Thread: Balance Shaft

Normally I would agree with you Vinnie. They are plentiful enough that they can be had reasonably enough. However, this set up will be a proof of concept for me on several ideas I have kept tucked in my notebook for a long time so Im wanting to go a bit further than probably would be the norm.

If not for that, if I were a normal guy without some crazy ideas floating in his head, I would have sent my tranny off to trannyman and just stuck with bolt on stuff for the engine and been back on the road long long ago. But this has been my one opportunity and Im taking it. Either I will fall flat on my face and have to admit I had no clue what I was doing (and I will gladly do so 'cause I see no shame in saying things didnt work out as planned and I would have never known had I not tried) or I will have proven some rather unconventional approaches to things.

Thats my kind of thinking. Way to take a risk on something unique! My build is wrapped around unique.

If your wanting power and don't have a budget, built a motor from the ground up.

If your on a budget and want durability, get you a short block and add a few go fast goodies to it and call it good.

If you want durability, and peace of mind, and are on a budget, get a short block, change a few things, (heads & cam for example) and leave the pistons and rods alone and tune like a mofo for the durability.

Forged pistons are more forgiving yes, but cost more.

if you can scan, and put parts together right, then you dont really "have to have them".

Biggest problem is ring gap. I dont know if you were around when I was discussing this with the turbo GP that was at Branson with the chipped pistons....

Ring gap on these motors is set very tight for emissions. You start adding more power to them, they expand more than they should, they have no where to go but the weakest point of the piston, so they fold up, and pop goes the top of the piston. It IS possible to have zero knock and still chip/chunk a piston, as it depends on the ring gap from the factory.

I first found this out in 2004 when I was taking apart the original bad motor that I removed from my car when I bought it. For fun I was installing the compression and scraper rings back into the cylinder bore, and measuring the gap. Some were what they should be, others were tighter than factory specks. Very inconsistent for being a factory built engine.

When I rebuilt my motor, I adjusted my ring gap accordingly to what my build was involving, such as a supercharger, and nitrous. There is a gap for everything you could do to the motor.

Not saying putting a turbo, or a big shot of nitrous on a stock motor is bad, but you have to know your limits if you care about the stock untouched motor parts inside. Has to be built around what your building it upon to have one reliable and built well that doesn't throw copper after the build.

(if you remember the problems ZZP was having with finding a good reliable engine builder that could build a motor that would NOT throw copper or not)

I admit, the first time I built my motor, it threw copper, so I tore it down and discovered the missed step many over look on the build. I now feel confident building these engines now that I have seen and felt what it can do on a good build and tune, and flogged the one in my car well enough to know its a very solid build. But...with any build...your only on borrowed time.

Factory build engines built to last 500,000+ miles.
Custom hand built engines...your VERY lucky if you get 50,000 out of them.
On average, most 3800 builds that are ran hard, only last around 10,000 to 15,000 miles that I have seen.

~F~

I too questioned the ring locations with regards to chipped pistons. But I know Diamond puts them in a different location than does factory builds. I also think that you have to bore the cylinders out differently for stock pistons than you do for forged ones as the metals that each are made up of (specifically the silicon content I believe it was) is different and expand at different rates.

I too am curious as to the step you missed. Hopefully you can post up that info as it would be good for the community as a whole.

I certainly plan on getting WAY more than 50k out of the engine as well. I just cant see a well built engine that addresses the shortcomings of the factory build would get any less than what you can expect from a factory build. Additionally Im not building this thing to flog on it all the time. Yes, it will be taken down the track and yes it will see some spirited driving for sure, but it certainly isnt going to be beat on.

Thats what I like to hear. I may have to come up and visit you guys when I get ready to put this thing together.

Mine will be daily driven in all 4 seasons unless there's snow or the chance of.