Richard Holdener is gonna boost a Cadillac 500

[5one9]

One thing that I notice about Richard's engine is that it had new locks and retainers. I already had bought a set of Cad500 Stage 1 springs but since it was a budget build I was reusing the stock retainers and a set of SBC machined locks that I had laying around.

The SBC locks seem to fit correctly in the stock retainers, does someone here know any different?

The stage 1 springs arrived today. I was surprised that they came with locks, retainers, shims, and viton umbrella seals. No machining required and the installed retainers gained me 0.070” of extra clearance. I’ll need to do nothing to install. Pretty good deal for $85 plus shipping.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Those are CadCo, right? How bad was shipping? If those springs allow me to run a decently rowdy cam with no machine work for under a bill, I'm game.

 

[5one9]

$12 or so.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Well damn, looks like I've got a game plan for phase 2 of my build; CadCo springs, Cloyes Street Roller timing set, new lifters (already have,) cam (TBD,) and the MTS single plane intake. Also going to be running the Edelbrock 750 cfm carb, Sanderson headers, and MSD ignition from the initial "get it running" phase. Should be a decent bump in power over stock hopefully.

 

[Caddylackn]

This thing is nearly identical to mine. I replaced one piston and rod just as he did. Stock bolts in the rods. 552 heads. No port work on his. 393hp/545tq and they revved it to 4700 on the stock rockers. Totally cool.

Did you notice that Richard said the original heads on Richard's 500 motor from the Gremlin were 425 heads?

That Caddy 500 powered Gremlin totally dominated the $3k Hooptie Challenge with that same 500 motor with 425 heads, an Edelbrock manifold, junk restrictive headers, a mild 216 cam and a 250 hp nitrous hit. Up against a bunch of turbo LS and other turbo powered garbage. He never it ran it hard for entire 1/4 mile pass for the entire $3K challenge. He was running like mid 13s at 80 mph letting off well before the end for every race since he was so far ahead. Apparently 425 heads can make a bunch of power with nitrous on a 500. I bet that was a low 12- second car if he ran it hard the entire 1/4 mile pass. It is a shame they didn't dyno the motor with the original 425 heads.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Hmm... I have most of the parts of a nitrous kit sitting around minus the bottle and bottle brackets (and a 10lb steel co2 cylinder that could be modified for nitrous...) but the cast pistons had me scared to try it... But from the sound of things, the 500 Gremlin took a much bigger hit off the bottle than I would have tried and the pistons held up fine, and only ate a rod bearing from over-revving. Full disclosure, I haven't seen the video. But it's got me thinking. Even if only for the WTF-factor of a 6k lb hearse spraying nitrous...

 

[smalltruckbigcid]

The valve guide tool was available from Goodson mtg.

 

[PJ McCoy]

The valve guide tool was available from Goodson mtg.

Thanks