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Kage87Z Member

Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Posts: 436 Location: 12 Second Club
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:58 pm Post subject: Well, bought a 3rd gen yesterday, took it to the track today |
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Bought from a former active crewbee... Tim Clark.
Well, good news and bad on the drag racing... Hit a 109.03 at 12.798.
That's the good.
The bad?
...
On my 5th or 6th run (107.70 @ 12.89) I hurt the engine. Just how much remains to be seen, but I'm thinking spun bearing. Others are telling me bent push rod (Solid roller lifter) I stopped and trailered the car immediately.
Will know more tomorrow after the autopsy.
The car from Tim's craigslist ad:
The engine is a 383 Stroker roller block built by Tabors machine shop 5 years ago. I would estimate there is about 500 miles on the engine and that was just driving around town and to PIR. It has a TH350 automatic transmission, 4.10 Richmond gears, power steering replaced with a manual steering box to lighten up the front end, and more. I have all of the paper work and specs on everything I purchased. It has current tabs good until August of next year, and I have been driving it around town all summer with no problems.
Engine:
Eagle 383 Stroker rotating assembly
Keith Black pistons
Cast Iron Vortec Heads
Edelbrock 750 CFM Performer Carb
Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifold
MSD 6AL Ignition Box
MSD Spark Plug Wires
HEI Distributor w/ MSD upgrade for external coil
Hamburger 383 Stroker oil pan
ARP Bolts
Transmission:
B&M console Mega Shifter
Spohn TH350 cross member
Lokar Flexible Dipstick
Hughes Torque Converter
B&M transmission fluid pan
Shift Kit
Exhaust:
Headman long tube header
2 1/2" Red Hot Glasspack Mufflers
Suspension:
KYB GR2 Shocks & Struts
Spohn Performance LCA relocation brackets
Spohn Performance Lower Control Arms
This is a fast car that is perfect for the street and strip. It ran a 12.7 sec. 1/4 mile @ 107 mph on slicks that were too small. I have a majority of the time slips to confirm the times. _________________ "Are you guys ready? Let's roll."
Todd Beamer - 9/11
Never Forget
My 69's story: http://myspace.com/69camaro454
My 87 Z/28's tale of woah... http://myspace.com/87Zcamaro383
Last edited by Kage87Z on Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:18 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Twilightoptics Hardcore (12sec Club)

Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 9191 Location: Auburn , WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:32 am Post subject: |
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Sad so see him sell that! It's a lovely car!
Didn't see the pic earlier. Not the car I thought it was. _________________ A redline a day keeps the carbon away!
Last edited by Twilightoptics on Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kage87Z Member

Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Posts: 436 Location: 12 Second Club
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Well, took it down to Tabors on West 11th.
Fired it up... and they told me that they do NOT think it's bearing related... Want me to get under the car and recheck everything for tightness... like the flex plate, etc.
Also, it was clear the oil hadn't been changed in a long time... and the plugs weren't in the best of shape (seemed kind of cold, as far as that goes.)
So, first Rx:
Oil change
Seafoam
plugs.
More later.
Last edited by Kage87Z on Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:31 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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blue89 Member

Joined: 23 May 2006 Posts: 3482 Location: Bellingham/Eugene
1986 Chevrolet Camaro RS
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izcain 9sec Club
Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 1306 Location: Port Angeles WA
1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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What kind of oil pressure does the engine have?
Sometimes with a rod bearing issue or something related to the firing of a cylinder you can pull each plug wire off to kill the cylinder and see if the noise subsides for a sec. Just a rough way to check. I would be pulling the valve covers off ASAP! _________________
1983 Z28 383 + 201ci more = New Heart for this season!
9.17 @ 148 |
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Kage87Z Member

Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Posts: 436 Location: 12 Second Club
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:40 pm Post subject: Update: the noise is.... gone. |
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| blue89 wrote: | | How can those be needing replaced? How many more miles does it have from the 500 as advertised? |
Don't know. They were platinums (Bosch of all things) and they looked cold. I've also seen better oil, but if those 500 miles included a great many 1/4 mile trips, that would explain it.
| izcain wrote: | | What kind of oil pressure does the engine have? |
At idle, bounces off 60 when warm (Dash gage)
| Quote: | | Sometimes with a rod bearing issue or something related to the firing of a cylinder you can pull each plug wire off to kill the cylinder and see if the noise subsides for a sec. Just a rough way to check. I would be pulling the valve covers off ASAP! |
Well, here's the update:
Part of the reason Tabor's made the diagnosis included pulling the valve covers and seeing everything appeared OK... the studs hadn't pulled at all, all the nuts were in place... no noticeable looseness of any of the rocker arms (stamped, BTW)
I did the oil change and put in the Seafoam, and the noise... disappeared.
It wasn't a light tapping, either. I first heard it on the way back up the road after my last run to get my timing slip.
I can't explain it. At this point, all I can do is say this thing is running like a chevy watch.
Last edited by Kage87Z on Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:53 am; edited 2 times in total |
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aaron_sK Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 8834 Location: Back in beautiful Tacompton
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Chevy's hate Bosch Platinums in my experience.
Oil should have been changed regardless of mileage if it had been sitting for that many years. I pulled the engine out of an old Ford truck one time that had water floating under the oil just from condensation. |
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Kage87Z Member

Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Posts: 436 Location: 12 Second Club
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| aaron_sK wrote: | Chevy's hate Bosch Platinums in my experience.
Oil should have been changed regardless of mileage if it had been sitting for that many years. I pulled the engine out of an old Ford truck one time that had water floating under the oil just from condensation. |
You are absolutely right... I have no idea (other then brain damage) why I didn't think of it. |
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Twilightoptics Hardcore (12sec Club)

Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 9191 Location: Auburn , WA
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:27 am Post subject: |
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 _________________ A redline a day keeps the carbon away! |
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Dv8 Member
Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 108 Location: Ruston WA
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 9:09 am Post subject: Whew |
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Glad you dodged that bullet. _________________ 88 Camaro IrocZ Convertible 5.0 TPI...
89 Camaro IrocZ 5.7(kids)
91 Camaro RS ( kids)-cloning to Z28
54 chevy 5 window Truck ( in creation ) |
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