That plate is the anchor point for the screws that attach the Bezel to the dash frame. Without it, the screws would just go through the bezel and not secure the bezel.
Guilty as charged LOL !!
I have a 340 under the bench with exactly that cam / ld340 / milodon oiling system etc.. straight out of 1983.
Antiquated, yes but was a very strong running engine and was bullet proof through all the hard times a 20 something year old could put it through!!
That explains it very well.
I think this is an excellent mod as I have the same setup , centerforce, etc as you.
I will definitely be doing this in the future.
Thanks so much for the tech and advice,
Cheers!!
Love this car!
Ill check out the rest of the thread tonight.
Question.
The ends of the factory bar have an oblong hole in them, the heim joint ends are round .
Is it a consideration or did you have to make other linkage mods to use the heims?
Thanks for the response BTW !!
Ok, first, you have a corroded connection or a bad ground. Wiggling wires and having a start/no start condition is a dead give away. Before you go further, check each connection. Make sure the starter solenoid is grounded , check each terminal on the starter motor wiring harness. You may find...
Great that you found the leak!
Now, save yourself some time and aggravation and get a new gasket.
I doubt you will be able to save the present one and the last thing you want to do is install the old one and still have a leak.
No clear.
Leaving it untreated will result in a dirty looking intake in no time.
if you want a nice aluminum finish, use this.
Here is my intake with 4 coats of this paint. Works great and is easy to clean .