tips & tricks

[buckhorn76]

when dealing with pipe plugs that have the square head, open end and adjustable wrenches are often less than ideal. especially if they are stuck and in a location that does'nt allow a good wrench swing. do yourself a favour and get some 8pt sockets they are a lot more versatile and provide a good snug, non slip fit.:seeya:

 

[New C5er]

Just found a "why didn't I think of that idea" for ending winter storage tire flat spotting for good. Get four old rims with old used tires that will fit your car and swap them when car is in storage. And of course for ultimate results lay your originals flat side down one atop de udder.
Aso this link might be on the site already, but here goes anyway....

http://www.corvettefever.com/tipstricks/153_0401_corvettes_tech_tips/viewall.html

 

[buckhorn76]

when working on smaller projects at the bench, carb rebuilding for example. keeping track of the many pieces at different stages of disassembly can be tedious. muffin baking tins are great to separate the many little bits and pieces. if you're worried about the loved one catching you just check the local dollar store. :seeya:

 

[Keith Tedford]

It does affect the taste of muffins after that.

 

[Riley P]

Not as much as using her toothbrush to clean the carb. That'll leave that hydroncarbony fresh taste in your mouth!

 

[buckhorn76]

shhh.....don't mention the missing tweezers either i will always remember my mother having hysterics when finding out that dad and i filled our batteries with the turkey baster

 

[buckhorn76]

q-jet

the rochester quadrajet is an excellent carburetor for street use. the q-jet will flow up to 850 cfm on an on demand basis with the vacuum secondaries, making it a good choice for some of the big inch small block strokers. the small primaries deliver not bad fuel economy making it good for cruising. rebuild kits are readily available and an excellant book is " how to rebuild and modify the q-jet " by cliff ruggles.

 

[buckhorn76]

when working on smaller parts i find it handy to work over an old baking sheet that is lined with a shop towel. if something gets dropped it is less likely to take a hike when it hits the towel. also if you need to move the project it is much easier to pick up the tray with everything in one spot and then just cover it with another shop towel. :seeya:

 

[buckhorn76]

if you need a long hex key socket you can take an allen key and cut the short end off. then, with some jb weld or any 2 part epoxy, glue it into the appropriate size socket. :seeya:

 

[Keith Tedford]

Speaking of allen keys, if you are using one of those ball nosed allen keys to get into an awkward spot be extra careful. The ends will break off if you get a little over exuberant. Then the little ball ends some times don't want to come out of the socket head screw. Been there.

 

[Keith Tedford]

I can vouch for Doug on this one. Back in '68 I had a Quadrajet equipped Ram Air 400 Firebird. It put a long face on a few guys who thought they had fast cars. In the last few years, I did over a '72 Lemans Sport and used a warmed over '70 455 with a '69 Ram Air III Quadrajet. That car ran away from our L78 Chevelle and still got 17 mpg on the highway. Set up right, the Q'jet is the nicest all around street carb out there. You can put it on a 305 or a 455 and make it work reasonably well. The air valve is the secret. Holleys may make more top end power but will not be as smooth as a Q'jet in everyday street cruising. I've put a lot of miles on the 4346 780 Holleys and they worked fine too but never gave anywhere near the same gas mileage. The big Holleys definitely look more impressive though, if that is what you are looking for.

the rochester quadrajet is an excellent carburetor for street use. the q-jet will flow up to 850 cfm on an on demand basis with the vacuum secondaries, making it a good choice for some of the big inch small block strokers. the small primaries deliver not bad fuel economy making it good for cruising. rebuild kits are readily available and an excellant book is " how to rebuild and modify the q-jet " by cliff ruggles.

 

[buckhorn76]

bingo keith !!! - not to mention the sound when those beer mug size secondaries open up. perfect carb for street and mild strip use. back in the day on the big block race car i used a dbl pump holley 780 worked great but required constant tweaking.

 

[buckhorn76]

sometimes you may be confronted with an allen style bolt or plug that is much larger than any allen key you have in your box. what i have done is find a hex [ 6 pt ] nut and bolt that size and weld the nut to the bolt. you may have to file it a little to get a good fit but it will work fine. :seeya:

 

[buckhorn76]

if you have exposed nuts and bolts or 12V electrical screw type terminal connections you may want to protect them from corrosion. if you have ever done any trailer wiring you will know what i mean !!! what i do is paint the exposed areas with liquid electrical tape it will ensure longer life and ease of future removal as well as acting like loctite. this is, by the way, mandatory for marine use as no exposed electrical connections are allowed in the bilge. :seeya:

 

[CCO]

ooooookaaaaaay -- liquid electrical tape on exposed nuts. I'll check for corrosion and if I find any I'll apply the appropriate protection.

C.

 

[buckhorn76]

ooooookaaaaaay -- liquid electrical tape on exposed nuts. I'll check for corrosion and if I find any I'll apply the appropriate protection.

C.

oh oh !! now the undies are messy front and back !!!!!

 

[buckhorn76]

de-greasing something too big for the parts washer ? try simple green and the power washer. castrol super clean and spray nine work well too. :seeya:

 

[buckhorn76]

when working under the hood on our cars containing spills is important, especially true with brake fluid. you like to keep a nicely detailed engine bay looking good and it is a pain trying to mop up afterwards. disposable diapers work well and are good for oil and filter changes as well. a lot of us old geezers are probably well advised to keep them in the shop anyway.

 

[Case75]

Too funny Doug. Good idea though.
[mob][/mob]

 

[CCO]

Too funny Doug. Good idea though.
[mob][/mob]

lol,, funny but true......

C.