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Need help with settting up my Chevelle for new motor

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  • Need help with settting up my Chevelle for new motor

    I have a 69 Chevelle SS , I'm just about done with my new 496 motor , I have saved up money to spend to plant that power down , need some help with what parts I need to buy and how to set it up
    Last edited by Brian28; February 11, 2017, 12:45 PM.

  • #2
    I'm thinking we need a bit more info. Are you wondering about which rear diff to use (9", 12 bolt, etc.), which rear (or front) suspension to use (4 link, etc.), what trans and/or clutch to use, etc. What will you use the car for? LSR, drag racing, autocross, etc? All have different needs - and rules. If it'll be street driven do you want to drive it to local tracks, local car shows, or events across the continent? All of this matters.

    Give us the info and we'll give you our best experience.

    Dan

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    • #3
      I want to set it up mostly for street but wanta beable to take it to the track a few times each year and run a good time ,also take it to car shows , as of right now I'm just about done building the 496 BBC it's built to be around 640hp and 600tq just need to pick up a carb for it , I have a center force flywheel . I don't have a clutch yet , I wanta get a m23 but I had to pay off some stuff so now I'll have to wait and use my m21 for now , I also have a 12 bolt posi 3:73 , it's my org. Rear end so my plans is to buy a 9in cuz I don't want to mess it up and rebuilding it for racing would cost me just a lil less then just get a new 9in , I have the money to buy the rear end with 3rd member , not sure what gear I want to go with , my 3:73 are short on the freeway so I'm not sure if I want to go to a 4:11 or not but it don't see much freeway , but I also have money left after the rear For other stuff like 3" exhaust , not sure what to get yet . I have headers already , at lest 2 15x10s with 295/50-60/15 tires , last year I did all poly bushing With new shocks, so really all I have right now is the motor , tranz , flywheel , and plan to get the 9in , have the poly bushing all around with kyb's . For money I have around 4K to spend so I can't go all out so I need to set it up best I can for now with the money or get other stuff later down the road , so everyth is really in the air right now till I figure out what I need , I like the pro touring style but it would take all my money just to get the wheels

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      • #4
        When you say "take it to the track" I'm guessing you mean drag strip?

        Either way, $4K, sadly, isn't a ton of money for this. I'd suggest that you start with the stuff that will be relatively easy now but a PITA to redo once the car is assembled. For example, I'd move a scattershield way up the list. Easy to do now (don't forget to center it with a dial indicator) but a real pain to do later. Sounds like the flywheel is SFI and you might s well get SFI clutch bits, too. This car should be pretty quick so you'll need to check but I bet you'll need a cage - again, this is the time to do it.

        My suggestions are designed to get the car ready for whatever you want to do with it so you don't end up with a car you can't use the way you want to. There's a tendency to but all the nifty pieces and ignore the REQUIRED stuff that will keep you from going down the track. If your local track doesn't do a decent tech inspection ask yourself if you REALLY want to trust them to run a safe meet?

        In LSR we're pretty silly - but the one thing we take seriously is safety and an NHRA track ought to be doing that, too.

        Dan

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        • #5
          that is big.
          there is some important undercarriage pieces to keep the body.

          I remember smallblocks twisting them without extras.
          Previously boxer3main
          the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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          • #6
            My track says if it's faster then 11.5 u need a cage , do u think it will be running a better time then that ? I was kinda trying to build it around 11.5s so I wouldn't have to roll cage it , but also wanted to make sure it had enough power to take out some of the turbo hondas around town cuz my lil 396 with some bolts ons just wasn't enough lol , also yes the flywheel is sfi as so is the hydraulic balancer
            Last edited by Brian28; February 11, 2017, 08:49 PM.

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            • #7
              I'm trying to keep the car looking as stock as I can on the outside and keeping the stock 396 valve cover (if they will fit over the new rockers ) and also keeping the stock 396 airfliter cover , but having the power hidding inside , but for under the car that's a different story , i would like to keep it strictly bolt up if I can cuz later down the road if I deside to put it all back to stock I want to beable to do that , cuz one day I would like to find another one I would be willing to roll cage , cut , weld and drill on ,

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              • #8

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                • #9

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                  • #10
                    A bigger motor needs less gear, I'd try 3.70s to start with. I don't know what rear suspension tricks they have for the A bodys these days, there's probably something out there that will help. used to be the yellow Lakewood bars were the hot setup, you can tell how long it's been since I worked on one!

                    I know what you mean about trying to keep it at 11.50. I have my car set up to run 10.0 and don't want it to go any faster, because of all the changes it would need, it would lose a lot of the old time feel it has.

                    I run roller tip, ball pivot Comp Cams rockers under those stock chrome 396 valve covers (on my blown 427), they work ok. Hard to fit poly locks under those covers. And the look of the old covers is worth doing what it takes, to be able to run them. Especially if you have an old Tonawonda Team 1 sticker on the pass side cover.

                    beautiful car!
                    Last edited by squirrel; February 11, 2017, 09:31 PM.
                    My fabulous web page

                    "If it don't go, chrome it!" --Stroker McGurk

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                    • #11
                      I would seriously look at a torque-arm set up for the rear. Axle hop, especially with tons of torque, is a pretty big problem with the A-bodies. They do band-aid the axle hop issue by making extensions that raise the pivot point of the upper mounts. The problem with those is they bind so when you're on the street creaking and popping are just a normal, daily thing. Whatever you do, be certain that all your suspension points have good bushings. I won't get into the urethane vs. rubber choice - do spend a bit of time reading the arguments for and against. It's really easy to know when to stop reading those discussions - when the personal attacks start flying (which is usually within 2 pages).

                      As I suggested before, be sure your entire suspension is, at minimum, up to where it left the factory.
                      Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                      • #12
                        Yeah last summer I did all new ball joints , and bushings and shocks cuz the rubber was done for it was all the original rubber , and I know what ur saying sbg about the creaking in the rear on the road it kinda sucks
                        Last edited by Brian28; February 11, 2017, 11:16 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Here is kinda what I'm thinking right now - I gotta pick a exhaust system , scatter shield , clutch , and a carb. Thinking holly 850cfm, dual friction clutch (center force) ,quick time scatter shield , Currie 9in with curry third member but I only see them around 3.50 / 3.89 / 4.11 , and also just buying 2 15x10 ss style wheel so at lest they would Some what match the front stock 14s on the car now , 295 on the back / with the 245 bfg's up fronts now , also a new driveline , I have 6500 but after the rear I'm thinking I'll have around 4K , once I get more cash I was thinking about new springs / rear lower and upper control arms / and the mounting braces , , what do u guys think ?
                          Last edited by Brian28; February 11, 2017, 11:19 PM.

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                          • #14
                            boxing the lower control arms is cheap - you can buy the part for like $15. What I absolutely had to do with my Skylark was run braces for the upper control arms to keep the tires out of the wheel lip on hard turns.... 4k after the rear - that's nearly a full suspension with coil overs. I still think the panhard system would do much to control the rear axle.
                            Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                            • #15
                              SBG / can u post some links for me on the parts ur talking about , u said u have to run a brace on the upper arms , are those the ones on the back side to the frame that my car came stock with ? I was looking at the aftermarket ones to tighten it up a bit more

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