Trying to rebuild the engine for my Cuda. Took the block to a machine shop, to have it bored 3 cyl to .030 and 3 cyl .060 (couldn't find a complete set of forged pistons) and have the rods pressed, and pistons notched for valve clearance. Got everything back. The .060 cylinders had .009 piston clearance and the .030 cylinders had .004 clearance. Three of the piston/rod assys, were too tight, couldn't hardly move them. Got all this corrected, went to install the pistons, and realized, he put the valve notches on the wrong side of the pistons. This shop came highly reccommended. Now I have to go back to the shop and have him rotate the pistons on the rods. I sure would like to get this engine finished without any more problems

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Holey moley! Tough to find good help...

Everyone check those clearances!!

Good luck on the next run, Charlie.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Yucckkk,
This crap always happens when I need stuff fast, what a pain!
DD

And you guys wonder why I mail my junk to Nebraska to get it fixed.

Hope things start going better Charlie.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

The main thing about all this. I am a tool and die maker, and have all the measuring tools, including a dial bore gauge. I can check the machine work when I get it back, from the shop. If it isn't right, I know it, and can go back and get it corrected. What about the average auto enthusiast, who is at the mercy of the shop, and can only trust that it is done right. You can't even go by recommendations. I have tried 5 shops in my area, in the last 6 years, and have not been satisfied with any of them. get one job done fine, then the next one is poor. Then when you bring it to their attention, they give you a line of B.S. like you don't know any better.
RANT OFF.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I have noticed that attitude a lot since I moved to Florida. I bought my Valiant so I could start doing my own work. Or at least learn enough to know when I'm getting taken.

John

I don't know about the rest of the country but a lot of the good engine/machine shop experts have left to go work in the NC area NASCAR motor shops. The shop I used in the 80s and early 90s had both of their best guys go. The original owner/operator of the shop Charlie went to did the same. I was going to use this shop, not now.

Cecil

You are right, I had a great engine machinist I had "converted" (chebby guy) to appreciate the Slant, he did the machining on 5 different engines for me. Last year he closed his shop in San Jose, CA, sold most of his equipment and moved to North Carolina to work at a NASCAR shop.

I have since found another machinist that does good work but he is a one man shop and is super slow, it takes months to get anything done with him but when it is finished, it is right.
DD

Finally got my engine put together, and in the Cuda. Fired up 1st crank, set the timing and did a preliminary carb adjustment. Still need to run the valves, and do the final adjustments. Not sure if I might have a vacuum leak, or if it is just the .528 mopar cam. Sure does have a lot loppier idle, then I'm used to. Couldn't run it too long. I get along good with my neighbors, and don't want to abuse things. It can wait till morning. Looks like I will have the car at the Mopar meet in Reynolds Ga.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Buddy had the same machine shop screw up 3 different motors from 3 different manfactures. in SO Cal shops familar with the slant are few and far between so it becomes a challange as most if not all the speed shops are gone. (in my area they became auto zones).

If shops can't do a \6 no wonder it's difficult to find a shop that knows flathead Mopars. It's not unusual to be quoted $3,000 for a flathead six, then another shop might do it for $900. You might find that the $3,000 shop sent the work to the $900 guy.

Local shops that are busy are doing work for truck fleet overhauls, they have so much work that they can ignore the detailed custom jobs.

I plan to get an inexpensive set of measuring tools like those which Enco sells, not Starrret, but good quality, stay away from the Chinese stuff. I've heard the Russian measuring tools are good for the price.

The nightmare continues. Made it to Reynolds. Lowered compression ratio, with a thicker head gasket, and valve notches. Backed down the nitrous shot, by two jet sizes, and increased fuel pressure, from what I was running last year. Fifth run, 2nd full nitrous pass, melted number two piston. I need to find out what is wrong. Last year blew a head gasket twice, on #2 cyl. That is why, I cut back on things, thought I was safe. Now I only have a week and a half, to get ready for Bristol. Can't fix this motor in time, have to throw something else together. We'll see if we make it.
It did turn a 13.66 at 96 mph, on the good run, and the run, that lost the piston had a .15 better 60 foot time.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Ouch!!!, I hate it when crap like that happens!
Did you check that fogger nozzel to see if a piece of crud is plugging the fuel side?
Were the plugs burning off?
Too bad there is such a "learning curve" with getting these NOS systems working right, the good news is that the engine really comes alive when it is all working.
DD

Thats what I was thinking. Last year when the head gaskets blew, I thought it was my fault. The first one was after I pulled the head, just to take a look. I used an old style composition gasket, and forgot to retorque it. I replaced that one with the shim gasket I had been using, and thought i did not clean it good enough. I have had no problems with the nitrous up untill then. It is a good possibility, I have a restricted fuel nozzle. The electrodes on the plugs looked ok, except #2 had aluminum on it. I need to pull the pistons, and see if it is related to the screwed up valve notches. On #2 piston it melted right , where the notch went off the side of the piston, need to see if any of the others were starting to do the same thing. That will have to wait. Got to throw something together for Bristol.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Wow that sux Charlie

What type of nitrous system are you using???

i got a good deal on a Plate injection system (what i think would be easiest) with bottle and everything that mix's the fuel and nitrous together then sprays it out, i plan to use this one on my motor next year

Justin