Good New/Bad News scenario.............
Well, I was getting ready to load the Vega up for it's first time at the track, doing a couple last minute things, installing the coolant catch bottle and was gonna tape up all the little holes in the floor, (I hate the car filling up with smoke during the burnout), checking all the fluid levels, belt tension, etc. Cranked it up to check the trans and this funny squeaking sound started, thought it was the alternator belt because the adjustment is maxed out, and a shorter belt would get it into the electric water pump drive pulley. Anyhow, it kept getting worse, then started knocking, damn thing spun a rod bearing sitting right there idling in the shop. That's the bad news................
The good news, started pulling the Camaro motor, (350 with a lot of good parts in it, **), apart to check the bearings, FINALLY, and found that the only thing in it that's stock Chevy is the block and the timing cover, everything else is aftermarket. Definitely an aftermarket crank, H-beam rods, PP balancer, 4 bolt mains, all ARP fasteners, and the best part, the crank is perfect. The bearings have a tiny bit of metal embedded in them from the wiped cam, but NO crank damage, WOO HOO.
So, some new main and rod bearings, and a thorough cleaning, and I can slam the Comp roller I've had laying around forever in it, with some new valve springs, and she'll be READY TO ROCK!!!!. The plan is to get her in the Vega by next weekend, but it may take just a bit longer, I'm sure once I get the 400 out, I won't be able to bring myself to put it back in with the Hooker motor mounts, I'm gonna have to fab up a motor plate. I may have to mod one of the oil pans too, the one in the Vega has been modded, but the drag link touches it slightly anyway. Could be because the motor mounts sag a bit or are crooked or something, the steering shaft touches the header a bit too, all that needs to be addressed while it's out. Things like that bug me, so I'm kinda glad for the opportunity to rectify them while doing something else, I love killing two or three birds with one stone so to speak.
(**) The Camaro motor is one out of an 85 Z28 my partner and I acquired about a year and a half ago, it supposedly had "practically" no expense spared in building a nasty street motor, we stripped a lot of the factory BS and (previous owner) jury rigging, re-wired the car with basic race wiring, took out the single roller gear drive and put in a bulletproof double roller chain and gears, fabbed up some subframe connectors, wired up a 125 shot of nitrous, and then found that about the only thing in the motor that wasn't fairly high $$ was a wiped out Blue Racer flat tappet cam. Yanked the motor out, and it and the car have been sitting and waiting for me to get the time, money, AND motivation, which just wasn't really there, after all, it just wasn't a Vega or an S10, and I just wasn't feelin it, ya know??
Well, I'm FEELIN IT NOW,
Rickracer
ASE Master Auto Technician, 36+ years
'76 Vega Notchback, Twin Turbo 355/TH350 (soon to be a Powerglide w/Brake), 4 link, Koni Coilovers, 3.50 geared 9" w/Spool & Moser Axles, drag only, best all motor 1/8 mile pass to date, 6.90@99mph, 6.57@107.0 on a 60 shot, Best 1/4, 9.66@139.78, still tuning...
Project Album:
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i4/Ri ... 20Begins/'93 S10 RCSB, Hyd. Roller Vortec head 363 ci SBC, 2800stall lockup 700R4, LS Front Brakes, Narrowed F*rd Exploder 8.8 disc brake 3.73 posi rear,
8.0s@89 mph, (all motor, haven't sprayed it
yet...)
and tows the Vega to the track too