Pumped half a gallon into this plastic container and let it sit overnight in the garage....

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I have a friend with a low pressure electric pump and we are going to try and pump the tank out this evening.

Hoping I can get all in cans then try and siphon the gas off the water so I can re-use it....

This is NOT how I hoped to start my new purchase off.
Will

How nice... I fixed the caliper.

Take the car for a drive and decided to fill it up with gas..... 1/4mile out of the station car dies.... won't restart.

Tow it home and start checking stuff out. Drain the carb before taking it off and the Gas is full of water. Pump 1/2 gallon into a clear container and its 1/2 water.


SUCKS! It was pretty low on gauge and took 13 gallons to fill it up.

Just got (2) stainless sleeved o-ring rear calipers from Vette Brakes and Products. I should have it fixed this week.

Man trying to get a Collector car (agreed value) insurance policy from Geico has been a real PITA... I applied the day I brought the 72 home, Geico didn't call me until Thursday about it and halfway thru was having computer problems.... then they never called back..... must have been a big hurry for them to get off to the weekend.

I got to manage a few other projects this week too.... Hope to find time to finish the engine in the race car and I am helping a friend get the ignition wiring on his 1960 Lincoln sorted out as well....

I'll take some more pics when I fix the brakes.
Will

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Just do it man.... what ever it takes to silence the voices.
Will

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You know I'm always looking at these cars and mid-years to see where they are money wise.

There are so many iconic C3 Corvette colors but.... War Bonnet Yellow and Riverside Gold were honestly on the top of my want list (probably everybody's)..... Ontario Orange and Cortez Silver were a strong second.

I'm going to tell you - I don't think I have ever seen a better time to have a little discretionary income.... Now is a darn good time to buy one.

Pretty awesome that this car worked out like it did..... It's a story I'll have to tell you guys sometime.

I told Elsie that later this year we are going to load it up and take it on a road trip. I definitely want to have some fun with this car.
Will

Thanks for all the kind words guys!

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That's a very gracious offer Tommy - but I think I'm going to have to muddle thru life with it now.

Elsie absolutely fell in love as soon as she saw that pumpkin in the sun light... Good thing I got it home before midnight!

Will

Quote:

Thanks.

Yea I know about the calipers. Had to put seals in them on the 79 after we bought it as well.

Have no space in the garage to keep the 79... but its going to a good home and staying in the family.

Dad's buying the green 79 for my mom's birthday. Hes been dying to restomod the white 76 I gave him a few yrs ago but I kept saying because its totally stock orginal car that it's a bad idea.... lol... I know seems crazy me not wanting to mod a car... anyways the 79 already has a replacement engine so he can do what ever he wants to it.
Will

1972 LS5 454 4spd. Ontario Orange with black interior. 80,000 miles.

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I have always liked chrome bumpers. Really blessed to have been able to buy this one. Really clean and nice looking car.

It's not stock.... been modified with a cam, Torker intake and Holley 600DP.... not sure WTF they were thinking putting a 600 on a 454 but I am looking replacing that crap intake and carb with an LS6 repro intake and 750DP.

Got to fix the driver side rear brake caliper first... I didn't notice it leaking Sunday when I looked at the car but its leaking now. Always something.
Will

Just saw that French rider Franck Petricola was killed yesterday....

http://wtop.com/sports/2015/06/french ... ycle-race-in-isle-of-man/

RIP

I put Raybestos ceramics on the wifes Jeep Grand Cherokee.

They stop ok and dust very little but they are noisy when cold... sound like metal to metal. No idea why but it's not very confidence inspiring

Back a few yrs ago I tried GM Dura Stops on the 92 and it was a fricken disaster first time I hit the track. They were ok for every day driving.
Will

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This is a single stage kit. Right now I have a 31N jet in it which should be about 300HP.... I do have an electronic progressive controller, which can ramp power in by fluttering the solenoids to get a lesser % (starting percentage) of that 300HP for a specified amount of time (ramp) before it goes 100%.

Actually the amount of power I was having to put to it early in the run should have clued me in that something was bad wrong with the engine. It's just a failure of me as a tuner being too focused on other things (driving the car, making suspension changes, ect) to put it all together.

Last year with the IRS and TH350 I was starting at 30% and had a .75 second ramp to 100% (of 200HP). This was best case because the car would drag the bumper off (huge wheelie) with any more starting percentage.

In Ga we made a 1 good test hit and 1 shitty test hit. Both had 35% starting percentage (of 300HP).... 100% in 1.2 seconds.

It went a 1.29 60ft on 30%.

For the first points race, I made 3 passes. Went from 40% to 50% to 60% starting percentage (of 300HP).... 100% in .75 second.

It went a 1.32 60ft on 60%.... and was way slower on the lesser amounts.

Now last weekend I upped it to 70% on my test hit.... and I was going to try 80% in the first round (glad I didn't). 100% in .5 second.

It only went 1.38 60ft on 70%

I should have known better, because the car kept getting slower on the 60ft but I just stupidly assumed the new suspension was hooked to the ground like super glue and the new Powerglide with its 1.80 low gear ratio (TH350 is a 2.52) and a super tight TQ Converter was the culprit and the car just needed more power earlier...

BTW in case your wondering - I am limited by class rules to a 36N jet which is just over 400HP with this kit and the 31N jet I have in it right now is the smallest setting.

Will

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Yes I plan to use some muriatic acid on a rag or a fine scotch-brite pad if necessary.

More of a "at the track in between rounds fix" but I just don't want to deal with everything required to hone the block.

The brgs are perfect and I'd need to take crank and cam out of it to hone the block... that lower pulley on the cam belt drive is a PITA to deal with and honing the block will get honing oil that's full of metal all over/in everything. That will require serious cleaning....

Good luck getting your trans brgs.
Will

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It's a lot of work keeping them all running.

The past couple years have been horrible to my 92.... it just sits in the garage and occasionally gets drug out on nice days and driven to work.

I need to get the paint fixed (espc the hood where a motor mount broke and the alternator fan chewed a hole in it) and I really want to get the engine back out of it so I can change the camshaft to something less aggressive - but that time and money are eaten up keeping the race car competitive.

I have a new set of drag radials for the 92 that I was going to put on last Sunday (and it really needs them).... but with having to pull the engine out of the race car that got put off..... I do have to drive up to Maryland on Friday, so I intend to throw the tires in the back, drive the 92 to work tomorrow, stop by the tire shop on my way home from work.... then I can take the 92 on a nice drive thru the mountains of Maryland on my way to pay for some of the parts to fix the race car.

With work, our daily drivers, keeping Elsies 79 in good running order and other everyday life it's tough to make the time sometimes... then there is the time I spend on my consulting business building/maintaining engines for other people.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS! It's good to have them. LOL.
Will

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It will, but I haven't had a WBO2 in the car until this last race.... Usually we just ready plugs as chasing an AF "number" with a NO2 car can get you in trouble.

However, I bought an NGK Powerdex AFX WBO2 used from a customer of ours who is upgrading. I wanted to see just where everything was at and mostly use it to see how good my carb was at part throttle under light loads like in the pit and return road... because my plugs looked absolutely horrible.

On my test hit Sat, the display was pegged at 9.00 the entire pass... Which is the lowest it will read.

Totally explains the plugs looking horrible because the carb is pretty good.... 14.1 at idle and never gets richer than 12.5 at part throttle - unless you hit the accelerator pump hard.

A chassis dyno is possible but on a 1100+HP engine the acceleration rate is so much faster than at the track I don't know how much useable data I would have afterwards.
Will

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I have parts coming to fix it and the intake/nitrous kit is is on it's way back to the mfgr to get flow tested - which this flow test should have been done when the kit was built as this is a one off custom kit.... but don't get me started on that.

Once the kit has been flow tested and we know how many pph of NO2 it flows for a given jet it's easy to calculate the amount of fuel required and getting the tune up sorted at the track will be pretty painless.

Delivery on the pistons and fly cutting the valve relief pockets is going to be very close to deciding whether I can get it all back together and make the next race or not.

If I can't get the 84 back together in time, I'm going to bring my 92 or 93ragtops vert and line it up just to get first round points. Both are easily fast enough to make the min ET for the class (7.50 1/8th mile) but in no way are either a threat to go past the first round - unless my opponent red lights or breaks.
Will

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Bad nitrous system tune up. Way too much fuel. The engine basically couldn't burn all the extra fuel from the nitrous kit and tried to hydro lock while running.

You can see how the ring land area under the top ring is pushed downward into the second ring, seizing/pinching it.

This is a very common failure with nitrous engines that are run way too rich.

I knew after that first pass that this new kit was way off on the tune ups but thought I could figure it out in a few passes.... well trying to take it easy and not make big changes ended up with a few passes one week then a few more passes the next week and the motor didn't make it very far on week 3.
Will

All 8 pistons have crushed/pinched 2nd ring lands to one degree or another.

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Some aluminum transfer from the piston to one of the cyl walls but surprisingly the rest look OK...... it looks worse than it really is and it'll clean up easily with a little acid on a rag.

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Bearings and crank look brand new. You'd never think they were 2 races into their 2nd season of a 1000+HP and 8000RPM racing engine.

Hard to believe I did this damage in only 6 passes.

I re-dyno'd the engine with my new carb and made 751 HP normally aspirated in Feb.... It also leaked down less than 2% on every hole. Engine was in perfect condition until I started trying to sort out some overly rich nitrous tune ups.

That first tuning/test pass is GA, the car left and pulled harder than I have ever felt before.... every pass after it has been lazy and slow... I am now thinking it was hurt a little on the first pass and all the subsequent tuning has been driving more nails in it's coffin.....

Well I'm working on getting 8 new pistons built, new set of rings and will use some acid to etch the alum transfer off the cyl wall. The nitrous kit is on it's way back to the mfgr to get flow tested to see what the heck is wrong with it......

Trying and get everything back together in time for the next race on the 30th of this month.

On the plus side after some new Penske shocks custom valved by Chris Bell at Kinetic Engineering and changes to lengthen the rear suspensions Instant Center, the car is driving straight and leaving great.

Just got to get the HP fixed.... Pistons are about $850, rings about $350, $250 in intake & head gaskets, shipping the intake back was $90.... This is gonna be expensive.
Will

I run 75W 140 in all my rear diffs. The Lucas is goood oil. I have the Lucas 75W 140 in my race car and Valvoiline Synpower 75W 140 in the 92.

It's better gear oil as far as strength peroid. 75W cold pour weight is still pretty thin.

140 weight has a higher sheer load rating than 90 weight.

The only place a 90 weight gear oil will be better is on gas mileage.
Will

Just be aware that some 1987 truck blocks will have the stands cast in the lifter valley for the spider hold down but they may not be drilled and tapped by the factory.

Same with the cam retainer provision on the front of the block. It will be machned flat but won't be drilled.... or it will be drilled with the small bolt pattern.... GM used 2 different bolt patterns on the cam retainer for factory roller blocks. PITA sometimes.
Will

With all the little parts involved in Drum brakes, there is no way they are cheaper to mfgr than disk.

I think Brian's explanation is probally the closest.

Heck my 2013 GMC Sierra Z71 still has drums on the rear.... and theywill probally last 100K miles before I need to replace them. My 03 Avalanche had rear disk and they didn't last 30K miles when I was towing.

Speaking of Drum brakes, I got to swap out a leaking wheel cyl on my step daughters Neon last week..... took 4 mins and 2 mins of that was getting her outside to help bleed the brakes.
Will

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No but I got close enough to the wall that a banner broke loose, whipped around, drug down the side of the car and knocked some paint off.

Never actually touched the wall but that banner smacking the mirror and rear quarter pannel made me think I did.

My chassis builder has some redesigning to do on the track locator/panhard bar... and I need to get the rear shocks revalved or buy some new ones....

I think we have a plan to fix the problem and hope to have it done in time for the first race.
Will

Nice track. Man I'd love to make a few laps in something like that Formula Atlantic....

Sorry to hear about busting the gear box in it.

My track day last weekend didn't go much better. Looks like I got more $$$$ to spend as well.
Will

Dyno day went great.

Changes were shortening the headers from 34" to 30" and C16 fuel.

Started with the QFT carb. Made 687hp.. few jet and air bleed changes to adjust for the new fuel and it made 721hp. Right where it was last time. Timing adjustment from 40* to 38* got it 727hp and that was it. Everything else I tried hurt power.

Next up the C&S aerosol billet. I bought this carb used so I knew it'd take some time to get it right. And I was right, PO had it out in left field... Few phone calls later and too many changes were made to detail here but it was totally worth it.

At the end of the day I had my 750hp pull and backed it up with 2 more 749hp pulls.

Then we removed the vacuum pump belt and it made 733hp. So 16" of vacuum is worth 17hp.

I'll have dyno sheets to post tomorrow sometime.
Engine is back in the car and I test drove it around my brothers neighborhood. New tranny and rear working fine.

We'll see how it all works together tomorrow night if weathers good.
Will

I put SKF brgs on mine.
Will

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Does he use EDM or a Bridgeport with carbide center drills?

We use the latter, but EDM capability would have been sweet with some of the totally screwed stuff I have had to fix over the years.....
Will

Few new pics of the progress.

The intake with the new Annular Fogger arrived via Big Brown truck yesterday and now my brother has it all wired and plumbed for the car - Ready to go.

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He also got a 1/4 turn valve bracket built. It's just been loose hanging by the NO2 line beside the center console for like 3yrs.... I guess it was time someone made a proper bracket for it.... Going to also to get rid of the little 90* -4AN gauge line fitting and install the gauge directly on the adapter fitting. Easier to see the NO2 pressure and one less AN line to be a potential problem.

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Right now engine is comming back out of the car and getting ready for it's trip to the dyno. We are switching carburators and fuel this year. I hope to see some sizeable power gains N/A in addition to the sizeable power gains this new fogger is going to bring....

Plan is to be on the dyno Wed 18 March and then install the motor back in the car and be headed to Brainard Optimist (or Silver Dollar) Dragway to test that weekend on Sat or Sun 21-22 March.

Then drive home and test again with the rest of the class cars at Mason Dixon Dragway the next weekend Sat 28 March.
Will

Hard for me to believe I bought the 92 in 2004.

So I've owned it 11yrs also.

Time flies.
Will

Allowed to do anything different with the Pistons or Rods?

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Looks like for the forseeable future you got me.

At least my 92 and Elsie's 79 are still runnning.

We haven't driven either of them in months due to the weather we are having lately thou.....

Will

Well a little bad news....

The intake and fogger had to go back to TX this weekend for a re-do. The owner of the company was at the big race in GA this week end and took it back with him.... He told my brother that once he got back to the shop with it on Tuesday, it was first in line to get fixed.

Seems that they installed the nozzels out too far on the intake and it wouldn't physically fit on the engine without hitting the rocker covers/cyl head rocker cover rail.

Dave the owner of Nitrous Outlet was also not thrilled about the type of nozzel they used..... he wanted to use an Annular discharge type nozzel instead of the more common 90* nozzels.... Seems he believes that Annular nozzels would be better suited for limited jet stuff.... not to mention due to the way they sit straight - up are better suited physically to my application.

Just one of those things that happens.... the Tech suport guy and installer were not 100% familiar with how my engine stuff was laid out and even thou I sent some pics, there are a lot of little things you can't tell by just looking at pics and honestly I wasn't very specific about what I wanted - Other than to say I wanted "The baddest SOB they can build under the rules".

So going to have to weld up the holes they drilled/tapped, install the Annular style nozzels, then re-plumb it, re-flow/blueprint the new system and ship it back to me by next week.

Puts me another week behind but Dave at Nitrous Outlet is being a 100% stand up guy about making it right. It still sucks but he's doing everything he can to make it right and I know it totally sucks for him to have to eat shipping and all the labor to re-do this system.

Hopefully I will run good this year this year and make up for all this.
Will

Cold and snowing here in the nation's Capital.... well at least 15 miles south in VA.

Good going for Kansas. I have been seeing more open carriers lately.
Will

Nothing wrong with Russell AN hoses and hose ends.

Everything on my race car is Russell except the fuel filter which is an Earls.. Only because Russell didn't mfgr a -12 filter in the short length I needed.

We are talking $1500-2000 worth of -4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 AN hose and fittings on the brake, fuel and nitrous systems.

Not a single bad roll of hose or AN fitting from them. My nitrous and brake hoses are their crimped end pre built units and again all perfect.

Russell is owned by Edelbrock and it's all USA mfgr'd stuff. I highly recommend it. There are other good AN hose suppliers out there but my recent experience with Russell products will keep me using them.
Will

Sorry to hear.

God speed Mike V.
Will

Just bench press that bad boy in there.

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Yes, we usually pre-season test at Reynolds.

Will

Very cool cars. Some of the best looking ever.... you can tell it s a race car but it still looks like an early C4 Corvette.

Some big dog names involved in the building of those cars and race teams.

About the spotty documentation deal.... too bad didn't keep better records of what was what, but race cars were and always have been perishible items with yearly rule changes and technology getting outdated so quickly.... For some reason nobody ever thinks the cars will be valuable enough to care about 20-30yrs later.... despite the fact that history shows over and over that they always do.
Will

Though the Guru's would like to see some pics of the 434 partially apart as we did a bunch of maintenance getting it ready for the 2015 Season. I did not pull the pan because of the fairly low muber of runs last season and theres nothing in the oil filter or oil pressure indicating it needs new brgs. We did pull both cyl heads, all the rockers and roller lifters for inspection/repair.

First thing, we leaked it down and the engine was less than 2% on every hole - EXCEPT cyl number 1. Nearly 20% comming out the exhaust valve. Tapping the valve did nothing.... That sucks. Pulled the head and the valve... turnes out it was just some rust on the seat from sitting a few weeks with the valve open.... Man racing gas is some corrossive stuff.... Buffed both the valve and seat off with a wire wheel and it now hold vaccum as good as the rest of them. Re-install head (thank god for re-useable MLS headgaskets) and the leak down test now reveals less than 2% on cyl number 1.

Hers a pic of one of the cyl heads and the short block... check out that chamber burn pattern... nearly 100% coverage and so detailed you can actuallly see the shadow the vertical gas ports in the pistons left behind in the burn pattern of the combustion chambers quench area.

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Burn coverage on the piston itself is only abut 75-80% but thats becasue of the dome on the pistons, which increases surface area and slow down the burn rate in the chamber during the power stroke.

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Also some known damage I had to repair. Back 2 races into the last year I ate a Jesel roller tip up and scarred up a valve stem on the cyl number 6 exhaust after I drilled a few too many holes in my valve cover vaccum pump inlet baffel - trying to get a little more oil flow into the pump.... succeded in getting more oil in the pump but that resulted in less oil on the valve tip and rocker. Found the damage when I was adjusting valves.

I put a new $30.00 roller tip on the rocker, buffed up the valve stem tip as best I could and carried on for the rest of the season....

After an entire season of racing with 300lbs of seat pressure and over 800lbs open pressure, .806 lift and turning 7500RPM.... The damage to the valve tip wasn't too bad at all.

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It actually cleaned right up touching it on the valve grinder with less than .001 removal. Saved me from buying a $30.00 valve.

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So as you can see above the engine is all back together with a new timing belt and we are waiting on this to arrive from The Nitrous Outlet.

Nitrous Outlet was kind enough to send me the glamor shots of my 2892 Super Victor 2 intake with the new custom fogger all plumbed. Makes me wish I would have spent more time on my "finish" port/polish work... but these just make it that much harder to have patience... I am dying here waiting for it to arrive so I can put it back on the engine..... can't wait to fire this bad boy off on the track.

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Once I get the intake back, there is going to be a little wiring to do for the new nitrous kit and some new AN hoses will need to be built.

Once thats done we are back to the dyno to tune in my new C&S Specalties Aersol Billet 1000 carburator.




Hoping to break 750HP this time but it may make less than last time because the fogger nozzels hang down in the air stream and may hurt flow enough to hinder the engines N/A hp.

Also still waiting on a new TQ converter to be built but should have it in a week or so. After that we hope to make some test passes in Georgia to get the new suspension and transmissin sorted before my first offical test session in Maryland on March 28th.
Will

95 is the first year for the pin drive Second Generation vented Optispark. That is a good thing.

The ZF6 spd is a great tranny. Totally bullet proof.

Keep a check on the hyd system (slave and master) for the clutch. The only potnetial failure prone weak part of the entire car... and not that big of a deal.

Congrats... The later C4s are great cars for the money these days.
Will

Figured I would post pics of the completed 3 Link Suspension here.

To give credit where credit is due.

Dominoc Cimino at Maryland Performance Specalties in Baltimore, MD did the fabrication. The man is one heck of a fabricator and chassis guy.

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I still have to modify and re-install the carpet in the back. I also have to cut some carpet in the front where the tranny crossmember bars run along the floor.... got the drivers side done, now have to do the passenger side... of course all the electronics are in the passenger side floor so it's a little more complicated.

Then I have to figure out where to hang all this additional weight I have to carry this season, then set the final ride height and re-center the rear end with the panhard bar.

Hoping to have this stuff done this week and be ready to take the car to GA Friday.

Will

New pics posted.

Almost complete. Bringing it home tomorrow.
Will

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A 4 link makes it too much of a real race car.

I even offered to keep the traverse leaf spring back there but that was a no go.

Most of the cars in the class are Fox Mustangs which have a triangulated 4 link stock.... As would a G Body GM car. The stuff I have seen people fabricate under those cars is insane. Small tire Pro Mods.

We considered building mine a triangulated 4 link like that and also a TQ Arm F Body suspension as well. The short length upper bars being angled out bothered me and I thought a 3 link would be freeer and offer more adjustment than the TQ Arm.

I still have the option to easily put an F Body TQ arm under it if the rules change.
Will

All the 90's era IMSA and Trans Am cars were straight rears with 3 or 4 link rear suspensions.

All of the new Howe chassis TA-2 and GT-2 class cars use a 3 link with a panhard bar - Just like my car.

We have been using this 3 link type suspension in oval track pavement Late Models for a very long time. It can be set up to go around corners as good or better than anything.

Not that my 84 ever would turn a corner (other than the one to the return road). Only reason I built a 3 link was to satisfy the class rules which specifically prohibit 4 link rear suspensions....
Will

Yea we ended up cutting the car up a little more than I intended.

Notched the frame rails because the front lower control arm/link brackets were so wide.... which were so wide to match the ones on the axle housing... you know so everything could use the same bolts, heim spacers, ect.

The package tray deck is going to have to be raised up about 3" to clear the upper link during suspension travel. So had to cut that out as well.... once I put the carpet and storage box doors (just cosmetic) back in place you'll never know.

Lot of work. Definitely not for the feint of heart. I think its going to be worth it.

Edit to add.

The rear wheels and tires are the same 15X10 with 6.5 back space and MT 28X10.5 slicks that I used with the IRS. We may try a 275/60R15 radial later in the season.

Will

Hey if this drag racing gig falls through, the 3 link rear suspension is perfect for road racing.
Will

So my chassis builder got some pics up of the progress on my 84.

Pics here:

https://m.facebook.com/marylandperform ... lties?ref=stream&refid=13

The suspension is a copy of a 2005 Mustang. Its all 1.5" OD .120 wall chromoly tubes, hand built and 3/4" chromoly kevelar lined heim joints. Should never break. The panhard bar will be the same stuff.

The rear housing is a fabricated 9" Ford from Quick Performance. 3" OD .250 wall axle tubes, the adjustable lower control arm brackets are QP orginally for an F Body. Rear end is for 3rd Gen F body, 62" wide axle flange to axle flange.

Center section is an aluminum Yukon thru bolt. Motive 3.89 gears, Moser Engineering 35 spline spool and axles.

Wilwood Dynalite brakes.

Going to reuse my Koni DA coilover shocks... actually as coilovers for the time being. I'll buy new Vi-King DAs to replace them once I get past paying for all this.

There's an Auto-Fab anti roll bar also he's working on fitting today.

Also converted the car to a 2spd Powerglide from Transmission Specalties Inc. Same PTC converter I ran with the TH350 last year.... I know it's not right but it's something to start with.

Hoping to have the car done in time to test it at the Ducks race in Ga. Lights Out VI is Feb 19-21st. Goint to attempt to qualify in Nitrous X. Its a serious class so just making the field will be an accomplishment for me.

Same 722hp 434 SBC engine as last year but I got a bad ass custom direct port fogger nitrous system being built at Nitrous Outlet as we speak.

After the Ducks race the engine is getting pulled down for inspection and going back to the dyno to tune my new C&S aerosol billet carb. Hopefully it will break the 750hp mark.

After that first MPC Real Street race of the season is April 18 at Mason Dixon Dragway.

Hope you Gurus are looking forward to what I can do in 2015 as much as I am.
Will

The Optispark vaccum harness I used, is GM PN 12555323.

$52.00 online.

It was a big part of the improvement of the Optispark II.... in addition to the better pin drive system and bigger oil seal.

You really need that vaccum harness to pull the ozone created from the high voltage side of the opti out of the cap.
Will

Did you happpen take the new MSD Opti apart and

1. Check the rotor screw to make sure it was tight (I loctite them for GP)
2. Check the Cap O-Ring (they can be mis aligned)

These 2 things are the biggest problems with any new Opti-Spark and what the problems people were having with the first MSD's that were used.

You really should put the vent harness on it. I bought mine from GM Parts Direct when I converted my 92 to the late model Opti (using a new MSD OPti Spark) and have no problems since 2007. I turn mine over 7K every time I drive it....
Will

Chris Franks in Texas has a few straight up monster CNC Programs for the GM LS3 cyl heads. Start at $1400 complete with the BTR platinum spring package. He dosen't post alot of info publically about them but.....

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=633402

If I were building an LS3, He's the guy I'd use.

http://www.frankensteinracingheads.com/

Will

Horrible. RIP.
Will

Obviously I didn't buy it for the gas mileage but the fact that it's doing as well as it is.... Nice bonus.

My folks have a 2011 Silverado 2WD.... gets 17 mpg HWY unloaded on a good day. Their truck has the iron block 5.3L thou....

Noticed mine has the Alum block 5.3L and I gather GM does this to offset the weight gain on the 4WD trucks... but that could be something to do with it.

Most likely just tolerance stack.... I got a good one and they got a crappy one.
Will