Project Orange Crush (57 3100)

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Today is the start of my weekend long engine build I spent a few hours cleaning the garage and getting a decent work space available we have a severe lack of counter space to say the least.

But once that was over with some decent progress was made

first I had to move this hunk of junk out of the way

That's better

Operating room prepped

The patient is ready doctor "snaps glove"

Installed core/oil plugs cant believe it took me this long to think of doing this to install them

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Cam bearing installation went better then expected



I will insure correct tolerances on the crank after my file fit rings are done for now lets just get it off the floor



I can't get over the level of precision on the weight balancing of these things just bare with me I'm a little excited

[Valarius_Starchaser]

And now I pass out gentleman up at 6 down at 1 nothing like a hard days work

[Advanced Design]

That was a fun evening. Coming together nicely! Oh, the hunk of junk you moved out looked pretty nice too.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

That was a fun evening. Coming together nicely! Oh, the hunk of junk you moved out looked pretty nice too.

Thanks AD that's my stepfathers and its caused more then its fair share of blood sweet and tears in the last year so I'm still "mad at it"

But on to the task at hand I'm full of eggs bacon and coffee lets get this show on the road!

[Kim57]

Looks like fun.
Kim

[Valarius_Starchaser]

The insanity continues!

making good progress only had to move around a few bearings due to clearance issues so all in all these SCAT rods are a high quality piece with precision machining

I spent about 3 hours file fitting piston rings which was oddly therapeutic and maddening at the same time





Look at all that material!

Be sure to take notes as we go along

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Several hours later I have the view that I have been dreaming of for oh so long

[Advanced Design]

Eye candy...lotta ring filing!

[Kim57]

Real nice.
Kim

[ptc]

Motor Build 101! -- you got it down....

what heads you going with? any trade secrets you gonna show us on them????

[Valarius_Starchaser]

I am running 119cc cast 781 heads that I extensively ported and polished/ gasket matched on the intake side and ported on the exhaust side I chose these heads for one reason affordability and the only gain I get with aluminum a is weight reduction and more chamber selection on a "nice head" they are in the future but for now it's a "budget build"

Today my new valve guide cutting bit came in so can run positive seals and double springs with 115 seat pressure and 325 open (if I remember correct) gotta give that .540 lift cam something to fight against now don't we?

Other then that no real "trade secrets" this is my first "high performance" build

[lower50's]

MMM them are some sexy looking pistons.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Progress progress progress blah blah blah

I spent last night cutting the valve guide down for positive seals and double springs took about 45 minutes to cut all 16 guides and an hour to clean one head out. But then I found a problem with my head gaskets.... info to follow

My weapon of choice



Before

After

Voila its magic!

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Always use lubricant

One head done



Dual springs

For those that have good attention to detail you will see that I took the second spring out of the center to not wipe the cam on initial break in its cheap insurance

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Then things got interesting the instruction on these 1407 felpro gasket said to add coolant holes if they aren't present so here goes nothing I said










This all took me until about 11:30 to get done so then I said "I can but one head on I'm not that tired

[lower50's]

It may have taken a long time to do, but you must be so happy with the outcome!!!

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Boom



And when all this was done I looked at the clock and it said 1:00


So that's how she sits today waiting for 5 o'clock

[Valarius_Starchaser]

The following night I got the other head and intake on torqued and DONE so happy to check that off the list





Now I need to find a power steering bracket I have three pumps laying around but no side mount brackets

other than that shes off my mind for now on to the next battle

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Also figured I would share a bit of horsepower numbers the build was based on a Super Chevy budget 454 build so this will give me an indication of power numbers

Here's the article in full http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/eng...-engine-build/


So we will see where I fall one day but I can't be that far off right?

[lower50's]

Lookin good. I'm guessing about 10-15 hp difference? Fingers crossed it's the same.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Yah I figure a lot will be based on my non aluminum heads and the stock 1.5 rockers someday though

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Tore into the 4L80e tonight anyone that has ever been inside on of them will know how brutally simple they are.

My unit was a good running one out of a 2000 Express 2500 van so plenty of heavy loads in its life only 110k on it though everything looked good, after further researching the HD2 Transgo kit I decided it wasn't for me and so I will piece out some stuff for my application

What I will do to it is:
- Dual feed mod
- New seals as required
- New snap rings
- Filter (Duh)
- New thrust washer
- New Bands (both looked like they got hot a time or two)
- Sonnax boost valve
- Half a set of piston return springs

All to produce some faster shifts I see no reason to touch anything else such as higher quality clutches and steels or the addition of one set to make it "stronger" because with the total weight and power number of my truck I feel like it will hold fine behind my engine we shall wait and see if this school of thought will pay off.

Anyone with other thoughts/experience? I know these things aren't heavily used at least not in these trucks so maybe I'm talking to myself right now?

[Kim57]

Engine looks good.
I had to change the pump in my trans so I did new upgraded frictions at that time.
Kim

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Finally got around to wire wheeling/grinding down that axle housing I think I got gun-shy from having it fracture my finger (that nails looking pretty nasty right now defanitly only going to have 4 nails on my left hand for my wedding )

Here's a few pictures of the trans tear down and the axle before and after