WooHoo!! Drove the car today!!

[shmoov69]

Woo freakin HOO!! I drove the car today!! It has only moved under its own power twice since December 1 of 2012!!! Didn't have any issues either! Well, no major issues that is, it did throw a belt after I ripped it. Still need to figure that out... Any suggestions on v belts?

I did a truTurn setup and the tires rub the fender a little bit, but not real sure how much or how important at this point, I'll have to look into that more. But.... It lives!!! :jump:

[dragonfly jones]

Thats awsome. What front tire set up are you running ? Im finishing my true turn this weekend.

[shmoov69]

235/45/17 on a 7" wide wheel. Don't know the back spacing because I ordered them in either 97 or 98!! LoL!

[mc84_zz4]

Huge congrats on the milestone! nothing more exciting than getting your baby back on the road! :cheers:

On the V belts, I ripped a 1 month old belt when tightening my AC a few years back, I wasnt even putting much pressure.
I was told that hose/belt manufactureres offer the same part # to vendors, but there are 10K, 30k, 50K mile life expectancy on some parts. it all depends on the retailer to select the price-point.
The same part# can sell for $5, $12, or $17. Certain stores sell the lowest level price point.

Check out another source, maybe NAPA or CarQuest, Gates used to offer a green-stripe belt that were industrial rated, they have 5-6 layers of fibers inside the rubber instead of 1 or 2 as the cheap belts do.
HTH

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

yeeea!

[6'9"Witha69]

Sweet! I know the feeling of just getting that one running moment after a long time down.

[MonzaRacer]

On high rpm duty I used to get NAPA belts, wing throttle, warm up belt, make sure it tensions right, low flex, not able too twist long spans more than 1/4 turn or less and then I will use solid timing belt idlers to decrease whip and throw. Used to have tool box full of small lower Ford 2.0 Ztec idlers, soon deleted from most kits.
BUT any size from that engine can work. Less belt "whip" and they stay on and wont flip over. Also playing with pulleys to find one with widest groove and going to wider 17 series type belts over 15 series (ie alt belts usually 15 series in some numbers, PS/AC belts are 17 series. wider belt is stiffer and wont roll over as bad.
Actually developed a way to "widen" small grove pulleys with bearing ball from CV axle and large lathe,,,,long story but it does work and it took out a "bent lip" too.
NBH T42034 is part I used http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Camshaft-Idler-Pulley/_/R-NBHT42034_0438921920

Actually found that if used for alt belts a robust tab at/near where bracket mounts too SBC Water pumps was enough to keep them in place.


As in NAPA numbers a normal sbc alt belt number NBH 257448 .41" wide NBH 259447 .47" wide same basic belt, just heavier/wider. more strength and an idler to keep it from whipping, done deal. the "whip" lets them roll, then gone as they cant accurately track. Wide groove pulleys also help, that was GM fix as one pulley was cheaper than swapping every GM supplied belt. New pulley could be added to catalog. Different belt meant new belt contract.

[rocketrod]

Congrats!

[shmoov69]

Thanks Lee.

[minendrews68]

Man, don't I know the feeling... I haven't driven my '68 Camaro in almost 6 years, and now that I've got it running my son and I took it around the block about two weeks ago. the only problem, it doesn't have the first sign of a window or windshield, or interior except for the two front bucket seats. now it's become a tradition every weekend to get it out and go around the block. Yes, it does feel good.
congrats on yours.

[Steve1968LS2]

Congrats.. it's a great feeling for sure!

[shmoov69]

Drove it again today, battery was dead and also had to jump it "away" from home. Well, hopefully that is the problem of it falling on its face after a couple seconds of ripping it. Sounds like I need a new battery. Red top or yellow top? Always had a red but didn't know.

[TheJDMan]

Sweeeeet! Personally, I have used both red and yellow tops but I have had better luck with Odyssey batteries.

[BuddyP]

Great feeling isn't it?! Got mine out for the first time this past Sunday!

[shmoov69]

It's really nice for sure! Hopefully I can keep it alive for a long time this time! LoL!

How'd yours do Buddy?

[BuddyP]

It's really nice for sure! Hopefully I can keep it alive for a long time this time! LoL!

How'd yours do Buddy?

It did good... no issues that I have found from it setting over winter.

[TonyHuntimer]

Drove it again today, battery was dead and also had to jump it "away" from home. Well, hopefully that is the problem of it falling on its face after a couple seconds of ripping it. Sounds like I need a new battery. Red top or yellow top? Always had a red but didn't know.

Congratulations! That's a great feeling to drive after a long hiatus. :)

I always go Yellow Top Optima. Especially if the car is going to sit for a week or two at a time (or longer).

Running a constant +12 volts at all times will do wonders for the way a car runs. Especially if you have electronic ignition (and fuel injection).

Tony Huntimer
TestCarDatabase

[shmoov69]

Well, I finally got my CTek 25000 battery charger in and hooked it up this afternoon and went and did yard work for a few hours. I went back into the garage afterwards and smell the horrendous stench of sulfur or whatever a battery puts off. I opened up all the doors and unhooked the charger immediately. After letting it air out a few, I went and could hear the battery hissing out the vents on the top (red top optima) and could feel the heat coming off it. Hopefully it didn't smoke anything in the car!
So, does that mean that the battery is junk or what? I thought those chargers were "super smart" and could tell if it was junk or not? Any ideas fellas with experience?
Thanks!

[shmoov69]

Well, as you all know I got it going last year sometime and have been mildly beating on it.... (or something like that, Ha!) Well.......... I decided to drive the Camaro to take my boys to baseball practice this evening. Cruising down the road it started making a huge racket..... Worse than a Detroit diesel! Killed it and Pulled over to check the oil, and all, nothing wrong there. Pulled In a driveway and parked it and called Chic to come get me. She did and i came back got the trailer and went to load it up. Thankfully it was only about a mile from home, heck it wasn't even up to temperature. Anyway, pulled the valve covers off in hopes... All tight there. DOOH!! Yanked plugs, none mashed, so at least there isn't any holes in the slugs. Drained oil, nice and gold tint...... Must be a bearing. Well could be much worse, hopefully it didn't munch the crank in process.

Honestly, that engine don't owe me anything, it's been together since '04 or '05 I think!! LoL! Heck, I even "slid" new bearings in it about 3 or 4 years ago! LoL! I've had the heads off a few times after spitting the gaskets and threw another cam in it, but the slugs and crank have never been out, so I'd say its due.

You know I've babied it most of the time I have drove it.......!! LMAO!!

[TonyHuntimer]

Good luck Jimmy! Did you check the muffler bearing?

Tony Huntimer
TestCarDatabase.com

[MrQuick]

It's really nice for sure! Hopefully I can keep it alive for a long time this time! LoL!

you love jinxing yourself don't you...

[shmoov69]

Believe me, the muffler bearing was the first thing I checked in hopes it was them making all the racket!!


you love jinxing yourself don't you...

Naaaa..... I just know myself all too well!! DOOH!!

Everyone always says "if you wouldn't rip it EVERY time you're behind the wheel!!" I'm like, why have a car with that kind of power if I can't play with it!!??? LoL!

[DButler]

I had an optima red top make the same hissing noise recently. Do you determine if yours was bad or not?

[shmoov69]

David, I assume it had a bad cell. I changed it and it has held the right voltage and doesn't get hot like the old one. Any way to check if a cell is bad?

[shmoov69]

Well, I got the engine in the car last weekend, but ran out of time to get the stuff hooked up and running. Today after the boys BBall games I came back home, built a fire in the wood stove and proceeded to work on the Camaro. At about 11:30 I got it running! WooHoo!! No crazy noises, no crazy smoking, no crazy leaks! Runs and sounds great! Now I just need to finish putting everything back on the engine and fill the trans with fluid and it should be ready to roll!!

Anyone got a board I can borrow to put under the gas pedal?!? LoL!

[GRNOVA]

That is always good news Jimmy, I am about a month away from starting mine. Come to think of it you were probably the last to see it run in 2010 @ MWMCC.

[shmoov69]

Very cool Tim! So, pulling it on the trailer was the last time? Wow, I thought that mine has been down a bunch! LoL!

[GRNOVA]

Yep, sold the engine and started TechNova2.0. Nice picture by the way! Good times!!! Tell the family Hi.

[minendrews68]

Hey Jimmy, in your avatar the "old" cop car, is it yours? There's a friend of mine here in Jonesboro that has one that looks like it's twin! Drove my Camaro today too, even took the GoPro along.... Man, it felt good.

Carl

[shmoov69]

No, the Nomad is ours but not the 57. That was on the Power Tour several years ago, the year it went to Minnesota, and the guy ended up following us for quite a ways. When we stopped I thought it was a great photo opportunity. Cool peeps that they had the whole family piled in theirs too! LoL!