302 Chevrolet?

[Steve Williams]

10,000 RPM's?

[283nova]

ive had sevral homebrewed 302's 283's bored .125 over. the one in my nova now ran mid 12's on street tires. its being refurbed with a crower solid roller and some h beam rods setof alluminum heads. and im switching to a 4 speed hoping for low 11's high 10's and 8500 shifts probably more.

ive built 3 301/302's and a wicked327 im a fan of the mini mouse's

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

Yep....long story....My (now ex) father in law was going to build a "spinner" for his 71 vette, he had acquired all kinds of oddball stuff for it back in the early 70's a DZ marked 302 short block out of a 67 Z28, 4 webers one barrel per cyinder intake setup that looked like someone cast it in a backyard foundry but the machine work was good, the 14:1 pistons, and a bunch of other "treasures" he was going to scrap it....had it all piled outside the garage one day when we went over to visit, I was yound, maybe 24 I was drooling, I borrowed my uncles truck and loaded up. I took it all right down to a guy named Paul Wright here in Akron at "Powerhouse" he was well known for the SBC and valvetrains in particular...I said "I want a 10k rpm SBC" after looking at me oddly I said here....and we walked to the back of the truck, he said Ok a 302 no problem, but its worth more as a real 302 than you spitting it into pieces. Listed it in Hemmings and sold it. Took the money back and turned it over and said NOW build me one...and he did, I got a good penny for the short and all the best stuff I could get at a then 30% or so discount at Summit (had a friend whose wife worked there, then for execs it was at "cost" plus something.....first motor I ever had with titanium retainers. The webers lasted exactly 7 days on there before I took them off and sold the setup....what a pain in the arse, it was like synchronizng an 8 cyl motorcycle....but itd hit 10k and not blink....I think I spent as much time adjusting the valvetrain and checking things as I did running it.... Wow....what a monster. Sorry I ever sold it and the car it was in....didnt have enough coin then to put a "proper" rear set up in it...and with the M22 and straight cut gears and 2 disc clutch I was making little metal chunks out of rears after the 4th rear I parked it......sat in the Ex's grandmas garage till about 4 years ago when her Grandma died I went and brought it home finished it, tubbed it and put a "proper" rear in it....well a 9 inch fab setup....fun car, I picked a cam for response with the webers, and it would wind up like a ferrari. Just one of my favorites.....does anyone know if Paul Wright is still around ? I see the shop is there still but it looks closed.

Originally Posted by Steve Williams

10,000 RPM's?

[Steve Williams]

Spotting a bad valve spring must have been easy. A few 10,000 rpm shifts or launches and the valve spring didn't have no more spring to it.

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

The guy I sold it to did EXACTLY that, missed a shift and put a valve THROUGH the head sideways . It completley exited the combustion chamber sideways....left a T shaped hole in the head. Was up in the valve train after it made little bits of the left bank rockers and such.

I wouldnt have belived a valve could exit the head on a car with iron heads like that, but it did...If I find the pic Ill post it....

Couldve also been the 14/1 wedge pistons pushed it through rather than it bouncing off...but he put it back together....with a rev limiter 85 was ok for him, and without the webers it didnt "spin" up to 10k so smooth and fast. Sounded like a ferrari though with the webers....

Originally Posted by Steve Williams

Spotting a bad valve spring must have been easy. A few 10,000 rpm shifts or launches and the valve spring didn't have no more spring to it.