A big part of no mechanical failures is due to preventitive maintenence. The decision I made to check the valve springs saved me a costly unneeded rebuild. While I had the engine apart to swap out the valve springs and rebuild the lifters with the superior NO needle bushings, it was time for a good inspection and tune up. A consistent compression balance and clean plugs showed me the combustion chamber is happy. I replaced the cap, rotor, plugs, and distributor gear along with inspecting the wires and blowing out the distributor housing. I looked the carb over and checked all the fasteners. I replaced the K&N with a fresh element. They are inexpensive enough that I decided to replace it vs. clean an reoil it. I dropped the visclosity in the engine to 10w40 to drop the cold oil pressure and reduce distributor gear wear.
I picked up another trick tool from LSM racing to do the valve spring change. It was a back breaker but I knocked them all out in a couple hours. Now I have a real baseline for fresh valve springs with my on engine valve spring tester. It turns out that only two of the old valve springs had really lost any significant pressure. The intakes measure 230 and exhaust 210 on the seat.(The values are different than they would measure off the engine) The exhaust lifter I nearly lost was only down to 180 seat. They will be getting checked at every valve lash adjustment.
She's running great and ready for a couple more years of raising hell before similar maintenence.
Up next is a trip down to Best of Show on July 23rd to have Dick and the crew freshen up the paint. Cut and buff and touch up some blemishes.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
I suffer from that, wonder if there is therapy for it?
Linear Mode
