Yikes! Compression!

[thegawd]

I rebuilt a vortec 350 once. it was however in high school. we had like 30 of them, donated by the local Chevrolet dealer, his son was in my grade. anyways it was a brand new engine, tare down, go through the procedures of verifying tolerances n what not then rebuilt and ultimately run on an engine dyno stand connected to computers.

this short video brought back the joy of hearing that engine fire up. that was in 98 and I have not done that since, one day.

I know theres prolly a million videos on YouTube but this is the only one I've seen....

an inspiration.

Al

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Dang, I feel attacked.

Nice work! Now I'm really wanting to build a run stand. I'm not brave enough to run my engine on the build stand.

The stand I have is very solidly built. I also use an ICT billet mount that holds the engine very solidly.

 

[Schurkey]

Now I'm really wanting to build a run stand. I'm not brave enough to run my engine on the build stand.

Nothin' to it.

I have gotten so that I support the front of the engine with the Engine Hoist, which also reduces the jiggling and torque reaction a bit.

Had an Olds 455 running on my assembly stand for way over an hour. Pontiac 455 (photos below) and a Chevy 454 for cam break-in.

Don't open or close the throttle suddenly. The torque reaction will move it around some. And keep a garden hose handy to mist the radiator if it starts running hot.

Photo 1. Pontiac on stand with radiator cart and accessories.
http://hbassociates.us/pontiac_455_test_stand.jpg

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Photo 2. Rear view with exhaust system.
http://hbassociates.us/pontiac_teststand_rear.jpg

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Photo 3. View of radiator cart. Folds-up for storage.
http://hbassociates.us/radiator_cart.jpg

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[Erik the Awful]

Yup. I know it's pretty easy to build. I just have to wait for the price of steel to come back down. I already have sketches of the layout and an adjustable engine attachment scheme. I plan on being able to fit everything from a rotary engine to a big-block Caddy, because I literally have the two sitting next to each other.

 

[Schurkey]

I plan on being able to fit everything from a rotary engine to a big-block Caddy, because I literally have the two sitting next to each other.

You too?

Downside of trying to fit my RX7 12A, is that the starter attaches to the bellhousing; and I don't have one. I'll have to rig-up an ignition system using a couple of MSD spark-boxes, and a pair of distributorless coils, too. Not even on my list-of-things-to-do...yet.

I'm not prepared to pull-start the thing with a rope wrapped around the flywheel.

Getting at least one Caddy running this summer might happen, though.

 

[Erik the Awful]

The hot ignition setup back in the day was a single MSD-6A, a 2nd gen coil, and the stock 12A distributor. Keep the trailing plug wires hooked up like normal - there's no real power gain there. Run the purple and green wires in the mag-pickup of the 12A distributor directly to the purple and green wires of the MSD. ** BUT! ** be aware the wires connect purple to green, purple to green! It'll run like crap if your match the wire colors. The coil output from the MSD box goes straight to the coil, and you put the plug wires straight from the coils to the plugs. It's a dead simple wasted spark setup - you can even use conventional coils if you put two in parallel off the MSD's output. I picked up a noticeable amount of torque, a smoother idle, top end power (all the way to 10k!), and fuel economy. Win, win, win. If you need a 12A distributor, just say the word. I have a few spares, and I'll send you one.

 

[Schurkey]

I have a distributor. I don't know that it has a functional pair of pickups; but I also have no reason to believe they're toast. I have no other Mazda ignition parts beyond spark plugs. So if both pair of plugs are going to get spark...I'll need two MSDs and two waste-spark coils which I own but haven't wired-up to that engine.

The big hold-up is the lack of a bellhousing; coupled to a lack of ambition. It'll need a carb-cleaning, too.

Appreciate the offer.

 

[Erik the Awful]

If I remember right, a normal MSD Blaster coil will power the trailing ignition through the cap off the factory igniter. Does your distributor have the igniters?

It's been a while, I totally forgot that the mag pickups run right into the igniters. I ran my MSD box off of a hollowed igniter that I put jumper wires inside of so I could use the factory igniter plug.