1000 miles for a stroker install!

[hamish]

Had this done 2 weeks ago.
Finally have some time to post results.
As the title says I drove over 1000miles to get a 302ci stroker installed.
Left from my small town in Northwest B.C. Canada and drove to TMS in Auburn Wash.
Engine build is as follows:

L&M engines Pistons .020" over
Saleen 3.8" stroker forged kellogg crank
Manley 5.85" H beam rods with Arp 2000 bolts
12300's + Livernoise limiters
Hand ported heads
60 lb. injectors
T.S.S. billet oil pump
Innovators west 10% od harmonic balancer
3.2" pulley for the supershaker.
k&n breathers

All machine work was done out of Auburn machine
running 20w50

Installed a new exedy p51 clutch + Fidanza aluminum flywheel

I took my girlfriend down for the install and spent most of our time in Seattle together.
Originally anticipated installing a Saleen glass roof aswell but the glass had some scratches so we postponed it till we can find out if it can be fixed.
That sucked because we travelled east through Washington state through northern Idaho and up through Banff and Jasper National parks as our return route.
When all was said and done we travelled a total of about 2500 miles before we got home.
Had a great time and made alot of memories.
Heres some pics

Seattle from the space needle

Air and space museum

Heading east through Wash.

Idaho

Jasper National park

 

[UltraKla$$ic]

Congrats!!! Thanks for sharing the pics too!!!

 

[BAKnBLK2010]

Nice build! Were you a little nervous heading that far back home with the brand new set up? I would have been. Glad you made it home safely.

 

[hamish]

Extremely Nervous!!!
Heading away from home and the safety of the shop seemed like a terrible idea.
But as I drove through Wash I was preoccupied.
I had never been that way.
I was very careful with the new setup, I was doing my best to alternate the rpms for the first 200 or so miles.
Absolutely babied the new clutch.
The car has about 80 more hp/tq. and it was already a handful!
Pulls real strong felt safe with it after the first day.

 

[19COBRA93]

That's awesome! Dedication to the hobby right there.

 

[chrismc]

Wow awesome drive isn't it? How much is it to have a glass roof installed?

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[hamish]

Wow awesome drive isn't it? How much is it to have a glass roof installed?

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

I was quoted about $1000!
I had all of the Saleen installation instructions.
It didn't look too difficult.

 

[HEMI LOL]

man you should posted something up, i woulda come by and said hi.

 

[hamish]

man you should posted something up, i woulda come by and said hi.

I would have loved to have met you down there, But I figured I'd stay away from the shop while they worked on the car this time.
Besides I promised my girl some "city romance".
I will be back down there in Aug/Sept, I'm hoping to get out to the track in bremerton. I'll be letting you know when I'm on my way hoping to meet up with the wash. mustang crowd.

 

[BruceH]

I would have loved to have met you down there, But I figured I'd stay away from the shop while they worked on the car this time.
Besides I promised my girl some "city romance".
I will be back down there in Aug/Sept, I'm hoping to get out to the track in bremerton. I'll be letting you know when I'm on my way hoping to meet up with the wash. mustang crowd.

Sorry I missed you. How do you like the heads? I think I'm going to be taking a set down to Andy soon.

 

[hamish]

I wanted them to be flow tested, but that never happened.
I did get a chance to see one of them and he really did a number on the exhaust port, looks mostly like a gasket match to me.
He also knife edged the intake.
I did talk to him after and he said he had done a few sets and all came out roughly the same for flow.
Not alot of work done anywhere else.
He did give me some flow numbers of his set.
If you want them let me know.
I can only hope mine are close to what he acheived.

 

[lito]

Beautiful pictures, those piston look awesome.

 

[hamish]

Beautiful pictures, those piston look awesome.

Yeah ya see the thing with that is...
Those are the before pics.
After mocking up the engine before final assembly the machinist noticed them sticking up out of the hole.
It turns out after they skimmed the heads and block he didn't feel comfortable with their height and suggested we take .01" off of the piston tops.
I tried my best to find thicker gaskets in time but couldn't.
And was left with the decision.
I was pissed to say the least but had to make the choice.
So the pistons were machined and I lost my ceramic coating on the top ringland.
they now sit .003 in the hole.

 

[shelbie67]

That's awesome, beautiful pictures and sounds like a great trip....i bet you made it home "faster" than the drive out....

 

[hamish]

Thanks, it was one to remember.

 

[GT E UPP]

Congrats on your stoker install Hamish...Enjoy, and hang on now !!! (LOL)

 

[nele22]

Those pictures are amazing. What camera are you using?

 

[s8v4o]

Is that heavy of a weight oil common? If so why?

 

[lito]

Yeah ya see the thing with that is...
Those are the before pics.
After mocking up the engine before final assembly the machinist noticed them sticking up out of the hole.
It turns out after they skimmed the heads and block he didn't feel comfortable with their height and suggested we take .01" off of the piston tops.
I tried my best to find thicker gaskets in time but couldn't.
And was left with the decision.
I was pissed to say the least but had to make the choice.
So the pistons were machined and I lost my ceramic coating on the top ringland.
they now sit .003 in the hole.

Uh, they most have shaved quite a lot.

Is that heavy of a weight oil common? If so why?

This and a 3V or even worse a GT500 based TSS pump would deliver real crazy oil pressures.

 

[hamish]

Sorry Lito I think they are at +.003 not below deck.
When I talked to Michael at L&M he wasn't exactly thrilled with the choice of 20w50 or the clearances.
rod clearance - .00225"
mains - .0025"
side clearance - .018"
Pretty Loose.