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73 nova 4.8 gt45

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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 06:38 AM
  #21  
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Hey really nice work on this one, that's one of the best looking 3-4's I've seen. Next time you go racing move your Calvert's up to the top hole so they are parallel to the ground at ride height. She will plant and separate as long as you get some sticky tires on there.

Also did you tune the holley yourself?
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 08:23 AM
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Thanks for the good words guys. It's funny cause I dint used to like the 73 and 74 novas that much but this one has grown on me in the 15 years I've owned it lol. My mom and dad bought me this for my first car when I was 15 for $3000 because we couldn't find a clean 68-72 4 speed car. It was originally white with a 350 4speed 3:73 car and after breaking every 4 speed I could get my hands on I went automatic lol. I did the body work and painted it in vo tech in high school and it sat for many years in my parents driveway after that. I've had a few set ups in the car but drove it very little. It feels good to be back on the road lol.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by 68II
Hey really nice work on this one, that's one of the best looking 3-4's I've seen. Next time you go racing move your Calvert's up to the top hole so they are parallel to the ground at ride height. She will plant and separate as long as you get some sticky tires on there.

Also did you tune the holley yourself?
I actually dint have the Caltrac's preloaded at the track because I couldn't get the car to build any boost on the line "I'm on the foot brake" so it left like a dog and dint come into boost untill I was at the 60ft mark lol. But I'm gonna try and wire the boost builder function in the holley and see how it works and go from there. Thanks for the advice on the Caltrac's I've read a little about them but just need some advice from people who use them.

As far as the tuning goes I did tune it myself for the most part. I got a base tune from Dennis at Moore racecraft, and got the car running with that. From there I just played with it and got it to idle nice and used the learn function to guide me using the learn table to show me where I needed to adjust the base fuel map. Work out really well.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 08:48 AM
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So on my way home from the track I was getting a weird vibration that would come and go at all different speeds and loads. I pulled over to notice a Trans leak but I wasn't far from home so I just limped it there. Well after further inspection last night I noticed the bushing has came out of my tail shaft. So now I gotta fix and figure out why this happened. Have any of you guys ever seen this happen before?
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 11:18 AM
  #25  
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Check to make sure your yoke has no more then about 3/4" of travel in (towards trans) at ride height. If the drive shaft is too short it will create problems like this. Also make sure that the tail of the trans is opposing degrees to the rear end because the vibration of a straight u-joints will vibrate enough to beat up that bushing also.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 05:38 PM
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Originally Posted by 68II
Check to make sure your yoke has no more then about 3/4" of travel in (towards trans) at ride height. If the drive shaft is too short it will create problems like this. Also make sure that the tail of the trans is opposing degrees to the rear end because the vibration of a straight u-joints will vibrate enough to beat up that bushing also.
I checked all that when I assembled everything. If I remember correctly I had about 5/8" of in and out play. I guess the driveshaft could be out of balance but I never felt a vibration b4. I'm gonna tare into it tomorrow and make sure nothing is broken inside. You ever herd of pressing a bushing in with lock tite? Supposedly this is a popular problem with th400's. I've had this Trans behind a couple motors and never an issue.
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 05:39 PM
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Poor car is back on jack stands

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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 05:50 PM
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Great looking car man! I love the build! Excellent quality.. The Z28 wheels make the car too!
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Old Jul 18, 2014 | 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by ajrothm
Great looking car man! I love the build! Excellent quality.. The Z28 wheels make the car too!
Thanks man!
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Old Jul 19, 2014 | 06:42 AM
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Pick up some loctite 640, it's a sleeve retainer high temp, high clamp load product. I use it at work and it really good stuff. You just have to make sure both surfaces are clean and scuffed up a little bit for it to work properly. If you ever need to separate something after using it you just warm it up with a MAP gas torch and it will come right back out.

I've never had a bushing come out like that either so I didn't know it was a common thing with 400's. Usually vibration will kill things so that's why I was suggesting to look there initially.
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Old Jul 19, 2014 | 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by 68II
Pick up some loctite 640, it's a sleeve retainer high temp, high clamp load product. I use it at work and it really good stuff. You just have to make sure both surfaces are clean and scuffed up a little bit for it to work properly. If you ever need to separate something after using it you just warm it up with a MAP gas torch and it will come right back out.

I've never had a bushing come out like that either so I didn't know it was a common thing with 400's. Usually vibration will kill things so that's why I was suggesting to look there initially.
Ok cool loctite 640 it is. I should have it back together by Monday hoping to get an 11.0 pass on street tires next week b4 I put radials on
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Old Jul 19, 2014 | 06:25 PM
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If you have the radials now, just put them on!
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Old Jul 19, 2014 | 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
If you have the radials now, just put them on!
I don't have them yet I gotta finish a side job this coming week and I Will be buying a set of steel wheels and drag radials.
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Old Jul 19, 2014 | 07:15 PM
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I just put new fenders, door skins, and quarters on this thing and painted it. Now I gotta buff it and put it back together so I can get money for go fast parts!

Last edited by Beanslsxnova; Jul 19, 2014 at 07:20 PM.
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 07:19 AM
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Cant wait to see how this car turns out!
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 01:34 PM
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Great looking car what did you use for the hotside manifolds or custom built headers. I am doing a 69 camaro with a 5.3 setup like yours please post more pics
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Beanslsxnova
you know when i put the cam in the motor i though it was gonna be to much but i had it laying around so id figure i would try it. so far i like it it pulls hard to 7k and sounds mean at idle. the only downside to it really is 12in of vacuum at idle so power brakes suck
Go hydroboost and don't look back!
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 03:53 PM
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Originally Posted by MonmouthCtyLS7
Cant wait to see how this car turns out!
I can't either man! I will keep you posted
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by cstrohpaul
Great looking car what did you use for the hotside manifolds or custom built headers. I am doing a 69 camaro with a 5.3 setup like yours please post more pics
I basically flipped truck manifolds cut and manipulated them to fit with 2 1/4" v bands welded on. Ill post more pics later when I get home
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Old Jul 21, 2014 | 04:05 PM
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Originally Posted by ryanleiker
Go hydroboost and don't look back!
I did seriously consider hydro boost when I was shaving the firewall. I talked myself out of it because the car dint have power-steering from the factory. Now that I'm old and lazy driving a car with no power and a spool sucks haha. So I will probably do power steering and hydro boost this winter. Has anyone ran hydro boost without the power steering. Like the pump just hooked to the hydro boost?
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