Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: The Pros and Cons of E85 in Performance Applications
Old guy up in Canada scratching his head and wondering: A: Is the oxygen in ethanol as hard on aluminum parts as the information available on the web says it is? B: Can the corrosive effects be managed by adding materials to the aluminum or the fuel to offset the damage? C: Or am I
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: When and How to Update (and Upgrade) the Charging System in a Classic Car
I just bought my first car, a ’64 Chevelle with a 283 small-block and a Powerglide trans. The engine runs well, but I’m concerned that when I put the engine in gear at idle, the red “Charge” light comes on. What’s the best way to cure this problem? My friend says I should install a
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Examining Common Causes of Driveshaft Failure
I recently went with my buddy to chassis dyno test his LS-powered Nova and toward the end of the first test the car spit the driveshaft out and it went spinning across the floor of the shop! What causes this to happen? I’ve heard this happening much more often on the chassis dyno than on
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Examining Timing Advance in Street vs. Race Engines
Do you know of or are you a good source for questions about timing? I’m not talking about the basics. I think I have that figured out. A question I have is why when I set the total mechanical advance on my race car I’m told I want it all in by somewhere close to
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: How to Decode a COMP Cams Camshaft
I purchased a used hydraulic roller camshaft from a friend that was originally used in an LS1 engine. My buddy says it’s a mild cam that’s bigger than a stock LS6 version, but he didn’t have any more information. The end of the cam is stamped 3709/3711 HR 114 followed by CC and 7661-11. Can
Ask Away with Jeff Smith: Understanding Vapor Lock–and How You Can Fix It!
What exactly is vapor lock? My friends say I have a problem with vapor lock. Last summer, my small block 350 Camaro had problems in the heat of late summer where it would start running poorly and eventually quit running and it has already happened again this year. If I let it cool down for
Ask Away with Jeff Smith: Choosing Spark Plugs for Chevy ZZ Crate Motors
What type of spark plugs do I use on my ZZ3 motor? I know that there are a lot of different spark plugs but what type do I use in my engine? I have some plugs that have a lot of threads and I have a set with short threads. Which ones do I use?
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: The Great 5.3L Truck LS Swap Debate
With all this talk about truck LS engines, I hear a lot of talk about swapping a 5.3L truck LS engine into a car. Why would you want to go from a 350-cubic-inch small block Chevy to a smaller 5.3L engine that is only 326 cubic inches? To me that doesn’t make any sense. I know the
Ask Away with Jeff Smith: Installing and Tuning Your Shifter for Optimum Performance
I just finished replacing the clutch in my ’72 Nova and put the Hurst shifter back on my Muncie four-speed but when I drove the car, something is definitely wrong. When I shift from Second to Third, the rpm drops way down – much more than it should. But then when I shift from Third
Ask Away with Jeff Smith: Rocker Arm Failure and Ways to Prevent It
I race a Corvette in the vintage road race classes and I have had a rash of broken rocker arms. The rules prevent me from converting to roller rockers. Is there any way to prevent these rockers from breaking? The failures usually occur right in the middle of the rocker arm but the pushrod also




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