Last time I had a growl in the bell housing was because I use the starter for the automatic transmission flex plate rather than the shorter starter for the manual transmission flywheel.

 

The snout on my starter does seem long for a manual. Although the part number on the box shows this to be for a manual, with Autozone that means little to nothing. Today I am going to have them show me both types side by side so I can determine which style I have.

I wanted to mention a couple of things: One, is it possible that by using a 3" single exhaust it has amplified the noise? It is much louder than my previous exhaust that was a hedman with two 2.25" pipes. In the cab this is loud with this flowmaster 50, and the exhaust exit is at the far passenger corner at the rear bumper!

Two: I used Indian Head gasket shellac on the thermostat housing gasket and the water pump gasket and could not stop either from leaking. I had to replace them with gaskets smeared with permatex.

Three: I had to set the timing with a vacuum gauge. My induction light bounces around so badly with the msd ignition that it makes getting a reading impossible.

Four: I have a mystery leak of coolant right at the starter corner of the block. I have searched and searched with a flashlight. I can't find any sign of a drip nor leak from the temp fitting, the head gasket, or the casting/freeze plugs. Yet there is a small puddle that returns there at that corner. Without a doubt it is coolant, but I can't find the source!

 

With mine, my sound was exponentially louder when I went from an auto to a manual, because I didn't properly insulate the shift cover boot hole. I only had the rubber boot, but had forgotten then insulator that goes down first.
The sound went from feeling like I was sitting on the engine, to a nice quiet cab. A lot of sound comes out of the shifter hole.

Do you have this rubber insulator in place?




For the coolant leak, did you check the little plug that sits between the rear two freeze plugs? You can see it in this picture a few inches below the freeze plugs to the rear. I had a leak at that one, and had to remove it, clean it up, wrap it in teflon tape, and reinstall it. It's a little hex/allen head set screw.

 

That hole on mine was plugged with a fitting that someone rounded. I tried to no avail to remove it. But I have held a flashlight on it while running and have dabbed all around it with a paper towel, and found no leakage. I have also checked many times the temp fitting I have installed at the hole above that one to the left, at the rear of the block, just below the head. I came up dry there too.

 

Does your timing light have a roll back dial or is it a simple no adjustment type.

 

I have a no frills light. I can now read the timing. The engine wants a lot of advance. If I advance it to where the idle speeds up and the vacuum is best, the advance is like 18-20*, and well off the edge of the indicator. I now have it set at 16* advanced. The dist. has 16* as well. Due to transmission issues, I have not been able to drive it more than 5 minutes. But each gear is a smooth flow of strong, smooth acceleration. I'm also surprised to hear a nice lope at idle, even with the 112* LSA. I did advance the cam during the build.

 

Because of transmission problems I am unable to drive with the new engine. I did the cam break in, but since the new engine is going to have to sit for another week or so, is there something I need to do in the meantime, or just leave it be?

 

Now that the cam is broken in, it should be fine, and should be like any other time you let it sit for a week or two before driving it.
You just don't want to idle it for long lengths of time without getting the rings seated, but that won't matter if it's just sitting.

 

My initial feeling for the cam is that I seem to have lost some bottom end. I imagine that part of the feeling of having lost some bottom end pep is due to my learning how to use the clutch and new (to me) manual transmission from a stop.

What I have gained is power. It also has a nice lope at idle which I really love. And in each gear I have what seems to be unlimited power. I am happy with this cam, and extremely happy with the way the engine turned out, and I thank all of those forum members who were so willing to help me along the way by offering great advice and know-how and parts numbers. I relied on them heavily, and they always came through. Thank you very much. KRH

 

I had that initial feeling with my cam, too (which seems quite similar to yours). Didn't have quite the low end "snap".
However, whenever I tested it out, wondering where the low end power was, I'd look down and I was going 10 - 15 over the speed limit.
I think it's still there, it is just smoother, and larger, and transitions into top end power as the RPMs increase, instead of a small, well defined kick that makes you think "torque".

Secondly, you haven't fully broken the engine in yet / seated the rings, so give it a little bit of time.

Glad to hear it's all going well! Have fun with it!

 

Both of you have more low end torque than when the engine was stock.
The difference now is that torque continues to increase a lot after 1800 rpm where as the stock engine just flattened out.
The heavy midrange torque makes it seem like there is low end torque missing because of the relative difference.

That is why I have been preaching about using the larger cams for street use no matter what the vehicle is used for.
If a person has an auto trans with a torque converter then there is definitely no reason for using the smaller street cams.

Now you too can preach a similar sermon and help spread the good message.
Thanks for the hard work you guys did.

 

I was not speaking about a stock engine. I've never driven one. I was speaking about my former engine with large valves, bowl work, headers, msd, and a small Isky cam. I can say with confidence that that engine had much more pep from a stop. Starting in 2nd (with 2.94:1 ratio since granny 1st is 5.72:1) with the zf s542 I have to slip the clutch to prevent it from lugging. The c6 I had in it had a 2.46:1 first gear, and with that engine it was very peppy.

 

If I'm reading you correctly the old engine with the small Isky cam always had the C6 behind it.
If that is the case then yes the torque converter stalls near 1800 rpm (Under a heavy foot) and there is much more torque at that point than engaging a clutch just above idle making the Isky cam seem to have more pep.
If you were to put the same C6 behind this engine and the results would be very interesting.

 

I realize that I can't make an assessment until I have dialed in the carburetor. So judgment, I say jokingly, is withdrawn until that day.

 

I finally got my collector-to-exhaust-pipe connection to seal.



I used something like this, after trying copper, Remflex, aluminum, and standard gaskets, and combos of the latter, some with high-temp permatex. Now I can hear how the exhaust system sounds, and not the thump thump of the leaks.