Need advice on engine build.

**Bio248** · 02-09-2009

i disabled my balancer and left it in there. my car runs just fine without it and the only reason my car shakes is from the poly upper mounts i have. i dont see a reason to get rid of it on a DD.

**justwhisen** · 02-09-2009

hay Dan see if you can find a guy named Eddie Martin up there he is from Siloam.
he has got the bead on all the machine shops up there and if Im not mistaken he has one of his own, I know he has a fab shop where he builds and sells race cars.

**Reptile** · 02-09-2009

The only thing that worries me so far is the boring the engine....for the money spent, I haven't really seen any evidence of substantial gain by going over size on the pistons. I'd like to be kept informed on how this goes though, and given the shape of the pistons it should be interesting to say the least.

Performance wise though, a good set of heads will go a long way if it doesn't break your wallet.

TDCRacing · 02-09-2009

Now that is NOT the case in other engines....Such as the 5.0.

I have heard many many people say this before. But I often wonder why this egine would be SO far different than other ones?

TDCRacing · 02-09-2009

Remember the saying? There is no replacement for displacement. That has proven true in a LOT of engines. SBC BBC SBF BBF ect.

**blowfishRus6** · 02-09-2009

5.0 is a totally different animal

they probably respond the best to some displacement.

**Sabrewings** · 02-09-2009

Somewhat a guess, but I believe it has more to do with airflow than displacement on our engines. The 3.8L has a decent amount of piston surface area to work with. More than is required for its stock power level and quite a bit past. It's top end is fairly constrictive when compared to other designs, and that's why we see the gains we do with some porting and breathing mods.

I'd bet that if you had a pretty built 3800 top end (ported heads, LIM, SC, huge TB, headers, cam setup, etc) that boring it out would make quite a bit of difference (since the airflow restrictions have been removed).

**Reptile** · 02-09-2009

Oh I'm sure gains could be made, but I don't know how much. I'm just saying that there's a possibility there might not be that much of a gain or else we would see it more often.

That's why I'd like to keep updated on this build.

**Sabrewings** · 02-09-2009

Don't get me wrong. Without an all out built top end, I don't expect to really see any gains either. You've got to move enough air efficiently enough to feed the displacement you already have.

**Bio248** · 02-09-2009

i think what should really be done is more people looking into actual good head work. the stage 3 vendor heads are a joke compared to an actual ported set of heads from an engine shop.

**DanGTP** · 02-10-2009

Parker, what link are you looking for?

I will be going .020 over because I'll have to in order to get rid of a wear spot in the wall of #3, not just to go over-bored.

My balance shaft will be permanently removed and the oiling hole blocked because I intend to go with a double-roller timing chain. Now, I noticed that ZZP has taken the Rollermaster chains off their site and that Intense recommends to continue to use the tensioner with the JP double. Any suggestions on that?

I plan on having the engine internally balanced and putting on a new harmonic balancer. Where do I go to get a neutral harmonic balancer, and what do I do about the flex plate's balance weights?

As far as heads go, I plan on having some work done to them while I've got them in the shop for the valve job. I did do a decent amount of porting while I had them off earlier this summer, but I'm sure the shop can do a far better job than me and my Dremel.

**Bio248** · 02-10-2009

Originally Posted by DanGTP

Now, I noticed that ZZP has taken the Rollermaster chains off their site and that Intense recommends to continue to use the tensioner with the JP double. Any suggestions on that?

that is the dumbest things ive ever heard. the double roller will literally rip the tensioner to shreds within a couple thousand miles. the tensioner is not big enough to take the wear from the chain in ANY circumstances.

TDCRacing · 02-10-2009

And I quote from ZZP when i asked why the rollmaster was out of stock and when it will be back IN stock-

You can just select double and add to cart.

Zooomer

I think only the single's are out of stock and they have not fixed it yet.

TDCRacing · 02-10-2009

Oh...And as far as the rollmaster goes. GET ONE. It is what i am doing. I don't trust JP's.

Everyone has had sucess with the rollmasters as long as they machine the crank gear to match the stock one. Send it to Jason (GR8Racingfool) and have him do it. That is also what I am doing.

Trust me I have done my research and talked with a LOT of people using the rollmaster's before I chose it.

I will be running 130's.

TDCRacing · 02-10-2009

None on the ballancing thing. Really don't know much about that. Just type in ROLLMASTER in the search box on zzp's site. But yeah you are still blind

**DanGTP** · 02-10-2009

Gee thanks! I did find the timing set via the search, but still cannot navigate to it through the normal means on their site. Oh well. As long as I get one, I guess I can't complain too much.

Oh, BTW: Thank you guys for all of your advice thus far. I will be sure to take as many pictures as I can manage while putting this beauty back together.

**DanGTP** · 02-12-2009

Okay, more opinion questions...

With going with higher compression, how large of a pulley should I use. For reference, I was using a 3.1 with about 12 PSI. I was considering going back to the 3.4 or possibly even a 3.5. Any suggestions?

Also, will I need to go ahead and upgrade my injectors? I pretty much had them maxed out where I was. Or, will I be okay since I'm upping the pulley size?

**Bio248** · 02-12-2009

heat efficiency for the m90 is around 13 pounds and up, so id say if you tuned it with a crapload of timing and ran whatever pulley is about 10 pounds then that'd be your sweet spot for a speedy DD.

only way youll know about the injectors is to scan. you can get them fairly cheap used. i got a set of 65# injectors for $260.

TDCRacing · 02-13-2009

I got a set of 60# for 200.00

Anyway you should be ok with those injectors since you are upping the pulley. You have 42.5's?

I was running a 2.8 with 42.5's.

**DanGTP** · 02-13-2009

I'm still on stock injectors. That's why I'm worried.

I'm looking at just going ahead and getting a set of 42.5's from ZZP since I can get credit for my old ones through them, and they are who I will most likely be ordering a lot of my parts through, too.