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#221
11-02-2015, 07:59 PM
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Quote:
BJ
__________________
1971 GTO 455 HO 4-speed - Cameo White, White Vinyl Top, Jade Green Interior, Ram Air Hood, AC, Honeycombs and 8-track 1974 Formula 455 I Owned in 1975-1976. Now Own Its Twin From Same Dealership 
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#222
11-05-2015, 05:22 PM
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Got around to fixing the gas gauge issue today. I ended up ordering a new Spectra GM203 tank, straps, and sending unit. Since no one makes the sending unit for the 1974 and 75 Camaros and Firebirds. I ended up ordering a Spectra FG103C sending unit which is listed for the 1976 and newer cars (not for the 1974 and 75s, which no one makes). I ordered the tank from Advanceautoparts and used a 40% coupon so the tank only ended up costing $100 with free shipping.
You have to specifically know what you are looking for and what your car has. It seems that some of the Camaros and Firebirds used two vent lines on the passenger side and ran the main 3/8 fuel line on the driver's side (Gramma's car). The aftermarket manufacturers don't want to hear that. Most of the major fuel/brake line repro houses sell the unit that has one vent and one fuel line on the passenger side. So I ordered two different sending units and sent the incorrect one back. It turns out that the Spectra FG103C is nearly identical to the 1975 sender, other than an extra 3" and a 90 degree bend at the end. All I had to do to make it work was cut the last 3" off and flare the line and I was all set to go. I am glad I ended up ordering all the extras and not just the sending unit. One of the straps was corroded and broke at the bend point when I went to remove it. And the tank has a bad design in that it routes the 3/8" fuel line in the inset area alongside the outer flange, behind the tank. This inset area retains around a 1/2" of crud which corrodes the line after 40 years or so. The old tank:   The old sending unit compared to the new one installed in the new tank. You can see the final bend in the new one that needed to be trimmed off. The copper line that is soldered in the top of the new tank needed to be connected to the vent line that I trimmed off the old tank. Two inches of 1/4" hose and a couple of clamps worked fine.   I did check the old sending unit once I removed it from the old tank. It would read properly at around 1/4 tank level but once you moved the float up, it would short out and spin the indicator needle off the guage. The new one worked fine - I made sure I tested it in the car before installing it. (once bitten twice shy...) 
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#223
11-08-2015, 06:57 PM
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Today was winter prep day. I added Stabil to all the tanks and filled them up. Took the SD455, the WS6, and Gramma's car out for runs on the same route.
I can definitely say that the Gramma motor is stronger than a stock SD455. I tried the same off-idle take off up a long highway onramp near the house. The SD455 got traction, launched, and chirped second going up the hill, hitting around 75 once it hit third on the highway. The Grammamobile spun the 275/40x17s well into second, then launched up the hill into third and was doing 95 at the same point that the SD455 was doing 75. Can't wait to get a real exhaust on this car! |
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#224
11-08-2015, 10:00 PM
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How did the WS6 do?
__________________
Some guys they just give up living And start dying little by little, piece by piece, Some guys come home from work and wash up, And go racin' in the street. Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street - 1978 |
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#225
11-08-2015, 10:19 PM
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The WS6 has three more gears so that's cheating!
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#226
11-09-2015, 07:23 AM
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No, that's progress!
 I still think the 97 Firehawk I had was the fastest car I've owned.
__________________
Some guys they just give up living And start dying little by little, piece by piece, Some guys come home from work and wash up, And go racin' in the street. Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street - 1978 |
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#227
11-10-2015, 05:17 PM
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Yeah, I'd agree on the modern muscle. Yours was an LT1. The LS1-powered WS6 just keeps going. With the 6-speed tranny, however fast you are going, you always have two or three more gears to exceed the speed limit with, multiple times over.
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#228
11-10-2015, 05:45 PM
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Quote:
__________________
"Those poor souls have made the fatal mistake of surrounding us. Now we can fire in any direction" 1970 Trans Am RAIII 4 speed 1971 Trans Am 5.3 LM7 1977 Trans Am W72 Y82 1987 Grand National |
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#229
11-10-2015, 05:48 PM
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Ours has 62,000 miles and is still under extended warranty til 2016! Bought it from the original owner - a lady truck driver - she knew how to shift. The car still has its original clutch!
Here's the link to the WS6 thread: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=755954 |
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#230
11-10-2015, 11:49 PM
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Steve, my old 74 Formula 455 was a D-Port, automatic and that car scared the crap out of me. It was wicked fast and the way you described Granma's car describes that old 455 car. That is definitely one I wish I had never let go of. Still trying to find it.
BJ
__________________
1971 GTO 455 HO 4-speed - Cameo White, White Vinyl Top, Jade Green Interior, Ram Air Hood, AC, Honeycombs and 8-track 1974 Formula 455 I Owned in 1975-1976. Now Own Its Twin From Same Dealership
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#231
11-13-2015, 07:59 PM
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Just got a set of the new Max Performance ram air manifolds and a Pypes 2-1/2 inch crossflow system installed on the car. HOLY @#% what a difference.
 No traction whatsoever now when you hit the gas off-idle. I'll get some photos of the system tomorrow. I just got back from the shop a few minutes ago. Of course I had a fun trip with my truck and trailer. Four miles from the shop I felt a jolt in the front brakes and the pedal felt weird. I pulled over but couldn't see any leaks or anything noticeable. I thought that maybe the ABS was acting up? I limped the remaining four miles to the shop and then crawed underneath the truck. It turns out that the left front disc brake dust shield broke loose and instead of falling to the ground, it rotated around and rolled itself up like a windowshade in between the inside brake pad and the rotor. Oy! I was able to unbolt the caliper and using a pair of pliers, cutters, a hammer, and a big screw driver, pulled the shrapnel out. Luckily I had an extra set of pads in my tool box as the inner pad was all chewed up. As frightening as the metal penetration was, all stuck in there, all I heard was a barely noticeable scraping sound, no-where near as loud as even a wear indicator. Got it fixed and back on its wheel in record time - 30 minutes. So it pays to carry a lot of old parts when you drive an old truck. Last edited by njsteve; 11-13-2015 at 08:19 PM. |
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#232
11-13-2015, 08:13 PM
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Here's the new manifolds just after the box was opened. Just in time for an early X-mas gift!
They come with a heat-coated finish already so you don't have to send them out get Jet-Hot coated and wait for the return trip.      
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#233
11-13-2015, 09:09 PM
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Merry (Early) Christmas!
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#234
11-14-2015, 06:12 PM
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I brought Gramma's car to my buddy Al's garage this morning. Did some exhaust clamp tightening after a heat cycle. Took it out for a spin to show Al how it runs. If you stomp on it off idle, it just sits there and spins, shifts into second still spinning and then slowly inches forward and eventually gets into third while still spinning. I REALLY need to get taller tires now. These 25" tall BFGs in the back need to go. I am looking at a 27" tall Nitto 255/50x17 which would match the stock GR70x15 tire height and both fill the wheelwell and make the rear gear a little easier to live with.
This photo is actually someone else's 74 Formula (that looks like the twin to Gramma's car). He has the Nitto 255/50x17s mounted on the Year One 17" Honeycombs. They fill the wheelwells a lot better than the 275/40x17s I have on there now. No one seems to make a 60 series 17" tire other than truck tread tires like a Long Trail T/A.  Compared to my car: 
Last edited by njsteve; 11-14-2015 at 06:48 PM. |
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#235
11-14-2015, 06:20 PM
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Oh, and I forgot to mention that the car also now runs about 15 degrees cooler on the temp gauge. Before it was consistently running at 195 to 200 degrees. Now it's operating in the 180 range.
...gas mileage has not improved. I think it's around 5 mpg now. ;-) Last edited by njsteve; 11-14-2015 at 06:37 PM. |
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#236
11-14-2015, 06:29 PM
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Here's some detail shots of the manifold install. These are the larger, 2-1/2" outlet manifolds and they clear everything nicely and mate up to the 2-1/2" Pypes exhaust system very cleanly with no leaks.
  
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#237
11-14-2015, 06:39 PM
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Nice '74.
The exhaust manifolds didn't hit or rub the control arms? |
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#238
11-14-2015, 06:43 PM
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Nope. Everything clears nicely. I can take some photo requests if you want to see a specific spot. The manifolds also clear the engine mounts with room to spare - you can run your hand between the manifold and the frame mount bolts on the crossmember. I had read several posts mentioning that some manifolds required the bolt heads to be ground down for clearance. Not needed here.
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#239
11-14-2015, 08:04 PM
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Surprised you didn't opt to Not "boil oil"... I put it on any R/A set up I work on. This is a friend's 1970 400 just about done. Its cheap and works well . Yes its hanging off the end of a 4 post lift.
__________________
"The Future Belongs to those who are STILL Willing to get their Hands Dirty" .. my Grandfather |
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#240
11-15-2015, 02:16 PM
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Cleaned out the truck and trailer today. Here's the old exhaust. Can anyone use the tail pipes? The tips are still presentable but one of the pipes had about an inch and a half sawzalled off the muffler end.
 The main tubes had several of these flattened areas that reduced the diameter by almost half.  And the original log manifolds. the driver's side has the vacuum operated flapper valve.   
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