To mod, or not to mod. That is the question!
09-24-2008, 11:57 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 478
To mod, or not to mod. That is the question!
Oh, here we go.
Guys, As mentioned in my sig, I will be swapping out the motor for a built crate motor. I bought some supporting mods in preparation, including a 76mm MAF with 30# injectors, Systemax upper and lower, and a 70mm TB and spacer. The motor will be delayed in it's arrival for economic reasons, and I'm getting antsy sitting on all these mods. Should I throw all this on a mostly stock car, or will it do more harm than good? Regarding the injectors, I do have a high flow fuel pump on it.
I also bought a 100 wet shot of go-juice (Yeah, so what?!) that I'd love to install. The car just broke 300k miles a month ago, and the top end was done probably 60k miles ago. It has a somewhat shaky head gasket (white smoke) situation that will need attention before this one. Other than the head gasket, anything I should look at? Will this blow up my motor in short order? It has to last me for like 7 more months.
Also, I have decent beginner skills under the hood. Anyone have a link to a REALLY detailed bolt-for-bolt moron-proof head gasket job?
Guys, As mentioned in my sig, I will be swapping out the motor for a built crate motor. I bought some supporting mods in preparation, including a 76mm MAF with 30# injectors, Systemax upper and lower, and a 70mm TB and spacer. The motor will be delayed in it's arrival for economic reasons, and I'm getting antsy sitting on all these mods. Should I throw all this on a mostly stock car, or will it do more harm than good? Regarding the injectors, I do have a high flow fuel pump on it.
I also bought a 100 wet shot of go-juice (Yeah, so what?!) that I'd love to install. The car just broke 300k miles a month ago, and the top end was done probably 60k miles ago. It has a somewhat shaky head gasket (white smoke) situation that will need attention before this one. Other than the head gasket, anything I should look at? Will this blow up my motor in short order? It has to last me for like 7 more months.
Also, I have decent beginner skills under the hood. Anyone have a link to a REALLY detailed bolt-for-bolt moron-proof head gasket job?
09-25-2008, 09:18 PM
#3
D.R. THE PATHETIC DORK
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 30,863
if you want it to last then don't spray it for now, all the bolt ons you listed won't really give you any seat of the pants feel.. I'd wait until the crate motor comes and do the job once instead of twice
09-26-2008, 08:43 AM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 478
I woud have thought there would have been some gain, even with the heads and all being stock. Not the first time I've been wrong, I'll tell you! So what do you think about the head gasket switch? Is this something I can hack in a day without special tools? On Tuesday it started smoking for about 10 seconds every time I start it up, so I'm guessing failure is imminent. Is there a walkthrough or link that's more detailed than Chiltons or Hanes?
09-26-2008, 09:37 AM
#5
in limbo
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 7,300
first start up and it smoking isnt uncommon. do you have coolant loss thats significant?
this would be the only significant gain^^. maybe 14hp at the most. the MAF may gain you 7hp or so without swapping the TB and EGR. i deff agree with MJR, you should wait on the crate.
bought some supporting mods in preparation, including a 76mm MAF with 30# injectors, Systemax upper and lower, and a 70mm TB and spacer
09-26-2008, 11:35 AM
#6
M.A.D. Motorsports
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 8,014
Well you know what. Get your crate then put on the spray and run it till she blows!!!! Then have fun installing the new engine. The only real special tool you will need is the little fuel line clips to release the EFI fuel lines. Other than that its just some basic hand tools and yes you can do it in a day if you work on it. Just have everything that is going on ready to go before you start. The longest part of the swap is cleaning up the old gasket. I just use a drill and a cup style wire brush. Some say its a no no but I have done it multiple times and never had a problem with iron block and heads. Just be sure to clean out the cylinders after cleaning up the surfaces.
09-30-2008, 09:11 AM
#7
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 478
first start up and it smoking isnt uncommon. do you have coolant loss thats significant?
this would be the only significant gain^^. maybe 14hp at the most. the MAF may gain you 7hp or so without swapping the TB and EGR. i deff agree with MJR, you should wait on the crate.
this would be the only significant gain^^. maybe 14hp at the most. the MAF may gain you 7hp or so without swapping the TB and EGR. i deff agree with MJR, you should wait on the crate.
To answer the question about coolant loss, it's really weird. The reservoir is always bone dry. If I fill it up, it's gone in 1 day. The reservoir hose is good to the coolant cap, the cap is new. No leaks to be found, so the car is bringing it in, and doing.... what? The radiator itself runs just a tiny bit low, constantly. I'll fill it to the brim, and the next day it's back to the same. That being said, it never seems to really get low, either. So the car is not really LOSING a lot of coolant, discounting the dry reservoir. It's probably losing barely enough to cause the annoying smoke cloud behind the car when I start it.
Is that as confusing as it sounds to me?
09-30-2008, 10:15 AM
#9
in limbo
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 7,300
Well, I have the 70 MM TB and spacer... But in any case, if it's not worth it, it's not worth it.
To answer the question about coolant loss, it's really weird. The reservoir is always bone dry. If I fill it up, it's gone in 1 day. The reservoir hose is good to the coolant cap, the cap is new. No leaks to be found, so the car is bringing it in, and doing.... what? The radiator itself runs just a tiny bit low, constantly. I'll fill it to the brim, and the next day it's back to the same. That being said, it never seems to really get low, either. So the car is not really LOSING a lot of coolant, discounting the dry reservoir. It's probably losing barely enough to cause the annoying smoke cloud behind the car when I start it.
Is that as confusing as it sounds to me?
To answer the question about coolant loss, it's really weird. The reservoir is always bone dry. If I fill it up, it's gone in 1 day. The reservoir hose is good to the coolant cap, the cap is new. No leaks to be found, so the car is bringing it in, and doing.... what? The radiator itself runs just a tiny bit low, constantly. I'll fill it to the brim, and the next day it's back to the same. That being said, it never seems to really get low, either. So the car is not really LOSING a lot of coolant, discounting the dry reservoir. It's probably losing barely enough to cause the annoying smoke cloud behind the car when I start it.
Is that as confusing as it sounds to me?
09-30-2008, 11:28 AM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 478
Well you know what. Get your crate then put on the spray and run it till she blows!!!! Then have fun installing the new engine. The only real special tool you will need is the little fuel line clips to release the EFI fuel lines. Other than that its just some basic hand tools and yes you can do it in a day if you work on it. Just have everything that is going on ready to go before you start. The longest part of the swap is cleaning up the old gasket. I just use a drill and a cup style wire brush. Some say its a no no but I have done it multiple times and never had a problem with iron block and heads. Just be sure to clean out the cylinders after cleaning up the surfaces.