Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Upgrading Valve Springs for Better High-RPM Performance
I’ve got a 454 H.O. crate engine and we installed a small ProCharger centrifugal on the engine to bump the power. I thought this would work well with the engine’s […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Cam Size and Its Role in Torque Converter Selection
I have a ’69 Chevy C-10 pickup with a 383 stroker small-block and a TH350 transmission. We recently put a bigger hydraulic lifter cam and headers on the engine to […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: What is Safe Effective Compression Ratio for E85?
What is a general safe effective compression ratio on E85? The internet results in varying opinions from 13:1 up to an extreme 20:1. Jeff Smith: This is an interesting question […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: The Pros and Cons of the Chevy Inline Six for Old-School Hot Rods
I was at my local car show the other day and I talked with a guy who built an inline Chevy 6 for his street rod. I was interested in […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Comparing EFI vs. Carburetion on a 6.0L LS Swap
I’m considering swapping a 6.0L truck LS engine into my ’69 Chevy pickup and I’m trying to decide which intake system to use. My engine has the stock plastic, truck […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: The Pros and Cons of E85 in Performance Applications
Old guy up in Canada scratching his head and wondering: A: Is the oxygen in ethanol as hard on aluminum parts as the information available on the web says it […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: When and How to Update (and Upgrade) the Charging System in a Classic Car
I just bought my first car, a ’64 Chevelle with a 283 small-block and a Powerglide trans. The engine runs well, but I’m concerned that when I put the engine […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Examining Common Causes of Driveshaft Failure
I recently went with my buddy to chassis dyno test his LS-powered Nova and toward the end of the first test the car spit the driveshaft out and it went […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: Examining Timing Advance in Street vs. Race Engines
Do you know of or are you a good source for questions about timing? I’m not talking about the basics. I think I have that figured out. A question I […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: How to Decode a COMP Cams Camshaft
I purchased a used hydraulic roller camshaft from a friend that was originally used in an LS1 engine. My buddy says it’s a mild cam that’s bigger than a stock […]