1997 427 Camaro
Draggin, Thank you.
I'm hoping it will solve my issue as well. It's not a horrendous amount of oil but even a little is no good for me so I'll work on solving that issue when the weather gets nicer. We just got hit with more snow!!
I called Burkhart on Friday and more or less I have my brakes setup correctly but it sounds like the master has air in it some place. I'm going to try bleeding the entire system again and if that doesn't work I'll rip the master off the car and bench bleed and try again. I hope I don't have to take the master off. Thats a real pain to do with a cage in the car.
~Jim~
I'm hoping it will solve my issue as well. It's not a horrendous amount of oil but even a little is no good for me so I'll work on solving that issue when the weather gets nicer. We just got hit with more snow!!
I called Burkhart on Friday and more or less I have my brakes setup correctly but it sounds like the master has air in it some place. I'm going to try bleeding the entire system again and if that doesn't work I'll rip the master off the car and bench bleed and try again. I hope I don't have to take the master off. Thats a real pain to do with a cage in the car.
~Jim~
I did not end up pulling the master.
Turns out the pedal just engages farther then I was used to with other manual setups. It just took a little getting used to.
Trust me it's awful with the cage. I have to sit upside down in the seat so get to the 4 bolts that hold the master onto the fire wall. Normally I'd just lay half in the car under the dash but the door bar makes that impossible.
Turbo 6 liter would be awesome in a boat. What size big block are you going to have lying around?
~Jim~
Turns out the pedal just engages farther then I was used to with other manual setups. It just took a little getting used to.
Trust me it's awful with the cage. I have to sit upside down in the seat so get to the 4 bolts that hold the master onto the fire wall. Normally I'd just lay half in the car under the dash but the door bar makes that impossible.
Turbo 6 liter would be awesome in a boat. What size big block are you going to have lying around?
~Jim~
So I took my heads and head gaskets to a local engine builder and he spotted my problem right away. The head gaskets were leaking but not for the reasons I thought.
It turns out the machining technique the orignial builder used to finish the block and heads left a coarse surface on the heads as opposed to a mirror finish which new technology machining leaves.
This wouldn't have been a problem but the original builder used a set of gaskets that are designed to be used on a mirror finish surface. The gaskets couldn't seal all of the imperfections in the surface and what I was left with was climbing radiator pressure.
He's got a diffrent style of gasket on order for me and we're hoping that will solve my problem. If it doesn't solve my problem then it looks like the motor will be coming out and a complete rebuild will be done. Unfortunatley the heads are already milled to 55cc, down from 67cc. So, they won't be able to be reused in the event of a new rebuild.
Hopefully the gaskets sole the problem. I'd really like to see the track this year.
~Jim~
It turns out the machining technique the orignial builder used to finish the block and heads left a coarse surface on the heads as opposed to a mirror finish which new technology machining leaves.
This wouldn't have been a problem but the original builder used a set of gaskets that are designed to be used on a mirror finish surface. The gaskets couldn't seal all of the imperfections in the surface and what I was left with was climbing radiator pressure.
He's got a diffrent style of gasket on order for me and we're hoping that will solve my problem. If it doesn't solve my problem then it looks like the motor will be coming out and a complete rebuild will be done. Unfortunatley the heads are already milled to 55cc, down from 67cc. So, they won't be able to be reused in the event of a new rebuild.
Hopefully the gaskets sole the problem. I'd really like to see the track this year.
~Jim~
12 Second Club
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, Ohio
WOW!!! I had alot of fun reading this thread man. it took some time to read, but was well worth it to see the outcome. Congrats on the build, and hopefully we get to see some videos and a time slip in the future. take care of that beast.
So I took my heads and head gaskets to a local engine builder and he spotted my problem right away. The head gaskets were leaking but not for the reasons I thought.
It turns out the machining technique the orignial builder used to finish the block and heads left a coarse surface on the heads as opposed to a mirror finish which new technology machining leaves.
This wouldn't have been a problem but the original builder used a set of gaskets that are designed to be used on a mirror finish surface. The gaskets couldn't seal all of the imperfections in the surface and what I was left with was climbing radiator pressure.
He's got a diffrent style of gasket on order for me and we're hoping that will solve my problem. If it doesn't solve my problem then it looks like the motor will be coming out and a complete rebuild will be done. Unfortunatley the heads are already milled to 55cc, down from 67cc. So, they won't be able to be reused in the event of a new rebuild.
Hopefully the gaskets sole the problem. I'd really like to see the track this year.
~Jim~
It turns out the machining technique the orignial builder used to finish the block and heads left a coarse surface on the heads as opposed to a mirror finish which new technology machining leaves.
This wouldn't have been a problem but the original builder used a set of gaskets that are designed to be used on a mirror finish surface. The gaskets couldn't seal all of the imperfections in the surface and what I was left with was climbing radiator pressure.
He's got a diffrent style of gasket on order for me and we're hoping that will solve my problem. If it doesn't solve my problem then it looks like the motor will be coming out and a complete rebuild will be done. Unfortunatley the heads are already milled to 55cc, down from 67cc. So, they won't be able to be reused in the event of a new rebuild.
Hopefully the gaskets sole the problem. I'd really like to see the track this year.
~Jim~
hope the gaskets work out for you Jim. i feel like youve done way to good of a job putting this thing together for this to happen. but ive been in the same boat with all kinds of problems. It seems no matter how nit picky i get something still goes wrong. good luck.
Ryan Gash
Ryan Gash
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The parts came in yesterday so hopefully I get some free time this week to start pieceing it back together.
I'm hoping by sunday I can take it for a test ride. No promises though.
~Jim~
The parts came in yesterday so hopefully I get some free time this week to start pieceing it back together.
I'm hoping by sunday I can take it for a test ride. No promises though.
~Jim~
Cool build! I have a similar Dart based 427 currently in my Firebird. If your rack is set up like mine the front tires Castor/Camber looks to be all over the place, especially after backing the car up. Going forward, no issues though.
You probably had some mls head gaskets on your motor originally, they do like smooth mating surfaces. The Felpro composition head gaskets work fairly well on rough heads compared to the MLS gaskets.
You probably had some mls head gaskets on your motor originally, they do like smooth mating surfaces. The Felpro composition head gaskets work fairly well on rough heads compared to the MLS gaskets.
The car has not been aligned yet so I'm keeping that in mind but I roughed it in and the car goes arrow straight under acclerartion and braking.
They were indeed MLS gaskets. A good gasket but not for rough cut material. I'm hoping the Fel Pro's solve my problem. Otherwise it could be a bad week for me.
~Jim~
They were indeed MLS gaskets. A good gasket but not for rough cut material. I'm hoping the Fel Pro's solve my problem. Otherwise it could be a bad week for me.
~Jim~
Been a real rough couple a weeks over here.
I got the car put back together after a series of disasters. Turns out the head gaskets were bad (or so we thought). I went through and replaced all gaskets on the top half of the motor and was lashing the valves when one of the adjusters broke in half!
After that I went to take the set of roller rockers off the engine when the shaft assembly broke in half. So I went from needing a new adjustment screw to a whole new set of rocker arms. A week later and more money, I had a brand new set of Jesels on the car and had an order in for new pushrods.
The engine builder gave me the wrong pushrods but got me the correct ones a day later. Friday, I got the car started and ran it for a few miles and low and behold, same problem as when I had it running a month ago. Its charging the radiator still.
The guess is the guy who machined this thing did an awful job and thats why I'm in this mess. Any way it looks like I'll be pulling the motor and having it gone through here in the next week or so. Theres a good chance that a new set of heads will be involved as well seeing as the current heads have already been milled to 55cc.
Not good but we'll get it.
~Jim~
I got the car put back together after a series of disasters. Turns out the head gaskets were bad (or so we thought). I went through and replaced all gaskets on the top half of the motor and was lashing the valves when one of the adjusters broke in half!
After that I went to take the set of roller rockers off the engine when the shaft assembly broke in half. So I went from needing a new adjustment screw to a whole new set of rocker arms. A week later and more money, I had a brand new set of Jesels on the car and had an order in for new pushrods.
The engine builder gave me the wrong pushrods but got me the correct ones a day later. Friday, I got the car started and ran it for a few miles and low and behold, same problem as when I had it running a month ago. Its charging the radiator still.
The guess is the guy who machined this thing did an awful job and thats why I'm in this mess. Any way it looks like I'll be pulling the motor and having it gone through here in the next week or so. Theres a good chance that a new set of heads will be involved as well seeing as the current heads have already been milled to 55cc.
Not good but we'll get it.
~Jim~
The car has not been aligned yet so I'm keeping that in mind but I roughed it in and the car goes arrow straight under acclerartion and braking.
They were indeed MLS gaskets. A good gasket but not for rough cut material. I'm hoping the Fel Pro's solve my problem. Otherwise it could be a bad week for me.
~Jim~
They were indeed MLS gaskets. A good gasket but not for rough cut material. I'm hoping the Fel Pro's solve my problem. Otherwise it could be a bad week for me.
~Jim~
Same here, i do body work on my own **** because i have to, no means cause i like it.
I got the 12 bolt in my 89. Need to hook up the brakes, needs 1 rotor though. The studs are too long to use the shank lugs for my convo pros since they are closed end. I am selling them anyway. My big block is in the shop right now getting the block done. Still need the special flywheel to mate the T56 to the 461.
Yep...need more money...
I got the 12 bolt in my 89. Need to hook up the brakes, needs 1 rotor though. The studs are too long to use the shank lugs for my convo pros since they are closed end. I am selling them anyway. My big block is in the shop right now getting the block done. Still need the special flywheel to mate the T56 to the 461.
Yep...need more money...
The engine was Pulled last night and it's heading to the builder tonight.
We thought we had traced the problem to air pockets and no recovery system but we were mistaken. No doubt about it is internal. Most likley in the heads some place. The guesses right now are that either it was machined improperly or the heads are junk. Hoping to have the engine back in 2 weeks. I'll try to keep it updated.
~Jim~
We thought we had traced the problem to air pockets and no recovery system but we were mistaken. No doubt about it is internal. Most likley in the heads some place. The guesses right now are that either it was machined improperly or the heads are junk. Hoping to have the engine back in 2 weeks. I'll try to keep it updated.
~Jim~
Rough setbacks dude. I've been through all this before too. It really wears on you if you let it. Sometimes, backing away and letting things "cool" for awhile is best for you and the car. I sold a car of mine last year because of engine problems. Pulled like a rape ape but leaked oil constantly.
Good luck dude. Been following the build and so far, this thing is an animal! Wicked sick!
Good luck dude. Been following the build and so far, this thing is an animal! Wicked sick!
