DocWok

Hi juit, Guess you'll have to experiment a bit for yourself and see what works best for you. Remember on a forum, despite their assertions, no matter how smart the resident genius poster may sound, he can still be wrong......

Hi juit, Here's a link to an informative article from a knowledgeable person that may also be of interest to you. http://chevellestuff.net/tech/articles/vacuum/port_or_manifold.htm

Well juit, lots of opinions from both sides of the fence. Guess it's up to you to try both ways and see which one gives you the best idle quality, the best part throttle driveability and the best fuel economy without the engine running hotter than it did before. Good luck.

Ported vacuum connection will have your pick up point above the carburettor throttle butterflies, this was mainly designed for pollution control to raise combustion chamber temperatures at idle thereby lowering emissions. You will get more benefit on a street performance motor from having your vacuum advance connected to a direct vacuum source (below the throttle butterflies) either on the carb of the manifold.

Hi juit, Generally speaking having full manifold vacuum (either from a carburettor connection point or direct to manifold) is the preferred option. As for timing, the more advance your motor can tolerate without 'pinging' under load the better it will run both from a performance perspective and also how hot it will operate. Some engine combinations can handle more total advance than others, so there is no set figure for all engines. I wouldn't worry too much about what your timing setting is at idle, it's the maximum total timing that's the important thing. Sounds like your engine timing is 'retarded' compared to what you previously had. You could take your car for a drive and advance your timing a bit at a time until it just starts to 'ping' under load (this may take several attempts and adjustments). When you just start to hear a pinging noise under load then stop and retard the timing a bit until the pinging noise no longer happens under load. Hope this is of some assistance to you. This should be the best that you can hope for with your current set up.

Looks like juit was only after some simple help from fellow members. Not an interrogation. Is your 'knowledge' really that comprehensive that whether the radiator is aluminium or brass would help form a correct response?

Hi juit, Thanks for making the information available. There's some interesting stuff amongst it all.

Yer, I'd like to check them out as well!

I've used one of those spot welders and it worked great for me. Provided your two pieces of metal are reasonably clean and the welder jaw clamps can reach they are a quick and easy way to join panels, plus no need to clean up afterwards. If the jaw tips are too small for your liking you can grind them a bit so they make a bigger spot weld. Done correctly they are plenty strong enough.

If you have your rocker gear disconnected none of the valves on any cylinder will be opening or closing. Just have all your spark plugs out so it's easy to turn, you can do any cylinder you like. When you have finished changing all your valve springs, reinstall your rocker gear and then reset your valve clearances.

Using the rope method is easy enough, just use any flexible rope say 5/16" or 3/8" in diameter, it's not critical. While the piston is down the bore a bit push in the rope then continue winding the engine over by hand. You will feel the resistance when the piston squeezes the rope against the valves because you wont be able to turn the engine any further, so stop there and change your springs. Just don't go overboard and try and break the nut off the front of your crankshaft when you compress the rope !

All of replies above are correct. There is another way instead of having your piston on exact TDC and using compressed air to hold the valves up while you change your springs. As you are changing your springs I assume you will remove your rocker gear, so you could remove your spark plugs and feed some flexible rope through the spark plug hole, about 2 foot will do it, and then just rotate your engine by hand until the piston forces the rope up against your valves, when you have finished changing the springs just rotate the engine backwards a bit and remove the rope, I find this easier than using the compressed air method, plus there is zero chance of the valves falling down into the cylinder.

Here's another easy way to check. When your timing mark is on zero, take off the distributor cap and if the rotor is pointing to number 1 spark plug lead position then it is on TDC compression stroke. If it is pointing in the opposite direction then it is on TDC exhaust stroke.

First check if you have vacuum down at the modulator valve, the other end of your hose should be connected to any manifold vacuum source. You then need to test drive it, if you rev it hard whilst you are driving in first gear and it then jumps into second means that your governor is working and that there is a problem with your modulator valve.

Confusion solved. DF161057 440ft/lb torque capacity at the crank DF161830 580ft/lb.

Hi, I am looking to fit a Centerforce dual friction clutch. As I have a 157 tooth flywheel I am limited to a 10.4" clutch. I am using a Tremec TKO600 transmission with a 351W. Centerforce list both the DF161057 and DF161830 as 10.4", 1-1/8" 26 spline input that will fit. Does anyone know what the difference is between these two clutches?

Just my opinion, but the factory air is the preferred option if you can get it. None of the after market kits utilise fresh air intake on their systems, they blank off the factory air intake and rely on circulating the air trapped in the cabin. Probably not a deal breaker, but the factory set up is a better option.

Make up a template of the header port out of paper or cardboard and place it over the edelbrock head, if it doesn't obstruct the exhaust port and it bolts up you should be good to go.

Save your money and just grind up some old twist drill bits in what ever size you want. Grind the end of the drill bit flat and then grind a little bit of back rake on each side and leave a little dimple protruding in the middle. I've use them and they work great.

Do you have a set of Head Liner Bows, if so how much? Thanks.

You could download 'Photo Gadget' it's very easy to use (I use it, so it must be!) Once you install it, it's just a matter of 'right clicking' on any photo you like and a drop down list will come up where you select what size you want it changed to.

A general rule of thumb for cutting front springs is measure how much drop you want, then remove the spring and cut half that distance from the height of the spring e.g if you want to lower it 2" then when the spring is out mark it where it is 1" lower than its overall length and cut it there. Remember too much heat when cutting will ruin your spring, so don't use the oxy torch. Use a "All Hard" 18 tpi hacksaw blade or take it very easy with a cut off disc.

I agree with 69gmachine, a pcv valve just needs a manifold vacuum source, it doesn't matter where you pick it up from. Try swapping the pcv valve, they are supposed close at high vacuum levels (idle), yours may be stuck open.

There are lots of different ways to go about valve adjustment, but here's how I'd do it. Firstly take out all your spark plugs, it makes it easier to rotate your engine. Next use a socket and ratchet attached to the harmonic balancer retaining bolt and rotate your engine in the normal direction of rotation (clockwise). Look for any rocker that is starting to compress a valve spring, when the rocker is no longer travelling down and stop for a moment, from this point you rotate the engine one full rotation, this will make sure that you are then on the cam base circle for that particular rocker. Next back off the rocker adjusting nut until there is a bit of clearance between the rocker and the valve when you rock it back and forwards with your fingers. Then grip the push rod with your fingers and rotate it back and forth while at the same time you slowly start to tighten the rocker adjusting nut, there will come a point where you start to feel a drag on the push rod as you are rotating it, stop there. This indicates that you have taken out the clearance from the valve system. Now you continue to tighten that rocker adjusting nut a further 1/4 turn, this will give you enough lifter preload. That's it, your done for that particular valve. Now repeat this same procedure for each of the remaining valves, there is no sequence you have to follow just look out for a valve that is on its way down, and remember which valves you have previously adjusted! I know this is a slow way of doing it, but it's a no brainer method for getting it done correctly. Good luck.

There are lots of different ways to go about valve adjustment, but here's how I'd do it. Firstly take out all your spark plugs, it makes it easier to rotate your engine. Next use a socket and ratchet attached to the harmonic balancer retaining bolt and rotate your engine in the normal direction of rotation (clockwise). Look for any rocker that is starting to compress a valve spring, when the rocker is no longer travelling down and stop for a moment, from this point you rotate the engine one full rotation, this will make sure that you are then on the cam base circle for that particular rocker. Next back off the rocker adjusting nut until there is a bit of clearance between the rocker and the valve when you rock it back and forwards with your fingers. Then grip the push rod with your fingers and rotate it back and forth while at the same time you slowly start to tighten the rocker adjusting nut, there will come a point where you start to feel a drag on the push rod as you are rotating it, stop there. This indicates that you have taken out the clearance from the valve system. Now you continue to tighten that rocker adjusting nut a further 1/4 turn, this will give you enough lifter preload. That's it, your done for that particular valve. Now repeat this same procedure for each of the remaining valves, there is no sequence you have to follow just look out for a valve that is on its way down, and remember which valves you have previously adjusted! I know this is a slow way of doing it, but it's a no brainer method for getting it done correctly. Good luck.