Tech

I have a question. My 1970 SS Chevelle has a 350 crate motor. When I start the engine now, there is a loud whiney sound coming from my distributor. Is this a bearing maybe or something else? Have you ever had this problem? The distributor is a Mallory 85 series. Ricky SS Jeff Smith: Let’s

Thinking about swapping an LS engine into an early Camaro or Nova? It’s not exactly like fitting the proverbial square peg into a round hole, but you will need to have some special parts to ensure proper clearance and maintain the right driveline angle. Luckily, LS swaps have become popular enough that Holley and Hooker

You’ve got questions. We’ve got the answers—the Summit Racing tech department tackles your automotive-related conundrums. This week, we’re exploring a technique for proper intake manifold-to-cylinder head sealing. C.M. Chicago, IL Q: I purchased a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads for my 1979 Corvette 350 engine. The engine has a 280-degree duration solid lifter camshaft, 10:1 compression pistons, and

A vacuum gauge is an invaluable resource for tracking down engine issues. The key is understanding what your gauge is trying to tell you. We’ve put together this quick-guide to reading your vacuum gauge to help you identify potential mechanical or tuning issues more quickly. We’ve seen this topic covered before, but it’s information worth repeating,

The goal was simple: Create the 1960s-era LeMans race engine that Ford never built. That’s what Jan Baker did with two Ford 302 blocks and three Ford Cleveland cylinder heads—and swears it wasn’t that hard! Sure, there was lots of cutting and welding involved, but nearly every part (save for the custom crankshaft) is an off-the-shelf part.

[portfolio_slideshow id=42114] Plenty of racers use ballast to meet specific class weight breaks. Clever racers use the ballast as a tool to effectively tune the car too. As we covered in Weight Plan (Part 1), the best way to build any race car is build it as light as you can, then use ballast to

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything on Denny Terzich’s Project X-BOX 1955 Chevy. Apparently, it’s because Terzich and his team have been so hard at work getting the radical ’55 ready for its long-awaited debut, which will be at the Goodguys Indianapolis show in June. As many projects of this scope do, Project X-BOX

Restoring a classic muscle car can get expensive. The key to keeping costs down is finding a project that’s in good running condition. If you’re fortunate enough to find a mainly solid, mechanically sound vehicle, you can focus your attention on the cosmetic upgrades—exterior paint, engine bay detailing, and interior conditioning. And with companies like VHT

You’ve got questions. We’ve got the answers—the Summit Racing tech department tackles your automotive-related conundrums. This week, we’re examining camshaft duration and piston-to-valve clearance. D.W. Nova Scotia, Canada Q: I have a 454 in a 1983 Trans Am. I would like to install a bigger camshaft with an operating range to 5,500 rpm, yet have safe piston-to-valve

A friend of mine just added an EZ-EFI 2.0 EFI to his big-block Camaro and while it runs great, it has definitely lost much of its old rumpy cam idle characteristics. Is that normal for EFI engines? Why does this happen if the cam has not been changed? D.S. Jeff Smith: This is a really