Broken 4.1 NA Block

[dr_frankenstein]

I had the cal-trac system in my truck and it didnt help much, it stiffened up the rear a ton but it was still too light to stick down properly. i ended up going with a ladder bar system with the leafs to get the traction up.... plus a bumper full of tire weights helped a bunch.

 

[ek02]

They sure look better than slapper bars, but I believe you are correct. They don't seem too much better so far. The concept makes sense, but the truck springs are pretty heavy and don't wind up much to give a lot of downforce at the front of the spring. I have a milk crate full of lead. I'm looking for a metal container the size of the hollow places in my rear step bumper to melt it into, like maybe a pound cake size. My wife will not give up her bakeware for the cause. Has anyone tried a Fram HP2 oil filter on the biggie adapter? It's the size of the HP1. I know Fram's quality is not what it was, but maybe the HP filters are ok?

 

[dr_frankenstein]

I actually thought the heavy springs were going to be bad and had swapped out to a set of lighter more flexy leafs and it was a nightmare! sure i got good off the line launch, but the wheel hop after about 20' was just insane... even with the cal trac bars. I think the weight moves forward to aft too much on a truck for them to work properly.

speedway motors sells pre made weights thats are the size of a chevy valve cover..... those would fit well behind a bumper. i was just too cheep and had a tire shop across the street that literally paid me to "dispose" of there old weights.

as for the filter, i dunno... i run cheapy STP's on a remote mount.

 

[ek02]

Glad you told be about the wheel hop before I removed some leafs. I have air shocks on the truck also. If the pressure changes the bars have to be readjusted. I need to experiment some with the pressures. I'll check out the Speedway weights. The shipping might be a little high. Sounds better than melting all that lead. My son was in the fishing jig making bussiness for a while, and I got stuck with the supplies when he moved out.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Glad you told be about the wheel hop before I removed some leafs. I have air shocks on the truck also. If the pressure changes the bars have to be readjusted. I need to experiment some with the pressures. I'll check out the Speedway weights. The shipping might be a little high. Sounds better than melting all that lead. My son was in the fishing jig making bussiness for a while, and I got stuck with the supplies when he moved out.

I wouldnt take that as gospel though, as it depends alot on the truck and setup too i think. I noticed with my S10 that it preferred the softer springs, but that also had a small block? My other chevy luv had some super tired stockers on it and they were just about flat with some lift shackles under it and it hooked like glue to pavement.... and that was a blown 4.1. My recent truck with the turbo 4.1 just refused to hook with the lighter springs and cal tracs... CharlieF1s "ladder bar" with leaf floaters and super stiff springs was the ticket.

Alot of it i think has to do with the stiffness of the chassis.... both my s10 and my blue luv were flexy fliers while my latest truck is as stiff as can be. I dunno... just some data to offer in hope of you finding your sweet spot.

 

[ek02]

I know Charlies setup works, it's just a lot of work for a street driven truck. I'm ready to try what I have now, just need to swap to the drag tires and colder plugs and get my butt out to the strip. I changed my oil today and cut open the filter, and it's all clean. No more bearing dust in the filter.

 

[ek02]

I ran the truck last night with a 125 shot and a conservative tune on the NOS. The MSD box pulled 8 degrees advance out with the NOS hit, and the progressive controller was at 50% at start and 4 seconds to 100%. The Caltracs worked fine with a straight launch and 75 lbs of lead in the step bumper ( my wife sacrificed her loaf pan to melt the lead in). I knocked 2 tenths off the 60 ft time. I still could not run better than an 8 flat, and the MPH was down to 88 from 95. I believe the jetting is not right and I will be installing a wideband air/fuel guage to get it set up for unleaded, then take the O2 sensor out to run it with race gas. Also, 8 degrees is twice as much retard as NOS recommends. Don't want any more detonation. A knock sensor would be a good addition if anyone knows of a stand alone unit. The side gap plugs looked perfect, and finally, the compression on 5 & 6 came up 15 psi cold cranking. 15 more and they will all be even. The hard top rings needed some cylinder pressure on them. No broken parts, thank goodness, just a cracked header tube on a weld. Easy fix. I was running the same time and mph as a Chevy Colorado with an LSX in it. I never could get lined up with him.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Almost there mang! Good job!

 

[ek02]

I had a small video camera my son gave me for Christmas mounted on the windshield last Saturday night. M/T Street radials and a 125 shot, shifts @6000 rpm, and a real mild tune. No burnout. It does not seem to make a difference with these tires.

http://youtu.be/CMbL0Q8twsw

 

[dr_frankenstein]

looks fantastic! keep up the good Work!