JP1738's Stocker and S/G car

[Danny Ashley]

I agree with MJ on the air cleaner element. You probably have the hood clearance to use a 4 inch especially with a dropped base such as the Speedway Motors # 91011062-2 . A lot of racers use this one without any element as it has shown ET improvement in many cases. And it's only $23. Remember that most elements are restrictive and will require a jetting adjustment for optimum performance. As a side note, I'm a wagon guy and love yours. Wishing you the best.

[JP1738]

Originally Posted by Danny Ashley

I agree with MJ on the air cleaner element. You probably have the hood clearance to use a 4 inch especially with a dropped base such as the Speedway Motors # 91011062-2 . A lot of racers use this one without any element as it has shown ET improvement in many cases. And it's only $23. Remember that most elements are restrictive and will require a jetting adjustment for optimum performance. As a side note, I'm a wagon guy and love yours. Wishing you the best.

Thanks man! Glad you like it! I have been running the car w/out the air cleaner, just leave it on for warming it up and driving around the pits, then I take it off to race/test. I'll look into getting one of those air cleaner bases ASAP!

[Doug Domm]

Originally Posted by Danny Ashley

I agree with MJ on the air cleaner element. You probably have the hood clearance to use a 4 inch especially with a dropped base such as the Speedway Motors # 91011062-2 . A lot of racers use this one without any element as it has shown ET improvement in many cases. And it's only $23. Remember that most elements are restrictive and will require a jetting adjustment for optimum performance. As a side note, I'm a wagon guy and love yours. Wishing you the best.

Is a spacer needed for that air cleaner on a quadrajet?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by JP1738

I'll get a rebuild kit on the way! how do I delete the self-adjusters and still make everything else work?

There are still some brake hardware kits around with the manual adjusters, for the 9 1/2" x 2 GM brakes. You'll probably have to find an old parts store where the counterman even knows what you're talking about...or maybe dig around on Ebay.
I could tell you the dime rocket way I'd do it, but don't like telling someone what to do with their brakes. ;-)

[Danny Ashley]

Originally Posted by Doug Domm

Is a spacer needed for that air cleaner on a quadrajet?

No it isn't. With no air cleaner gasket the top of it is flush with the choke housing which is legal. I would run a thin gasket as I don't want metal to metal contact. Gaskets range from .044 to .130. I don't think NHRA would mind if it's .044 above. I do think they may say something if you used a .250 or more spacer that's available. With that being said, I did see a National event winning car whose base wasn't even close to the choke housing. It looked like a mini velocity stack. Really surprised NHRA allowed it. Wasn't a Q-Jet carb though.

[Doug Hoven]

Glad to see another "kid" like me learning his ways in Stock Eliminator. You definitely picked a good combo to learn with. Tidbit of info on distributors. I ran into the issue of not wanting to buy an expensive new distributor, but didn't want to buy a cheapo chinesium distributor either. Some late 80s/early 90s EFI GM products have small cap, divorced coil HEI distributors that have a 2 wire magnetic pickup that works with MSD boxes, and have locked out timing from the factory.

[JP1738]

Originally Posted by Doug Hoven

Glad to see another "kid" like me learning his ways in Stock Eliminator. You definitely picked a good combo to learn with. Tidbit of info on distributors. I ran into the issue of not wanting to buy an expensive new distributor, but didn't want to buy a cheapo chinesium distributor either. Some late 80s/early 90s EFI GM products have small cap, divorced coil HEI distributors that have a 2 wire magnetic pickup that works with MSD boxes, and have locked out timing from the factory.

I rummaged around in my father and grandfather's shop and found the one pictured in another post on this thread. The cap was busted, it needed a cast gear, and it was not locked out. I ordered a gear from Jegs, a cap from holly, and locked it out myself. It's been working like brand new since I bolted it on. That's a great tidbit though, I'll keep that in mind if I ever need another. Thank you!

[JP1738]

As discussed in other threads, my first race out with the car did not go as planned. Unfortunately, somewhere between testing at Darlington and Q1 in Orlando, I lost third gear and reverse. I have not had a chance to get the transmission out and torn apart to diagnose, but it appears to be burnt slam up. That said, I still had 1st and 2nd, so I limped it up there for first round anyway! You never know what can happen!

Take-aways from the my first event as a Stocker! -->

1.) I really enjoyed being at the track and in competition again, I didn't realize how much I'd missed it since the last time I made a hit in Rockingham last year.

2.) Seeing all the fine folks of NHRA D2 class racing was such a treat, I got to meet lots of people while I was down there and can't wait to meet so many more! I spent Thursday cooped up in my trailer working remotely, so I couldn't get out and talk to folks like I'd hoped to. Friday was spent in abject disbelief and disappointment, so I wasn't exactly batting 1000. Looking to touch base with many more people at the babies next week.

3.) Going through weigh-in and fuel-check was a great experience as well. Despite being broke, I still went through the entire process and learned what to expect moving forward.

4.) I am extremely proud I made it to this race. many, many, many late nights and hours of research, planning, and practice the last few months to get the car, myself, and my equipment ready in time. I made it! Unfortunately broke on the first pass, not of my own doing as far as I can tell.

I'll be back later this week with another update as soon as I get the old transmission out and diagnosed. Thanks to CR faithful's, I feel like I already have a pretty solid prognosis, but we'll see for sure here shortly.




The current color of my transmission fluid:

[doglover44]

Hope you have a better outing at the Baby Gators

[Billy Nees]

Keep up the good work kid! No one conquers the world in one day!