Plastic Fantastic tew

[SuperBuickGuy]

Et Tu UPS?

[SuperBuickGuy]

next day means next day if there isn't someone else to blame.... which means I don't have pushrods or valve covers... but I have plenty to do.

I worked on the trailer a minute - but mostly it just needs a bath and it's ready to go.. in other news

linkage needed adjusting. Love how easy Hurst is to adjust
stick a 1/4" bolt in the middle

then find out why your reverse doesn't go easily (that was the only issue other then a linkage spring has joined the nether.

next was bleed the brakes with DOT 4 fluid

thankfully my tools suck

what was interesting was the front system was a bit low.... no leaks, so probably just residual air bubbles...


I also got as far as I could without the intake pushrods


hopefully tomorrow ... UPS claims there was severe weather in Illinois but whatever it was didn't make it to news here...

[Captain]

Ah, brake bleeding.......
I have never had luck with those Vac/Bleed units, but.......after messing with brakes since I was 16, I have acquired a Taste for Brake Fluid over the years.......

[SuperBuickGuy]

Ah, brake bleeding.......
I have never had luck with those Vac/Bleed units, but.......after messing with brakes since I was 16, I have acquired a Taste for Brake Fluid over the years.......

my 'go-to' is let it gravity bleed first then commence on sucking... the other thing, I have both styles - the pressure and the vacuum types, sometimes one work better then the other. In this case, because the lines were already bled, the vacuum system worked great at changing the fluid.

[SuperBuickGuy]

thankfully, the parts arrived today - and I quickly got to painting them....


then toss in the pushrods - finally, even a blind squirrel finds a nut

I was a bit concerned after the fiasco of the other rockers not fitting that it would be chinesium measurements... nope, fits just fine

thick cork gaskets


and they don't fit



thankfully I have hammer and fire


and epoxy - I could attempt to weld them but with the paint there and unknown metallurgy, epoxy is the best option


tomorrow, noise

[DanStokes]

And the paint crinkled! Nicely.

Dan

[Captain]

I have a Drawer Full of Various SIZE
"Modifiers" !!!
From itty bitty nylon tipped 2 oz. "Modifiers"
Brass or Lead Soft Blow "Modifiers", 12 oz. Steel all the way up to Two Handed 12 pound Modifiers beside the tool box.
And sometimes the Flame Adjustable Metal Softener is used prior to the "Modifier" application........

[SuperBuickGuy]

And the paint crinkled! Nicely.

Dan

it doesn't crinkle over epoxy.... learned all sorts of stuff tonight - though most of it could be summed up "don't cheap out"

[SuperBuickGuy]

Tonight's story... don't cheap out, or avoid Speedmaster... sorry Aussie friends, this stuff is junk.

for a complete score: Number of parts from Speedmaster (rockers, guides, intake, valve covers, pan)... number of those parts that didn't work.... all of them, in tonight's update
Rockers

I got the car back together but the rockers got noisy just after I started it. The Speedmaster valve covers were leaking too...
but first, rockers
see the machined point in the trunion?

now look at the poly lock - see how it's worn - the hole is interference fit (including for the poly locks sent by Speedmaster).... turned them over and hopefully there's enough thread to hold them in place for the weekend - but when the weekend is done, I'm replacing the rockers maybe even screw in stud


a nice picture of it apart for posterity - I had to turn the trunions over to the 'wrong' side


in other news, chinese heads.... I still think the casting is worth it, but next time I send them for a quality build.... this hole (of course the rearmost, wasn't fully tapped)


they are cheap valve covers. They fit, but they used tubes to inset the bolts.... not exactly sure why but the problem is due to the tube's thinness, the head of the allen bolt deforms the tube (thus loosening the cover over time - 3 ugga duggas for the win)


this wasn't Speedway's fault, but there was a major amount of clearancing that happened


it really seems like the Chinese companies have given up - it used to be you could carefully pick but now? I haven't gotten a part from a Chinese company which didn't require work to make it even work....

[Beagle]

I don't think the Chinese guys race what they make, but it sort of comes with the territory in my world. I don't think it has to be of Chinese origin for that to be true... example? High lift cam for a Vortec headed SBC. That said, it sucks when every part fights you.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I don't think the Chinese guys race what they make, but it sort of comes with the territory in my world. I don't think it has to be of Chinese origin for that to be true... example? High lift cam for a Vortec headed SBC. That said, it sucks when every part fights you.

my theory is they don't have the experience with metallurgy. 4340 looks the same as mild steel thus when the copy whatever, their low standards and lack of knowledge defeat them. What was my point with Speedmaster. Lots of companies outsource the simpler tasks offshore - heck, the crank in my 427 is likely forged in China - but the problem is when it's too much - Summit, Jegs, Speedway, all have lower cost parts but they maintain some quality control over the final product - if Speedmaster wants to survive, they need to as well because I won't be buying from them again until I see others with positive experiences.

and this goes to the fundamental point of why I blog - I am beholden to no one, if I like them I'll say it, if I don't... well, welcome to that list Speedmaster.

[SuperBuickGuy]

So I'm off - tire still rub (didn't get to that), signals are MIA (and it wasn't the LED flasher solution), it really needs better gears - maybe something 3.42 or even 3.73, the rockers - I hope they survive but I have some doubts....

that said, even if the car wasn't running, I'd go for the weekend to get some experience watching others autocross.

[Beagle]

I haven't done a lot of checking but I suspect unless you pick up a high dollar crank like a Callies, it's cast or forged somewhere besides here. The Procomp / Speedmaster stuff has actually gotten better over the years, I remember many complaints of porosity around the turn of the century. At their price point, I doubt they have a metallurgist on staff. Even with my lack of budget I consider the Speedmaster stuff "hobby parts" and would walk away if I were going to be in any form of remotely serious competition. I read something recently where they did a pretty much 100% copy of another vendors heads and managed to come up 30hp short... meanwhile, the Engine Masters guys will move a port / valve over .100 and find more horsepower, but not something I want to pay to have done. I hate the budget dance.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Speedmaster really doesn't do their own parts - much of what they sell is resales.

[Beagle]

I'll take your word for it. Let me throw this out for consideration. Microsoft Product Support Services had a horrible reputation in the early 90's, both internally and to the world. Internally, the solution to a particular groups piss poor performance was not to address the issues, it was to ... wait for it... Rename it. New name, new reputation.

What was Speedmaster, who claims to have been in business since 1979, named before? Something like ProComp Electronics.

Not to make any parallels or anything. Cough. Again, sorry to hear that you're finding their weak links. Speaking of links, have a look at this and the cars in the parking lot. Not quite the same as a Summit parking lot....

(Edit - URL Fail, here's the pic from the link I was trying to post)



hang in there man, we appreciate the PSA and hope you can get past the issues!!