We Haven't Had A Good Car Thread In A While...........My '67 Chevelle

The car needs more compression control on the front shocks when it comes down. I'm putting in a set of AFCO double adjustables that will let me adjust the extension and compression separately from each other. They are a pretty large bodied shock and the control arm mounting area needs to be enlarged and a new mounting plate welded in to make them fit. The original shocks mount very close to the inboard side of the coil spring. The new ones still have to be mounted so it complys with the rules which state that the shock must be mounted in the original manner (inside the spring, in this case).

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Al, after reading all of this, and additional reading up on NHRA Stock and Superstock rules, I have decided that it might be even more anal than Benchrest.

Most people who are not involved in today’s performance car game do not realize how easy it is to go fast. Just get out the Jeggs catalogue and the credit card. The big problem is going fast within a VERY specific set of rules.
 
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Al, after reading all of this, and additional reading up on NHRA Stock and Superstock rules, I have decided that it might be even more anal than Benchrest.

Yes. It's about being 'perfect' in a game where 'perfect' is unattainable. In Stock and Super Stock, you have to look at everything to find the gains, no matter how small.

A good example is the headers. I tested four sets on the dyno with the hopes that these stainless tri-y style by Cal Elston would give some better torque while only costing a couple of h.p., which is normal for that style header. When it made more power with the tri-y's, that pointed to the exhaust lobe of the cam being less than optimal. We went to work on the exhaust lobe profile and phasing and ended up finding more, Then, changing where the intake lobe was relative to the exhaust lobe found some more. Now, I've got a fairly radical idea (relative to how these Stocker cams are normally run) that I want to try in the off season.

Like a true Benchrest gun, you keep pecking away at the weak spots....;) -Al
 
On the dyno today with this 265 inch Super Stock engine. It's in a '55 Chevy 2 door wagon.

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Savvy sorts will connect the dots between the rpm and the oil pressure and deduce things from there. Always makes me smile to see guys running 20w50 oil in their 6,000 rpm street cars for "....durability". ;) The bearings in this engine are on their third season. :cool:

EJK5U9il.jpg
 
Al, I run Mobile 1 5w 30 in my 540.

When I first had it built, I ran 50 weight. The oil pressure, even at hot idle, would be on 60psi.

It now pumps 30 at idle and 45/50 psi hot at cruising speed.

Years ago in our SS boats, we never ran the “high volume pump”. We ran a stock L-88 pump, which with that 40 weight Kendall oil, (the green stuff), would sit on 45 psi at a tad over 7000 rpm. We never had bearing problems .

We did burn those mandated Stamped Steel Ball and Socket Rocker arms up. But that happened with any oil/ pressure combo.

In your Stock class, are you allowed to run any valve train?

On the 265, are they mandated to use the 3.75 bore by 3 inch stroke, or can you play with different bore stroke combos and still stay at 265?
 
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In your Stock class, are you allowed to run any valve train?

We have to maintain the O.E. configuration rocker mounting. We can add bigger studs and convert to screw-in style. Valve springs have to be O.E. dimension on diameter, retainers can be anything except titanium. Valves can be light weight replacements with a +/-.005 variance from O.E. for the engine. Valve angles can't be changed more than 2 degrees from O.E. design. Any pushrods, after market rocker arms are permitted.


On the 265, are they mandated to use the 3.75 bore by 3 inch stroke, or can you play with different bore stroke combos and still stay at 265?

The cranks can't be more than .015 longer than O.E. spec. Bore size can't be more than .080 over stock. Replacement blocks are permitted, provided they are on NHRA's accepted list. On this 265, the block is a garden variety 305 that's been sleeved and filled. Special bearing spacers are used to fit the small journal crank into the large journal block.

Super Stock rules allow any camshaft and more serious head mods than Stock. Shaft rockers are the norm. Ports may be welded/raised/epoxied as you wish but the original port volumes as per NHRA must be maintained. Combustion chamber volume and valve size have to be O.E. for the engine.

This is another take on a SBC 265 Super Stock engine. This is the '94 Caprice Taxi option....it has the LT-1 top end, albeit with different valve sizes. At 9,500, it's a beautiful thing to hear! :)

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On the dyno today with this 265 inch Super Stock engine. It's in a '55 Chevy 2 door wagon.

lJp1jyfl.jpg


Savvy sorts will connect the dots between the rpm and the oil pressure and deduce things from there. Always makes me smile to see guys running 20w50 oil in their 6,000 rpm street cars for "....durability". ;) The bearings in this engine are on their third season. :cool:

EJK5U9il.jpg

It looks like a WCFB carb.
 
265, That is what I had in the Junior Stocker when I was racing, (a lot of years ago). It was a 55 Chev and if I remember correctly it had a 2 barrel on it, (that was a long time ago). If I remember I came in about 1/2 second of the world record and then some A______E bomb it out of sight. My one claim to fame.
 
265 Screamer

I liked Jr Stock and was sorry to see it disappear. Station wagons were popular because there was more weight over the rear wheels. John Diana was a record holder in Jr Stock before he worked for Hot Rod Magazine. His ride was an early Chevy wagon.

At a big Division 7 meet there was a 55 Chevy sedan running SS (Super Stock) in the bottom half/third of the alphabet. It was a real screamer and I couldn't imagine it staying together very long.

I ran Chevron 30 Wt. in the Gasser but for a long time now guys will run as low as 10Wt.....anything to reduce drag.

I would love to hear that little Chevy run!

How often do you check the rod bearings?

Mort
 
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Al, that Allowing aftermarket rocker arms is a huge thing. As simple and efficient that the ball and socket is, they simply will not hold up under the rigors of a High revvingbdrag car or a 5 lap race.

We politicked every season to get the APBA to allow needle bearing rockers, they would not budge. The usual course of events was in about lap three, one of the balls would start gall and freeze, this increased the friction to the point that the rocker stud would break. If the stud didn’t break, you would bend a pushrod. Sometimes the cam lobe would be toast.

Those stinking ball and socket rocker arms were the single biggest headache in the 427 L-88 based engine. GM designed the best oiling system ever. They designed the canted valve head that is still the standard for big inch engines. The crank, block, rods, pistons all were designed to make gobs of power. Every thing about the Rat Motor was the epitome of a performance engine.

Except those damned rocker arms.
 
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I remember John Diana, he was a force to be reckon with. My 1955 was a Chev, not the Pontiac, which where allowed the Chev motor, at least in Canada. Mine had a strong bottom end, again going on 50 year memory, God I got to thinking, it was before that, OH WELL. I am looking at a 2005 Dodge 1/2 ton, Daytona with the wing and a 5.7 Hemi, I think it is 5.7, DUH! and a 3.90 gear. Remember these words, YOU CAN TAKE THE HOT ROD AWAY FROM THE GUY, BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HOT RODDING OUT OF THE GUY. God how I hate to get old.
 
Al, that Allowing aftermarket rocker arms is a huge thing. As simple and efficient that the ball and socket is, they simply will not hold up under the rigors of a High revvingbdrag car or a 5 lap race.

Oh, yeah. :rolleyes: When NHRA relaxed the Stocker valve spring rule (allowing any spring pressure as long as the stock spring O.D.was maintained), rocker arms were the weak link. And the big block Chevy was notorious for breaking them. Eventually, a 1/2" rocker stud and modified rocker/ball setup was developed that helped a bunch. But it was just a bandaid on the real problem. To add insult to injury, by the time you got the modified 'stock' set up in place, it was close to $1,000. A quality set of aftermarket 'roller' rocker arms are less than $500. Go figure....:rolleyes:

By the time NHRA finally accepted after market rockers in Stock, there's no telling how many hundreds of thousands of dollars that the 'stock rocker arm rule' had cost racers.

There are parallels to this in Benchrest rules so there's that connection...:D
 
My Buddys Car

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This is a friend going back to high school.

He was on a club run and had some issues with the rear end. He knew where we lived and gave us a call since they were in the area.

I moved the Corvette so he could pull in first thing in the morning. I don't like to jack up cars on the gravel if I don't have to.

I don't remember what we did but he was back on the road that same day.

He was a judge on early stock Fords and had a beautiful shop.

His bodywork and fabrication talents were well known and he did custom work for Brizio and other shops.

I would give his shop a plug but he is up in years and is as busy as he wants to be.

Mort
 
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Well, I got my Chevelle moved over into my shop at our new home in Tomball. It looks right at home.

After I get situated, my plans are to get a nice little lathe, mill, and other items I need to do my barrel work and other hobby projects.

We will be moved completely in in about another week. It’s a job.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=23864&stc=1&d=1596162128
 

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