What is your concern? Do you question if the distributor hold-down can do its job, or are you worried about an oil leak? First, the hold-down will have no problem keeping the distributor in place. There is practically no load on the distributor housing itself. As for a leak path, we put a very thin layer of silicone sealer on both sides of the distributor gasket. This seals it up perfectly. The only catch is that you must do this last, right before fire-up, and set the timing immediately. This will give the silicone a chance to seal in the proper location. To tune the car, get your dialing-in done either at the track or on a dyno. Then remove the distributor and seal it up. Either way, you won't have a problem with the oversized hole in the manifold.
Slippery Slope
Q I have heard in the past that switching to synthetic fluids (motor oil and transmission fluid) for vehicles with over 50,000 miles can be dangerous since the smaller molecules of the fluid could leak past the seals. I believe this was a major concern when synthetics first made it big onto the scene around 15-20 years ago. Is this still a concern? I have a '99 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3L with approximately 50,000 miles, and in the quest for more horsepower I am looking to upgrade. Any thoughts? Thanks.Matt Crow
Bellevue, WA
A You're spot on with your synthetic assessment. The biggest issue we had swapping to synthetic oils years ago was the quality of the shaft seals and gaskets in our engines. That synthetic stuff would find a leak path where "dead dinosaur" oil couldn't.
Really, any engine built after the early '90s should have no problem swapping over to synthetic liquids. In the late '80s and early '90s, GM swapped over to one-piece rear main seals and a silicone-based oil pan gasket with torque limiters built right into the gasket to prevent overtightening. Now, you can incorporate many of these new technological features into our early Gen I small-blocks and Mark IV big-blocks. There's no reason you can't have a dry undercarriage. Your friends will really appreciate it when you don't leave spots in their driveways!
It's just fine to swap synthetics into your late Chevy truck. With the price of gas these days, we'll take any slippery fluid that increases fuel economy and performance.
Breaking Through
Q I am 19 years old and about to graduate from college to be a mechanic, and I want to get a job on a drag racing team. How would I go about doing this? Should I e-mail them, talk to them in person, or call them on the phone? I don't know how to find a drag racing team willing to hire a fresh college grad ready to learn anything and everything about drag racing. Any help would be appreciated.Marcus Fishburn
Greenville, SC
A Yes, it can be quite difficult to get into the inner sanctum of any professional racing team, no matter what division. However, with your education and enthusiasm to learn, it's worth a shot. What's the worst thing that could happen? They just say, "No, thank you."
If drag racing is where you wish to find a job, check out the NHRA Web site. Once you're there, click on the Drivers tab. On the pull-down you will find the Crew Chiefs/Team Owners selection. If you search through this list of professional teams, you can choose which crew chiefs you wish to send rsums to; then, search online to find the contact information for these race teams. Send a printed copy of your rsum to the crew chief's attention, and shoot an e-mail of your request to the team Web site, addressed to the crew chief. Is everyone going to respond? No. But remember, all you need is one who is willing to give you your first break. If you get in, keep your head down and learn. Rise above their expectations, and you may have a career for life!