My 350 project.. quick questions

[GTStang]

Here is a lil note of interets on crate motors. I would never just drop one in!!!!!!

I have personally taken Ford Racing and GM Performance crate motors apart to swap some things before putting them in a car and had to correctly tighten main studs not done right. Fix oil pick-ups not properly clearanced. And even seen rod bearings installed the wrong way!!!!

Yes there is a warranty but when they want you to pay for the shipping back to them. Also they will look to see if it is your fault or theirs you never know how that will go.....

I'm not saying crate motors are bad cause there is alot of good to them. But having some motor knowldge to examine your crate motor before putting it in could make your life go a lot easier.

[89IROC&RS]

well GTStang, thats cuz they were FORD racing engines



lol, jp man. had to do it.

now for the topic at hand, never never NEVER just drop in a junkyard engine. if you buy it from a junkyard, tear it apart and inspect everything, check your bearings for propor wear, to make sure you dont hav a major porblem, and then replace them, summit, jegs, paw, all sell affordable rebuild kits, with new bearings, piston rings, freeze plugs, and all that, you could even check ebay. if you want to do it right i strongly suggest you do it this way. also, check the block for the wear ring at the top of the bore, run your finger up from the bore to the top where the deck is, you shouldnt feel a ridge, if there is one there, take it to the machine shop and have it removed. if the crosshatching of the bore is still there, an overbore isnt nessesary, but could be done. if the bores are worn, or scratched or gualed, get a .030 overbore, and get a set of .030 oversized pistons to match. also while everything is appart, have the block magnafluxed and checked for cracks, this is the time to find any problems, not after its in the car and on the highway. if you are looking for high power, 400+ and especially if youre gonna be running a shot of nitrous later on down the road, you need forged pistons, the stock cast ones will not cut muster. the heads from the astro van are also gonna suck, i suggest a set of vortec castings, or even L98 heads would be much better choices.

as for the alternator, seeing as it is just connected to the battery, starter, and such, there is no reason you couldnt hook up the bigger one, already designed for the V8. should be a bolt on swap.

[mike123]

thats all you need to run nos? just forged pistons? dont need forged rods or even like a 4bolt main?

[ridge_runner]

shit my friend has been runnin a 100 shot in his mustang for years with no prob..but he doesnt use it all the time..

[ridge_runner]

o and by the way its a 4.6 with stock internals

[GTStang]

Originally Posted by mike123

thats all you need to run nos? just forged pistons? dont need forged rods or even like a 4bolt main?

What you need for nitrous depends on how much of a shot you use.

[instantkevin]

-Yea.. thanks 89IROC. I would NEVER just drop in a junk engine... that's crazy. I'm not building a junk car, I'm building performance. Wasn't planning on using the junk heads either. Take a look at my signature, you must have missed it... I have all my parts listed there (vortec L31 heads). I was hoping to just have to do new rings, bearings, and plugs. I guess I'll just do a mild shot of nitrous in the future. If the bores are worn out, then I will buy new .030-over, forged pistons and get it bored. I hope not, cause then this well take a lot longer than I want it to. We started the engine at the junkyard and it didn't take much for it to start. We let it run till it got hot, no knocking or unusual noises. Antifreeze and oil still looked pretty good. Slight amount of smoke coming from exhaust. I figured probably from sitting for a while, or just old rings, either way no problem.

-Got the 105amp alternator... my sub sounds so much better now, definetly more powerful. Big difference! Funny story though... last night was driving (about 11:50pm), my alternator started to die on me. I already knew it was going, but now it's near dead. Bout a 4 miles away from home and the engine barely want's to stay running. So i turn everythin off (A/C, stereo) and my driving lights, only thing on it the parking lights. Just as I got to the next block cop drives past, turns around and gets behind me. BASTARD! Block later, lights flash, I make a right so that I can pull over somewhere where I can park my car just in case it cuts out. Finally pull over, cop thinks I'm tryin to evade them or I got something to hide. Told them I couldn't shut the car off, nor take my foot off the gas otherwise it would die. They think I'm lying. Anyway... she looks at my insurance and tells me that it expires in 10mins. And she was right. Didn't give me a ticket though, just a warning. My car and I limped home. So, needless to say I got up early this morning and replaced the alternator. This type of stuff only happens to me. Thought I'd share it with yall.

-I'd rather build the engine myself, like drvngstorm05 said, for the learning experience. And for the the self-accomplishment. Ordering one is so much more boring... to me its like the easy way out. I have a mechanic to help me too (my girlfriend's father). So I figure if I have a problem, there's nothing that could go wrong that would cost me an arm and a leg to fix. My labor and his labor is free.

[vettemaan]

My dad had a badd ass chevy van when i was a kid had a 350 and no exhaust

[89IROC&RS]

yeah dude, im a goober, missed the sig but sounds like a solid plan, and remember, it never goes as quick or as cheap as you thought it would, cest la vie

lol, and awesome luck with the cop on that road. hmmm... chick cop, dont suppose you showed a little clevage????