Extreme Camaro hybrid build plus...

[ForcedFirebird]

updates? i wanna see this thing/hear it!

Soon. Have more pics to upload just been buy with the move...

[ForcedFirebird]

Been a while since this thread was updated. With moving the shop and all, we have been spending crazy hours just to get back operational.

Well, we had a mis-hap, but turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

During the move, the Camaro was outside and we had a torrential downpour, manifold was on the engine, but lacking injectors and thanks to Chevy's brilliant design, water got in the engine! Well, we took the manifolds and heads off to find a bit of surface rust on the cylinder walls. We wouldn't let this type of build go out the door in that condition, so out the motor came.

Well, upon opening the oil pan on this 10,000 mile engine, first thing we noticed was that the rod caps were tightened inconsistently! Then after pulling the two pistons out, we noticed slight grooves in the bearing themselves Engine was already bred .040" over and the numbers someone wrote on all the rod caps were in no particular order.

Anyways, there's been more progress, but we were held up slightly by this situation and Paul will be getting a new motor for the cost of parts since we want to keep our name reputable. We didn't feel comfortable with the bottom end and 11.6:1 SCR.

Anyways, on to pics...
















I am not happy with the placement of the y-pipe from Pace Setter, it hangs too low, so it will be modified to fit better and not have to worry about it scraping the ground.

All ARP hardware was used, and all fasteners were upgraded for the entire car.

[Driver_10]

Glad to see that you're able to get back to work on customer projects. I know that it must have been a lot of grunt work to get that new shop set up.

Now that things have settled down a bit, think that you'll be able to make progress on the PS brackets?

[tkoforpresident]

I could go for a custom tb cable bracket.

[ForcedFirebird]

John, yes we are very glad to be back to work! Three weeks of spending a ton of money and not making any Cool thing is, though, that we have air lines run through the shop, everything has outlets in it's location and we discovered we have 3ph electric!

Max, we will make a copy, or post all about the final pieces of the puzzle. Now that we are building the entire motor, you will see first hand what's needed, be patient my friend

[ForcedFirebird]

Got the old engine on the work bench for disassembly, the new motor is soda blasted, ready for a hone, paint, freeze plugs, cam bearings

This is going to be awesome.

More pics soon.

EDIT: Oh yeah, the rod caps came off with 40ftlbs! Should be 37 and 90 degrees...

[tkoforpresident]

I will be patient!

[ForcedFirebird]

This motor was very poorly built, so glad we had the mishap with the rain.

Not only were the rod caps loose, but it took just over 60ftlb to remove the mains. All the bearings are trashed, the crank is .020 under on the main pins, .010 under on the rod pins and .040" over on the bore. All are too loose for our standards, we don't build or sell anything that's more than .010" on the crank and that's the max bore. Basically the block, crank and pistons will have to go to the scrapper. There's no salvaging any of it. Pistons are scuffed like no tomorrow The cam bearings have never been replaced as the Babbitt is showing on the entire surface.

Ont the bright side, we are comparing the 120k mile donor motor, and everything is to spec, block doesn't even need an over-bore and we just happen to have a .010" under crank

ARP rod bolts will be used, stock mains to avoid the align hone needed for main studs. Clevite bearings are in order (not 77's here folks), and the wider late model SBC cam bearing will be installed.

[pocket-rocket]

I'm curious, why not the 77s? That's a shame he got ripped on that engine, but it rocks at the same time that the mishap for sure save you guys and him some embarrassment on the track/road.

[ForcedFirebird]

We found bearings that trump the 77's They are made by Clevite and Ben should have them listed on the store soon. Not cheap, but are meant for ulta high compression and nitrous motors.

[ForcedFirebird]

Here's the bearings after 10k miles of use, now you see our concern with running over 11:1scr...

[pocket-rocket]

That sure looks like more than 10k miles to me. I mean, even if the oil never got changed after break in, I doubt the bearings would look that worn after 10k miles. At least now the owner will have the piece of mind that it's done and done right

[3400-95-Modified]

HOLY CRAP...

Here is what I pulled out after near 30k I think now... and many 13 sec nitrous runs...





It went back together with the 77's since these new bearings that are not reveled yet were undiscovered... I may switch to them next year as well as the Teflon coated SBC cam bearings to get rid of my Aluminum ones.

[bob442]

Here's the bearings after 10k miles of use, now you see our concern with running over 11:1scr...

isnt this normal? isnt it just like a scuff finish on the bearings? none the less mine were meer the same with 90,000km, with all these concerns of running 11:1+CR, its making me wonder about extra precautions with 11.5:1 CR on my 3400.

I heard about taking down all sharp and square edges in the combustion chamber to reduct detionation, ever heard of doing that?

[bszopi]

isnt this normal? isnt it just like a scuff finish on the bearings? none the less mine were meer the same with 90,000km, with all these concerns of running 11:1+CR, its making me wonder about extra precautions with 11.5:1 CR on my 3400.

I heard about taling down all sharp and square edges in the combustion chamber to reduct detionation, ever heard of doing that?

What you see there is much worse than a scuff finish. Compare the bearings FF showed and the ones 3400modified showed - quite different.

And as far as smoothing out the CC, have you seen Ben's porting job?



No sharp edges there.