As many of you guys know, I've been tuning the charger on my car. As the tune got closer, I got more and more worried about the bottom end of my motor. I tore the motor out of the car to place a Halo girdle and studs in the mains. This is an update as to what's happened so far............................ While the motor was out of the car, I decided to "Lower" the compression on the motor. I had been using TA's "orang crush" head gasket. I was told about a detroit gasket that was .060 in thickness (orange crushes big brother) that would lower my CP about .5. While the heads were off, I did more combustion chamber work (unshrouding and opening the chambers up more) I really feel I've taken a full point off the CP with the gasket plus the material I removed from the heads....... Now for the bottom end. Dispite some giving me advice of not using the studs / girdle without reline honing the motor, others told me I shouldn't have a problem. Worring more about the block wiggling than a bearing spinning, I decided to go ahead and install the girdle and studs (it's a good thing I did). Upon removing the main caps, I found that the #2, 3, and 4 main bearnings were already showing signs of "crank walk". Now granted, this motor already had 20k of "HARD" miles before the charger I'm sure they were detirerating before the charger install however, I'm sure the extra power didn't help them out much either Below are the picks of the bad bearnings......... #2
Number 1 and 5 were in perfect shape..... wich to me means the 2, 3, and 4 bearings were seening some movent (I could be wrong). I'm replacing the bearings with the new FM 270 groved bearnings. part # 157M . They look like really nice pieces........ If all goes well, I'll have it back in the car by Sat night. I'll be posting picks of the girdle install as well.............. Stay tuned..... updated times to come shortly :Brow:
Yeah.. the timing was perfect on this deal that's for sure. If I had ran it like it was until the Vegas met, I'm afraid something bad may have happened down there. I just got done plastic gauging the mains (with the studs and the halo girdle). Everything checkt out great with the new bearings. It read right at .003 right across the board on all mains. No machine work has to be done for this girdle. The halo basically bolts nuts on top of the main caps. This ties all the mains together and keeps them from "walking" around. I've talked to a few people that have had success running 650HP with the setup. The only thing it requires is a new oil pan. Sure it's not as stong as the TA block girdle, but it's not as much $$$ either. Were I didn't want to sink any more money in machining on my block, this should work out great. 650.00 bucks included the stud kit, girdle, and the alum pan that's need for girdle clearance. More to come.
The extended oil pick-up comes with the kit as well. The kit is very complete. Stef's makes the pan and the pick-up tube.
Hey Steve, Dave Dehabey is the one putting them together. I blieve you can also by the kits through Jim Burek as well........ If you would like like Dave's number, let me know and I'll send it your way.
The Halo girdle and pan are available from PAE. Here is some info from there site... http://www.paeenterprises.com/paeframe.html (click on new products) SRE may also have a pan that works with this girdle as he does make a pan that works with the full TA girdle.
Welp.......... No pan today Since I won't have for tomorrow, I won't be able to make further progress until next Thursday. Dave did say he was going to see what they would do on price since it's not 2 weeks later than Stef's said....... That would make my good deal even better. :grin: I was Oh so wishing I could get it all back together this week end tho.......... Now if all goes well, I'll only have 2 weeks of tweeking before the Vegas meet.....
Head Gasket Rich, Where did you get the .060 head gasket? What was the cost and do you have a Detroit part number? I am in the process of doing the exact same things to my turbo 455. My middle mains looked about like yours too, not quite as bad. I want to lower my compression about .6-.7 so that gasket would help. Thanks Brent
Hey Brent, the part number is 20365CS . They need to be torqued just like the "orang crush" gaskets. You will also need to file the dowl holes for proper fitment of the fire rings (they are slightly off). Rich
Well........... I spent tonight pulling the motor completly apart . Upon the last through inspection, I noticed the cam bearnings didn't look very health at all (the edge of the bearings were smashed out and seperating). I went pulled the motor all the way down so the cam bearnings can be stuck in properly. While it's down, it just as well get "Line honed" and cylinder honed for new rings........... Man it's really going to be a thrash to make it to Vegas I've been looking forward to it all year, hopefully I can get this done in time to make it............................................. I'll post pics of the bearings tomorrow.
Hope everything goes smoothly and quickly from here!! I think it's safe to say...we're ALL rooting for you to get it back together and make it to Vegas!!:TU: :bglasses: Can't wait to see what it's capable of running!!!
Thanks Scott....... Hopefully it goes smooth from here... If so, I should be able to make it. Here are a couple of the pictures. they really don't show the damage very well..............
As it turns out, the Cam is slightly bad to (very minor pitting). I'll be replacing it and the lifters as well........... so much for not having to break anything in Man I hope everything comes this week and I can get it back together in time for a a few hundred miles before Vegas........
Looks like everthing is in place for me to start building the motor tonight. The pan just came today so all the pieces are now here . The Block's cylinder walls have bee honed, and new dual groove cam bearnings (teflon coated) have been install. New rings, HP rod and main bearings are going back in as well. I'll be sticking with the same Crower cam since my push rods were made for it and the spring preaser was setup for it as well. The cam has been slightly altured so it favors the exg more (better for boost). Below are a couple pics of the pan.......
