Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice - Page 4

Jeff Stout · 10-18-2014, 12:31 PM

Bought a quadrajet from carb builder x and I was told to buy from carb builder y. X was slower front half and Y was slower in back half. Same ET.
Take the rubber seal off where hood meets firewall. Found out it wasn't legal. Put seal on and it went faster.
Had square lipped seal on brake calipers. Put the round type seal on and have less drag. No ET gain.
I quit at 8 converters for one motor combo.
Monte has more frontal area then Camaro so you need more gear. Went from 5.67 to 5.86 nothing gained but a couple more RPM's at finish line.

SSGN · 10-18-2014, 10:11 PM

Snake oil, fancy plugs and wires and yes those damn converter things

Best advice always came from grumpy old grey haired guys

Great topic

Kevin

goinbroke2 · 10-19-2014, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSGN

Snake oil, fancy plugs and wires and yes those damn converter things

Best advice always came from grumpy old grey haired guys

Great topic

Kevin

So from anybody in the pits? :O

Greg Hill · 10-19-2014, 11:56 AM

I've learned just as much from what doesn't work as from what does work. If you don't try things you don't advance.

69Cobra · 10-19-2014, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Hill

I've learned just as much from what doesn't work as from what does work. If you don't try things you don't advance.

That's the best post in this thread!

Ed Wright · 10-20-2014, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Hill

I've learned just as much from what doesn't work as from what does work. If you don't try things you don't advance.

Exactly!

Aubrey N Bruneau · 10-20-2014, 09:14 AM

Recommendation from a highly respected manufacturer, for an uncontrollable "square" intake cam lobe. Then further recommendation for "glass-like" tool steel retainers. Then further recommendation for beehive springs with smaller "glass-like" tool steel retainers.
A yes, these recommendations have kept my car in pieces for years !

older racer · 10-21-2014, 03:30 AM

hi, I noticed mention concerning rings earlier, also the" trick of the week camshaft" . seen lots of those, lol

glen myers · 10-22-2014, 11:05 AM

Best advice always came from grumpy old grey haired guys

Wait - what- you have to have hair?

Give up Rusty just finish bolting it together and go!

hahaha

Jim Caughlin · 10-22-2014, 12:34 PM

This is somewhat of a variation on your question but over the years I've learned a lot about what you can get away with by looking at various things on race cars that have been in my shop that I never thought would have worked, usually things that I thought were way too flimsy to survive. An example was an 8 second full bodied car that had 1310 ujoints, a 3" alum driveshafts and a 10 bolt Chevy rearend, all with a ton of runs and no significant breakage. I think what happens in a lot of cases is a bracket car that progressively gets faster and lightweight parts don't get upgraded. Nice to learn lessons from someone elses torture testing.

That being said, I have a boatload of 'good idea' parts in the corner that didn't pan out. As most class racers have exhausted the easy performance improvement ideas, it comes down to a certain amount of educated trial and error. Someone once told me that at this point, if you get $1 worth of performance for every $3 spent, you're doing pretty good.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

10-18-2014, 12:31 PM	#31
Jeff Stout VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: phoenix Posts: 1,486 Likes: 66 Liked 704 Times in 281 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice Bought a quadrajet from carb builder x and I was told to buy from carb builder y. X was slower front half and Y was slower in back half. Same ET. Take the rubber seal off where hood meets firewall. Found out it wasn't legal. Put seal on and it went faster. Had square lipped seal on brake calipers. Put the round type seal on and have less drag. No ET gain. I quit at 8 converters for one motor combo. Monte has more frontal area then Camaro so you need more gear. Went from 5.67 to 5.86 nothing gained but a couple more RPM's at finish line.

10-18-2014, 10:11 PM	#32
SSGN Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 644 Likes: 131 Liked 140 Times in 51 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice Snake oil, fancy plugs and wires and yes those damn converter things Best advice always came from grumpy old grey haired guys Great topic Kevin

10-19-2014, 11:56 AM	#34
Greg Hill VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Louisville , KY Posts: 1,995 Likes: 68 Liked 279 Times in 68 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice I've learned just as much from what doesn't work as from what does work. If you don't try things you don't advance. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK

10-20-2014, 09:14 AM	#37
Aubrey N Bruneau Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: South Eastern Alberta, Canada Posts: 311 Likes: 6 Liked 7 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice Recommendation from a highly respected manufacturer, for an uncontrollable "square" intake cam lobe. Then further recommendation for "glass-like" tool steel retainers. Then further recommendation for beehive springs with smaller "glass-like" tool steel retainers. A yes, these recommendations have kept my car in pieces for years ! __________________ Aubrey N Bruneau 6409 C/S 62 BelAir sport coupe, 409 HP 409

10-21-2014, 03:30 AM	#38
older racer Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 212 Likes: 13 Liked 68 Times in 26 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice hi, I noticed mention concerning rings earlier, also the" trick of the week camshaft" . seen lots of those, lol

10-22-2014, 11:05 AM	#39
glen myers Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: GAINESVILLE,VA Posts: 81 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice Best advice always came from grumpy old grey haired guys Wait - what- you have to have hair? Give up Rusty just finish bolting it together and go! hahaha

10-22-2014, 12:34 PM	#40
Jim Caughlin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Woodburn, Or Posts: 685 Likes: 82 Liked 805 Times in 245 Posts	Re: Most expensive, least helpful and useless advice This is somewhat of a variation on your question but over the years I've learned a lot about what you can get away with by looking at various things on race cars that have been in my shop that I never thought would have worked, usually things that I thought were way too flimsy to survive. An example was an 8 second full bodied car that had 1310 ujoints, a 3" alum driveshafts and a 10 bolt Chevy rearend, all with a ton of runs and no significant breakage. I think what happens in a lot of cases is a bracket car that progressively gets faster and lightweight parts don't get upgraded. Nice to learn lessons from someone elses torture testing. That being said, I have a boatload of 'good idea' parts in the corner that didn't pan out. As most class racers have exhausted the easy performance improvement ideas, it comes down to a certain amount of educated trial and error. Someone once told me that at this point, if you get $1 worth of performance for every $3 spent, you're doing pretty good. Jim Caughlin SS 6019