Buford T Justice -- the full tour

[Anotheroldgearhead]

Enjoying reading about this machine, looking forward to the next installment.....

[TheSilverBuick]

Brian, how long is the drive shaft? I just measured the one in the Skylark and it's 43.5". Curious after our conversation at March Meet.

[Brian Lohnes]

Just about 55" from the ears on the rear to the ears on the front.

[TheSilverBuick]

Slight hi-jack. On another forum I check out from time to time (gasp!) someone is asking for some driveshaft tech and posted this chart up which I had seen before but never really analyzed given I did not know how long my driveshaft was (considering it's been shortened two or three times). What I first found interesting about it was it doesn't go as low as mine, and even then it starts at 9,000 rpm for 3" stuff. Which of course mine isn't even 3", it's probably 2.5. Looking at the mild steel, a .5" reduction in diameter shaves off around 1,500rpm on the critical speed, which would trend towards mine being 7,500rpm limited, which it'd never see with a BBB in 4th and would be 4,800 rpm in overdrive. Which would be 170mph in either gear with my 3.42's and 142mph with an extreme for me 4.11's. I'm going to copy this to my thread too

I forgot if your driveshaft was already 3" or if it was less? Either case at 55" the chart makes it look like bad news around the 5,500 rpm or less mark and you got evidence to back that up =/

[Brian Lohnes]

It never made it to 5500....but the junkyard one in there now has done it probably 15 times. I am beyond lucky I didn't have another disaster.

[Blazerteam]

Hmm..good thing my 4L80 is that long..

[Brian Lohnes]

Good news! My theory about a first gen Chevelle exhaust fitting (with a couple BangShifty tweaks) was correct. Was a full day job, with some finish work in the am, but the damned thing sounds pretty good rumbling away through a pair of Super 40s.

[BKBridges]

Brian, go get a beer!
Doing the full monty exhaust job is (almost) always satisfying as it changes the characteristics of the vehicle dramatically, opposed to just fixing something thats broke.

My Jensen's driveshaft is off the chart. Its 3" dia mild steel and 22" long (GVO).
BKB

[TheSilverBuick]

Excellent!

[Beagle]

I imagine the neighbors are thrilled with your creativity. I'm about ready to "fix" mr. 5:20 a.m. Harley alarm clock guy. You think I would be used to it after 10 years. Nope.

[milner351]

Well done Mr. Lohne's! I'm hoping I'll have the same luck with some tail pipes for the falcon.

Beags - for the Harley guy - I think they have no capacity for guilt, in the same vein - the freight train that runs through at 3:30am that we are now about 2 miles closer to at the new house - no guilt there either - same horn blasts at the same time every night - at least my son is sleeping through it now - me, not so much yet.

[STINEY]

Give it a few months John, you'll soon be able to forcast the days weather with that train horn.


Great news on the A - B body interchange-ability for exhaust kits! Can't wait to hear it.

[Huskinhano]

The only thing I can think of is that there is the wrong gasket between the main body and base plate.

Some carbs are just beyond fixing, never seem to work right. If you know a carb guy nearby, maybe pick their brain. If not, pitch it for a double pumper.

That rings a bell. I seem to recall reading a tech article on Holleys way back about that. I think that the base gasket will fit either way but installed wrong it'll block off vacuum to the secodary diaphragm preventing them from working but function fine otherwise. Then again it could be something I remembered from a drunken stuper.

[Brian Lohnes]

Little Easter morning wrenchin'! No mo driveshaft worries. Shameful to hide this monster!

[TheSilverBuick]

Nice! Happy Easter!