Real Fiero Tech

Atilla the Fun wrote:If you get Aaron's 400, it'll want better heads, so I'd just get the short block. Some guys will disagree, but on a 350/355, run a 170-195cc head, a 383/406 go 180-210, and heads over 210 need a long rod 406 or larger.

Yes, you will want better heads, if you can afford them.

Alright. So I've pulled the trigger, and shipped my crank, rods, and pistons out to M&R Engines, out of Glendale, CA to have it all put back in another 4 bolt block. I went this route for the following reason:

1.) It was only 41 bucks to ship the rotating parts down (77 lbs), and ~150 to ship the shortblock up, and they claim 2 weeks turnaround. I'll assume 4, which will be acceptable.

2.) They can obtain another block, machine, and assemble the whole thing with new clevite bearings and childs and ackerly rings for 500-600 bucks - as much as the local shops quoted me for machine work alone

3.) They should recognize their own work, and tell if I got the pistons mixed up - their marks on the rods were lightly engraved in Dykem painted onto the side of the rods... so I'm not absolutely sure.

sounds like progress.

No engine at my door yet. It's just as well, I didn't come in till mid afternoon cause I'm sick, and I'd need to be the one to run the forklift getting it out of the truck.

sierratangofoxtrotuniform wrote:No engine at my door yet. It's just as well, I didn't come in till mid afternoon cause I'm sick, and I'd need to be the one to run the forklift getting it out of the truck.

No call yet, either. Wonder when they'll have it ready to ship. I haven't paid them anything yet, so it'd be nice to verify the bill, too.

maybe you're not gonna get it until you pay part?

Atilla the Fun wrote:maybe you're not gonna get it until you pay part?

Well the first time around, I paid them the money and they built the shortblock and sent it out. They said something about either hoping to get it sent by Wednesday, or get to it about then. I would think they'd call either when it's complete or when they're starting on it if they had questions. I doubt they'd sent it anywhere until I've pulled out the plastic and sent them some money.

But yeah, gonna need them to get it done soon here.

Well the shortblock should be on the way to completion at M&R Engines, and I found a pretty good deal on a set of Iron Eagle Platinum 200cc runner heads - 725 shipped, if the claim of free shipping on heads is true. 200 is a pretty big runner size, but a little torque loss down low won't hurt anything, and in fact, if a 307 could cut the mustard, then a lot probably wouldn't hurt much either. Check it out: http://perfengine.netfirms.com/store/nf ... ucts_id=43

In other news, I've found an exhaust manifold kit for ~350 bucks: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EXHAUST- ... 0054879432
sometimes it's that much per manifold for some applications, which sucks since manifolds are supposed to be maintainence items. They're a newer "pyramidal" style manifold, with individual runners, which should be an improvement over the shitty, common chamber log manifolds that the boat currently has. The only issue is getting it set up for the correct cooling system routing. Found an excellent page detailing cooling system and exhaust manifold cooling circuit plumbing here:
http://www.perfprotech.com/store/articl ... -tips.aspx

Time is going to get really tight, really soon in order to make it to our July 11th lake trip, but somehow I've always managed...

Shipping weight is 130 pounds.

:whip:

Heads are t3h ordered and being built, and M&R should be getting done with my block any day now. Gonna be sweet, if I don't go broke in the process. Gotta wait for more money to come in before ordering the exhaust manifolds, and I'll pick them up at the end of the month when I'm in LA. Moving trucks are cool like that.

2 MPG FTW, just in time for the oil crash of death and pestilence. Now I just gotta see if I can put it all together and install it in one weekend...

Latest Midnight Express budget revision:

Heads: Dart Iron Eagle Platinum, 200cc intake runner: $830 shipped
Shortblock: M&R says ~700 before shipping, shipping ~150
Gaskets: $125
Exhaust: $355, $50 for new exhaust hose to outlets

Total so far: $2210

I'm going to be switching from my shitty, cracked, welded, recracked, and rusted common chamber log manifolds to these:




At least they're brand new and I don't have to go out in fear that water mist is finding its way up to my exhaust valves, and they have some faint resemblance of individual runners, which couldn't hurt exhaust scavenge. Over the transom headers are unfortunately not an option on this style boat.

Price keeps going up and up, but not too bad for a complete and total overhaul, and new heads outright. It’s the time left to assemble it all that’ll be priceless. Hoping it'll all come in by the end of this coming week. DD2K3 says 375HP with HP Manifolds and mufflers, or 400HP with the lowest header option. I'm claiming 600HP. I have nothing to prove since it's a V8.

Blue Shift wrote:...DD2K3 says 375HP with HP Manifolds and mufflers, or 400HP with the lowest header option. I'm claiming 600HP. I have nothing to prove since it's a V8.

Kind of hard to get a boat up on a Dynojet, anyway. :scratch:

Good luck, finishing your build.

So the oil seal that the driveline coupler passes through where it connects to the jet pump driveshaft never worked right and grease got sprayed EVERYWHERE all over the engine bay and the engine itself. Unacceptable. The sealing surface, if you could call it that was pitted to hell and there was nothing left for a seal to engage on. A few hours spent in the machine shop after work and:



I aer a makinist.

I turned that bitch down and whipped up a repair sleeve. Heated it up in the oven, slathered Locktite maximum strength retaining compound all over, and pressed it on good. No more leaks. Turns out the seal got boned when I hammered it in last summer, so I ordered a new seal as well.

Now the bad part, is that M&R never shipped the shortblock up when they said they would - I don't know if I'll have it done in time for the trip, but if they move fast enough I may pull it off. Always a last minute rush, every year.

Blue Shift wrote:Now the bad part, is that M&R never shipped the shortblock up when they said they would - I don't know if I'll have it done in time for the trip, but if they move fast enough I may pull it off. Always a last minute rush, every year.

The shop that has my Northstar crank had a LIGHTNING STRIKE that fried the board in their balancer.

It's always something.

those manifolds have a nice flange for going turbocharged, tho I doubt that would be feasible. With car headers, I'd say you should be around 450 HP. Thus, be sure your fuel system is up to it, going lean is a great way to hole a hypereutectic piston. Your previous build, with log manifolds, would not exceed 350 horses.

The Dark Side of Will wrote:

Blue Shift wrote:Now the bad part, is that M&R never shipped the shortblock up when they said they would - I don't know if I'll have it done in time for the trip, but if they move fast enough I may pull it off. Always a last minute rush, every year.

The shop that has my Northstar crank had a LIGHTNING STRIKE that fried the board in their balancer.

It's always something.

With a story that interesting, I'd be inclined to believe them.

Unfortunately, they never returned my call yesterday, and didn't pick up today when I called them. So I called from the bosses phone, and they pick up. Convo goes like this:

M&R: "Hello?"
Me: [evil tone of voice]: "Hi..."
M&R: "Um, hi?"
Me: "This is Conrad again... I called yesterday and nobody ever called me back-
M&R: "Oh uh... what happened was that I machined up the wrong block... I'm gonna work on it over the weekend and get it shipped out first thing on Monday"
Me: "Are you sure about that"
M&R: "Yeah"
Me: "Are you really sure?"
M&R: "Yeah we'll get it out-"
Me: "For reals this time?"
M&R: "Yeah"
Me: "Ok then... bye"

Guilty moves? Machined up the wrong block? What they don't know is that I'm (supposedly, not sure now) going to be in LA next weekend, and if it's not done by then, I'm going to land a boot up somebodys ass for sure for fucking up my vacation.

Atilla the Fun wrote:those manifolds have a nice flange for going turbocharged, tho I doubt that would be feasible. With car headers, I'd say you should be around 450 HP. Thus, be sure your fuel system is up to it, going lean is a great way to hole a hypereutectic piston. Your previous build, with log manifolds, would not exceed 350 horses.

Yeah my previous build, going by an extension of the RPM vs HP absorbtion chart showed it making ~300-325HP, with no signs of cavitation burn that'd indicate slippage of the impeller.

I'm shooting for an honest 375HP, maaaybe closer to 400 if I'm lucky with these manifolds. Makes me wish I had an old truck to drop it into or something.

When your funds allow it, get those extrude honed.

Hmmmm, looks like I should be seeing that engine show up here Friday, right about the time Chris is in LA - couldn't have scheduled that worse if we tried.

Eh, it'll happen.

I heard it's here already.. er, there..