GEARMAN69

I got the converter a few weeks ago and got it in finally. Still gonna get my 10" 're stalled again under warranty since it didn't do what I payed for the first time. We had great weather in the 70's Friday thru this weekend and tomorrow too. Took wagon out to the local 1/8 mile track Friday and Saturday for testing 12" converter and Carter electric fuel pump changes. Much tighter converter did slow 60 ft. to 1.81-1.84 range. Partly I am pretty sure since I put my cam in retarded 4 degrees originally since I expected the other converter to be a bit too loose and shift torque higher. It did ok though considering a tenth or more slower 60 , ran a 8.09 and 8.12 Friday with no MPH recorded. Went back last night (Saturday) big crowd, ran 4 passes and all were 1.83, first two 8.14@86.2 and 8.14 @ 86.3 with 30 degree total. Bumped up to 34 same 1.83 slowed to 8.18 at 85.5 put it back to 30 went 8.13 @ 86.3 same 1.83 .. If I leave 12" in for awhile I will move cam back to advanced 4 where it used to be. I am racing it in L2 letting it auto shift at 4900-5100 so far so good. 5 trips to the track since and the tranny has held so far, this TH350 from Craig's list has been very good. I think I can get it back to 7.9 advancing cam especially since I shift pretty low. Had a cool race against a trailer Fox body 5.0 drag car that was purging NOS in front of the crowd. We left dead even quick side by side all the way with me being NA , 1000# heavier and a 3.08 gear with 12" 2500 haha.I think it may have been an ill conceived carbureted lopey 302 with a powerglide swap and 3.73's not having adequate gearing for his gutless straight motor. He did edge me out maybe a fender (on the bottle) but it was a lot of fun. Comparing converters the 10" doing a driveway hop hits 3400 and this done 2800-2900 but at WOT at a 5000 1-2 shift the 10" only dropped to 4700 and this 12" drops about a 1000 more to 3700-3800 . Got some tubular upper A frames to put on to replace by blowed out bushing stock ones. All that front jumping around took it's toll on the old barn car. May do the cam straight up next since I got a bad *** cordless Milwaukee M18 impact now it has the ***** to tighten back the big balancer bolt.

rtanner

how about a update Larry?"

wr1970

x2

GEARMAN69

Have not really been able to get out yet, at this point I would be happy if I could just go 12.6 again but with the tight converter. Should be out again soon, had family stuff take priority lately.

GEARMAN69

I have briefly gone out twice after moving cam to straight up from being retarded four where it was. Thinking it would punch up the torque down under 3000 since I have running the tighter 12" converter for now. Oddly I developed a launch stumble since moving the cam. Been in carb and also ran it on the 350 truck and it has been fine so it's been odd. Basically the car ran 7.93-8.02 with high stall 10", no changes but to 12" 2500 it softened 60 and went 8.09-8.14 and now after moving cam forward it has developed stumble and slowed to 8.2-8.3. Tonight after two stumbles and one was a hot lap to show it wasn't too cold it went 8.2 the 8.3 still 85-86 mph like before. Took off air cleaner like better runs in past were and in burn out it popped the TH350 and I guess blew all the forward clutches. I got a race in week. Time to go back to high stall 10", retard cam back and use one of my spare TH350's.. Time will tell. On a side note after loading wagon up I dropped trailer and made one pass in my 2014 RAM 1500 crew cab Hemi I recently got. It is 395hp with 8 spd auto. I did a quick burn out with TC off and the put it On and just as temp was coming up to stat I launched and it actually hooked in low gear for first time. 4.7 low with 3.21 limited slip rear. That heavy *** 5500#? Truck pulled of a 9.21@75.9 with a 2.04 60 ft. Very impressed and had I hit it with a tad cooler engine temp easily a 9.1 .. Not too shabby.

wr1970

Damn sorry to hear about the bad luck. Hey that ram was moving.Cool

GEARMAN69

Thanks man, hell that th350 lasted longer than I expected lol. That cam was bought for my 400 gto years ago and card says install at 106 icl. I never had a degree wheel on it but in the old goat with 2.93 gears it ran best advanced 4 on chain. Typical 455 pont likes a 109-110 icl and funny how retarded 4 was even better out of the hole than straight up. Will jam on it this week and see how it goes.

Paxtonshelby

That Ram sounds like a hoot to drive!

rtanner

Ha nice, ive seen stick horses, and crap maros wish they were running that strong at cedar creek!!!

anthonyP

When is an Olds 455 going in the wagon? lol

GEARMAN69

Never....LOL. a 350 Olds sooner than later

anthonyP

Actually, glad to hear an Olds 350 is to be installed. Seems like every Olds is having a 455 installed, even though the factory 350, 400, and 425 engines are also great.

GEARMAN69

Yep, this swap was just for fun until my Rallye is running. I want to cruise across country in the wagon with original engine and AC on with a repaint

anthonyP

Like your combination of vehicles - Rallye 350, flat-top Cutlass Wagon, and a Ford Flex. The Flex is one of the most spacious and comfortable vehicles for all passengers.

GEARMAN69

Thanks, after the engine is done for Rallye, I anxiously want to see about fixing the numbers engine for the wagon. It ran smooth and quiet at idle no smoke or anything 98k miles just had a rod bearing rattle if you revved off idle. Hoping to re ring STD and just 010 010 the crank , actually I need to do a cranking compression test on all 8 before tear down just to see how it is and a sludge inspection. Probably rebuild head s and do bigger valves and slightly better cam anyway. No way I could leave that sick little automatic cam in it. It will have a 2400 stall and 2.5" duals later

GEARMAN69

Well I drank some afternoon coffee Friday to get the magic Mojo energy after work and pulled the busted TH-350. Saturday morning I had to jump on the wife's Ford Flex and replace the front wheel bearing hubs and rotors and knocked that out before noon then back to my transmission. Swapped the valve body and shift kit along with governor and modulator over to the 50k mile stock TH-350 I had waiting to retain the good shift control and quality I had in the other one. I re installed the 10" looser converter to try to re capture the original combo and tune from last September. Got that back in the car and then removed the 1" carb spacer for the time being but for the first time I hooked up the detent cable. Hoping to just go in D and have both shifts automatic. Then I stripped off the timing cover and reset cam back to retard on the chain where it ran better before. Got that back together before dark on Saturday. Went to change oil and filter and found it was milky (disturbing) but went ahead and changed it . Sunday morning I fired it up and filled transmission and water back up, Sounded great and response was great. Re set timing to 31 total loaded up on the trailer and made it to Texas Motorplex by 9 AM for the Muscle Car Club Challenge bracket race. We only get two time trials and my first pass I did it in drive had a fair 1.78 launch `1-2 shift auto at 5200 was perfect watched tach for expected 2-3 shift similarly but it never shifted and hit the rev limiter at 6000 and I let off coasting thru the traps a 12.89@94 with a 8.09 1/8th .. Figured the valve body shift kit arrangement did not like detent used so I took it off which is how I was running it before. 2nd run left in L2 for auto shift on 1-2 only occurred at 5000-5100 or so and manually bumped 3rd at 5000 shifted fine , had a little soft launch both actually had still seemed a tad off it was a 1.80 with a 8.10 1/8th but went a 12.73 @ 106.. So knowing my 60 was off later in eliminations starting late due to oil down clean ups I dialed a 12.66 knowing it would pop out with one at anytime, See I had same tune in Sept and made my first two passes, the 12.70 and 12.66 . Well anyway after such a cool down I made a poor choice to richen secondary rods and it launch smooth but slower all the way around too rich I guess it slowed to a 12.86 on my 12.66 dial but I won the round. I had a good .07 light and beat the guy by a mile he must have spun. It was orange hemi challenger that had a 12.3 dial but he ran a 12.9. I replaced the previous metering rods back to what it was and unfortunately backed my dial from 12.66 to 12.73 thinking 12.7 may be all I get today. Sure enough that came to haunt me. I went up against a 12.0 dial 5.0 Mustang and I cut a much better reaction than he did I got a .1 to his .6 , I beat him by a mile across the line should have lifted but it felt like a good pass. I was ready to go home for a cold beer I was sun burnt and dry mouthed LOL. We had a double break out. I went a 12.67 on a 12.73 dial (should have left that damn 12.66 on the car ) he went a 11.98 on a 12.0. He got the win with a MOV of .03 .. It all good , very happy I busted *** and got car apart and back together and basically replicated last Septembers. runs. Now back to the car, the new damn oil got milky again but I raced it anyway. I will be coming out sooner than later. I have two issues with it. First off last year I started to get a damn water leak from rusty freeze plugs which is complete crap that engine was a fresh fully prep build that sat in the garage and I wonder if they didn't change the plugs. The outside looked good but inside must have been rusted out. Never in 30 plus years have I had a Pontiac do that to me. I was able to reach that plug and put a rubber one for temp use last fall but since have little drips from another I cant reach and rust stains on a few more. That pisses me off a bit. Now on the milky oil. Not sure why on that also a first. Maybe the use of Torco additive instead of race gas blend hurt me ? IDK. Its running and sounding good but will do a compression check soon and see if and where that goes. Assuming head gasket lifted just enough to leak coolant in valley but not loose compression ? Coolant holds pressure though . Overall happy day at track big crowd , hundreds of beautiful race cars, old friends. My buddy at work got his first 12's in his Lightning truck. 12.88-12.93 at 106

GEARMAN69

Finally I decided to take a look at my compression and stuff on the water in oil / foamy radiator since the last race and here is what I found. Warmed up engine about half way first, sounded good , idled steady as usual and had some pressure build up in radiator hose. Ran carb dry of fuel , unplugged HEI and pulled plugs on Driver side first. #1 was 195#, #3 was 175# (lowest of all) , #5 190# , #7 190# , then pulled Pass side plugs starting from back to front. #8 195# , #6 195# , #4 water ran out when I pulled the plug !!! and flowed out Yikes.. Still had pressure in hose. spun it to sling water out and tested it too but knowing it was refilling with water I got #230 psi , #2 was 210# (not sure if its getting water in it)
So the funny thing is I have been losing water since last year but also had a freeze plug leak so blew it off but also have had the bubbly foamy radiator for a long while. My times I have been running have been with a lot of water getting in #4. I guess I got room for improvement LOL. Pulled it partially apart after that going to get heads off today hopefully. Got my fingers crossed I can just mill heads and run new gaskets and bolts. When it goes back together I will try the Performer RPM too. It ran the same 86 mph in the 1/8 it did when I first got it going so maybe its been bad for a long while. Will update more soon after heads off.

wr1970

Wow i am glad you got a answer to what the foaming cause is. Now if nothing is hurt you can change gaskets and do the other things and see what it does.

GEARMAN69

Yep and if i am lucky I can just mill em and slap em back on with a oil flush and go faster than ever. Th last 12.6@106 was with water shooting into #4 for shure

GEARMAN69

Alternately if I decide to pull out the Poncho to check bearings it will get rod upgrade I have been waiting on (already have new I beam cap screw forged rods) and that means the Olds 350 goes back in wagon next. The SBO 355 for the Rallye could go in the wagon for a year or two since I really should drop frame on Rallye and do it right. As well as I could go ahead and get the Olds Comp 275 Dual Energy grind I really wanted and use that with Olds headers in the wagon mated to the 3000 stall 10" converter and borrow the 3.91 Ant-Spin rear out of the Rallye to run behind it since it will be apart a while. Now I could have a street strip pump gas wagon (9.5:1-ish) that runs good. Put the nice fender and front bumper and bezels on the wagon I just got and push towards new paint sooner than later.

wr1970

Keep us post Gearman. I like hearing about the progress. I think checking those bearings is no doubt a good ideal.

GEARMAN69

Finished getting the heads off today. Been battling strong Spring allergy season that is full throttle. It looks like just one coolant passage spot on #4 was leaking into cylinder and also leaking into the valley. Gonna drop off heads to surface Monday . Will see how It goes. This time maybe I will measure CC of chamber and measure piston in the hole and get a accurate CR estimate.

GEARMAN69

I got the heads surfaced and putting back together finally in the last few weeks. I can't believe I never caught this before. The water port in head where the failure occurred on the gasket and also the same cylinder head that failed a head gasket between 4 and 6 when these heads were on my 400 GTO . It's a Damn casting flaw that was blocking off the most forward coolant passage on the block that connects here. Duh no wonder it got hot and lifted.... I also went to try my Performer RPM intake this time. Just need to fire it off and set rockers. Race is this Sunday.. maybe a new best ?

GEARMAN69

I made it to the track Sunday after just getting valves adjusted, timing set and new carb gasket etc was ready felt good Saturday evening but with only two time trials allowed I screwed up for myself.

The track was a bit of a bust. Tried a FP regulator that turn out to be too restrictive and fuel nose over wasted first pass. Took.it off and went again but flooded out then restarted and had some kind of column shifting eff up and it overrevved , spit fluid out dipstick and caused a texas motorplex track clean up but it didn't break anything went ahead and put it on trailer for day. Pretty embarrassing..LOL I will hit the local 1/8 soon and test next weekend. The tranny still works just going to have to check the vent maybe clogged.

GEARMAN69

Some track pics this guy Randy does at these events.

GEARMAN69

Something I have needed to do is happening, I am gonna go back to the 140 gph RobMc mechanical pump and run 1/2 line all the way from the modded rear bottom tank pick up with a proper flowing regulator. My best 1/8 mile last year was with that pump and a good regulator pulling on the stock 3/8 line and stock pick up. Now that the pick up is modded and I switch over to 1/2" it should eliminate those fuel gremlins without having to resort to using a big dual bowl holley

wr1970

Good plan let us know how things go on next trip out.

GEARMAN69

Thanks man but as previously mentioned I didn't want to make permanent racing changes like a 1/2" hard line and monster pumps under the rear of the wagon as its drag days are numbered I think before it goes 350 Olds again. So what I did is order track legal braided covered fuel hose for an easy install I can swap to another vehicle when the time comes. When the 350 goes in later this year I will still run it and see how she does but shouldn't need anything crazy to make that work.