Thinking of a cam change

[HotRoddin]

Originally Posted by 82 GT

Anyhow, it almost HAS to be the converter.

I have no doubt the converter is at least part of the problem. Whether it's all of the problem or not is a different story ? I know for sure, that motor should not be falling on it's face, on the other end at only 5500 RPM, not unless somebody shoved a potato up one of your header pipes

You're 60' is not good, are you spinning the tires that much, or does the car just not have the power to get you there any faster ???
With that motor, in that light a car with 4:10's, if you're hooking up, it should come off the line like a bull frog off a hot rock.
If it isn't ign. timing and it isn't valve timing and it isn't rocker ratio and it isn't valve lash and it isn't a carb thats way out and it isn't restricted exhaust and it isn't a vacuume leak?????

If I were you, i'd go back to the beginning, with an open mind (must have the open mind, otherwise you'll keep walking right past a mistake without ever catching it) and recheck the ign. timing the cam timing, check for a major vaccume leak, check that you really have the rockers you think you have, reset the lash, check the exhaust for restrictions, get another torque converter ! lol then if it's still falling on it's face on the big end at 5500 RPM I'm gonna have to ease over next to Dark_5.0 and start questioning your heads, because there ain't much left other than that

Keep us posted, this is the kind of thing we all learn from. It's just to bad it has to be from your misery

Rod

[Dark_5.0]

Your mph tells the story a 10.5 to 1 351 with decent heads and cam should be going about 5-7mph faster than you are.

Ive been there man I had my stock heads ported,polished.milled, bowls blended valve springs etc... and I was running high 13's. I went to a bigger cam and got lower gears and ran about the same. I finaly got some decent heads and picked up 5-6 mph and now run in the 12's in this crappy altitude.

[82 GT]

I don't get any tire spin off the line. It just doesn't leave hard. The fact that I only get 2000 foot brake of stall speed doesn't help either. I have a 3000 stall converter that was loaned to me to use.
I did find out Saturday that my friend, who sold me the 750, installed a 37 shooter in the carb. I think that's too much for my application and would like to try a 31 or 33 shooter. It may be the reason my one friend said my car appeared to be bogging.
So, I do still have some carb. tuning to do but I doubt it's going to net me 3 tenths.
As far as how the car feels throught the traps at 5500, it just feels flat to me but who knows? I've had the engine up to 6500 rpms before on the street in 1st and 2nd but I think I was way beyond the power band.
There is a guy on another forum, that I visit, that owns a dyno jet and has the same cam I do on his 393 stroker and he said the 274XE cam made 385 hp at the wheels. That's with aftermarket heads and higher compression that I have. So, it may be very well that I'm running out of power at 5500 rpms.
But still, I guess that proves that this cam is good enough to run 12's.
I guess the only thing to do now is try the 3000 stall converter I have and tweak the carb. some more.
Hell, I'm ready to try putting the car in neutral after I'm staged, rev her up to 5000K and drop it into 1st and see what happens...provided I don't scatter tranny parts all over the track
That would tell me if the engine wants more stall speed....right...in theory???
As far as valve lash, I have rail type rockers and the book said to tighten the nuts until there is drag on the pushrods and then torque to 24 ft/lbs. They are non-adjustable
I could also forget the 60' times and just install a NX Hitman system that would drop my E.T about a full second and have a low 12 car.

[rwhite65]

I think you should figure out your problem...so you can install the nitrous and run 11's.

Have you looked into your timing at all? Have you put a timing light on it to see if it is advancing?
Ryan

[82 GT]

Yeah, I pretty much have the timing sorted out. It's set at 34* total all in by 2500. Yes, it does advance.

Yeah, a mild 100 shot of nitrous at the correct pressure via a bottle heater, would probably get you into the 11s now. But it's your 60' that is killing your time right now. Ever thought of getting a transbrake? I know that can cost some bucks...but if you could launch at 5,000-6,000 rpms...you'd be turning 1.7s or 1.6s coming off the line...which would obviously put you into the 12s.

[rwhite65]

ok, well there is something being over looked here. With a 351w and 4.10 gears....even with a stock T.C., that thing should still blaze street tires. I agree that it needs to be looked over with an open mind.
Ryan

[82 GT]

Originally Posted by rwhite65

ok, well there is something being over looked here. With a 351w and 4.10 gears....even with a stock T.C., that thing should still blaze street tires. I agree that it needs to be looked over with an open mind.
Ryan

Oh...don't get me wrong...on street tires it will burn the tires easily.
I have to actually ease on the throttle to pull away from stops or the tires start to spin(245/60/15). Full throttle in 1st gear is almost impossible, at any rpm, or you get instant tire smoke. It will put the car almost sideways when going into 2nd, with tires spinning.
On the streets, it's a wild beast....put slicks on it and it stuggles out of the hole with 1.9 60' times.
I've emailed a lot of performance websites and they ALL say that I need at least a 3200 stall converter with my current cam.
I guess the next logical step would be to try the 3000 stall converter and see what happens and go from there.

[rwhite65]

ok, now that is a little better. I think the TC could definately stand to be upgraded.
Ryan