My quest for the meet. - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Syzygy · 10-02-2008, 12:38 AM

a week ago i decided i need to have my car disassembled and rebuilt before the October meet. Little did i know this would become a journey littered with problems, oversights, and mistakes.

-I wanted to replace my stock peg-leg 3.23 drum rear with my friends old IROC 3.23 disc rear with a Richmond posi.
-My garbage heads (76cc 882 casting) were to be replaced with some new aluminum beauties. 64cc's, mmm. 2.02 intake valves, oooh. 1.60 exhaust valves, aah. 210cc intake runner, delicious.
-My brakes were to receive all new stainless steel lines bent by yours truly. A master cylinder off an old IROC for the distribution block. and some aluminum calipers because a buddy was kind enough to give them to me.
-My old tiny, restrictive exhaust would be replaced by Hooker 2210s and a Mufflex 4" catback with a Spintech crossover muffler with dual exits, its all so big! (my favorite part of the build up)
-And i was to relocate my Holley blue fuel pump to the rear because i stupidly mounted it in front near the now-gone mechanical pump, little did i know it wouldnt help any of the vapor-lock problems being there.

I did all this, and while testing the motor out, i discover that i made a huge, stupid mistake of leaving a little bit of old intake manifold gasket on (i can't imagine how i missed something like this) and the water jacket leaked like a sieve. So some more gaskets come out of my already shallow pockets.
While taking the old gaskets off and putting on the new, i discover how messy break-in goo really is (my distributor shaft looked like a stalagtite). So that oil had to go.
I drive my car onto little wooden ramps i made so my car can clear the low profile jack...my car is lowered 2.5". and i drain the oil. it looks like pudding. I try to readjust the timing at this point, and while cranking it smoke comes out from the passenger side. What is this smoke i wonder quietly to myself (I am lying, i was angry, there were broken things in abundance) and i discover my starter decided to leave the show early.

I now have but two days till the weekend to receive a starter or i become a no-show at yet another f-body meet. Please god of hasty shipping, listen to my pleas and send to me in timely fashion a starter so grand my motor wont remember how to turn off.

Thats my delusional memory of whats happened. Sorry it was this long, i just felt like typing something.

Mike · 10-02-2008, 01:00 AM

walk out front door, unlock sierra, hop in, start it up, drive to meet.

no need for an f-body to go mingle at the meets

Syzygy · 10-02-2008, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbrrmike

walk out front door, unlock sierra, hop in, start it up, drive to meet.

no need for an f-body to go mingle at the meets

thats no fun

JL8Jeff · 10-02-2008, 08:36 AM

You never want to put that much pressure on yourself to get something done on a car. Just ask half the guys here who set lofty goals to have their car back on the road by a certain date. You usually end up messing up something and get to do it all over again. Hopefully you can get it running, but if you don't have a chance to do a safe test run beforehand, I wouldn't risk bringing it out.

sweetbmxrider · 10-02-2008, 04:04 PM

just hand crank that bitch!! haha but seriously if you can't get it done with out killing yourself or someone, just bring your truck!

Syzygy · 10-02-2008, 04:20 PM

oh I'll make it, I 2 day'd that bitch. My starter will be here tomorrow.plus if I don't set a schedule, I'll never get it done.

rscamaro73 · 10-02-2008, 06:15 PM

That is a hefty list of work to do alone....

Anyhows....don't rush it all and jack something up in the process.....if I had 'ignored' the noise my loose cam bolts were making, I'd have lost the engine somewhere on the way to Carlisle this summer....but luckily I had some help from here that helped pinpoint it all. Also had help from here getting my elec fan wired up.

Never wrong to ask for help....and know when to call it quits. You have another vehicle...drive it on down, save the headaches and broken parts from rushing for someone else.....

Syzygy · 10-02-2008, 06:29 PM

don't worry, I'm not doing anything stupidly (with the exception of the double gasketed intake). I wont rush what can't be done, I know first hand the price of a half-assed job. If this car is in the circus parking lot, its put together right.
Also i forgot to mention, one of those days i had my friends Matt and Dave over to help me out with the bigger things, like lifting the rear for assembly.

Syzygy · 10-03-2008, 06:27 PM

A CORRECT STREET NUMBER IS NEEDED FOR DELIVERY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFORMATION

This forum cant handle the type of language I'd like to throw at UPS right now.

For some reason they think shipping to a zip code is a good idea...my zip code is shared by a neighboring town so 95% (I'm being generous) of the time my package gets sent over there.

2 day my ass.

sweetbmxrider · 10-03-2008, 06:42 PM

can you call and pick it up at the UPS store? might be easier

Syzygy · 10-04-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

can you call and pick it up at the UPS store? might be easier

yes, I can and did, but I thought that was the job of a shipping company. I mean, what exactly did i pay $25 for? To drive 15 miles to get a starter?

In other news, the car runs very very strongly, 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear all I have to do is hit the gas to get squirrely and that's with drag radials equipped. I am happy. Screw UPS.

WayFast84 · 10-04-2008, 04:48 PM

what starter did you end up going with? i was reading earlier a mini starter was needed for the hooker long tubes.

Syzygy · 10-04-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayFast84

what starter did you end up going with? i was reading earlier a mini starter was needed for the hooker long tubes.

this time I am using a powermaster 9100. because it was dirt cheap. It fit in without taking the #8 header tube out. great fit. And it comes with a dyno sheet! and it puts out more torque than a civic!

BigAls87Z28 · 10-04-2008, 06:29 PM

Ahahah, awesome man. Good to see more Monmouth County kats on the board.

Syzygy · 10-05-2008, 04:32 PM

And I made it.... The End.

ar0ck · 10-05-2008, 05:59 PM

Car sounded pretty dam good!

BonzoHansen · 10-05-2008, 06:13 PM

1. Oil leak!
2. Lug nuts!

Syzygy · 10-05-2008, 06:16 PM

Thanks, I hope it'll be running a whole lot better next time, and higher off the ground. I had to have slapped the asphalt a few dozen times on the trip there and back.

Yeah, theres always something unexpected, I'll have them covered tomorrow, I'm beat. Also, I have that cup holder suggestion up in the appearance board.

baddest434 · 10-05-2008, 10:23 PM

"hey look one of my lugs are loose, oh crap everyone of them is loose"
or something like that lol

lug nuts only need to be torqued if your driving over 75 mph otherwise hand tightening is good enough