Recent content by Grunchy

I guarantee to you that if the battery is registering 12.22 volts when the motor is running, that's because the alternator is dead. Something has expired between the alternator, the voltage regulator, maybe a fuse somewhere, or the wiring got nibbled by a porcupine in the dead of night!

You gain some HP from eliminating the fan, Motor Trend looked into this (Engine Masters Episode 20), it could even be up to 30 hp according to their testing. (I deleted my clutch fan because I wanted the free space back in front of the engine! The electric fans are thermostatically driven, they...

Yeah, that alternator isn't working. You should be getting 13-14 volts after the motor fires up. The alternator or the voltage regulator, one of them has given up the ghost. (I use "cigarette lighter voltmeter," a little cheap thing for testing or monitoring.)

Regarding the "original vs clone" debate, I'm more of the opinion of here's a store-bought car vs handmade. (I prefer the customs.) Let's put it this way, the original-spec car is not likely to be very competitive against the modified.

I checked & couldn't find the Shanon's aluminum big block Hemi for $5100. SHANONS ENGINEERING | eBay Stores

I wrecked my gas tank putting on an electric pump for the Fitech injector system! Ha ha :) I mounted the fuel pump externally on my old tank, and I wanted to use the shortest pickup hose for least restriction, and I wanted the pump mounted at about the bottom of the tank so it had flooded inlet...

I got a moderate/mild cam on my bone stock 318 (comp K20-212 with lifters & springs) and I used the break-in lubricant that came packaged with. I noticed that of all the Mobil 1 listed, the lowest amount of ZDDP was 750 ppm and most was 900 or up to 1300 for the tappet formula (1850 ppm race)...

When I was 19 my dad's friend sold me his '70 firebird (400 4-speed) for $400, which I paid for with cheque, but when the day came to deliver it he came by and said "oh it's not working right, there's a problem with the compression or the crank shaft or something or other" (I actually cannot...

Question of upgrading from 318 to 360: well how about getting a motor mount kit from Schumacher and just going toward 5.7L Hemi? i.e. forget all about LA small block and move up to the new generation. Junkyard upgrade.

I have the 318 with stock 904 (999 lockup), stock torque converter, stock 2.76:1 ratio rear, and the Comp K20-212-2 kit (268/268). It putters around "ok" and theoretical top speed at redline is like 170 mph (stock 15" tires). I kind of doubt it would actually run that fast, and there's not a...

My personal experience, my dad reused rod bolts overhauling an outboard. They didn’t take too long to break (outboards run hard). Bolts are strong, but rod bolts are subject to endless cyclic loading, so they are prone to suffer fatigue fracture. I’d get them magnafluxed if at all possible.

Ok my first instinct is to Ask The Guy, undoubtedly he will have either a good explanation or an unsatisfactory explanation, and that’s your judgment to make; but his explanation to provide. Like I’d say, “$150 seems a bit high?” and who knows, if you’re friendly enough he might bump it a little...

Man, that's the worst luck I ever heard of. BUT INSTRUCTIVE STORY FOR ALL.

With that 10.1:1 combo, is that premium gas only then? What do you think. I’ve got a stock 904, stock torque converter, even the stock one-legged 7.25” with 2.76:1 highway ratio. I could upgrade all that stuff except I don’t drag race or burn out or even peel out. I am interested in the...

I just checked the ad and it looks like he's asking $10,000 for a slant 6 valiant with incongruent stickers. I think the shackle extensions were to raise the body so it could fit those dumb rims, which means the front end is also jacked up, which means it's not working right, which means it...