Rebuild for Panelvan time..

[Anonymous]

G'day people,

well, the old girl hit 330,000km a fortnight ago. She's been losing a bit of water over the past 10,000km, but now its coming out the side of the block quite keen. Seems to be coming out from a core plug or seeping from the head gasket. I tried a radiator flush and some additive to stop it from leaking, but it seems to have slowed it to losing 5 litres every 100km. lol.

It got me to thinking though, since I'm all moneybags now, I'm thinking about flopping out a couple of grand on a rebuild. Basically my constraints are that it must retain a standardish stall speed (1700rpm), standardish rear gears (2.77:1).. at least for a little while. I've been doing a fair bit of highway travelling to and from work (110km/h+), with lots of overtaking too.

I've got a generic idea of what I want in my head, something like this..
I'm starting out with an 87DA block in an '89 XF van.
No more overbore than neccesary - if its been bored out, then bore and sleeve to +.020
Install an EF-EL crank, 12 counterweight style. Minimum grind. Modify front cover if neccesary.
Locate, resize (if needed) and install 200 cid rods onto ACL race pistons. 8.7cc dish.
Balance Reciprocating Assembly. !
Use GRA Voodoo Stage 2 cam (http://www.gasresearch.com.au/productvoodootable.html or similar. Crow cam #14771 seems to be a bit on the mild side.
Degree cam to 4 degrees advance.
Install double row timing chain.
Use brand new lifters
Use standard head, standard rockergear, uprated valvesprings to suit cam.
Have block decked to zero, with measured height of piston at TDC.
Have head faced to achieve 10:1 compression.
Bearings, gaskets, seals, all the other guff needed to keep it keen..
Retain Weber 34/34 and LP Gas hood in lieu of EFI intake and GRA Throttlebody (later on)

I'm thinking that'll give me a smooth as silk six, that'll see a bit of 5000rpm, with peak power on the sunny side of 4000rpm, peak torque in the 2600-3200rpm range, with most of that available from when it gets on the cam. I'm thinking that peak power will be in the 130-140kW ballpark, with my torque being in the 330-350Nm range.

Any suggestions or comments? like something blindingly obvious I should have remembered?

 

[addo]

Like I mentioned (if you got the SMS), budget sounds on the lean side.

You're describing about 3.8K in rebuild as by the time you factor in legwork, contingencies, stuff like a decent radiator and trans cooler the cost gets away. Especially if you want it to look like you spent some cash on it.

Torque plate hone to mic'd piston dimensions, no ifs or buts. Sleeve only if you have to fix a couple of pots. Otherwise look for another block.

I know Jeff doesn't go for 'em but I like rollers and would be thinking hard (meaning watching Ebay for some Clevo units).

Induction specs are X's specialty, so I'll leave BSFC, CFM and such to the "boss".

Cheers, Adam.

 

[Anonymous]

G'day Addo, got a new number, so you'll have a PM waitin for ya..

Basically since I'm lean on time and tools myself, I'm gonna get the engine stripdown, measurements and assembly done by my old work. They'll send a fully reco'd 250 out the door, basically what I want minus a few of the nicer bits like balancing, new cam, CR measurements etc, for $2,500. They do have the capability to have torque plate honing done to blocks via a sublet process, same with balancing. So yeah, I'm planning on a $4,500 motor, including a dyno tune... All I gotta do is wait till I get some time off from work.. :roll:

I heard theres some clearance issues with the EFi rockercover and roller rockers. Like they like to hit the rockercover and smash things to pieces with a big cam sorta thing.. I wanna keep my rockercover, I think it looks a mint.. and it'll match the planned intake too... anyone care to bust that myth? lol..

 

[addo]

There is a clearance issue with the R/R. Gassed250 billeted up a spacer to clear his but you'd then want to ensure clearance under the EFI intake. Subtle angle milling on its head flange would probably do it. Correct pushrod length is another fun one but may possibly be avoided, depends on the roller stud type if you go that way.