Thread: And more questions: Front suspension & clearance

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C9X, that is why I'm asking about the dampener but from what Southerner says it makes sense that the large 8" diameter would be on a Corvette engine and I recall now that the engine builder sent me out for a timing mark kit and he told me to make sure it was for the large dampener. I let him set up the short block so I can only hope that he was aware of the match. As far as the spring assembly goes, I would do quite a few things differently the "next time" and I see now that the main leaf might have gone in easier by itself but I did not want to mess up all the slide buttons at the time. I am assuming that HiboyGal will get help from a shop when she makes a decision on what to do. Actually her list of things to do seems pretty good. Her questions helped me check out some things on my front end.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

[QUOTE=C9x]I'm not real familiar with the SBC, but don't you have to be careful in swapping harmonic dampeners due to differing balance/balance weight situations as well as the timing marks can be a mismatch to the timing pointer?


Good point, of the factory SBC displacements, only the 400 CID displacements came out with the external balance dampeners and flywheels. All other SBC's came out with internally balanced cranks.

So the 400 SBC came out with the special 8" balancer external balancer only. You will see a large counterweight on the back of the balancer inner hub. It has it's own special part number.

Timing marks will change on both big and small balancers due to emissions. So they can change as the emissions laws got more severe. This was accomplished by either changing the timing tab placement or marks, or changing the timing mark on the balancer inertia ring.
NB the timing marks can also change on old balancers due to the elastomer loosing it's adhesion and walking off or around the hub.

Say C9X, I have my nephews 351W to play with, why did ford come up with a whole heap of different valve diameters and stem lengths for this motor ????

]

Well dang,

If Faith ain't confused by now, I dang sure am ....................

I think her "boy" will be able to enrich uranium by the time we are done

Faith, nows the time to use that IQ of yours to sort your your way through this. I bet you will get him done!

Best wishes, Kitz

Originally Posted by southerner

Say C9X, I have my nephews 351W to play with, why did ford come up with a whole heap of different valve diameters and stem lengths for this motor ????

Not sure about that, but Ford tends to use a particular engine in many different situations/forms.


But . . . if ya wanna talk about Buicks....

Originally Posted by C9x

Not sure about that, but Ford tends to use a particular engine in many different situations/forms.


But . . . if ya wanna talk about Buicks....

we no got Buicks down in this part of the world. Only Holdens and Fords, and some chevrolets, plenty of ricers. The closest I have come to a Buick is seeing one of the unlimited saloons running a set of Buick heads on a SBC.

Originally Posted by DennyW

The neat one I liked in my younger days was the Sunbeam Tiger. 289 Ford engine.

Now that was a little car that could

sorry to sound ignorant but,..panhard bar anyone.
where, why ?
sign me :Idontknow

easier than typing it out; http://www.timskelton.com/lightning/...on/panhard.htm

Though his pics are rears, the same concept applies to the front.

Simply a locating bar (usually round tubing with a rod end on each side, one end fastened to the frame, the other to the axle. Allows up and down movement, but limits side sway.

Don

The only Sunbeam Tiger I ever saw had a 260. Sure blew by me!

They a bit pricey back then ?

In case anyone wants to read about these:

www.ritzsite.net/Tiger/01_tiger.htm


Don


Right about now Faith is saying "where the h*** did my thread go?"

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

:
Don
Right about now Faith is saying "where the h*** did my thread go?"

Well you know how it is in these forums, the threads are like driving a car, if you just sit back and relax to much the car starts to drift from side to side......... IIIII Same with the threads, this ones starting to drift quite nicely untill a) either the driver takes back control with a start or
b) A cop pulls her over for inattention

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

In case anyone wants to read about these:

www.ritzsite.net/Tiger/01_tiger.htm


Don


Right about now Faith is saying "where the h*** did my thread go?"

HIJACKERS! HIJACKERS!

Actually I don't mind the hijacking at all, it is the 'bickering' that is upsetting to me... For a moment there I thought I was going to have a bloody war on this thread Oh nooooo I really don't want this forum, which is SOOOO COOOOOOL to turn into another hotrodders.com cause I ran out of there as fast as I could, bullets were flying everywhere, heavy artillery blasting, everyone seemed to hate everyone and I think I had a target pratice sheet stappled to my forehead because many strangers were taking cheap shots at me, left and right... I sustained so many bullet holes, when I drink now, I turn into a sprinkler system

Clubhotrod.com has been so refreshing and such a wonderful departure from the horrible experience I had on the 'other forum' ... I simply LOVE IT here.

So far noone here has EVER said anything that has offended me in any way.
SO I BEG YOU, PLEASE DON'T FIGHT.... be nice to one another, yes we are all different, but somehow we are also all the same: hotrod lovers at the core...

Updates on engine height.

Hiboy was on the rack again yesterday. It gave me a chance to really look at my suspension, clearance etc... I aso looked under the belly of several other hiboys friday night at Bob's Big boy cruise night. People must have wondered why I was spending more time lying down on the ground with my head under the cars than standing upright hehe... Anywhoo, I found that my engine is sitting lower than anything else I saw that day. Consequently when you look inside my car I do not have a transmission buldge between driver and passenger size which results in lots of leg/feet space. In short my transmission is mostly under the car compartment. I noticed I have only currently about 1/4 inch space clearance between firewall and transmission. I also noticed the bushing on engine mounts are tired. Jeff (my significant other - who is a certified Chevy tech) mentioned we could get new bushings, which will bring engine up a hair, but the transmission doesn't have alot of room to go up. I know we are looking at a triangle, so if engine goes up 1/2 inch for ex transmission will go up less, maybe I can get away with a little raise of engine this way... New bushing cant hurt anyways, right? Worth a try since Jeff can do the work himself (saves me $$).

As far as leaf springs, I thank you all for yoru warning, I do cherish both my arms and I think I'll let the rod shop battle with the springs on their own.

As far as Panhard bars, all the roadsters here have them and I can tell you from experience that not having one is making my hiboy handle very poorly when we hit potholes, especially on the freeway... The car will suddenly jump sideways, by a good few feet!! Pretty scary. Me no likey.