Well the valve covers were an unexpected fail. I put one on and thought about starting it real quick... nah, that'll just make it hot on the other side. So I put them both on, no issues. But when I started it, there was a distinct tapping noise like something was hitting. I changed one cover back and the noise was gone from that side. So, changed the other back too. Too bad, I liked the aluminum look,
With my stupid coil brackets, it becomes a 12 fastener affair to change the covers. 12x2, 24 to change a pair. And when you have to change them back.. 48 fasteners.
I put 11 gallons of fuel in it tongiht. Forecast tomorrow is wet in the morning, who knows if they will run, but I'm ready to give it another go.
-Dave
Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
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TireSmoker
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
Did you get a chance yet to look inside for witness marks? Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds and can be persuaded to go away. Those valve covers fit right in and look great in your engine compartment. I hope you can make them work somehow.
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
Yeah, I looked as I took them off and couldn't really find any obvious marks. There might be some on the baffle itself, but hard to tell, because if they are indeed witness marks, they are very faint. I also didn't let it run more than 15-20 seconds and didnt rev it.
Being Tuesday night, I just wanted it to be ready for racing on Wed and it was 8pm when I finished putting the new ones on. With the Champcar race @ MidOhio this weekend and the track day the following weekend, I might not get back to this job for a couple weeks.
-Dave
Being Tuesday night, I just wanted it to be ready for racing on Wed and it was 8pm when I finished putting the new ones on. With the Champcar race @ MidOhio this weekend and the track day the following weekend, I might not get back to this job for a couple weeks.
-Dave
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
Tomorrow is the last Wednesday of the season. As predicted, I haven't touched a thing on the car since 2 weeks ago when I went last. But the DA forecast is pretty favorable, ~1300 @ 8pm, whereas the past 2 times I went, it was 3000, getting down to 2400. Hit my first 11?
Getting back to the valve covers, I found some Fel-Pro 1648 gaskets, which are twin cork layers with a steel shim in the middle. As such, they're kinda thick. And measurably thicker than the stock-style gaskets I was using. You can see it in the pic (and measure it with calipers). If they were just barely tapping (no marks?), will a taller gasket provide a small extra clearance? I hate to think it's that close. But I'll try the polished aluminum covers again with these new gaskets after tomorrow. Bruce Parsons used this same style gasket (in perimeter bolt pattern) on the original valve covers.
-Dave
Getting back to the valve covers, I found some Fel-Pro 1648 gaskets, which are twin cork layers with a steel shim in the middle. As such, they're kinda thick. And measurably thicker than the stock-style gaskets I was using. You can see it in the pic (and measure it with calipers). If they were just barely tapping (no marks?), will a taller gasket provide a small extra clearance? I hate to think it's that close. But I'll try the polished aluminum covers again with these new gaskets after tomorrow. Bruce Parsons used this same style gasket (in perimeter bolt pattern) on the original valve covers.
-Dave
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
Made it out to TRP tonight. I got there later than I wanted and it was packed for the season finale. I got 1 time run, 12.16 @ 110.95.
First round, Opponent dialed 13.15. I saw him red-light. I turned mine green, .23, but ran 12.1086 on 12.10 @ 111
2nd round, Opponent dialed 12.09. I dialed down to 12.08. Crushed him on the tree, .14 vs .36 and went 12.17 @ 98 on the brakes for the win.
3rd round, Opponent dialed 11.97. I stayed at 12.08. I won on the tree, .13 vs .15. Had my best 60ft of the night, 1.67 -- I was on a pass. I had him, hit the brakes, but still went 12.0669 @ 104. He went 11.99 for the win.
Time run -- end of the night. 60ft from 1.67 prev pass to 1.70 this pass, only went 12.07 @ 111.64. It was like 49* and the DA was around 1000. It felt stong on the top end.
-Dave
First round, Opponent dialed 13.15. I saw him red-light. I turned mine green, .23, but ran 12.1086 on 12.10 @ 111
2nd round, Opponent dialed 12.09. I dialed down to 12.08. Crushed him on the tree, .14 vs .36 and went 12.17 @ 98 on the brakes for the win.
3rd round, Opponent dialed 11.97. I stayed at 12.08. I won on the tree, .13 vs .15. Had my best 60ft of the night, 1.67 -- I was on a pass. I had him, hit the brakes, but still went 12.0669 @ 104. He went 11.99 for the win.
Time run -- end of the night. 60ft from 1.67 prev pass to 1.70 this pass, only went 12.07 @ 111.64. It was like 49* and the DA was around 1000. It felt stong on the top end.
-Dave
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Re: Chevelle Upgrades, 2021
Made a couple significant changes today. I've been looking for an oil leak that I thought was coming from one of the valve covers, but turned out to be coming from a loose cam sensor(distributor). So I pulled the plenum off and got it all cleaned up back there, and put everything back together and tightened down.
I also made the change in Megasquirt to switch over to full-seq fuel and full-COP on ignition. Prior, it was semi-seq fuel and WastedCOP where pairs of injectors and coils are fired together. Now each injector and each coil is firing individually. I also hooked up the external MAP sensor (GM 1-bar) as the primary MAP signal -- no more vacuum hose needed to the ECU. I didnt do anything more than start it in the garage, but it seemed to run fine.
-Dave
I also made the change in Megasquirt to switch over to full-seq fuel and full-COP on ignition. Prior, it was semi-seq fuel and WastedCOP where pairs of injectors and coils are fired together. Now each injector and each coil is firing individually. I also hooked up the external MAP sensor (GM 1-bar) as the primary MAP signal -- no more vacuum hose needed to the ECU. I didnt do anything more than start it in the garage, but it seemed to run fine.
-Dave