How important is it to have a good .040 squish/quench?

5252 is the number for answer of the power on earth.

Because 42 is the answer to the universe.

...and thanks for all the fish...

 

This is the Universal sign for an idiots on this Earth.

 

Ok, I didn't realize it was well modded and started as a 365hp Vette motor..

 

I never had it on a Dyno but with all the power add-on I figured it made 430+ HP.
I really enjoyed that 56 Chevy, kind of reminded me of the movie American Graffiti.
You just don't see these 50's cars in our towns and streets anymore.

 

I noticed on your profile, you're from Massachusetts.
When I was station in Newport RI, my Navy buddies and I would go to Epping NH, New England drag strip and race our cars.
We always had a great time. First time we went there, in the pits next to our cars, there were 3 girls that had a 1970 442 OLDS
they were tuning up for the drags. We were dumb founded to see these 3 girls wrenching and drag racing their 442.
Never know what you see at the drags. I think that drag strip started out as a IHRA track, but it's now a NHRA race track now.

I haven been back to that track since I got out of the Navy in 1972. VET (Navy)

 

Cool, around what years did you go?
I never ran my 66GS which might of been a high 14 second car on a cold day but it didn't run well in heat.
Around 1988 or 89 I owned a triple brown 70 Stage 1 for maby 3 weeks Had to re sell it to help pay some inheritance tax. I knew this car for about 3 years and in that time it went through 3 owners. It spun a main I believe and the engine was rebuilt, I think it was just re re ringed and new bearings. I could not find out who did it. It did run strong though. Needed some lower left front fender work and trunk but was decent..

I took the 185 x 14?? tires of my Brother inlaw's 1980 Skylark. 4 runs I think and hooking up was almost impossible but finally got a 13:96 on the last run.
I went there alot though to see my friends GN and 85 Vette run theirs.
So cool to see girls running and tuning these basicly new 70 442's

 

We started racing there starting in 1970 to 1972. Think you were about 8 years old in 1970, lol.
We couldn't get up there a lot because we were on deployments in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and North Atlantic areas.
I had a Navy buddy that lived in Sharon Vermont. I used to go to his home on the weekends.
Only in the summer, in the winter, it was all snow and cold. In the summer it was beautiful.
I know now, why it's called the green mountain state.

I did spend some time at the Boston Naval yards. A new ship was being finished I was assigned too. The USS Milwaukee AOR -2. Once it was finished, we spent most of the time at sea, however, the Naval yards is where another sailor was selling the 56 Chevy Belair that I bought in 1969. Took a year to build an engine and drive train for it.
Had some good times in Boston too.
Man, that was a longggg time ago.

 

LoL!
To only be 8 years old again I was a little snot though bragging about my Fathers 66 Wildcat

 

Missed it by that much -> <-

 

Very cool. In 1964 my Dad had a 425 nailhead Wildcat.
I was 15 at the time. I had a driver's license too.
He catch me burning the rubber off his tires. I had a part time job in the summer. He mad me buy new tires for his Wildcat and wouldn't let me drive it anymore. Gee, I wonder why. Lol
I was hard on his cars and mine to when I started buying and building my own hot rods.

 

You aren't even close to having the temperature "under control". The thermostat has lost control of the temperature even at "normal highway speeds", never mind A/C operating in stopped traffic. A 160-degree thermostat and the engine runs at 185--190 on the highway? Over 210 on a hot day, at idle? SOMETHING IS WRONG. Maybe several somethings.

Broaching is just another form of machining. For practical purposes, it's a glorified, high-powered, gigantic file.

 

Schurkey, this is still a work in progress. Our work on the high-water temperature, it's NOT over yet.
With A/C not engaged, the water temperature runs at 170*.
For whatever reason, the high-water temperature goes up a lot with the A/C engaged.

The shop had the vacuum hooked-up to Ported so it's now being changed over to Manifold vacuum.
This should help to bring the water temp down a bit.

I get a lot of help and advice on this forum from a lot of experienced people, like Larry, JW, and Todd Miller, so I believe I'm in very good hands.

I've had a lot of members tell me, their Buick 455's run hot (apparently this is NOT uncommon with 455 Buick engines).
I've been told, even if the car temperature runs at 210+* it's no big deal.
If you have some suggestions and advise I'm all ears........ You don't have to tell me something is wrong; I already know that.

When we began to address the high-water temperature, we had much higher temperatures that reached 220+ within 2 minutes sitting in stopped traffic. At least we don't have that happing now. We will eventually figure it out.

This particular 455 GS, (previous owner) had experienced a lot of engine detonation issues. We just finally got that under control.
We know the detonation helps to create high water temperatures too. I also believe the previous owner could not get the detonation under
control so he put the car up for sale using a consignment Dealership. None of this information was divulge to me.
The owner forgot and left a ton of mechanic notes, and repair receipts in the car and the Dealership never removed them.
Reason why I know what all is wrong with this car. I'm I PO 'ed, you bet Iam.

We are also investigating the timing advance. All this is a process that is currently on going. I'm sure we will solve this issue; it just takes time to find the solution.
Every component on the cooling system has been replaced and I mean EVERYTHING. VET (Navy)

 

What is the A/C high-side pressure?
What is the engine RPM when the compressor is engaged?
What is the pulley ratio between crankshaft pulley and water-pump pulley?

Agreed.

It is when you have a 160 'stat. The 'stat is WFO with no reserve capacity for when the throttle is opened and you're having fun.

 

Like I said, it's being worked on.
If you have solid advice/solution, please inform me or please do NOT continue posting me. Thank you. VERT (Navy)

 

To: Schurkey,
What is the A/C high-side pressure? I do Not know, it's a brand-new A/C system.
What is the engine RPM when the compressor is engaged? It's engaged at idle.
What is the pulley ratio between crankshaft pulley and water-pump pulley? It's the same ratio that came out of the Buick factory.
Pulleys are Buick factory (GM) units, I've had the parts numbers checked and they are what Buick correct factory installed pulleys.

This Buick was fine when it was 100% restored in 2010 and when engine was rebuilt in 2012.
Problems started with the previous owner who purchased this car in 2015. Sometime between 2015 & 2021 he had engine modifications (aftermarket pistons) installed. This caused detonation and overheating issues. I found out he was using Race gas and Octane booster to temperately stop the detonation and overheating issues. That all I can tell you. VET

 

210 is fine and normal for a hot day with AC...Denny Manner im pretty sure they were designed to run around 195 to 205

I run 160 in all the buicks ive built reason being here in muggy humid sc you need to manage the heat b4 it runs off....you wait till 195 to open ut Youre gonna be at 220 in just a min and it cant flow fast or enough volume to bring it down

Ive made this statement more times than i can remember...boil water on the stove...then try to cool it down from a boil by turning tge stove down.....takes forever doesn't it???.....coolant system is no different.....use a 160 to grt the water circulating sooner so it controls the heat.....this is coming from a guy that has owned close to 50 and driven regularly close to 20 of these of these cars.....what works in theory or on a bbc chevy or pontiac or whatever might not on these 455s.....ive driven these piles in sc summer heat since i was 15

 

My first GS was a 66 4speed. Thats what got me hooked into drag racing in 1967.
First time out she was running 15.2s, by the end of the day I got the driving technique with a 4speed down pretty well and was running 14.8s. and I was a regular at the track.unsupervised contests of stop light performance followed for 2 years before I bought my 1969 GS 400 4speed.

 

Nice, so you bought it new?
I hated that it fell flat at 4400. 14.8s was fantastic especially with the 4 speed. I wish Buick had offered a the wide ratio M20? or the auto was a SP400.
I'm sure you beat or came out equal on occasion to a closely equipped 66 GTO as a example from a street light to street light race. Did they even have 1/8 mile tracks in the day?
Don't mind me sounding like a kid again..

 

Great news to hear. I keep telling every one, who thinks that 210* is to much that is isn't so.
Our game plan is to get it even lower and I hope we can.

I can't understand why some people on this forum would rather tell me what i'am doing wrong instead of giving me possible solutions.
The vast majority of members on here have been super helpful the past 2 years since I have joined the forum.

Thank you for your help Hugger.
I've lived in NC and I've been in SC, so I know how hot and humid it gets there.
Thank you again for your post, I appreciate it very much.
PS, I would like to have back all the $$$'s I have put into this overheating issue. But it is what it is and I'm confident we can over come this issue. VET