was almostr falling off, maybe that was the little breaking up...
I am really tired of all my race days being like that, just so busy all the time.

Hmm, no shower = no marriage? Have to try it longer

mw66nova
Well I had broken the ringland off a piston years ago on original blower block - its just fine, needs one piston - rings were even fresh, cylinder is perfect.
I did put it together for a while using the stock block from TA with Hyper pistons and a N/A cam 242/246 @ 106 lsa! Guess what, ran the best MPH ever with that setup 130, who would figure, tight lsa cam blowing lots of boost out exhaust - car loved it, just could not seem to give it enough pump shot... Guess very low manifold vacuum will do that.

Well gotta get some sleep! thanks a bunch, more to come..

Ohh, as for spraying..... well, we have to see what she does natural..
If I get 9.60s Ill probably spray it and try for an 8.. we have to see though.

 

Geat #s for the first pass and for the dip stick ive used a carb return spring make it fit around the base of the stick and the tab that holds the dip stick to the block. I see a nhra competition license in your future.

 

If it's an MSD distributor, all the instructions are available on the MSD web site.

 

Great run for the first trip with the new setup. I can see some awesome et's coming when you get it tuned.

 

Very nice times for the first time out! I look forward to seeing you run 9s NA real soon.

 

good shake down pass Tom! sounds like a beast! cant wait to see what it does once u get it running right!

 

Thanks guys,
Good tip ross - its actually holding in tight but blowing around the rubber seal on top, that may help hold it tighter though.
I think also the tube itself must be down into the oil else it would not blow so much out, I may try to cut it down some as well.
Steven, got it done - sux I had to pull dist. and gear to do it.
Seems to start ok, if I have problems Ill just install a timing control or cut power to coil to get cranking, then power up once rotating. Timing control would be nicer though.

Will have some pics in a little, camera is almost home.

 

Neighbors love it!

 

My ignition has a start retard up to 20* but I just get the engine cranking first then turn on the ignition. It's a lot easier on the starter.

 

Congrats! That is one helluva ride that you have there keep us posted on the future tunes...

 

Nice maiden voyage Tom! This animal picks up where you left off with the Firebird...first time out. WOW. Nice pics, that is a real nice looking car too. So how long will it be after the wedding, before you race again? Congrats on both affairs.

 

Thanks Tom!
Well not quite where the T/A left off - its kinda funny, first time out with T/A it ran 12.7 as well.
First time I sprayed T/A it went 10.3..
T/A best is 10.09 with 125 shot, but I gotta say this thing felt alot stronger.
though maybe thats because I have not driven anything but my truck for 2 months, but from what I remember its feels alot stronger. Time will tell.
As for it looking good, well the pic does some justice for it! probably too much. lol
It looks really good from about 200 yrds, though the old man still says thats not enough. it used to be extremely clean, then all putty started to pull, and years of garage abuse as a work bench.

Keep me posted on your beast as well.
1QWIKZ: will do man! Thanks for support!
And that is a really clean car you have there!

 

Hey TA, how much oil do u have in the pan?. I know with 383's and 496's (long stroke in stock block) even using a deep sump pan, u needed to keep the oil around 5-6 quarts, in a 7qt pan. If u have 7qts in a 7qt pan the crank is probably hitting the oil.

 

lol i'd say add the 85-90 style ground effects and primer it black.. then its all good to go!!

 

no, it MUST stay a sportcoupe! please keep it a sportcoupe so there is at least a few of us who are running quick (with you being MUCH quicker than me.

 

Yea, kinda funny, all the unsuspecting victims it would lure in!...

 

Iroc, I think that very well have been the problem!
Actually first I had close to 8 quarts.. I am going to change
oil wednesday and use 6 quarts..
Thanks for the info! I really did not consider that.

Don't worry,
Its going to stay a sportscoupe - I have always been adicted to the
simple yet sleek look.. And I hate when I see the ground effects getting distorted and gap. I love my T/A, but was looking for a formula when I found it.

 

Thanks! I plan on getting to Atco this friday since tomorrow is goin to rain..

 

Just another update:
Most problems squared away I think - new throttle cable bracket,
oil problems fixed I think, Spohn X-Member fixzed I think (not sure if that was mentioned, but ripped bolts out of frame on one side when at track - did not realize till I few days after when I looked under and see trans almost touching ground) Then after fixed pulled rubber connection apart connecting trans lines, must have been right at end - fire up car after fixed and blow about 3 quarts of ATF over everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why must this car always be covered in oil!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, thats fixed also....
New pills for msd to allow revs past 6700 - now set at 7700, plan to shift 7500ish, installed switch for ignition power - but suprisingly does not seem to crank any easier, valves adjusted, timing locked - ready for fun tomorrow.

Wish me times

 

good luck man! i'll be out there tommorrow as well and i hope to bring my camera and video camera. i cant wait to see you run!

 

Right after the last race of the season, you'll get all the bugs worked out.

As for everything covered in oil, that's why my car only looks good in pictures and going down the track. What it looks like under the hood doesn't make it go any faster. As long as no fluids are dripping down on the track, let it stay dirty. I was under my car last week and there's all kinds of dirt stuck to the oily underside. So what! My hood, nose, deck lid and engine bay are painted with a spray can. Gloss black will always color match even if it doesn't have that deep shine of a show car. I'm thinking flat black would be better.

Just to be on the safe side, buy a new oil filter and cut open your old one for inspection. Hard cranking even with the ignition turned off can't be good but might also just be an electrical problem. I got stuck in the staging lanes during a T&T because I had a bad ground at the battery. Didn't take long to find and fix but I missed a pass.

 

If the motor is hard cranking, Seriously look at the battery cables/grounds/starter, remember its a 13:1+ compression BBC, even with the best of starters, and fault in the system is gonna become very noticeable really quick.

I remember the first time I seen a 555bbc with about 15:1-1 compression crank over while hot, lol sounded like the poor starter was dying.