DOZZER Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Nice. These little cars are a blast. You bringing it out this Saturday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted April 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Thanks. No, I can't make it this Saturday unfortunately... I still need to put the bung in for the wideband o2 setup I bought as it still isn't running right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted May 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2013 Got the exhaust off and welded a bung in for my wideband setup. I tried to grind off the galvanizing but it still welded poorly. Still need to check for leak and finish the driveshaft loop relocation (previous owner had it in the rear)- I can understand why he put it there as there is a lot more room back there but it is not nearly as functional protection. I am hoping we don't have to fabricate a new one but it may end up that way. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps9b389b46.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zpsd0180980.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps6d61d1cc.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted June 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 Well with all the modifications we had to do, we might as well have fabricated a new driveshaft loop... next is figuring out how to get the seats back in. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zpsf85cb20c.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps3bbe8cb2.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps1ec4de9e.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps7a548efd.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted July 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2013 Tried the Innovate LM-2 for the first time and it was non-functional. Sent if off for warranty replacement/repair a few weeks ago- apparently the fellow that works on them works somewhere else and wont be available till after the 4th of July.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted October 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 Built a shift knob with a button in it for the line lock as I didn't want to pay 80.00 for a plastic ball with a hurst logo.. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps71c64659.jpg The previous owner had for whatever reason installed the front brake lines on the rear reservoir and vice versa on the master cylinder which is why the line lock would not work. We unfortunately discovered this after purchasing a second line lock. The Innovate LM-2 was fine as well- the problem was the gremlin cigarette lighter had a bad ground that would allow it to power up but not warm the o2 sensor. I mixed up the idle air bleeds with the high speed and apparently put 28s in place of 75s at high speed vs idle on the hp carb- oops! Put the 700 double pumper on it with brand new accelerator pumps and factory settings as far as shooters/jets/etc... I adjusted the valves with the engine running and it still won't idle for @#%. Put a vac. gauge on it and it was 9-15 fluctuating indicating it was down on cylinder(s). Pulled plugs off at the dizzy and after several extreme electrocutions (my shoulder and back were sore for hours), I managed to find one if not 3 dead cylinders. Ran a compression check and indeed 3 has zero compression. Wires may be bad on the other cylinders or for some other reason they didn't make that big a difference in idle when I unplugged them. After several rounds of EOIC,TDC on that cylinder, and TDC on 1 and 6 valve adjustments I still cant get compression on 3 with anything beyond zero valve lash which works just fine. Bad lifter is the current diagnosis and once time is available I plan to tear it down and swap it out. The good news is it smoked a 3 valve mustang GT, a new SS camaro, and almost beat a 6.0 GTO with mods on at best 7 cylinders and an extremely rich mixture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted October 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2013 Ok- I managed to tear it down in order to remove the lifters in question.http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps3d57008a.jpg I took them over to Mike Rush at M&M Head service and he said that the exhaust valve lifter was indeed locked up but he managed to release it with his shop press. I bought two new lifters from him and put them in the bores. As I was putting the rocker arm back on to adjust the valves, I noticed that the one of the rocker studs had a pretty decent gouge near the bottom from the rocker arm: http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps3568f81e.jpg Using some hardened nuts that Mike gave me, a stack of washers, and a heavy hammer, I replaced both rocker studs: http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zps310e0d16.jpg With the new studs, I adjusted the valves and the exhaust still didn't feel right when I tightened one half turn past zero lash. As I rocked the rocker I noticed that I was able to compress the valve spring by hand with minimal pressure. I popped the gauge off the compression tester and hooked it to the air compressor to keep the valve from falling as I tried to remove the spring. I could not figure out why the spring compressor kept popping off until I noticed this: http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/image_zpsd074db16.jpg I finally managed to remove the broken spring from the head and returned to M&M. I was just going to replace the one spring but after talking with Mike and his estimation of the wear on the spring, I think I am going to get a full set. I told Mike about the dished .030 over pistons that were in it and with some other questions he asked me he was able to estimate the compression as just under 9.5 : 1. A lot higher than we were expecting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted November 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) Okay, I replaced all of the springs and before I sealed it back up I started to adjust the valves. In the process, I discovered 3 more lifters which were locked up. Even though I had compression in those cylinders, I went ahead and replaced them. I sealed up the intake and let it sit overnight. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj162/hpfiend/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps68b83c97.jpg The next day, I hooked up the vacuum gauge and low and behold, the vacuum reading was steady! I tuned the mixture screws for maximum vacuum of about 14 and got out the adjustable timing light. Apparently with the dual light springs, 16 degree base timing and the vacuum can hooked up the timing was excessive as it would surge if held at a sturdy 2000 rpm. I unplugged the vacuum can and set it for 15 degree base timing and put the blue bushing in for 21 degree centrifugal advance by 2500 rpm for a total of 36. The engine revved much more cleanly. After much trial and error with shooter and pump cams I determined that the 50cc accelerator pump with a blue pump cam and factory 28 shooter on the primary and a green pump cam in the back with the 30cc pump and the factory 31 shooter to be ideal. Dead spot is gone and it runs like an animal!!!!! Finally. Idle and cruise AFR are at 12-12.5 and wot sits at 11.5. Edited November 25, 2013 by hpfiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Keep it up, mang! Love the updates. Mike @ M&M is a good guy. Glad he's helping you out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10phone2 Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 man great job. I bet it's a completely different car with the top end fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted November 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 Thanks for the support! Yeah, it actually feels like it might someday be truly quick! It went sideways to 5k on cheater slicks in my test run- granted not heated up- but better then falling on its face and going nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigB Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 The brake line issue with the master cylinder now that I think about it was this. When I bought the car originally it had drum brakes all around, I swapped it over to discs that I got from a guy I did some trading with. I had read a lot online about doing the swap and and everybody said theirs worked just fine with the drum master cylinder so I left the original master cylinder on the car. When I installed the line lock I also installed a NEW master cylinder for disc brakes and when we unhooked the lines from the old we hooked them right back up to where they were connected on the old master cylinder not even thinking. That was a brand new Biondo line lock, i even went and bought new calipers and new rubber brake lines for the front trying to figure it all out as to why when you hit the brake and set the line lock and let off the brake they would lock solid even after you released the line lock. I never even thought the when I went to the new DISC master cylinder that the lines should have been swapped front to back. DOH! I even went and bought another line lock that I never even tried to install because I was so frustrated after all the work of trying to install it. That stall converter was a Jegs brand converter and i believe it was a 10" converter, maybe it was a 12" but the stall on it was supposed to be like 2400-2800 or something like that but it never seemed like it was a stall at once I put it in the car. I can ask my uncle if he still has the original 650 main body that I took out of that carb and let you know. The drop blocks in the rear end mad a HUGE difference in how the car launched because before I installed them it had the weight transfer of a cement block with wheels, that cars suspension was solid and had absolutely NO GIVE. I cut 3/4 of a coil out of the front coils because the only new V8 coils I could find were for an A/C car that had an extra 75-100 lbs on the front end, I wanted to pull it all back apart and cut another 1/2-3/4 coil off to lower the front end some more and give it some suspension travel. Any questions please let me know and I will answer them as best I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted April 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Glad to have you in this thread BigB! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybe Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 Freakin' love Gremlins. I got a reman setup from HITE That's my uncle's place! Hope it's serving you well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigB Posted April 4, 2014 Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 Here is some "throwback" pics for you, I knew I had them and found them tonight. These are pics from the day I bought the car, 100% ORIGINAL!! http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581758_zpsb77d45c5.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581693_zps6dfa51f9.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581713_zpsc0f4c1fa.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581726_zps57cc4de4.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581845_zpsdfa26cc9.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581956_zps87f197f8.jpg My very first mod, got rid of that GIANT steering wheel, LOL! http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581740_zpsdabaf108.jpg Then wheels and radial tires....even moved up to 14" tires. http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581976_zps714032ce.jpg Then a few years later came the paint job, new grill and front bumper delete. http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396581991_zps502ee6ff.jpg http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz36/AMCSBC/Mobile%20Uploads/th_1396582002_zps172aa36b.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10phone2 Posted April 4, 2014 Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 lol. great pics. I bet the journey was fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Thanks for posting Ben! I am selling the line lock and MSD off of it now if you have any interest as you purchased them originally. I know you mentioned you wanted the 8" rear before also but i am not sure what I am going to do with it yet. Oh btw I took the rubber snubbers out of the traction bars when I put the rear end in and haven't got around to cutting them down and replacing them. Interestingly it has been launched at the track several times with no banging so I think a bit more weight transfer is still needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigB Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Glad you got the old girl running better, good to see you doing all the stuff to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 Reopened per OP’s request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 I'm looking forward to seeing some updates on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted January 16, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2018 (edited) Dead spot is gone and it runs like an animal!!!!! Finally. Haha. Well weren't those some famous last words... We took it back to MCIR and tried our best to get a clean sub 13 second run with the "fixed" carb. Leaving just above idle it would leave cleanly but as soon as we tried to really launch it we either couldn't hold it back without power brakes or it used so much accelerator to get it to around 2000 rpm that our "bandaid" accelerator pump modifications (50cc pump in the front with a blue pump cam in position 2.) were only half functional at best so it would dead spot. The best it ever ran was a 13.2 at 101.X MPH. My dad insisted that it was starving for fuel on the instant transition to the back barrels. Even though we did this initially with little effect we again disabled the mechanical secondary linkage and romping it on what used to be "back country roads" to the neighbors delight, did not dead spot once. We had fixed a lot of other issues since the first time so maybe this was the final issue. I was hesitant to change as I had already purchased a very expensive CSU blow through double pumper carb for BOOST. Well as chance would have it we realized the carb on his '87 F350 truck was a Holley 600 CFM vacuum secondary which was about the perfect size for this mouse of an engine. Edited January 16, 2018 by hpfiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted January 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2018 We modified the truck carb to work with the dual feed fuel setup on the gremlin, adjusted the floats and idle mixture screws using a vacuum gauge and headed back to the track. It felt much more responsive with the smaller vac secondary carb and the dead spot was gone again for the time being. MCIR was exceptionally busy and we knew we wouldn't get a lot of runs in. After 2 hours waiting as a result of a several track cleanup delays in a row, we only had two cars ahead of us. Hoping to keep it cool for the coveted 12 second run we had not let it idle. CLICK......CLICK....... CLICK...........CLCLCLCLICK..... AARGH!!!! The dreaded click and no start condition was back and this time after about 50 attempts it would NOT start!! We reluctantly got out and pushed it all the way out of staging lanes and back to the parking area. We hooked up the jumper cables to my dad's Cherokee and while it would crank hooked to the jeep it refused to fire. We checked to make sure we had fuel in the fuel cell............Yep. With heads hung low we hooked up the custom tow bar setup and towed it all the way home. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) We put the battery charger on and, discouraged as we were, didn't touch it all for about a week. With a fully charged battery it cranked and cranked with no fire. We could see and smell the fuel blowing out the carb shooters so we knew fuel wasn't the issue. We pulled a plug and wire and discovered that we had no spark. We bypassed the MSD ignition and still no spark. After verifying the coil had 12 volts to it and still no spark we went rifling through my dad's collection of old hotrod parts. By chance we found a mallory coil he had used on his 1967 Corvette and removed before selling it. We hooked it up and adapted the coil plug wire to the newer style plug using some accessories he had with his old school timing light setup. Crank Vroom it started right up. No click, no hesitation, no bs. Turned it off, turned it on, off, on, off, on- no click. Apparently all this time we were chasing a failing coil. We checked the old coil and it had MegaOhm resistance so it was a huge load on the starting system even without the rear mount battery. I wonder if this was also the cause of the deadspot. Oh well live and learn. In the week of discouragement I had read an article about a fellow that bought a wrecked express van and parted it out completely ending up with a 6.0 LS engine with a set of used LS3 heads and intake for free after netting the cost of the vehicle and parts with the proceeds from the rest of the vehicle. Having had it with the issues of this combo and realizing that even with the dead spot fixed we were still going to be limited with the old tech iron double hump heads or spend $$$$ on a set of AFR or Darts for this old sbc, I started scouring the classifieds for LS equipped Express Vans. Edited March 5, 2018 by hpfiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hpfiend Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 (edited) After a few weeks chasing criminals with low cost clean title express vans that refused to meet at police stations in cleveland or cincy, I looked to the salvage auctions.... After a couple more weeks, I found this. AND this... I focused my bidding on the Silverado and last minute threw a bid on the honda that was too cheap to pass on and I ended up winning both of them...!!! Edited March 5, 2018 by hpfiend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Can I buy the grille and rearview mirrors from that truck from you cheap? ...and I'm curious what you're going to do with that van? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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