Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Got my head back and no soap bubbles. I have to get set up and check spring force at .055'' before coil bind and my new springs are here. That was close.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Dumbo to the body shop today. Two months and counting to get it fixed.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Working on the engine to try some things on the dyno. The insurance company is starting to drag its feet a little and not be very responsive.

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No surprise. Try dragging your feet with payment for a while, you'll get cancelled, but we can't get them to even be reasonable.

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Which insurance company?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

The sticking point is the removal and reinstall of engine and trans. The agent is working on the problem as I type.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Are they squawking because you pulled them before it went to the shop, or are you trying to get them to pay you for the R&R? :cool:

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

R and R

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That's a tough one. You have to PROVE it was needed at the shop without engine/trans for the repair to be done. Talk to the shop, creativity is your best friend.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Welcome to the world of autobody work. We deal with this stuff on a weekly basis. They cut labor, they cut paint and materials.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

A tip of the hat to Don Kennedy for his work on getting the problems handled. Thanks Don

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Went to the body shop yesterday, one side is done and the other side is being worked on. We should have it easily done before Christmas.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Thanksgiving day and after our meal with the extended family (26 I think) it will be a nice quiet day in the shop without interruptions.


It didn't happen.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Setting coil bind clearance on 392 DP engine.
Check PAC spring height gage for zero. Check height add .103” retainer adapter. Subtract cup and spring shims from gross number to arrive at installed height. Subtract valve lift from installed height to get open spring height. Measure spring height at coil bind subtract open spring height and the result is clearance or interference at maximum lift. Adjust accordingly to get the number you want.

The Pac mic is the best I have ever used for accuracy and repeatability.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

We order a couple sets of valves on October 2, 2022 with a promise date of of mid December. I’m happy to say it was promises made and promises kept! Santa Clause has been very good to me.

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Who was the vendor?

They deserve a public pat on the back.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Had rust on the some of the valve springs. It would seem that might be a place for failure of the spring to start. Single spring without a damper makes me plenty nervous.

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I thought we would try an Ovate wire spring. A person would think an engine that is 400 plus inches would have room and valve train support parts, not so. So to get what I think I need we ordered some parts that are too big on the OD and too small on the ID and we think what we need is hidden in the middle. I got some whittling to do.
I hope it’s not another case of buy it, try it, and then put it on the shelf.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Hi Larry. I have a 2010 version Drag Pak / 392.

I was really surprised with mine that I couldn't find a dual spring to work with the Heads & T&D Rockers. I used PAC 1427, which is their BBC Stock Eliminator Conical Spring. It's pretty beefy with 500# open and is stable up past 8300 RPM. But it's a single.

I sure would like the security of a dual.

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Yes I would feel more comfortable with a double spring. Has anyone used the Comp Cams double conical?

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

Larry,


Take a look at the PAC-1238X. It may be too small on the ID, as I cannot remember what the OD of the guide boss is on those heads.

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For now I’ve fit new springs to the head and will change them out after X number of runs. Time to get ready to race.

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Going to pick Dumbo up at the body shop today. Looks like we will make
No Problem in February.

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The 1237X spring can be made to fit.

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Thanks to all the good people at Seay Collision Center for fixing Dumbo to go to St Louis Pts race in 2022. Today the rest was finished.

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After trying to establish coil bind for each valve spring with the spring tester I modified I finely gave up. What I had would not reliably repeat close enough to satisfy me. So as luck would have it I had the privilege to visit Don Pellichino's engine shop in Hammond La. Don is A-B/SA LS1 racer and is the current record holder in A/SA and his stuff is real good, in fact the current World Champ has work done there. Thanks for showing me your Buxton G2 valve spring checker.

So yesterday I travel to Indiana, about 160 miles one way, to see this great looking piece of equipment. I was not disappointed. It repeated to the thousands in height of coil bind and force. In testing 16 springs the printed report, no more note pads, can show force at seat, open, and bunch of other useful information.

I can tell everybody all but the load cell and another part or two is made in house in Indiana. A quality product made in the USA what’s not to like. The lead time to get one is not real long.
Check them out at http://www.buxtonengineering.com/

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I’m not sure if it’s the same machine. I’d have to go look. But Steve Morris racing engines is rebuilding an engine for that guy in Florida that does YouTube videos. Sorry can’t remember his name. Anyways in the last few days he’s posted several videos of it. In one of them they use a tool like that. And showed the printouts from it. It was pretty cool. One of those things I’d never get to see as it’s out of my budget I’m sure. I was also kind of amazed how little pressure loss there is on the old springs. But that’s another story.

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So what ever made Stock Eliminator an entry level class? LMAO!
I sincerely hope that the twenty-somethings embrace what racers like Larry represent to this craft.

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For me it’s an investment because I’ve had the pleasure of building a new engine after a major failure. To put things in perspective the price of the tester is less than a set of lifters for Dumbo.
With the scarcity of parts and no parts support from MoPar I have to be conservative with everything, mostly heads and blocks. With RPM capabilities of the engine I cannot afford a .010 error on the wrong side. I’m just trying to make my stuff last a lifetime. The cost of the tester will be reduced when we quit racing and liquidate parts and tooling.

Before Jerry passed we would sometimes split the cost of something that we both needed for the advancement of our racing.

Just like my old friend would often say “All the experts don’t live out of town” but I need to add “but some of the equipment does “

Re: Dumbo The Flying Elephant
 

This afternoon I finished the heads. The worst installed height was +.008 above target. The rest were closer. The cool part about the print out I was able to put the slightly stronger springs on the heavier valves and the weaker springs on the lighter stuff. I sure hope all of this prep work helps. Tomorrow I’ll check lift at the lifter, lift at the valve, and rocker arm ratio.

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Life got in the way of racing and I accomplished zero progress on the car. And so it goes!

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Don't I know it.

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It looks like the valve lift will be .009" from maximum. The next cam we have made we will see if we can add .005'' to the lift.
My numbers are theoretically right now: I took lift at lifter and multiplied by NHRA rocker Specifications.

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Quiet day was spent in the shop with just me and Dumbo. Some days it’s difficult to know who’s who. Only got three rocker shafts installed. Every one had to be redone one took three times. Poor visibility on parts and gravity is not your friend and my fingers are to big. And so it goes

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Went to sleep in Kentucky and woke up in cold, to us, in Minnesnowta. Got the valve covers and coil packs on change oil filter and install. With the intake so tall it has to be put on after the engine is settled in.

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Installed engine in Dumbo. Now all I lack is finishing up. It was the fifth time for an in and out and each time I do it a slightly different way so far I like this the best for a one man show.
Cleaning under the car now, believe it or not there’s bodywork dust on top of the Dana 60.

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I thought Dana 60 was so yesterday?

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Not much that takes less horsepower to turn.

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I’m a slow learner and I talk slow.

I’ve stopped working on the car until we get Patsy home from the hospital.

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????