H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Worked getting stuff switched over to make some pulls, which we did. Nothing spectacular to speak of and we certainly haven't had any luck getting some crankcase vacuum. had some issues with the cam after switching springs so we're working on that too. Getting some tuning bits sorted for the carb. Gonna try to put a few hours in on it tomorrow, we'll see how work goes.

[FED 387]

Todd check your PM. Fed387

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by Nmbr1GMfan

Is this it Rich?
https://www.holley.com/products/tool...ers/parts/8998

Yes Todd.....I forgot MSD is now owned by Holley....

The price went up over the years since I bought one.

[Rich Biebel]

I ran SS/JA many years ago with my '69 Camaro...

Flat top 350 with 441 heads.

We had an old Go-Power static dyno and I made a lot of pulls.

Tried some cams and spent a lot of time of course messing with the Q-Jet...

A stocker engine of today probably makes as much or more power than a SS'er of that era.

The dyno really didn't help much out on the track basically....but was a good tool to see where you were at and verify the engine was ok....

Q-Jets are a challenge...They always have been....

I raced a stick shift Chevy II in Stock in 1970-1971....350/295 and a '69 Nova in G and H/SA in the '90's.....350/255 with a P/G

Those carbs are great when they are working well. You just cant have too many......LOL !!!

[Greg Reimer 7376]

A dyno is a great thing for consistent engine break in, readily accessible for valve train inspection and adjustment, plus the detection and correction of any leaks,but it won't tell you everything. There's the dyno, with a wealth of knowledge to be gained there, but the overall best dyno is the drag strip. Both the dyno and the track should be used together to blend the results for the best output, but it's the final result that really counts.

[Mark Yacavone]

Todd, I don't believe you'll be able to pull much c/c vacuum without headers tubes, which of course aren't legal in Stock.

[Greg Reimer 7376]

You know, this is close to the subject, but I used to use exhaust gas analyzers occasionally when I was working, having fixed cars,trucks,and vans for around 40 years, and enduring the never-ending succession of emissions testing that the sacramento circus act continually forced on us,but I wondered a few times what a race car's emissions would be going down the track in real world terms. I know the start up would have to be bad,the lumpy idle and the lower speed run from the lanes to the water box would load the air with all kinds of nasty unburned hydrocarbons and all, but once the car leaves, what do you suppose goes on between combustion chamber and the end of the header collector?You don't see too much in the way of black smoke emanating from race car collectors, therefore, things must get a lot more efficient about halfway up the RPM band in first or second gear.I guess a good tune up shop with a floor dyno and an infrared gas analyzer could test for this, but if you ran a 375/396 or a Max Wedge 7000 RPM in high gear would there be a commercial dyno out there strong enough for that stuff? Even an average quadrajet 327 puts out over 400 horsepower to the flywheel.
I remember seeing 454 quadrajet motor homes and Suburbans working a hill at load,getting onto the freeway, or in high altitude scenarios, and black smoke was almost a natural occurrence, which is, too much fuel, too rich carburetion,and all kinds of energy wasted. If the race car was such an issue, you would think the fans in the stands at 1000' would be reeling in the aisles from all the environmental catastrophe.
I've lived in the LA area since 1966,and I remember smog. It had a chemical type odor,it would burn your eyes, and being kids in the summer,tearing around on bikes, swimming,playing baseball, and being outside until just before dinner,and being barely able to breathe because of the chest pain in our lungs. In the mid '80's,after carbureted engines got about as far as they could,the fuel injection came out, took over, and now we actually don't have a smog problem like we had. You can live anywhere in So Cal and actually see mountains and blue skies. It was technology that did it, also today's fuels are far better than the old stuff brewed up in the old days. Little weird green people jumping up and down on the bluff at Santa Monica and waving green flags did nothing to improve fuel efficiency,gas mileage, and sir quality. I don't want them to step in and do a study that might release data that would harm our sport politically. I just wondered what the actual results of such an experiment would be.

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

A dyno is a great thing for consistent engine break in, readily accessible for valve train inspection and adjustment, plus the detection and correction of any leaks,but it won't tell you everything. There's the dyno, with a wealth of knowledge to be gained there, but the overall best dyno is the drag strip. Both the dyno and the track should be used together to blend the results for the best output, but it's the final result that really counts.

I've been fixing plenty of leaks... oh brother!

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Todd, I don't believe you'll be able to pull much c/c vacuum without headers tubes, which of course aren't legal in Stock.

I'm sure I'm rehashing what most already know, guess I just gotta try stuff.

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Been fighting oil leaks so I pulled the pan off and resealed it yesterday, I was pressurizing the crankcase a good bit which surely didn't help. No oil leaks and crankcase pressure is way better. Just about ready to start tuning.
Made a few pulls yesterday checking for leaks (and oil pressure )