no that i know of. It couldnt hurt if you ran some JCW 380's, but not sure abou tthe tune

 

are you planning on boring your cylinders or leaving it stock?

 

Funny to know that there are other mechanics who switched over to the IT field - I'm one too!

I would also go with boring the cylinders .020, look into getting a better flowing head, and some upgrades on the S/C. Speaking of the S/C, if you are planning on reusing the existing one, be sure to check the oil level on both sides. There's a thread somewhere around here discussing premature S/C failure due to the lack of lube...

You'll definitely have to keep us posted on your car's progress!

 

I was just going to keep the same size cylinders. I looked into getting oversized pistons, however it changes the compression ratio IIRC, although only small. Im going to be running highish boost so wanted to keep the engine perfect for it. Although cleaning up the cylinders would be nice. I also have it on good authority, that my engine with 60k will have little wear on the actual cylinders.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by minioneandrew

however it changes the compression ratio IIRC, although only small.

What does IIRC mean?

I was actually quite surprised as to how good my cylinder walls were when I took it apart. The initial suggestion of the guy at the engine shop was to just hone the current cylinders and get new standard sized pistons. But it's one of those "I wish I would have done that" situations that I'm trying to avoid in the future. I do however want to make the best move for the engine in terms of other mods, like a replacement head, SC, IC, and so on. So if keeping standard size pistons will help make the rest easier and be easier on my engine, I'd like to go that route.

 

Sorry IIRC means "If i remember correctly"
Dont take my word to be gospel, as ive never actually rebuilt an engine on my own, although ive done pretty much everything else to my car
I have read though that changing the piston size will change the compression ratio. Cars that have boost, generally like low compression...
Yeah thats the plan with mine aswell, just to hone the cylinders down and fire in a new piston. I wouldnt bother looking at an aftermarket crank, as the stock one has been proven to support over 600 hp.
If i knew what i was doing with compression ratios then i might attempt this, but as i dont ill probably just keep it stock.
Think of it this way aswell, it will be cheaper if you just hone your cylinders at home, and clean up the block with a wire brush and paint it

 

hey .

i'd say if you are within specs on the cyl' walls ; just hone and go . save it for next time . do replace the pistons though if big h.p. is coming , everyone here on nam seems to say the pistons are weak . i kept mine but was a budget desision and i'm still just around 200 h.p. seems a waste to bore it if the return is minimal .

 

Save up for the Cosworth head! That just screams BRITISH!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by minioneandrew

Think of it this way aswell, it will be cheaper if you just hone your cylinders at home, and clean up the block with a wire brush and paint it

There is just something about the new look of a fresh shot peening that I can't resist. I have rebuilt a couple motors at home without any machining or peening (all chevy V8s, small and big block), but when I finally took one of the engines into the engine shop and they did the work on it, it looked so good!

I will have to clean up the transmission myself tho, prob with some engine degreaser or whatever before I paint that too.

Which actually brings me to my next problem, albeit small, I'm colorblind (well 80%), and I'm not sure what colors to actually paint the motor. I do like the look of a nice cool blue, but I've seen some red engines that look pretty nice too. Oh well, small problem in the grand scheme of things.

 

... i think you mean save up for the "mary" head, that just screams raw power

 

If you bore the block and do a stock rebuild, it is not necessary to change the injectors, or make any ECU changes.

If you go with a high flow head and perform other mods to increase the flow of air/fuel through the engine, then you will need injectors. At that point a tune would do you well to tie everything together.

 

Hey K5Cruiser, nix the shot peened idea, there's no big advantage there.
If you can get a good used crank, that might be a good idea otherwise turn it ( maybe nitride it ). You can make a good arguement for the smaller area of the turned crank, less surface area. Others will tell you , turning, only weakens the crank - not in IMHO. You can have everything balenced including the rods & you'll be good to go.
Call RMW for a set of CP pistons for your over bore - Jan has a great price.
While you have everything apart, you might think about a new clutch. If you're not going to race the car the stock fly wheel could loose a couple of pounds & it will hold up pretty well ( have the presure plate & fly wheel balanced - I'm running a Spec stage 3+ with no problems ). Then get a late model front pulley for the crank - they can be had for around $100.
If you can afford it, the RMW street head, some 380 injectors & an RMW tune = the ultimate grocery getter & good fuel econmy.
Don't buy an IC yet, you could buy a RMW cam = more performance for the buck. The OE IC in SoCal will work best.

 

Wiseco should have stock, 020 and 040 pistons on the shelf. They run about $399 for a set.

If you can save the crank, it might be worth it. The DSM guys swear by used cranks and they have been work-hardened just from normal use of the engine. Ask your builder, he may be able to polish out the scratches if they are light.

Now is also the perfect time for ARP hardware throughout. A good headgasket is in order. Might as well toss in a flywheel and clutch while you have the motor out.

Theres alot of little crap you are in the prfect position to do while the motor is out!

 

steve - KurTech is asking about the shot peening, not me. I haven't stated an opinion on the shot peening one way or the other.
I think I'd simply paint the block after hot tank, mag, and bore myself. Really no need for shot peen.

 

K5 , if you can bore & hone the block yourself make sure you have the pistons. You will save some $$ for some more power options.
We use to shot peen rods all the time but as time has passed rods have gotten much better & the Mini rods are quite good.
As not-so-rednwhite says NOW is the time to make more better......
Best of for what ever you do....

 

I agree with both of you, the more I thought about the shot peening, the more it did not make sense. I remember having it done to a couple engines I worked on back in the day, but they were all rusted up and in pretty bad shape. This one shouldn’t have any trouble cleaning up with a good hot tank and such.Does this mean that boring it out, and in turn changing the compression ratio, is bad if i plan on adding boost via SC upgrade, the SC reduction pulley, oversized CS pulley, CAI, and so on?

 

Changing the bore won't necessarily change the compression.

Most of the time, any pistons from a manufacturer like Wiseco or CP will be tailored for a performance car. For a N/A car, that means the compression will go up, and for FI, it will go down.

You would benefit (indirectly) from the lower compression ratio given to you with a set of these pistons, plus the lands are considerably stronger.

 

"Changing the bore won't necessarily change the compression"

Even if it does you can cut the head, deck the block or use a shim gasket.

 

I know this is kind of off topic but Kurtech how many miles were on the engine when it went?

 

83K. I've been putting together my shopping list for this project and plan on diving into it head first after the holidays.

 

Wow that went pretty early in my opinion. I guess if its been driven hard though it makes sense.

 

BRG! blue and red are for Ford's and Chevy's!

 

haha, yeah. you can tell i've only delt with domestic cars/engines up to this point. i might actually just paint it black to keep it un-biased, and because my car is dark grey and black to start with.