3.0 Build Project: "Green Machine"

930 Views 11 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Sundance 6g72, Nov 7, 2011

MC#4

Discussion Starter · Nov 5, 2011

Project Green Machine

I recently blew a head gasket on my 3.0 in my shadow and i have 5 months to get it together for the next racing season. I will be starting this project in a month or two, I'm just pooling ideas for now. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Goals

1. The car has to be faster than a bolt on mods Twin Turbo Stealth!

(13.50's)
2. Reliability, I want to run it for a few years before I have to tear the motor/trans down. Once and Done!
3. If I can avoid Megasquirt I will.
4. Car will remain street legal and PA Inspectable. (emissions is visual here)
5. Keep the interior looking relatively stock. Car will not be gutted.
6. Must run on 93 pump gas.

Current Configuration (If it's not listed, its stock)

1. 3.0/A543
2. 225/50/15 drag radials
3. Nitrous (hoping to run 75hp shot) ran a 50hp shot for a few passes.
4. solid front motor mount and rear bobble strut
5. rear air shocks
6. cat gutted
7. wideband 02

Plans (Motor)

1. Port upper and lower intake
2. 58mm Ported throttle body (I have this but not on the car)
3. clean up head ports (basically just polish em since I've never ported heads before.
4. 5 angle valve job at the machine shop
5. Bored w/torque plate (not sure how far, depends on piston availability)
6 Crank Scraper/Windage tray. (most likely custom)
7. Engine blueprinted and balanced, file fit rings
8. Very much considering a Single Turbo setup and a custom exhaust (I Know I have to decide before I start)

I also plan to have all the standard check done, rod straightness, crank polish, heads and block for cracks, yada yada.

Plans (Chassis/Trans)

1. OBX LSD torn down from new and checked out (I've read thier quality control is very lacking)
2. Beefed up clutch (not sure which one yet)
3. Some wieght reduction like rear bumper support and door impact beams, maybe take out A/C even though it works good. Sound deadner removed too. I think realisticly I can drop ~200LBS from the car with a race weight w/170lb driver around 2650LBS.

I'm open for suggestions, ideas, advice, comments, anything!

A few specific questions though.
1. Are forged pistons available?
2. Are head gasket upgrades available?

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knightmoves

· #2 · Nov 5, 2011

MC#4 said:
Project Green Machine

I recently blew a head gasket on my 3.0 in my shadow and i have 5 months to get it together for the next racing season. I will be starting this project in a month or two, I'm just pooling ideas for now. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Goals

1. The car has to be faster than a bolt on mods Twin Turbo Stealth! (13.50's)
2. Reliability, I want to run it for a few years before I have to tear the motor/trans down. Once and Done!
3. If I can avoid Megasquirt I will.
4. Car will remain street legal and PA Inspectable. (emissions is visual here)
5. Keep the interior looking relatively stock. Car will not be gutted.
6. Must run on 93 pump gas.

Current Configuration (If it's not listed, its stock)

1. 3.0/A543
2. 225/50/15 drag radials
3. Nitrous (hoping to run 75hp shot) ran a 50hp shot for a few passes.
4. solid front motor mount and rear bobble strut
5. rear air shocks
6. cat gutted
7. wideband 02

Plans (Motor)

1. Port upper and lower intake
2. 58mm Ported throttle body (I have this but not on the car)
3. clean up head ports (basically just polish em since I've never ported heads before.
4. 5 angle valve job at the machine shop
5. Bored w/torque plate (not sure how far, depends on piston availability)
6 Crank Scraper/Windage tray. (most likely custom)
7. Engine blueprinted and balanced, file fit rings
8. Very much considering a Single Turbo setup and a custom exhaust (I Know I have to decide before I start)

I also plan to have all the standard check done, rod straightness, crank polish, heads and block for cracks, yada yada.

Plans (Chassis/Trans)

1. OBX LSD torn down from new and checked out (I've read thier quality control is very lacking)
2. Beefed up clutch (not sure which one yet)
3. Some wieght reduction like rear bumper support and door impact beams, maybe take out A/C even though it works good. Sound deadner removed too. I think realisticly I can drop ~200LBS from the car with a race weight w/170lb driver around 2650LBS.

I'm open for suggestions, ideas, advice, comments, anything!

A few specific questions though.
1. Are forged pistons available?
2. Are head gasket upgrades available?

forged pistons are a no go. in order to get them you have to have them made. a set goes for about $600. we can get 10 to 1 pistons but with you going turbo that is useless. you need to talk to Ed Kelly about a set of ported and polished heads! great prices and great performance! also you can have your cams reground at crower cams. cams and heads are the key to HP!!!

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MC#4

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 5, 2011

$600 for forged pistons is not out of budget. Any more info on them? Reliability is key here, this motor will see a lot of nitrous and I don't want to blow holes through the cast ones.

Thanks

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knightmoves

· #4 · Nov 5, 2011

MC#4 said:
$600 for forged pistons is not out of budget. Any more info on them? Reliability is key here, this motor will see a lot of nitrous and I don't want to blow holes through the cast ones.

Thanks

I talked to Ross pistons they told me if i send them an old piston they can copy it as a forged unit. i am pretty sure any piston maker can do it.

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Dr.shred

· #5 · Nov 5, 2011

Honestly ive beat mine down a track and never had any issues with melting a piston. if youve dialed in a decent tune on what you have id say youll not be needing forged anything. would be great to have though! but id save the pennies unless you plan on creating a 500hp+ monster! our engines have produced well over that on stock internals.

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Sundance 6g72

· #6 · Nov 6, 2011

will this be driven in the winter? Removing the fog light brackets (if you have some) along with all AC and heaterbox is a decent weight reduction.

get an electronic cutout for your exhaust. nothing better than a car that is quiet until you get to the strip, flip a switch and you have an open exhaust that is loud as hell. Perfect for a turbo car.

12s have been done in a tona without turbo.

cams cams cams! get some regrinds while your heads are off. our cams suck for racing.. my peak power happens at 4200rpms and then drops off rather quickly.

you might want to decide on turbo or no turbo before you get pistons. then you can choose high compression or low compression. as far as ms goes, its not hard and if emissions are only visual, you wont have to worry about a 100% perfect tune.

and while your not currently turbo, go ahaid and set your base timing on the dizzy to 15*

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MC#4

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 6, 2011

Yes the car will be driven in the winter. I know those fog light brackets are heavy but I don't want to remove any traction aides!

I really like the exhaust cutout idea although it won't pass PA insp.

Cam regrinds are certianly a consideration, I have to do some research though.

I don't want to advance my timing due to nitrous . Most people recommend dropping 2 degrees on ~50-75 shot so I think stock 12 is perfect when on the bottle.

Also this car will not be driven until it is complete which won't be for a few months at least.

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Sundance 6g72

· #8 · Nov 6, 2011

i dont understand how its not legal... what pricks. you could make your own open exhaust that is quickly removable and swapped for the stock exhaust. i know a couple of guys who do that with their mustangs. like a 20 ordeal to swap exhausts.

youl want to order some valve springs too. talk to ed about the Schneider springs he uses

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Sundance 6g72

· #9 · Nov 6, 2011

oo and as far as clutch. the turbos unleashed "stage 2" clutch kit works well for me. grabs hard and chirps third but is daily drivable.

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87turbodance

· #10 · Nov 6, 2011

I say go with some 10:1 forged pistons, large turbo and a nice sequential water injection setup! I've always wanted to fit some flex fuel injectors (stainless) and run port water injection using MS. High compression and 10psi would make for a nasty motor! My personal opinion that is not shared by all.

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MC#4

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 6, 2011

I like that people are throwin out ideas. Keep em coming!

As far as 10:1 pistons. I just don't see it. A turbo and nitrous would not work well with high compression, pump gas, and no MS. I really don't want to get into water/meth injection or E85 or anything. I'm trying to keep things pretty simple. Engine rebuild/Port and Polish/Turbo/LSD. That's my main ingredients.

Also, just because I shoot an idea down now, doesn't mean I won't change my mind the next day.:thumb:

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Sundance 6g72

· #12 · Nov 7, 2011

here is some cam info.

SOHC "above and beyond" mod Bible - 3000GT/Stealth International Message Center

thats the cam that was in the 12sec tona with stock rev limiter (im pretty sure stock limiter.. brent tells everyone its good to go for stock computers)

pair that with these springs (you can special order 12 for like $60 bucks last i checked)
valve springs 6610 Valve Spring Set

stock springs will do 7000rpms (for me at least) but im sure they arnt exactly 100% stable.

or you could go with 3.3L valve springs paired with ls1 locks / retainers but im not sure if anything else is needed to do that swap. im sure someone will chime in.

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