Isn't the firing order dependent on the crank as well? o No: I would hope you could change it in the software. That's what I was assuming you meant when you first mentioned it. These are the types of things I'm excited to see about this project; the control arms being one example, someone slowly going through the Riv, with piles of other popular GM parts laying around the shop to compare to...
The bottom end isn't going to change, so we're going to make the fuel injectors and spark plugs match the crank / cam. That's the easy way to think of it... ideally, it's software based. If we can reprogram the injector timing and spark with the software, we're ahead of the game. If not, we can "physically" retime the injectors by rewiring the harness, and same with the ignition. Like I said, this is the beginning of the conversation... I'm sure it's not going to be that easy, and some will tell us it can't be done, but that's what hot rodding is all about!
Yea, rewiring would be easy. It'll just take a little more head scratching while tuning it and having to translate what the software says the cylinder numbers are vs what they really are. I talked to someone who has a Gen III f-body and he uses HP-Tuners on it to remove the MAF, make it a speed-density system(MAP only) with a 3-bar MAP sensor for his twin turbo setup. He says it does not allow firing order changes. He uses it for all this other tuning needs though of course: injector size, timing, etc.
Right. And I'll tell you now that if it gets real hairy, we may go for an easier approach like a MegaSquirt, FAST, MSD, AEM... heck, even a Ford box.
Wow, nice rendering. It must be nice to be able to draw. Can't wait to see the one for the Riviera. Back to the synthetic lube discussions, what about a synthetic gear lube with a posi additive? I know 93-98 V8 f-bodies still had a clutch style posi/carrier and you were required to use a posi-additive(insert GM part # here...). But in 99-02 they switched to a clutchless posi, a Torsen Zexel unit, that can take stright up heavy gear lube. I swapped one into my 4th gen V6 camaro and I just fill it up with Mobile 1 75w-90.
Yes, that rendering is the magic of Ben Hermance www.hermancedesign.com - he's a real talent. I have here a bottle of Royal Purple MaxGear synthetic gear lube - 75w90 - which states that is has a limited slip additive blended in, and that it's made for limited slip type differentials.
Sorry Nick, I don't - it's from and an older SAE article titled "U-Joint and Driveshaft Design Manual" if I remember right. Devon
Small update: I drove the '68 around a little yesterday with the original 430... Since we got it, the car has been patiently waiting for its time in the shop and restoration. I have never driven this car on the street. It seemed to run OK but it had a little misfire. So yesterday I set the timing, checked the plugs & wires, set the dwell... it still missed. Thought maybe a sticky valve, so I pulled the valve covers. All the valves were free, but I manually popped them with a mallet and liberally sprayed the guides with some spray lube. Put it all back together, and it still seems like it's got a dead hole. Maybe a burnt valve. I'm looking for a 455 core to rebuild locally, and we can get the motor part of this project off the ground.
Great hearing from you, Kev. Keep us informed. So... how good of a holeshot does a dead-hole 430 in a pegleg 68 Riviera do??????? Like you didn't lay rubber.........
Is it a constant miss at any speed/load? Not a hesitation or something? Have you tried a quick compression test?
It's a constant miss, any rpm, any load. I have not done a compression test yet. It's got a fried carb, too... dead accelerator pump, so it's got a great stumble. I think the timing chain is pretty loose as well, 'cause it really doesn't like to rev much. It would be a great candidate for a rebuild, but I'd like more cubes!
Hmm, well that stinks. I picked up a '68 for a parts car a while back...it was in pretty bad shape - broken shock, some small qudra off an '80s caddie, pinched/torn off metal line coming out of the carb with a hose attached, the rest of the mechanical fuel pump lines were ratteling around and deterioated... I replaced the shock with an old spare I had(better than a broken disconnected one), put a rebuilt '69 carb on it and it ran decent. It still bogged under accel and dumped almost as much smoke out of the breather as the exhaust. It might get a rebuild at some point. I think a 455 would be right at home in your 68. :TU:
This one didn't seem to smoke too much until we dumped a bottle of Rislone down the carb to see if it had a stuck valve before we pulled the covers. Man, does that stuff smoke!
I'm not sure if I can get this one to light 'em (er... IT) up with the way it runs now... maybe I'll shoot one right before the motor comes out. :Brow:
Parking lot... turn the wheel all the way to the right... tromp it... hang on... change your tighty whities when finished.
Good news today... I finally got a 455 donor for the Riv project. Haven't spent much time to check it out, but it's a 1976 complete motor... carb, cruise control vacuum motor and linkage, A/C, alternator, steering pump, HEI, torque converter, all the way down to the pan. I think it's about an 80k mile motor or so. It's going to make a great platform to start with, seeing that I'm probably just going to use the block, crank, and maybe the timing cover!
Good news! Is there any preliminary schedule to start any work on it yet? What are the main cars getting TLC at this point? By the way...for a guy who's too cheap to pay for satellite or cable TV, but will pay for high speed internet, I really like y'alls site! It keeps my needs for car shows fulfilled since Motorweek on PBS doesn't always do it for me... :ball:
