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[GMCnet] New GMCer [message #68972]

Wed, 30 December 2009 17:43

Ken Henderson

Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA

Karma: 9

Senior Member

Billy Massey informed me yesterday that Dr. Oldsmobile, Joe Mondello, has
acquired a GMC and joined GMCMI. Since he now lives in Crossville, TN, I
took the liberty of inviting him, by email, to join the Dixielanders and
Eastern States. Last night I got an answer from his wife, Mary, asking a
few more questions and telling me that they're leaving 4 Jan to go pick it
up. I sent her still more information, including a copy of the Black List.

This afternoon, Joe called me. We spent 45 - 60 minutes talking about GMC
clubs, GMC's, Oldsmobile engines, Tennessee, intake manifolds, etc., etc.,
etc.

He's volunteered, and committed to presenting seminars at rallies.
Specifically, he'll tell us at Bean Station about his new facility in
Crossville, new techniques and equipment they're using on engines, and
answer questions. He's even volunteered to have a rally at his 17 acre
facility (dry camping though), including touring his facility, etc.

If he becomes 1/10th as enthusiastic about GMC's as he is about Olds
engines, we'll have a great new member. He said he's admired the GMC for
years but just never seemed to have the time to bother getting one. A
friend on the west coast who's downgrading to a bigger new coach made him an
offer he couldn't refuse, so they're going after it.

During our conversation, we got into intake manifolds. I told him I'd first
bought and used his zinc to fill intake crossovers about 8 years ago, etc.
He doesn't care much for how we're doing it. He says that by only filling
the crossover, even with the SS plates, we're not protecting the manifold
from enough heat and potential distortion. He says that every Olds engine
he builds has the crossover port in the HEAD filled with zinc, as well as
filling the intake crossover (which he noted, by the way, could be done with
'most anything, even epoxy, since the zinc in the head shields it from
intense heat.

In response to my inquiry about erosion of the zinc, he said he's got an
Olds racecar engine he's run for 11 years without any erosion. To my
comment that some of us protect the zinc with SS plates, he reiterated that
the heat still gets to the manifold. He did agree, though that a filled
crossover is far, far better than an open on. And he confirmed that the
zinc WILL fill leaking cracks -- I've never been completely satisfied that
the different coefficients of expansion of iron and zinc wouldn't generate
potential leakage paths; apparently not.

A lot of renowned "experts" are standoffish and seemingly don't want to be
bothered or want to keep their secrets. I found none of that in Joe; he
claims to love doing what he does, goes to work 5 days a week, including
personally building engines, teaching classes, racing, etc. Very open and
outgoing. We'll enjoy him.

Ken H.
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
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