Dang, Dang, Dang!!!!!!!

[Karl Bebout]

Looking closer, doing more thinking, and having more experienced eyes look at the head, pretty sure something got into the cylinders and whacked the snot out of the combustion chambers and piston tops. Pretty sure I'll be able to save the heads, not so sure about the pistons, and think a good hone job will clean up the cylinders. I'll learn more when I take everything to the machine shop later this week. Oh well, will take the opportunity to put in a nice hydraulic roller cam. I've had a new set of roller lifters sitting on the shelf for years and now I'll use them. I've been thinking I need a little more power. Would sure be nice to join Jack "Hotfingers" in the 9 second club.

[Hotfingrs]

Would sure be nice to join Jack "Hotfingers" in the 9 second club.

Then I'd just have to make you another avatar...

[Karl Bebout]

Hotfingers, bet you could make another icon for me easier than I'll be able to get my car into the 9s. Although I haven't gotten very many miles on the car, since rebuilding it, I did have one chance to stand on the loud pedal from barely a roll. The changes to the chasis and suspension seem to have really helped out. The car went straight as a die, even with the rear tires up in smoke. (I had not heated the MTs and had 24#s in them). SO much better than it used to be. It had a terrible tendenancy to push hard to the right, carry the LF wheel clear through 2nd gear, while the RF tire was still on the pavement. Major twist.

[CHANMADD]

So what did you find??

[Karl Bebout]

The block, heads, pistons and rods are at the machine shop and they'll determine if I need new pistons and how many. Also will mic out the cylinders to see if a good hone job will suffice. Hope so. I'm already .060 over and I worry about over heating if I'd have to go much bigger. It is a street car, I do live in a "warm" climate and the block is just a standard GM piece.

Pulled the carb off the intake to thoroughly inspect the runners for any nasties and didn't find a thing. However, did notice that the base plate of the carb was loose and that the two center-most ataching bolts were missing. The corner bolts were also a little loose but they would not have been able to get into the manifold since they are not over the plenum. Didn't see any threaded marks on the pistons or heads but they certainly were beat to crap. Needless to say, I'll be replacing the carb base bolts and will use locktite before putting everything back together. I'm leaning towards using red locktite but fear that I'd never be able to get the bolts out, if I needed to. Any thoughts?

[dave from mesa]

Blue should work fine. Don't really want to use a torch on it to take out the bolts.

[Tom Cimino]

There are six screws attaching the base plate to the carb body on a Holley carb. The two center-most holes are left open from the factory. There are no screws in these holes. At least that's how both of my double pumpers are. One is new and the other is 26 years old. I don't know why they still have the holes, if they haven't been used for that long.

[mikiec]

Karl,

Based upon your previous experence with rebuilding the car, I'de go for a new 572 crate motor.

mike

[CHANMADD]

I also always use a solid type gasket under the carb even if the middle does not touch the manifold, for that reason exactly. I don't trust the Locktite alone especially where there is fuel.

[Karl Bebout]

Tom, I wondered if there were supposed to be bolts in those holes. I'd never noticed one way or the other. Just ASSumed since the holes in the carb body are threaded. I guess if it wasn't those bolts, it was something else that battered my pistons and heads. Thinking about it, those bolts would have been big enough to have surely knocked holes in the pistons before they go so hammered to have burned up. I was obviously wrong. Maybe Holley quit putting those bolts in for just this reason. Thanks for your input.

[ItBites]

Karlos,

Sorry to hear this. That sucks!

My Holleys never came with the center screws installed. I always put some in just cuz I hated having threaded holes without screws...

I'm wondering about detonation and pieces of piston or something... Haven't you put a fair amount of spray thru this thing? Maybe spalled some piston off the dome or some small pieces from the ring land area?

I assume you had the intake tract plugged during storage and also that sabotage (or children) is not likely? Unfortunately, when stuff sits around it tends to collect things in the top (BBs?)... If you're sure nothing made its way in during storage or the new install, I think detonation is a leading contender. Do the plugs have any silver flecks on them? If so, that is piston material being spalled off and depositing on the plug.

If you need anything, let me know my friend.

And, I can certainly recommend a 540cid. Like Jeff said it is a really happy combination that makes big numbers on pump gas...

[Fitz]

Maybe it is time we all forget about the noise these engines make and install electric motors in them Most of us can't hear that well anyway.

[CHANMADD]

The plug that came out the hole looks like it lost its porceline for whatever reason. Water cannot cause the damage that he has. Probably the screw from the carb damaged the plug and then found its way out the exhaust.???????