[TheSilverBuick]

Interesting. I have a couple different oil pressure springs I could try/modify and make a change to the oil pressure as a test. Right now it's regulated to 50-55psi and cold with 10w-30 it doesn't exceed that and sits nicely at it cruising at 2,700rpm. Its easy enough to swap the relief springs out though. It's a stock oil pump (same as an Olds Hi-volume pump from what I'm told). I'd like to get it on a dyno (preferably after getting EGT's installed on each exhaust port...) to really check the performance.

I pulled the transmission pan yesterday because I did not like the slack that had built up in the TV cable adjustment and wanted to make sure there wasn't a mechanical problem at the valve body. There wasn't, just looks like my cable adjuster was letting the cable slip by, so I put a second cable holder on it to hold it as well as make sure the adjustment is set right for WOT.

While I was under the car I installed two clear fuel filters on my set up. One on the return line to the tank and one on the feed line to the high pressure pump. Try and get a better idea of what the fuel is doing when it "hiccups". On the next road trip out of town, I'm going to carry two lengths of fuel lines, one to run the gas tanks pickup right to the high pressure pump, and one if needed to run the regulator return line right to the gas tank's return line. It will limit my ability to run down to 1/4 tank, but should at least tell me if I'm having a fuel pump/regulator issue or an actual surge tank issue.

Also, it seems the exhaust system isn't pulling enough vacuum and must pressure up while under WOT because crank case pressure built up enough to blow out the rubber plug in the oil fill tube yesterday during some WOT blasts. That had never happened with the electric pump. However with the electric pump, if extra crank case pressure occurred it just pushed the pressure through the pump, now the way it's set up, it has to go out the exhaust and at WOT if the exhaust is pressured higher than the crankcase then there is no where for the crankcase pressure to go. I'm going to do two things, one is tee in a PCV valve on the vacuum side of the catch can (in the evac hose) and the second is look for a new style of muffler or get a glass pack. Basically a non-chambered muffler. It's going to change the sound of the car, but oh well.

Next time I am in CA I'm definitely going to the junkyard to pick up some MAP sensors and plugs, hopefully from cars with the 3.8 and supercharger on it, so I can start datalogging the crankcase pressure and maybe even the exhaust back pressure.

I also have started the process of re-painting the stock rims for the car. I'm considering going back to 14" rims (and a shorter tire) for a while and the stock look. Right now they are all white, so I need to mask off the "spokes" part and give it a coat of black.

I also ordered a "short" kit for a disc brake conversion. It was $160 for a disc brake spindle, backing plate and caliper bracket. I have rotors, calipers and a master cylinder and maybe even a disc/drum porportioning valve left over from the Skylark when I upgraded it to disc/discs and 12" rotors up front. I had a $100 Amazon gift card from a survey prize to bring the cost to $60 (free shipping even!). Not sure when I'll actually do the conversion, but I'll have the parts ready to go.