Car Craft Magazine Forumshttp://forums.carcraft.comJoin the Car Craft Forum at Car Craft Magazine to discuss your favorite street racing car, car shows & events, and more.http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9194556/chevrolet/which-powertrain-vote/index.htmlWed, 23 May 2012 02:05:53 -0700Which powertrain? Vote
I recently traded for this '64 Chevelle. It's an old fashioned "barn find", besides the wheels it's stock. 283 4bbl, 3 on the tree, 10 bolt. Needs some rust repair and other than that it only needs.....well, everything. Anyways, I'm in the brainstorming period of the build. Trying to decide what direction to go. Heres my two favorite ideas so far, which do you guys think? 283 with a 5 speed 454 with a TH400 http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/GothRod/057.jpg

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]]><![CDATA[Which powertrain? Vote]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9194556/chevrolet/which-powertrain-votehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9146275/car-craft-magazine/march-79-cover-car-71-trans-am/index.htmlTue, 22 May 2012 20:05:18 -0700march 79 cover car, 71 trans am
wondering if there were anymore pics of this car

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]]><![CDATA[march 79 cover car, 71 trans am]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9146275/car-craft-magazine/march-79-cover-car-71-trans-amhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120227/car-engine/engine-balancing-and-importance-of-a-machine-shop-having-a-balancer/index.htmlMon, 21 May 2012 13:05:42 -0700Engine balancing and Importance of a machine shop having a balancer.
When it comes to building performance engines for the street, strip or circle track, near perfect balance is absolutely essential for engine smoothness, durability and maximum horsepower. One of the keys to a smooth running, long lasting engine is proper balance of the reciprocating and rotating parts. When a crankshaft is out of balance, the uneven distribution of weight can generate centripetal forces that shake the engine with increasing intensity as engine rpm goes up. Centripetal force (which many people mistakenly call “centrifugal” force) tries to pull the crankshaft toward the heaviest part of the imbalance as the crankshaft spins around. This makes the crank wobble as it rotates, which produces shaking that can be seen and felt in an engine that’s out of balance. The greater the imbalance and the further it is from the center of the crankshaft, the more the engine shakes and hammers the main bearings and crank. Over time, this can lead to metal fatigue and cracks that may cause the bearings to fail or the crank to break. With low-revving diesel truck engines that rarely see this high side of 4,000 rpm, the centripetal forces created by imbalance can be as great or greater than those in a typical passenger car gasoline engine or even a racing engine because the pistons, rods and crankshaft counterweights are all much heavier. An out of balance diesel engine can cause annoying vibrations that wear on a driver’s nerves and shorten the life of the engine. Balance is just as critical at the other end of the spectrum, too. A high-revving small displacement motorcycle engine that revs to 12,000 rpm has much lighter reciprocating and rotating components. But at such high speeds, even a small amount of imbalance is multiplied many times over and produces significant loads that can shake and vibrate the engine. When it comes to building performance engines for the street, strip or circle track, near perfect balance is absolutely essential for engine smoothness, durability and maximum horsepower. NASCAR engines typically run as high as 9,800 rpm for much of the race, so more than a few grams of imbalance can create harmonics and destructive forces that reduce power and increase the risk of the engine not finishing the race. On some of these engines, they are even balancing the camshafts to dampen valvetrain harmonics that can rob power at high rpm. With drag racing, it’s all about a brief burst of power and maximum acceleration. The engine doesn’t run at a constant speed but accelerates between each gear change. This can produce harmonics at various rpm ranges that reduce power. Balancing can tune out some of these harmonics or shift them to an rpm range that has less of an effect on the engine’s power output. Engine balance within 4 grams (0.14 ounces) has been a traditional benchmark for street engines, and 2 grams (0.07 oz.) or less for performance engines. But in today’s highly competitive professional motorsports, close enough is not good enough. Many performance engine builders are now balancing engines down to tenths of a gram! It all depends on the engine and the application. How much is 1 gram? Not very much. A dollar bill weighs about one gram. A penny, by comparison, weighs about 2-1/2 grams. An ordinary sheet of office paper tips the scale at a whopping 5 grams, which is more than the amount of imbalance that’s generally desired in a street engine. Realistically, 3 grams is probably close enough for a big block Chevy performance engine that may never see the high side of 5,500 rpm, but 2 grams or even 1 gram may not be close enough for a high revving Chevy small block in a circle track race car. Because of this, many performance engine builders will strive to achieve 1/2 gram or less of imbalance to keep their customers happy. The final tolerances will depend on the weight of the reciprocating and rotating parts, how far from the axis of rotation any residual imbalance is located, and the rpm range of the engine. A small amount of imbalance at the outer edge of a counterweight or a flywheel can produce just as much force as a much larger imbalance located in close to the center of the crankshaft or flywheel. So it’s important to know not only how much imbalance there is, but where the imbalance is located. Why Balancing Has Become Absolutely Critical Today Most shops that are doing custom engine building today are assembling new parts that have never been in an engine before. The only parts that are reused in many performance engines are the block and maybe the cylinder heads – and often even these parts are replaced with aftermarket castings. Most engines are put together with a new crank (usually a stroker), new connecting rods and new pistons. Depending on where the parts are sourced, the weights of the rods and the weights of the pistons may be fairly even. Even so, it’s always a good idea to check the weights, and to equalize the weights as needed. Some engine builders aim to equalize connecting rod and piston weights to a tenth of a gram or less. The weights of the reciprocating parts then have to be balanced to the counterweights on the crankshaft. Aftermarket performance parts (rods and pistons, that is) are almost always lighter than the stock parts they replace. So if the original crank is being reused, the counterweights will have to be drilled to compensate for the reduced mass of the reciprocating parts. If the engine is being built with a stroker crank, balancing is an absolute must. Some suppliers of stroker cranks publish a “target bobweight” for their cranks so engine builders can more easily estimate how much work it will take to balance the crank with a given combination of parts. Others just give you the crank and you’re on your own to figure it out. It’s not unusual to see brand new stroker cranks that are out of balance by as much as 200 to 300 grams! That’s a lot of extra mass on the counterweights that will have to be removed to balance the crank. One reason why many stroker cranks are heavy is because they are forged with extra metal in the counterweights so the engine builder doesn’t have to add heavy metal (tungsten plugs) to achieve proper balance. Drilling holes is cheaper and easier than installing heavy metal. A one inch hole drilled one inch deep removes about 100 grams of metal. So to balance a stroker crank that is 300 grams too heavy, you may have to drill 3 or 4 holes in the counterweights to bring it into balance. If an engine is being built with a lightweight racing crank, on the other hand, there’s less metal to work with when it comes to balancing the crank. On some of these cranks, you may have to use heavy metal to bring balance down to where you want it. Heavy metal may also be required if an externally balanced engine such as a big block Chevy is being converted to an internally balanced engine. On externally balanced engines, the crankshaft is balanced with the harmonic balancer and flywheel attached. This provides a lot of metal area to work with if you have to drill holes to lighten the assembly. On internally balanced engines, the balancer and flywheel are balanced separately. Consequently, the crank often turns out to be too light and requires heavy metal to bring it into balance. Customers should be told what type of engine balance they have (internal or external), and warned about marking the position of the flywheel if the engine is externally balanced should the flywheel have to be removed. Marking the index position of the flywheel is necessary so it can be remounted in the same position as before to maintain balance. They also need to be aware of the fact that replacing the flywheel or harmonic balancer with different parts can upset balance on an externally balanced engine. Bobweights Balancing requires the use of “bobweights” when spinning the crankshaft on certain kinds of engines to simulate the effects of the rotating and reciprocating parts inside the engine. The bobweight should usually equal half of the reciprocating weight plus the rotating weight. The rotating weight is the big end of the connecting rod, the rod bolts and rod bearings, plus about 4 grams for the oil that is between the bearings and crank journal when the engine is running. The reciprocating weight is the small end of the connecting rod, the piston, wrist pin, retainers (if used) and rings, plus 4 to 5 grams of oil for the oil that clings to these parts when the engine is running. Bobweights are necessary on each crank journal when balancing V6, V8 and V10 engines, and also most one, two, three and five cylinder engines. Bobweights are not needed on inline four and six cylinder engines, or horizontally opposed flat fours or sixes (Porsche and Subaru) either. On these applications, the motion of the pistons is opposite each other so the forces cancel out – provided the weight of the pistons and rods are evenly matched and equalized to the lightest weight. Most balancer packages come with bobweights for standard engine applications, but additional bobweights may be needed to handle special applications. Once the rotating and reciprocating weights have been measured, the bobweights can be assembled by referring to bobweight tables or the software on the balancer. On some machines, the scale inputs the weight of the individual parts directly into the software to simplify the math and reduce the risk of entering the wrong information. On some oddball engines like a Volkswagen VR6 engine, the bobweight percentages will be different than usual because of the narrow angle between the cylinder banks. On these engines, you only use 20 percent of the reciprocating weight, not the usual 50 percent. Some racers have found that slightly underbalancing or overbalancing an engine by using 1 to 4 percent more or less weight on the bobweights actually produces more power and less vibration at certain rpm ranges. Underbalancing and overbalancing requires a lot of trial-and-error experimentation to find the weight that works best for a given engine, so some say it is more of a black art than a science as conventional balancing theory doesn’t fully explain it. Balancing The Crank Once the bobweights have been made up, they are installed on the crank so the crank can be spun on the balancer. This often takes longer than spinning and correcting the crank itself. On a typical street engine, it often takes less than an hour to set up and balance a crankshaft. On a performance engine, the job may take up to several hours depending on how close you want to get the crank to zero, and whether or not you have to install heavy metal to bring it into balance. The more drilling and heavy metal it takes to achieve balance, the longer it will take to balance the crank. That’s why you have to price the job accordingly. If you quote a flat rate to balance the crank, and end up putting a lot more time into it than you originally thought it would take, you are selling yourself short. Most of today’s balancers are PC-based with Windows software and graphical displays that make balancing much easier than older balancers. The software eliminates guesswork and reduces the time and effort it takes to make corrections. It also makes balancing less intimidating for a novice because the software does all the calculations. After the first spin, the software calculates the imbalance, shows you where it is, and tells you how much metal has to be added or removed, and where. If you don’t like the location of the recommended correction(s), you can tell the software to recompute the data so the correction can be made elsewhere on the crank. It may take several spins to fine tune all of the corrections and to verify the crank is within the desired range of balance. Most cranks can be brought down to a few grams with two to three spins, but if you are aiming for a couple tenths of a gram or zero balance, it may take 7 to 10 spins to nail it down. Balancing As A Profit Center Compared to some other pieces of equipment in your machine shop, an engine balancer can produce an excellent return on your investment. If you charge $200 to balance an engine, and it takes you an hour, you’ve made $200 per hour. On the other hand, if you change $200 to balance a stroker crank that takes you three hours to complete, you’ve earned the equivalent of $66 per hour – which isn’t bad but probably isn’t enough to fairly compensate you for your time and effort. That’s why you need to charge for your actual time rather than quote a flat rate. With performance cranks, you never know how much time it will take to balance the crank until you get the crank on your balancer and spin it up. Once you’ve gained some experience with a particular brand and stroke of crankshaft, you’ll have a pretty good idea of how long it will take to balance the crank on the next job. But until you’ve gained that experience, each job you do will probably be a whole new learning experience. The most profitable applications for balancing include small high revving engines such as those in motorcycles, boats and go-karts. Some shops get $100 or more to balance a single cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine, which requires a lot less time and effort than a V8. Buying A Balancer Most shops that are doing performance engine building today already have a balancer. But is their balancer up to date with the latest software? Is the software fast, accurate and easy to use? And does the balancer have the flexibility to handle other kinds of work that may come into your shop? Some balancers that mount on a milling machine start as low as $7,000. Stand alone balancers typically start in the $15,000 range, and can go up to $30,000 or more depending on what comes with it (such as a drill stand). Some balancer manufacturers say that if you do only one or two jobs a month, you can cover the lease payments on a new balancer. Anything beyond that is pure gravy. Though most shops that buy a balancer do so specifically for performance engine work, there’s no reason why a balancer can’t be used for other types of jobs, too. This includes balancing boat props, prop shafts, driveshafts, rotors, drums, even CV joints. Driveshafts can be tricky because they require special end clamps and supports, and the machine has to be long enough to accommodate the length of the shaft. Any rotating industrial component that can be physically mounted on a balancing machine can also be balanced – which opens up a lot of new revenue possibilities if the automotive market is slow in your area. Special balancers are also available for balancing turbocharger impeller and turbine wheels. These parts spin at extremely high rpms, so accurate balance is critical to their longevity.

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]]><![CDATA[Engine balancing and Importance of a machine shop having a balancer.]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120227/car-engine/engine-balancing-and-importance-of-a-machine-shop-having-a-balancerhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120224/car-engine/distributor-gears/index.htmlMon, 21 May 2012 13:05:45 -0700Distributor gears.
Properly Matching Your Camshaft and Distributor Gear Matching camshaft and distributor gears is one of the most critical, yet often overlooked step in engine assembly. The proper distributor gear for your camshaft differs by both the material and the kind of lifter for which your camshaft was designed. Using the wrong material can lead to premature gear wear, possible camshaft wear and ultimately engine failure. First off, no steel distributor gear is compatible with both flat tappet and hydraulic roller cams. This is because hydraulic rollers can be made from two possible materials and either of those materials requires a different gear than the flat tappet cam. Regardless, a steel gear is not compatible with a cast iron flat tappet cam. Distributor Gear Materials: 1. Cast Iron 2. Composite (offers great life, conforms well to the mating cam gear, and is compatible with ANY camshaft gear material) 3. Melonized or hardened steel (material that OEMs use with factory roller cams; many aftermarket distributor manufacturers use these as the default gears for their distributors) 4. Bronze (conforms well to the mating camshaft gear and will not damage the camshaft gear, but it is a self sacrificing gear intended to be used in race applications only and should be replaced about once a year) If you have a cast iron hydraulic or solid flat tappet cam, your distributor gear options are: 1. Cast iron distributor gear 2. Composite distributor gear If you have an austempered ductile iron hydraulic or solid roller cam, your two options are: 1. Melonized or hardened steel distributor gear 2. Composite distributor gear If you have a billet steel hydraulic or solid roller cam, your two options are: 1. Bronze distributor gear 2. Composite distributor gear I recommend the composite gear because it is compatible with all camshaft gears – flat tappet, austempered cast iron cores, and billet cores. If the steel gear is not hardened, it is not compatible with either of the roller cam types. Note: If you have an austempered core hydraulic roller cam and a .500? shaft distributor with a steel gear, verify with the manufacturer of the distributor that the steel gear they use is a melonized or hardened steel material and it will work fine.

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]]><![CDATA[Distributor gears.]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120224/car-engine/distributor-gearshttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120167/car-engine/compression-ring-seating-when-is-a-piston-ring-seated-read-more-ht/index.htmlMon, 21 May 2012 13:05:40 -0700Compression Ring Seating: When is a Piston Ring Seated? Read more: ht
Compression Ring Seating: When is a Piston Ring Seated? There has been some confusion concerning piston ring seating. Some ring sets have been returned to the manufacturer with the comment "the rings didn't seat," however, when the rings were examined they had 360 degree continuous contact on the O.D. face. This contact is indicative of total ring sealing. So when is a piston ring actually seated? For a compression ring to seal against the cylinder wall it is important that line contact be established. The sketches below Illustrate cross sections of two popular types used in many ring sets. http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/92825p73agif_00000046873.gif http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/92825p73bgif_00000046874.gif As can be seen in the illustrations, both the barrel face and the taper face will initially only make line contact with the cylinder wall. The contact area will increase as ring wear occurs. However, under normal operating conditions, it will be many thousands of miles before the ring is worn to full O.D. face contact. In fact, when a ring is worn to full face contact it is near the end of its service life or has experienced some form of abrasive wear. When proper cylinder finish is achieved during the honing process, the rings will line contact in a very short period of engine operation. The rings will then seal properly.

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]]><![CDATA[Compression Ring Seating: When is a Piston Ring Seated? Read more: ht]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9120167/car-engine/compression-ring-seating-when-is-a-piston-ring-seated-read-more-hthttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9144643/general-car-craft-discussion/maximum-safe-compression-ratio-for-premium-pump-gas-read-more-http/index.htmlMon, 21 May 2012 13:05:52 -0700Maximum safe compression ratio for premium pump gas Read more: http
10:5CR static is max on premium pump gas with iron heads on a chevy engine, any more and you will have detonation issues this is fact. You may here about fixes like if you run a trick cam one with more duration it will allow you to run a higher C.R. or adjusting the timing down or even using a adjustable vacuum advance and turning the vacuum advance way down is a fix but these are nothing but band aids and will not solve the problem at all the only way to prevent detonation is to run the proper octane that a engine requires. An engine detonates when cylinder pressure is too high for the detonation resisting chemicals, (octane) to work. If, you were not meeting the octane requirement with a stock cam, when you install a bigger duration cam and build more cylinder pressure, you'll be worse off than before. Why because a larger duration cam will fill the cylinder with more air and fuel on each filling cycle making more cylinder pressure. Of course depending on how much more duration you have will directly relate to what RPM it takes for the extra pressure to happen. So the Half an answer that is correct from (how ever tells you a trick cam will fix detonation problems) is, yes, at idle, or below 2000 - 2500 rpm the cylinder pressure is lower than a stock cam. So as long as you can never put your foot into it, you're fine. There are not any magic tricks when it comes to meeting the octane requirement for any engine. You simply must! Maximum safe limits on premium pump gas are as follows 10.5:1CR with iron heads 11.5:1CR with aluminum Why can you run more compression with aluminum heads, because Aluminum dissipates heat quicker plain and simple. Horsepower sells engines and torque wins races

Maximum safe compression ratio for premium pump gas Read more: http | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Maximum safe compression ratio for premium pump gas Read more: http]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9144643/general-car-craft-discussion/maximum-safe-compression-ratio-for-premium-pump-gas-read-more-httphttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9144634/car-engine/valve-spring-tech/index.htmlMon, 21 May 2012 13:05:10 -0700valve spring tech.
Valve spring pocket clearance is the gap between the inside diameter of the valve spring pocket (or cup, if used) and the outside diameter of the valve spring. Too much clearance will result in the spring "dancing" around in the head, which "beats up" the spring mounting surface and the spring itself. If this is the case, a spring cup may be used. Additional machining of the spring pocket may be required to accept the spring cup. Not enough clearance will bind the spring in the pocket, overstressing the bottom coil by limiting its movement and not allowing the spring to "grow". This will cause the bottom coil to wear against the head and/or prematurely fail. Machine the valve pocket using a Spring Seat Cutter if not enough clearance exists. http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/ValveSpringDetail.gif Valve Spring Retainer Fit The valve spring retainer should fit the valve spring being used. A slightly snug fit is acceptable, however a fit that is too tight can overstress the top coil, and cause it to fail. A fit that is too loose can lead to spring "dancing." Valve Spring Installed Height The installed height of the valve spring is the distance between the valve pocket (or cup, or shims) and the outer edge of the spring retainer (which is the height of the valve spring) when the valve is closed. To check installed height, follow the following procedure: Install the valve in the guide. Install the retainer and valve locks. Install all spring cups and/or valve spring shims (basically, everything except the valve spring). Hold the valve closed by pulling the retainer up tightly against the valve locks. Measure the distance between the outside edge of the valve spring retainer and the spring seat. A snap gage or a height micrometer should be used. Check the distance against what is recommended on the camshaft specification card. An installed height of +/- 0.020" is acceptable. If the installed height is not within 0.020", either machining of the valve pocket, or removal/installation of valve spring shims is necessary. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the valves. http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/ValveSpringClearance.gif Valve Spring Retainer to Valve Seal Clearance The distance between the innermost step on the valve spring retainer and the valve guide must be 0.090" larger than the maximum valve lift of the camshaft. Measure the distance between the top of the valve seal to the bottom of the valve spring retainer. After adding 0.090" to your measurement, it should still be larger than the maximum valve lift of the camshaft. If not, machining of the valve guide in necessary for adequate clearance. Valve Spring Coil Clearance Coil clearance is the distance between the valve spring coils when the valve is it maximum lift (fully open). A minimum of 0.060" must exist between the coils at maximum lift. Coil bind is when the valve spring is compressed fully-to the point that all of the coils are "stacked up" on top of each other. For high RPM applications, .100" is recommended . Coil bind is a catastrophic condition that will result in valve train failure. Disassemble each spring (if multiple springs are employed at each valve). Check all the springs (both inner, and outer springs) If there is not 0.060" - 0.100" minimum of clearance between the coils, the solutions are: the valve retainer, the valve locks, the valve, or the spring must be changed; the spring pocket must be machined. Keep in mind that these modifications will change the valve spring installed height http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/ValveSpringRockerClearance.gif Valve Spring Retainer to Rocker Arm Clearance When installing the rocker arms, check to see that the inside of the rocker arms clear the spring retainers. Many rocker arms have a "relief" to accommodate large valve sprin

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]]><![CDATA[valve spring tech.]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9144634/car-engine/valve-spring-techhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9119339/international-racing/big-willie-passed-away/index.htmlSat, 19 May 2012 22:05:46 -0700Big Willie passed away
Big Willie passed away at 5 am this morning. Please pass the word.

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]]><![CDATA[Big Willie passed away]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9119339/international-racing/big-willie-passed-awayhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9117377/general-car-craft-discussion/alife-timeexperience/index.htmlThu, 17 May 2012 22:05:39 -0700alife time.....experience
am back few weeks ago,i was going home 4 am short cut i used to use to save time,deserted road with no lights rocks blocking the road suddenly,reversed the gear box and gone backwards in the dark knowning that am about to get killed or my car taken i spotted 3 guys getting out from the side of the road aiming agun at me i didn't stop just going backwards even i was not able to see the way the only concern is to move away vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv god well got my car to that position trapped http://im14.gulfup.com/2012-05-18/1337293902841.jpg i opened my door jumped out off the car to the small side river,got to the other side,went to the nearest home 2 km away they couldn't get the car out,thanks GOD they took my mini lab top my sony sound set............ and gone . that was alife time experince got shoulder dislocation few scratches,,,,,,and no thing else

alife time.....experience | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[alife time.....experience]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9117377/general-car-craft-discussion/alife-timeexperiencehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9116981/car-craft-magazine/v8-vega-wagon/index.htmlThu, 17 May 2012 15:05:42 -0700v8 Vega wagon
A few months back, I think it was in letters section. Was a pic of a red v8 vega wagon. Car had tunnel ran and Cragar ss wheels. Was soething you would have seen on streets around late 70's early 80's. I cannot find my issue and was wondering if anyone had more pics or info on car.

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]]><![CDATA[v8 Vega wagon]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9116981/car-craft-magazine/v8-vega-wagonhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9140899/car-craft-magazine/go-jim/index.htmlWed, 16 May 2012 17:05:33 -0700GO Jim!
Way to go, Jim! I've also got an early 944 in need of more power. Can you put details of your swap online if they won't let you put it in the magazine? I want to know what the pain points are and tradeoffs. I know you have to lose the brake booster. Was there any body or frame cutting? I also have a 81 Fiat Spider. Thinking about an Alpha v6 for it. It's not American muscle but it seems to be one of very few options. Anybody got other ideas?

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]]><![CDATA[GO Jim!]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9140899/car-craft-magazine/go-jimhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9185325/general-car-craft-discussion/4-sale-454-rotating-assembly/index.htmlMon, 14 May 2012 02:05:49 -07004 SALE--454 ROTATING ASSEMBLY
I am selling a 454 GM6 crank #204 353038. It was in my Mark IV block with a 2 piece rear main seal. I upgraded to a SCAT 496 STROKER KIT. I have the Cloyes double roller timing chain, Crane flat tappet cam, lifter & pushrod kit #284 H12--PART #103062. It has (1) Power Tour on it from 2011. Also, I have the Keith Black pistons #203SL99. The rods are GM 153 with a GM Oil Pump 3017 (827643). This combination produced 521hp with 555ft tq @ 5400rpm. Asking price is $400 for all parts. You can email at rowe69chevy@hotmail.com if you have questions or need any further info. _________________________ 69 CHEVELLE SS 72 MONTE CARLO LONGHAULER 05 07 08 09 10 11

4 SALE--454 ROTATING ASSEMBLY | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[4 SALE--454 ROTATING ASSEMBLY]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9185325/general-car-craft-discussion/4-sale-454-rotating-assemblyhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9184101/car-craft-magazine/whatever-happened-to-project-sten/index.htmlFri, 11 May 2012 18:05:57 -0700Whatever happened to project STEN??
IDK about the mag, but if you need any help,...im sure there are a few guys that would help you out if you need any help. i may have a few tpi parts laying around if you need something? i do agree though,...if you start an article, finish it for the readers.

Whatever happened to project STEN?? | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Whatever happened to project STEN??]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9184101/car-craft-magazine/whatever-happened-to-project-stenhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108140/car-engine/busted-valve-lash-myth/index.htmlWed, 09 May 2012 20:05:07 -0700Busted valve lash myth
Many people I'm sure has seen it written so often that the final tune on valve lash is to get it as tight as possible because this produces longer duration at the valves. http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/91069feelergaug_00000045494.jpg By David Vizard All too often the effect of valve lash on power output is considered very much a secondary factor and a small one at that. This may be so but the ramps open the valves relatively slowly and during that period the flow, into and out of the cylinder, is little more than a nuisance leak and this almost always manifests itself as a reduction in torque throughout the rpm range. Let me throw a simple concept at you here based on what the dyno tells us. The torque output of an engine always improves when the rate of change of flow presented to the cylinder is increased both at the point of opening and closing. What this means is that fast opening and closing works so long as the mechanical dynamics don’t get out of bounds. All this means that setting the valve lash toward the loose end of the scale usually produces better results. Often times I see fundamental mistakes made when lashing valves on an engine that has been equipped with higher ratio rockers than stock. Just recently while working with a now retired ProStock engine builder such a situation came up. The engine concerned was a 555 cid big block Chevy (the data from which I will be using in my upcoming BB Chevy performance book Vol. II). For this motor I had ported a set of Darin Morgan’s 320 cc oval port street heads. With optimized lash and a regular 1.8/1 intake rocker this motor made 808 hp on 87 octane fuel. The lash that made best power was at the wide limit not tight. At this point I thought the engine could make 825 hp so 808 was off the mark. Our next move here was to install a set of 1.8/1 rockers that had geometry that produced a higher ratio (about 1.99/1) during the early phase of opening. With the lash set as before the engine lost power all the way up to the last four numbers around the peak power mark (6,500 to 6,800 rpm). Down around 3,000 rpm the torque was down by as much as 17 ft.lbs. The mistake made here was that the lash was set exactly as it was before the rocker change. When we set lash at the valve what we are really doing is setting the lash at the lifter and the rocker ratio plays into this. If the tappet ramp is say 0.010? high on the lobe then the lifter reaches the true start of tappet lift after having moved 0.010? up from the base circle. If a 1.5/1 rocker is involved then the lash setting will be 0.010? x 1.5 which equates to 0.015?. However if we step up that rocker ratio to say 1.7 then the lash to get the identical opening point will be 0.010? x 1.7 which works out to 0.017? not the original 0.015?. For our 555 big block Chevy the optimal hot lash with stock ratio 1.7/1 rockers was 0.018?. With regular 1.8/1 rockers having an off the seat ratio right around the nominal 1.8 the optimum hot valve lash was 0.019?. Our fast off the seat rockers produced almost 2/1 coming off the seat. This required the lash to be set at 0.021?. So how well did the fast off the seat rockers work? Well for a chronically under-valved engine such as the big block Chevy having faster intake opening can pay seemingly disproportionate dividends. But opening the intake faster alters the point of optimal cam advance. Our cam timing had been optimized for the 1.8/1 regular rockers by means of a Jesel belt drive. With the cam retarded just about one degree and the higher off the seat ratio rockers torque went up over the entire tested rpm range and peak power rose to 824.6 hp. Close enough to our target output. At 6,800 rpm the output was up by over 30 hp and the average low to mid range torque was up over 20 ft.lbs. over that with an incorrectly set lash. Just so you realize this is a true street big block Chevy (and a relatively low buck one at that) this output was achieved on 87 octane fuel and the engine would idle at 680 rpm. If you are not a big block Chevy expert you will almost certainly find D.V's new big block Chevy book (Vol I) a boon toward out-powering your competition and how to do it while being very cost competitive.

Busted valve lash myth | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Busted valve lash myth]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108140/car-engine/busted-valve-lash-mythhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108161/car-engine/cylinder-block-prep-tips/index.htmlWed, 09 May 2012 20:05:02 -0700Cylinder Block Prep Tips
If you’re fortunate enough to have a couple of blocks to choose from, or if you haven’t yet purchased one, here are some obvious things to look for. First, you want to look for cracks on the water jacket area and in the lifter valley area. If the block has ever been frozen, this is where cracks will show up.http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/80267blockprep2_00000036618res90.jpg Next, look for cracks around the main webs, these are hard to spot when the block is greasy, but we are just looking for obvious cracks now. If the webs check out okay, unbolt the main caps and look at the bearing seats for evidence of a spun bearing. If one or more of the seats look rough, and the material is blackened from heat, the block is not going to be suitable for performance use. Provided the seats all look okay, place the main caps back on the block. They should snap into the block registers nice and snug. If they fit loosely, the caps will slide around under pressure and could cause a main bearing failure. After the main caps pass inspection, start checking for core shift. Core shift occurs at the foundry when the blocks are being cast. The internal core will shift from the external core during casting, resulting in an “off center” block. The biggest problem with this is an un-uniform cylinder bore thickness. It is of utmost concern when using large overbores or very high horsepower. The easiest way to check for core shift is to look at the cam and lifter bores. If they are in the center of the cast bulkhead in the block, the core didn’t shift too much, if they are way off center the core did shift. A block with a moderate amount of core shift will still be okay for performance use. See image below, http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/core_shift_example.png Once you’ve found a good core to start with, the first thing that needs to be done is get it cleaned. There are two basic options here: hot tanking or baking and peening. Peening does a much nicer job of removing scale and rust from the block. Peening is how we clean all of our race blocks, but it does cost a few dollars more, and it does rough up the machined surfaces a little. So, if you are planning on getting away with as little machine work as possible, hot tanking may be better for your job. After the block is cleaned, check it for cracks using magnetic particle inspection.http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/ctrp-1111-02-oengine-block-preparationmag-checkres.jpg Again, they’ll be a lot easier to spot on a clean block. If no cracks are found, it’s time to start machining the block. For stock rebuilds or very mild performance use, start by checking the cylinder head mounting surface. If it’s flat and not warped, it won’t need to be “decked.” Next, check the main bearing housing bores, if they are in close alignment and the diameter is in the factory specified tolerance, it won’t need to be align honed. If everything checks out okay, all the block should need is bored and honed to fit whatever piston you are using. For high horsepower applications, you must be more particular about tolerances, so we recommend decking the block. By doing this, you can achieve the desired surface finish for whatever gasket is used. Ensure that the decks are parallel to the crankshaft axis, and at the proper height to get the quench that you want, (quench is the distance from the flat portion of the piston, to the flat portion of the cylinder head). When boring a block that has been decked, the cylinder bore becomes perfectly perpendicular to the crankshaft axis, which will help ring seal and reduce side loading of internal engine parts. When honing a high horsepower block, a torque plate should be used. This is a thick steel plate that is torqued to the deck with the cylinder head fasteners, this simulates a head being torqued to the block. Torquing a head down on a block creates imperfections in a cylinder bore, by using a torque plate, you can hone them to near perfection. The main bearing housing bores are machined with a boring tool from the factory. This leaves a moderately rough finish for the bearing to rest against, so the actual contact area is reduced to where the bearing contacts the high spots on the surface of the bearing seat. For any high horsepower application, the block should be align honed. This ensures that the bores will be in perfect alignment and also provides a very flat, smooth bearing seat. Depending on the application, budget and horsepower levels, it is sometimes necessary to use billet splayed bolt main caps. These are much wider than stock caps and the outer bolts reach into the sides of the block adding to the strength and reliability of the main webs. This should cover most of the major stuff you’ll need to be concerned with. There are some oil and cooling system modifications that could be beneficial, but they are very application specific and should be determined by your needs. :grin:

Cylinder Block Prep Tips | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Cylinder Block Prep Tips]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108161/car-engine/cylinder-block-prep-tipshttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108155/car-engine/cnc-fallacy/index.htmlWed, 09 May 2012 20:05:04 -0700CNC Fallacy.
Every decade has its buzzwords. In the ’30s, it was “streamlining;” in the ’50s, anything “atomic” was cool (except perhaps The Bomb). The ’80s were all about “turbo”, and ’90s were the Digital Decade. For many drag racers, the buzzword for the 21st century is “CNC,” an acronym for Computer Numerical Control. Some racers have the mistaken belief that a CNC-machined part is superior because it is made by an infallible computer. When you’re spending money on race car parts, it’s important to understand both the promise and the pitfalls of CNC machining. It seems I can’t pick up a racing newspaper or magazine without seeing “CNC” in advertisements and articles. Everything from motor mounts and throttle linkages to cylinder heads and engine blocks are touted as “CNC machined.” It’s become a stamp of approval. Some racers mistakenly assume that anything that’s CNC machined has to be perfect and therefore is a surefire performance enhancement. Unfortunately, that’s not true. I’m certainly not an expert on CNC programming. About all I can do is hit the red “STOP” button. But I’ve been around these machines for decades, and I understand their advantages and limitations. I’m an advocate of CNC machining. Like affordable flow benches and dynamometers, the advent of reasonably priced CNC machines has had a positive impact on racing by making advanced technology readily available. We installed our first CNC machining center at Reher-Morrison Racing Engines in 1988, and currently there are three CNC machines in residence at our shop. CNC machines are excellent “employees” – they don’t call in sick, they’ll work 24 hours a day without a break, and they don’t need medical insurance. On the other hand, a CNC machine is incredibly stupid. It will do exactly what it’s programmed to do – which is not always what you intend it to do. It will cut right through a port wall or drill a bolt hole in the middle of a combustion chamber if there’s an error in the programming. That’s why we use a chunk of foam instead of an expensive new head casting when we’re testing a new program. More importantly, a CNC machine can’t distinguish between a good part and a bad part. It doesn’t know whether a cylinder head port is efficient or a combustion chamber is shaped properly. It’s not capable of doing research and development, testing a part on a dyno or running it down a race track to determine how well it works. All it does is machine metal following a prescribed tool path. Computer programmers have a name for this phenomenon: GIGO, which translates as “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” A CNC machine is just a big, fast tool, without intelligence or reasoning power. A human operator can recognize that it’s a bad thing to cut a cylinder head in half; a CNC machine can’t. There are many types of CNC machines, from vertical mills and lathes to camshaft grinders and tubing benders. Not all CNC machines are created equal. There are giant CNC machines with 120-foot long gantries that can machine a spar for an aircraft wing from a solid piece of metal. There are CNC machines the size of a toaster oven that make precision subminiature parts. The point is that you wouldn’t machine a cylinder head on a desktop CNC, and you couldn’t economically machine header flanges on CNC mill that’s designed to make landing struts for F16s. Like any machine tool, a CNC machining center must be rigid and powerful enough to do its job, but not so massive and expensive that it can’t be operated profitably. As with any complex device, a CNC machine and its tooling must be serviced and maintained religiously. There are several types of CNC machining centers. A three-axis machine is like an automated Bridgeport vertical mill: it machines side-to-side (X axis), forward and backward (Y axis) and up and down (Z axis). A four-axis machine adds a rotary feature, and a five-axis CNC has the ability to tilt the machining head. A four-axis CNC works well for machining relatively simple parts like exhaust port plates and carburetor spacers; a fifth axis is a necessity to machine complex shapes like cylinder head ports. We currently have one four-axis CNC machine and a pair of five-axis CNCs in our shop. A CNC machine has the ability to make dozens, hundreds or thousands of identical parts. Unfortunately, if the original design is flawed, it repeats the same mistake over and over again with blinding speed. For example, I’ve seen CNC-machined connecting rods that have exposed bolt threads in the forks; these threads are an open invitation to stress risers and potential catastrophic failure. The CNC machine did exactly what it was programmed to do: it left exposed threads all the way through the bolt holes. Just because these rods were manufactured on a CNC machine didn’t make them right. It’s a relatively simple process to digitize a cylinder head port and then duplicate the runner shape with a CNC machine. But if the original port shape isn’t good, the result is a series of identical and equally inferior clones. I’ve seen CNC-machined cylinder ports runners with sharp intersections and nasty tool marks. The ports may have been machined under computer control, but an experienced head porter with a hand grinder could have done a better job. What’s important is not whether a part is CNC machined, but how well it performs. Whether it’s a washing machine, a ratchet or a competition cylinder head, the best buy is always the product with the highest value, not the cheapest price.

CNC Fallacy. | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[CNC Fallacy.]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9108155/car-engine/cnc-fallacyhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9106655/general-car-craft-discussion/how-soon-can-i-build-a-garage/index.htmlWed, 09 May 2012 13:05:28 -0700How soon can I build a garage?
Hello guys, I purchased HONDA "2012 Accord Coupe" last week but I don't have garage at my home? I want to build it within 1 or 2 days. Please let me know the best place for car garages. Your any help would be highly appreciated. Many-Many Thanks!

How soon can I build a garage? | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[How soon can I build a garage?]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9106655/general-car-craft-discussion/how-soon-can-i-build-a-garagehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9106385/general-car-craft-discussion/does-anyone-know-if-this-car-is-roadworthy/index.htmlWed, 09 May 2012 12:05:31 -0700Does anyone know if this car is roadworthy?
Hi All, I’m a teenager and want to buy a small roadworthy car when I say small car I mean really small car. Do anyone suggest me a good car. I live in Australia. Any suggestions? Thanks! _____________________ suzuki cars sydney

Does anyone know if this car is roadworthy? | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Does anyone know if this car is roadworthy?]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9106385/general-car-craft-discussion/does-anyone-know-if-this-car-is-roadworthyhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9102884/dodge/engine-swap-upgrade/index.htmlTue, 08 May 2012 10:05:47 -0700engine swap/upgrade
just curious..but does anyone know if there is an engine that can be swapped into a neon that has decent hp? i'm willing to do minor fabrication, possibly moderate if needed. i'm looking for something to spend some time rebuilding and cleaning. but i want it to be worth it...and no the srt engine is not what i'm looking for...i'm thinking along the lines of a V8...something that will give me some edge at the drags... anyways...thanks in advance for any advice...

engine swap/upgrade | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[engine swap/upgrade]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9102884/dodge/engine-swap-upgradehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9100691/general-car-craft-technical-discussion/the-dreaded-electrical-gremlin/index.htmlMon, 07 May 2012 17:05:32 -0700The dreaded electrical gremlin
After picking up another guy's half done GN project last year I had to wait until decent weather to try and get it going. I bought an 86 GN with decent body, new seat covers in the bags, new weather stripping, an old school build on the engine and lots of question marks. But the price was right at $1500, so I did it. The engine is .020 over with JE forged pistons, an ATR "street" cam with unknown specs, a fuel and chip package matched together with a Red Armstrong 93 octane chip, matching 36# injectors, and fuel pump. Has a hot wire kit to the pump, 3 inch down pipe, 2800 stall, shift kit, and some hardened internals in the tranny. The problems began when the turbo was trashed beyond rebuilding. Bought a cheap universal T3/T4 hybrid (I know but I was broke) and got everything hooked up. Some pieces were missing, like the starter, odds and ends under the hood, etc. I put a starter on the other day and finally went to hook up a battery this morning. Having worked on old cars a few times I had the handy dandy fire extinguisher by my side and the even handier but less surgical bolt cutters. Hooked up the positive cable all was good. Got the negative cable snug and gave the bolt that last turn to tighten it and the solenoid clicked three times and the engine started to turn over. As the keys were in my pocket I was a little suprised but not worried. But within 5 seconds of me trying to take the positive cable off, the negative cable was melting and the positive and started to burn. I skipped the extinguisher and went for the cutters. After severing the positive cable all was back to normal. I know there is a dead short. I have checked the starter first and everything appears normal. The issue is I did not put the engine in this car. The guy I bought it from did not put the engine in this car and had it returned to him by a mechanic after failing to pay his bill for labor, which explains why some things are missing, not hooked up, or generally half assed. My guess is that a major hot wire is shorted but I want to know what you guys think I should check first. Also what are the chances of something important like the ECM having been toasted by this incident? Sorry about the long post but my wife doesn't care so this is how I get to vent.

The dreaded electrical gremlin | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[The dreaded electrical gremlin]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9100691/general-car-craft-technical-discussion/the-dreaded-electrical-gremlinhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9098420/general-car-craft-technical-discussion/v8-fierro-or-bust/index.htmlSun, 06 May 2012 18:05:34 -0700V8 Fierro or Bust
V8 Fierro Or bust Hi Guys hope you can help with a new project . I'm an old school gearhead from the 50"s and 60's Ya I have had a few cars I wish i still had a 49 55 57 and 64 my Fav was the 55 at age 18 that i still have and fun to drive in the summer Anyway to my Question and hope you can save some foot work ? I have a 1984 Fierro that came to me for just about nothing as you know its a rear engine car .I would like to find a chassie to set this plastic body car on ? I have a new 327 chevy that is looking for a hood to set under ? Not the back but the front ? My wife loves this old one and I think it be a great sleeper with 300 Hp under its hood ,Im great with Fiberglass work so a junkyard chassie to work with to start would be great , Can you advise me is there one that will work or will I need to build something new to fit ? or alter ? Thanks for anyhelp you can give to this new exciting project ,Or maybe just a dream ! Im a dedicated reader for years and injoy your Mag Rich from Wisconsin

V8 Fierro or Bust | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[V8 Fierro or Bust]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9098420/general-car-craft-technical-discussion/v8-fierro-or-busthttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9096608/classic-car-tech/tire-size/index.htmlSat, 05 May 2012 12:05:11 -0700Tire size
I'm having trouble finding info on sizing tires. Most sites ask for make, and model of car. I have a 66 Chevelle I plan on Cragar S/S 15" dia. 10" wide on rear, and 7" wide on the front. For the best look (classic), and ride, what size is best?

Tire size | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Tire size]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9096608/classic-car-tech/tire-sizehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9093719/car-engine/camshaft-specs-what-does-it-all-mean/index.htmlFri, 04 May 2012 00:05:11 -0700Camshaft Specs What Does It All Mean?
Let's start with the types of cams and lifters that are available: Flat Tappet Cams are cams designed for use with either hydraulic or solid lifters (but not both) with a bottom surface that has a slightly convex shape. When the convex surface of the lifter matches with the slightly angled surface of the cam lobe (the portion of the camshaft that creates valve train movement) the lifter will rotate in its bore. If the lifter doesn't rotate for any reason the cam and lifter will wear out very quickly. Hydraulic lifters use the engine's oiling system to automatially adjust the valve lash (clearance) to zero. They are the most common type of flat tappet cams and lifters for street use. Hydraulic cams can use any one of the three types of these oil filled lifters. Stock type hydraulic lifters are quiet running and require little or no adjustment after installation but are limited in performance to about 5500 rpm. The Anti-Pumpup lifter is a type of hydraulic lifter that will rev higher but requires adjustable valve train components. Variable (also known as Vari-Duration) hydraulic lifters are the next step up from anti-pumpup lifters. They improve low-end power and permit higher rpm use without the requirement of valve adjustment. Rhoads is the original manufacturer of variable hydraulic lifters and still makes the most effective ones. Mechanical or Solid lifter cams use a solid flat tappet (lifter) which requires regular valve adjustment. Some performance shops prefer solid lifters, even for street use, because they can adjust the way a cam will perform to a limited extent by changing the amount of lash (clearance) in the valve train. Decreasing the lash increases the duration and lift, increasing the lash decreases the duration and lift. For race use solid lifters will perform up to about 8500 rpm. Mushroom lifter cams use solid lifters that look similar to an upside-down mushroom. The base of the lifter (where it contacts the cam lobe) is wider than the body of the lifter. These are used mostly on oval tracks when roller lifters aren't allowed. Block machining at the bottom of the lifter bores is required. Roller lifter cams, as the name implies, use a lifter with a roller as the surface that follows the cam lobe. The roller surface allows very precise valve movement, as well as reduced friction, permitting a much wider operating range than is available with a flat tappet cam. Hydraulic roller lifters are common in late model engines and a variety of performance cams are available. They are as quiet and maintainance free as flat hydraulic lifters. Solid roller lifters are used mostly in highly modified race engines although they are available for 'pro street' applications. For maximum rpm use a solid roller design is definitely the best choice. Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of cams we can look at what all of the specs mean. Duration is the lenth of time that the valve is held open by the cam. This is measured by the degrees that the crankshaft rotates. More degrees of duration will make the engine operate in a higher rpm range. There are two ways of rating duration. Advertised duration was originally the S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers) standard as measured from .006 of valve lift. Over the years this has been altered by most performance cam makers to make their cams look hotter, or different, than the specs of their competitors. Valve lift points as low as .002 are sometimes used and this can add up to thirty degrees to the advertised figure. Even when the cams being compared are all measured the same way the figures can still be misleading if you don't know what the cams were designed for. Cams designed for quiet street operation will show higher .006 duration numbers than performance cams of the same rpm range. Duration measured from .050 of cam lift is the best for comparison of specs because most of the variations in cam design are reduced and the valves are open enough to start getting some flow past them. Most cam makers give accurate .050 ratings and good comparisons are possible between cams of the same type (hydraulic or solid or roller). Lift is usually measured as gross (total) valve lift. This works for hydraulic lifter cams but is misleading for solids and rollers because you must subtract the valve clearance to get the net (real) valve lift. Cam lift is sometimes given and is just the lift of the cam only before the rocker ratio is figured in. Lobe Area is obtained by measuring the lift at each degree of rotation and adding them all together. This will tell you very quickly how much difference (if any) there is between two cams with the same lift and duration. This is rarely supplied by cam makers. Lobe Center is the degrees the crankshaft turns from top dead center to the center of the top of the cam lobe. If you add the centers of both cam lobes together and divide by two you will have the lobe center separation. Lobe Center Separation is the degrees the cam turns from the center of the exhaust lobe to the center of the intake lobe on the same cylinder. Wide lobe center separations (114) give minimal valve overlap on street cams under 220 degrees at .050. This produces high manifold vacuum for street engines. Closer lobe separations of 108 degrees will not allow computer engine controls to function properly but will give better mid to high rpm performance when used in carbureted engines. Valve Lash is the amount of clearance required at the valve tip with solid lifters both flat and roller. Valve Timing is the opening and closing points of the valves measured in relation to the degrees of crankshaft rotation. These specs are often given by both the advertised and the .050 methods. These points can be advanced or retarded (as a group) after installation with a multi-keyway crank gear, offset keys, or special bushings. That covers most of the terms that you are likely to hear when you are shopping for a new camshaft. It's good to know what all of the information that is available means but the specs and technical descriptions are only part of the story. Some cam manufacturers will also include comments about the intended use and rpm range of each cam in their catalogue. Often these comments give information that wouldn't otherwise be apparent by checking the specs only. Here are a few more terms that, while you will not need to know them for selecting a cam, you might come across during a 'bench racing' session. Asymetrical Cam Lobes are designed with the closing side of the lobe different in shape than the opening side. This difference is only visible in some overhead cams and full race roller cams. When both sides are the same they are Symetrical. Base Circle, or the heel, is the round portion of the cam lobe. This is where the lifter rides while the valve is closed. A high spot in this area is called Base Circle Runout. If the runout is more than .001 on hydraulic lifter cams the valve will be off of its seat while the lifter is on the runout area. Poor performance and burnt valves will result from this. Small Base Circle Cams have the lobes ground down to the core diameter to give extra clearance for connecting rods used on stroker cranks. Higher lift cams also have smaller base circle diameters than stock lift cams. Billets and Cores are the blank shafts that the camshafts are made from. Cast Cores and Proferal Iron Billets are used for most flat tappet camshafts. Steel Billets are used for roller tappet camshafts. Cam Lobes are the parts of the camshaft that create the valve movement. Cam Profile or Cam Grind is the actual shape of the cam lobe. Chilled Iron Lifters are heat treated by pouring the molten alloy into a mold that has a chilled steel bottom plate. They are compatible with steel and hardface cams only. Clearance Ramps are the portion of the cam lobe between the base circle and where the valve starts to open. They slowly take up any slack in the valve train and reduce the shock created by the sudden movement of the lifter. Core Diameter is the diameter of the camshaft measured between the cam lobes. Dual Pattern Camshafts have different intake and exhaust lobes. There are various opinions on whether or not there is an increase in performance over a single pattern camshaft. Unfortunately there is no fair way to compare the two styles. Both types work quite well and there is no benefit to turning down one style of camshaft in favor of the other on this basis alone. Flanks are the sides of the cam lobe that cause the movement that raises and lowers the valve. They are also called the Opening and Closing Ramps. Hardenable Iron Lifters are high quality lifters compatible with cast and proferal billet cams. Hardening is achieved by heating the cam and quenching it in oil to give durability. Flame Hardening and Induction Hardening are two methods used. Typical hardness for flat tappet cams and lifters is Rockwell 32C. Hardface Overlay is used in highly modified race engines when a very hard solid lifter cam is required. Chilled iron lifters must be used on hardface cams. Nose of the cam lobe is the portion of the lobe with the highest lift. The nose of the cam should be .010 shorter than the bearing surface on a V8 or V6 camshaft except on small base circle cams. Parkerizing is the application of a special high quality oil-absorptive coating to the surface of the camshaft. This protects the cam lobes during break-in. Preload is the type of adjustment for hydraulic lifters. When the clearance is removed from the valve train the rocker arms, or adjustable pushrods, are tightened an additional turn to preload the hydraulic lifter. Pump-up happens in stock hydraulic lifters at high rpm. They simply can't handle the volume of oil and the extra operating speeds so they expand, or pump-up, causing the valves to stay off their seats slightly even while the lifter is on the base circle of the cam. Anti-pump-up lifters reduce this problem and Rhoads Variable Lifters eliminate it altogether. Rate of Lift refers to the speed that the valve opens and closes. Cams with a higher rate of lift have more lobe area to provide performance gains. Cams with an extremely high rate of lift require mushroom lifters. Refinishing refers to restoring the cam lobe to its original shape (except slightly smaller) when there is only minimal wear. Regrinding is the work of restoring a cam with alot of wear or altering a stock cam to performance specs. Both refinishing and regrinding require precision equipment and master lobes. Split Overlap is the term used when the piston is at top dead center and both the intake and exhaust valves are off their seats the same amount. With a single pattern cam this would mean that the camshaft was timed straight up. Advancing or retarding the camshaft will open one of the valves more at top dead center and reduce the valve to piston clearance. Valve Float happens when the speed of the engine is too great for the valve springs to handle. The valves will stay open and/or bounce on their seats. The clearance in the valve train created by valve float will also cause hydraulic lifters to pumpup as they try to eliminate the valve clearance. Valve Lash is the amount of clearance, measured at the valve, in the valve train when using a solid flat tappet or solid roller camshaft. Valve Train is the 'train' of parts leading from the cam lobe to the valve.

Camshaft Specs What Does It All Mean? | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Camshaft Specs What Does It All Mean?]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9093719/car-engine/camshaft-specs-what-does-it-all-meanhttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9182079/car-engine/top-reasons-and-causes-for-camshaft-failure/index.htmlThu, 03 May 2012 22:05:29 -0700Top Reasons and Causes for Camshaft Failure
Top Reasons and Causes for Camshaft Failure Cam failure is rarely caused by the cam itself. The only things that can be controlled during manufacture pertaining to cam lobe wear are lobe taper, lobe hardness and surface finish. Of all the damaged cams that Crane Cams has checked over the years, it says more than 99.99 percent have been manufactured correctly. Some people have the misconception that it is common for a cast iron flat tappet cam to occasionally have a soft lobe. Crane says they have yet to see a cast iron flat tappet cam that had a soft lobe. http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx71/buickbilly/94231camfailjpg_00000047911res80.jpg When the cast core is made at the casting foundry, all the lobes are flame hardened. That process hardens all the lobes to a depth below the barrel of the core. That depth of hardness allows the finish cam grinder to finish grind the cam lobes with a Rockwell hardness above 50Rc. The generally accepted hardness on a finished cast cam should be between 48Rc to 58Rc. All of the finished cams that we have checked are always above 50Rc hardness on the lobes. Many outside factors, or a combination of factors, can cause cam failures. We will list some of the factors that have been determined may cause camshaft failure. Lobe wear, incorrect break-in lubricant. Use only the moly paste that is included with the cam from the manufacturer. This moly paste must be applied to every cam lobe surface, and to the bottom of every lifter face of all flat tappet cams. Roller tappet cams only require engine oil to be applied to the lifters and cam. Also, apply the moly paste to the distributor gears on the cam and distributor for all camshafts. For extra protection, an anti-wear additive should be added, such as Crane Super Lube or any other break in additive with high levels of zddp in them, or even a break in engine oil. Do not use synthetic oil during the break-in period. It is not recommended to use any type of oil restrictors to the lifter galley, or use windage trays, baffles,or plug any oil return holes in the valley. Oil has a two-fold purpose, not only to lubricate, but also to draw the heat away from whatever it comes in contact with. The cam needs oil splash from the crankcase and oil run-back from the top of the engine to help draw the heat away. Without this oil flow, all the heat generated at the cam is transferred to the lifter, which can contribute to its early demise. Correct break-in procedure. After the correct break-in lubricant is applied to the cam and lifters, fill the crankcase with fresh non-synthetic oil. Prime the oil system with a priming tool and an electric drill so that all oil passages and the oil filter are full of oil. Preset the ignition timing and prime the fuel system. Fill the cooling system. Start the engine. The engine should start quickly and run between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. If the engine will not start, don't continue to crank for long periods, as that is very detrimental to the life of the cam. Check for the cause and correct. The engine should quickly start and be run between 1,500 to 3,000 rpm. Vary the rpm up and down in this rpm range during the first 15 to 20 minutes, (do not run the engine at a steady rpm). During this break-in time, verify that the pushrods are rotating, as this will show that the lifters are also rotating. If the lifters don't rotate, the cam lobe and lifter will fail. Sometimes you may need to help spin the pushrod to start the rotation process during this break-in procedure. Lifter rotation is created by a taper ground on the cam lobe and the convex shape of the face of the flat tappet lifter. Also in some cases, the lobe is slightly offset from the center of the lifter bore in the block. If the linear spacing of the lifter bores in the block is not to the correct factory specifications, or the angle of the lifter bore is not 90 degrees to the centerline of the cam, the lifter may not rotate. Even if the engine you’re rebuilding had 100,000 miles on it and the cam you removed had no badly worn lobes, this still doesn't mean that your block is made correctly. It just means that the break in procedure caused everything to work correctly. Be careful to watch the pushrods during break in to verify lifter rotation. Don't assume everything will work correctly the second time. Always use new lifters on a new flat tappet cam. If you are removing a good used flat tappet cam and lifters and are planning to use them again in the same (or another) engine, you must keep the lifters in order as to what lobe of the cam they were on. The lifter breaks-in to the specific lobe it is mated with and it can't be changed. If the used lifters get mixed up, you should discard them and install a new set of lifters and break the cam in again as you would on a new cam and lifters. You can use new lifters on a good used cam, but never try to use used lifters on a new cam. Roller tappet cams don’t require any break-in. You can use roller lifters over again on a new cam if they are in good condition. There will be, of course, no lifter or pushrod rotation with the use of a roller tappet cam. Spring pressure. Normal recommended spring seat pressure for most mild street-type flat tappet cams is between 85 to 105 lbs. More radical street and race applications may use valve spring seat pressure between 105 to 130 lbs. For street hydraulic roller cams, seat pressure should range from 105 to 140 lbs. Spring seat pressure for mechanical street roller cams should not exceed 150 lbs. Race roller cams with high lift and spring pressure are not recommended for street use, because of a lack of oil splash onto the cam at low speed running to help cool the cam and lubricate the lifters. This high spring pressure causes the heat created at the cam to be transferred to the roller wheel, resulting in its early failure. Any springs that may be used must be assembled to the manufacturer’s recommended height. Never install springs without verifying the correct assembled height and pressures. Increased spring pressure from a spring change and/or increased valve lift can hinder lifter rotation during cam break-in. We have found that decreasing spring pressure during the break-in period will be a great help. This can be accomplished by using a shorter ratio rocker arm to lower the valve lift; and/ or removing the inner spring, during the cam break-in time, if dual springs are being used. Mechanical interference. The following are some of the factors that can cause mechanical interference: Spring coil bind: This is when all of the coils of the spring (outside, inside or flat damper) contact each other before the full lift of the valve. It is recommended that the spring you are using be capable of traveling at least .060" more than the valve lift of the cam from its assembled height. Retainer to seal/ valve guide boss interference. You need at least .060" clearance between the bottom of the retainer and the seal or the top of the valve guide when the valve is at full lift. Valve to piston interference: this occurs when a change in cam specs. (i.e., lift, duration or centerline) is enough to cause this mechanical interference. Also: increased valve size, surfacing the block and/or cylinder head may cause this problem. If you have any doubt, piston to valve clearance should be checked. Minimum recommended clearance: .080" intake and .100" exhaust. Rocker arm slot-to-stud interference: As you increase valve lift, the rocker arm swings farther on its axis. Therefore the slot in the bottom of the rocker arm may run out of travel, and the end of the slot will contact the stud and stop the movement of the rocker arm. The slot in the rocker arm must be able to travel at least .060" more than the full lift of the valve. Some engine families, like small block Chevrolet, have stamped steel rocker arms available in long and extra long slot versions for this purpose. Distributor gear wear. The main cause for distributor gear wear is the use of high volume or high-pressure oil pumps. We don’t recommend the use of these types of oil pumps. If you do run these types of oil pumps, you can expect short life of the cam and distributor gears, especially for low speed running, in street type applications. If you must run these types of oil pumps, you can increase the life of the gears by adding more oil flow over the gear area to help cool off the point of contact. Distributors that have end play adjustment (up and down movement of distributor shaft and gear) should maintain a maximum of .010" end play to help prevent premature wear. Camshaft end play. Some engines have a thrust plate to control the forward and backward movement of the cam. The recommended end play on these types of engines is between .003" to .008". Many factors may cause this end play to be changed. When installing a new cam, timing gears, or thrust plates, be sure to verify end play after the cam bolts are torqued to factory specs. If the end play is excessive, it will cause the cam to move back in the block, causing the side of the lobe to contact an adjacent lifter. Broken dowel pins or keys. The dowel pin or woodruff key does not drive the cam; the torque of the timing gear bolt, or bolts, against the front of the cam drives the cam. Some reasons for the dowel pin or key failing are: Bolts not being torqued to correct specs; Incorrect bolts of a lower grade being used; Stretching and losing torque; Not using the correct hardened washer that may distort and cause torque of the bolt to change; Thread-lock not being used; Or some interference with the cam and lifters or connecting rods causing the cam to stop rotation. Broken cam. A broken cam is usually caused by the cam being hit by a connecting rod, or other rotating parts of the engine coming loose and hitting the cam. When this happens, the cam will usually break in more than two-pieces. Sometimes the cam will break in two pieces after a short time of use because of a crack or fracture in the cam due to rough handling during shipping, or some time before installation. If a cam becomes cracked or fractured due to rough handling, it will generally not be straight. Most people will not have any means of checking cam straightness. As a general rule, if you can install the cam in the engine and install the timing gear, the cam should turn freely with just your finger pressure. There should not be any drag or resistance in turning the cam. This free turning of the cam is assuming that if new cam bearings were installed, they were the correct parts and they were installed correctly. When removing a used cam that may be worn, you may have difficulty turning or removing it. This may not mean that the cam is cracked or fractured. The heat generated at the cam during the failure of the cam lobe, and/or lifter, will distort the cam and cause it not to be straight any more.

Top Reasons and Causes for Camshaft Failure | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us
]]><![CDATA[Top Reasons and Causes for Camshaft Failure]]>http://forums.carcraft.com/70/9182079/car-engine/top-reasons-and-causes-for-camshaft-failurehttp://forums.carcraft.com/70/9181107/general-car-craft-discussion/welcome-the-new-moderator/index.htmlWed, 02 May 2012 19:05:30 -0700Welcome The New Moderator
redneckjoe69Bill, youve never been anything but a nice guy and very helpful to people. we sure could use a few other mods like you on some other sites. keep up the good work bud. Joe.Thanks buddy, I appreciate that very much. Thanks Joe I do my best to keep the forums clean,vibrant and respectable.

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