Ken's Engine Project...

[Ken]

Steve, everything you need to know, except for the torque rating, can be found here: Richmond Gear. Just go to the catalog button and select the "six-speed - ROD".

_ken

 

[Rowdy1]

Why Not?

The Only problem I have in the winter months when I bring the 62 in for hibernation is "My Lovely Bride". One little scratch on the coffee table from a smokey burnout that got me a "little" sideways and she says "NO MORE PLAYING IN THE LIVING ROOM!!!":nono "You don't want me playing with it, especially in the living room now do ya?"

Now I'm banished to the car port which is why I put the house up for sale. I explained it to her if she let me keep the 62 inside we wouldn't have to move to a new house with a two car garage but NOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo.

Ken, do ya think that trans will fit in a Xmas stocking?
:crazy

 

[Bullitt]

A little Envy and Drama

Why do you torture me with that beautiful Richmond 6 speed, Ken? For I long to put one in my Shark and here, you throw it in my face. I can see you manically laughing behind your keyboard, knowing the unending pain we will suffer. I dread the day you put forth your motor as to further our agony. Why must I be haunted by such unnerving distress? Why, oh why?!!! :crazy Ok, enough of the Shakespearen moment. A big for what I hope will be an enjoyable experience. Makes me realize how I need to get off my rear and get to work on my own car. Got a day off tomorrow, so maybe I'll finish something. --Bullitt

 

[Tom Bryant]

Good move Ken. A work of art. You know I would have sold you that catalog page for half that.

tom

 

[JT ZR-Won]

Ken, congrats on the 6 speed!
and no..........we don't want to see you playing with anything in your living room :L :L

Jay

 

[P-ColaVette]

Here's the site !

Thanks Ken for the hyper link.:cool How is the engine coming along ? Steve !

 

[Ken]

I talked to Will yesterday and I am feeling better about it all the time.

_ken

 

[Ken]

Here are some good books for the living room Keith.

The technical books are in the garage. When, and if, I get my computers networked, or get an internet connection for the garage, I'll be able to respond in a more timely manner instead of putting it off and most likely forgetting about it. :L

_ken

 

[Patti]

WOW....nice collection of books, Ken....oh and by the way....we can see all of your sinus cavities in your latest picture under your name.


Patti

 

[Bullitt]

LT1 409 523 hp, 528 lbs.-ft

Ken, I was going through some of my magazine articles for another thread, when I came upon one that you might be interested in. In the July 1998 issue of Vette, they covered an engine build up of a LT1 that displaced 409 cubic inches. It was built by TPIS owner Myron Cottrel. The cylinder heads were ported and the chambers enlarged to 54cc. It achieves 409 with a stroker crank (3.875"), 5.85" Manley rods and Ross pistons 4.10 that generated a 11.2 compression ratio. Now your engine will probably be different, but they compared a ZZ9 cam to Myron's own named 409 cam. It's a single pattern camshaft with .525 lift and 225 degrees of duration @ .050. I don't know if this would work for your engine, but it did produce better numbers compared to the ZZ9 LT1.

• ZZ9 - 484hp with 508 lbs.-ft
• 409 Cam - 523hp with 528 lbs.-ft.

The 409 came made 390lbs. @ 2000rpm, peaked at 4750 and declined to 454 @ 6000rpm. It has a real impressive curve. Something to consider, huh? --Bullitt

 

[johnny]

hai Ken,

So you wanna "dress up" your vette? I'll tell you what I am doing, maby it's worth lising too.

You know a little bit of already, so you know I have a '86 vette too. I bought this vette because of the age (you can't buy them new anymore) and the potential of building a nice streetracer of it! You can almost buy anything for it or there is always somebody who can make it for you.

At first you must reconize the weak points of the vette and upgrade them. So if you turn it too a awsome racer, you must upgrade the wheels, brakes, shocks and the weight. Then the airresistant.

then the wipers, lights and dash. And the stiffness of the body.

I am building now for 1,5 year, this is because of the long periods of waiting for parts or for the knowlige how to do something right in one time.

I started with new wheels, 18" aluminum/magnesium race wheels. I wanted the 335x30x18 in the rear, so you need a 13"wide rim. There only a few firms who can make a rim like that. Al the us wheels have not the quality of a european wheel. I drive the michelins, those are the best tires in the world. Also you can use the Yokohama.
I have used polyurethane busings, and I am still looking for a excelent set of coilovers. Maby JRZ or Sachs, with eibach springs. It will cost you al lot of money!
I have bought Brembo Porsche brakes (all around) the better brakes are AP but this will cost twice as much!
Use a battery location kit, and remove the original headlamps (a redisinged a new front bumper, with new lights for better sight and airflow) remove the EGR complete.
So you now can make cornering, better than any car in the world (I think, i beat a porsche 996 hahaha)
The engine, use a small block, never a big block, this because of the weight, the extra weight want to go staight a head!
I am building a small block, 427 cid with a supercharger, this I do for fun. But it's better to have a engine without the supercharger, one who can make easy 7500 rpm. I have the tpis headers and the LPE SuperRam, also the edelbrock heads.
This, because I want a engine who is relayeble and fast, easy to drive with (we have a lot of traffic in the Netherlands)
I also will install a whole new computer, one who is adjustible. DTA race computer, this will run my engine much, much smoother, and more performance at less fuel. Al the other things like MAF and sparkcontrole etc. leaf it away.
i have made a new dash, with autometer gauges 200 mph 5" and a 5"tach, so you easy can see what you are doing.
I have the ZF 6 speed gearbox, I have this winter a aluminum flywheel, centerforce dual friction and a shortthrow shifter. (I have heared that the hurts is out of production??????)

My advise is: build a streetracer, who you can handle (so you are not to drive you into your grave) and faster than any other sportscar, also in the corners. You better changes FIRST you wheels and tires, brakes and shocks. Second the superb engine, and test the car on the Dyno, so you know what you have. And 400 hp on the wheels is a lot, there are not much cars who have this.

And consider this, more than 400 hp, can you drive this?

So for me the vette is the ultimate fun, because here in the Netherlands they know, a vette is a american sportscar, but not so fast. Hhahahahahahahahahahahahhahhahahahhhhhhaaaaa! I beat them all, and how!


Good luck!

 

[jmur]

Sounds great, Do you have any photos of the dash?
I would love to see one that has been redone.
Thanks
Jim

 

[jmur]

Thanks again, Looking at it though makes me think that I would be unhappy without the digital guages. It really is a nice piece of work though


Jim

 

[johnny]

jmur, i've seen pics of that dash project, not sure it it's Jonhnny's or not.

Will try to find you the link.

Keith

No those are not mine, I have autometer gauges, utra light series. And I have made a aluminum dash with carbonfiberconsole.

 

[Viper 10]

Ken:

Just an FYI for you and the other CA members; Lingenfelter won't work on CA registered cars. This is something that I have (and many Viper owners) discussed with them regarding Snakes. I don't think that he can pass the emissions or get the performance numbers with a crappy oxygenated gas.

You might want to add Traco to your list of engine tuners. They are located in Burbank (CA). Ed Pink and Keith Black are also Southern Cal based.

Good luck.

Brad

 

[Ken]

First item picked-up today...

_ken

 

[69MyWay]

SCHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

 

[Ken]

My first question is the price of the heads; I can't figure out where he got his pricing on that. :confused

I thought we were talking about the Performer RPM heads (part #E6071), but then he said today that he was looking at Part #E6073 as well, but that lists for the same price as #E6071 (plain-$931.99, polished=$1099.99).

He must be looking at the Victor Jr. listing at $1245.99.

350-7762 Victor Jr. (with valves, springs, retainers, keepers for mechanical roller cams), 70cc, (pair)

Ideal for racers looking for an affordable head that makes maximum power, the new Victor Jr. 23° heads are designed for competition and ultra high-performance street small-blocks and accept standard valve train hardware. They have a 530-580 hp potential, out-of-the-box, for a cost effective, race-winning set-up. These heads have high-flow 215cc intake runners with CNC port-matched intake port entries and .400'' raised exhaust ports. 70cc chambers have hardened, ductile iron valve seats and phosphor bronze guides. A 9/16'' thick deck surface provides superior gasket retention. Valves are 1-piece, stainless steel high-quality construction.

But that is still shy of the $1463 I see here. :confused

I haven't price-comparison shopped much more yet, but this early breakdown doesn't seem too far off the mark, especially if I get quality work and an honest accounting.

In the meantime, it's time for me to start making purchases. I've got to get the intake (decisions, decisions) and flywheel ready for when he starts to balance the assembly.

Speaking of intakes, when I was at the other shop that'll be R&R'ing the engine/trans, Richie showed me the LPE SuperRam that he was installing for a customer, and I'll be damned if he didn't have to port-match the plenum to the runners! He also had to clean-up the inside of the plenum to get rid of burrs and other defects that could hamper airflow.

One would think that the unit would be delivered from LPE perfectly port-matched and smooth, wouldn't you? Or is "attention to detail" always going to cost more, even if you are already paying what you think is top-dollar? Whatever happened to "Pride In Craftsmanship"?

That in itself may swing me towards purchasing the "MiniRam" from TPIS. That is a billet piece, so the only grinding that will need to be done will be the usual intake port matching.

I'm gonna start handing out money beginning tomorrow, Will says I should have the engine in the bed of my truck for delivery to Richie by the end of January. :J

Wish me luck.

_ken

 

[Ken]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the whole time Keith.

 

[Jack]

nearly $9K motor?

Took a look at the build sheet ... kinda hard to see ... hopefully I'm mistaken in what seems to appear. Many of the individual line items (that I can make out) are way too high. And do I see over $8K penciled on it? If so ... Ken ... can you fall back and regroup?
JACK:eek :eek :eek