The Elephant In The Room: unloading the load from a B-body.

[fullmetaljacket]

Off topic for a second, but below is the idea that I based my own idea for a block freeze out plug harnessing system.

Instead of individual braces that require drilling and taping the block, it would be one brace stretching across the block surface and blockading all the plugs at once. It's what I would call a Naval Blockade to keep water and engine coolants in the block in case of a plug failure. It would be fastened in some way on both sides of the block.
Anyways, back to weight loss.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

The KEY to success in anything is looking into the details, no matter how minute they may seem and where the Devil has had a residency for a long time.
This is an example of differences and sometimes not necessarily by a lot. The silver KEY is a common chrome plated brass type while the green one below it is an anodized aluminum type usually handed out by dealers back in the day. It shook me enough that it wouldn't even register on the Richter scale.
The KEY issue here is to shave the tonnage, pounds, ounces and grams which play a KEY role in helping a car accelerate all while keeping things low KEY.
LOL.
Credits: Aluminum KEY supplied by "Special K", a KEY figure in all of this madness.

 

[Badvert65]

You seem to have UNLOCKED some of the mysteries of reducing weight....

 

[fullmetaljacket]

You seem to have UNLOCKED some of the mysteries of reducing weight....

Yes, Lock and UN-loaded. LOL.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

As most of you know, most if not all of the tricks on here have already been applied to the car, but little subtractions have yet to be done. Here's something that even though I have been wanting to replace it for years with a lighter unit, somehow was forgotten. Yes, it would seem that an aluminum bolt would be the best way, but not when your distributor depends on air tight clamping to keep time, so a 6AL4V titanium bolt got the nod. Here's the steel stocker at .075

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Here's the new Ti bolt coming in at .040

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Who dares to lose 3/4 of a pound up front and low and a part of their sanity all at once?
Then again, this is all insanity to begin with.
I can't begin to tell you how much of a PITA it has been to switch from a steel 971 deep sump 7 qt pan to an aluminum deep sump 7 qt pan from Stefs.

Now mind you, the Stefs pan is a work of art and the fitment, the looks and function are dead on the money, but the problem starts with a totally unrelated foreign part that until I figure it out and rectify it, I can't throw beef across the room. Meanwhile, 3/4 of a pound is slated to get the boot. Stay tuned.

 

[dvw]

Looks like a cut line mark. If you turn the drag link around. Will it fit? Or are the bends facing rearward already?
Doug

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Looks like a cut line mark. If you turn the drag link around. Will it fit? Or are the bends facing rearward already?
Doug

Yes, that's a cut line, but I decided to leave the pan alone as it is.
It's not the pan's fault nor the drop link, though the drop link does look faulty because it is a clear 3/4 of an inch too long.

All of this is only because the engine was set back 4 inches years ago, so though I have gained a lot of clearance with ANY oil pan from the K-member, all things got closer to the drag link parts on the back end. Yes I tried flipping the link rearward and it made more clearance, but not enough since it then started to hit the headers. The downturn is in the wrong orientation.
I wish someone made custom drag links based on a mock up factory model. I will figure it out.

 

[dvw]

I've seen the stock piece cut. Using the factory ends the center was repaced with reshaped chrome moly tubing.
Doug

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I've seen the stock piece cut. Using the factory ends the center was repaced with reshaped chrome moly tubing.
Doug

Yes, I did that very same thing with my original link and only used the ends. I would have to do the same with the dropped link because it has slightly deeper downturn ends, but not enough, so I will have to make a curved chromoly piece in order to clear everything. It will be lighter as the previous one was.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I'm breaking this news here for DVW even though it is breaking my own heart with jealousy that he beat me to the hunch that a wheel could either be real or not.
It pays to be in industrial states or counties where almost anything can be built. forged, carved or molded. In this case, a molded fiberglass center cap section that gets installed onto a lightweight aluminum aftermarket wheel enabling it to masquerade as real steel wheel. Super filthy stealthy.

My aluminum spun center cap trick looks good enough in the dark to mimic a steel wheel, but this one takes the cake in broad daylight.

Man, wait till the F.A.S.T guys get a hold of this trick.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Looks like the R&D has been completed!

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Looks like the R&D has been completed!

That Savoy should be scooting like hell when it comes out this Spring.