Roadkill's 1983 Chevy Z28 - (Work Starts on Page 5)

[ianjpage]

Quoting: Roadkill

The parcel has been delivered - No charges and arrived in under a week !

[Roadkill]

Spent 2-and-a-half hours lapping the valves in last night.

The original plan was to rebuild the heads tonight and get the top-end back on the block . . .

However.  After some thought I've decided to do some "head work" and open out the ports mating the heads to the intake.

Then, as suggested by Titsy, "Shim" the spark plugs . . . . Problem is I can't shim this type of plug . . . so it's gonna be a case of trying each one with the heads off and seeing which one lines up best.

[Titsy]

Quoting: Roadkill

Then, as suggested by Titsy, "Shim" the spark plugs . . . . Problem is I can't shim this type of plug . . . so it's gonna be a case of trying each one with the heads off and seeing which one lines up best.

Quoting: Car Bible

Keying your spark plugs

There's a little known method of squeezing some more efficiency out of your engine, known as spark plug keying. The idea is simple - expose the spark to the incoming fuel-air charge. If the grounding strap on the bottom of the spark plug faces the incoming fuel-air charge, the spark is effectively 'shielded' from the mixture. The image on the left shows a Schlieren photo of a spark emanating from a spark plug tip. You can see the area behind the ground strap doesn't have as much exposure to the spark. Now I know a spark is a spark, and any spark in a fuel-air environment is going to make it burn, but if the spark is facing the intake valves, then there's nothing obstructing the mixture from getting at it. In thousandths of a second, this does actually make a difference to your burn efficiency.
The problem is that when you screw a spark plug into your cylinder head, you have no idea which way the electrode gap is pointing. For best efficiency, it needs to be facing the intake valves or ports as I mentioned above. The solution is pretty simple. Before you install the spark plug, use a marker pen to put a mark on the insulator that aligns with the electrode gap at the bottom of the plug. It's important to use a marker pen and not a pencil because pencil lead is graphite, which conducts electricity. You don't want graphite on the outside of your spark plug conductor!
Once the plug is marked, screw it into the cylinder head remembering that you'll need a quarter turn to snug it up. If the mark on the insulator is a quarter turn from facing the intake valves when the spark plug is finger-tight, you'll know once it's snugged down that the gap will be facing the intake valves inside the combustion chamber.
If the mark isn't in the right place, don't go over tightening the spark plug to force it into position! You can get keying kits which are basically replacement crush washers that are slightly thicker or thinner than the standard one. They come in one-third, one-quarter and one-half sizes, meaning that they can affect how far you can screw the spark plug in by the matching amount. So if you finger-tighten the spark plug and the mark on the insulator is facing totally the wrong way, once it's snugged down it will still be a quarter turn away from the intake valves. By changing the crush washer to a quarter-turn crush washer, you'll be able to get an extra quarter turn before the spark plug is tight, which will solve your problem and the electrode gap will now be facing the right way.

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Then, as suggested by Titsy, "Shim" the spark plugs . . .

Never heard of that idea before, given the spark plug thread is quite course, you may need quite thick shims

[Titsy]

Quoting: F Body

you may need quite thick shims

As per the Bible, you use different thickness crush washers. But if they are tapered seats (as per the LT1) you are screwed... The only choice is to try the plugs in different holes and see what works best for the threads cut on the plugs and in the heads...

[Roadkill]

Mini-update.

Of the 3 boxes of parts Carl has sent from the U.S - 1 has made it through customs, one is in customs, the other is still "inbetween".

At this rate I may even have one or two of them before the weekend !



Fingers crossed for no charges . . .

[ianjpage]

[sixpack2639]

Now 2 are thru customs and the 3rd is still over the Atlantic I guess.

I posted them all at the same time, but they took 2 different planes.

[FUBAR]

Quoting: sixpack2639

I posted them all at the same time, but they took 2 different planes.

Brilliant isn't it

[Roadkill]

According to Sammy, two boxes have now arrived !!!



It'll be like F*cking christmas when I get home from work !

[art b]

hmmm boxes..............

[Roadkill]

Ho ho hooo !



2 out of 3 boxes (each just $75 in value)

Ally flywheel, ram clutch, GM perf mini starter, polished alternator, Edelbrock Carb, holley choke cable and various other crap.



Can't wait for box number 3 !

[FUBAR]

Shiny Things

[FUBAR]

Oh Nice Cap BTW

[Incursus]

Quoting: FUBAR

Shiny Things

   

[Titsy]

Quoting: FUBAR

Oh Nice Cap BTW

Look's like there's a Summit one too... Twin peaks...

[ianjpage]

looks good - nearly all the components there to rebuild engine!!!

[sixpack2639]

Looks like the valve covers are AWOL. (the package we were most worried about)

Not to mention, they outdid themselves again! Less than a week for delivery!

1 attaboy for USPS and Parcel Farce!!

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Ho ho hooo !

Shiney things

What's a " Carburateur "

[Roadkill]

Quoting: sixpack2639

Looks like the valve covers are AWOL.

Hmm.   I'll check the tracking number in a bit . . .

Carl - I'm assuming the Inline tube parts and the freeze plugs were in that box too, 'cos I haven't found those, yet . . .

EDIT -

Your item arrived at the delivery Post Office in GREAT BRITAIN at 11:25 PM on September 19, 2008. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.

Soooo, should see them today, maybe.

[Roadkill]

Sammy confirms the third box HAS now arrived and appears to be in good condition . . . .

[Titsy]

Spotted this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/82-02-FIREBIRD-TRANS-AM-CAMARO-BRAND-NEW-CARPET_W0QQitemZ250299381135QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250299381135&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/82-02-FIREBIRD-TRANS-AM-CAMARO-BRAND-NEW-CARPET_W0QQitemZ250299381135QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250299381135&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[F Body]

Quoting: Titsy

Spotted this:

I thought this car was going to be far too hardcore for carpet

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Titsy

Spotted this:

Sweet.  Pity I don't have £120.

Quoting: F Body

I thought this car was going to be far too hardcore for carpet

Hardcore, yes.  Pikey, no.

EDIT - I've emailed the guy . . .

[Fieldy]

Quoting: Roadkill

Spotted this:


Sweet. Pity I don't have £120.

Quoting: F Body
I thought this car was going to be far too hardcore for carpet


Hardcore, yes. Pikey, no.

EDIT - I've emailed the guy . . .

1000th post for you sir!!