Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Dean, You're fine sir. I post what can be seen, I don't post what I don't want seen. Just remember It's the internet so everyone's a hero :rolleyes:

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Ready to go back between the fenders.
https://i.imgur.com/SL5HgcT.jpg

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Todd and Autumn: I'd have to put a bunch gouges, scrapes, chips and dings on that thing before I could be comfortable working on it! ;)

Going to the dyno? -Al

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Al, it only looks this good the first day! No dyno time for it now, there are a couple enginee waiting for the dyno so we won't have time before the first race. I'd like to take it back out in April to dyno and try some different intake manifolds. I also texted you some pictures ;)

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Re: intake gaskets-- Back in the day that I worked in dealerships,'78-80, and Los Angeles County Mechanical department and I worked on mostly sheriff's cars, the iron intakes on the 78-79 Novas and Malibu's had an iron intake and at some point they quit using front and rear gaskets on the intakes in favor of RTV. All the 80-83 Malibus were 305's, and they had aluminum intakes. They all had RTV on the front and rear of the intake. We bought the orange GM RTV in large cylinders with a nozzle and a cap, and we used a caulking gun to apply it. It took a lot of oil leak comebacks with it. Same with valve covers. The main thing after all the fly cutting and resurfacing takes place is to make sure enough material was taken off of the manifold front and rear to ensure that the side gaskets were compressed adequately to seal up properly.

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Greg, At this point we're "trial and error" every step of the way, pretty much change your ways till the failures stop. Seems as though every action to fix a problem has a reaction that creates another. I think we've learned a lot this go round just being able to see some used parts to verify success or failure. I feel like we've closed up some variances hoping it shows power increases, if that works we'll keep squeezing it harder.

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

TODD check your PM --Dick

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Got it in Yesterday afternoon.
https://i.imgur.com/QJwglHu.jpg

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Looks like you could use a Derby City fender cover ;-)

Re: H-I-J '76 Nova re-fit.
 

Yes, we're laying all over it. Not ideal.