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Engine SwapEverything about swapping an engine into your Third Gen.....be it V6, V8, LTX/LSX, crate engine, etc. Pictures, questions, answers, and work logs.
I made some more progress with the forward facing headers going well so far definitely tight and I wish I had the extra cash right now for a manual brake conversion but the tubes come off individually so it should be easy to remove valve covers. Pass side will have much more room.
Mabey a turbo(s) will be going on this fall too.....
About 9 hrs into them I am done. Just need to finish wrapping them and installing all the tubes. Moving battery to back, got a elec. Water pump installed, have a spacer and a quick fuel brawler 950cfm carb to toss on then well be racing hopefully in a week or probly more like 2.
I made some room on the drivers side really should have done a manual brake swap....
Just made a order though straub technology's for a top end induction kit. Goal is 700-800hp peak power 7000 rpm. Will be custom promaxx 320cc heads milked to 114cc chambers, custom solid roller, port matched victor jr intake...exc heads flow 375/280 cfm at .700
Very excited to say the least. Has some lead time on the order so may get it on motor this fall or at least this winter. Would love to race it though this fall with new set up. Goals are high 9s which should be easily obtainable with 700 plus hp on my race thirdgen.
1 year after I got these brakes I'm finally tossing them on. Areospace drag front brakes. Easy to install just had to cut off a bit of weight on the spindle. In total I lost 19 lbs per side from the swap. That's 38 easy lbs of weight loss.
having the strange rear disk brakes already helped this car slow down from 125mph pretty easy, these are just icing on the cake.
Congratulations, sounds mean. I am starting on my next Trans Am and was going to go with a big block, but in AZ I need A/C and that engine looks like it will crowd out the components. Well, awesome anyway, but just helped me to make a decision. Post the vid up of its first tuned pull.
Congratulations, sounds mean. I am starting on my next Trans Am and was going to go with a big block, but in AZ I need A/C and that engine looks like it will crowd out the components. Well, awesome anyway, but just helped me to make a decision. Post the vid up of its first tuned pull.
I thought I could race today but to many little things to do so next Sunday I'll race it and be sure to post up vids. Adding this 950 brawler race carb today
Your tach now responds as it should. What do think was the problem before?
I bought a new one.... that other one was about 8 years old and i have no idea why it was so slow. But the new one is much better!!! And has a memory feature
1st piece of the puzzle is here and the 2nd is on the way. Straub should be sending out their stuff in the next few weeks. Got alot of work to do this winter but I'll have the parts to have a solid mid 9 second car.
tsi custom to the straub stuff 5500 rpm bolt together super 8 converter. And ati trans rated at 950hp
Well the car did ok this weekend. 3 passes and none were much of any good. 1st pass 11.25@120mph 1.57 60 foot. This pass was very very lean so i went up 4 jet sizes and also noticed my timing was only 32 so added 5 degrees to bring it in at 37. Assuming that was going to help immensely and get me into the high 10s....well after that I chased ignition box issues the rest of the day finally finding that the 6al box had a loose power wire and was making the car break up down the track because of vibrations with the loose wire.
in 2 weeks I'll be back out there. The thing I did notice is my 60 foot picked up big time from the timing and jet change along with squirters. From 1.57 to a 1.46 on the 2nd pass but the car was breaking up half track becuae of the wiring issue so I'm seeing 10.90s with 60s in the 1.40s
Crappy slip attached. Also weighed car the big block definitly weighed me down. 3520 race weight now.
Update. Well the cars consistant. 11.25@120mph 3 times in a row yesterday.
noticed its lean on the afr guage and plugs too. 13 5-13.8 afr most of the way down the track. My guess my 7 year old walbro 255 is finally dying. I have some areo. 340lph pumps on hand I plan to toss in. I'm losing out on alot of hp from being so lean ......
I finally weighed the car. 3375 without me race ready. 3560 with me race ready. Heavy car. Alum head swap will drop that a solid 80-100lbs so in excited for the straub stuff to come in the next few weeks.
950+hp ati trans and bolt together tsi 5500 custom stall . Just need the straub stuff and we have a 9 second combo just waiting to go in.
Last edited by fasteddi; Feb 27, 2019 at 04:46 AM.
So I had a best 1/8 mile of 7.13@96.8mph.... not too bad for a boat anchor shifting at 5800rpm lol
Man that's one heavy motor. My car now weighes 3560 race weight... yikes!! Playing with the tune after adding a areo 340lph stelth pump, I was on a 11.13@121mph pass when using run completion. Slip below. I was peddling a bit then on brakes and still broke out. Dangit because I treed the crap outta him. Either way it was a fun weekend at the track
Last edited by fasteddi; Aug 20, 2018 at 04:36 AM.
so I found that the pump filter and strainer was plugged with crap. That pump had been in there for about 6 years of racing exc. So while I was in there I swapped pumps just because.
So keep in mind I ran mid 10s with the pump like this with the sbc....amazing
Not much. I had them for sale for quite some time. No one wants to pay 1200 bucks for used heads so I'm going to keep them. Lets face it afr are not cheap for a reson. They are the best sbc 550hp or less head out there so mabey one day I'll build another sbc.
Got the solid roller cam in, the moral sportsman solid rollers in, and checked piston to deck clearence etc.
I need to order head gaskets, then measure the pushrods and send the measurements off to chris straub. Then I'll be able to get all that installed and the new heads on, the new 2 piece timing cover and the motor will be ready to go.
With .400 lobe.. and that durration... wow this cam will be a monster.
Also going with a manual brake booster so I can have some more room arround the drivers side header. The pass side was ridiculously easy to take off thankfully.
The goal is still 9.90s, and in my personal opinion it will be more like 9.60-9.80s but aim high to make sure I can meet my goal.
A Ati custom 950hp rated th350 is installed already along with a custom tsi 5500 rpm bolt together billet converter.
Heads are off, and heavy 82lbs each or 164lbs a pair. The alum promaxx heads weight 42lbs each or 84lbs total. A bit off the 78lbs promaxx advertises but that might be unassembled.
Just waiting on gaskets ans such then well toss it all back together.
Big difference in the merlin and victor jr intake opening. Helps it was port matched to the heads etc.
Update just waiting on pushrods to come that I measured for and we can finish tossing it all together.
I am removing the brake booster for a manual set up to allow me some more room arround the headers.
ARP head studs installed over the ole manley bokts. MLS. 027 head gaskets, MLS exhaust gaskets, 2 piece adjustable timing cover, billet full roller timing set, ext.
The goal is by end of March to make this puppy run. Thankfully the hard stuff is done. Cam is degreed and installed to straub specs, cam end play set, push rod length measured.
Still worries me that this car may easily run under 10 flat and require me to do some safety additions to stay legal. Such as a sfi scatter shield, 8pt cage vs the 6pt set up I have now. Etc. I dream of what this car will be like letting of of the brake and the car launches at 5500rpm and I shift at 7k. Wheels up indeed. Which is nothing new for the car but a 1.47 60 foot was my prior best. I would be dissapointed with anything slower then 1.39 60s.
The one good thing is everything drive train wise can handle the tq and hp. ATI 950HP rated trans (David Caine from ATI is behind me to see how this set up does. He did a few custom things to the trans to extend lift and free up hp.) Its not a off the shelf trans by any means. 1200HP rated strange S60 rear end, 1200HP chrome moly 3.5 inch D. SHAFT. etc.
Last edited by fasteddi; Feb 27, 2019 at 04:42 AM.
Not as fast as I hoped for but ran good. 10.44 and a 10.47 both at 128mph.
32 deg timing. Running lean still. Takes alot of fueling to dial this thing in.
Still short shifting to a extent 6500 instead of 7200 like it's designed to do. I want to dial in the fueling before I really lay into it
I think i have a 10.0 10.1 in it without a doubt. My 60 is not as fast as I'd like so I'll have to play with the suspension adjustments a bit and the rev limit on the 2 step.
