G'day all,
Just thought some of you guys might be interested that I've just confirmed with Joe (gm dstroya) that I'll be buying his engine, and not just the bottom. Pics are on their way very shortly. The basic specs of the EF-based, O-ringed bottom end (copied from ad on Performance Forums) are:
Acid bathed, bored 20 thou, honed 3 thou, for a total of 23 thou over size. o-ringed, all gasket faces decked and ground square, crank bearing tunnel has been tested for trueness
pistons are ea series acl race series pistons, 40 thou over size.
rods have been shot peened, closed and honed.
crank has been computer balanced.
arp rod bolts fitted
acl race series bearings, and gaskets. compression is set for 8.3 to one.
jp. high volume oil pump
crow dual roller, vernier cam gear and chain.
The head is a heavily worked AU head, complete with billet-grind cam etc. I'll grab some more detailed specs, but the bottom line is that it is on par with the block (capable of up to 750 HP). Should go OK, although my goal is 'only' 650 HP @ 30 psi, and I'll be happy knowing that the engine will not be pushed to its limits in the process. My dream is running 11s in street trim, though I may have my head in the clouds.
The engine is estimated to arrive in about 5 weeks, giving Joe time to assemble it and freight it from Qld. The next priority will be getting my EL BT-R transmission fully rebuilt, but I've already maxed out the credit card so I'm hoping I'll be able to get a loan. The fuel system, exhaust/piping stuff etc will not be cheap. Worst case scenario is the car taking longer to get back on the road.
That also means I have to get rid of my beloved 3.9 MPI and T5 manual. :sad: I can't afford to hang onto them or else I would. A shame, because it was a great package even as a stock car. One of the faster affordable cars for its time, and an enjoyable challenge to get the best out of. Unfortunately I'm aiming for a bit more outright power than that. Hoping for about $250 for the engine and $550 for the manual conversion kit, including a bonus bottle of Transmax Z valued at over $60.
Anyway, I'll keep everyone posted on this thread. There's a bit of suspense in the air because I have no idea if I can get this loan or if I'll be forced to take longer to complete the project. Wish me luck.
Troutmobile series II in the making
Linear Mode
