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1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36132		 Page 89 of 92
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Quote:
Did you cut a cross section of that putty to see what the actual clearance is? I use play dough as silly putty can flow a little. You could cut across it with a fresh single edge razor blade and leave 1/2 on the piston and measure with a caliper (or with your eye if it's clearly thick enough).

Sounds great on the valve timing.

So you were using the 210 gasket with 13.5:1 static CR? Wow. No o-rings? I would worry it wouldn't work a second time, and like Rick's idea... I guess you are using head studs and plenty of torque?

Lou
Hi Lou,
I used a slightly different method of measuring the valve pocket distance from the top of the piston with the clay.
First, I measured the "floor of the pocket in a perpendicular plane to the piston top, then I remeasured in the same plane to the putty's edge smashed by the valve and subtracted the difference between the 2 measuremants. It is just within spec for such things.

Yes, using the AP-210 Big Bore Gasket with 13.5:1 with no O-rings. I use ARP Head Studs on all of my builds. No reason not to! Likely was torqued to 100#/Ft. in 3 even steps.( would hafta check my Notes for sure.
I don't mess with stock fasteners for my go-fast stuff. :D
Author:  Dart270 [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 9:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Sounds good on the measurement - got it. Nice to hear the AP210 gasket + studs at high torque can handle that pressure.

Lou
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 10:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Quote:
Sounds good on the measurement - got it. Nice to hear the AP210 gasket + studs at high torque can handle that pressure.

Lou
Them thar Aussies know how to make a SKOOKUM AS FRIG head gasket at a reasonable price point! I wish they had the 3.46" Bore again.

No guarantees that it would work well on Booooooooost or on the Juice, but it was fine for me.

Greg
Author:  Rick Covalt [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 11:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Yes Ryan's car was running one at over 13 to one too.
Author:  Dart270 [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Cool. Somehow I thought Ruster and Ryan's 62 were running the MLS gaskets.

Lou
Author:  Rick Covalt [ Mon Apr 20, 2026 2:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Ryan was running a MLS that was removed and reinstalled at least one time. Then the last time we had the head off we installed the Aussie big bore
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:37 am ]
Post subject:  4/21/26
4/21/26:

Last night, after Ava's music lesson in town, I went to the shop to accomplish some more things.

I got a new Permaseal AP 210 out of the package (dated 2006), verified that it has the ~3.60" fire ring, sprayed it with copper schmoo, and put it in the sandwich.
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I also lubed and installed the new lifters and poured a bit of oil in the lifter bores for assembly.
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Do you know how hard it is to torque in 3 even steps 80-90-100 Ft/Lb's whilst holding your dumb fone to take a picture like this without falling over or torquing the engine flat onto the garage floor? Me neither, but now I do,
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Set all of the "Cold Lash" to 0.016 / 0.020 Cam Card Calls for 0.022" / 0.024" I am guessing that is hot, but I have to do this engine not running due to the coil packs on the valve cover.... not sure what genus came up with that idea??
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Blast from the past:D :D
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Author:  Dart270 [ Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Cool beans, Greg. 3.66" bore gasket you mean.

I would *really* recommend setting cold lash to 0.028"/0.032" or even 0.002" looser on both. Ignore the lash settings on the cam card. The lash closes up when hotter, not the other way around. For that cam, you want 0.026" int and 0.030" exh HOT as a starting point, then adjust from there. I always set my lash with the engine off, FWIW.

Lou
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Quote:
Cool beans, Greg. 3.66" bore gasket you mean.

I would *really* recommend setting cold lash to 0.028"/0.032" or even 0.002" looser on both. Ignore the lash settings on the cam card. The lash closes up when hotter, not the other way around. For that cam, you want 0.026" int and 0.030" exh HOT as a starting point, then adjust from there. I always set my lash with the engine off, FWIW.

Lou
Oops yes. 3.66" Thanks for the Lashing info. Easy to re-adjust.
Author:  Dart270 [ Tue Apr 21, 2026 9:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
You betcha!
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Mon Apr 27, 2026 3:29 pm ]
Post subject:  4/27/26
4/27/26
Happy Belated Hemi Day.

Some work has happened:
I re-lashed the cold lash before the first fire to 0.028" / 0.032"......reusing an old picture from last week. it looks the same as before.
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The old intake was quite gnarly, it was time for a trip ot the blast cabinet. It got blasted and then repainted.
Also, while it was off I took off the "Clifford Nub" that is under the spacer/adapter. I also did some radius work with the die grinder on the transition from the "plenum" to the runners.
The spacer I use under the carb is open, not a 4-hole, as I likely modified it a long time ago to work better with the HVH Super Sucker spacer.

Here is the nub I am talking about: - It is mostly well hidden under a 4 hole spacer. but is in the way under an open spacer.
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Out of the "paint booth":
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Some more parts got a bit of touchup work too:
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Bye, Bye, nub, Hello new paint.
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All of these inside edges are now radiused.
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Ready for the 750 and the spacers to be reinstalled. ( I am flipping the carb 90° for the reinstall.) I used to have the primaries facing the shock tower; now they will face the front of the car, a 'la v8 style.
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Paint was flaking off the valve cover.. It got the same blast cabinet and paint booth treatment as the other parts.
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Parts are going back onto the engine.
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Will be setting the engine back into the K-Frame soon, and getting the new front engine plate seup / installed as well as fabbing up the fore/aft bracing.

More to come!
Author:  Dart270 [ Tue Apr 28, 2026 3:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Excellent work, Greg. Ruster is feeling the love...

Lou
Author:  slantzilla [ Tue Apr 28, 2026 9:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Awesome stuff Greg! :mrgreen:
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Sun May 03, 2026 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  5/3/26
5/3/26:

Many small steps accomplished during the last ~16 hours in the shop.

Since deciding to rotate the carburetor 90° I will need a new Throttle Cable mount and return spring mounting strategy. This is good because I was able to use a Lokar part for this that is simple and likely 20X lighter than my old home made bits of steel stock from 2009. ( I did not do any weight comparison, but I should soon.)
New Lokar part:
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Old heavy bar steel homemade junk that it is replacing:
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Next it was time to mock up and use that transfer punch set I bought last year to transfer all the extra drill / mounting points from my old plate to this new one.
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As you can see the new plate is a little different and comes with an alternator hanging area, but I wanted to keep my belts the same length as I have 30 spares in this size.
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Lots of Drilling and when needed using a milling bit because I am "drilling" into another adjacent hole what was not there on my old plate.
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Reinstalled the repainted valve cover.
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Spent lots of time mocking this front drive stuff up a few times, drilling, punching, and redrilling.
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When time allows, I need to draw up these old brackets in AutoCAD, and then get them cut professionally. These are the old parts from scrap aluminum plate with a drill and jigsaw that I hand made years ago.
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Refreshing some parts, and welded together stacks of washers to make alternator spacers the correct size for this application. This was the first time I had the welder out in a long time. It felt good to fire up the hot glue gun on a sunny day.
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Water pump needed all of the old sealer cleaned off. I decided to repaint and refresh it too.
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Release the Schmoo! Ready to glue the plate to the block.
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Finally after hours of futzing and checking, and rechecking and re-futzing, all of the front drive accerssories were in the correct place and tight.
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I was able to get the lump set into the frame rails again before calling it a day.
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Some more futzing was had , but I was able to get the transmission pulled up to the back of the engine, Pheww! Put a few fasteners in the bolt holes loose, and then time for dinner and a trip to the ice cream shop.
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There are still about 1000 Small fluid and electrical connections to be put on next week, and then i also need to get some radius rods and rod ends and build some sort of fore/ aft limiting... Lots of thinking, cutting, grinding, drilling, fabricating to come for next week!


Greg
Author:  hyper_pak [ Mon May 04, 2026 7:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 1968 Valiant Ruster Racer IRWIN PA
Greg, I see you have Allen adjusters on your Goodman rockers.
Do you remember where you got those?
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