I can now start building my supercharged 383. After a long time searching, I just picked up a brand new ZZ4, 4 bolt main, roller cam, bare block. This is a rough cast block, never been used. Best part is I got it for $250!
This week it will go to the machine shop and hopefully in a month or two I will have a rotating assembly so I can start clearancing the block.

 

wow thats not a bad price, after all the machine work you will still be under the price of a new block

 

Might want to swap it out to someone and find yourself a used block.

Seasoned blocks seem to do better than new ones when your talking stock blocks and any real strain on them.

Any shifting that occurs already has and is stable in a "seasoned" block while it has not even yet to occur in a new block. U correct for it in the seasoned block thru proper machine work and the tolerances tend to say closer.

Just something to think about

later
Jeremy

 

Jeremy is exactly right. If you stroke that virgin block and force it you will blow it apart. After many heat cycles a block has done its twisting. You are better off useing a seasoned block.

 

yes so you should give that block to me for free of course, so i can spray a garden hose at it with nitrous.

 

I had forgotten about this post, so I have not updated it. The block is at the machine shop right now having the machine work done on it.
I purchased a Scat rotating assembly (Forged crank, forged aluminum pistons -18cc, and forged 6" rods) and will order AFR 210 heads in a couple of days.
I am going to continue running fuel injection (Holley Stealth Ram) so I have built a Megasquirt EFI controller. I installed it on the 305 and have been testing it out. It really works great, I have full control of fuel and spark in real time. I have driven the car about 12 miles with the Megasquirt running it. It has been on the highway and up to 5500 RPM with no problems. I can post pics if anyone is interested.
If I keep making progress at this rate, I may drive it to thirdgen fest this year.

 

I'd like to see those pics. That megasquirt stuff sounds a whole lot simpler than learning how to burn chips.

 

sounds like my combo, but im around 11:1, spray baby. did you ditch your stock computer completely? im planning on the megasquirt, but not sure about what ill loose. i know cruise control, but anything else?

 

i 2nd that thats why i jumpped on the deal i got to get the old school 010 4 bolt main block that has a good 4 year season rate on it and i got that block the steel forged crank and the fuelie heads for $150 :-D

 

With the Megasquirt I lost my TCC and cooling fans. I was told that I could modify the embedded code in the MS controller to control a cooling fan output, but I decided to go with a Nordskog digital coolant temp guage that had an output control for the cooling fan relay.

As far as the seasond block topic, thanks for your input, but it will be fine.

 

people who build huge HP motors out of dart or motown blocks use brand new blocks. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

What about the emissions stuff, like EGR? Can the megasquirt just be "piggybacked" onto the existing ECM? Maybe just chop the harness at the injectors and dist., and "t" the sensors back to both computers, but, still have all other functions, (speedo, cruise, evap. canister, VATS, etc.)? I guess it would probably throw codes, but, that would be no biggie.

 

thats also a different kind of metal that they use steve :-D we are talking about a stock block lol

 

If you just piggy back the factory ECM to the Megasquirt the bias resistors in the factory ECM will mess up the readings in the Megasquirt, causing your fuel delivery to be off. As far as the EGR, and cruise control, it does not yet have the capabilities (that I know of) to control that.

 

I took a brake from the Megasquirt last night and decided to do some work on the engine. I installed the rear main seal, oil pan studs, oil pump, and other things. Just some minor stuff to pass the time. Here are some photos of the engine on the stand:

 

And one with the Stealth Ram sitting on the block:

 

motor looks like it's coming along rather nicely. that stealth ram looks really tall in that last pic, although i'm guessing it's because there's no ehads on the motor either. Overall, I hope to see it out this summer. On the street or if you want to meet me at the track.

 

I got the cam last week from Lazer cams, it's a custom grind blower cam. The AFR heads went to inspection last week and should be here with in a few days, and I finally finished the install of the Megasquirt. I picked up a sumped fuel tank that had been further modified to run 3" true dual exhaust over the rear axle. I should have the engine comlplete in a week or so, then I need to upgrade the fuel system, install my sub-frame connectors, install a roll cage, and beef up the trans while it is out. As you can see, I still have alot of work to do. I hope to have it done this summer for some strip time. I am out of money for the car, so that will be the main hold up. Here are some pics:

 

The heads came in today! I assembled the engine, with the intake and valve covers mocked up. I still do not think I will have the car at the strip this year, due to funds being tight. Maybe I will make it out at the very end of the season. Now that the engine is wrapped up, I need to focus in the trans and read end.

 

Well, I made a little progress today. I mocked up the supercharger so I can measure for brackets that I need to make. I included a photo (just because I like posting photos of the project)

 

that's quite the motor you're building there, very impressive.

 

Thanks alot, I hope it runs like I expect it to. I would like to drive it to thirdgen fest 07.

 

what are you expecting it to run? low 11s? not sure if you're going to thirdgenfest this may or not but i'll be there trailering my camaro if you wanted to hop a ride over if your car won't be there and save the $35.

 

Low 11's are what I am hoping for with the motor and blower. After I tune it , I would eventually like to spray it into the 10's.
Thanks alot for the thirdgen fest offer. I do not konw if I will be able to attend yet. I may be able to make it on the 26th, but will not know until just before.

 

What's the progress on the motor and the megasquirt? I've got a couple of questions about the megasquirt?

 

Can't you take a new block to a heat treating facility and have it stress relieved before doing any machine work? I'm pretty sure it would be cheap insurance and cheap to do. 1100 degrees pretty much takes all the movement out of cast iron.
Just a thought(13 years as a heat treater).

 

The engine and transmission are done. I just finished putting in a sumped fuel tank and modifying the exhaust. I need to run new brake lines and install a line lock. I am also in the proccess of smoothing the firewall and painting the engine bay. Basically, I have all the parts, but neeed time to finish it. I hope to have it finished by fall (two kids and work make time the the garage scarce)What are the Megasquirt questions?
Also, I am having a hard time deciding where to mount my external fuel pump, if any of you have externally mounted fuel pumps I could use some pictures/advise. Thanks.

 

hey im building something kind of along the lines of what ur building there...but i bought a lotta parts and then decided to go huge and make it an all out strip car. i plan on an f-2 procharger with a 3.5" race intercooler and the holley stealth ram intake. im going to be running all forged internals with a stroker crank so it'll come out to like a 389 or something like that and im gonna have about 8:1 compression on race fuel and i want to run about 24-26 lbs of boost which procharger says can be done safely...now would that intake and the stock block with fabricated four bolt mains stand up to all this...im planning on about 1000 hp out of my combination. i just need some help on my combination considering ive never taken on something this big before...especially with the supercharger. any help would be appreciated. thanks
ostie_23@hotmail.com

 

1000 hp out of a stock block? good luck with that one....that's dart block territory and then you might as well build a 400-something engine and spin less RPMs to achieve that goal.

 

Yeah, it sounds like you are asking a little too much from the stock block. The guy that I bought my block from said that he got three of them new from a "cousin" who works for GM. He was running about 1100 HP in a nova and destroyed the first two blocks, which is why he sold the third.

 

Hey Blown 87 ok I'm having a problem where I'm not getting spark. What are you using for a distributor? Stock HEI? and do you have a remote coil hei or a is it in the cap? Or are you not using the MS to control ignition? Let me know when you can,

thanks,
Marc

 

I have a stock HEI ditstributor with the 7 pin module. It has the remote coil and I am using Megasquirt to control timing. I use the reference from the ignition module to feed the Megasquirt. The Megasquirt then triggers a MSD 6BTM ignition box which then fires the coil.
The only reason I have the 6BTM is because I used it when I was running the factory ECM, with the Megasquirt I can progran the sparks table based on manifold pressure. So now I just turn off the MSD boost timing control.

 

ok well then what version of megasquirt are you using? I've got MS1 V3.0 MSnS-E 29q. if your setup the same can I get your msq file? I'm wondering if I've got sompthing set up wrong in the software. I've double checked my wiring but have found nothing.

 

I am running MSII V3.0. I don't think it is the same. Did you build your own board? When building the board you have to configure it depending on what type of ignition you are using.

 

I saw 3.8TransAm's post asking what everyone has been up to. so I figured I would answer it here. I just finished priming the engine bay. I smoothed the firewall at the heater box. This weekend I will finish painting the engine bay. After that I will install sub-frame connectors. I hope to have this thing running by October. Once it is done I hope to bring it to some gatherings.

 

With all the work I have been doing, I decided to treat myself to an odometer calibration:

 

What did you use to fill the holes in the firewall? I'm going to be doing that pretty soon and any tips would be helpful.

 

I cut a piece of sheet metal and used structural panel adheisive to attach it(so I covered everything rather than filling it) to the firewall. Then I used body filler to blend it in.

 

Haha, I was wondering how you got it so smooth. I'd like to weld mine and was hoping you had some tricks. Thanks anyway.

 

My original plan was to weld it. After talking to a body guy that suggested the structural adhesive I looked into it. Apparently it holds as strong as a weld, does not absorb moisture (so no rusting), and has the ability to flex. Once it sets, it is solid. I am very comfortable with it and it made the project a breeze.
For what it is worth, I work for a fire department and we just took delivery of an ambulance that has the entire patient compartment assembled with adhesive (the complete outer shell).
If you are planning to do this I would really suggest looking into it. I used SpeedGrip Structural Adhesive by Norton.

 

The engine and trans are finally in. It has been slow going the past few weeks. I hope to make my goal of having it running in October (just in time for winter).

 

Well October flew by with no car running. The holidays and some family illness put the Camaro on hold. I am finishing some wiring. I am working hard to keep the engine bay clean with all the wires.
I think I will have it running this month (hopefully in May I won't be saying January flew by with no results). Come spring I will be taking it to the Barrington Square cruise night in Hoffman Estates, the Roselle cruise nights at Nerge and Plum Grove, and to Elmhurst, to name a few. Hope to meet some board members at the events.
I attached a current photo of my progress, I anticipate 10-15 more hours worth of work before I start it up.

 

I fired it up!! It was great to finally hear it run after such a long time in the making. It sounded great (straight pipes all the way out), but I could not tune it or get it to idle very long because it was 1:00 AM when I started it, and the kids would have been woken up. Over the next couple of weeks I will tune it and get ready for some gatherings.

 

sweet, always a good feeling when they first fire

 

Until you realize you did not cap off the oil pressure sending unit hole in back of the manifold and have 5 qaurts all over your transmission and driveway

 

point taken, but it did fire up

 

I finally drove it!! It has been slow going due to a few problems with the engine that required me to tear it down.
I need to work on tuning it, the VE tables are way off so I could not get into the throttle. But over the next few weeks I will get it worked out. I also got it liscensed for the first time in five years.
My goal is to take it to Thornwoods (a bar in Woodale) car show on May 20th.

 

that's not to far from where I'm at. Do you have to pre-register for the car show or just show up.

 

Just show up. They usually have about 100 cars depending on the weather. The food is good and there is plenty to drink. I will be there even if my car is not.