Engine Build

[ryanralston07]

Ok.....like....now?

Quite awhile ago...maybe a year or so? It's been awhile though. What you think about my build plans? Any suggestions that will fit with my goals of power (550rwhp) and budget of under $3k (I've got a friend building the motor for a steak dinner and another friend that will do the machining for free)?

 

[ryanralston07]

UPDATE: The build has been put on hold...AGAIN! I'm needing a winch for my truck and something to mount it on since deer season (and with deer season come fall and winter) is coming up I need something to guide the trees when they fall that I cut down for use in the fireplace (snatchblock aids in this) and also the winch for driving around the farm in some places I don't normally go until deer season. I decided one thing to do instead is to get a good exhaust, shocks/struts, gears, tires, and a new driveshaft and see how that meets my power needs. If not, then I'll build, if they do, I'll keep on keeping on.

Plans are this:
3.73 FRPP Gears
Mac LT's with prochamber
Roush or Saleen struts and shocks
Roush, FRPP, or Saleen sway bars
New driveshaft (haven't decided what brand or size yet)
Nitto 305/40/18 rear tires and BFGoodrich 255/45's still up front

If I think of anything else, I will update this thread.

 

[ryanralston07]

So I've still been doing some reading and studying and have a few questions:
1) My goals have changed to having around 575-600rwhp. When will I need a new input shaft?
2) Will I need work to the heads like phasers, retainers, springs, etc.?
3) If I just add 60# injectors to my fuel system that is with the HO Whipple...will that be enough to support those hp numbers?

 

[Lon86]

Ok I'll try to answer some of your questions being that I'm in the process of a build with those hp numbers as a goal:

1) I replaced my input shaft with a billet one being that I didn't want to run that much power through an oem part that is no where near rated to handle that kind of power. And unless you have a tuner who is extremely knowledgeable with these transmissions, I'd get a tune from JDM. Too many times I've read about guys trashing their input shafts due to shitty tunes, or no tune at all, with much lower hp at that.
2) I wound up having to replace my cam phasers because the motor was having problems building boost, even with a 10% OD and 2.8 in pulley, with an 8-rib setup. I also had mild porting done to the heads to help make power at lower boost levels. I opted not to do the valve springs being that 600rwhp is the absolute max I wanna do. If you're planning on having an all-out race car running 20+ psi, then yeah I would upgrade them.
3) I have 63lb injectors and last week the car put down 568, but the converter wasn't locking up at all. I had it pulled apart and it was completely trashed lol. The TCI streetfighter isn't a bad converter for a car with basic bolt-ons, but for FI applications, they are completely useless. I had the converter sent to a guy who builds custom transmissions for Lightnings and he's going to replace the lockup clutch that I trashed, put in kevlar discs and a custom low stall for my whipple.

Once the converter gets back I'll finally be done with this build. It's been a LONG 3 months without my car!