Frankenstein T-5 Waggin' Chronicle (vast doesnt do it)

[Freshmeat]

I've always believed that any Windsor block (or any 2-bolt main block, for that matter) should have a main girdle if it's over 350hp, no questions asked. That's my justification for the main girdle- I hope to have at least 400 at the flywheel and I don't want to have to pull the motor, again. Not to mention that it will basically be a direct-drive from the crank to my rear axle on a 4,000# car thanks to the T5. I won't have the slop of an automatic transmission and torque converter to help ease the harsh take-offs and shifts. I'd rather spend the $90 and have the assurance that it's fortified than to have to buy another motor because I passed on a girdle while it was extremely accessible.

I know of one 302 in particular that made 550hp with a turbo on the stock motor, stock ignition, etc. They may have upgraded the injectors, but I really can't remember- couldn't imagine those numbers without bigger injectors, though. It was in a AOD-equipped 1988 Mustang, for the record.

I sold my Jeep Monday, so I have a few more bucks to spend than initially anticipated, which is why I've bought a few bonus items in addition to necessities.

[Mercracer]

It was in a AOD-equipped 1988 Mustang, for the record

Factory Forged Pistons..........

[Freshmeat]

So if they forged pistons from the factory in 1988, why didn't they still do it ten years later?

[Archangel]

Just as promissed, sorry about the delay though - here's what you start with:

The vacuum control valves block is spraypainted in white (ignore the blower motor in the back left), and has some red, green, white, and black plastic vac lines coming out of it.

New vac lines:

What you see here is only the main vac valve (the EVR), the two smaller ones have the lines disconnected and are moved to the back right corner of the engine bay, on the underside of that black plate you see in front of the blower motor. The connections to the EVR are in the up-close pic: the leftmost line comes from the back of the intake manifold and the one in the middle goes to the small cylindrical vacuum canister (through a 1-way check valve), they hook up to a common 2-to-1 plug, the rightmost line is the 'out' line to the EGR valve on the intake. Questions?

[gadget73]

You goofy bastards without AC :nonono:

[Archangel]

It's Michigan bro, we don't need no stinkin A/C here - crank up the heat in the winter, roll the windows down in the summer

[grandpaslincoln]

You goofy bastards without AC :nonono:

I gotta put mine back in one of these days.

[Mercracer]

So if they forged pistons from the factory in 1988, why didn't they still do it ten years later?

They didn't do it 5 years later......93+ had hypereutectic.
Forged are more costly to produce and require more piston to wall clearance. A tighter clearance allows for a more efficient seal. Forged also gives you more reciprocating mass.

[gadget73]

and that "more expensive to produce" is the primary reason. Trust me, the rest of it is just a side benifit. The fact they can save a few bucks per engine plays a bigger part than anything else.

[Freshmeat]

Questions?

Is that the same set-up I should run on the Exploder motor? Where'd you get that vacuum thing on your fender?

[Freshmeat]

Okay. Well, now I know I'll need new pistons if I ever get around to a power-adder.

I still don't feel guilty about the main girdle.

Time to go pull the transmission and hope to have enough momentum left to finish removing all this crap tomorrow.

[Mercracer]

Is that the same set-up I should run on the Exploder motor? Where'd you get that vacuum thing on your fender?

You should put a pipe plug in your lower intake to keep the heat away from your upper intake and forget about EGR.

[Mercracer]

From what I've learnt the EGR system on these cars acts as an octane booster to prevent pinging, your computer will expect a function EGR, so it'll be tuning the mixture richer than you need it, a common solution to which seems to be the AFPR..

EGR recycles partially unburned exhaust gasses to reduce nitrate emissions. It lowers your cylinder pressures....with the EGR open and gasses going back into your intake, the ECM would send LESS fuel if it adjusts at all as you have less fresh oxygen.

[DuceAnAHalf]

You goofy bastards without AC :nonono:

This is Florida and i dont have A/C

[Freshmeat]

So, Mercracer- you're saying just cut it out entirely? Eliminate both smog pump and EGR systems?

The Exploder doesn't seem to have any provisions at all for a smog pump set-up. That solves that.

Would it run okay without both systems?