Ok... It's been a while. Found lots more out on the tune, and the tune was getting close with the new hat until the Tranny went down again. I've decided to stick a TH400 back into the car. I contacted a few vendors, and searched the web (a bunch). After talking Price and options I've decided to go with one of Jim Burke's (PAE) VP trany's with the 34 element Sprag. Lets just say Jim made it very worth my while to run his trans and converter. He also is very confident that it will live a long time (lets hope.... I'm getting tired of playing musical transmissions). If all goes well I'll have the setup next week (fingers crossed) and will be able to get the car up to the track before all the heat sets in.
T400 - now your talkin' Rich. I was afraid the 700 was going to be the weak link. I'm sure J.B. will set you up with a good combo. With the boost #'s going up every time you retune you are starting to push some serious hp. Now with the T400, the 3.31's, 12-15lbs. and a good hook........ Let's get some decent times Rich!!!!
Boy Bill..... those boost levels look like I'd be driving over my crank. I don't plan on running anymore than say 8 to 9 psi..... I think that's even pushing the envolope of the motor (stock rods, no block girdle).... it would run like a raped ape at 12 to 15psi just not very long at all :Brow:
I haven't taken a look at this thread in the past, but with a slow night I decided to give it the once over and ended up reading the entire thing. This is pretty awesome! I watched your videos and checked out all of the sites and now I want one for myself. I wander what one of those would do for my 350?
Hey Rich, I thought you where using a block girdle Earlier you talked about it when you installed it onto your motor the last time you had it down Rick Wait a minute, I went back to the second thread and saw a picture of the HALO girdleou: Not the same as a block girdle. (Never mind.) I added aset of ARP main studs to my bottom end for more strength and a set of ARP head studs for top end strength.
Hey Rick, It's just a "Halo" girdle (ties all the main caps together so they don't move). It's effective, but by no means takes the place of a "Block Girdle"....... Rich
I'm sure it would wake it right up!!! Just like stick N20 on it. I have no reason to believe other wise. Rich
Man I wish I was....... Haven't been since 2001. With 2 little guys (under the age of three) and another little guy on the way, there's no way I can make the 1700mile (eachway) road trip this year. It will probably be a year or two before I can make it back again.
Air bleeds I noticed you drilled your jet up to .128". I'm sure its getting the mixture closer but you have something not right if need a jet that large. It sounds like you have too much boost feeding through the air bleeds killing the signal to your jets. Have you tried going to smaller air bleed on the main metering section. If there not removeable you can fill the and drill the back out. Plus the air bleeds will change the fuel curve. Most likely if your carb is as far off as it seems, the carb will run lean at lower rpms and get rich at high rpms or just wont meter fuel like it should. Its good to see all your feedback your putiing out. Keep it coming.
Re: Air bleeds Hey Rick... I think your on to something! Something I didn't post feedback............. I've gone through 3 metering blocks now on the primary side of the carb. I had been drilling out the PV holes to make up for a smaller jet up front. However, with this new hat, it was requiring a larger jet up front....... I found that drilling the holes in the metering block that feel the booster holes in the main body from .140 to .144 increase the booster signal enough that I don't have to open the PV holes up at all with an 80 jet up front...... With the primaries open, this gives me a 13.4 to 1 AFR. The problem is under normal driving conditions harly any throttle, it's getting close to the lean side 14.5 to somethimes 14.9..... (leaner than it likes). This is exactly what your talking about isn't it?????? If so, I'll pull the carb off fill the holes and drill them back out smaller........ This should allow me to drop the main jet back to a 76 or 77 were it will be a little happer on fuel driving down the road. At this point, I'm waiting for the trans and converter for more tuning tips... I don't think it's far off tho. (we've all heard that before ) Rich
YOu got it..... This is exactly what your talking about isn't it?????? You got it. THe air bleeds closest to the squirters are the main air bleeds which control the fuel signal to the jet. Carefully plug them and start at .028-.030" size hole and go from there. It may be a bit rich but you can go larger alot easier than smaller. You should never go more than 5 or six jet sizes up or down on a carb to get the mixture right unless your deleting the power valve and going up the 8-10 jet sizes which does not change to overall fuel throug the feed curcuit. If going up 4 jet sizes does not get your fuel mix right make a air bleed adjustment. Only go in steps of .002 at a time. HP series Holleys have removable air bleeds which makes things alot easier.
Thanks Rick..... I'll give it a shot and post the results once I've got the new trans/converter and have them installed. Rich
Ok... here's an update. Trans is on the way... Jim B. has been great to work with. Called me a few times to let me know where we were at as well as verify a few things...... He also sent me some pictures of my Converter before it was welded up (that was pretty cool). With any luck it will be here Friday (monday at worst). I've also torn my carb apart and had "The Chad" fill my Airbleads so they could be drilled out. Once the car get's back up and running I'll have those to play with (back on the tuning trail) My Rear end is also apart at this point. I purchased a billet end cap for the drivers side and it's currently getting machined to fit. It's a good thing since there was signs of the stock caps moving around a bit :eek2: I'll have to keep my eye's on this and if I have to try and relocate the fuel pump so I can run a 12 bold TA cover........ That's about all the updates I have for now. Hopefully I'll be back on the tuning track and hitting our local 1/4 track for some times in a couple of weeks.........
Update, The SP TH400 is installed. I drove it into work this morning for it's first drive. Everything seems great with the Trans and converter so far (haven't really beat on it too bad yet ) :Brow: In low stall, the trans starts over powering the read disc breaks right around 1100 to 1200 :eek2: Very tight! In high stall from a dead stop and romping on it, it flashes to 3000 to 3300....... and ='s lots of tire smoke :laugh: The rear is back together with the billet end cap (thanks to Chad and his measuring abilities ). I'll post later on once I get the tune close to being dialed in and get used to the trans. At this point I have to give Jim B's trans and converter a BIG :TU: I'll put it through some hard tests once the carb is a bit closer to tune. At this point, it feels very solid!!!!!!
Ok All....... This will be my last post for a while Upon a test drive (first hard past through 1st and 2nd) I hurt the head gaskets (I think) once again. The car was running like a rapped ape...... Wideband was showing 11.8ish with the Alky pump all the way up, looked over and the boost gauged was showing 10psi :eek2: :eek2: This was with the pulley that was giving my 5.5 with the D1 hat in cold air. Shortly after that, the motor started puffing bit's of smoke under light throttle, and was blowing oil out of the filler cap and valve cover breather (same thing it was doing in Vegas just not nearly as bad). Got it home and pulled the plugs, #4 was wet bad. I'll be pulling the intake here in an hour or so to see if there's gasket fagments in the valley. Needless to say, this time the motor will go together with some Cometic head gaskets........... Out comes the motor once again and the saga continues ou: ou: ou: ou: On the bright side, the Trans and converter felt real good!
