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Looks like the "FREE-96" is KAPUT!

51K views 494 replies 41 participants last post by  Big Kahuna 
#1 ·
I'm sure you guys all know I had a little problem with the Flambe at the end of the race season...did a big burnout for a time trial after winning the 1st event and as I rolled to the line she was breaking up and ticking like a bad exhaust leak. What a shame, Flambe was on fire (literally not figuratively) and had won 4 of the previous 6 ECIRS races. Bummed. Had to borrow a car to race in the finals.

Also, at Nats in August on the road course coming out of some turns hard there was some smoke from the passenger tailpipe as well. I guess letting Mike and Gary make fun run after fun run in the Flambe around the road course wasn't the best idea. We figured some oil got up in the top around the turns and was getting blown out. Oil still looked great, oil pressure good, etc. But hey, that's what the Flambe was designed for, to take a good beating, provide entertainment to both passengers and onlookers, and keep going like the Energizer Bunny.

So you know...maybe it was time. That 396, err FREE-96 was built back in 2000-2001 and has about 40,000 miles and road course runs and autocrossing and about 500 drag strip passes. Not a bad run, so if it was time...it was time...

Congrats to Bill DeBlasio for winning the 1st race and Keef Burns for winning the 2nd race!
Bill was running 13.0s with a spun rod bearing and Keef was running 12.0s with a blown trans. Way to hold on to make the final rounds dramatic!

Thanks to the sponsors Big Kahuna Racing and Butler Family Racing!
Thanks to Patsy for cooking and watching the little guys!

SS
Thanks Nabby. Congrats Keefer!

Flambe has been slowing down (off by about .4-.5 all summer) so I knew something was up. I really hope it's not spun but we all know better...

Going to be interesting next week...do I borrow a B-Body? Get the 502 out there? Pray for a month of rain?
Well, there were many who wanted to rule the FREE-96 out. Spun bearings, broken pistons skirts, broken wrist pins, and many other things were mentioned as what that tick tick ticking was. It sounded almost like a bad header leak but with the car running rough (still ran 13.6 at 100). But the odd thing was that it stopped making the noise after it sat so Paul and I concurred (lol) that it hopefully wasn't major damage in the bottom end. Which would be nice, since the bottom end is all real nice Callies rotating swag.

Anyway, the prognosis from Dr. Paul at Area 51 has been done and it looks like I may have dodged a bullet.

I got this long and emotional email a few hours ago from PBP:

Ok hot rod.

Order up the following and have shipped to my house.
(2) FEL/1284 Intake set, want spare.
(1) FEL/VS50443R Valve Cover Gasket set
(1) CCA/875-16 Lifter Set
(1) CCA/1605-16 Pro Mag. 1.6 Ratio &/16 stud rocker arm set.

Me


LOL. I thought it was very touching. He called me Hot Rod. cwm5

So basically he pulled off the valve covers, said the cam looks ok, he found a real bad trashed rocker and some worn smashed down lifters from what he could see. No need to pull the heads. PBP: "Bad news for Bill, no heads and cam package" so I guess my mini-dream of 'having' to do heads/cam ain't happening. At least not yet.

Hopefully this explains why I was running slower this year. I had those old old Type R lifters that everyone bitched about and had problems with, yet we got 12 years out of them, not too bad. I also had the old style 'race' pro mag rockers and this 'new' style should be so much better. So I guess we'll see...hoping nothing else is fooked, Paul doesn't think so and that's good enough for me!

BTW I'm sure I said it all wrong and I'm gonna get called a pop tart but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 
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#2 ·
Nice! Good to hear the Flambe will love on with the Free 96 :)
 
#5 ·
PPFFFFTTTTT....I wipe my @ss with rockers and lifters. Heads and cam man....
 
#7 ·
Any time you want to line them up...just say the word, Princess! As far as heads/cam...Uncle Pauly won't let me! lol

Here is the actual quote: "Rob, Bill is just itching to do heads/cam package but I'm keeping him in check. Why mess with a combo you can drive anywhere, run a 12 on motor, and cruise home with the a/c on and get 20 mpg?"

Safe to say your bottom end can take a beating cwm6 :D
Oh yeah, it's one tough bottom! Wait...wut?
 
#11 ·
Hey I'd say that's good news!
I'd be happy to keep that one around just as it is too. The ease with which it drags around that PHAT car ain't shabby at all ;)
I know I mentioned it to you a while back.....weak valvesprings are the prime culprit when you see beat up lifters and rockers. It may have survived all these years starting with a fresh set of springs, but I wouldn't bet on duplicating that feat starting out with weak ones. I don't think it's a coincidence at all that you saw this happen after the extended high rpm thrashing at Waterford.
I'm betting Pauly thought of that too and checked a few of them.
 
#12 ·
Hey I'd say that's good news!
I'd be happy to keep that one around just as it is too. The ease with which it drags around that PHAT car ain't shabby at all ;)
I know I mentioned it to you a while back.....weak valvesprings are the prime culprit when you see beat up lifters and rockers. It may have survived all these years starting with a fresh set of springs, but I wouldn't bet on duplicating that feat starting out with weak ones. I don't think it's a coincidence at all that you saw this happen after the extended high rpm thrashing at Waterford.
I'm betting Pauly thought of that too and checked a few of them.
My thoughts exactly after reading........I would def change the valve springs right now while it is appart
 
#13 ·
I'm gonna send Paul a box that says "SURPRISE" and inside will be a new H/C package!
Or at least new springs...
 
#15 ·
Yeah,good luck with that.
 
#16 ·
SUH-PLIES!
 
#18 ·
Oh yeah and some cool new dual CCA Springs for the hell of it!

Part number CCA-26925-16 to be exact!

Thanks U.P.!

 
#20 ·
The wolf is on it.
 
#28 ·
Send Dad an envelope of 5 bills and I guarantee he'll do it!
That cam is weak, a lot of power left on the table...
 
#29 · (Edited)
Here's a REAL cam:

Part Number: 109651 Grind Number: HR-302-2S-10.04 IG
Engine Identification:
Start Yr. End Yr. Make Cyl Description
1988 Up CHEVROLET 8 Rough idle, performance usage, good upper RPM torque and HP, bracket racing, auto trans w/3500+ converter, 4200- 5000 cruise RPM, 10.5 to 12.0 compression ratio advised, 370+ cu.in. supercharged and/or nitrous, 1.040? base circle for long stroke clear
Engine Size Configuration
305-350 C.I. V

Valve Setting: Intake - .000 Exhaust - .000 Hot/Cold - HOT

Lift: Intake @Cam 372 @Valve 558 All Lifts are based
on zero lash and theoretical rocker arm ratios.
Exhaust @ Cam 372 @Valve 558
Rocker Arm Ratio 1.50

Cam Timing: TAPPET @ .004
Lift: Opens Closes ADV Duration
Intake 42.0 BTDC 80.0 ABDC 302 °
Exhaust 84.0 BBDC 42.0 ATDC 306 °

Spring Requirements:
Part Number 99846
Loads Closed 125 LBS @ 1.800 or 1 13/16
Open 321 LBS @ 1.350
Recommended RPM range with matching components
Minimum RPM 3200
Maximum RPM 7200
Valve Float 7200

Cam Timing: TAPPET @.050
Lift: Opens Closes Max Lift Duration
Intake 15.0 BTDC 45.0 ABDC 105 240
Exhaust 57.0 BBDC 7.0 ATDC 115 244

Remarks: 50 more horse than NuTek cam!!!
 
#34 ·
Here's a REAL cam:

Part Number: 109651 ...... Rough idle, performance usage, good upper RPM torque and HP, bracket racing, auto trans w/3500+ converter, 4200- 5000 cruise RPM, 10.5 to 12.0 compression ratio advised, 370+ cu.in. supercharged and/or nitrous, ...
OR

Part Number: 109661........ fair idle, performance usage, 3600- 4400 cruise RPM, good with manifold nitrous system, 10.0 to 11.5 compression ratio advised. Good w/Roots supercharger, 15 lbs. maximum boost w/8.0 maximum compression ratio advised...
Haha........for Flambe? I think not!
50 hp at an rpm that car rarely sees won't do much for it. and bye bye to the idle and mpg's. Unless he changes converter, 60' will suffer and ET gain/loss will be a wash.
 
#30 · (Edited)
OR

Part Number: 109661 Grind Number: HR-230/359-2S-12.90 IG
Engine Identification:
Start Yr. End Yr. Make Cyl Description
- - - - - - - - Good mid range torque and HP, fair idle, performance usage, 3600- 4400 cruise RPM, good with manifold nitrous system, 10.0 to 11.5 compression ratio advised. Good w/Roots supercharger, 15 lbs. maximum boost w/8.0 maximum compression ratio advised, .90
Engine Size Configuration
- - - -

Valve Setting: Intake - .000 Exhaust - .000 Hot/Cold - HOT

Lift: Intake @Cam 359 @Valve 539 All Lifts are based
on zero lash and theoretical rocker arm ratios.
Exhaust @ Cam 372 @Valve 558
Rocker Arm Ratio 1.50

Cam Timing: TAPPET @ .004
Lift: Opens Closes ADV Duration
Intake 35.0 BTDC 77.0 ABDC 292.0 °
Exhaust 83.0 BBDC 37.0 ATDC 300.0 °

Spring Requirements:
Part Number 99846
Loads Closed 125 LBS @ 1.800 or 1 13/16
Open 321 LBS @ 1.350
Recommended RPM range with matching components
Minimum RPM 2600
Maximum RPM 6600
Valve Float 7200

Cam Timing: TAPPET @.050
Lift: Opens Closes Max Lift Duration
Intake 8.0 BTDC 42.0 ABDC 107 230.0
Exhaust 56.0 BBDC 2.0 ATDC 117 238.0

Remarks: Almost as cool as the 109651!!
 
#31 ·
Will I have that silky smooth idle and get 19mpg on the highway?
Can I road race and autocross with it?
 
#38 ·
You have a point with that..

IMHO you are torn down.
Just an opportunity to install a much better LE or AI Cam.
Something you were considering a while back but did not make sense.
Because it was Not Broken there was no reason to Fix it!

Since you did break something, there was a justifiable good opportunity to change it.

But you are not Class Racing..and current one still works well.!

Then there is your DAD !! cwm6


D
 
#33 ·
Comin from a guy whose car has only three functioning brakes.
 
#44 ·
Don't worry Dan, I already crashed the car with the 3 wheel braking system- that was the Black Bat.
All my cars now have 4 wheel brakes and a pvc roll bar!

Rozwell, its way too much work for you to unscrew the timing cover and oil pan? It's not worth a bag of bills.
 
#45 ·
Don't worry Dan, I already crashed the car with the 3 wheel braking system- that was the Black Bat.
All my cars now have 4 wheel brakes and a pvc roll bar!

Rozwell, its way too much work for you to unscrew the timing cover and oil pan? It's not worth a bag of bills.

LOL.....do you have a Leather CRASH HELMET.... Red Baron !!


Leave DAD alone...Bill will get put in TIME OUT !!

err in a RED LIGHT DISTRICTcwm7
 
#46 ·
Nab and Dan, don't you know...?

 
#50 ·
Well, Looks like BK is gonna get his Head/Cam package after all.
 
#54 ·
Uh oh... Something must be amiss in the Free-96.
 
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