I'm too cheap to buy them. I actually have what I need to make one. I need to pick up some more casters to make more. We have been jacking up the rear end and pulling the jack where I wanted the car.

Bad news folks, I may have posted that when I put the engine back in this summer the expansion plug came out behind the motor mount. I caught it while bolting the motor in. Well I pull it back out to finish sand the firewall. I pulled the motor mount off so I could see if the block was cracked anywhere around the hole. I found a ball of metal dust from machining the size of a large peanut. I was pissed. I power washed the bare block for hours after it came home. I stuck my finger in the hole and its full almost to the hole with dust. It is thick and compacted. I am going to pull the motor back apart to make sure this garbage isn't in my heads/water pump. I'm upset to say the least.

This was the peanut sized clump after I broke it up with my thumb.

 

After all that I had to take a break. I got a call from my buddy with the LSx Dodge project. He is having trouble too. His new Quickfuel Slayer carb wasn't idling on his new motor, he wanted my Proform to try. I said I'd be right there because I'm pissed at my junk. Here are the pics I have promised for months now.

Here's the rig. Engine stand and cherry picker to keep it from flipping over.




This is how to keep a engine cool while on the stand. Simple PVC and garden hose adapter. The out side was 3/8" air hose ran out to the driveway, which conveniently runs down hill. Works well, we had to slow the water down to help pull water our.



My youngest son and the soon to be home for this motor sitting outside.


Here is the Monster 700R4 going behind it.




Hello old friend.





I have some video too! Sorry if the sound goes out in the middle, it did when i played it back on Photobucket. Youtube may be better. Its not running to good. I think its the battery charger. The fuel pressure drops off when its revved. The ignition is loosing power then too. I'll be reporting this back to him tomorrow. Bear in mind we know this is dangerous. The engine is dancing but its not going anywhere.

 

Well first of all sorry to hear about your luck with the motor. The good news is the fact that you did find the shmag in the engine.

As for the Ram, looks pretty bad ***, love the sound of the open headers!

 

That was with a touch of a miss. It turned into a dead miss later and a complete back fire through the carb before I left. He's tearing that down now too. We are both scratching out heads. I still think its low voltage to the ignition. He is convinced its deeper and want to pull the top end down to see. First thing I said to him when I got there was it sounded like a solid lifter motor. Which its a hyd. roller. There may be something going on deeper? IDK.

 

Sorry about the junk in your engine Damon, but it's pretty common on engines when they return from the machine shop and the dip process. I always wash them out thoroughly before assembling, or make sure the machine shop does it if I have them install the sift plugs.
It shouldn't require disassembly of the engine though. You can pull the engine and remove all the soft plugs, and then lay it over on one side and pressure wash through the water pump and soft plug holes. Then lay it over the other way and repeat. Then hang it from the hoist and do the same thing through the water pump outlets, and the soft plugs at the rear of the block. Just keep going over all the soft plug holes until it comes out clean and clear.
Good thing you caught it before you ran that crap through the radiator, or had to start chasing overheating issues!

 

I power washed the snot out of this motor. I remember it well. The plugs were in it for sure though. I know I don't "have to" pull it down. I have to change the rear main seal and was thinking about having the guy across the street do some work on my heads. It more of an excuse.

The guy across the street's son is a head porter by trade. He does work for the sand drag racers here. The reason I want him to work on my stuff is they together are former NHRA stock class record holders. With a 307 powered 85' Buick Park Avenue. Not the best combo for power but they are deep in the 12's with it. I have see the "stock" heads they use. They look factory but flow better than my Canfield's.

 

Pulling the soft plugs would have gotten rid of all the scale inside, and not that hard to do. I'd still do it, even if you're pulling the heads, but I'd do it before pulling the heads to keep crud from getting into the cylinders. Guess you could just stuff the cylinders full of greased rags and duct tape them closed.

 

This isn't scale. This is iron dust from decking. It was compacted in the bottom of the water jacket and when I broke it up with my finger comes up about half a finger in the jacket. I'm pulling the heads so I can flip it and "drain" the dust. I guessing it blocked off the jacket when I started the engine and when I blew the water out the trapped water froze pushing the plug out.

 

I talked with my buddy last night. Its bad news on the LS too. The #5 exhaust valve has a broken tip. That was the misfire. the spark plug was beat up so its a teardown for sure there. Man this sucks. Don't get your project near Mich. it will surely hit a setback.

 

Been almost a week, any updates on your project or the LS Ram?