Q: How do I lower my car?
A: while filling the trunk with cement would be effective, it wouldn't be practical. The best way to lower your car would be with dropped spindles or shorter springs. Now some of you might be thinking "cool, I'll just yank the springs out from under my car and cut 'em off with my torch", this is never a god idea. If you must cut a spring, NEVER use a torch. In fact you shouldn't cut a spring in the first place, here's why. When a spring gets shorter, the rate will decrease, meaning that the spring will be "softer". The general rule is as follows. The spring rate should be increased 15 percent for every inch of drop. So if the stock springs are rated at 300 lbs/in and you shoot for a 2 inch drop the new spring rate should be 390 lbs/in. if you cut a spring you will lose spring rate, and if spring rate goes the way so does the handling, you would also have a problem with the suspension bottoming out. Fiberglass rear leaf springs are a good all round spring to use. They are durable (you wouldn't think they are, but they will last a long time), and lighter, which means they can react faster. Vette Brakes (www.vettebrakes.com, 1-800-237-9991) offers fiberglass leaf springs, along with an array of other wonderful items. Now if you opt for dropped spindles you will need to keep in mind the element of bump-steer. "What the hell is bump-steer?" you ask. When you hit a bump and the car darts to one side or another, that's bump-steer. How does it happen? It happens by changing the angle of the suspension. Normally when your wheel goes over a bump your wheel will go up, but it won't go up straight, it is at an angle. So if your wheel is standing straight up and down when normally parked, when the wheel goes up (and the car stays put) the top of the wheel goes towards the inside (or towards the motor), this is normal. When you change the angle (by lowering the car) your wheel still goes up, but when the top goes towards the inside so does some of the front, and just like that you have bump-steer. There is however a solution to this, a dropped spindle that will not effect suspension geometry. Performance suspension components (performancesuspension.com) offers this spindle. That way you can lower your car and not have to deal with this dastardly bump-steer. If you are going to drop a car more than 2 inches you should use a combo of spring and spindle. For instance, if you want to drop your ride 4 inches you should use a spring that is 2 inches shorter and a set of 2 inch drop spindles. Here's why, if your present springs are 10 inches long and you cut 4 inches off, you will only have 6 inches of spring travel. Combine that with the fact that your spring rate will be much higher, and you'll end up with a ride so rough that you'll need new kidneys after a driving for a mile.

Q: What does it mean to degree a cam, and how does it help?
A: when you degree a cam, you are making sure that the cam is indexed with the position of the crank. It just means that the valves aren't opening too soon or too late. That way you can get the most out of your cam. General rule, advancing the cams position you boost low-end power, when you retard the position you make more high-end peak power. Imagine this. The piston is coming up on its compression stroke, you obviously want both valves to be closed, then when it comes up on the exhaust stroke you want the exhaust valve to be open. See a pattern here? You don't want your intake valve to be closed on the intake stroke do you? No you want it to be opened when or maybe a little before the intake stroke starts. When you degree a cam you are just making sure that the valves are opening at the right time.

Q: What is the proper way to break in a cam?
A: if you are talking about a roller cam you don't need much break in, just make sure that the lifters and lobes are properly lubed with break in lube. I flat tappet cam however requires a little more effort for break in. the best way to break in one of these cams is as follows. First (and foremost) make sure that the lobes and lifters are liberally lubed with break in lube. You should also make sure that the lifter can move freely up and down in its bore. Some lifters need to be "soaked" in oil, this just means that you need to put the lifter in a tray of oil so that it can get sufficiently full of oil. If you don't do this, your pushrod will just sink into the lifter when the cam pushes it up. This is an important step, the only time this isn't required is if the lifter manufacturer advises you not to, or if you are using solid lifters.

Q: What is the best way I can get traction?
A:Lets look deeper into the definition of traction, if you're talking about straight-line traction for a drag car; the best ways are as follows. Get "softer" springs in the back of the car. How does this help? When you start moving (forwards) the front of the car goes up and the back of the car goes down. When you put softer springs on the back of the car and softer shocks on the front, this plants all of the weight and acceleration force over the axle, in essence pressing down on the axle. The downside to this setup is that your abilities to handle a corner will be next to non-existent. You would also benefit from the widest, stickiest tires you can get your hands on. So you make the call, either bad handling and good off the line traction or tight, road hugging handling, and so-so off the line traction.

Q: How can I improve the handling of my car?
A: Here again the tires will come into the equation. The widest stickiest tires you can fit in your wheel-well will always improve handling and traction. A huge sway bar will always help. When you install a front and a rear sway bar at different times, always put the front sway bar on first. If you put the rear bar on first you will have over-steer. Stiffer springs will also help. However you need to be sure that you don't get too stiff a spring, if you get springs that are too stiff your wheel will come off the ground when you hit a bump. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if the wheel comes off the ground that can't be good. Lowering the car will help handling too. How can lowering my car help handling? By lowering a car you will lower the center of gravity. That's why an f-body can handle better than a SUV, because it has a lower canter of gravity. Here are the steps to improve handling. If you aren't doing this all at the same time you will need to follow these steps, in the order that they are written. If you have plans for lowering your car, do that first (by using the aforementioned method) with lowering springs, and/or spindles. Put on the front sway bar, then the rear sway bar. The tires can come into the formula at any time.

Q: Is my cam too big?
A: This has to be the biggest mistake that people make. They get a 50,000+ mile engine, put a huge cam in it and the biggest carb that they can find. What happens? The engine won't accelerate worth crap, it's a dog throughout the whole operating range and it drinks gas to boot. When you stab in a cam with huge lobes and more duration than 1,000-page book, you need to do one thing, boost compression. More duration means that the valves will stay open longer, when this happens you get overlap. What does this have to do with compression? How can a cam lower my compression ratio? Here's how. When your piston is coming up on the compression stroke (with a low duration cam) both the intake and the exhaust valves will be closed. When you put in a bigger cam (one with more duration) your intake valve will be open a little bit when the piston starts on its way up. This lowers your compression by forcing some of the fuel-air mix back out of the cylinder. Imagine for a moment that you have a toilet plunger (this will represent the piston); now imagine that you have a piece of pipe about as big around as the plunger (this will represent the cylinder). Now take something else that is round, that will fit in the end of the pipe (another plunger, a flowerpot anything that will fit), just make sure that it has an airtight seal with the pipe (this will represent the valve), don't move this object accept to remove and replace it in the pipe. TEST ONE) First: put the stationary object in the end of the pipe (that's the flowerpot or the other plunger). Second: put the plunger in the other end of the pipe and push it in, you will feel resistance. That resistance is compression. TEST TWO) put the plunger (or the makeshift piston) about halfway up in the pipe (the makeshift cylinder) then put the other plunger or flowerpot (the makeshift valve) in the other end of the pipe. Now push plunger one in as far as you can. There wasn't as much resistance this time around was there? That's because there wasn't as much air to compress, the same physics apply to the motor. How can this possibly help power? When a motor is spinning 6000 R.P.M your intake valves will open up 50 times per second, this means that the piston (in just one cylinder) goes up and down 200 times per second… I don't know about you but that's pretty quick! The longer duration helps by filling the cylinder better at higher R.P.Ms.

Q: Is my carb too big?
A: Carburetors are something that few people understand, they always think too big or too small. More often than not, they think too big. I don't know how many people I've heard talking about putting an 800 C.F.M carburetor on a 350, or something like that. If you get too small a carb, you will run too lean. Too big a carb, you'll run too rich. Neither is good. When you select a (new) carb, ask the manufacturer how big you can get. Usually they can tell you, but you will need to tell them some details. You will need to tell them how big a cam you have, what heads you have this is just to name a few of the things that you will need to know.

Q: What is the biggest wheel/ tire combo that will fit my 70-81 Firebird without using wheel tubs?
A: 305/50-15 mounted on 15x10 wheels with 5" of backspacing, can be wedged into the wheel well without any nasty rubbing. Beware of installing a steamroller tire; on a huge by wide rim, if you bolt a huge set of street meats on a stock axle, you might have a problem. Wider tires mean more traction, so if you put a torque monster motor in front of a stock rearend with wide tires, you might end up with a busted axles. The 2nd gen f-bodies (70-81 Camaro/ Firebird) were equipped with an 8.5 inch 10 bolt rearend after the early 70s. This is a tough setup, but it isn't invincible. The 8.5 inch 10 bolt usually will usually have some problems after the 400-450 horsepower mark. If you put a stock 10 bolt behind a 400 horsepower motor, it will survive for a while, but when you put those wide tires on the stock axles they will probably break. Strange engineering (847-869-7010) offers an array of super tough axles for an array of rearends, a set of these axles will bring any rearend up to the task of handling some serious juice. A good high strength ring and pinion will also help to beef things up a bit. Randy's ring and pinion (www.ring-pinion.com) also offers an assortment of differential parts.

Q: Do I need high-octane gas?
A: That depends on compression. If you have reasonably low compression, you might not need high-octane fuel. It's a common mistake that people make, thinking that higher-octane gas will make power. Well it doesn't, if your engine doesn't knock or ping on (lame, sloth urine) 87-octane gas, you don't need the pricey stuff. It's that simple, the only time you need the good stuff is when you raise compression, even then sometimes you can work it out with timing.

Q: What do I need to do in order to swap in an overdrive trans in a car that didn't have one in the first place?
A: There are several things that need to be done in order to perform this swap. Usually the trans mount will need to be modified or replaced, unless you plan on using a 200 r-4, in which case will usually swap in with only minor modifications. Most overdrive transmissions are equipped to run in a computer-controlled vehicle. If you are swapping one of these gems into a car that was made long before the E.C.U. was even a bad idea, the converter will not lock up properly. But don't fret; there is a way to get around this problem. Jegs (www.jegs.com) offers a kit that will make this obstacle a bad memory. In order to obtain this wonderful device you will need to get in contact with Jegs. Here's how. (Website) www.jegs.com, (phone number) 1800-345-4545, the kit is under part number 890-376600, the cost is $72.99. If you are swapping in a 700 r-4 (or a 200 r-4), these guys can help, bowtie overdrives (www.700r4.com) can tell you exactly what will be needed to execute this swap. They can answer pretty much any overdrive related question you can throw at 'em.

Q: What is the easiest or least expensive way to boost compression?
A: There are several ways to boost compression. The easiest and sometimes least expensive way would be to change your present head gasket for a thinner one, unless you already have a thin gasket. You might not think so but changing to a shorter gasket can have a big impact on compression. Another way would be to shave the decks of the cylinder head and the block. This isn't exactly the cheapest way to do the job, but it is very effective. Besides, if your building a motor and not getting to exotic with it, a "shave" of surfaces can help boost the compression. It couldn't hurt to do this if your doing an overhaul, you will probably need to have some machining done to the heads anyway, moreover a shave of the surfaces is good insurance anyway. The most effective but not necessarily cheapest way would be adding higher compression pistons. Note that when a cylinder is bored out, and the head is used "as-is" your compression will be higher. If you are changing from cast iron to aluminum you can boost compression… a lot! It's not uncommon to find streetcars equipped with aluminum heads that have 11:1 compression. Why does this happen? Higher compression means more heat and aluminum heads dissipate more heat. If you have 11:1 compression with iron heads, there wouldn't be a pump gas on the planet that wouldn't cause pinging and knocking. But if you use aluminum heads with say 8.5:1 compression, you will not have any power at all. This happens because the added compression makes more heat; therefore you get a more powerful explosion when the spark happens. So if you are doing a swap from iron to aluminum, higher compression isn't just a luxury, its mandatory. Higher compression makes for better fuel mileage also. Higher compression has few disadvantages. The only reason that most cars and trucks came with low compression, is so they would be compatible with low octane-gas

Q: How do I select a torque converter?
A: The selection of a torque converter depends on the power-band of the motor. If your motor doesn't come to until 2000 R.P.M. then you will need a 2000 R.P.M. stall converter. This is necessary to make the drive train work well with the motor. Imagine running the long jump (you know, where you run down a strip and jump into a sandbox), first run from as far away as practical (50 feet for instance), you will fly pretty far into the sand box when you jump, now try only getting a 10 foot head start, you wont jump as far. The same physics apply to torque converters. In essence you are getting a run at your power-band, just like getting a run at the sandbox. You should note that a bigger motor that makes more torque would make the converter stall at a higher R.P.Ms (hence the word TORQUE converter). The higher in the R.P.M. range the torque curve is, the higher you need the stall speed to be. So if you have a motor with immense low-end torque, you probably wont need anything more than a stock converter. The looser (higher stall speed) the converter, the more it will slip (duh), and the more a converter slips, the more your gas mileage goes down the tubes. So think about it before you plunk down your hard earned dollars for a high stall converter.

Q: How does a longer connecting rod affect power?
A: a longer rod will affect power in many ways. We'll start with what is called stroke to rod ratio, or rod ratio for short. A longer rod will have an affect on the pistons relative position with the crank. When the crank is halfway around the piston will be farther up in the bore with a longer rod. Or to look at it another way, when the piston is halfway down in the cylinder, the crank will be farther around. Don't worry though, it will not affect the amount of stroke the crank has, like getting more bang for the buck. Figuring out the rod ratio is simply a matter of dividing the rod length by the stroke of the crankshaft it will be connected to. So if you have a stroke of 3.75 inches and a 6-inch rod will result in a 1.6 ratio. The ideal ratio would be about 1.65 to 1.75 ratio for street duty. The shorter the rod the more tendencies it will have to cock on the bore, resulting in both more load on the piston skirt and increases the amount of piston drag. A longer rod will have a big impact on compression. How? When your piston is at the top of its stroke, it will be farther up in the cylinder. So if you get a rod that is .03 inches taller, your piston will be .03 inches further up in the combustion chamber. A longer connecting rod has nothing but advantages, just make sure not to go overboard.

Q: Where can I get parts for the "B-O-P" 10 bolt in my 67-69 firebird?
A: For starters the rearend in the 67-69 firebird is the B O P (Buick Oldsmobile Pontiac). The b o p rearend is very rare (in comparison to other axles), and coincidentally very difficult and expensive to find performance parts for. Jegs (www.Jegs.com) offers Richmond ring and pinion gear sets for this particular rearend. The b o p rearend is a fair unit; it can handle about 300 horsepower, but nothing too brutish. A better alternative would be to install the rearend from a 70s nova. What? A nova? Yes any nova from 68-74 will bolt in with no modifications, just bolt it in. The nova was equipped with an 8.2 inch 10 bolt from 68-72; from then on it was equipped with the 8.5 inch 10 bolt. The 8.2 isn't as stout as the 8.5 inch unit, but it can handle some mild performance. Even if it isn't the strongest axle of the bunch, the 8.2 inch unit is pretty easy to find parts for, and the prices of performance parts for this unit are very reasonable. Unless you really need one for a 100-point restoration, it would be best (for simplicities sake, and monetary purposes) to swap out the b o p unit in favor of a more plentiful and affordable nova unit. You should also note that any rearend from any 67-69 Camaro would also fit, Camaros, Novas and firebirds all share the same basic frame design.

Q: How can overdrive help my performance?
A: Overdrive can help performance and fuel mileage in quite a few ways. Usually an overdrive transmission will have a pretty low first gear. Take the 700-r4 for instance; it has a 3.06:1 first gear ratio, while the venerable th-400 has a 2.48:1 first gear ratio. So the 700-r4 can help acceleration in two ways 1) lets say you have a 3.08:1 gear ratio in the differential and a th-400 (with 2.48:1 first gear ratio) tranny, then you swap the th-400 for a 700-r4 (with a 3.06:1 first gear ratio) the gears in the diff will seem like they are a set of 3.73s (approximately, I don't know the exact formula for the gear change) with the old 400. Why? The 700-r4 has a lower first gear, lower gears help make what is called torque multiplication. What is torque multiplication? When you have a 4.10:1 gear ratio in the diff that means that the driveshaft will make 4.10 revolutions before the axles make one revolution. It's like using a bigger lever to pry with. Now lets say you have a 2.42:1 ratio; that means that the driveshaft will make 2.42 revolutions before the axle makes 1 revolution, that will be like using a shorter lever to pry with. 2) You can use a lower differential gear, and still cruise at low R.P.Ms. Why? Because of the overdrive, overdrive means that the driveshaft is spinning fewer revolutions than the axles. If you have a .70 final gear, your driveshaft will spin .70 (about ¾ of a turn) times, while the axle will spin 1 revolution. So if you can go 60 mph and be spinning 2300 R.P.M, and you swap in a tranny with a 70 percent overdrive, you can get a 30 percent lower gear, and still spin 2300 R.P.M. Plus you will have a lower 1st gear which will make you seem like you have even lower gears yet. Overdrive transmissions are becoming more and more desired to hot rodders.

Q: What intake manifold should I use?
A: Intake manifolds are a crucial part of the power band, and overall power. Single plane intake manifolds are used for racing applications more than anything else. If you like to run at the track or the silver state challenge or something of that level, a single plane would work fine. There are some people using a single plane on the street, but they are usually a big engine (455+ cubic inches), with high stall converters (2500 R.P.M.+) and low gears (3.90:1 - 4.11:1). The mid-rise intake is used more for mid R.P.M range applications. If your power plant makes it's most power between the ranges of 1500-6000 R.P.M, then a mid-rise will work fine for that application. Mid-rise manifolds are very common on street machines and even daily drivers. Summit racing equipment (www.summitracing.com) can hook you up with an intake and cam combo that is meant to work together. For Pontiacs there are 2 basic choices. 1) The 1500-6500-range combo, which consists of an Edelbrock performer R.P.M manifold and a .470/. 470 lift, 231/240 duration (@. 050 lift) cam. Like I said this cam and intake combo has been engineered to work well with one another. 2) The off-idle 5500 R.P.M range combo which consists of an Edelbrock performer intake manifold and a 420/442 lift 204/214 duration (@. 050 lift) cam. This is just a small example of the many cam and intake combos. To see how both of these cam and intake manifold combinations worked out on a dyno simulator, check out this site www.pontiacwarriors.com. These combos (among many, many others) are available for anyone with Internet access to take a peek at. If you are a novice engine builder and you are stumped by all the go-fast goodies there are today, go to this site, it will be a tremendous aid.