Update: Removed the lower intake manifold and well, it's a mess. The gaskets actually look fine which suggests head gasket. I filled the water jackets on the heads with water to sit over night and see if the water drops. Afterwards a leak was noticeable coming between the two middle cylinders on the drivers side. Gonna order new head gaskets and a set of arp bolts.
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https://youtu.be/7HihnalKjmA
Last edited by ponchiz318; 10-11-2017 at 10:37 PM.
Fingers crossed for your solution!
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Think the coolant is in the wrong passages...
Bummer-but at least you found the issue!
Damn, I never updated. Well, I changed out the head gaskets and it ran fine for a while......then it over heated again! Was going to pick up a 306 short block a hit was styling on Craigslist but was sold. So as of today, I replaced the head gaskets again and will finish it tomorrow. The odd thing is that the gaskets look fine, but I had A lot white smoke coming out of the exhaust when it overheated.
Are you able to check the deck and heads for flatness? A little bit of warpage might be enough for premature failure.
Remind me about your exhaust?
I just did dual 2.5" with a Borla dual-in dual-out X muffler located where the cats went originally.
I had been warned that long pipes after the muffler would echo, and I think that's panning out? I only had ten minutes to test it out last night, but it's loud.
My previous set-up was dual 2.5" back to the stock midpipe, and everything after that (cats, muffler) stock. That was pretty loud, but not like the new loud.
I need to put a sound level meter on it. And check for leaks. Maybe it's just my imagination?
If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.
My car was definitely a bit rowdier after I pulled the cats.
At least you still have an interior to buffer it a bit . . . .
If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.
Yeah, I pulled the rear seat and carpet to go drag racing last year and had to have the windows open for the whole 2 hour drive because it was hot. Between the wind, the engine, and the fuel pump cover rattling, it was a loud ride.
Dual 2.5" to a Borla Pro XS resonated y, to a single 3". It's pretty mellow at idle and low speeds. Has a throaty tone when gunning it. I'm very surprised at the volume level.
https://www.borla.com/products/proxs...rt__40349.html
https://youtu.be/HuFArQayDk8
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Last edited by ponchiz318; 03-28-2018 at 08:38 PM.
Thanks. I used that same muffler, only in dual inlet/dual outlet.
I got a little freaked out when I measured spl with an iPhone spl meter app. Steady 90s and 110db peaks. I had visions of getting black flagged for noise violations at the track. BUT I just realized the mic is uncalibrated on the phone setup. It's a good thing I'm cute, because I'm slow. So I will hunt up my old analog SPL meter and get a real reading.
If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.
Ponchiz: The Borla muffler appears to be reversed from intended by Borla? Obviously it works, just curious if manufacturer recommends one way or the other. I'm looking at the Spintech as others have used. Dual 2.5 inlet and single 3 inch out. Thanks.
Edit: intended...meant "advertised".
Last edited by Tim Mc; 03-31-2018 at 11:25 PM.
Yeah I saw that too when it got installed but I was looking it up while the guy was installing it and on the Borla site it says you can run them either way since its a straight through design and not chambered. I originally wanted a spintech based on YouTube videos but never did since I never found someone with them locally to hear them. In the future I might change it though
Last edited by ponchiz318; 04-03-2018 at 11:47 AM.
I'd think the Borla is higher quality...have no experience on which might produce better HP results. Thanks.
With a decent sound meter, I'm getting 70db at idle in the cabin and 50db at idle from a distance of 50 feet.
In-cabin measurements on the road stabbing the throttle to 4K rpms are around 100db, so I'm hoping that means it's down the same -20db then too. My local track limit is 103db at 50 feet on the main straights, so I'm probably okay.
If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.
A month ago, my e36 buddies and I got together for some spirited cruises around town. One is a AA stage one sc M3 which pulls on me but not by much. I definitely need a better intake. From what I was told, at high rpm between shifts, my exhaust will shoot a bit of flame, but haven't seen it myself. Memorial weekend I went on a beer run and after 5 minutes, the car started running like absolute shit. Wouldn't idle well, can't rev past 2k. Lots of popping and dumping fuel. I couldn't figure it out. Somehow made it back home and parked it.
This past weekend I start looking around at what's going on, and I find the connector that goes to the maf and ait sensor were in the header which in turn melted the plastic, causing the system to short out. I'm lucky the computer doesn't get damaged. Did a quick fix and it's running great again.
Soooooooo.....
I got hustled.
This past Saturday, a shop was hosting a dyno day on their jet dyno. Two pulls for 20$ and only a HP rating. Lots of cars showed up with good power and of course most of them were LS cars.
I arrived with my humble little swapped e36 with the impression that I might put something decent down. When I bought the engine, I was told it had a e-cam, worked gt40p heads, a 75mm BBK TB (which I do have since its obvious), BBK long tube headers and a tune for all of that. Expectations were at 260hp maybe. Well turns out there's no way this thing has a cam other than a stock one. Numbers came out to 209HP at 103mph. It's a terrible number and I'm pretty disappointed but confused at the same time since I walk stock or bolt on e36 M3s all the time. Regardless, I can only go up from here so I'm looking into major upgrades. H/C/I for sure will be done but I feel I should just go big already and stroke the stock block. Undecided still about that but definitely starting to save up.
Anywho, obligatory vid below.
https://youtu.be/Gh8a9HGdPXA
RPM would tell a lot more than MPH. If you're running a 24.7" tall tire (285/30-18) and a stock 3.27 rear end, 105mph is 4700rpm. Eyeballing your dyno plot on the YouTube video, it looks like you have about 200whp at 91mph or 4050rpm. That translates to 260ft-lb. Stock Explorer torque peaked at 3300rpm or 74mph where you're making 175whp. That's 279wtq. Sounds like a stock Explorer cam for sure.
About 10 years ago I restored a 66 mustang. Bought a 302 / T5 combo out of a wrecked Mustang. Rebuilt the 302 with AFR heads and Comp 274 roller cam. It ran great. Did 408 hp on the engine dyno. The AFR heads and the 274 cam were great streetable combo. At 408 hp the rear wheel hp would be about 320? The 274 cam had just the right amount of lope at idle and pulled very strong past 6000 rpm. I was running a carb so I don't know how it would work with EFI.
Dynos are heartbreakers, but kudos for seeing what it's got.
I'm not a dyno fanatic, but I've used them couple dozen times...makes for a far better running car in the end.
Did you install fresh plugs, new fuel filter, air cleaner, ensure tires are pumped up, a cool engine and how many runs? I've always done three...first one to warm driveline/clean plugs/warm the dyno and then two more for repeatable true numbers.
It will only go up from here!
Ours goes on the (block) windowmaker on Monday...hoping to break 300 WHP on a Mustang set!
TFS 11R 190 are the new sweetheart heads - same or better power compared to AFR 185s, plus the modified valve angles mean you can run a stock shortblock and a decent cam. If you try and run 185s with stock pistons you'll either have to flycut the pistons or run a very limited duration cam to make sure the valves don't hit.
2 pulls for 20$. Only cleaned the maf before I drove to the event. Nothing else was new but none of those items have over 1k miles anyway.
- - - Updated - - -
330whp with the 11R 190 top end kit is pretty good. Was originally looking at Kasse P38 heads but are very very pricey.
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