Paul.  I had a similar experience with a roll of welding wire that was constantly giving me fits.  The problem ended up being a light coating of rust on the wire and switching it out to a new roll fixed all the problems I was having.  In this particular instance, I was dealing with a non-flux wire.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Gerry,

For a couple of rearons I won't post any pictures.Number one,I'm a complete dunce when it comes to pictures and computers.Number two,there's no way in the world I'm going to let anyone see my welding job.I'm not much of a welder anymore anyway,and I discovered something that never occurred to me before.I was using some flux core wire that I've had for several years and having a tough time getting a good weld.The roll ran out before I finished,so I put in a new roll and discovered a world of difference.Apparently the flux in the wire deteriorates over time.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

If you get a chance could you post a picture? Gerry

Lake Forest California  5th inf 77 Armor Div. VN 68/69

If you put your town and state in your signature

help might be closer than you think.

I finally got the H-pipe on my car.Everyone who said it would quiet it down was right.Before it had a sharp rap any time I got on the throttle the least bit and really barked all the way up the RPM range.It now sounds like the 292's of my youth.Still loud enough,but mellow.

I welded a crossover of inch and a half tubing about 8 inches ahead of the mufflers.Sounds great.I don't know yet about any performance or economy gain.Probably going to use more gas now,because it will be more tempting to stand on it in town.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

Funny the thread jumped to glasses had the same problem.  Last time I went to the eye doc I explained to him my problem he fitted me with some single vision lenses set for 12 to 18 inches.  Got the cheapest pair of frames maybe 60 bucks all told.  Keep them in the garage in a case and use them when I working on my back in close quarters.  Really helps.  Hell to get old but better than the alternative.

There is a fellow named David Vizard - who has written much on the subject of engine development (usually chebbies) and he wrote a very in-depth article about exhaust design for "Super Chebbie" magazine that you can find on the web. Vizard is a brilliant engine man - don't discount what he says on account of his attachment to chebbies. 

Google - "David Vizard Exhaust" - you'll find it.

He is a proponent of creating a large "expansion chanber" downstream of the header exit, common to both banks of the engine - then re-splitting to two low restriction mufflers. This set-up was created while looking for a street silenced exhaust that had little or no impact on power production. One thing he really believes in, is to use "oversize" - big passageway mufflers with reducers down to your pipe size - like a three inch nominal inlet/outlet muffler reduced to 2-1/2 or 2-1/4. 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Re: vision/glasses, I bought a set of very nifty, "full field/full coverage" magnified safety glasses 10 years ago. I have looked ever since for a spare set (nothing lasts forever), but no one seems to sell them any more. Since I can no longer see close up without reading glasses, I find myself wearing the magnified protective set whenever doing minor things in the garage, where I would likely be otherwise too lazy to bother with reaching for conventional safety glasses.



They have saved my butt more times than I can count! Most typical half-size reading reading specs would not have been adequate for all the metal-chip/splinter/chemical bullets I have dodged over the years. They also made them in a bifocal configuration, but I really prefer the wide, full mag type. I just wish I could upgrade to higher mag factors as my eyes age, like with the reading specs!

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Several years ago, when I had the H-pipe installed on my old motor, I noticed that it was a little quieter throughout the RPM range. I remember thinking that it sounded mustangish during shifts. I don't think I noticed any difference in power - can't remember. It was installed by a local muffler shop and I don't think they did a great job. The welds certainly look bad. If you can afford it and fit it, go with an X-pipe. I think the X-pipe sounds neater and I hear it works better by allowing the exhaust to take the path of least resistance - after the X, of course.


Lawrenceville, GA

Paul,

We did a chassis dyno yesterday and the performance tech told me that I would add significant power with an h-pipe and race mufflers to add a little back pressure.  They said it would be quieter at idle, but would much louder under acceleration.  I will not be able to have that installed by Bonneville and Columbus, but I sure will by the October and November El Mirage meets.

It will be interesting to see if you can feel a gain in response in a street car.  Please let us know how it works out.

As for the welding vision problem, I have had great success with a larger auto-dark window in the helmet.  My glasses are standard bifocals and I can see well from the pre-arc to the finish weld.

Good luck with the project...................

Charlie Burns Laton, Ca (South of Fresno)



BurnsRacing981@gmail.com

I played around with different darkness glass in my helmet, that helped. The other issue was I was trying to weld with glasses that self tint. So as I worked it kept getting darker! Finally figured it out when I wore my non-tinted saftey tri focals one day. All of a sudden I could see man does that help!

   John, does the cataract have any connection to the floater thing?

  

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart)