Engine build for all the boost!
 

Hey everyone! For the last 10 years, I have had a very nicely modified Mach that ran like a dream and took lots of hits on the street and track.

A simple run down of the car before now.
03 Mach 1 Azure Blue, non-IUP
Kenne Bell 2.1 @ 9psi
Stock Longblock
Stock Trans
PMP clutch
Steeda Tri Ax
60lb Injectors
Cobra tank, dual GT Supercar pumps
KB BAP
JLT CAI
SLP Longtubes
SLP X
Borla "Stingers"
FRPP Aluminum DS
4.10 Gears
GT Rear brake swap
17x4 / 15x10 Dark Star wheels
Hoosier bias ply fronts and bias ply QTP rears
UPR Tubular K & A arms
UPR Coil overs
UPR Control arms

http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1702

I'm sure I am missing a few things. But the car made 490 RWHP on 93 with an awesome tune up from Fastlane Motorsports in Benson, NC.
Best time was 11.2 @ 127mph.

About a month ago, I was having a little too much fun with a 4 door Hellcat and ended up popping the motor.

Pulled it to find that it bent a rod, ripped the wrist pin out of the piston, and blew the side of the cylinder out.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1709
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1703

So now I am in process of building the motor. The plan as of now is to turn the little 2.1 all the way up, and see how much steam it can produce. Ride it like that for a while, put together eaton swap parts and jam a huge twin screw on it.

Pics to come!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

So far I have accrued:
Stock 03 Cobra rods
Manley Flat Tops, Steel rings
Boundary Gears
-8 Fuel line from tank to rail
Todd Warren Cams, spec'd for the build
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1704
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1708
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1710
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1711


I also got a block that is going .030" over, reusing my stock crank, and valve springs from Todd as well. The heads are getting .010" shaved off, and should be 11:1 compression. The car will be on E85.

Everything is currently at the machine shop getting balanced. I will be assembling this myself with my daughter as a project for us. She is 10 and loves helping in the garage with anything I do.

I will update as it goes, and try to take tons of pics as I go.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

While the machine shop does their thing, I decided to paint a few parts. I found the closest thing to "vantablack" that is available to consumers. It is called Black 2.0, by Stuart Semple. It is the blackest black you can get. So far I painted the TB (BBK twin 65) the blower inlet and the valve covers.

http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1705
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1706
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1707

It looks stupidly good in person. It is super black, matte and light consuming.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice!! Following!

Very nice! How many miles on the old setup before she let go?


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Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

that hurts; can't wait to see more progress.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Build it and they will come!

Following...…..

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Bad *** car! Should surpass 600rw with that compression, corn and cams, not even upping the boost. Can't wait to see this build unfold.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

They say things disappear when using that black; I would love to see it in person when you are done just to witness the black 2.0.

Pretty cool idea and good luck with the build.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

She rode with 9 psi from 17k all the way to 40k. So 23k with no issues. But this was a weekend only car. Its been almost 10 years since the KB went on. Lots of track days and late night highway blasts with it.

Thanks!
700 is the dream number, but ill be happy with anything over 600 honestly.

Thanks! If all goes well the car will be at MW this year. It looks better in person, the images don't do it justice. I'm also going to do the timing cover and the shaker.

So this whole lockdown has put me a bit behind schedule. The machine shop has a reduced staff, and I also don't want to fork out another $1000 for the clutch, gaskets, fluids, etc. in the face of this thing. It may be more useful to have that cash in hand in the next few weeks.

But the machine shop bill is already paid. So as soon as they are done I can at least assemble and install the engine.

More updates to come! Thanks for all the support!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

What rpms were you turning the stock engine to?

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Heck that will be easy!!

The motor I just dropped in my Mach was from my bro's cobra, it's a stock 03 cobra motor with headers and a 2.9 whip made 635 rwhp on 93 pump through a 4R70w trans and when we put it on E 85 it made 704 rwhp @ 21 psi.

Ive made some slight mods and its ready to be re dynode next month..

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

I don't see there being any issue getting past 600 with his 9psi. Maybe closer to 700 if he can turn that 2.1 up enough.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Shift light set at 6700, probly spinning to 6800-7000 on the regular. N2MB WOT box, so no lift shifting every time.

Hopefully!

Machine shop got ahold of me today. Total Seal shorted me a ring, so as soon as it gets here and that all can be balanced it will be assembly time.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Some progress from the last couple days. Picked up everything from the machine shop. Block is .030", everything was balanced, cleaned, etc.

Started to assemble what I could. I got incorrect rod bearings sent, so I am waiting for those to come in today.

Block cleaned, crank installed, rings filed and ready for assembly.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1719

Top is .025" second ring is .027"

I put quick seat on the cylinders. The green tinted ones have quick seat on them, the shiny ones don't. Took pics for comparison.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1712
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1713

Oil pump gears from boundary installed, oil pump housing cleaned. They look so nice, its a shame they get hidden inside the pump lol
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1714

Heads cleaned, new seals, valves and springs going in. (Yes I did it in the living room lol)
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1720

Had a question about the lubricants I am using.
Driven by Joe Gibbs lubricants are considered the gold standard when it comes to assembly and break in.
They make AL8 for Total Seal. This is a thinner lube and is meant for the piston skirts, pins, and rings.

HVL (High Viscosity Lube) is their thicker lube, this is meant for bearings, oil pump gears, etc. I will be using it in the bottom end of the engine.

Engine assembly grease is very thick and is meant for the top end of the engine. I will be using it on the cams and all the valvetrain components.

I will be using BR30 oil to break in the engine. Also made by Driven.

The only other lubricant I will be using is ARP's fastener lube.

Once the Fedex guy shows up today I will be fully assembling the engine, hanging the trans on it, and installing it in the car. Ill take lots of pics and update when I can!

Awesome! I’m anxious to do mine soon before it blows. Are you reusing the stock timing components? Chains etc


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Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Yes, spoke to a few people, and for the low mileage I have on the car, everything should be fine to reuse.
I will be just filing the stock gears in order to degree the cams.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Last part order showed up today. It was very weird and the ARP bolt packaging was open. The side bolt kit I was sent was not what I ordered as well. So I have to return it and get the correct bolts before I can continue. But everything else was good.
Mcleod clutch
Friction surface for flywheel
Break in oil
Loctite Anaerobic sealer for blower parts.
ARP crank bolt, cam bots and side bolts.

Also a few more misc. tools.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1721

Once the side bolts get here, hopefully beginning of the week, the build can commence.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice! Are you using a resource for the engine assembly? Like an online tutorial? Youtube video? Book? I'd like to try it someday but the thought of doing it wrong is nerve racking.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Using the ARP website for bolt torques. But not to much other than that. Honestly once the machine work is done, you are just bolting things together. It’s not difficult. This is not my first mod motor. But there are tons of great resources online. Here is one that is the Factory Ford PDF to assemble a 4v modular:

http://www.terminator-cobra.com/Cobr...e_Assembly.pdf

Torque for fasteners is the thing that needs to be very precise. All the parts fall in place easily. All the hard work is done by the machinists lol.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

More progress this weekend. Side bolts came in, verified they were real. And started bolting stuff together.
Got the pistons in, everything went together very smooth.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1722

Got everything buttoned up on the crank and rods, installed ARP hardware. Then installed the DSS girdle. With a 2 bolts main, some of the bigger shops have seen the main caps walk. So we will give it a shot. It is a very well made piece. Requires the oil pickup tube and hardware to be modified a bit, nothing major.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1724

Used a dial to find TDC and check piston to deck height. At TDC, the pistons are .012" below deck.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1723
Put the heads on, started putting the cams in. Lobe lift for these are .495" each. Too high for the cam cap clearance. All the exhaust cam lobes were hitting the cam caps and the intake lobes had only .005" clearance at most. I used a carbide bit on a die grinder to get most of the clearance done, maybe .008". Then finished with a file by hand to ensure .010" feeler clearance between all the lobes and caps. I did not want the caps to act as scrapers by having a real tight clearance.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1725

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

After that, I was able to install the cams and begin the degree process. These cams call for a 110 Intake Centerline, and 118 Exhaust Centerline. I was able to get them both within half~ish a degree. The right bank (passenger) side I was able to get it to 109.75 ICL and 117.75 ECL without modifying anything. They started at 112 and 120 just installed rough, there was enough play in the cam gears to get the 2 degrees needed. The Left bank was a different story. I started with 118 ICL and 126 ECL. Using the slop in the gears, I was able to get it down to 114/122. So I took the primary gear out, filed the keyway on the gear a little at a time. I was able to get it to 110.25 and 118.25 centerlines. Took two times of filing to get it right.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1727

Degreeing is not as difficult as it seems. This was my first time doing a 4v. Only done 2v's before. I would say it took 5 hours all together. 1 hour per cam because I would triple check every cam after it read correctly for the first time. And an hour of setup, cleaning, and filing.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1728

After that was done, I installed the tensioners, lash adjusters and followers. Rotated the engine a ton by hand and lubed the chains and guides for a final time. Started to put all the covers on. Pan, timing and valve covers.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1729

Decided to grab some stainless hardware for the valve cover and coil covers.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1726

Sent the wife out for a gas can and some E85 to start the car with, this is what she comes back with...lol
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1730

Tomorrow I will have some time to keep going. Will post more when I get the chance!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Great work!!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

So awesome!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Thanks!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Got a bit behind on posting. I was trying to get the car done so I could drop it off to the tuner this week.
Engine and trans going in. Was a huge PITA with the bigger pan. Had to drop it in just enough to clear the pan over the K member, then put the LTs on while it was hanging, then slide it all in the rest of the way. I definitely feel like I did it the hardest way possible, especially working by myself.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1734

In there, took a bit of wiggling, but I got it.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1735

Next comes the blower. Made sure to take everything apart and clean / reseal. Everything looked good so back on it goes. Using the hoist made it much easier for me by myself as well lol!
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1736

And in. Also shout out to Midd Tenn Decals for the coil cover decals!
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1737

After talking to my tuner, he wanted more fuel system in the car. Ended up going with a Lethal Performance return setup. Division X hat, dual 465 pumps, -8 Feed, -6 Return, Division X regulator.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1739

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Got the regulator installed. Not a huge fan of this setup. It's huge and the FRPS mount is not the best. But it's what we got for now until I get some new rails.

http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1738

Putting the hat in, this piece from Division X was beautiful. Everything went together perfect over all with the fuel system.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1743

The lethal return harness was super easy to wire and route. Mounted in the stock FPDM location. Removed my modded FPDM and the BAP.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1744

After that I was able to stick all the body panels back on, get it on the trailer and drop it off at Fastlane Motorsports in Benson, NC for an initial tune for break in. Caleb, the tuner there, is going to drive the car saturday to get the drivability dialed in perfect in the tune and I should be able to pick it up Monday and put 5-600 break in miles on it. Then back to him for dyno tuning.

Borrowed truck, rented trailer lol!
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1745

Stay tuned for more!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

So awesome. Love the coil cover decals. You'll be 'distancing' yourself out in front of some folks for sure.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Thanks! That is the plan, at least 6 feet behind me lol!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice Job!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Thanks!

Well, shes alive. Had the starter go bad for some reason (my luck) and the water pump seal got pinched on install. After changing both of those the tuner was able to get it running and driving great. The Street Extreme clutch from Mcleod has a very very light pedal compared to my old setup. The first drive was rough lol. I have 200 miles on it so far, another 200 and I will change the BR30 out for Mobil. Then 100 on that and off to the dyno!

https://youtu.be/riq1v241wIo

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice! Thanks for the update!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Break in complete, runs and drives great with no issues. Loving the McLeod clutch after getting used to it. Very smooth and light for a unit that can handle 700hp.

After having some difficulty with my local tuner, And others not willing to work with me at all, I will be going with a stand alone Holley EFI and tuning it myself. Talked to Holley, and will be going with a Terminator X setup. Have to cruise to a dyno day at some point to see a number, but we will see what ET it puts down and guesstimate from there based on weight.
It’s unfortunate when a shop’s personal issues bleed over to the customers. But such is life and I want no involvement in a shop's drama. I’ll just tune it myself.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice! Let me know how it goes with that Holley! I'm interested in learning how to tune myself! :thumbsup:

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Alright, well went through some pains with the Holley EFI setup.
I ordered a Terminator X kit. Also the USB-CAN harness and a 3 bar MAP sensor. 3 bar gives me the ability to go up to 30psi of boost. I will be shooting for 18psi.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1751
After it arrived i ran all the harnesses and was able to start the car. However, I could not get the IAC working, and the idle was all over the place after moving the throttle at all.
After much troubleshooting, I was sent the wrong main harness. It happens, some one put the wrong thing in the wrong box. The correct harness should be here on Monday. All the other harnesses and wires are ran, So i should just be able to plug it in and get to idle tuning. On to some pics!

OEM harness on top, Holley harness on bottom. The holley uses really nice wrapping and everything is already to the correct length, making for any easy install!
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1752

Factory harness unwrapped. I am keeping the stock PCM in the car to run the stock cluster and AC. Found an electrical diagram and printed it.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1755

Unpinned the large connector that usually hides out in the back left corner of the engine bay. I only need the crank sensor from this so the Tach will work. Once I put the holley harness in the car, I will splice into it for the signal, split it to the PCM and Holley, and the tach will work.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1749

I also ended up using the speed sensor that goes to the trans to drive the speedo on the dash. No pic, but its the DG/WT wire from the PCM harness, to the trans sensor, and the other side of the sensor gets grounded by the PCM.

There is a sub-harness that the AC clutch wires are hiding in. I just pulled them out, and re-pinned them to length so I can tuck them under the frame rail.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1748

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

All the factory wiring that is no longer used. I plan to snip all the connectors off and save them in a jar just in case. I can always add wire. All the wiring will be scrapped.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1750

2.75" pulley compared to the pulley that came with the blower for 10psi. This pulley should put the blower around 17,181 RPM at 7000 engine RPM. (6.75/ 2.75) x 7000 = 17,181. Crank diameter divided by pulley diameter, then multiply that number by engine RPM to determine blower RPM. KB states all their blowers should be kept below 18k RPM.
According to boost calculations, this should also put the boost at 18psi. But we will see, Im expecting to see 16psi or so with the longtubes and cams.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1753

Also picked up a windows 10 tablet to keep in the car. Will be used for live datalogs and to view the holley gauges on screen when needed. I will do the bulk of the tuning on a laptop. But this should be nice to have for simple changes or seeing live datalogs while driving with it in a holder.
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1754

As soon as the correct harness is installed, I can tune the idle, ensure the car will hot start without any problems, and take it out for a drive. I have a pretty good base tune already just from me researching and asking other people that know what's what.

I will be shooting for 11.2 AFR and 18-19 degrees of timing at WOT. Idle and cruise AFR and tables will be whatever gets the best MPG, those will just require lots of drive time to dial in.

Holley EFI software is very intuitive to use, the GUI is very friendly, and there are forums and FB groups devoted to mod motor holley efi setup and tuning.

Figuring out how to run the factory cluster was a chore, most people i've seen don't bother figuring it out or wiring it up. But if you can read the schematics it's not too awfuly bad. The holley digital dash is very nice, alot of guys go with that. No wiring, plug and play with the ECU, and there are alot of places to find mounts.
I want the factory stuff to work, just because I want the car to look mostly stock. I want a car that I can toss the keys to anyone and they can get in and go drive. No switches, no start sequence, full interior, and full comforts.

More to come!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice man!! :worship:

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Very nice!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Thanks!

New harness is in, it runs and idles. Messed with it for a while and could not figure out why it didn’t want to hot start. Turns out the alternator is dead. New one is on the way and we should be back on the road after that. I was able to tune idle, but after a little bit the crank and cam sensors were out of sync and the ECU was acting weird. I assumed bad alt or battery. So I pulled them and took them to be tested. The alternator was the culprit.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Nice catch! Frustration I imagine!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Small updates, car runs and drives great. Tuning has been fairly easy with the Holley software. I have A/F tables, Fuel tables and spark tables all dialed in.

After a few 'spirited' highway sessions I was able to finalize the spark timing right around 16-17 degrees at WOT and the car pulls like crazy all the way to 7000!
First drive on the highway scared me a bit, i was in 3rd around 60 floored it and it knocked the tires off and got a little sketchy lol. Once I learned where the torque was, I was able to get some full pulls and datalog them. I am seeing 16psi of boost peak.
As soon as the weather clears up in NC and we can get a good track TnT night I will be headed there with ice and a couple sets of plugs to read to really dial in the power.

Next on the list is to plumb and wire a flex fuel sensor andset up the table for the offset in the software.
Right now I am on straight E85 all the time, but I want flex just in case I am way out and can't get to ethanol. The car can just adjust itself until we are back.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

How's the 2.1 sound at 16psi? :eyebrows:

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Sounds good! As soon as I can get some 1320 time there will be videos. Was wet this weekend, hopefully next weekend.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Tuning update, not sure if anyone cares for tuning stuff, but here it is anyway.

So the first table that needs to be adjusted is Target Air Fuel Ratio. This table will command all the fueling and also help the engine go from lean at cruise to rich at WOT smoothly.

http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1760

The left side of the table is Vac/Boost, and the bottom axis is RPM. Since I have a Kenne Bell, it is very simple. Twin Screws give you all the boost, and hold it until you close the throttle. This is why my rows are the same across the RPM range. Since the car is seeing right around 16psi, thats where I want my WOT ratio to be, for me on E85, that is 11.5 to 1.

The purple square of cells is the cruise AFR, this is where the car cruises through town and on the highway, between 2-3k. You want this to be lean as possible to use the least amount of fuel. Because there is no engine load, being so lean doesn't matter.

The top blue/light blue rows above the purple are the ramp from 14.2:1 at cruise, to 11.5 at full boost. A nice smooth transition is important for driveability and plug life.

Once you figure out what your AFR table needs to looks like, then you will adjust the fueling percentages in lb/hr of fuel. Here is that table:
http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...pictureid=1761

This has vacuum/boost on the left, and RPM on bottom again.
but now the values in the table are fuel in lb/hr.

This is where the Holley EFI shines. It builds a base table once you enter all of the parameters for your car. Engine size, boosted or NA, MAP sensor, Injectors, etc, etc.
The base tables are just that, base. They will not correctly fuel the car right off the bat. They need to be tuned. But Holley EFI does this for you. You tell it how much it's allowed to change the fuel, usually +100% and -100% in the beginning. So it can pull everything in the table, or add twice as much.

The Holley is always looking at the Wide Band and correcting fueling to achieve the Target AF ratio you command on the previous table. As you drive, it corrects the fuel. The more you drive, the better the fueling gets. Then you can transfer all the fueling that it 'learned' while you were driving, to the base table. And boom, your base table is now closer in the areas you drove in. In my experience, you want to drive it a few times, and creep u on the RPM and boost levels as you drive. The more time the car spends at any given load / RPM, the better the Holley is in that area.

I had 2-3 short drives around town and the part throttle driveability was perfect afterward. I took it out on the highway, and would roll into it in 4th to allow it to learn in low and mid level boost. Then I gave it all the onions the first time. It went directly to the commanded AFR (11.5:1) and stood there. Never made a single hiccup. Came home, looked at the datalog for the drive, and adjusted small things as needed.

I have always been 'scared' to tune my own car. But man, once you do a bit of reading, and understand what the car is trying to do, it is very easy.

If people like seeing this type of updates, let me know. I am dialing in Ignition Timing next!

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

any updates if you had a chance to dyno it?

I see a KB kit for sale on FB...is that yours? maybe going a different route?

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

No dyno time.

Yep, posted it last night, sold today. In process of removing the blower now. I got the tune up good, and drove the car. After driving at 480-ish HP for years, making around 600 was just unimpressive.

Decided to sell the Kenne Bell, Going turbo, shooting for 1000hp+. The engine is good for it. Why not?

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

It was a great deal too, @ 3500 people would be hard pressed to find it else where.

Good luck with the turbo install.

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Next thing will be an automatic transmission :eyes:

Re: Engine build for all the boost!
 

Thanks! I think 3500 was a good deal for a complete kit. my inbox exploded when I posted it lol.

Staying manual for now. Not fixing it until it breaks lol. I been out playing with the KB turned all the way up. Even with the Hoosiers on, the stock trans and rear have lasted this long. Both went 1.6 60 foots before the rebuild numerous times.
While I was out datalogging the tune it ran all the way through 4th multiple times at 600-ish. Stock axles and trans holding on strong.

Told my wife if the stock trans makes one 9 second pass, im pulling it, spraying it gold and hanging it in the garage lol.