[pastry_chef]

Originally Posted by GregM329

Can you tell me where I can out more on these techniques? Thanks!

Greg

From Pontiac Dude's old site:
---------------------------------------

Thrust Bearing Modification For Longer Life

Below are pictures showing how to increase the life of your thrust bearing for Pontiacs.
With higher stall converters and increased line pressure of transmission shift kits, you have more forward thrust loaded on this bearing. This modification, however, is recommended for all High performance engines.

I take the thrust bearing and lay it on a belt sander at a 30 degree angle and grind till the bevel edge reaches the corner of the main shell. Then take a flat file and clean up the flashing with a slight bevel to the edge.

--------------
*** Main Bearing Pontiac mod info: ***

I elongate the oil feed holes to match the angled feed main hole in the block. Usually I only elongate about the size of the original hole in #2 and #4 only. This seems to be the Load & critical areas in Pontiac performance and trouble. The rear main bearing I don't touch as I feel the wider area of the bearing is sufficient to hold oil, plus being the first fed from the pump. I also elongate the front feed hole half the size of the original hole for hydraulic cam engines to allow sufficient supply to the lifter fed through #1 main on the other side without sacrificing oil to the main and #2 rod.

[tininjun68]

More good info, thanks to all! Trap speed is hard to beat. I did well getting chased or doing the chasing when I was the quicker dialed car in Pro ET. Thanks for the good links, I've been checking them out. I do know Adam Strang's cars. His '68 GTO is currently for sale and it's a beaut! Wish his Firebird was for sale

So after a couple days worth of talking, it's likely I won't make the deal for this '68 Firebird I mentioned. I'll still be interested if another similar car comes along.

[Race City Pony]

The "safe" way to go would be to contact Butler and get a 400 built by them. Then have the trans updated / freshened by a reliable builder, or go to a new one. (might be cheaper) Good Luck

[ponyakr]

"...So after a couple days worth of talking, it's likely I won't make the deal for this '68 Firebird I mentioned. I'll still be interested if another similar car comes along."


I have no idea of your budget or EXACTLY what you want in a car. But here's a decent lookin Pontiac powered '68 Bird.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Complete-...=1&from=search

Here's one with a Camaro glass front, less engine.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Door-Cars...=2&from=search

You like green ?

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/274853

Not sure exactly what this is.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Door-Cars...=3&from=search

Here's an sbc powered '67.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Door-Cars...10&from=search

Here's a cheap '67. Don't know if the ad is legit or current. Probably not.

https://cars.trovit.com/listing/1967...e.S1sQII181D1X

Here's a '69.

http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/pon...-race-car.html

Wanna build something really cool ? How 'bout a '63 Lemans ?

https://cars.trovit.com/listing/1963...t.RL_1i1wt1W10

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by pastry_chef

From Pontiac Dude's old site:
---------------------------------------

Thrust Bearing Modification For Longer Life

Below are pictures showing how to increase the life of your thrust bearing for Pontiacs.
With higher stall converters and increased line pressure of transmission shift kits, you have more forward thrust loaded on this bearing. This modification, however, is recommended for all High performance engines.

I take the thrust bearing and lay it on a belt sander at a 30 degree angle and grind till the bevel edge reaches the corner of the main shell. Then take a flat file and clean up the flashing with a slight bevel to the edge.

--------------
*** Main Bearing Pontiac mod info: ***

I elongate the oil feed holes to match the angled feed main hole in the block. Usually I only elongate about the size of the original hole in #2 and #4 only. This seems to be the Load & critical areas in Pontiac performance and trouble. The rear main bearing I don't touch as I feel the wider area of the bearing is sufficient to hold oil, plus being the first fed from the pump. I also elongate the front feed hole half the size of the original hole for hydraulic cam engines to allow sufficient supply to the lifter fed through #1 main on the other side without sacrificing oil to the main and #2 rod.

I dont elongate/drill only #2 and #4, I do all of them. I even make the rear main a little bigger. The problem is the main shot of oil comes from the hole in the block on the "tab" side. But the hole in many bearings like Clevite is just a round hole in the center.
So, the oil has to hit the back of the bearing, move over to the misplaced hole in the bearing and on its way. Bad deal since that shop of oil has to get to the main bearing surface AND all the way up to the rod bearings. Rod bearings wont live long at RPMs with just the round hole. Just not very much time for everything to line up and get pressure all the way to the rod. The "detour" the oil has to take is the issue.
So I modify all of them. Must work since my engine was done in 1990 and has had only 2 sets in that time. Rods, 3 times.

[ponyakr]

Here's another Pontiac powered mid 10's '68. Shady lookin ad. Car may not exist.

https://cars.trovit.com/listing/68-p...00.1z11i115Cu-

Here's the CL ad.

https://pueblo.craigslist.org/cto/d/...399620593.html

[S/st 54]

Originally Posted by Dave Polichena

I would build a 10 second motor if you want to be competitive, MPH helps a ton

I agree ....A low 10 second motor would help be competitive .
I don't think it would be tough to do at that weight and with any cylinder head.

Loose converters also help a ton with consistencey.....and a powerglide!!!

Dave,what's this MPH you speak of?LOL

[ponyakr]

If you can't afford to build a 150mph + car, you can build & tune to cut .00 lights & run a 10.90 ET. If you can do that consistently, you can beat the fast cars. Yes, the faster cars have advantages, in bracket & index racing.

But, slow cars can win. If any car leaves sooner than a .000 light, they get a redlight. And, if any car goes quicker than it's dial or index, it breaks out. Therefore, any car that can cut a good light & run it's dial or index can win. If this was not the case, all the bracket & index racing would have ended long ago. This is because most cannot afford to build max speed cars, or the quickest car in the bracket. And there are not enuff rich racers to keep the sport alive.

I know that slow, low budget cars can win. Over a 10 year period, we won lots of bracket races, in 3 different states, at 6 different tracks, and none of our cars were ever the fastest or quickest car in the race. No, these were not big tracks, with hundreds of cars in our bracket. But, the rules, lights, & timers were the same for everybody, at each track. And there were always faster cars, in our bracket. So, low budget, slow cars, can win.

Just for kicks, I decided to look up some S/ST finals. Here's one from the 6th div 7 race. The 130mph car beat the 150mph car, because he cut a better light & ran closer to the index.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

Here's a 126mph winner.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

And a 120mph winner.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

[S/st 54]

Originally Posted by ponyakr

If you can't afford to build a 150mph + car, you can build & tune to cut .00 lights & run a 10.90 ET. If you can do that consistently, you can beat the fast cars. Yes, the faster cars have advantages, in bracket & index racing.

But, slow cars can win. If any car leaves sooner than a .000 light, they get a redlight. And, if any car goes quicker than it's dial or index, it breaks out. Therefore, any car that can cut a good light & run it's dial or index can win. If this was not the case, all the bracket & index racing would have ended long ago. This is because most cannot afford to build max speed cars, or the quickest car in the bracket. And there are not enuff rich racers to keep the sport alive.

I know that slow, low budget cars can win. Over a 10 year period, we won lots of bracket races, in 3 different states, at 6 different tracks, and none of our cars were ever the fastest or quickest car in the race. No, these were not big tracks, with hundreds of cars in our bracket. But, the rules, lights, & timers were the same for everybody, at each track. And there were always faster cars, in our bracket. So, low budget, slow cars, can win.

Just for kicks, I decided to look up some S/ST finals. Here's one from the 6th div 7 race. The 130mph car beat the 150mph car, because he cut a better light & ran closer to the index.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

Here's a 126mph winner.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

And a 120mph winner.

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2017#indextop

Funny thing since you mentioned it.When I was Dynoing the new motor in March of '16,we were well north of 1000hp Gary says "funny, here are all us guys chasing that big MPH and we are all chasing our 125mph division champ"

Tony sure did go on a heck of a run in'15 and absolutely killed it!!! Salty racer for sure but always knew where the 90 was.


Being trips isn't a big deal anyone can do that if they roll the numbers out. The trick is getting a 2800+lb car(min weight for s/st) to repeat so your confident when you let off the button you KNOW where 90 is at!!<-that's super important!!! In other words getting a heavy car to repeat is the trick!

Best advice I could give the OP is get the car to go at least low 10's wide open,put the widest tires on the rear you can,loose converter(dyno the motor to find that info) put a good double adjustable shock on the car front and rear and any help he needs with a throttle stop there is a ton of info and people willing to help out on this board.