I've been laying low and keeping pretty quiet lately, as I have been pretty busy cleaning up my car from the big mess earlier this month. I still have a lot of cleaning up to do, as well. I've also had plenty of time to do some research and decide what direction to take with the car for this year.

After bouncing some ideas around with different folks here and there, I've finally gotten started with the new engine. Rather than cut corners and/or take chances assembling everything myself, I'm leaving most everything in the hands of ARE/Nick Agostino. We're still working out some of the small details, but the ball is rolling nonetheless.

I will be playing the stock displacement game again, as I just simply lack the funds to run with the 400+ cid "big dogs" out there. I considered some big bore setups, but I think I'm better suited to stay small at this point, since I can make pretty good power and retain reliability while staying within my allotted budget.

It should come as no surprise that I'll be looking to go a little quicker with this new motor than the last one. How much quicker? I don't know. At least this one should hold together for awhile <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">

Nick said roughly 6 weeks or so, and I still have a buttload of cleanup/repair work to do on the rest of the car, including piecing together a new fuel system (Aeromotive pump & regulator, billet filter, and new fuel lines), and installing a tranny brake in my trusty old TH350 since my 60' times are so crappy <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> I'm also installing a JW Ultrabell on the tranny, as the stock case had developed a huge crack almost all the way across the bellhousing (good thing the car broke when it did).

I'll still be using most of the same old stuff I've been using on the car, but will have a pretty much totally new engine, the tranny brake, and my new fiberglass pin-on hood from VFN Fiberglass (13lbs).

Soooo.... I'll be back before you know it. I do have a few pictures I'll post soon. I also have two very nice Wiseco forged paperweights, thanks to the two connecting rods that broke. Hey, they make a heck of a converstion piece at work!

I'll try to get some pics up this weekend...

 

[quote]Originally posted by GeorgeC:
I'm also installing a JW Ultrabell on the tranny, as the stock case had developed a huge crack almost all the way across the bellhousing (good thing the car broke when it did).
<hr></blockquote>

Thats the first time I've ever heard that one <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> Good luck with the new combo.

J.

 

Sounds good George! Will you be staying with the GTP heads/"pig" cam? Good luck getting it all back together.

 

Good to hear! Looking forward to seeing the results. <img src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" border="0">

 

Sounds good! Trying a solid cam or anything like that?

 

Good luck with the new setup George, hope to see you back soon. What did you decide on the gastank? You gonna keep your metal one or get a cell?

Dave
ARE/FASTECH 432
www.thebeasst.com

 

The new LS1 tanks are plastic I think? You could always give that a shot. If it was my car I'd really just put back in a stock fuel system (with intank pump). It's light weight, clean, and gets the job done. The braided line setups can really make the car look overly busy and take away the sleeper value.

 

Hope to see you doing more wheelstands within two months George! Too bad the good weather will be gone for the most part.

Did you ever determine what broke on those rods? Was it the rod bolts?

Tony

 

[quote]<strong>Sounds good George! Will you be staying with the GTP heads/"pig" cam? Good luck getting it all back together.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Nope, it looks like I'm going to try something a little different. The cam is literally wedged in the block and doesn't want to come out, so I really wouldn't want to trust it in a new engine.

[quote]<strong>Sounds good! Trying a solid cam or anything like that?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Solid what? What's that? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'll leave it at that for now. <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

[quote]<strong>Good luck with the new setup George, hope to see you back soon. What did you decide on the gastank? You gonna keep your metal one or get a cell?</strong><hr></blockquote>

I'm going to try just using a fuel cell bulkhead fitting on the stock tank for now and see if I can make that work. If it refuses not to leak, I'll weld a sump in the stock tank.

[quote]<strong>If it was my car I'd really just put back in a stock fuel system (with intank pump). It's light weight, clean, and gets the job done. The braided line setups can really make the car look overly busy and take away the sleeper value.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I'm not worried about maintaining a sleeper look. I want to do away with the stock lines (at least the rubber/plastic parts) due to safety reasons. I don't plan on mounting everything within plain site any more than necessary, so it should still be fairly well hidden.

[quote]<strong>Hope to see you doing more wheelstands within two months George! Too bad the good weather will be gone for the most part.
Did you ever determine what broke on those rods? Was it the rod bolts?</strong><hr></blockquote>

I hope to see some wheelies in about two months also! The weather will be back to crappy here by then, though. Hell, it's been 80 degrees here for 2 weeks now.

It looks like a rod bolt(s) failed, causing everything to come apart. The fragmented pieces of rod bearing that I found in the pan didn't appear to be scorched. The bolts look like the threads were just ripped right off of them. I haven't even pulled the rest of the motor apart yet. None of it's going to be reused, so I haven't even bothered with it...

 

Going with Nick at ARE is a great decision <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">
I am sure he could give you a great price on a 393 complete motor <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">
Chris

 

[quote]Originally posted by Chris ARE 360:
<strong>Going with Nick at ARE is a great decision <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">
I am sure he could give you a great price on a 393 complete motor <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">
Chris</strong><hr></blockquote>

I'm sure he could too, but it just gets too costly for me when the resleeved block comes into play... I think will little 346cid setup will work out alright. <img src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" border="0">

 

Hey George, were you running stock rod bolts?

 

Good luck George...

JS

 

[quote]Originally posted by just me:
<strong>Hey George, were you running stock rod bolts?</strong><hr></blockquote>

The connecting rods were stock, untouched, with stock bolts...

 

[quote]Originally posted by JS:
<strong>Good luck George...

JS</strong><hr></blockquote>

Thanks Joel. Looks like you've got a pretty potent combo going now with the new Cartek stuff!

 

there was a revision in the stock rod bolts.
They came out with a newer version that was torqued differently and looks different as well.
The first bolt had what looks like a spiral cut in the shaft, probably to allow stretch.
The 2nd bolt had a retainer sleeve on the shaft and did not have the spiral cut in it and was torqued to a greater angle.Do you know which type bolt you had?
Had those rod bolts been reused?
I am just going with ARP bolts on mine but I am curious about this.
Steve

 

Best of luck George!

 

Sounds cool!

I think I will convert my fuel system this year, I want true return line.

 

[quote]Originally posted by just me:
<strong>Do you know which type bolt you had?
Had those rod bolts been reused?
I am just going with ARP bolts on mine but I am curious about this.
Steve</strong><hr></blockquote>

These were the stock '98 bolts that originally came in the car, so I imagine they were the earlier design. They were reused when I put the bottom end back together nearly 2 years ago.