Last Indian

Joe, I’ll do my best to explain this in fare detail, but anything that I’m lacking please ask. When I built the brake system for my Z I spent about 2 months doing research on function and materials. I then spent an other 3 months designing the system, doing the math etc. In the end I realized that there were things in a car braking system that made no sense. It may just be my opinion, but there are proven facts that support this. Why would you need a proportioning valve on a 4 wheel disc brake system, when the master cylinder stages the fluid appropriately? Why would anyone use a square cut O’ring to seal hydraulic fluid? Why would they run an ester based fluid as a hydraulic fluid? And why in all that is logical in physics would you run similar materials against each other? So in the case of the Z, I ran a much larger bore master cylinder as I said. I went from a 7/8” diameter piston to a 1.1875 or 1.25, as I said, I don’t remember which. I built my own calipers in the beginning, but I eventually moved to 4 of GM’s 2 15/16 diameter single piston caliper for ease of replacement parts if I ever needed them. Still these were modified, but not so much so that replacement parts were ever to be an issue. These are the calipers that you may be running. They were the standard for more that two decades. The standard pistons were plated and had a series of lines from top to bottom, made no sense! My modifications to this caliper were as follows. I made my own pistons out of stainless steel (304) and I would polish them to a high luster. I changed the O’rings to a standard Viton O’ring with dimension that correlated to the square cut part GM used. I also replaced the problematic caliper bolts these bolts are plated steel. Once you apply heat, water, acidic brake dust and in some cases road salt, but not necessary to activate corrosion and then add a Allen wrench embossed removal source and good luck with easy removal! I made stainless steel pieces with 9/16 hex. This made removal a piece of cake. Likewise fluid is a key factor as I.E. can make a huge impact on performance. If you would like any more info let me know! Similar work was done to the Indian. As a result it is nearly impossible to get the ABS system to activate because the car just stops before the wheels lockup. Only on very smooth roads in very wet weather does the ABS come on and only for a second. Below is the brake caliper design I did for the Z. This was a full floating caliper that was set in double shear.

Joe, I’ll put the info together shortly!

Joe, assisted brakes are great & I understand the desire & the convenience of them. But some food for thought is this. My Z pulled 4” of vacuum in gear at idle! So vacuum assisted brakes were never an option for me. So I set out to design a system that would out perform a power system. Something along those lines might work for you as well. I used a Corvette master cylinder that had an 1 1/8 or 1 / 3/16 bore, it’s been to long now to remember which one, as both existed. I ran no proportioning valve, I removed all the residual pressure check valves. I did some mods to the calipers, but I don’t think you would like to do them. I also changed the mechanical advantage of the pedal, as I indicated earlier. I ended up making my own pedal. In doing so I made the pedal 1” longer from the master cylinder push rod down to the end of the pedal & I shortened the pivot end of the pedal to the push rod 1/2”. That may not sound like much, but that increased pedal to fluid pressure by about 500 psi. If you look close at the brake pedal in this picture of my wrecked Z (1977) you can see the stock steel pedal. In the picture below is the corvette master cylinder (1980) In this picture below if you look you can see the new brake pedal made to change the mechanical advantage. It is aluminum.

For sure JustA! I would sit with my daughter and watch speed buggy, Scooby-Doo and the like! Good memories!

Oookaa!!

Copy that! We can all live a cat! Their so good now they don’t affect exhaust flow at all. Some of the high flow ones like I run on the Indian actually improve the flow dynamics of the exhaust.

That’s hysterical! The guys got more time wrapped up in that then just buying a switch! I mean really! Thanks for sharing! It does work, but it’s still crazy!!

The P0420 code indicates that most likely the cat is gone! Code be an O2, but usually it’s the cat. It doesn’t sound plugged by your description of performance, but as time goes on it most likely will. Unless the cores been knock out?

Lots of things poison a cat! Even engine oil! If you don’t have to go through an emissions test where you live it’s a non issue whether the cat works or not. The only thing that will occur, but more from burning oil than ZDDP poisonings, is a loss in power. If you don’t notice a loss in power don’t worry about it. Likewise if it was bad it would set a code.

Lynn, this is a little engine oils 101, and as a rule it’s pretty straight forward. I worked in this field for 40 years in R&D. Please take this as it’s given, just as informative information to digest. All oils, synthetic & conventional, go through the same oxidative stress. All start at the same TBN 9-15 depending on mfg & type. All are depleted of the TBN by combustion which produces soot, even in a gas engine & causes TAN, that acid cause oxidation, which in turn causes etching and erosion of metal parts. Which in turn causes particulate in the oil which in turn causes more oxidative stress due to more heat from particles running into each other when pushed through small orifice. In the end this is called bulk viscosity, and has a small effect on small orifice areas like modern engines small bearing clearances & VVT components. Which is why maintaining oil viscosity is important and why synthetic oil is appealing. Additionally there is oil shear. This occurs when oil is literally pushed in two different directions by two opposing surfaces, like a engine main bearing stationary and a rotating crank. This shearing action initially thins the oil viscosity within the first 1000 miles or so, but than it slowly thickens, but synthetic oil are resistant to shear. This makes them good for VVT applications. With all that said the issues with this are, long before viscosity becomes an issue for an engine oxidative stress, acid, particulate contamination, fuel dilution, which does lower viscosity even in a synthetic oil become a condemning limit for the oil! Knowing those facts most people won’t pay twice as much for a synthetic oil just to keep the same interval of an oil change! So they push the change interval out farther and no matter how minimal the negative impact is on the engine, it is negative! The STP deal! You said STP oil stabilizer not oil treatment. The stabilizer has no ZDDP or moly, it’s just a viscosity modifier! Which means it thickening your 5w30 synthetic! That basically defeats the purpose of the synthetic oil! The STP oil treatment has ZDDP in it, but that’s bad for the catalytic!

Everyone has their perception as to what something is or does, so if your oil works for you all’s good! Your question was oil change length, I replied 7 to 12 thousand is realistic, but what is your condemning limit? Is it only mileage? There is no definable control as to what synthetic oil is, as was proved in a lawsuit between Mobil & Castrol. Since then API has removed all references to Synthetic in their documentation regarding standards. "Full synthetic" is a marketing term and is not a measurable quality. The only thing that defines quality in an oil, be it synthetic or conventional oil, is the crude oil & components, as well as the additive package. Then std. SAE testing proves the performance of those oils. Most folks have no idea what the true performance of a specific oil is. The two basic advantages in a synthetic oil is shear stability, (constant viscosity) & thermal break down, (elevated temperature), I.E. jet engines! If someone needs thermal break down protection in their car’s engine they have more pressing problems than oil! Thermal break down in an oil starts when the “oil” temperature reaches 375c or 700f. The STP product you mention is basically a viscosity modifier, with possibly ZDDP or moly, but they don’t say. So I have to presume neither and if that’s the case, it’s only a viscosity modifier which basically defeats the purpose of a synthetic oil!

Joe, This video shows what I mean about the staking, as good as me trying to explain it.

JustA as a point fact. I doubt that the booster is harmed. You could, and I would clearly understand why you would prefer not to, reassemble the unit and stake the outer cover back on correctly. If for any reason you decide to do that and you want some input let me know!

Lynn, good news/bad news! If you’re using synthetic oil for the single purpose of viscosity and no other, then 7 to 12 thousand miles is reasonable? Yet I doubt that is your reason and if it is why? The only advantage a synthetic oil offers is constant viscosity or what we in the business call, shear stable. At the end of the day a synthetic oil has no more additives in it than a conventional oil! It has no ability to reduce acid in the oil due to combustion. It can’t be cleaner from particulates than conventional oil or any other oil related degradation that occurs! Just constant viscosity! In an engine with variable valve timing or the like shear stability is important, that’s about it! A good filter and a good oil at 4000 miles are pretty much done. The more miles on an engine reduces that number incrementally. There is nothing wrong with a synthetic oil, in fact, if used just like a conventional oil, it’s better! But then that’s a pretty expensive oil change. I run full synthetics in my variable valve timing Buick, but I change the oil every 3500 to 4000 miles.

Glade you’re OK Joe! Things like that have a way of making you appreciate what’s important! looking at the pictures below it appears they never staked the outer housing locks! Those are supposed to be indent flattened behind the protruding spare of the inner housing to keep the unit together. Their not, or so it appears.

Hey Joe! That’s a song! Great job! Ok anyway, you may have them already and I just didn’t see, but a couple things. First, yah the prop valve looks close to the header tube, that would be a pain! You might want to see how hot the prop valve and lines get as a result of that proximity. It might affect fluid performance if it gets too hot. Also, you say low vac motor, so I assume power brakes? if you don’t have one, you could get a vac canister. That will help. Also you could change the master cylinder to a larger bore unit. That will move more fluid which builds more psi quicker, but requires more leg effort. Additionally, even more work, you can change the pedal ratio, which gives you a bigger mechanical advantage over fluid movement.

Well I finally got a few hours to start the back bumper cover work. First, the area where the cuts were made needed to be contoured to the basic alignment of the original lines of the cover. Then I needed to make an insert piece to fill the large hole and then do the body work. Right side after cut & reconnected. Left side after trimmed & blended using heat. Sanded & ready for insert. I found this to be a little ironic. The image below to a degree resembles a feather! This is a embossed blemish in the new back bumper cover of the Indian. Which is in the area behind where the rear license plate will sit.🤔

Ahh, the days of moving the kid in & out of college! I remember them well! I feel very sorry for you 😔! Well at least you new toys to play with next week!😁

Great job guys! Beautiful car 4 bucket!

I see the resemblance! Especially the hat! 😂

Well they look great Frosty! JustA don’t go clicking Lucy’s shoes together!

It would appear somebody is having Christmas year around! Open a box here open a box there! I’m thinking the Grinch didn’t steal Christmas!! Cuz you had all the gifts!

Gonna be killer buddy! JustA about any 5 spoke dresses a car better than other wheels. Those are a great choice.

I love Alice! I was 18 when he release that album and I was always a metal head! I love Desperado. Detroit turned out a lot of great s- - t & not just cars!

Ok, finished product. The first picture is that of the rear deck lid emblem! This second picture is of the flat non-3D Indian head. This is attached to the under hood fuse block panels cover.