The Cormaro......

[Jim Nilsen]

Here is the carnage.

The number one plug had a bent electrode but no cylinder or head damage.

The number 3 had a couple of onces of water but no damage. I can't for the life of me figure out how it got here.

Number 2 piston took out the cylinder wall and the pan. You can see that the pan needs a bit more than the hammer and weld moment you would like. It will take a patch but I have fixed worse in my life.

So post up your opinions.

I think the L82 short block will be good enough. It was considered bullet proof 30 years ago to 7 grand and now they call it weak,lol. The rods have all been deburred and polished and the whole assembly was balanced and blueprinted and it still spins as good as the day it was taken out of the car in 1990. It's hard to believe it is that long ago. It has 8:1 pistons and will cut the power a bit but probably not that much. I can probably pull more out of the program to make up for it and it ran good enough to keep up with my driving skills.

There are bigger pics at PT.com

[GregWeld]

Water gets in the cylinder a couple of ways --- Head gasket -- or cylinder wall...

I'd be magna-fluxing that block.

8:1 Compression.... Jim -- ya just can't tune that "up".... any cam at all and it's not going to make any cylinder pressure... Are you sure that's the static compression? I've seen blower motors with more compression than that! LOL

Forget the pan... it's a leaker now... hang it on the wall and get good laughs from it. Better yet - hang it in front of a window so the sunlight shines thru!

[Jim Nilsen]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Water gets in the cylinder a couple of ways --- Head gasket -- or cylinder wall...

I'd be magna-fluxing that block.

8:1 Compression.... Jim -- ya just can't tune that "up".... any cam at all and it's not going to make any cylinder pressure... Are you sure that's the static compression? I've seen blower motors with more compression than that! LOL

Forget the pan... it's a leaker now... hang it on the wall and get good laughs from it. Better yet - hang it in front of a window so the sunlight shines thru!

I have another pan that I can use for a patch to fix this one, I can't afford to spend the $280 for a new one when I am a more than competent welder to do the job right and I will have an old blown up engine to weld it up on so it fits

After gathering my mind back from the, use what you have , mentallity that hits when you just want to drive your car. The short block is not going to work without dished pistons and is worth more as it is with the original heads on it. It is out of a 74 Corvette and should be worth something? To someone looking for a date coded block for a vette it might actually be worth more than I think? It could be worth a grand easily? What do you think? have you seen any prices lately?

I have a couple quotes coming for a good durability block and heads with out the parts I have to use with the cam I have. It isn't going to be cheap stuff but it would make the car a better car for what it is intended and should hold up.

I know I really like driving on the road coarses fast and an engine with better internals is required. I wish I had more time to redo the car to an LS but there is so much more to it than just swapping a long block it would take 2 months for me to do it all by myself and the way things with parts go something would really hold me up or go wrong.

It has been a long day and tommorow should be one more day to recovery.

[Jim Nilsen]

Well Greg, I think you will feel better knowing I just ordered a new pan. I just don't have the time to fix this one and be ready to go to the Optima Faceoff. i will have to fix it up later and have a spare or as you call it Wall Art.

I have a new engine on the way and it should be here by next wed. It only leaves me 2 days to get it all back in but I think I can do that. The on thing that has to get done is the fuel pickup for sure and I am hoping to get some help with that. I am moving it to the middle so I can keep the tank full and even if the fuel walls up inside it will still cover the pickup. I am also going to put the return in the same place inside a cylinder so it will help keep the fuel level up. I really should have done a better job to start with knowing how much trouble everyone else has had with fuel supply.

I should have the engine out today or tommorow and will start to do the tank over the weekend. I also am going to have my hood stiffened up a bit so it doesn't bow up in the middle at 125mph as much. It is a site to see and even though it opens from the back it just makes you a bit nervous. I have seen fiberglass hoods bow a lot more but I just don't like it.

As long as the engine gets here on time? I think I can make it.

[GregWeld]

Jim -

Sounds like you have a plan! Like my daddy always told me: Plan your work and work your plan.

Glad you decided on a nice new piece of art. You don't want to go out there on the track and leak slippery stuff all over your rear tires on a hard corner!

[Vegas69]

Road racing is the ultimate test for any engine. It's needs more oil volume, better oil control, and you need and oil cooler. An engine that will last a lifetime on the street can grenade in no time. It's really a brutal enviroment with no room for error.

[Bow Tie 67]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Road racing is the ultimate test for any engine. It's needs more oil volume, better oil control, and you need and oil cooler. An engine that will last a lifetime on the street can grenade in no time. It's really a brutal enviroment with no room for error.

Amen brother mines getting a cooler and accusump.

Jim sounds like a good plan just don't rush it.

[Jim Nilsen]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Road racing is the ultimate test for any engine. It's needs more oil volume, better oil control, and you need and oil cooler. An engine that will last a lifetime on the street can grenade in no time. It's really a brutal enviroment with no room for error.

I am looking for the spot for the accusump to go. the damn thing is so big and heavy that it is hard to package. I have a lot of room in the rear of the car and may put it there, a longe line is required but it would put some weight in the rear where it is still needed to get 50/50 balance. I have room for a cooler but the car didn't go over 260 oil temp even when pushed to the limit we took it. The instructor was really surprised that the oil pressure and temp were always good and so was I. The Canton road race pan for a vette really do there job.

The new engine may run completely different in temp so we will have to see.

[Jim Nilsen]

Originally Posted by Bow Tie 67

Amen brother mines getting a cooler and accusump.

Jim sounds like a good plan just don't rush it.

If I have to pass on the weekend with the car I will, I may just drive up in the car and not be in the event. who knows? with all of the cameras around I might get in some pics?

I already miss getting in and starting it to put a smile on my face. The feel of that much power was spoiling me. I think I should have a few more hp and hopefully a bit more torque too, I love torque.

So much to do so little time.

[waynieZ]

Jim I'm not sure who's car it was, but I saw one put down low in between front of the motor and the radiator. Since your motor is set back maybe it will fit there.