madkaw

yes, I am learning. All other gears seemed fine, but third was tough coming and going. Since I was having previous problems with 3rd, I thought the guy missed something on the rebuild. He did say if was going to replace something on chance the previous parts werent made right to spec.

So a little more detail on my ups and downs. As I said the motor sounded good at first, quiet and very strong even with reduced timing. It was very responsive and reminded me of the original motor, BUT, it had some quirks. I had a very scary metallic sound coming from up front, like pinging from detonation, but I had never heard this before, As stated earlier., no go past 4000 rpm. On my second drive around town before discovering my bad CAS, I started to develope loud valve noise as if something came loose. Limping it home I also noticed my trans didn't like third gear. It would not downshift into third unless rpms were nothing. This was the fnal straw for trying to make Zcon. So reluctantly accepting the failures I put the car up on jacks and preceded to pull the trans. Now just before this is when I dicovered my failed CAS mount. The sensor was damaged around the threads from what I thought was excessive movement from a failed mount. My mount is directly on the plate between the engine and trans, so fixing the trans would also allow me easy access to fix the CAS. As I pulled off the clutch slave, I noticed the boot had come loose. When I pulled the boot, pieces of metal fell out into my hand-this was not good. WTF. Not sure what these were but they were in my bell housing. Pulled the trans out and everything inside, flywheel,PP, clutch looked great. Called my trans guy and arranged to drop it off, along with the metal pieces. So now looking at the CAS, I realize those metal pieces were bullets hitting the sensor that was potruding into the bellhousing area. The mount couldn't hold up to this battering and I'm surprised the sensor held up. The only thing i could think is that the pieces were broke up pilot bushing from when i removed the old one. But how did they remain there. I vacuumed out the hole and installed a new bushing. The input shaft would have trapped anything missed. The plate between the engine and trans would have kept anything I missed on the back of the block from getting into the bell housing. A call from my trans guy just confirmed more mysteries. He couldn't find anything wrong with the trans and the pieces I found fit the pilot bushing radius perfect. He tells me that I might just have used the wrong gear lube. I used Redline synthetic-expensive stuff. He said he was going to check everything again and make some phone calls. I guess I could see that the synthetic is too slick for the synchros and not slowing them down enough? I've heard of this before, but never experienced it. I was running lucas 80/90 before. I will note that the past 2 weeks were hard on the old body and my herniated discs in my neck. Another reason that memphis just wasn't going to work. The good stuff! My high oil pressure I had with the previous block is gone. pressure readings are where they should be , not riding 70psi all the time. No more leak at the rear main!!! The engine sounded strong, quiet after the lash adjustment, and the cam looked like it was wearing in normal. All my guages read normal. And the car drove as good as I remember. After searching forever I found a steel nut that I can properly weld for my CAS. I have weded it in place and now I feel much better about the mount. Waiting anxiously on my trans so i can finish breaking this in!!

Dam, I only hope next time I make it.

I made my own coil bracket from aluminum square tubing. 10$ worth of scrap and some R&D. I made my flywheel my trigger wheel(free)! Cherry Hall gear tooth sensor 20$-

Congrats SteveJ, Glad the ride was good.

You need one of those fancy LS1 coil brackets now. Nice score

I hate it guys, you all sound like a hoot. ill be on the car show hunt as soon as she's fixed. Maybe get close to meet up someone. the consolation here is that I get to stay home and watch my son compete. He was named All American and 1# HS breaststroker in the country. I get to watch something really fast!! C'mon son-- dad wants to go to RIO!

Sorry guys, for me it's about driving my car to the show AND meeting new folks, but got to have both. Got the car running, only to find that my freshly rebuilt trans has a bad 3rd gear synchro. Going to loose the gear very soon. Just not in the cards for me

Engine issues guys, might not make it. Love to meet you all but I was only going if I could drive there. Don't think I will change my mind, but I will try and get it fixed. Probably have 2 days work, more than I wanted before driving the Z.

I did Zed. We'll not looking good for zcon. Engine wouldn't go past 4000. Started snooping around and found my CAS mount failed. Not an easy set up to get to. I screwed up and JB welded the mount in and it didn't hold. Should have welded it. My hall sensor was probably bouncing around and loosing interface with the flywheel.

I just was just backing off some of the timing for the fresh unknown motor. Little more compression and different cam, so I wanted to be safe. Haven't verified my timing with a light yet either. Mine stopped working I guess. The drive today felt pretty good. Just felt good to drive the Z again after a whole year off the road. Mikunis are not liking the fast hard tip in, don't think my account pumps are bled out yet. Good Ole torque, what a nice change after driving my ball less Chevy Sonic turbo. Still have a list and a couple of miles to feel confident.

Well she turned over but didn't start at first. Turned my laptop on and plugged in and saw that I wasn't showing rpm. So I took out my crank sensor and checked it, no damage. So I adjusted it closer and BOOM BABY, she fired off just like I remember. Let her idle for a while and so far no leaks. The motor sounded good and valve train was quiet. I definitely need to adjust my timing graphs, but that shouldn't be a big deal. Hope to get her on the road for a test drive as soon as I figure something out with exhaust.

I'm going to melt.

FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!

Well it's like watching one of those car shows where all kinds of things happen at the last minute. So I lost a day and half because Isky put the wrong numbers down on their cam. Things roll pretty good installing the motor, but not sure I will install a motor again with all the carbs on. It throws the balance off longitudinally , so it makes it tough lining things up. The trans was a bit tough lining up, but the old man squeezed her on. So pour coolant in the radiator and watch it drip out of my thermostat housing. turns out the housing is cracked Not a big deal EXCEPT, Mikuni shorty intake means it all has to come off to get the bolts on the housing -SH!T. So that added an extra 3 hours of work. Went thru diagnostics last night and the fuel pump didn't work. Tested wires and ended up at my inertia switch-just needed to be reset! Fired off the coils and they tested okay. So I'm ready to start it this morning and the battery is dead. Some dumb arse left the ignition on all night.

Drilled only. Both don't work good.

Should get her fired off today

So the guy at Autozone says " how many thermostat gaskets did you say you needed?"

I think a lot of worry on shimming should be confined to folks that shave the top of the head. Shaving off the bottom will loosen the timing chain and effect timing number slightly, and shimming can bring that back. Now if the top side is shaved to make all things parallel, then you directly change the geometry of the cam to the rockers. Whatever you do , you need to compensate . I did not shim though I have taken around .030 off. BUT, I have taken the time to degree my cam so to compensate for the height difference.

Cliff, If I took the train I would never get there - ....moving right along like a freight train on the build

My Schneider cam -274F grind was a bit smaller and it pulled hard from 1500rpm. I could putt around town all day at 1500rpm in 4th gear. I do have 390 gears. Guy, seeing these numbers makes me wonder where you are at with your motors. I'm shaved .030 and I advanced this cam to the third hole. If you did the normal .080 on the P79 then your timing is probably way late. Leaving a lot of torque unused? Better use that dial indicator

and........the numbers are in. Cam card says Intake exhaust open 2.5BTDC open 40.5 BBDC Closed 40.5 BDC closed 2.5 ATDC My numbers on #3 hole sprocket Intake exhaust 3 BTDC 43 BBDC 39 BBDC 2 ATDC Steve,

Richard, good call on the box cover. It actually fits the bolt spacing perfectly-no drilling. Yes it's not very thick, but there isn't much pressure being exerted pushing a dial indicator rod in. Hell, the engine stand bounces around more-. I looked at my Schneider card from my 480 lift cam and I realize now how far off the isky numbers are and how close mine probably are to being right. At least I can put this puppy together if Ron ever calls back

waiting on Ron to call me back, but he said the cam card is WRONG!

Waiting to call Isky