35 replies to this topic

[89BananaQuest]

Ok,  not sure if this is the right place for this but its gonna be my build thread/restoration thread.  Im currently in the middle of pulling the engine and trans out of my banana.  Im going to be replacing the frame rails, swaping to a manual, head studs and new gaskets, wire tuck, and paint the engine bay.  Im also going to be swapping my dash out since the previous owner decided it would be cool to drill three holes in it to mount gauges.  Im getting a five speed parts car.  Im also going to swap the dash harness since the previous owner hacked it up when installing the gauges.  I have already taken the hood, fenders, header panel, radiator, intercooler, head, intake, turbo and manifold, and a few other things off of the car.   I plan to pull the block and auto trans out some time this week.  When i bought the car the kid told me it was mildly built engine.... I never really believed him tho,  because it ran like hell.  But i put new injector clips, 02 sensor, 3 inch turbo back straight pipe, cleaned the k&n filter, shift linkage bushings on the trans, new plugs wires and dizze vacume advance along with an msd coil and rebuilt the tb. And the car actually ran very well.  Once i fixxed all the lil stuff.  Well saturday after noon i decided to start getting the banana naked and ready.  Well i took a bunch of pics so i'll post them in here also

[89BananaQuest]

[89BananaQuest]

And this is what she looked like befor


Other then the wheels are no longer black they are working on getting polished slowly,lol

[techboy]

He wasn't totally lying to you about the mildly built motor ... those pistons should have markings on top of them if they are stock, and they don't, meaning you have aftermarket pistions.

[89BananaQuest]

Yea,  i have another thread posted also trying to see if anu one can identify them or tell me how to find out what they are.

[techboy]

Unfortunatley you'd probably have to take them out and look at markings on the sides.  If the car was running strong and you had good compression, like you said before you started this, I wouldn't pull them.  I'd just leave them alone.

Nice car BTW.

[Convette]

if you pull the pan, you should be able to see what they are on the underside.  Thats where mine were stamped  (JE's)

[89BananaQuest]

Ok.  Thanx for the heads up.  I'll pull the pan and if i cant tell i guess i'll just leave it alone and just build the block that i'll be pullin from the parts car.  

So i have a question for you guys.  Witch head should i use?  The hydralic one that was on the car, or rebuild the mech. one that i have in my garage?  I have all the parts to rebuild it already so its not a big deal to swap it.  I do plan to add a cam this summer once its back together, or while i have it apart idk yet.  I wanna run a big cam, i know it wont perform good but i kinda want the sound, lol.  I want a nice lobey idle.  I was watching the video's online of cammed starquest and i know the hks sounds amazing but i also know its impossible to find.  What would u guys recomend?  I do also plan to go mpi and hx35 in the next year or two.

[Indiana]

I'd use the head that appears the newest and I'd guess that's the one on the engine now, or was.

[89BananaQuest]

They are actually both pretty clean.  The one on the car is a lil more.  But im able to use a hot take so really beign clean isnt a big deal to me, cause i get get it clean.  Just had read some where that people say the mechanicle head is better when u use a cam or what ever.  So i wanst sure.  Also any pointers on what kinda cam to go with?  I want something that will perform good but still have a nice lobey idle.

[Indiana]

4cyl engines at least with a stock ecu won't idle like that.  Even with all the cams I've tried I can't tell any difference in idle other than the rpms you have to correct.  The heads are the same, its just the rocker arms and if it has hydraulic rocker arms it needs the shafts with the holes in them to feed oil out through those holes in the rocker leading lead to the lifter.  One you have to adjust and listen to the other you don't.  The cams are meant to be the same as fas as stock goes.  Best spent money is on OS valves and HD springs.  A V8 that sounds like that is because its about to die and the rpms are very low like 350.  These engines idle at 800 rpms.

[89BananaQuest]

I would be happy if i could get it to sound like this



Or this one



I'll look into hd valve springs and over sized vales.  If i dont do them while its apart it will prolly be next winter when i do them.  I plan to slowly build it as much as i can.

[89BananaQuest]

Ok guys so the cylinders are 90mm.  Any one know what the stock is?  Trying to figure out if and how much it was bored over.

[89BananaQuest]

Ok guys got some more questions!  Cam and turbo this time.











Turbo has 14 blades total.  7 longer ones and 7 shorter ones.

Also i'll be getting the parts car on saturday.  And an engine stand.  As long as the weather is nice enough on sunday i plan to pull my motor and trans and get the engine on the stand.  Does any one know where i can find the thread thats the how to for replacing/repairing the frame rails?

[leesfer]

Stock cam and stock turbo (housing is stock at least, could be different inside)

You still have jet valves, too

[riceboyler]

Newbie question: were the TD and A that are missing (on the turbo compressor housing) typically not cast in the housing?  I've never seen that before, and honestly it looks really strange.

Edited by riceboyler, 15 February 2012 - 04:56 PM.

[89BananaQuest]

Yea,  that was my questioning on the turbo is the td and the a are missing.  And the cam i had read that the stock ones had a stamped letter on the front as to were mine is smooth?  Thats why i was a little confused about that.

[leesfer]

Just went out and checked the stock 12a I have sitting around and it is identical to yours

You'll have to wait for someone more experienced than I to comment further on the cam

Edited by leesfer, 15 February 2012 - 08:54 PM.

[Indiana]

You're lucky it says 05-12 and some places if they enlarge it for a different wheel they will grind off the 2 and some won't not that it means anything.

No, that's stock that's all they ever had on them.

That cam is aftermarket, those numbers only mean something to the maker and nobody ever bothered to decode or compare those.  It could be a regrind too because they use old cams for that and as mentioned usually stamp or engrave on the back end.  The stock cam had an A or a 6 on it depending on if it was A for auto lasher adjuster (hydraulic) or 6 for mechanical

[89BananaQuest]

Ok.  I thought they where stamped on the front end.  Any specail way to take the cam out then?  Or just take off the rocker arm assemblies or what?  I'll pull it out today and see what it says.