by Mike Mavrigian Build/assembly and all photos by author Our Lunati roller cam features 0.544″ valve lift at intake and 0.560″ at exhaust, with duration of 232 intake and 242 exhaust. Centerline is 108 intake and 116 exhaust. CAMSHAFT AND TIMING Dart thoughtfully provided anti-friction-coated cam bearings with their block. Each bearing is [...]
STROKIN’ THE DART WINDSOR Our current engine project begins with a 351W block and increasing displacement to a whopping 427 CID. Text & photos by Mike Mavrigian The Dart 351W iron-alloy block is available in either a 9.200” (standard Cleveland) or 9.500” deck height. We opted for the 9.5” deck. This project [...]
CORE VALUE: LUNATI’S NEW $225 GOLD VALVE-SPRING KIT FOR GM LS ENGINES Times are lean right now, and especially so for hot rodders on a budget. To address this frustrating inconvenience, Lunati bucks the market with a new LS-engine dual valve-spring kit (PN 73925K1LUN) for about $50 less than competitors. With a maximum [...]
VOODOO TO THE RESCUE Over the past few decades motor oils have been reformulated to meet the specific needs of late model engines and the always tightening Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restrictions on emissions. This is great for late model engines with hydraulic roller lifters, but very bad for anyone with an early model, [...]
LS LONG STROKE CRANKS Much like the traditional Small Block Chevy, GM’s LS platform has amassed an impressive following of performance enthusiasts who are drawn to its outstanding power potential and durability. With the support of aftermarket parts manufacturers, enthusiasts have been able to constantly raise the bar on what was [...]
Here’s our LS with our carburetor setup and coilpacks. This setup will utilize the MSD timing controller for ignition control/adjustment. No ECU is required for this approach, which makes it ideal for application in any street rod, muscle car, race car, etc. that is not wired for computer control. For our coilpack versions (for either [...]
SPECIAL FIRING ORDER CAMSHAFTS Tricks for smoother-running, longer crank bearing life, and maybe a few extra horses in the process. by Mike Mavrigian photos by author The cam on the left is a standard firing order bigblock Chevy. The cam on the right is a 4/7 swap cam. Notice that the second and fourth lobes [...]
Our JE forged pistons included wire locks for floating pin securing. The wire locks are installed by working your way around the lock with a small screwdriver. A nice option for wire lock installation is Lockintool’s W-927 installation tool. It takes some getting used to but, once you develop the knack, it’s a real time [...]
I opted to install the crank gear at the zero timing mark, but this gear allows adjustment +/- 4 degrees. Our timing chain setup installed. With No. 1 rod pin at TDC, the timing dot on the cam gear is at 6 o’clock, and the ) mark on the crank gear is at 12 o’clock. [...]
Goodson reluctor ring installer jig is an absolute must for installing LS crank timing wheels. The Goodson tool indexes the ring via the 8mm hole in the ring face. The 8mm dowel is pictured here. It’s attached to a tang on the outside of the tool. An internal dowel in the tool engages into the [...]
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