Recent content by JohnShead

Are the dimples in the pistons enough to get to 18:1 compression? I thought much more materiel would have needed to be removed??

Paint is ordered, from the looks of it you'll be ready for it before it gets there.

Looking great Chris, it's finally coming together. I guess I need to raise the priority level of my transmission rebuild, it's still completely disassembled on a table in my garage, lots of work to do on the truck to get it ready too, my wife is going to love it:chicken:.

Partially due to your suggestions @Will L. that's where I am now with a completely torn down brand new Optimizer. It's @Twisted Steel Performance shop now for lots of fun ($$$) stuff. I'm 70 now and the truck is 30, with these improvements it should outlive me and still be going strong for my...

I haven't posted for a while but I spent a few weeks getting things ready to take to @Twisted Steel Performance which I did Tuesday. I put my new water pump on the new backing plate from Quadstar. I cleaned up all the gasket surfaces to get all the RTV off of them. I chased the threads of all...

I plan on doing a battery relocation so I can get the air from behind the headlight. I do also need a better air filter box, mine just has a partition between the filter and the hot turbo and is open at the top, it sort of seals with the hood blanket but not all the way around.

Hey @bowtiebutler956 if you're still around, does the pipe kit I have pictured above look like the one you used? It seems like there should be enough in there to make it work. What do you think from your experience with this?

I'm still working on getting this project done: https://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/threads/new-optimizer-long-block.52433/ Chris said it would be a while and this old thing is more of a hobby for me now than something I need. So while I wait I've been researching some of the other mods I want to...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2FMPLB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title I thought an extension would make it way too out of balance to control. These were a little out of balance but they didn't bend themselves in half like the smaller ones and once they were working they stabilized.

I finally got around to the deflashing this week, the actual work didn't take all that long it was the waiting on tools. I had a nice set of carbide burrs from Northern Tool but they were real difficult to get down into the block drain holes whilst also getting both hands on the die grinder and...

The rod bearings have no painted marks on them: I just think this is so pretty: I'll be taking it all to Chris for balancing and a whole mess of other stuff.

I found a lot more flashing in the heads: The orange color on the edge of the bearings is a paint marking from the factory, they all have it. The trust bearing definitely has exposed copper: Here's the journal it rides in: The bearing surfaces have no exposed copper.

I finally got around to tearing down the bottom end yesterday, I was delayed by good weather allowing me to work on my highest priority project, a retaining wall. Well it got rainy and cold again yesterday so with replenished propane I got to work in the garage. I looked over this whole block...

Thanks, I'll do that.

I'll be getting a new turbo, I haven't put plans in signature just the stuff I have now. How about the exhaust? Mine is 3.5" from way back when, should I go to a 4". I already had my Phazer gears on the new motor when I decided to disassemble it, so back to the parts store to borrow a harmonic...