superscan811

A quick tip I was taught to get oil into the engine before starting it the first time. ITEMS: 1. A 10ft piece of clear hose (or longer if possible) that's able to take 100psi. 2. compressed air and air gun 3. Two Hose ends. 1 to screw into the where the oil pressure gauge, the other to go onto the air gun (you can get away with just the end for the block if you can securely fit an air gun nossle on the other end of the hose). 4. Engine oil. Process. 1. remove the oil pressure sensor 2. VERY SECURELY, put the ends on the clear hose. 3. fill the hose with oil. 4. screw one end of the hose into the oil pressure sender hole and the other end on the air gun. 5. push the oil into the engine with the air gun, but stop before any air goes into the engine. If required, remove and refill the hose with oil and do it again until there is oil in the top of the head. 6. remove the hose and refit the oil pressure sender. 7. Start the engine. It only takes a few minutes and it will definitely be better for your engine. Cheers.

Found a set of pistons off another type of engine, that fit quite nicely. While these are cast pistons, they have quite a few good attributes. 92mm diameter with a 35mm or 39.7mm compression height (std high comp Astron pistons are 36mm). Lighter than the standard 2.6L Astron pistons. Same gudgeon diameter as the Astrons but they are shorter, and therefore lighter. C-clipped gudgeon (perfect for the Ford rods). Drilled holes for the oil ring return rather than a large slot in the piston skirt. Friction reducing coated skirts. Cheap.. (also available forged, and I'm currently looking into their pricing). STD http://110.174.47.143/SG/HC-ENGINE/std_piston_rod_weight.jpg New and improved http://110.174.47.143/SG/HC-ENGINE/92mm_piston_rod_weight.jpg Total weight loss on the Piston/rod assemblies is 37.74oz,(1070grams) which is a 19% weight saving. NOT BAD..... Cheers.

A few pics (from my phone, sorry..). Casidum coated (Diamond Like Coating) gudgen pins with the aluminium plugs to stop it moving. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/12.5CR/Gudgen.jpg Top edge of the piston has been chamfered 15º (same angle as the valves). http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/12.5CR/Piston.jpg Lightened and balanced the pistons. Skirt has been cut down 5mm before the widest point to be safe. Pistons balanced within 0.0035oz http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/12.5CR/piston-01.jpg Over 35.27oz lighter total in the rods and pistons and while this doesn't sound like much, this weight reduction will greatly reduce the 2nd order harmonic, which is what the silent shafts used to do. In all honesty, I don't know how well the cast pistons will hold up, but this engine is just for testing more than anything else. Cheers.

3 steps forward 1 step back..... Block is back. Machined the pistons. Gudgeon pin plugs have been made... BUT..... Dummy assembled the rods, torqued up the rod bolts, and there was .006" clearance between the bearing surface and the crank journal.... Checked the rod journals (without the bearings) and they were .0008" tight which is good. Then I checked the bearing. FUBAR... FROM FACTORY... Have ordered another set of bearings and they should arrive mid next week. Recalculated the Compression ratio, after machining the pistons, and it looks like I'll have a 13:1 Comp engine.. Pistons lost an extra 0.7oz each after machining. Hoping to remove a bit more if it's safe to do so. Standard piston/rings/rod comes to 50.477oz (1.431kg) per assembly. My current setup weighs in at 42.258oz (1.198kg) per assembly. Nearly a 20% weight loss.. Cheers.

Especially if the engine has been cooked any time in its life. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Speko-334.jpg I've changed the exhaust to a 2½" because there was an internal 1¾" section of old pipe, previously welded inside the extractors, by whoever owned them before me. Replacing the exhaust leaned out all the AFR's so I've had to change the fueling. "Seat of pants" dyno says there is a bit more there but I'll have to confirm next time on the dyno. Cheers.

Had a bit of a set back with the block. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/CRACKS.jpg Cracks on 3 of the bolt holes.. It was just a pity it wasn't picked up before all the machining was done... Have grabbed another block and it's off being machined at the moment.. Cheers.

The dish in the piston is 4mm deep but the top of the piston is only 0.6mm below the top of the block. Allowing a SAFE clearance of 0.039" (1mm) between the piston and head, including gasket, (compressed head gasket is 0.051" or 1.3mm) for a 7000rpm limit, that's a maximum piston compression height, using the Ford rods, of approx 1.331" (33.8m) EXCLUDING piston dish. I'd recommend a safe piston height "above the block" of .0010" (0.25mm), "JUST IN CASE". Better to err on the side of caution than to destroy an engine. I'll be dummy assembling my engine to check the clearances before I machining the pistons, and would recommend anyone attempting using these rods to do the same. It doesn't take long, and the benefits of taking the time to check, far outweigh the possibility of destroying your engine if you don't. Just remember that the piston will need to be "AT MOST 0.0010" ABOVE THE BLOCK" to allow for rod stretch at 7000rpm. Cheers.

Had a look at my set of Wiseco pistons and going off them, with 2.2mm removed from the top of the piston 1.) a 7:1 it would be around 7.75:1. 2.) an 8:1 would be around 8.8:1. Cheers.

The bigend and gudgeon diameters are the same as the standard 4G54 pistons. If you were using a piston that was c-clipped or spirolocked, just the spacers on the gudgeon pin, either side of the rod, to make sure it's central on the crank.After that, the top of the pistons will need to be machined down so they don't hit the head. I'd need to know compression height (center of the gudgeon to the top of the piston), along with the piston dish (depth and diameter) to be able to correctly work it out. Cheers.

Is it just me or does the HP and torque figures look way too low, especially for the amount of boost? My non-turbo 4g54 makes 106kw (142hp) and 211nm (155ft-lb) of torque at the wheels. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/DYNO.jpg Stock rods and pistons, M8 magna head ported and 1mm OS Stainless valves, 11.2:1 comp. While I have done a bit of work to it, with the work you have done on your engine, I'd expect at least 250hp and around 300ft-lb torque. I'd be checking your intake and exhaust systems as it seems from your results, that there is a big restriction somewhere. Cheers.

106rwkw is NICE, but I want MORE.... so I started building another normally aspirated engine for the Ute. Comp on this engine will be 12½:1 (current engine is 11.2:1) Block is away getting bored and decked. Another lightened and knife-edged crank is ready to be balanced. BEFORE and AFTER. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/CRANK_BEFORE-AFTER.jpg Ford 5.4L rods which are 0.122" (3.1mm) longer and 30% lighter than the standard rods. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/5.4_ROD.jpg Because these rods are "floaters, I'll need to make up some "buttons" to go in the ends of the gudgeon pin so it doesn't move. Thought about modding the pistons and gudgeon pins to use c-clips, but I've been told that isn't a good idea. 0.157" (4mm) spacers will also be required to center the rod on the gudgeon because the bigend is also narrower than standard and will also be "floating". The M8 head will be shaved approx 0.118" (3mm) for a combustion chamber size of 48cc. 1mm-OS stainless valves, porting, bronze guides, bee-hive valve springs, swivel foot tappets and a lumpy cam. The matching M8 pistons will need to be approx 0.085" (2.2mm) shorter. This shouldn't be a problem because they already have a 0.063" (1.6mm) dish in them. This time I'll be going EFI with my quad throttle bodies off a Hayabussa, which I have spaced out to suit the M7 head port width. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/QUAD.jpg The ECU is a MICROSQUIRT 3 http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/MICROSQUIRT.jpg Using a Dynatek ARC-2 dual CDI unit (wasted spark). http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/DYNATEK.jpg Because I'll be running E85, I'll also be using 440cc low impedance injectors out of a VR4. They should be good for at least 140rwkw (185rwhp). This should be interesting.. Cheers.

None to my knowledge. Work done to the engine to achieve 11.2:1 .120" off the head to get a 48cc chamber. .010" off the block 7cc dish pistons (92mm). Cheers.

Well, not much work on the 14:1 CR engine due to the engineering shop destroying 2 sets of inlet valves (to the value of $500), and refusing to replace them. In the meantime, I had to rebuild my Astron engine in the Triton, after blowing a head gasket. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/Blown%20head%20gasket.jpg Similar work done to lighten the crank, but not as radical. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/Lightened%20crank.jpg and using one of my brothers lightened flywheel and 10" clutch package. ARP Rod bolts, Main studs and head studs but standard rods. Compression is 11.2:1 Not a bad result, 106 kw (142 hp) http://110.174.47.143/SG/Triton/DYNO.jpg but I still need to to do a bit more work with AFR's down low. Cheers.

Another way to set your cam timing is to set your mechanical tapets, on #1 cylinder, to .050" (all cams come with the .050" lift spec). This way, it doesn't matter if the dial indicator isn't exactly vertical to the valve, you are only looking for when the valve initially moves. Do this for both inlet and exhaust. If there is a discrepancy between the cam spec and your results, you may have to re-check your TDC mark. If you don't have a degree wheel, there is a rough way to check your cam timing is correct. At TDC on #1, with the rocker gear removed BUT a bit of tension on the timing chain, place a steel rule across the inlet and exhaust lobes. It should be level on a neutral (non-advanced or non retarded) cam grind. Cheers.

Thanks for the comments. As for shipping costs, contact NPC. They are the ones selling them, I was just able to talk my brother into making them. BTW the torque and HP figures are from ACTUAL clients of NPC who have installed and used these clutches. They should be able to handle more, but Doug prefers to quote what has been proven, not what it can handle in theory. Cheers.

Finally had my brother make a batch of lightened flywheels and currently there are 6 left. The flywheel weighs in at 13.6 lbs Still waiting on the final cost but it will be under AUS$400 There are 3 options for the pressure/friction plate. STREET(organic): 540 ft-lbs (approx 400RWHP) AUS$340 STREET/RACE(Cushion Button): 650 ft-lbs (approx 470RWHP) AUS$560 COMPETITION (Carbotic Button): 925 ft-lbs (approx 600RWHP) AUS$450 The clutch packages weighs in at approx 19 lbs They are being sold through NPC Performance Clutches in AUSTRALIA, so contact them at info@npcperformanceclutches.com.au Doug is the person to speak to. Cheers.

These are what I call "Elephant Foot" adjusters, not swivel foot. BTW: Those spring retainers look heavy duty.. Cheers.

Yes. The ball-bearing was significantly smaller in the cheap ones. This means that there is more pressure exerted on the back of the socket, which will cause them to wear quicker. Also, the ground flat spot that contacts the top of the valve was smaller and rougher, which would make it wear the top of the valve quicker. While I'm not saying that the SCAT brand is the only good brand out there, but you should only considered their level of quality or better when purchasing. Cheers.

Thank you, but from looking at your handiwork, I've have a long way to go... You seem to have both "show" and "go" while I'm still working on the "go".. As my brother puts it, I'm a computer geek with delusions of adequacy when it comes to machining... Next week I should have enough funds to pick up the heads. Pics to follow. Cheers.

Ive had the exact opposite experience with them. I fill the oil galley with a high content molybdenum disulphide grease before using them, no drilling oil galleys etc. They currently have survived over 50k miles, even when I was using double valve springs AND had springbind bad enough to destroy the lobes. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Bad-Cam/Lobe4a.JPG It will also depend on what brand you buy. I bought 4 sets of "cheap" swivel foot adjusters. When I had a look at them, the quality was soo bad, I just threw them in the bin. The only ones I buy now are the SCAT brand. http://110.174.47.143/SG/SCAT-20118-1.jpg Cheers.

Too bad the shipping costs out of Australia are soo high. The M8 head is a nice head and the ports from factory are quite good (except the short radius on the exhaust). Purchased a 1" ball nose carbide burr to help with the porting work. It made the work so much faster and easier. The large diameter of the burr, along with the front radius, means that I'm able to do the curves a lot smoother as well. Here are a few pics. Inlet BEFORE and AFTER. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Head/m6-7/PORTING/M7-Inlet-before.jpg http://110.174.47.143/SG/Head/m6-7/PORTING/M7-Inlet-after.jpg Exhaust BEFORE and AFTER. http://110.174.47.143/SG/Head/m6-7/PORTING/M7-Exhaust-before.jpg http://110.174.47.143/SG/Head/m6-7/PORTING/M7-Exhaust-after.jpg The heads are now in getting the valve/guide/seat work done and should be finished in the next week or so. Once they are back, I can finish the porting/blending work. After that, it's just a few small steps to finish the build. Then comes the fun part. Cheers.

For turbo or N/A? (yes I have seen over 10:1CR on a high boost turbo engine...) For N/A it's easy. Standard flat top pistons, Machine the block so the pistons are 0.010" above deck and take roughly 0.080" off the head (cc the chamber first) I've made up a little excel spreadsheet to calculate the CR. It's in metric but it also has the conversions for imperial. Thanks.. More than happy to, but as as I have informed you before, shipping from Australia is stupidly high. AusPost/DHL/UPS all seem to think Australia is a small Island in the middle of the ocean (LOL).. The heads are cheap at around $120 but the shipping is approx $350.... If you can find some cheap shipping, there are a lot of people who want M7 heads on your side of the world along with the Magna plenums and electronic dizzy's for an easy MPI conversion. Cheers.

Those pistons are the standard cast ones and should be easy to machine. The pistons I'm using are the Wiseco Forged pistons K509M925 (I'll check tomorrow). Bought them off Ebay about 12 months ago. This is the M8 head (with the kidney shaped chamber) that was running on my stock 4G54 engine. I have another one in the shed somewhere if you need more pics. Because of the piston dome I have to use an M7 head for the High Comp engine. First stage of the porting work is almost done. http://110.174.47.143/SG/HC-ENGINE/M7-HC-VW-In-01.jpg http://110.174.47.143/SG/HC-ENGINE/M7-HC-VW-Ex-01.jpg http://110.174.47.143/SG/HC-ENGINE/M7-HC-VW-Chamber-01.jpg A little bit more work on the exhaust side is needed before the new guides can be installed, but once they are in, the seats can be cut down to size. After that is done, I can finish the final bit of blending and de-schrouding work. Also planing on opening up the ID of the seats another 0.040-0.060", depending on what the engineering shop recommends. Trying to get everything done that I can to finish the head but will need to spend at least another $500 to finish it off. Because I don't have enough projects already, I'm in the process of purchasing a 70% finished Sigma rally car (build details are here), so funds are running very low, and it will be a few weeks before I can afford to do anything.. Cheers.

This is the VW Scat site. Choose what ever size suits because they are all made from 4140 CHROMOLY. Cheers.

Not as far as I know.. Plenty at the car wreckers.. Cheers.