XR7-4.6’s disjointed build thread 2 Electric Boogaloo

I know primary size has an affect on low end torque/ top end power.

What are your power goals with this build??
 
can you run down your combo real quick??

Db heads?
Mach 1 intake?

Is anything ported??
 
I was amazed by how much bs was left by the factory.I matched the gasket to the heads, then matched the intake to the gasket, and got rid of the crap left from the factory machining.
 
That’s a pretty sweet build!those intake definitely could use some help. They really run out of steam up top. Here’s a post from a guy in a FB forum that ports the machs. First one is a simple port job, it really wakes it up up top. Send link is his 6” runner which look wicked cool. Pretty sure killing low end but with cams it should make a pretty cool high RPM screamer.




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When I got the cams I reached out to Todd Warren to find where he thought would be a good spot to degree them to, including throwing out the thought of going ported/ short runner with the intake since I figured I’m running 4.30s and sacrificing some low end wouldn’t be a huge deal, but he staunchly recommended against it regardless.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
You do realize I’m dropping the K member and installing headers with the engine suspended next? lol
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Yes. but I remember sir will cutting one end off his swaybar, with the k dropped; idk how he stuffed the addco in. But you're more competent than he ever was, lol. I've got to do engine refurbishing. so I'll do the headers on a stand.
 
Grog6 said:
Yes. but I remember sir will cutting one end off his swaybar, with the k dropped; idk how he stuffed the addco in. But you're more competent than he ever was, lol. I've got to do engine refurbishing. so I'll do the headers on a stand.
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If the K member is dropped the sway bar lifts straight up and out, Smoooooth move Bill 😆
 
The factory assembly frame mounting brackets usually get cut off so the front bar can be installed with the K member dropped a minimal amount.
 
looks like the thing is to follow is not the sir will process,lol. He was an advocate of invermectin, over vaccine.
 
So after spending way too much time setting up my engine support, routing the chains in such a way that wouldn’t require me to remove the intake or anything else as well as not scratch the hell out of my valve covers, I went ahead with fully removing both exhaust manifolds and from under the car without even dropping the K member! Started with a few of the easily accessible studs and before I knew it I got both of them all the way out!

Other surprise is I was able to slip the kooks in there too, I don’t think there’s any good way to actually get hardware and tighten them with the K member in place but nevertheless I’m surprised.

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For those interested this is my engine support setup. I made three 1/4” steel brackets so the chain wouldn’t contact the valve covers or the fuel rail. The consequence of these though is there isn’t enough room to lift the engine anymore, so in comes my trusty 4”x4” garage blocks to save the day.

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That’s it for today, doing this in 93°+73% humidity left me completely pooped. But with the engine support all set, getting the manifolds out and getting all the studs out without breakage I should make fairly quick work of things tomorrow.
 
Well I got one header in anyway, man is the passenger side tight even with the K member out of the way! Had to pull the motor mount bracket to get more room to use the studs. Speaking of those I managed to get all 8 to fit! Though I did have to slot the upper flanges like the lower flanges… totally not stressful taking a death wheel to $1,000 headers or anything!

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Driver side looks to be the easy side, tons more room and the header itself is a little less awkwardly shaped for access(though I once again had to death wheel the flange a tiny bit more to clear the dipstick tube better) Got the studs in, gaskets in place and it’s all ready to go, but then noticed the original stock motor mount I’ve now had numerous opportunities to change over the many projects I’ve done has indeed given up the ghost in spite of my best efforts to limit its stresses with a torque strap…

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I was pretty sure I had a new set I purchased in like 2010ish somewhere but after an hour of sifting through boxes I’m now wondering if I traded them off to someone… and no parts store has them in stock locally, naturally.

Chingon1 said:
I’m assuming then kmember spacers are there so the intake clears the hood??
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Correct. They’re made from 3/4”x2” T6061 flat stock if you’re interested. 1/2” would probably suffice with this engine in a 96-97 since the hood is a little taller. I stole this
off of a Mark VIII guy who built a few gen II Mark VIIIs with Terminator motors that he fit under the stock hood.

MadMikeyL said:
I’m definitely stealing that rolling k-member idea!
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Hey! Patent pending 😆
 
The driver side looking to be the easy side was an understatement by me. I just now threw it up there and got it “torqued”(because I could totally get a torque wrench in here lol) in about 15 minutes!

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Sucks I have to wait on parts now and probably get it running next weekend but at least I can get much of the exhaust laid out and tacked together this week
 
Looks like a good time to upgrade the sway bar too...the 1⅜" made mine handle like a different car...definitely glad I did it on mine.
 
AdamG said:
Looks like a good time to upgrade the sway bar too...the 1⅜" made mine handle like a different car...definitely glad I did it on mine.
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I’m pretty happy with the way mine rides/handles with the stock V8 front bar and rear 1-1/8” Addco and the rest of my suspension setup, it’s very neutral and still rides just nice enough to be the pseudo luxury car it’s supposed to be for me.

Plus I won’t lie, I did check Addco 1.25” front bars about a month ago knowing I’d be here with easy access to swap it, but that size seems to be NLA and for the singularly available 1-3/8” bar I’m simply not paying $300+ for any sway bar period. I’d put that towards SCP QA1 coilovers at that point.
 
The coilovers are definitely worth it too. I'm surprised on how stiff everything is in mine yet how smooth everything is. It honestly feels smoother with all the upgraded stuff than it did stock. The sway bar just eliminated all body roll, I still haven't found limits with it, the back end comes loose before the front will. The coilovers then made the ride a ton better. I had eibachs with a full ring cut out that had the front slammed but it looked great. The coilovers raised it maybe a half inch (could have gone higher but like the low stance) but made it feel more like stock ride quality. I've surprised many vettes and a viper with the handling on mine. The guy in the viper had to pull over to talk to me because he never had anyone keep up with him on the roads around here.
 
@XR7-4.6 makes sense our hoods are super close to even the stock intake. Maybe when I 4v the bird ill add some, then again I did cut out some of the under hood support so I think that should make up for that.

I had the 1 1/4 bar in my bird for the longest and it helped immensely! Not to long after I got the QA1’s with the SCP recommended 450lbs springs and honestly I didn’t like it. Too soft and the heavy ass saleens rode crappy. Well to me atleast. Soon after I put 550lbs and for me that was the hot ticket. It soaked up the bumps better and less body roll, after that I went with the 1 1/4 front bar because I got it from a steal from a member on the FB group (175$ shipped) and godamn another huge improvement up front! Low key I wish I’d of gone with the 1 3/8 but for that price I just couldn’t afford it.

I remember seeing a post on TCCOA of the guy who I believe got the bars made saying he went with the 1 3/8’s front AND rear and how he praised and didn’t have anything negative to say about that.

I think the next suspension mod for me would be a heim jointed strut rod. I dislike highly the stock weak ass bushings. With the saleens and 14” brakes I feel like they are very taxed. I know the ride might suffer but anything to get away from them.
 
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Chingon1 said:
@XR7-4.6 makes sense our hoods are super close to even the stock intake. Maybe when I 4v the bird ill add some, then again I did cut out some of the under hood support so I think that should make up for that.

I had the 1 1/4 bar in my bird for the longest and it helped immensely! Not to long after I got the QA1’s with the SCP recommended 450lbs springs and honestly I didn’t like it. Too soft and the heavy ass saleens rode crappy. Well to me atleast. Soon after I put 550lbs and for me that was the hot ticket. It soaked up the bumps better and less body roll, after that I went with the 1 1/4 front bar because I got it from a steal from a member on the FB group (175$ shipped) and godamn another huge improvement up front! Low key I wish I’d of gone with the 1 3/8 but for that price I just couldn’t afford it.

I remember seeing a post on TCCOA of the guy who I believe got the bars made saying he went with the 1 3/8’s front AND rear and how he praised and didn’t have anything negative to say about that.
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I used to post but mostly lurk on the corner carvers forum and one of the OG members there was at one time an instructor at the Bondurant driving school which at one point used SCs and they ultimately found the best handling combination for those cars at the track they used to be 1-1/4” front sway bars, stock (early)SC rear sway bars, Koni shocks, 550lb/in front springs and I want to say 600-700lb/in rear springs(I have no idea who made them as this is ancient info).

The general mantra there was to tune the handling with springs and fine tune the handling with sway bars. The bigger you go with sway bars the less independent the suspension actually behaves.

Personally these cars even with the base suspension have a low enough center of gravity and roll center they don’t even really body roll much to begin with, and for the amount they do I don’t think it’s to the point the outside tire is losing camber, which can be corrected in alignment specs. That’s all flat cornering benefits in the end, it’s all about keeping that full contact patch. I was much more into this stuff at a time but at some point I realized I’ve never taken my car to an open track(very limited venues), and I’ve taken it to autocross events exactly twice(super fun but I was never trying to win either). It’s a fun to me street car first and foremost, and around here the roads are mostly terrible so I’m never pushing the limits of adhesion. As it is it’s above average for in a car like this in being predictable and responsive where I’m perfectly happy with its handling as it is right now.
 
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Those spring numbers right at sport spring levels.
 
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