On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 9:04 AM, Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> wrote: > I'm glad you got these results! Check it again in another 8K miles just to > be sure (or when you check lifter adjustment). You get 15-16K on it and I'll > be satisfied. Oh I'm with you here. 20K and no torque needed, OK that will mean something. > The only clincher here may be that cooling mod. I'd say it MUST be in place > to use the studs an leave the head alone. Good thing it's easy to do! Should > even be able to do it with the head on, but the water pump would have to > come off. There would be some benefit from just having the cooling mod, but > may as well pull the head and use studs too. They don't have to be ARP > studs, standard grade 8 studs from a fastener supply should be just as good. > The ARP studs are slightly harder than grade 8, may not need but a bit over > factory hot torque (I'd go 70 ft/lbs anyway). > ARP studs are more than just "hard", I'm afraid I'll sound like one of their sales brochures here, but there stuff is far far better than "aircraft" quality. It really is a head-fastening-system not just a bunch of bolts. The finish quality, the designed-in stretch, insane consistency, the special nuts and washers, and last and no-way least, the ARP assembly lube. Their lube is superior to anything I've tried and I NEVER buy cheap lubes and chemicals ever. The ARP hardware is about $4, $5 per bolt-hole. Sealing a head is not a place for effective application of Rambler Mentality. I can't be sure of course if the studs by themselves would be enough, or how much the cooling mod affects it, but the cooling mod is just so easy there's no reason not to do it. The downside has been that it takes too long for the engine to warm up. I've got a 3/8" circulation hose, I think 1/4" would be better (I will retrofit it). But even once warmed up the water jacket between cyls 4 and 5 doesn't get up to 190 when the outside air is below 60. (I have a 180 thermostat and electric fans that are OFF at highway cruise). I need to block half the radiator. The head runs about 175, 180 when it's "cold" out. Funny problem to have, an engine that has too much cooling! "New" radiator, clean block, the cooling mod, but I think the biggest reason is that I run so much spark advance, 33 degrees at-speed, rather than the factory 16! 16 degrees total, mechanical+vacuum! All that heat was going into the water jacket due to the late timing. Funny, I still get the same constant 22 mpg highway, but I'm now driving 65 - 75 mph instead of 55, 60 mph before the rebuild. Lots of changes though, carb, cam, etc. I can easily break the tires loose from standstill now, and even did it once shifting to 2nd (that was very odd-seeming, and yes, I was in a corner :-) It hauls ass now. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.amc-list.com/pipermail/amc-list-amc-list.com/attachments/20101206/a3477764/attachment.htm> _______________________________________________ AMC-list mailing list AMC-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com