Missing V-8

So I drove my Nova the other day, right before the fourth. Expecting a smooth ride, and it ran like crap. Missing, popping, back firing. Couldn't figure out what could of wrong, seemed off, very off.



So I came home and popped the hood, let it cool down, and started the search. Wow, one plug wire had melted through, the other had fell off, and the plug was loose. No one wonder it ran like crap, the V-8 was a missing V-6.

So I knew these plugs were a pain in the butt to get to. When I did the headers they were a night mare. Tight is an understatement, I'd like to insert a pedo comment but won't due to good taste.

So I have no room to work on them. The boots I had to use, and I use the terms boots loosely, suck. I can't use straight, I can't use 90 degree, or 45 degree, or any other boot you can think of, I can only use half wells. Now a half well is a boot that is cut in half, and the 90 degree half well boot work perfectly. By perfectly I mean about as well as a three wheeled fork truck. So that's what I have.

So I tried to snug the plug, no wrench would fit, or wratchet, or socket, no not even the all might buddy boy, will fit, not enough room. So I used rubber coated pliers and did the best I could. I wasn't happy so I made a "hook" wrench, it worked sort of, still hard to get it on the plug, but they are a bit tighter than finger tight now.





With the plugs tight I smushed the boots back on. To prevent heat I used those thermal flash dance leg sock looking things. So far so good, they say up to 1500 degrees. We will test that.

I noticed how fast my exhaust was getting hot.

Now I was bad, I set my base timing, and it ran fine, I figured it was advanced enough. So I decided late timing maybe super heating the exhaust. So I bumped it up a peg after about six beers. It was idling in park at 600 rpm. Which is a little slow for a 350, but I guess technically pretty slow on a 327. The 327 have that super short stroke, so they like a little more RPMs. So I cranked it up to about 10-9by advancing it. It was semi warm, so I am sure it will fall to about 900-850 when warmed up. So not too much overkill.

I do think I will get pinging from my vac advance now though. I hate vac advance so I may plug it. Insufferable little things that need constant fine tuning just for the sake of mileage.

I only drove it around the block, but it seems good to go, better than 6 cylinders anyway.

Drunk advance video, just kidding not really drunk.



Speaking of drinking, here is some fireworks at the fourth of July this year. I was excited about a chicken and tank.