Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Things to Look for When Inspecting an Old Car
I live on the West Coast and just bought a 1963 Riviera from a local guy here in Southern California. The car is in really good shape and shows only […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Should I Run a 396 Big Block or a 6.0L LS Engine in My Classic Chevy Muscle Car?
If you had a choice between building a 6.0L LS or a 396ci big block Chevy, what would you choose and why? I have a 1969 Nova. The car has […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Why Do My Oil Filters Keep Failing So Soon After Startup
My latest quandary with my engine is ballooning oil filters. As soon as the engine fires it pegs the oil pressure gauge and shoots oil out of the top of […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Does My Engine Suffer From Rod Knock or Piston Slap?
I’ve got a 355ci small block Chevy that I rebuilt about two years ago re-using the old cast pistons. I put new rings and bearings in it along with a […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Are Vortec Truck Cylinder Heads Really Better Than Stock SBC Heads?
I’ve got a rebuilt 350 long block and I’m looking at different cylinder heads. A couple of friends have told me that the Vortec head is a little better than […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Improving Steering Response in a Vintage Chevelle Muscle Car
I took my 1967 Chevelle to get the alignment done on Saturday with a 1/2 degree negative camber, 5 degrees of positive camber and 1/16 inch toe-in. I don’t really […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What You’ll Really Need to Disable AFM on an LS Engine
I have a 2014 Camaro with the L99 and a bent push rod. Can I disable the AFM and use LS3 lifters without changing anything else? Thank you. T.K. *** The short […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What’s the Best Way to Check Piston-to-Valve Clearance?
I’m assembling a stout 383ci small block Chevy with a 250 degrees at 0.050 inch duration mechanical roller camshaft. The pistons have a small dome and before I finish assembling […]
Setting Up Shop: Cordless Tools, Air Tools, or Both?
We recently added more work space to our shop. While we enjoy the luxury of having sufficient room, the need to route new air lines for pneumatic tools into and […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Adjusting Mechanical Advance Springs & Bushings in an MSD Distributor
I recently bought a pretty stout 355ci small block Chevy to put it in my ’70 Nova. It didn’t have a distributor so I bought an MSD Street Pro Billet […]