Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Hard to tell from the pics.... did that dollar general cleaner hurt the chromate coating at all?

Thanks for detailing your calibration recipe. Good job, it looks to me like it would run like you say it does. How did you achieve the .046" bleed over the primary main nozzle, was the carb that way or did you change it? I should add that this is a DMAB carb w/ 1-3/32 venturi. It was one of th...

I'm pretty sure all "general purpose" (non high perf) truck and car SBCs in that '67-70 time period used the '929' cam which was 195/202 @ 0.050", .390/.410, 112 LSA. No idea on 0.006 timing, as I don't think that has ever been published anywhere.

I have seen plenty of high mileage first gen SBC valves that looked like Bill's pic once the O-ring seals break apart and the guides wear. Probably every 70s / 80s 305 I've ever seen. LOL

Disclaimer: It's been like 10 years since I built the carb - it ran stationary back then but the car sat for a long time, only got around to making it driveable 6 months ago. I did the secondary cross-drilled tube/well stuff, and added the secondary discharge tubes up top, I don't think I did anyth...

Disclaimer: It's been like 10 years since I built the carb - it ran stationary back then but the car sat for a long time, only got around to making it driveable 6 months ago. I did the secondary cross-drilled tube/well stuff, and added the secondary discharge tubes up top, I don't think I did anyth...

and ... it's not sada ... it's SADI ... SADI is essentially cast iron instead of billet steel (which's usually preferred for a roller cam core). If the factory uses steel instead of a casting with their relatively mild lobe profiles, it would be foolish to consider any performance lobe on a cast co...

PackardV8 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 12:38 pm
BTW - at some point we were told the original recipe GM Delphi "button" lifters were not stellite faced, but the button is chilled iron; anyone else know or have an opinion?

I'm curious about this one as well.

I used to have a '95 Mustang GT with an AODE and 3.27 gears. Stock engine, with only minor tweaks (ported lower intake manifold and header-back exhaust). I installed a tight Precision Industries 9.5" 2600 stall speed converter. This made a HUGE improvement with no real downside. Honestly it was...

The Quick fuel adjustable vacuum pod also works excellent . I have used this. The baseline setting for the adjustable needle is 1.5 turns off the seat. Quick Fuel Brawler BR67258 uses this along with the brass tube and dog leg boosters. The vacuum pod has a .065” brass orifice along with a purple s...

If it were me I would try and sell those heads and pick up a used set of smaller chamber aftermarket heads and freshen them up with a valve job and new seals if need be. That becomes tricky with a 396, as there are not a lot of ~100cc aftermarket head options that would work well on a 396. Early cl...

Without knowing all the details about deck height, gasket, etc, I am thinking that compression ratio with 292 heads and such a small dome would likely be 8:1 at best. Probably lower if pistons are deep in the hole and a thick composition gasket is used. I'd plan on replacing the pistons with the 65-...

I've wondered the same thing... how much does short seat timing really matter (relative to 0.050")? I've also wondered about actual 0.006" timing of the L79 cam mentioned in the original post. I don't think I've ever seen 0.006" figures for the GM cam design?

I have tested thermostats that were 20 degrees off . Some temperature gauges can be as much as 20 degrees off when tested. Vortec cylinder heads require a coolant bypass. Vortec blocks did not have the bypass ( third hole ) on the passenger side of the block where the water pump mounts. These engin...

Tuner wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:13 pm Bottom line: The elastic properties such as the elastic modulus are essentially insensitive to heat treatment and microstructure.

That's what I learned in school. I don't think physics has changed.