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    Mandrel exhaust shop

    100% true. When we build a show car (or six-figure restomod) people want to see it. Actual horsepower gains? Virtually non-existent. It's prettier. That's about the only thing I can say for it. My square? A LM7 5.3, with a cam, tri-y's, an x-pipe, dual high-flow cats. It's not a rocket. Nor...
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    Mandrel exhaust shop

    We have one in Buffalo, (Mufflerman in Kenmore.) They've done our SEMA builds, most of my personal cars, and cars we build for others. They also vend Solo mufflers, which I really like for a daily that you want a little growl in, but quiet enough that it doesn't drone on the highway. They've...
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    help me find this ticking noise on my truck ( 1978 Chevy C10 305 )

    Check your pulleys, too. I had a crank pulley shear between the bolt holes, it began cracking all the way around, on a 400 SBC. Handy stethoscope seemed to point me to a timing chain locating the noise, so after a lot of profanity and bleeding (it was on a '69 Corvette, not a lot of room), I...
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    Anyone ever make/crimp their own high pressure hoses?

    As a heads up, I own that exact crimper. It will hold A/C pressure, I use it frequently to make custom hoses and ends for restomod cars that I build all the time. It WILL NOT hold hydraulic pressure. I loaned it to a friend who tried to make power steering hoses. I warned him after he did it...
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    How much oil pressure is to much for a stock 350

    I'll echo a few comments on here, and give you my advice... Sid, a few comments back said over 60 is bad. Stone cold, for a few minutes, 60 is OK. He's right though, you hold that on a Gen1 SB, you'll start wearing bearings. Cold, with decent tolerances, on 10/30, 40-60PSI for startup is good...
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    I finally gave up.

    No; they do have some stuff that's nice quality (if you ever get it), and offer some parts/packages that other companies don't. For example; when I wanted door panels for my Burgundy '87 Silverado, LMC only had black (or tan or blue) for the door panels. Some of the insert pieces were dyed...
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    I finally gave up.

    I had a similar situation with USA-1 door cards. Took about a year, and came imperfect. I gave up, fixed them, and moved on. Got every excuse from supplier delays to Covid to dog ate my homework. It was a long rebuild, so I wasn't as upset, but yeah.. I'm betting they acquire cash to buy the...
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    Pulling all the smog stuff

    Yeah.. I mean, it jus blows away. Like it never happened. I mean, the Earth isn't a just a closed ecosystem, just a *bigger* room than your garage.... There's the reason why all my buddies in VT cringe when they have to enter NH, in a handful of sentences, folks.
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    Pulling all the smog stuff

    So, for a good flowing "cruiser" muffler, I've become a fan of Solo Performance "Stealth" mufflers. They're quiet, all stainless, well made, last forever. Not exceptionally expensive, and come in a ton of sizes/shapes. They still have the tone, though. They're good at killing the drone you...
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    Pulling all the smog stuff

    Well... If your goal is to LS swap it, why bother? Just run the thing. The early GM TBI runs really well out of the box. Before performance EFI was a more DIY thing, I used a *lot* of GM TBI setups on restomod cars, they'll run relatively maintenance free for 100k miles, without issue...
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    gas gauge goes back an forth when im moving.

    That's actually not the reason. Modern gauges (like OBD-II) don't actually use a variable resistor direct to a gauge in many/most cases. They're driven off a CANBus, and they're PWM. That's even how the Dakota Digital gauges run; analog inputs to a control box, PWM out. There's a factory...
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    gas gauge goes back an forth when im moving.

    If you want to slow the swinging on an older fuel gauge, you add a capacitor, not a resistor to the signal wire. The device is a varistor, essentially. So, if you change the resistance, it'll change what you display on the gauge. If you add a capacitor, it'll smooth the peaks and valleys (what...
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    Broken hearted kid and fuel system

    I'd tend to agree with the folks above; you are either routed to a vent/return on the selector instead of the fuel pickup (my '86 uses the same size for return and suction.) Or you have a pinhole. No need to replace the Carb, it's working enough to get the motor to run. No need to replace the...
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    I'm at a loss..

    So, if you have four drums, new hardware, visibly new WCs, multiple sets of new shoes, new parking brake hardware (or checked that it's released), turned drums to make sure they're true... That adjuster is pretty far out in that image for new parts (my JB5s are maybe a thread/thread and a half...
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    I'm at a loss..

    I'd bet money it's the proportioning valve or misadjusted master piston. The shuttle valve in the PV2 (Disc/Drum, GM) can absolutely stick and cause residual pressure. Infrequently. Randomly. All you need is old brake fluid with a high particulate/moisture content to contaminate it once. My...
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    I want to drive an '89 suburban 700 miles home, what should I know?

    I did this once with an old Corvette. Drove 400mi. there in my wife's SUV. Jumped in car, told her to tail me home. Wanted an adventure in my new-to-me forty one year old (at the time, in 2010) toy. Made it 140 miles, with the carb loading up for the last 50 or 60. Gunning it to clean the...
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    Train wreck

    Back pre kid I had a W211 E55 Sedan. Agree.... The 6.3 is a killer motor. Then family life happened. Can't complain, have toys, but still try to convince the wife I need a E63 Wagon. Hasn't worked so far. Doubt it will.... Do a nasty burnout for me, k?
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    Train wreck

    As a guy who dailies Benzes (W212 Estate for me and wife has X166), get her sorted out, you'll have one of the most reliable long term cars out there. Just one word of advice. If the Germans say maintenance is due at 60k, they mean 60. Not 61 or 65. Do what they say, and she'll last forever...
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    I bought a 1984 and don’t know what to do???

    Greetings from WNY! I'd say take it in a few doses. For bodywork, identify your big problem areas. Are they structural, or cosmetic? Do you have a place to keep her out of the weather if you do get the body done? If not, it's throwing money away on the cosmetics in the Northeast. Addresss...
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    How do I use the tank selector on 1973 Camper Special

    I own a '69 Corvette, and '63 Impala. Both have factory return lines; 3/8" Supply, 1/4" Return. So, that's not odd on GMs. Maybe it's odd on light trucks, but, I'm betting it's based on how the vehicle was optioned/type of carburetor/etc. Low performance 409s, for example, on the '63 didn't...
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    Ok...ladies an gentleman i deleted the right tank and now things are messy...

    Can I ask you why? I've done a dozen of these trucks in Carbureted, TBI, and LS swaps (like my personal '86) with dual tanks. It's easy and convenient to roll around with 32g of gas for long trips, instead of 16...Even ******* still makes the dual valve setup for high pressure applications...
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    Bye Bye Optima

    A '67 2CV. From last summer, I think, in my driveway... (Shot in Glasurit, in January 2018.) Looking for a clean DS, too... And to keep things Square focused, my '86 the day it got unloaded, same location in my driveway.. Summer of 2020 (hence the friend who dragged it from NC to NY wearing...
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    Paint manufacturer recommendations for the DIY

    I'd shoot Transtar 2K epoxy for a base, it's good, inexpensive, and helps to keep corrosion under control especially if you have and repaired rust. If you have mud/rust indentations, consider a high build like Evercoat Slick Sand. It hides a lot of first timer/low hour issues (and gets sprayed...
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    Paint manufacturer recommendations for the DIY

    So; let me ask you a few questions... 1) What colors? Solids? Metallics? etc? 2) Will the truck sit outside? Will it be a trailer queen? Off-roaded and scratched/etc/need touch ups? 3) Will it ever need to defend against salt? (I see you're in MS, don't know if you or it venture north.) I'd...
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    Bye Bye Optima

    If your car is driven somewhat regularly I don't think there's too much difference (other than higher reserve capacity, and a few extra years longevity.) In the Buffalo area, my cars go to sleep in mid/late November, and don't come out until we've had a few good spring rains to wash the salt...

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