Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What Causes Distributor Cap Corrosion and Deposits (and How Can You Avoid Them)?
I was working on my engine the other day when I pulled the distributor cap and noticed what looked like grease around the inside of the cap. But what really caught my eye was the strange buildup of crud on one end of each spark plug wire terminal on the cap. What causes this and
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: How to Make the Kickdown Work on a TH400 Transmission Swap
I have an ’85 C-10 pickup that we’ve installed a factory fuel-injected 5.3L truck engine. We bolted a TH400 transmission to the LS engine but I now realize that I don’t have any way to trigger the kickdown linkage on the TH400 trans. How do I do this so I don’t hurt the trans? R.G.
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What is a Digital Dial-Back Light and How Does it Work?
I just bought a new, digital timing light to replace my old original light. When I push the button, the timing moves but I’m not sure I know exactly what’s really going on here. There’s probably an easy answer but it escapes me! Thanks D.L. Jeff Smith: What you are using is what is commonly
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Examining Budget-Friendly Options for Pre-Lubing a New Engine
I just bought an LS3 crate engine and the instructions that Chevrolet includes with the engine recommend pre-lubing the engine with a Kent Moore tool J45299. I looked that tool up and it’s a 2-quart plastic bottle, a small hand pump, and a few assorted fittings and they want $340 for it! That seems like
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Port Matching vs. Pocket Porting — Which is a Better Use of Time?
I’m still buying parts to assemble a 355-cubic-inch small block Chevy for my ’55 Chevy. My buddy was over this past weekend and told me that I should make sure to port-match the intake manifold to the heads. Is that something I should do? He says he read where that could be worth 10 horsepower
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: The Great 5.3L Truck Swap Debate Revisited!
Editor’s Note: The following letter is in response to an answer in a previous column concerning whether to go with a 5.3L LS engine or a larger 350ci small-block Chevy. You can read Jeff’s original answer here. Prices reflect April 2016 figures per Summit Racing and, given the context/purpose of the article, have not been updated.
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What’s Causing Excessive Oil Consumption in My Engine?
I’m having a problem with the small block 383 in my Impala. The engine was new about two years ago, but I keep having problems with the spark plugs loading up with oil. Some of my friends say it’s a valve guide seal problem but the heads were new when we put the engine together. Others
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Troubleshooting and Tuning a FAST EZ-EFI Fuel Injection System
I recently bought an EZ-EFI throttle body fuel injection system from FAST for my ’70 Buick Skylark. I installed it according to the instructions and it started and ran pretty good for the first few days. I’ve noticed now that the engine runs very rich and it’s starting to load up the spark plugs. I’ve
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Suspension Upgrade Tips for Early Chevelles (and other A-Bodies)
I just purchased a ’64 Chevelle that is very close to stock. It has a 350-cubic-inch small block and a Turbo 350 that I’m happy with, so I’m thinking of improving the handling but only if I can do that without making it ride like a dump truck. I’ve seen rear sway bars on many Chevelles
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Rectangle vs. Cathedral Port Heads – Which is Right for Your LS?
Everything I read says that the big rectangle ports for LS engines flow better than the cathedral ports. But then I know some pretty quick street cars running cathedral port heads. So for a 6.0L LS street engine, what would you recommend? My engine will be backed by a T-56 six-speed and 3.42:1 gears in




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