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#61
General Q&A / Re: Taillight Clean-Up:
Last post by timmycharger - February 18, 2026, 07:02:44 AMQuote from: Nacho-RT74 on February 17, 2026, 11:16:22 AMI can't believe nobody here have tried a simple, cheap, non risky and home solution like the toothpaste LOL.
Sure needs a bit more of effort if you want a stunning result, but, better that than a more abrasive wax what can damage the lense
On my parents' Mercedes W116, cluster lenses came out polished like new!
Because it doesn't work? I tried the toothpaste trick several times, did basically nothing. Used some Mother's plastic polish with a slow small buffing wheel on a drill and it worked great.
#63
General Q&A / Re: Taillight Clean-Up:
Last post by Bob - February 18, 2026, 04:52:25 AMI tried many different brands of toothpaste over the years. My results where, it made my lens smell minty and fresh. Not much of a difference.
#64
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Who has had success with a...
Last post by Kern Dog - February 17, 2026, 06:04:47 PMI'll bet that most people, myself included, have assembled parts and accepted what results that they get.
Converting a classic engine to a roller camshaft carries with it several changes to make it work. Measuring and establishing the Installed spring height is on par with measuring bearing clearances, degreeing a camshaft, tailoring your timing curve, rejetting the carburetor, adjusting the pressure in your tires, etc.
It is a matter of aiming for a more precise level of fitment that will allow the engine to make the most power and work as efficiently as possible.
Converting a classic engine to a roller camshaft carries with it several changes to make it work. Measuring and establishing the Installed spring height is on par with measuring bearing clearances, degreeing a camshaft, tailoring your timing curve, rejetting the carburetor, adjusting the pressure in your tires, etc.
It is a matter of aiming for a more precise level of fitment that will allow the engine to make the most power and work as efficiently as possible.
#65
Aero Cars / Radiator source
Last post by taxspeaker - February 17, 2026, 04:46:07 PM2998956 radiator 26inch. Who rebuilds these now? Our local radiator guy repairs like he had three fingers blown off by firecrackers.
Glennray was sold, unable to order any longer from their website and the phone call to the new owners they act like they don't know what to do.
Glennray was sold, unable to order any longer from their website and the phone call to the new owners they act like they don't know what to do.
#66
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Who has had success with a...
Last post by Charger-Bodie - February 17, 2026, 03:43:51 PMQuote from: 70 sublime on February 17, 2026, 07:54:54 AMI do not get it
Why ?
Why does it need them all the exact same ?
Why are they not the same to start with ?
Did you measure all the valves to see if they are the same length to start with ?
What real difference does this make all this fooling around in the end ?
Are the valves not all the way shut when at rest ?
Is valve #4 going to wear a tiny bit more than valve #2 if you do not do this ?
Are you going to notice in 10 000 miles from now cylinder #7 has 10 pounds less compression than cylinder #5 ??
Yes some people like to tinker and I get it
I like to tinker too
I just do not know what the upside of all this is from the original factory slap it together set up is ?
This is actually good info. if youve ever heard of and engine thats balanced and blue printed ? This is a partial look into that. It is a lot of work but on some engines this will make a huge difference in performance and long life.
#67
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Who has had success with a...
Last post by 70 sublime - February 17, 2026, 03:28:41 PMOK so all this is to help all the valves to shut more consistently at higher RPM s
Well you did drive this engine before the swap so you will be able to report back if you can tell it makes a difference
Well you did drive this engine before the swap so you will be able to report back if you can tell it makes a difference
#68
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Who has had success with a...
Last post by Kern Dog - February 17, 2026, 03:03:27 PMA few weeks back, I swapped engines in my 67 Dart. 1976 360 OUT, 1990 roller 360 IN.
The old engine ran fine but the oil pressure was not great. It didn't smoke or use oil but in late 2023 I bought another 360 from a friend that just wanted to get rid of it.
The '76 360 made great power but felt like it hit a wall around 4000 rpms. It just flattened out and didn't want to rev any higher. It had a bigger cam than stock, good heads and dual exhaust so it should have run well up to 6000 rpms.
The 1990 360 had blown head gaskets so I went through it, replaced the pistons and rebuilt it all. It has a roller cam with less duration than the '76 360 but more lift. The valve springs in the 1990 engine were also replaced with springs matched for the operating range of the cam.
This new 360 flat out RIPS at all engine speeds. It does not flatten out at high rpms, it just keeps pulling. BOTH engines have the exact same #308 heads. I credit the valve springs for part of the difference in higher rpm performance.
The old engine ran fine but the oil pressure was not great. It didn't smoke or use oil but in late 2023 I bought another 360 from a friend that just wanted to get rid of it.
The '76 360 made great power but felt like it hit a wall around 4000 rpms. It just flattened out and didn't want to rev any higher. It had a bigger cam than stock, good heads and dual exhaust so it should have run well up to 6000 rpms.
The 1990 360 had blown head gaskets so I went through it, replaced the pistons and rebuilt it all. It has a roller cam with less duration than the '76 360 but more lift. The valve springs in the 1990 engine were also replaced with springs matched for the operating range of the cam.
This new 360 flat out RIPS at all engine speeds. It does not flatten out at high rpms, it just keeps pulling. BOTH engines have the exact same #308 heads. I credit the valve springs for part of the difference in higher rpm performance.
#69
Car Guys Discussion / Re: Well....I finally caved-in...
Last post by Kern Dog - February 17, 2026, 02:55:39 PMIf you're happy, that is great.
I just find the freeways and parking lots looking so mundane with a sea of white, silver and black cars. The reds, blues and greens really stand out nowadays. 20 years, maybe 30 years ago it was not like this.
I just find the freeways and parking lots looking so mundane with a sea of white, silver and black cars. The reds, blues and greens really stand out nowadays. 20 years, maybe 30 years ago it was not like this.
#70
Engine, Transmission, Rearend, & Exhaust / Re: Who has had success with a...
Last post by Kern Dog - February 17, 2026, 02:21:16 PMI sure don't know everything but here are a few things...
Installed height affects the spring rate of the valve springs. If the camshaft is designed to work with a certain spring rate and you use the wrong one, the valves may not close as fast as they are supposed to and the pistons may hit the valves.
For someone that never exceeds 3000 rpms or never accelerates rapidly, you will not notice the springs are not right.
Having the heights all set to a specific range means that the engine can safely operate within the range that the camshaft is designed to operate.
In simpler terms, if I had lower rate springs with this setup, by 3000 rpms or more, the heavy roller lifters would cause the valves to never fully close, costing power and eventually causing major damage.
Have you ever heard a man use the term "float the valves" ?
That is the condition where as the rpms increase, they hit a point where the engine starts to misfire and will not go any faster. Setting the installed height assures you that the valves will close at the range of operation that the camshaft is designed to run in.
The reason that each valve reads different can be for any number of reasons.
Each seat where the valves rest could vary by a slight amount.
The length of the valves could vary some.
The pocket where the springs sit could be a few thousands higher or lower than the one next to it.
With a mild hydraulic cam, you can have all the installed heights a bit different and you'd never know it because the hydraulic lifters take up the slack. If an engine runs out of breath by 5000 rpms, you'd never run it to the point where the inconsistent spring rates really matter.
The old cam I had was a Lunati solid lifter unit that made power well past 6000 rpms. The engine flat out R I P P E D... If I still had an automatic, I may have lived with it. I have a Tremec 5 speed manual though and it does not like to shift at engine speeds over 6000 rpms. If I ran it to 6400, I'd have to wait a moment to upshift because it just would not go into gear. This cam is designed to make power at lower rpms so it will be a better fit.
Installed height affects the spring rate of the valve springs. If the camshaft is designed to work with a certain spring rate and you use the wrong one, the valves may not close as fast as they are supposed to and the pistons may hit the valves.
For someone that never exceeds 3000 rpms or never accelerates rapidly, you will not notice the springs are not right.
Having the heights all set to a specific range means that the engine can safely operate within the range that the camshaft is designed to operate.
In simpler terms, if I had lower rate springs with this setup, by 3000 rpms or more, the heavy roller lifters would cause the valves to never fully close, costing power and eventually causing major damage.
Have you ever heard a man use the term "float the valves" ?
That is the condition where as the rpms increase, they hit a point where the engine starts to misfire and will not go any faster. Setting the installed height assures you that the valves will close at the range of operation that the camshaft is designed to run in.
The reason that each valve reads different can be for any number of reasons.
Each seat where the valves rest could vary by a slight amount.
The length of the valves could vary some.
The pocket where the springs sit could be a few thousands higher or lower than the one next to it.
With a mild hydraulic cam, you can have all the installed heights a bit different and you'd never know it because the hydraulic lifters take up the slack. If an engine runs out of breath by 5000 rpms, you'd never run it to the point where the inconsistent spring rates really matter.
The old cam I had was a Lunati solid lifter unit that made power well past 6000 rpms. The engine flat out R I P P E D... If I still had an automatic, I may have lived with it. I have a Tremec 5 speed manual though and it does not like to shift at engine speeds over 6000 rpms. If I ran it to 6400, I'd have to wait a moment to upshift because it just would not go into gear. This cam is designed to make power at lower rpms so it will be a better fit.