Another build thread

[RBB]

I'm in the process of completing an engine build that's been in the works for a little while, so I thought I'd make a quick post. I usually find something interesting in these types of threads....

I've had my 2011 for 4 years now and it just clocked over 40K on the stock motor. It's not a daily driver, but during the spring/summer/fall if it's not raining, then I'm driving it. Started with small bolt on mods, and like just about everyone else, it has progressed to a TVS, longtubes, suspension, etc. I've been hitting the drag strip more and more frequently over the last 3 years and I figured I would preemptively build the engine before I put a hole in the block.

Bought a built 5.8 from JDM Engineering a couple months ago and it's been sitting on the shelf up there waiting for my heads, etc. Engine came out this week and has been torn down. I'll be taking my heads/timing components/cams to NJ in about a week and they'll be assembling the long block and shipping it back down for us to drop right in. Some of the highlights:

- JDM Engineering built 5.8 - Manley rods and pistons, billet OPGs, you guys know the deal
- ARP guide pin upgrade
- JDM Engineering SS cams/springs
- Billet crankshaft sprocket/secondary gears/Guide arms/Trigger wheel/HD secondary chains
- MMR pass side tensioner
- Fresh set of OEM primary sprockets and chains
- All timing components have been cryo treated and Microblued
- Lower intake manifold cut and port by 1320Junkie
- Valve job, etc.
- Fore return fuel system/twin Walboro 400s (not going E85, virtually nonexistent here)

I think that about covers it. No exciting pictures for now, just piles of parts, although the Fore rails sure are nice looking. I expect to have the long block back in about 4-6 weeks, so I'll post again once the car is running and any bugs are worked out. Will be sticking with my Trinity TVS until the 2.7 comes out, at which point I'll be swapping out to one of those. JDM will be doing the tuning once the engine is broken in. Looking forward to wrapping this up, seeing some numbers and hitting the strip in the spring.

Tear down

 

[moncho]

Wow! Huge undertaking that's for sure. Looks like you thought this through. At least someone took advantage of JDM's offering on the 5.8. I really would've like to have gotten the 5.4 just not in the cards right now. Need a blower and supporting mods. Best of luck on this build it's got the makings of big power. Looking forward to updates as you go.

Cheers,
Ray

 

[tones_RS3]

Nice. Sounds like you're building a beast there!
Keep us posted.

 

[deepblue13]

Awesome....subscribing for your updates.

 

[RBB]

Wow! Huge undertaking that's for sure. Looks like you thought this through. At least someone took advantage of JDM's offering on the 5.8. I really would've like to have gotten the 5.4 just not in the cards right now. Need a blower and supporting mods. Best of luck on this build it's got the makings of big power. Looking forward to updates as you go.

Cheers,
Ray

I had originally planned to pull my 5.4, sleeve it and upgrade the internals, but I had to jump on that 5.8 when they put them on sale a couple months ago. Worked out well....my buddy has a shop and he actually wanted my 5.4, so we can use his lift to get everything done and I can unload the stocker to him.

It is a big undertaking, but there's a ton of good info on this forum and a lot of really knowledgeable guys. @Catmonkey , @Bad Company , and @biminiLX were all very helpful with getting all the details ironed out. I don't have an unlimited budget, so I splurged in some areas and was a little more conservative in others. Ended up spending much more on the timing components than I had originally planned between the parts and the coatings, but I feel like it's necessary for long term durability.

 

[genesmob]

Great choice. My JDM SCJ motor is working great. Great people to deal with also.

 

[RBB]

Great choice. My JDM SCJ motor is working great. Great people to deal with also.

Yeah, they've been very cool so far. Did they do your tune as well?

Found the time to clean up my heads and lower intake today, off for porting on Monday.

 

[Catmonkey]

Are you going to upgrade the intercooler? If you're even remotely thinking about it, do it now. Once that manifold is on the engine in the car, it becomes a huge PITA to remove.

 

[RBB]

Are you going to upgrade the intercooler? If you're even remotely thinking about it, do it now. Once that manifold is on the engine in the car, it becomes a huge PITA to remove.

I can see how that would want to be avoided. I'm going with a 13/14 intercooler that has been upgraded with 1" inlet/outlet ports.

 

[Catmonkey]

Post up pics of that mod. I want to see how that works out. I bored out my intercooler tubes to a larger diameter (.630"). That's about a 30% increase in area from the stock tube i.d. I figure that for the remainder of the intercooler system, it would be the minimum diameter of the i.d. of the tubes, barbs and connectors. If they weren't, I opened them up. 1" would be the better choice for a rear mounted ice tank and plumbed for 1".

 

[biminiLX]

Very nice man, good luck.
We will have very similar parts. I have the KB Bigun, but when I upgrade to the TVS 2650 I may put 1" ports on it as the rear ice tank is 1" anyway.
What clutch?
Keep us posted, good luck.
-J

 

[genesmob]

Yeah, they've been very cool so far. Did they do your tune as well?

No, I tune my own with hotuners

Found the time to clean up my heads and lower intake today, off for porting on Monday.
View attachment 1410135 View attachment 1410136

 

[biminiLX]

HP Tuners?
-J

 

[RBB]

Post up pics of that mod. I want to see how that works out. I bored out my intercooler tubes to a larger diameter (.630"). That's about a 30% increase in area from the stock tube i.d. I figure that for the remainder of the intercooler system, it would be the minimum diameter of the i.d. of the tubes, barbs and connectors. If they weren't, I opened them up. 1" would be the better choice for a rear mounted ice tank and plumbed for 1".

I don't actually have the intercooler in my hands yet. Jay is porting the lower manifold and he's just going to install it for me at that time. He was running it in his car, but he's going turbo now, so no longer needs it.

A trunk tank is in my plans for the future, but my budget is at it's limit for this round of mods. For the time being I'll be running it with 3/4" reducers and using all the stock plumbing with it. Here's the only pic I have.

Very nice man, good luck.
We will have very similar parts. I have the KB Bigun, but when I upgrade to the TVS 2650 I may put 1" ports on it as the rear ice tank is 1" anyway.
What clutch?
Keep us posted, good luck.
-J

Thanks J. Yeah, very similar. I'll be running race gas at the track since E85 is so hard to find around here. Be interesting to see what #s I make compared to you.

I put a Centerforce Dyad in about a year ago and I'm sticking with that for now. It looked ok on tear down, couple little hot spots but nothing out of the ordinary. There was a surprising amount of dust in there, though. I guess I'll chalk that up to break in and the fact that it's an organic material and roll with it until it fails.

If that thing bites the dust with such a small amount of miles on it, I definitely won't be giving them another chance. That Mantic triple disc might be my next option. I'm really liking the looks of that thing.

 

[Papaw]

Very nice looking build! Anxious to see it completed.
I think we're all waiting to see what Eaton's next blower can do.

 

[RBB]

Very nice looking build! Anxious to see it completed.
I think we're all waiting to see what Eaton's next blower can do.

Thanks man! Tell me about it. Been waiting for over a year now. Hope to see some real #s from VMP at SEMA.

 

[Catmonkey]

A trunk tank is in my plans for the future, but my budget is at it's limit for this round of mods. For the time being I'll be running it with 3/4" reducers and using all the stock plumbing with it.

You eliminated the biggest restriction in the stock intercooler system at least and the later intercooler flows more air than your current intercooler so that's a plus. A 1" tube is 3x the area of the OEM tubes. If I had more information on the 1" tubes and more time, I probably would have done it. At least I'll be able to tell what, if anything, opening up the coolant flow by 30% does with the 13-14 pump.

What's the time table to get it back together?

 

[RBB]

You eliminated the biggest restriction in the stock intercooler system at least and the later intercooler flows more air than your current intercooler so that's a plus. A 1" tube is 3x the area of the OEM tubes. If I had more information on the 1" tubes and more time, I probably would have done it. At least I'll be able to tell what, if anything, opening up the coolant flow by 30% does with the 13-14 pump.

What's the time table to get it back together?

Here's the mod John.
http://j2fabrication.com/product/gt500-flow-mod/

Nice piece. You can even send in your heat exchanger and he'll add the 1" fittings to it. I know it'll make a difference. Jay's IATs were so low with ice on this setup, he had to run water with E85. Of course, that was with a trunk tank. I'm sure opening up the coolant flow by 30% will have benefits as well. Interested to see your results there.

As far as timetable goes, I'm hauling my heads and everything up to JDM next Tuesday. They need about 3 weeks tops to work everything over and assemble, and then they'll freight the long block down. Shouldn't take us long to get it back in the car, still need to install the fuel system as well. I'm thinking if everything goes right the car will be up and running 6 weeks from now. Let's make it 8 weeks if we have issues. Not sure what I'm going to do about the tuning, etc. I know they want some break in miles on the engine, and I can't see myself driving it up to NJ in December, so we'll see what happens there.

 

[biminiLX]

Nice link, the third pic with the hose routing in regards to the upper pulley is my concern with the 1" line exiting the front. It can be done but not easy.
For your info, I run 1" lines and 1" fittings in the rear ice tank, only restriction is the stock HE openings (used adaptors to jump up to 1" right from the stock 3/4" fittings) and the lower intake cooler fittings. My IAT2s still are great on the run, something like 80 at the traps.
My tuner just did some 'break in' pulls up and down but not near redline, with the new motor and then changed the oil and let her eat.
Break in is over rated in my opinion, and I've had 2 engines built and engine dyno tuned, where they also do a 'break in' series on the engine dyno, dump the oil and then then WOT.
You'll be very happy with your JDM monster, looking forward to the results.
-J

 

[RBB]

Nice link, the third pic with the hose routing in regards to the upper pulley is my concern with the 1" line exiting the front. It can be done but not easy.
For your info, I run 1" lines and 1" fittings in the rear ice tank, only restriction is the stock HE openings (used adaptors to jump up to 1" right from the stock 3/4" fittings) and the lower intake cooler fittings. My IAT2s still are great on the run, something like 80 at the traps.
My tuner just did some 'break in' pulls up and down but not near redline, with the new motor and then changed the oil and let her eat.
Break in is over rated in my opinion, and I've had 2 engines built and engine dyno tuned, where they also do a 'break in' series on the engine dyno, dump the oil and then then WOT.
You'll be very happy with your JDM monster, looking forward to the results.
-J

It is a little tight, but not too bad. There's about 1/4" of clearance, but from what I've seen, it's nothing to be concerned about. The engine shifts a little bit during driving, but obviously the intercooler fittings will move with it, so if it clears, it clears. There are quite a few guys running the mod at this point and no rubbing issues to be heard of.

I know everyone has a different opinion on break in procedures. I'll follow what JDM tells me....it would be nice to get it up there on the dyno before December as long as the weather holds out.