Drag racing

[Hayden Buck]

I have brand new brakes and brake lines. It has been alinded in the last 3 weeks
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[Marine-58]

Cool.... That is very important...

For some of this, it would help to figure out how post a picture...

Next identify the engine. In fron of the head, there is a flat spot where the block extends about 3/4" Hopefully there is a number stamped there. If it isn't there, you have to climb up in with the engine (Remove the breather). The lip where the bell housing bolts to the block. Should be a number there if it wasn't in the front.

Next pull a valve cover and get the casting number for the heads. It will be in the area with the rockers. While you are looking in there, see if there are rollers for the tips of the rockers where they meet the valve.

On the intake, since it is aluminum, magnet did not stick, right? There will be a manufacturer name and style name. It will say something like Edelbrock Performer. This will tell us what the performance characteristics of the manifold.

What type of distributor? Guessing it is HEI but may nto be. Is the coil square and in the center of the cap?

Carb - is the overall shape kind of rectangular front to back? It could be kinda round. If rectangular then probably a Holley, if not then Edelbrock or Rochester. I don't know a lot about Edelbrocks and Rochesters other than I usually change them out rather than rebuild. Never learned that skill to really tune one of those. If it is Holley, then there will be a number stamped on the front of the air horn. Need that number.

Last item, Headers... Where do they end? Do they hookup to the exhaust right by the side of the block, a little bend towards the back or drop down, go back about a foot and then hook to the exhaust pipes? What is the Outside Diameter (OD) of the tubes and then for the collector?

Bet you thought it was summer break and no homework...

[HO455]

By new brakes I am assuming you mean you have installed new pads and you have replaced the three hoses? Since our trucks are 45 plus years old and that's alot of years for things to get damaged. Take the time to inspect all of the hard brake lines. By inspect I mean run your hand over every inch and look at all of it. You may find kinked, smashed, twisted, or wet areas that mean a pin hole leak. My Burban had steel lines that were twisted where the hoses hooked up and a smashed line next to one of the headers. I posted some pictures of the damaged lines on page 8 of my WMB thread if you are interested. (Link below) This inspection will cost you nothing but some time, but it may save your truck.
Also pop the top off of the master cylinder and shine a light in. You should see the nice clean fluid and be able to see the bottom of the reservoirs and they should be nice and clean. If there is a bunch of crud in there, sipon the fluid out and then carefully remove all of the debris and crud. Without getting any of it into the small holes in the bottom. I have used a hand vacuum pump to sucessfully suck the dirt out in the past. If it is bad and there is 1/8" or more of crud I personally would pull the master cylinder, tear down, clean and rebuild it if I didn't find any corrosion in the bore. If the bore was corroded I would replace the master cylinder. If the fluid is not clear it needs to be replaced by bleeding the complete system.

Good luck and welcome aboard. Every one here has been where you are. You however have this great forum for advice, whereas a lot of us learned things the hard way as it was our only option. I believe I am speaking for the group we really want you avoid the pitfalls and bad decisions so you can enjoy your truck for years to come. That is why we are willing to give up our time to help you. All we ask is to respect our input.
Marine-58 has gone out of his way to help and I thank him for his patience and contribution to the next generation of Gearheads

[Hayden Buck]

I can't find any numbers. The distrupter is a Holley. My truck has a Holley carb on it. The manifold is cast they hearts are long the run back to about the trans then run to the exhaust. I think the heads that r on this truck are camel humps. The tires are primewell PS860 15 inch
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[Hayden Buck]

The air horn says. SPARTON. No numbers/didgets.
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[HO455]

Originally Posted by Hayden Buck

The air horn says. SPARTON. No numbers/didgets.
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Oh man I was confused. Carburetor air horn! Not air horn air horn like the one I have for my Burban.
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sparton-Dual...-/401334358837

[Marine-58]

Originally Posted by HO455

Oh man I was confused. Carburetor air horn! Not air horn air horn like the one I have for my Burban.
.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sparton-Dual...-/401334358837

LOL... Guess I wasn't very descriptive... The air horn is the raised part over the primaries where the choke butterfly would sit.

For Hayden found this youtube video for identification.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlzzGDdbKUc

[Marine-58]

Pictures... Love it, now we can see what you have. As you see what everyone is trying to tell you is that there is a lot of work to go into this. Setting up something for the drags is a lot of work and even more planning.

As they are pointing out, Safety First....

Just from first glance The engine is not even close. If we could identify the heads and block, we would know what there is to work with. Those numbers I asked for are important. Definitely not camel humps on there as was mentioned earlier. Smaller valves and bad airflow are not your friend....

Can you take a couple more pictures? Both sides of the carb with the air filter off. Take off a valve cover and get a shot of any numbers or markings in the head. I suspect something about the intake, so look behind the carb and see if there is a name there or at least some kind of casting number.

Worst case - To get this up to say, 400hp which will be the highest I would recommend at this point, you are looking at going completely through this engine and that is assuming it really is a 350. Possible you could have a 305.... There was an earlier post saying to think about a crate engine. Something to think about if this turns out that even the block won't be salvageable.

Best case - Need a carb, heads, cam, lifters and valve train. Pull the engine apart and verify components inside.

This may not all feel like good news, but in order to fix something, you have to know what is wrong. Hope you have plenty of patience. I would bet that all of us on here have been very anxious to get something on the track but were not able to for various reasons....

[Marine-58]

Not a good picture. Will get something better tonight. This is where you are heading but with what you want. This is a 383/465 set up. A 383 is a 350 bored and stroked.

[Hayden Buck]

I have 1/4 inch inside diameter steel hose for my fuel. And I will not run anymore nitrous thru my motor. That way the motor last longer
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[Marine-58]

HO455, Thank you for the kind words. Kind of refreshing to see a kid interested in more than the tuners. Most of the younger bunch at work wouldn't know what to do with points, don't even mention tuning multple carbs...

Onward... Tires are decent brand since they are Firestones but how much tread is left? Old school checkis take a penney. If you can see the top of the head, you need new tires. Better ways to check than that, but it is an easy sanity check. Is the treadwear even across the tire, inside and out?


Full headers are good, but what is the tube and collector diameter. Bigger is not always better.

Blocks can sometimes be challemging to find the numbers. Maybe one of the other guys has a suggestion.

Heads, on the front, if there are 2 half circle at the front driver side, then they are camel humps. Problem is there are different castings. Under the valve cover is an 6, 7 or 8 digit number. This will tell us which ones they are.

I dont ever recall a holley with sparton written on there, but no numbers you can see? Anyone know about that?

Also can't tell much about the distributor, Holley made different ones and each has a different model number.

Try some web searches for some of the unanswered questions. Maybe you can find some info we can use.

[Hayden Buck]

Well I check the tires and I will have to get new ones before I race this weekend. The distrupter is a Holley red box SOARTON series. The headers r 2 1/2 inside diameter.
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[Hayden Buck]

Yea those kinda air horns. Where r the air horns on the carb? I can't even find it online?
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[garyd1961]

I still would like to see a picture of this truck with a current news paper in the photo. You have made several contradicting statements and it seems to me you are making this up as you go along.

[Hayden Buck]

If you read my earlier post you would know that I can't upload any pics. I have no computer only my phone and it won't upload
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[Hayden Buck]

Also I posted a big long post on the last page on this thread read that then u will see what I have in the truck
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[Hayden Buck]

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[Hayden Buck]

There u go here's the pics
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[Hayden Buck]

I have to get new tire what kind do you all prefer?
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[Hayden Buck]

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[Hayden Buck]

This is the kind that is on there now.
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[wbc409]

You don't have camel hump heads. You have newer, probably early 90's heads because the valve cover hold down bolts go through the center of the valve covers. Pretty 87 heads use perimeter hold down bolts. Looks like a dual plane intake and a holly carb. Looks like it was set up as a driver, not a performance engine.

[Grumpy old man]

Don't go racing on those tires or until a good mechanic has gone completely over that truck . it's nowhere near ready for the track. start out by cleaning up the engine compartment and straitening out all those dangling wires . as far as tires a lot of guys like the BF Goodrich TA radials

Are you driving this truck on the road ? or just plan on using to go racing ?

[wbc409]

Also, under hard exceleration fuel can slosh or move away from the pickup in the tank and away from the Jets in a holley carb.

Did you buy a nitrous kit or did you piece it together. If you bought a kit it should have come with 2 solenoids. One is for nitrous, the other for fuel. You should get an ignition that can compensate for nitrous also. Your spark plug requirements change based on how much nitrous you are using.

[Hayden Buck]

Ok. It was a daily driver now it's been converted to racing.
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