As you'll learn from following along with the captions, this did not in fact fix the misfire. At the current moment, the plan is to double-check all of our work, investigate the plugs, and either clean or replace the stock Opti. We will have to save the conclusion to our ignition upgrade for another day, but in the meantime we did manage to install a badass ignition system that will be able to handle any rpm or amount of power we throw at it. Victory is on the horizon, it's about time we start climbing the hill and plant that flag.
Unfortunately, the car did not run nearly as good as it looked. The LT1 misfired just as bad as before. The dyno graph looks more like a polygraph, as Crazy Horse owner Chris Winter observed. The horsepower and torque numbers are inconsequential given the circumstances, but if it matters to you, the car picked up a few horsepower versus the stock Opti and MSD single Blaster Coil. I wouldn't consider these numbers very reliable since in neither instance were the cylinders firing correctly, but I thought it was worth mentioning. In the next installment we'll be troubleshooting and fixing this misfire once and for all, getting some solid dyno numbers, and hopefully some track times (before it closes for the winter).
 The water pump was prepped...  The water pump was prepped for reinstallation by sanding the old gunk off its edges and applying copious amounts of RTV sealant, which will help seal the pump to a fresh set of gaskets and the engine block. |  RTV and Teflon thread sealant...  RTV and Teflon thread sealant is also placed onto the four long bolts going into the pump as they also protrude into the water jacket. At this point, the hoses and air pump are hooked back up as well. |  The alternator pulley is replaced...  The alternator pulley is replaced by the March unit using a 15/16 socket. The serpentine belt can then be wound around the pulleys. A shorter belt is needed to accommodate the underdrive pulleys, and Junior thought it best to go with the Delco [PN DEL6K586] belt as it had considerably less slack than the belt March recommended (Dayco PN 5060590). Since there are two underdrive pulley kits for LT1s, which each use different belts, it's quite possible that we got our wires crossed as to which to use. |
 Junior finished things up...  Junior finished things up by replacing the stock coil with an MSD Blaster Coil (PN 8226) using the factory bracket as instructed, and mounting it to the driver side cylinder head with a new set of ground wires. |  The coolant system was flushed...  The coolant system was flushed of Dexcool and replaced with extended life antifreeze, and the tedious task of bleeding the air out of the coolant system was undertaken. My, isn't reverse flow cooling wonderful! |  On the ride down to Crazy...  On the ride down to Crazy Horse Racing, your author noticed a misfire that was first mistaken for a slipping transmission. As soon as it went on Crazy Horse's Dynojet, though, it became readily apparent this was in fact a misfire as the car began to buck and the LT1 shuddered with increased load and rpm. This concluded our dyno session. The ride home was increasingly disheartening as the condition worsened. |