axapowell

Third...If you and Julie want to spend the weekend with us and give yourself a break from that PITA....Let me know!

I'm feeling your pain. Hope you get it together, and if you need any help, call me. I'll make the trip!

Dave

ThirdBird

That's real nice of you Dave. It is a PITA but, I'm on a mission! No play till this thing is done and done right. We'll be up to see you WITH the ThirdBird under her own power soon.
Thanks again buddy.

5PMSMWHR

then...................... it's been a week third, what's the deal?

ThirdBird

Catastophic failure!

All back together on Sunday, shake down cruise was going perfectly for about a half hour. They ran better than ever, smooth, crisp, nice. I was a happy guy.

Then, out of the blue, hadn't been over 3500 rpm yet, a rod starts knocking in the starboard engine. A few minutes later, lifters clacking in that engine. Spun a main I suppose.

Back out of the water, back to the shop, engine coming out.
This phuckin' blows.

I'll see you guys around mid-July if I'm lucky. Of course, I'll be broke by then.

I'm not a happy guy now.

ThirdBird

Engine is out and torn down completely on the stand. Bottom end was fine, no spun or seriously damaged bearings or journals. However, the cam ground itself to death! Three of the lobes were not lobes any more, basically ground round .

That was the knocking noise. Ground off so badly the lifters were banging on what was left of the cam. All I can surmise is that the cam was on it's way out when I put the new heads on. New heads with healthy springs were too much for the apparently clapped-out cam. Of course, the cam grindings went all through the engine, lightly scored some bearings and phucked the oil pump. I'm going to take one of the new heads to the shop and have a spring or two checked for spring rates. Gotta make sure Dart Heads didn't give me the wrong springs. Ordered spring rates equivilant to stock. That will really piss me off if those springs are too stiff.

Took a gamble on not going deep into the engines when I had the chance back about four weeks ago. Live and learn.

Tearing the other engine down also now (like I should have in the first place). Couple weeks, and some more cash, and it'll be good to go.

By the way, I don't have much good to say about Dart heads or they're customer service. Went through much hassel with push rod lengths and intake gaskets. They couldn't tell me how long the push rods should be for my application and they spec'd out the wrong intake gasket!!!!!!!!! After three tries with the gasket they specified, we finally figured out we needed gaskets twice that thick! Called Dart, guy says "well'p, guess ya need thicker ones". I'm like "Yeah, thanks for the upfront top notch technical help - phucktard!!" If they would have just stated that such-and-such a gasket is nominally recommended but that you may need a thicker set, then we wouldn't have wasted so much time trying to figure out why the recommeded gasket didn't work. They couldn't even get they're head bolt length recommendations right. Literature said that the short bolts at the exhaust need to be one inch longer than stock. It's not the short ones that need to be longer, it's the longest ones that need to be one inch longer. Idiots in my book. Nope - Dart is not on my list of preferred suppliers.

Rippem

I'm sorry to hear of your setbacks. If you need a boat ride, I'm sure you can get one aroud here. I should be wet Mon. or Tues., and have a host of improvements to show off.
I'm sure Axa would also like to show you his new ride!

"CHILLIN" THE MOST"

Mark and I were wondering why there wasn't a representation of the hoppers done in vinyl.

5PMSMWHR

Damn Third, that sucks! On a more local note, the Donzi is going to be at Oswego International Marina for the month of July through Harborfest. Even if ya don't want a ride there's plenty of local watering holes where we can design the "pissin' on Dart Heads" sticker for your truck.
Rip, with all your accessorizing, did you at least put a couple low boost SCs on that pig so you can keep up with the rest of the boathouse?

axapowell

Looks like Rip made ot to the Boathouse yesterday! I gotta poke at you...that's what a 353 looks like IN THE WATER! Why didn't you guys do all this crap over the winter when it's cold? Three weeks of PERFECT boating weather have already passed. Summer's going quickly.

Third , I'll extend the invite again... Call me.

Dave

offthefront

axa .. we were up at lake Cumberland in Febuary and saw your boat at Hill Top ... sweet rig ....my buddy is looking for a 353 and we went to look at a 353 at LCM ..it was spotless too ....until we found the bubbles in the Gel on the Hull ..... .... anyway we had rode over to Hill Top when we saw your 353 ..I loved it ...my buddy isnt into red too much so he didnt pursue it ... congrats ... Mike

ThirdBird

Thanks again Dave, and thanks to Rip and 5PM too. But, I'm on a freakin' mission here. There will be no play time for Cap'n Third till this situation is rectified. I got myself into this mess and dammit, I'll get myself out!!

As for why this wasn't done earlier in the year, we didn't get the shop done till like February then I was working tons of hours for the plant refueling outage Feb and March. Just no time till about four weeks ago. Had nothing but bad luck (and a few bad decisions) since then.

5PM, we'll certainly cruise to Oswego soon and look you up at your dock. Have you ever cruised out west to Sodus Bay? There is really cool cliff formation called Chimney Bluffs on the way. It's definitely worth the ride. Maybe we could do that, eh?