Daves new school holden shambles. Let's build a 3rd engine and not blow it up.

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Ive been on a massive coding mission and have got a firmware for the factory PCM that will run fuel cut 2 step from the cruise control switch matched with the high stall i expect this thing will up and fuck off at pace! Its coded and runs i am just working on arming it thats the hard part.

Anyone that does coding on here bugger me you must have focus like a hawk it takes me days to get through basic stuff.

Ive also built a tuning platform for the Delco that allows adjustment of fuel and ignition outside of the likes of tunerpro for tuners that own a dyno but wouldn't normally touch this platform. If they still won't touch it ive added a script into the program you feed a Tunerpro log file it then adjusts for you based off where it is and what it should be it then adjusts in 50% increments of target figure so 3-4 power runs should get it ultra close to being bang on. 

Pics of engine cos software is boring without Graphs.

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Yes its looking like it was rebuilt ages ago. But 1500 bucks is worth a crack bought from a dude that campaigns a gasser who been super good to deal with.

I now need to sell my modern car to fund adding gaskets parts etc (again).

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Groundhog day...... progress though

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Needed a small win today so why not bolt on the brake upgrade get rid of the stupid wheel nuts.

There thats better.

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Got new engine today machining looks great 30 over new pistons etc. Then spotted one piston upside down...... here we go, may not matter but im going to blow it to bits clean check and add assembly lube to everything before I start dressing it. Opening up ring gap becomes an option too.

Now I know what machine work costs I'd better get this right the first time.

But woo! New engine for first time ever.

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Got it home all in all looks pretty good very small amounts of surface rust in top of bores should wipe out with some crc.

It looks a bit dry for my liking the lifters look well oiled but every thing else is quite lightly oiled or dry and there is towel fluff on everything so think clean out is in order Pop the caps off and make sure everything is happy it hasn't run so everything is new.

I'm up to $700 in parts already from Mace engineering already with more to come. A big Cam would be very cool to have to make it stand out and get most out of the ported heads and turbo.

Must sell the Holden Trax I fixed up last month to fund this shit and settle down my heart palpitations as I have pilaged the credit card hard hoping to get to drag day.

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Well...... opened tailgate on ute today to unload  engine to be met with it rolling towards me. Had shifted at some stage and well I ended up with thing in my arms.

Staggered into garage went to put on bench that collapsed so did some awkward maneuver and its now on ground undamaged, im bleeding from multiple places but its now inside 🫠and somehow i feel fine apart from been a bit leaky where the pokey outey bits got me.

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Everyone loves a post Mortem...... so I found the noise the pistons were a little floppy in bores but not this bad i only wanted to get to drag day really then do a rebuild. 

I didn't rev it to death once knock started so this one should be a rebuildable other block was completely scrap.

 

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Ouch..... I decided to go max not fucking around ARP everything but staying stock rods and pistons as this been a lower compression L67 will cope better with all the boost and has beefy rods anyway I won't have to do racecar warm ups.

New engines at $2800 now thats not bad..... might do cam yet that'll add a few bucks.

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Positive update I took a punt on a fix and flip car i bought from work that had a massive oil leak I've sorted that given it a good clean and it appears to have sold on trademe last night.

So apart from missing drag day (which is my only thing I do all year) im now back in a great position i have a new not second hand engine that will have full ARP Catalogue in it MLS head gaskets and a high stall behind it. 

I should get it screwed together over Christmas and be sticking it to V8's at night speed in no time. 

Engines are like Pringles as it turns out once you pop the first one your on to the next really quickly.

What a bloody journey.

I need to pull rods out of the dead L67 to see what shat bed there if its just a piston awesome if its something else as well might be something to beef up in new engine before going in.

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Ooh and forgot about the brake upgrade so maybe a lap or two at Hampton downs will happen too.

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As much as I love the width of my 19" wheels and the fitment I have wanted something a bit more oldschool in Particular some ROH ZS's the same wheels I used to run on my my Mk1 Triumph back in the year 2000.

Finally found a set in 17x8.5.

I also haven't ruled out chopping body off the commodore and putting a Triumph body on it thats a much later on idea though need to get running gear sorted first...... and finding a Triumph to chop up.

 

 

[jakesae101]

Sent you this on iv but just sayn it would match the rears

 

 

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@jakesae101 spotted those im gonna contact him.

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Dug in a bit to latest dead engine. 2 spun journal bearings but mains looked ok not great but not fucked.

Rods are much bigger on the L67 Compared to Ecotec.

Think I had an oil pressure issue at some stage but I definitely had good pressure when I had a gauge on it.

Need a permanent gauge now and will try find a new oil pump.

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Comparison of rods, people have found limits of the ecotec ones around 600hp, the L67 rods seem to just not be a weak link through 700 hp plus.

Anyway the new engine is on stand had a poke around its very dry looking but turns over every nicely with good amount of resistance compared to the dead engine.

There is surface rust on the deck surfaces CRC definitely lifts it but I might need to hit it with a stone, stuff in Bores just wiped away.

 

 

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If anyone has a ring compressor they want to offload let me know, because im gonna open up the ring gaps so I dont break another piston.

With everything looking dry as in there think I better strip it all down and get assembly lube everywhere! More the better.

Ive just ordered a bonnet scoop to get heat out of bay and maybe discretely hide some  gauges in if theres room, only a VK group A style nothing massive just to add a bit of breathing to engine bay, probably help defrost windscreen too In winter.

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My massive 20kg box of cool stuff arrived from Mace engineering yesterday and somehow cleared customs from Ozzie.

Rollmaster Billet duel row timing gears and chain machined oil pump cover billet oil pump drive.

A week's wages of ARP hardware MLS headgaskets to suit the 30' over pistons and full engine gasket set they must have made a cockup as I've ended up with 6 headgaskets 2 MLS and 4 stock (Zach can have those) 

I contacted Scott Taylor from Street Machine as he's built a few fast v6's about ring gaps and rod bearing setup with studs for the L67 And watched all the videos he posted and I definitely have some shit wrong way around in this engine so its all coming out and I will measure things.

Need to buy a bore gauge some bigger verniers ring filer and ring compressor.

There's no doubt stuff I've missed but I can make a solid start over Christmas.

 

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Ive blown up yet another PCM so went to Pick a Part today and bought 3 more..... im a Health and safety manager fuck me how do these places still operate! Like a post apocalyptic wasteland.

Ive got spark cut working now it needs some fine tuning but will eventually be crafted into a 2 step.

Im also ready to start building engine too, its covered in fluff so im going to have to pull it down wash it out and start measuring stuff 2 pistons are back to front so what else could be not 100% is worth investment in time to find.

Here's pics of 750$ worth of engine parts. The rest is gaskets and ancillaries 

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Started the clean up fuck this thing is just covered in fluff! Its everywhere so only one thing to do........ completely strip it down.

Naturally this was very easy because all the bolts were a touch over finger tight one crank cap bolt had a slight wobble when undoing it my bet it its on it way to breaking just as well im not using them.

Pistons crank and bearings are immaculate so thats a load off my mind, im going to check ring gaps and open up to suit. One bore has some rust stains you can't feel them so i might give it a dingle ball hone just to make them dissappear.

Took 4 hours to get the dowels out of the deck so I could run a stone over it 4 tiny pieces of metal FFS.