Re: Project 66 Nova
 

$17 worth of Hobby Lobby vinyl, and we're looking official. I wanted to keep it "old school."

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...2183f66777.jpg

Thunder Valley Dragways
Marion, SD
9/14/13

was great meeting you guys!

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Paul, it was nice to see your car at TVD this weekend and meet you (if only briefly). Your car is well thought out and nicely done....you should be very proud of it! -Al

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Tim, thanks for the awesome pics - I enjoyed BSing with you.
Al, it was great to meet you, also. Can't wait til Kearney!

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Your thread is very inspirational ! I wanna got,stocker racing myself,but wet behind the ears.Nice build! Good luck with the car !

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

I thought I would do another post on this thread as a sort of "wrap-up" of the first season out with the car, so here goes:
I don't have my logbook in front of me, but I made around 60 passes with the car this year. Ran a best of 11.53 @ 114 in the quarter, and 7.25 @ 93 in the eighth...under the indexes, which was great at first, but we have a ways to go before I'm satisfied.
I managed to win some rounds, which is way more fun than losing.
I learned a lot about driving a racecar, mainly driving the finish line. Number one lesson: If it spins a little, DO NOT whomp it at the stripe or you will lose.
Number two lesson: If you see a sign that says "FINISH LINE," and it seems way too soon, it means you're only halfway there. (The quick 32 Ignite Series runs to the eighth, so the sign is for them) DO NOT let off the gas or you will lose.
All in all I had a great time and can't wait for next season. Engine came out last night and will get some upgrades over the winter...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/1...cb422bce_c.jpg

Due to the pivot ball in the Quick Time bellhousing being too tall, I fought a geometry issue all year that resulted in this:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2887/1...1d63ba58_c.jpg

And this:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5490/1...26b40315_c.jpg

So the clutch will get sent off for a freshen, also.

My hope is to at least be in the running for class at the Class Nationals in May. I'm looking forward to that race like a six year old waiting for Christmas!

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Paul, I saw your car on the sportsman spotlight, with Alan Reinhart from Kearney, it was shown on ESPN3 during the Las Vegas national event, maybe it is on the NHRA website, maybe on the sportsman show from Vegas.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Awesome, Jerry - I was already planning to watch the ESPN3 show tonight, so I'll keep my eye out.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Looks like the disc is touching the hat ? 10.5 disc too big ?---Trevor

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Are you shure that is a geometry issue with the pivot ball?
I would guess the same as Trevor...

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Yes, when the pedal is all the way up, the fork hits the hat so the bearing can't come all the way back. Then the clutch slips and overheats.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Had this same problem with my quick time bell. I removed the locknut under the adjustable pivot ball so as to move the ball back more. This allows the clip on the fork to fit on the ball. Than welded the ball to the threaded collar. Hope that makes sense!

Also what wheels are on your car? Seen them just did not know who makes them.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Paul, it sounds like you did not have enough freeplay between the throwout bearing and levers. It gets worse when the clutch wears because the levers come up higher. Of course they come up as the rpm comes up. It acts like you are riding the clutch.

The QTs are approx. .200 more shallow then the lakewoods. It is important to use an adjustable pivot ball and the correct throwout bearing and fork. There is a blocksaver you can getmthat is thicker than the one that comes with the QT that can help also. E mail or call me. Jim

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

That's why I sent my QT to browell and he set it up with the solid fork and Heim joint. You do have to trim the fork to fit with a McLeod clutch.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

I'm running Corvette fork and the same bearing as you guys, so I'm hoping the adjustable pivot will get me there. When I put it together I saw that it was close, but thought it would be ok. I don't understand why the QT doesn't come with an adjustable ball...they don't even sell one as far as I can tell with a couple hours of internet research. I'm planning on getting the Lakewood one for GMs, as it appears to have the same thread as the hole in my QT.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

I don't think any of the bells that I have had ever came with an adjustable one. I just bought the lakewoodk or Mr. Gasket ones.

You have the same fork and throwout bearing, but not the same clutch and maybe not the same block saver. That can make a difference.

We use the thicker block saver. Also, if you have a pressure plate that has washers under it and a thicker disc, that can take away more clearance as well. Finger height is a big deal too.


We have been trying a different clutch and had to trim up our fork and change the linkage on our clutch pedal to make it work. Pretty tight in there! :)

Just some stuff to check.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

James,
Please call me @ 692-418-9797
Thanks

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

X2 Paul you have a beautiful car and it sure looks good on TV.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Jeff, I tried that number and it did not go through. Jim.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Duh…602-418-9797

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

paul reading back over your build post wondered if you have had any tech man question the fuel tank mounted with tabs only no straps. like the way it is mounted along with the seats. thanks jim

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

An aluminum fuel cell with welded on mounts probably doesn't need straps.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Here is a shot of my cell mounting with straps. I have to remember how to make it bigger because I am computer challenged. If you click on the pic it will get bigger. Also over 70,000 views on this nice build Paul. Tom

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Jim -
No questions from tech...it's been looked at by Bob Blackwell, Wayne Lewis, and several others. Thanks for the compliment...I'm a simple guy, so I built it simple!

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Had my first on-track engine disaster last weekend at Topeka, so I thought I'd add a couple photos to this thread. It had a mysterious oil pressure issue going on, so it wasn't a huge surprise that it let go...still hard to swallow though, especially this early in the season. Big thanks to Larry Vierregger for the tow back to my pit, and also to everyone who expressed their condolences. And especially to John Hladky, who is loaning me a shortblock!

[IMG]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/...2445b7dd_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/...2eed2794_b.jpg

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Damn, sorry for your loss. Is that a cap that is spread so wide? One rod bolt let go? Wondering if one loose bolt let oil pressure drop due to the leakage?

Cam and lifter laying there, damn that's too bad. Been there, sickening feeling.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Spun bearing , tried to weld rod to jourmal, until it flexed and broke.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

I wanted to pass along "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say:
I got the borrowed shortblock together and in the car but didn't have time to test before heading to Marion for the Midwest Class Racers deal last weekend. So...after the burnout for Q1 I noticed the oil pressure gauge do a little "flutter." Launched the car, and halfway through 2nd gear the gauge dropped to zero. I immediately pushed in the clutch, and in a few seconds it came back up. The thing had 5 quarts of oil in it, which is 1 more than I normally run. I figured it must be the pump, so ran to Napa and then spent a lovely few hours laying underneath the thing in 97 degree heat and swamplike humidity. Went back up for a test and it did the same thing. At this point I was not in the best of moods to say the least. A few of us had a little powwow and made a list of things that were different in the engine versus previous years: Heads (no effect on oiling), Lifters (had been in the borrowed shortblock for a year or two), and different brand of oil filter. That's all.
I have only used Wix Racing filters since I started racing this car, but for some reason I decided to use K&N this year. Dave Weeks had a Wix in his trailer, so we swapped it in.
Next morning went up for Q1 and it was fine. Ran Q2, fine. Won 2 rounds and lost in E3, no more problems. All this was apparently caused by the wrong brand of oil filter. Just thought I'd share in case anyone else ends up in the same boat: Try the easy stuff first!!!!!!!!

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

ouch !

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Paul I. Saw that happen to Bob Utsler several years ago. He had a AC Delco oli filter. No oil pressure put a different one on and it fixed it. I have always used Wix 51069R filters with no problems. Ed

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Wix Filters for the Win


That is all I will use.

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Interesting Paul. We had the exact same problem with the K&N filter on the two Olds engines. We had never used them. Changed the oil in both cars one weekend then took them to our local car show. Mine lost oil pressure on the way back to the trailer at the end of the show. Thought we hurt something at Brainerd the week before. Couple days later dad started his car to move it and oil pressure came up right away. It sat there for a minute while he was doing some other things. Got back in and it had zero oil pressure. So dad had one of our usual filters sitting there. Put that in good oil pressure. Went and picked up another one for my car spun it on and boom good oil pressure. Needless to say that was our one and only experience with there filters.

Rick

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Hi,

Just my 2 cents.................................

About 10 years ago we ran only AC Delco filters on our Firebird.......

We noticed that some of the filters had less oil supply holes.......

My belief is that that there are people who make a living cheating other people.......

With China ready to copy ANYTHING, all you need to do is have the filters and box manufactured in China......

No testing, no quality control and a disaster waiting to happen....

Everybody is knocking off everything because there is more PROFIT involved....

You have to know what the source is of the products that you buy, be it a filter, a fuel pump or a drug prescription.....

Bob

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

I have heard oil filter horror stories for years but they USUALLY involved a Fram filter....

Re: Project 66 Nova
 

Yep MJ had one of them happen too. Chicago national 2001 first round filter came apart inside killed the engine. Last time one of them went on anything we own. After talking with others after that heard lots of horror stories from others with similar issues.

Rick