mild engine build

[LOL@V8]

Ok, well Im new to the TR crowd. I bought my 86 GN in september. Its a 64k mile florida car with what I know a stock motor that runs great. I had a lot of fun with it while the tranny lasted. I was told it was an Art Carr tranny with a 3300 stall, but that turned out to be false once it fried the 2nd gear band. He said it was the guys who bought his name, some company in Texas. Anyway I have a real Art Carr tranny he rated for 800hp with his 3200 stall 9" TC waiting on a pallet to go in the car.

This is what the car has:
stock motor and rotating assm, but I havent had it out and looked at it. I noticed my freeze plugs are painted black, and Im used to seeing the bronze ones, so IDK. The motor runs great and doesn't seem to have and issues except oil leaks from the VC, and possible the front cover oil pump area. It doesn't burn any oil or loose any coolant. Im picking up a set of fresh 8445 heads with a valve job, bowl blending, and some port matching. Also a 210/205 .470/.459 Reeds hydraulic flat cam. I've got comp strings and lifters. The heads will get a stock style rocker setup that I havent decided on yet.. Only revving to stock 54-5500.
It has a precision 6152E turbo that has hardly any play in the shaft, so I would like to keep it.
It has an old SMC alky kit with the controller in the console. Needs a new bottle but keeping the rest.
RJC 3" DP and GBodyParts 3" single shot exhaust and Pypes test pipe.
Precision stretched SLIC
TT chip for 93/alky, runs very rich about 10:1 on my wideband. The chip is old and will at least get a new more modern one or go with some sort of power logger to make my own changes.

Before I get to far off I need to get to my question. I would like a street car which it will be 95% of the time I drive it that can also run a low 11 maybe even a high 10 with more suspension work and good tuning... Im guessing 450-500 whp. I've seen Bison Otto did that with my turbo and a mild engine build with I think somewhere around 25-28psi. While i got the motor out I want to address some of the bottom end weak points. I don't want to go all out forged with this motor since it runs well, and Ill save that for a stage motor build. Mostly a stock short block that can take that rare 5% of the time on the track. I've seen people posting about deep 10's and 600+hp cars building the bottom and thats not what Im looking for right now. Im not sure exactly what is safe with the stock motors. I've been looking at billet caps (the middle 2, front and middle 2, or all 4). I would prefer to stay out of the machine shop, so those would be difficult. I've looked at the RJC girdle, but I've heard you have to shave some off the caps, and IDK... Ive never installed this girdle. If you have please chime in and give me your input on the install. Then what I would like to do, if it is safe for my power goals and being mostly a street car is just stud the stock mains and call it a day, but if it isn't safe please chime in on your experiences. My heads will be studded and every motor I've built Ive always studded a motor from top and bottom. I've had good luck with that...

So what are your guys' views on this? What needs to be done to the shortblock for this power level of 450-500whp?

Sorry for the long post. lol

Thanks, chris

 

[blackgn1]

Caps or girdle will require machining. You're going to need some serious parts for 10's. I have all the parts and then some. I'm still a 11.2 car The faster you want to go the more you must invest. I need a new converter. Before this it was a tranny. Before the tranny was supension. Well you get the idea. If your pulling the engine you need machine work anyway. Line hone. Bore or hone. Block deck. Ect. ect.

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

What are you using to monitor your car? I would personally ditch that SMC if it's that old, get a scanmaster, a turbo tweak chip, and julios alky inj. Make sure your car is in it's tolerances for everything before you try to go fast. Some stock engines can do many 10 sec runs and some can't. You'll need a safe tune and a prayer.

 

[LOL@V8]

What are you using to monitor your car? I would personally ditch that SMC if it's that old, get a scanmaster, a turbo tweak chip, and julios alky inj. Make sure your car is in it's tolerances for everything before you try to go fast. Some stock engines can do many 10 sec runs and some can't. You'll need a safe tune and a prayer.

I have a scanmaster, and TT, and an AEM wideband I took out of my track integra. the alky kit isn't that old, but its not new... It works perfect.

 

[LOL@V8]

double post

 

[LOL@V8]

I guess I should put more focus on my main question. Never mind my goals for drag times... Nevermind the tranny, suspensison, tuning, and ect...

What needs/should be done to a very well running stock bottom end 109 for a mostly street driven (95%) car pushing 450-500whp ? Stock is fine? girdle? billet caps? Stock caps with studs?

Thanks, chris

 

[big reazon]

How often are you gonna drive it? How often are you gonna drive it hard? How long does it need to last?

 

[LOL@V8]

How often are you gonna drive it? How often are you gonna drive it hard? How long does it need to last?

Its a weekend car and maybe a quick drive on a week night. I dont always drive it hard... if I want to get up to speed quick and hear that turbo spin up or play I usually only half throttle it with 15psi... hardly beat on it... still never been to a track, but have had a few stop light challenges. M3, new camaro ss, and challenger :biggrin: still waiting for a new 5.0 with a good driver

I would like to get at least 5-10k miles... thats at least a couple years of driving the GN.

I read a lot of Bison's posts and seen he's made a stock short block last for a couple years at over 600whp. Im not sure if he studded or anything though. Do these motors require a line hone when just putting in ARP main studs? Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, but I've only built honda motors. Never had to do line hones or bores, just sleeving and PnP jobs.

 

[LOL@V8]

another double post. Im out at sea and these Navy ships have horrible internet.

 

[SHADOWII]

Tuning for no knock is the key to longevity. The caps(the two center as a minimum) or girdle w/or w/o studs, will make any mistakes(ie. forgetting to prime the alchy pump prier to boosting 28-30#s) more forgiving. H/D rocker shafts would not hurt anything either when deciding on the valve train.
The power logger is a great addition for tuning purposes as you already have the s/m. you would only need to have Eric upgrade your chip for the mod's.

 

[LOL@V8]

Tuning for no knock is the key to longevity. The caps(the two center as a minimum) or girdle w/or w/o studs, will make any mistakes(ie. forgetting to prime the alchy pump prier to boosting 28-30#s) more forgiving. H/D rocker shafts would not hurt anything either when deciding on the valve train.
The power logger is a great addition for tuning purposes as you already have the s/m. you would only need to have Eric upgrade your chip for the mod's.

My alky comes on at a much lower boost pressure to allow for the lag of the pump and not being primed. :biggrin: I never get any knock on my scan master. I had false knock one time when the old crappy built tranny downshifted, but thats it.

I've looked at the RJC HD rocker shafts that they have... Sounds good since I have stiffer springs. I think Ill go for a power logger, I would like a Fast XFI but thats $$$$$ lol. So Im for sure at least getting a new TT chip, and most likely a power logger to make small changes. Does the power logger have that same 1/2 second lag as the scan master?

 

[turbofabricator]

No need for a XFI unless you're running deep in the nines. A completely stock short block will live fine in a mid ten second car with good TuneUp. Even adding ARP main studs requires a line hone. A good set of ported iron heads with a 214ish hydraulic roller cam. Roller rockers help stabilize valvetrain. A good blue print on the block by decking squaring and Lin hone helps the engine live at high boost. We run 10.03@136 with a stock ECM, standard MAF and a standard Translator. This is a 274" engine on pump gas and alcohol. Untilled you have years of tuning stick with race gas. VP C-16