The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 2: No Replacement For Displacement

[femurphy77]

All good points and fits my description pretty well.
Mustang owner down the street has a warmed up 4.6 3 peddle car. It ran pretty well actually. He put the juice to it. Just a 75 HP kit but man you can hear it when he pushes the button.
Thing about all of this, personal perception of what is cool. The juice is an elective. Even if you are on the button/RPM module it will not flow if you are not WOT. There is a micro switch that prohibits it. If the little peddle is not firmly implanted in the carpet no go juice. I am putting a plate system on the guys Cutlass I just built the motor for. I feel pretty confident he will drain the tank showing off with the purge button. The streets will be safe.

Having 300 HP in a sweet driver is a hoot on any level. Especially one that will turn/stop. Going left and right takes a set of skills that many do not posses. I can do it I just am not Ricky Racer good at it. I can follow you anywhere but staying in front of you is the challenge.

To be fair I guess one of these days I should schmooze a ride from one of you bottle babies, who knows, they may make a kit for the 4.4 liter BMW V8!

 

[churchmouse]

To be fair I guess one of these days I should schmooze a ride from one of you bottle babies, who knows, they may make a kit for the 4.4 liter BMW V8!

When I roll mine out come spring you are more than welcome to go for a burn with me. Just the engine will make anyone smile and frighten others. Engage the elective and it is on now.

I run an RPM module to limit when the system can hit the engine. Usually a 3500 chip and WOT switch. Makes things so much more predictable.

 

[thunderchicken]

So you have been rules limited in a run what you brung heads up class....????
Or is this a cubic inches thing.

Well it's a semi run what you brung class. It's wide open until you go faster than 4.70. Then they have minimum weights depending on small block/ big block, conventional or nonconventional heads, NA or power adder. Nitrous cars can have 1 kit with a controller or 2 kits with no controller (all on off the T brake). So basically our car has to weigh 3000 for Big block under 5" bore with nitrous + 100 for Nonconventional heads + 50 for sheet metal intake, limited to 1 nos kit with controller...so 3150 min weight.

 

[thunderchicken]

To be fair I guess one of these days I should schmooze a ride from one of you bottle babies, who knows, they may make a kit for the 4.4 liter BMW V8!

I only have one seat so if you wanna ride you gotta sit right on top the rockets with no belts. Lol

 

[femurphy77]

I only have one seat so if you wanna ride you gotta sit right on top the rockets with no belts. Lol

I'll bring my beat up cowboy hat and do my best Slim Pickens!

 

[churchmouse]

After some research and considerations I am opting out of the 4L60 I have in hand as it is an "E" series. If I am dropping $500+ on a stand alone ECU I will put a 4L80E behind the engine and not dwell on how long it might live.

Looks like I am going back over to the yard and turn some cars over.
3/4 ton 2WD truck will be my target.

 

[femurphy77]

After some research and considerations I am opting out of the 4L60 I have in hand as it is an "E" series. If I am dropping $500+ on a stand alone ECU I will put a 4L80E behind the engine and not dwell on how long it might live.

Looks like I am going back over to the yard and turn some cars over.
3/4 ton 2WD truck will be my target.

Sounds like fun! I'll be headed that way shortly, I've decided to go with hydraboost for the power brakes in the galaxie. I think it will probably be a cleaner install and ultimately be an easier install as a vacuum system will undoubtedly need a vacuum pump and an accumulator just to get the poor brake feel up to marginal. It "should" also be cheaper but we all know how THAT typically works out!

 

[churchmouse]

Sounds like fun! I'll be headed that way shortly, I've decided to go with hydraboost for the power brakes in the galaxie. I think it will probably be a cleaner install and ultimately be an easier install as a vacuum system will undoubtedly need a vacuum pump and an accumulator just to get the poor brake feel up to marginal. It "should" also be cheaper but we all know how THAT typically works out!

I have assisted in the install of a system that runs off the power steering pump. It was installed in a 1960 Ford Starliner with a big FE based stroker and a roller cam. Vacuum was to low at idle with the dual 4 barrels for the power brakes. Not completely sure how this system worked but it did and was slick looking as well.

 

[churchmouse]

How did I spend my afternoon......

It is all but done and ready. I have to go through the carb as it has been sitting since probably 10. I have all the gaskets. Not sure where to start with the jetting as I pulled some of it's teeth.

 

[femurphy77]

I'm not typically a superstitious person but I'm beginning to believe that my galaxie is cursed or at least experiencing some type of "groundhog day" event as I continue to do everything multiple times on it with the same result; something's broke! I picked up the rebuilt (again) pumpkin from Jason over at Elite next to Automotion Friday afternoon and spent Saturday morning putting it in, adjusting the bm shifter and a couple of other minor issues.

I took the car out to make sure the tranny was shifting properly and there weren't any weird noises emanating from it or the rearend and came back satisfied that perhaps those two troublemakers were now behind me. I did a quick little burnout in the shop just because I could and shut it down. I had been a little concerned with the noise level from the valvetrain but comp cams assured me it was normal.

In spite of their assurance I had decided to check the clearance on all of the pushrods as the 390 has a non adjustable valve train. In doing my little burnout in the shop the rear of the car had shifted to the left about a foot so I started the car to move it back over to give me more room around it as I went thru the task of checking the pushrods. Upon starting it there was a very loud lifter based noise suddenly and almost immediately it sounded as if something had impacted the valve cover so I shut it off immediately and started pulling the valve covers.

Everything looked good except one lifter that I was able to compress by pushing down on the rocker arm with one finger. Not good but it wasn't at speed or under load so a collapsed lifter so no big deal right??

I still haven't located the rest of it, presumably in the pan. I can't see any cam damage but without pulling the cam it's a crap shoot and the odds aren't in the shooters favor.

****!!

 

[churchmouse]

I'm not typically a superstitious person but I'm beginning to believe that my galaxie is cursed or at least experiencing some type of "groundhog day" event as I continue to do everything multiple times on it with the same result; something's broke! I picked up the rebuilt (again) pumpkin from Jason over at Elite next to Automotion Friday afternoon and spent Saturday morning putting it in, adjusting the bm shifter and a couple of other minor issues.

I took the car out to make sure the tranny was shifting properly and there weren't any weird noises emanating from it or the rearend and came back satisfied that perhaps those two troublemakers were now behind me. I did a quick little burnout in the shop just because I could and shut it down. I had been a little concerned with the noise level from the valvetrain but comp cams assured me it was normal.

In spite of their assurance I had decided to check the clearance on all of the pushrods as the 390 has a non adjustable valve train. In doing my little burnout in the shop the rear of the car had shifted to the left about a foot so I started the car to move it back over to give me more room around it as I went thru the task of checking the pushrods. Upon starting it there was a very loud lifter based noise suddenly and almost immediately it sounded as if something had impacted the valve cover so I shut it off immediately and started pulling the valve covers.

Everything looked good except one lifter that I was able to compress by pushing down on the rocker arm with one finger. Not good but it wasn't at speed or under load so a collapsed lifter so no big deal right??

I still haven't located the rest of it, presumably in the pan. I can't see any cam damage but without pulling the cam it's a crap shoot and the odds aren't in the shooters favor.

****!!

Damn it all man.
Can you pull the plugs and have someone rotate the engine as you look down the lifter bore at the cam. Do the FE heads hinder this...??

 

[churchmouse]

Talked with my guy at the salvage yard. He is on the hunt for a 4L80 E out of a 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive truck or a van.
Not going to waste my time with the 4L60.

 

[femurphy77]

Damn it all man.
Can you pull the plugs and have someone rotate the engine as you look down the lifter bore at the cam. Do the FE heads hinder this...??

I've got the intake off and have a clear view of the lifter bore and the cam lobes thru it, I'll probably do a visual as you suggest and go from there. I've run across a couple of discussions about multiple comp cam lifter failures in the recent passt possibly linked to production off shoring. I'm going to follow up with them and hope there is something they're willing to do about this.

I've NEVER seen a lifter fail like this before and I've built and torn down my share of engines. Hell thru all the abuse of various iterations of race car motor I've never had any type of component failure!

 

[femurphy77]

Talked with my guy at the salvage yard. He is on the hunt for a 4L80 E out of a 3/4 ton 2 wheel drive truck or a van.
Not going to waste my time with the 4L60.

The neighbor rolled up a pickup last night that I'm fairly sure he'll chop up for scrap, I'll check and see if it's a gm product in a little bit. Who knows, you might score a transmission and I might score a hydraboost!

Just checked, it is a 2wd 3/4 ton automatic but it's a blue oval.

 

[churchmouse]

The neighbor rolled up a pickup last night that I'm fairly sure he'll chop up for scrap, I'll check and see if it's a gm product in a little bit. Who knows, you might score a transmission and I might score a hydraboost!

4L80-E is my target.

 

[halfmileharry]

I've got the intake off and have a clear view of the lifter bore and the cam lobes thru it, I'll probably do a visual as you suggest and go from there. I've run across a couple of discussions about multiple comp cam lifter failures in the recent passt possibly linked to production off shoring. I'm going to follow up with them and hope there is something they're willing to do about this.

I've NEVER seen a lifter fail like this before and I've built and torn down my share of engines. Hell thru all the abuse of various iterations of race car motor I've never had any type of component failure!

I've seen failures like that twice on 8K rpm motors due to valve spring failure. A weak spring can let the slop and high rpm hammering begin

 

[halfmileharry]

Just a Poncho thought... Cody Jones tore it up.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Whats the $200.00 buck difference? 100 rpm? What says the pros. Recent events have me all types of antsy to get cruisin.

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/6040...MIiMzD4_rU1QIVS5F-Ch2PhAQYEAQYAiABEgIaefD_BwE


https://m.summitracing.com/parts/bm...MIy4ftufvU1QIVzWV-Ch30Iwy3EAQYAyABEgK_IPD_BwE

 

[halfmileharry]

Whats the $200.00 buck difference? 100 rpm? What says the pros. Recent events have me all types of antsy to get cruisin.

JEGS Performance Products 60402: Torque Converter GM TH350/TH400 | JEGS


https://m.summitracing.com/parts/bm...MIy4ftufvU1QIVzWV-Ch30Iwy3EAQYAyABEgK_IPD_BwE

B&M is good stuff but for many street applications it might be overkill. I'm not sure what you're wanting it do do exactly. Just cruising? Save the bucks and buy the Jegs USA made.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

We are looking at a street car. Not trying to hit the strip. I figure if i mess up install on the jegs i can try it again and still be under the cost of the b and m!