Return of the Death Nova

[Bruce69Camaro]

Do you guys run an adjustable proportioning valve?

[John_Heard]

I have one, but it's set wide open. I'm going to take it off next time I'm working on the brake stuff. Seems to work just fine without cutting the front brakes down in pressure.

[supernova]

Yep and mine is open also.

[supernova]

I have a line lock on my car but only use it in the lights on the Trans brake to keep the car from moving.
Bruce, you need tire speed to get a good burnout. A 1.82 low gear set and 4.56's in the back doesn't produce enough tire speed, you have to put in high gear to get the tire speed up for your burnout. I don't use the line lock for the burnout I do rolling burnouts that's what works best for me car.

[Bruce69Camaro]

and my friend, those words are logged in my brain and the next time up, I'm keeping it in high and doing a burnout.

Speaking of which, we're seeing if we can make it up one last time.

Our tracks are closing very soon, so I'm on limited time.

[Craig W.]

Low gear burnouts definitely don't get enough heat in the tires. I get them turning in low and shift to high immediately and start letting it roll out promptly.

[Bruce69Camaro]

You guys shouldn't be giving me all your secrets....someday you might see a bright orange Camaro flying by you and the drivers laughing as he goes by......

Thanks guys, now back to the original schedulled program of, "Return of the Death Nova"......

[Craig W.]

Well I got the engine started after finishing up a few items this morning. Fired super quick and sounded good...for a couple minutes. Then it started losing that crisp sound and I knew I had a valvetrain issue. Pulled the valve covers off and it had burned up one pushrod and broken another rocker.

I think I've still got an oiling issue that's burning up pushrods. I removed all the rockers and put CMD lube on all of them since it had been sitting for over a year but it still burned one.

As for the rocker, I'm not sure. No signs of binding. They came with the heads used so I'm thinking they are just old and fatigued. Never had any issues with pedestal rockers on my old 18X heads and now that I've got good Jesel stuff, its been a nightmare.

With my wife out of work due to the government shutdown, I can't drop the cash for all new rockers now. So I may have to roll the dice and replace the one and see what happens.

I've already drilled out the oil restrictors to 1/8" and dropped to 10w40 but I guess I'll have to pull them out again and really open them up to ensure plenty of oil up top.

[Bruce69Camaro]

Sorry Craig, but be glad you caught it now, rather then on the track......

[John_Heard]

Craig you ever ran it without the valve covers to see what kind of oil you're getting ?

[supernova]

I drill my restricters out to .150. I like a little more oil up top than most.

What John said!

[John_Heard]

I have no restrictors in mine, but it's dry sump so little different deal. I think lots and lots of oil up top is good long as you don't run out that is.

[Craig W.]

I think I've got two separate issues. The rocker that broke did not have a pushrod failure. So something else is going on there.

I'm going to pull the restrictors and open them up more (way more).

[Craig W.]

Got up early and did some more checking this morning. I think this all goes back to a broken lifter last year. It wiped out a cam lobe and I went to another cam I had on the shelf. Looks like lift was a little more and I'm getting inner coil bind. The outer coils look OK so it fooled me. So I'd say that's where the broken rockers are coming from.

So the other cam needs to go back for a regrind and with more oil up top, hopefully these issues will go away.

[silvanova]

Thanks Walt.

Here's the rear suspension.

Craig, is that a strange 9" housing?