SBG's C3

there's more to it than that....
there isn't enough distance between the throwout and the collar...
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I cheated, I used 1/16" washers to get the clearance. I could fix it one of two ways - I could use my SFI billet flywheel - but that requires a race clutch, or I could take material off the flywheel. Problem is the springs then hit the flywheel bolts
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onto the hydraulics.... time to make a clutch engagement arm
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about 1/2 done
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my clutch is finally fixed.... and here's what it was
the hose was too small of inner diameter. The way I diagnosed this was I put my inspection camera on it then watched how the slave cylinder moved. I noticed pretty quickly that, despite my pedal being at the floor, the slave cylinder was still moving (meaning there was excess pressure). So I went 2 sizes larger and it's firm, but not a burden.
The final tally is 7/8" slave, 7/8" master, 3/16 stainless line. The pivot point is just below the stock pivot point because I needed more travel to get full travel - with that said, if I'd simply used the GM pivot point on the pedal, it would have worked fine. I know I'll have some fine adjustment, but at least now it fully disengages and gives enough travel to make the clutch work well.
 
Thanks for the heads up Aaron, I'm having similar problem on my build, to get the clutch to disengage I had to tune my linkage to the max position.
I probably installed the wrong pivot.
 
and it has a new home.... and I miss it already... dammit. That said, there are plans afoot to replace it sooner rather then later with something even less refined.
 
Yep, it's sold... so it's funny you mention that... these arrived today.
Diamond custom pistons
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Callie Compstar rods 6.800, narrowed for the Buick crank
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2 years... and the girdle is finally installed correctly
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sleeved to 430ci
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so yes, the Buick is back on.... that said, I've got to get the FJ40 finished first.
 
Yeh, some 20+ years ago a neighbor friend had a black Skylark convertible with a 455 in it, I understood the block was much lighter than my Pontiac 455 in my Lemans/GTO convertible....never did take them to the scales....

:beer:
 
Yeh, some 20+ years ago a neighbor friend had a black Skylark convertible with a 455 in it, I understood the block was much lighter than my Pontiac 455 in my Lemans/GTO convertible....never did take them to the scales....

:beer:

when I get back on this, I'll take pictures of the problem with Buick blocks.

I'll describe it here. On a SBC, the mains are full thickness from the bearing rest to the block walls. Buick knew grandma wasn't going to rev the 455 to the moon, so felt that too much material in those webs was wasted - not only that, but it added weight. So they removed the extra material. It would have been a pain to cast, but their point was the best car for the people they were building it for... by way of comparison. TA performance builds an all-new aluminum BBB, they fix the web problem, and the lifter valley problem (the lifters hang in space, thus with high-pressure springs the lifter bore can break). Remember, these blocks are aluminum, but they weigh more then the cast-iron stock block.

and to answer the burning question - why didn't I use the TA block... finances. I was really within spitting distance (especially after being screwed over by Jim Green Performance, now in Kent Washington) of the cost of an aluminum block. But if I went with an aluminum block, suddenly I'd need (while I'm at it) to add a $2500 billet crank to my already impressive build - and I'm not going for 2000 hp, I'm going for under 1000 hp (900) and I'm not racing it.... it's just a fun car to drive and get in trouble with.

of course, there's still brain-dead people like me who will spend 4x what it'd cost to build a BBC to build these motors - so TA performance builds the girdle I had installed... that, by itself, is half the 4x more cost to buy and get installed. But, to my knowledge, I'll honestly be the only 50 Buick sled powered by a twin turbo Buick 455

The Olds block doesn't have the same issue - and it's why you see them in so many 70s era jet boats.
 
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it's already started, but it's not going to take the prime position until after the FJ40 is done and after the Fiat Spider (you know, the one with the cadillac CTS motor and twin turbos....) are completed.
 
it's already started, but it's not going to take the prime position until after the FJ40 is done and after the Fiat Spider (you know, the one with the cadillac CTS motor and twin turbos....) are completed.

well those are fun projects for sure.....i need to find the fiat thread last i remember you had redone the trans tunnel....
 
I've redone it again in a more box-storage motif

I'm so glad to be reassembling my FJ40, it lets me reclaim shop space back.
 
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