[Scott Collins]

Here are some photos of everything finished up.



   



   



   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

congrats. that has to feel good.





out of curiosity, where's the cruise control cable?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Scott Collins]

Cruise control? We have that?



LOL - it's tucked under the rear cover.



The car was up in the air for almost a month - hurricane Irene had a lot to do with that, because when she blew through NJ, I had to shut operations down. Then school started and my focus turned to getting the year started, not to mention that now I could only chip away for a couple of hours at night, in the dark. I really need to get a lift. And the one thing that sticks with me is that i want to redesign that darn factory heat shield. That one little component gobbled up so much time and energy for removal and installation.



So when we finally fired it up it really felt great. Now I've flushed the coolant and oil and it feels like I have gained about 25 hp. I've got a broken-in block with a fresh head, new head gasket, new water pump, new oil filter housing gasket and o-rings, all new front oil seals, new hoses, all new belts, and dipped and clean intake and valve cover. I'm actually thinking about garaging the car this winter and getting another car to drive during the winter months,

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Cloud9...68]

Very nice! Congrats on getting it all done. Have you noticed a significant improvement in the way the car runs? And how did you clean up your intake manifold? Did you have it bead blasted like the valve cover?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Scott Collins]

Everything is smoother with more power at every level. I believe that some of the loss of compression I had was the result of worn valve guides, which were replaced when the head was sent out. New water pump, along with fresh coolant and the RS Barn Thermal Intake Gasket has brought temps down.



The intake was dipped and cleaned inside and out by RS Barn. I don't recall if that was glass bead blasted, but it matches the finish of the valve cover. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the result and improved performance, not to mention the improved appearance under the hood.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[JWahlsten]

Nice work. I can imagine the improvement in the way the car runs.



Pete and Max were a huge help to me when I timed the cams on my car too. Great to have guys like Pete and Flash as resources...



I found timing the cams to be rather enlightening. It was time consuming, but it gives great understanding of the critical nature of the adjustments. I can tell you my car ran much better after, and the peace of mind of having new tensioner pads was huge.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Lear35A]

Having rebuilt my whole engine twice and having the head off three times in the last year or so, I have gotten pretty good at cam timing (balance shafts have to be perfect too). For a 4-banger this engine is VERY smooth and strong right to the redline when these things are right. Either get an EXPERIENCED shop to do this, or be prepared to dedicate the time necessary to do it properly. Practice does make perfect in this case. It's very doable for the mechanically inclined...you just need patience, the right tools, some research and some more patience.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.