The Cart Before the Horse: Spec 3 Build

[Kaan]

time to build a beast motor... ready set go

[Senor_Taylor]

time to build a beast motor... ready set go

Spec Class. Peak HP is like 194, I was at 189. This class isn't competitive enough to warrant blueprinting or anything, so junk yard motor it is.

[Kaan]

time to build a beast motor... ready set go

Spec Class. Peak HP is like 194, I was at 189. This class isn't competitive enough to warrant blueprinting or anything, so junk yard motor it is.

i mean HC is basically a spec class... we have HP caps and all... you want the power to come on early and roll all the way up to red line. if you dont think your competitors are going to do it... you are wrong. i actually think your glass is very competitive, especially in the top 3-4 folks. 

i have a motor within 1.5 hp of my cap and i'm looking for "more."

[Senor_Taylor]

Okay, well I don't care to put that work in just yet. I just want to go out and drive and have fun.

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[Kaan]

Okay, well I don't care to put that work in just yet. I just want to go out and drive and have fun.

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come on over to the edge... this slippery slope is nice

[NTIman]

LS Swap! Just put a Roundel somewhere on it to fool all of you competitors.

[Scott]

time to build a beast motor... ready set go

Spec Class. Peak HP is like 194, I was at 189. This class isn't competitive enough to warrant blueprinting or anything, so junk yard motor it is.

Oh grasshopper, we all wish this was the case.  Keep in mind I race in a Spec class with motors sealed on the dyno, we even spec the weight of the oil that goes in the motor/diff/trans and it must be changed with unopened bottles right before rolling on the dyno.

You will need to up that torque.  What's the max overbore you can do?  Whatever it is, do it.  Every little bit matters.  Junkyard motors only make sense if you need to detune them to the class limit.

Also, why build a car for a non-competitive class?  I mean, getting a trophy is cool is the first couple of times, but you want to race where the car count it.  You'll get faster quicker, and learn more race craft.  Winning the NASA SSM races was fun a couple of times with 3-5 cars, but I'm having way more fun in a field 40+ deep.

Now is the time to start thinking about what your end goal is for racing and start building towards that.  Don't spend the money twice.

[Senor_Taylor]

Yeah I know. I can build a motor later. I'm just trying to "get out there" however I can. I built for this class because I love the chassis and I like the idea of the class.

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[Senor_Taylor]

Still looking for a motor. Pulled mine out and started taking parts off of it.



Oh yeah, and it definitely dropped a valve

[Senor_Taylor]

Going to snag a 120k mile engine out of an automatic e34 tomorrow (just outside NYC, youch) so I bit the bullet and ordered a new flywheel, clutch, and various gaskets and fluids and I hope to swap all of that stuff over and get the car back together in the next couple of weeks.

Then over the winter I may try to find another motor and do a rebuild on that, although this engine should ideally be good. The good news is, since it's out of an e34, I can see the oil pan for $300 if I'm lucky and the intake manifold for $100-150 and make most of my money back. The real big hit here with finding the motor was having the shell out for the new flywheel and clutch since I'm REQUIRED to run the factory dual mass unit and that's $1000 from BMW or $300 for an OE unit.

[Senor_Taylor]

10 hours of driving and I have a low mileage engine with parts to sell. Work begins tomorrow. Hoping Felton will let me work the last NASA event so I can test this engine out.

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[ScottyB]

nice grab! sucks it was so far away but sometimes you just gotta roll with it.

[Senor_Taylor]

Took a break from the e21 and did some stuff to the Fiesta which then let me make more space in the garage so I could work on the engine again. Finished disassembling down to the block and crank. Exhaust cam bearing surfaces did not look good. Intake cam looked fine, but then that intake valve that dropped did not look good at all.

Got the other engine off the truck and into the garage. Taking a break for now after a full day in the garage and I'll pick back up tomorrow after tending to the F150. Need to swap the water pump, oil pickup, oil pump nut and safety wire (ordered new), exhaust manifolds, engine mounts, fuel rails, install new oil pan gasket and valve cover gasket, remove ac compressor and bracket/pulley, swap over coolant block off plate from head and coolant temp sensor. Inspect sensors and wires, install new rear main seal, flywheel, clutch, then bolt up the trans and throw it back in.

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[Senor_Taylor]

I have the new engine torn down. It's pretty gross inside and out, so there's been a lot of cleaning. Two of the timing chain guides were broken, but the one that is not broken can't be replaced without pulling the head, so I'm at a crossroads right now where I need to decide to button it back up now with just the two new guides, or jump in with both feet and pull the head and do all of that stuff.

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[Scott]

Pull the head, have it freshened up, and do the timing guides right. You'll save yourself a headache later.

[Deceus]

Pull the head, have it freshened up, and do the timing guides right.  You'll save yourself a headache later.

This x10

Just about every seemly insignificant shortcut I took building my motor came back to haunt me. If it were me, knowing what I know now, I'd strip it all the way down just to see what everything looks like. Gaskets and bearings are relatively cheap, getting the motor out and on a stand is 90% of the battle. That's probably overkill but you it certainly doesn't get any more convenient than right now especially with winter coming up.

[Kaan]

Pull the head, have it freshened up, and do the timing guides right.  You'll save yourself a headache later.

This x10

Just about every seemly insignificant shortcut I took building my motor came back to haunt me. If it were me, knowing what I know now, I'd strip it all the way down just to see what everything looks like. Gaskets and bearings are relatively cheap, getting the motor out and on a stand is 90% of the battle. That's probably overkill but you it certainly doesn't get any more convenient than right now especially with winter coming up.

X 11tybillionmillion

IMHO, to save money in the long run and to be confident in your motor... shut down the 2020 season and game plan for 2021 with a fresh and confident motor. A motor, that if done right, will be closer to the front runners and probably give you a chance on a podium spot when its race time. its not like the BMWs need rebuilds every year to keep the power up.

[Senor_Taylor]

None of this is going to give me any power increase, but I get what y'all are saying. We'll see. I need to let money settle down if I'm going this route and maybe get through December but I drop money on head gasket and head work.

[Kaan]

None of this is going to give me any power increase, but I get what y'all are saying. We'll see. I need to let money settle down if I'm going this route and maybe get through December but I drop money on head gasket and head work.

assuming this motor bottom end is at least as healthy as your last... decking the head and a solid valve job will gain you pow pow. heck the right kinda valve job will gain you 3-4 hp with that many cylinders.

[Scott]

None of this is going to give me any power increase, but I get what y'all are saying. We'll see. I need to let money settle down if I'm going this route and maybe get through December but I drop money on head gasket and head work.

Having the head decked and rebuilt will definitely give you a bump in power.  The bigger thing from all of this is to save yourself the headache and loss of track time later.  Reliability is the key.  Also you will go faster not having the thought of what you didn't fix in the back of your head, which will rear it's head at the worst possible time and you'll be hunting for a new motor again.  

The season is basically over anyway, no need to hurry.  Do it right.