LOL, me too! It is worth a try. its not really learning the hard way, its learning YOUR way My way of learning is similar, I want to EXPERIENCE trying, and if I succeed or fail thats were you learn, then you can reference advice given to you, and try it. I believe if you did everything you were told to do you'd have gained no experience as far as what works and what didnt, the good and the bad I look at it this way, If I were a Chevy guy and I needed an engine for a project, sure I could go buy a 400 hp SBC at Wal Mart for 2 grand, but what fun is that? I wanna experience building it myself, putting it together so it leaks oil, and has crappy oil pressure, so I can go back in it and fix it!
Your goal if you accept it is to go out and beat Mart in a race. If i was going to do a Chevy motor I would do a stroker motor and Not put in one of those stupid street cams in it. I had a buddy that bought a new Nova in 76 and built a stroker motor for it. It had that stock rear in it and that sucker would have the speedometer at the oil light way past 100 in 2nd gear. When he got mad at his girlfriend screwing around on him he was doing 9 grand burnouts. Guess what happened to the motor after that! Actually it had a I think it was a main bearing had been put in the wrong way and that is what really ended it. I also remember when he pulled a plug out and there wasn't any electrode left. Back then no one knew about lean motors and detonation we were young and dumb.
I just PM'd Cliff and asked what he would advise doing. I invited you and Mark Demko to the conversation.
LMAO, what fun is that It would be cool to cruise with the Q-Jet! Actually that gave me an idea, I may tinker with the Q-Jet again, just for fun, I have all the stuff to switch back and forth between my AED and Q-Jet. I'd be curious with my aluminum heads, the difference at the track between the two carbs.
If you really want the Q-Jet to work you will need a 430 gear. There is not enough pump shot to stop the bog before the car gets going Or you are going to need a 4000 stall to get the engine in its power band so the carb can take over.
I'm pretty sure a 430 gear wont do me any favors on the 1 hour highway trip to the track! I don't think the cops on Woodward would share my exuberance in finding the 4k sweet spot. 3.2k maybe, but not a 4k
I ran 390's & a 350 turbo trans for quite a few years, yes to Lapeer Dragway... & even Ubly. It's already been done before in the 60's & 70's.
I had said that about the carb cus the guys that run in the NHRA stock class are probably running Q-Jets and I thought one of them was not having trouble but they had 430 or 456 gears They run in the 11's I wouldn't expect you to put in a 430 gear but you should just so you can beat Mart then get a 2004r trans to compliment the new gears LOL I think my nice loose 3500 stall convertor I had in there a few years ago with the 350 trans was the ticket. You could foot brake it to 3 grand if you wanted to and I was getting 1.80 60 fts with an occasional 1.78
I got a feeling Kevin will be over to get my Holley, especially after I wax him with his qjet. Im ready to have some fun! We'll have to touch 'em off....
I used a new TA timing cover, and I thought I bought a distributor hold down but If I did, I lost it... Are people using the bolt and washer deal from TA for the hold down? Is there a better one maybe billet people use? All I have left is some wiring and switches on the inside, and hold down the distributor some how. Then its time to start er up!
TA has this one, http://taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_1340 Or, http://taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_1340A
Billet Aluminum Distributor Hold Down Clamp and Bolt, fits 400-430-455 Will that first one work for a 350? My Dist is this one: http://taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_724RP
I don't think there is a difference in the stock hold downs for small and big block. I would call TA, you'll have to do that anyway to order.
I've got a spare one around somewhere, in fact I had to make one cause I "misplaced" mine once also.....