Serious Black

[Low Elco]

Glad you're still kickin' Ben! Good Job on the Vibration, it can be a PITA ironing them out!

[snipescastle2]

Originally Posted by 72_swb

Truck looks great man.

Thanks! It's been a long hard three years in the making!
Ben
Posted via Mobile Device

[Vic1947]

Debugging is never fun because you'd much rather be styling around town. You're doing it right, though. Stay after it until it hollers uncle!

[snipescastle2]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Debugging is never fun because you'd much rather be styling around town. You're doing it right, though. Stay after it until it hollers uncle!

Thanks! You bet I will!
Posted via Mobile Device

[snipescastle2]

Ok, after doing the Holley carb shuffle, I finally got everything
Set where it idles great, the float levels are on the money and I have the stock brass sight plugs back in the float bowls so no more worries about bonfires.
I do have a slight stumble when I nail the throttle, but otherwise runs good.
My plugs are a little dark brown-vs.tan, so maybe just a bit too rich on the jets.
It could be I need to use a larger pump squirter nozzle. My distributor is new, I installed an advance kit, and the weights are smooth and don't bind up. Not sure about the total number of degrees of advance I'm running, but I set the distributor to where it slightly pings on acceleration. I've been running premium for the most part, but sometimes run a blend of 60/40 premium/AV gas.
My engine is a 383 stroker with 6.0 rods, and flat tops, with 64cc chambers, (2.02/1.60 valves) I'm probably close to 11:1 compression ratio. Perhaps I need to adjust my gaps on the plugs a little smaller (they are at .045" now) I'll have to change my plugs and watch them closely and see what my changes do. I'd like to run a wide band O2 sensor to monitor my fuel/air ratio, but that is a bit
Pricey. I'll let you guys know what I find out.
Have a good one!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Haven't posted in a while thought I would since I had a couple minutes.
I have been chasing a knocking sound for a while, mostly happened in
The mornings right at startup. Well, to make a long story short, I have been
Changing the lumpy solid lifter cam in my 383 to a little less radical hydraulic
cam, while I was removing the water pump and accessories, I noticed the crank
pulley turned a little too easy.....grabbed the belts and wouldn't you know it...
the harmonic balancer key way was wallered out.
Now just so you know, I'm running a scat cast steel crank and rotating assembly.
Don't know if the keyway was worn when I first installed it, but it sure is now. I just bought a new stock balancer, should be good to go. I got most everything done last night, just have to install the timing cover and balancer, and set the valves, put the covers back on the heads and button everything back up.
I did change my intake to a dual plane Weiand "Stealth" intake and a smaller 600 Holley, so I believe I'll have a better combination of gearing/torque and driveability. I believe that solid lifter cam just didn't like to run at lower RPM's.
Kinda bucked on me on deceleration.
Oh yeah, I changed my cam to a comp cams 270H grind, I had been running a drag race solid lifter cam, 106 lobe centerline, .512" lift, 298 duration intake/exhaust, just to radical for a 700R4 with a 2000 stall convertor, even with
3:73 years.
Well, work calls, I'll post more later.
Have a good one!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Pic of the balancer key way

[Vic1947]

Did you have to use a balancer installer to get the new one on? Between the tight interference fit and the balancer bolt, it's unusual to see a balancer work itself loose on the crank snout. Not impossible, but unusual. I'd be interested to know if there was any material deposited on the snout of the Scat crank.

[snipescastle2]

Vic,
I used an installer tool at my uncles shop when I built the bottom end.
As far as the crank snout, it looks perfect, no scars, burrs, etc. from looking at the face of the balancer, it was hammered at least one maybe two times before.
I didn't see any excessive wear in the keyway, but that was just a visual check.
I haven't installed the new one just yet, although I did put it on a short ways ( just to rotate the crank) I wanted to get a new woodruff key since the old one was kind of "hammered" wanted to make sure and leave nothing to chance.
Definitely has a good interference fit with this one.well, if I don't get held over tonight, I should have most everything done to get it fired up.if not, tomorrow after work.
Have a good weekend!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Another view of the woodruff key

[snipescastle2]

okay, I finally got the truck fired up yesterday, still have to do a little "Finesse" with tuning, but she's running again. I'm guessing that balancer was the "Root of all my evil's" with regards to drivetrain noise I was experiencing. When I would slow to a stop, there would be a "clanking" noise that almost sounded like bad u joints transmitting through the driveshaft. well, changing that balancer must have done the trick, because no matter how hard I drove it, I could not get that noise to happen.....Yeah!!!

Now, onto fixing my leaking Power steering gearbox......I've been experiencing a weird problem with my lower control arm on the driver's side...
it seems every time I would replace the bump stop rubber cushion, then make a hard right turn, the suspension would compress and chuck the rubber out of the control arm bracket that holds it.....now just so you know, I'm running 2" lowering coils and 2 1/2" drop spindles up front, I noticed the steering sector shaft (Pittman Arm) is located right above the left control arms and since it's leaking, it's making the rubber slick and guess it's the "Weakest Link" so it gets spit out on turns....$10 a shot to replace, I'm fixing my leak pronto!\

not much else to say, I'll post pictures later.
Have a good one!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Ok, fixed my power steering gearbox leak, I bought the overhaul kit minus the bearings, mine seemed fine. After I got it reinstalled, filled with power steering fluid, worked the air out of it turning the wheel back and forth lock to lock. When I drove it home that afternoon, it wanders a lot, guess I need to adjust the sector shaft adjustment.the rebuild was way easy, and I had the tools at my disposal at work, made it real simple.
Now to replace that lower control arm bump stop cushion......
Have a good one!
Ben

[GR8-68]

This is one beauty, excellent work.

[snipescastle2]

Thank you Sir! Lots of "Blood, Sweat and scars"
getting her to this point, still lots of little details
that need finishing though.
Have a great Day!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Haven't done much to my truck as of late, but I did manage to finish wiring up my stereo and installed the heater/defrost/ a/c hoses. Boy do I have a lot of scratches on my hands and wrists to show for it! Should have did this before installing dash cluster and glove box. I ended up taking the glove box back out,it was the only way to get access to the a/c and heater duct fittings.
Anyway's I made a behind the seat speaker cabinet some time ago, but I ended up removing it because the speakers fired right into the back of the seats and couldn't hear them. So, I made some speaker mounts out of 1/2" MDF (medium density fiberboard) I used one of the forum members idea of using sheet metal brackets that fit in the corners behind the seat/door striker area. After I cut the holes and attached the speakers to the MDF, I used a brad nailer to attach the upper curved piece to the vertical piece. I am going to attach four small pieces of 2" x 4" to the back side of the door pillar behind the door striker area with liquid nails, clamped into place till they set up, then place two more on the back of cab wall where the other side will attach. I'm planning to use drywall screws to attach the speaker mount to the 2" x 4" pieces. Before I screw them into place, I'm covering them in dark grey speaker carpet, and I'll cover the rest of the cab wall with the same. I'll post pictures later.we just got back from visiting my folks in St.Louis. Still haven't un packed......
Have a good one!
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Here are some pics of my speaker mounts I just built.
I made a cardboard template to trial fit it before I started cutting
my MDF pieces. I can get the dimensions if anyone is
interested.
Have a good one!
Ben

[Low Elco]

looks good!

[snipescastle2]

Chip,
They sound even better! Now to get them attached!
Have a good one!
Ben

[Vic1947]

Great use of generally overlooked space, Mr. Ben. Hope it sounds as good as it looks. Crank up the tunes!!

[snipescastle2]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Great use of generally overlooked space, Mr. Ben. Hope it sounds as good as it looks. Crank up the tunes!!

Vic,
Thanks! The box I originally built took up all the area behind the seat, at least now I have a little extra room to put some things in there. Gonna have to swing by one of these evenings and check out your progress!
Have a great evening!
Ben
Posted via Mobile Device

[snipescastle2]

Been sometime since I last posted here, thought I'd post a few things.
When I parked my truck, I had just driven home from a double shift at work.
About five miles from the house, the temp gauge pegged, shut it down and found both belts off. When I attempted to put the belts back on,I grabbed the fan and started to thread the belts back on the crank pulley, I noticed immediately the crank pulley/harmonic balancer was way loose. Come to find out, the balancer hub split right at the snout, dead center of the keyway.
Now, this is the second stock balancer I have installed, and I used an installer to put it on, no hammer/block of wood, the right way and it was tight. I've measured my crank snout and it's exactly as it should be. So, I decided that my cast steel stroker crank must not like stock cast iron balancers....and I had the entire rotating assembly balanced before I put it together. Scat said they never heard of such a failure but warned me not to use a fluid damper type balancer because it would break the crank snout off! So, I ordered a Steel harmonic balancer and replaced the timing seal and installed this one by the book as well.
Fast forward to a few days ago, I was getting ready to pull the truck out and clean her up for the weekend show and I get this god awful grinding noise from my starter, I've put 2500 miles on this engine without issues and now the damn ring gear/starter drive is chewed up
So, guess I'll be dropping the Trans to replace the flexplate and change the starter while I'm at it. It never fails, when you want to do something you enjoy, there's always gremlins.......I sure wish I could get it started so I could do this on my uncle's lift.....guess I'll be on the garage floor this time....fun fun fun.
Ah the things we do to have fun!
Have a great day all!
Ben

[swamp rat]

Humm, something seems a bit off to me, like at certain RPM or load a vibration is taking its toll or something, or Dont know but that's just too weird to be all coincidental.

[snipescastle2]

Well, I do believe the first balancer I broke(more like it
came loose) I probably didn't have it installed all the way
up to the crank timing gear) like I was trying to align my
pulleys that way.but the last one was installed till it
bottomed out and came loose anyway.

I measured the crank snout and the damper bore,
There was .0015" to .002" interference fit on this steel
balancer I just installed. After 60 miles today, it's still tight.
Guess we will see what happens after a few more miles.
Have a good one !
Ben

[snipescastle2]

Well, I found a post here on the forum today that made me
re think my troubleshooting method with regards to the temperature gauge.
VetteVet had talked me through the assembly order of the gauge/printed-
circuit/resistor order, my temp gauge worked fine for a few months and then
pegged out high once again.
So, once again I took out the cluster to make sure I didn't tweak anything. Of course, everything was in the same order as previously assembled....
So, what changed? I've been scratching my head for months, until I read this post......

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=545902

It mentions using a "star washer" (I'm guessing it's a tinnerman's clip-
round washer with five or six breaks so it snaps over the terminals, sort of like the clips that go over the heater/a/c control cables) any way's, I had assumed that once the nut had been tightened down on the resistor, that it was grounded to the cluster, well, I'm here to say it wasn't.... I ran a separate wire from ground to the bottom terminal of the temperature gauge, and isn't life grand.....
works like a champ!
Here is a picture of the star washer I believe is referenced here. Hopefully, this will save many the aggravation I've been going through!
Have a good one!
Ben

[Low Elco]

Victory!