349 CI on the cheap

Well as I figured that there would be some tuning to be done, and there was. The first pass the engine was way, way too rich for the air that we had last night. So I dejetted the front and made another pass. The first pass was a 7.73, the second was a 7.63 so I was in the right direction. Then on the third pass I dejetted the rear jets and left the front alone. I figured that I would try to give the engine a little help as the track was hooking real hard. So I put more air in the tires from 11.5 to 12.5 lbs.. The car responded by running 7.61. Then I put another 1lbs. of air in and retarded the timing just a few degrees so now I'm at 13.5 lbs of air. I go back and make another pass and the car runs 7.478. At this point time trials are comming to a end so I had to leave things as they were.

I go in for the run for the money (basically another time run but paid for) in this closest to the dial in without braking out or red lighting wins the money. In this you only have 1 shot at it. So I dial in at 7.47 and the car runs a 7.493. But they didn't have super pro so I backed up to foot brake class. Figuring that the car would be slower I dial in a 7.54 and to my surprise the car decides to run like a scalded dog. I drive it to about 500 ft or so and lift and hit the brakes thinking that I'm surly not braking out and the car runs a 7.49 on a 7.54. Man I killed 13 mph.

Being how much that I dropped it by and how far I went under the dial, this thing was on a low 7.30 run or quicker. So in the 3rd round I dial a 7.35, the car leaves with the wheels up and man this thing is on another good run. The only thing that I was thinking of was just dont brakeout. So I'm shifting the gears and this thing is pulling hard, I get it to high gear and something feels like it's holding back or putting a heavy drag on something. I get about 80 feet from the finish line and the car locks the wheels up and I'm sliding across the finish line. The car is now stopped about 100 feet past the finish. I cut all the swiches off and get out. The emergency crew comes hauling butt to me to see if I was OK. I was fine but don't know what happened, some said that I broke a rearend, and others said that they could see sparks comming out from under the car, and yet some others said that there were bright blue flames comming out from the hedders. To me from inside the car it acted like the timing was way too far retarded, but I knew that this wasn't the problem, but it sounded like this. Popping and back firing out the exh. But anyway something broke. I was thinking how happy I was to have just put a new transmission blanket on the car. Later after talking to some spectators I knew that the rear end was fine as the car rolls easy and no clunking. So now it has to be either in the engine or transmission. The thing is it never dropped a ounce of fluid from anywhere. Oil pressure was up and the temp was fine, but something has the engine locked where it won't turn over. As of this time I'm not sure what happened, but I'll have a look today to see if I can see anything. When we looked last night everything looked normal. But where were the sparks comming from. I'm thinking that maybe the converter bolts were comming loose and one of them lodged between the block and the flywheel. But I'll have to get it apart one day this week and see, if I get the time.

From others that I was talking to, they figure something in the transmission gave up. As the engine was running to smooth and pulling to hard. But as of now everything has to come apart and be checked. Including the engine, transmission, and rear end. I'm not taking any chances of this happening again. Next time I may not be as lucky. Good thing I have a fresh Big block and trans. ready, so guess whats going in next. I'll let everyone know what I find when I find something.