Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

A few years ago I was milling a set of SBC 283 #896 powerpac heads to install rocker arm studs. Despite the fact both heads had the same casting number from 67-68 ( If my memory is right), one was harder to mill than the other. That was a pretty noticeable difference by the tool cutting sound, for ...

Rods are designed to be strongest longitudinally in tension and compression. In operation, there should never be any forces exerted perpendicularly, so strength in that axis is moot.

If one believes CarCraft/Motor Trend Road Kill, all one would have to do is pull a 5.3 LS out of the wrecking yard and bolt on a couple of eBay Chicom turbos, total cost less than $1,000 and an afternoon's work.

Let’s talk about different ramp designs for solid cams . . . . Is it a true advantage to component life by running tighter lash ? Some random thoughts: 1. Why would we buy a cam from a cam grinder who had no clue as to what was the ideal lash for his lobe profile? If Mike Jones says, it's .0xy", I'...

Dan Timberlake wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:51 pm

Any body know how Howard's did this in 1961 ?

Hi, Dan,

FWIW, this question came up on the HAMB a couple of years back and there were no definitive answers there either.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... d.1055758/

It seems that the rods may have deformed a bit. Not necessarily. With that kind of mileage there would be extra clearance and the shells would have experienced some kind of mild 'hammering' in operation ...... not enough to spin 'em but enough to take the spring out, it's not exactly uncommon. As s...

To understand what pins need to look like to withstand pressures, spend some time looking at OEM diesel rods and pins. They're always large diameter, thick walls. When that's not enough, there's aftermarket tool steel, $65 each: http://djprecisionmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/5.9Cover-600x6...

I just don't think many realize how efficient the shortblocks are in those engines. Interesting debate, Chad. For the sake of discussion, on the 358"s in question, estimate a horsepower gain from the efficient short block versus just what we'd put together for our typical line-honed-mains, square-d...

Suggestions? . . . for a street car with a fairly heavy clutch? This from an old school guy, but one who no longer uses heavy spring pressure plates. There are so many better, less damaging, better driving options today; twin-disc, centrifugal assist, et al , I'd recommend he choose one of those op...

Thanks for sharing that very interesting comparison. The additional 140 hp from just cam and compression is more than I've have given as a WAG. Suggest a very good head/intake/carb setup to take advantage of the additional lift and duration.

Know a cam grinder that can grind the taper off of a cam so it can be used with roller lifters and am wondering what the center-to-center distance is for Chevy lifter bores. If it is really close to the Volvo dimension hopefully the link bars that come with the lifters can be used. It's a bit more ...

On an inline, the slots are at the top of the rods, but some older V8s have a slot coming off the diagonal.

miniv8 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:52 pm

Does grooving the connecting rod big end work for directing oil at the underside of the piston?

Several of the '50s US OHV8s were built that way. How much oil got up to the bottom of the piston is questionable.

You're pretty far down this road, but next time, remember, with the proper selection of brake components, power-assist brakes are not an absolute necessity on a car as light as your Chevy. I have several Studes out there running without and they stop quickly and easily.

jack vines

I wasted some of the best years of my young life trying to make those buzzing little anvils go faster. :D :D :D I hear you on that British stuff... Only slightly OT, my first venture into carb tuning came after installing megaphones on a '67 Triumoh TR6 650 and it went slower. When I went back to t...