250 ci L6 shortblock almost done

cameljockey

Well-known member
hey everyone I figured an update is in order for this build.
the short block is being built this week at my local machine shop I think I figured out how to post pics of some components so here goes:

conrod.jpg


conrod_1.jpg


piston.jpg


The rods are a set of Cunningham 6" center to center bushed for floating Chevy pins. I was going to use some reconditioned rods but after I got them the pin ends were not it the best shape I can post pics to explain later. Cunningham is the best source for a custom rod I had searched every where for 2 months and they couldn't be beat for price and quality.

The pistons are from Ross racing on account of my work is like 10 minutes from them and again I shopped for a good month and they beat out some of the competition in the end it was a decision to go with a local vendor so that if I want to talk to someone all I have to do is stop by during lunch. ;) note the TBC on the crown and the SDF on the skirt.

The crank has been cryogenically strengthened and turned .010 and .010
both the rear main cap and the crank have been machined for a one piece rear main seal

The block itself has been fully shot peened and stress relived and all casting flash has been removed (pics coming soon)

I recently ordered and Aluminum head setup from Mike at Classic Inlines and the turbo and EFI set up should be completed in April.
turbo plans include a GT3582R
EFI is still up in the air as to which computer to use. This motor is going into my daily driver '66 mustang coupe so drive-ability is really important.
I still need to search the turbo section of the forum to get some ideas on sizing for the turbo though. I don't want more than 10-12 lbs of boost on the street until Cometic decides to come out with an MLS head gasket for our engines I know Mike is working on it so I will have to wait.
More details later I have to get back to work.

Thanks for any input

Keep sixn'

Dan
 
Nice...and that is definitely the best turbo you can get for this application. Wish I could afford one.
 
Beautiful parts!

Six inch rods with Chevy pins? Are those Chevy rods? If so what did you have to do on the big end to make them fit? IIRC the Chevy rod is wider at the big end than the Ford six. Journal diameter is very close though.

Are the pistons custom or did you find something off the shelf that works?

I've been researching different stock parts combinations, lots of things come close, but nothing is quite right.
 
:(
everything was custom :unsure:
the rods are basically Ford on the big end and Chevy on the pin end.
the pistons are from Ross Racing also custom and with the coatings they were a pretty penny. I've been saving since I started college like 5 years ago and now I work full time and live with the folks so I am splurging. Even then I got a relatively good deal from Ross and Cunningham if you want to PM me and we can talk. (Relatively good for custom pieces I shopped ALOT)

Pics will soon follow to show why I went with custom rods instead of reconditioned rods.

If you search the forum there is a post that explains how you could use Chevy 305 pistons and Ford 300 CI L6 rods (I think that's right search for it under my cameljockey name to find it). But you would have to bore your block like 0.060 over which is too much considering that some of the blocks you could find will have "advanced" thin wall casting techniques used after '69 I think (double check that). Combine that with the ever present core shift issues it was too risky of a proposition for me especially considering the recent carnage with Kelly's (Does10s) motor. ;)

I got lucky in that my block was never bored over it came out 3.680" on the dot standard bore so I had my shop bore and hone it only 0.030 over after removing all the casting flash and fully shot peening the block. "Remove as little material as possible" is my philosophy 'cause it's pretty dang hard to put it back onto the block once it's in metal shavings on the shop floor.

My goal with this build is EXTREME durability. The motor will see turbocharged daily driving and the occasional 1/4 mile thrash so it will see all ranges of the RPM from stop and go street and traffic to wide open throttle at the strip.

Keep Sixn'

Dan
 
some of the 2.3L guys have been playing with oil squirters in the crankcase. they drill/tap/spotface the oil galley adn mount them to spray the piston bottoms. the squirters are only $15 a pop i think and most of the cost is machining
 
only $15 :shock:

I looked and all I could find was something from Katech performance:

http://store.nexternal.com/shared/Store ... =771354317

those are $50 dollars a pop I think if not for a set of eight. And also i wouldn't know where to install them. would they have to tap into the oil galley that feeds the lifters and cam bearings?

I know that the new L4 Dodge Neon engines had them but I couldn't find the part number.

I'll keep looking it might not be to late my engine is in line and there aree three other customers ahead of me if I can find them for that cost I might try it.

Thanks! XFlow_Fairlane
:D

Keep sixn
 
a little more on why I went with aftermarket rods:
The suspect:
+L4 2.5L HSC stock forged rods
+5.99" C-c (compared to 5.88 of a stock 250)

Besides the recent carnage we witnessed on Does10s 250 CI turbo motor I thought I should show you the potential hazards of using reconditioned rods.

I am NOT making any generalizations about reconditioned rods and the shop I went to has been doing this for decades and they are the primary source for recon rods in Orange County, CA. I highly recommend them if you plan to do an N/A motor or even a turbo motor but I did not choose the rods myself rather he chose the best pieces of his shelf and polished those I think that the pictures will speak volumes:

Observe the excelent looking polished rod polished and shot-peened with ARP rod bolts pressed in and all holes re-rounded:

DSC05290.jpg


DSC05291.jpg


BUT look closer: :unsure:

DSC05297.jpg


It appears that the pin end is thinner and the actual hole is shifted. :shock:
Granted PART of the effect is from shadow in the photo (I'm no Ansel Adams)
But the hole REALLY is shifted and this set of rods was supposed to be a press fit for a Ford pin 0.912"
Whether this is because of core shift (don't really know if that's a valid suspicion for a forged rod why does my butt feel like adding it's opinion all the time :oops:)
Or if this is because of an overzealous polisher I am not going to use them now because I went with the custom set albeit at 10 times the cost :unsure: but to me it's worth doing it once.
These are still a good set of rods but not something I would use in a serious race motor but rather a high compression NA street motor.
if you were going to get a set of custom pistons I suppose you could bush the pin ends and use a thinner wrist pin perhaps a Honda or Mitsu might work but I would still bush them.

I am going to my shop today to drop off my oil pan for some repairs and to see their progress more pics to follow.

Keep Sixn'

Dan
 
Its not easy to see in the pics b/c of the crummy background but you can see how the Cunningham Rod is FAR Superior to the stock reconditioned one and will provide warm fuzzies for miles to come.

0205091007.jpg


note also the beefiness :deadhorse:

Thanks for all the thumbs up guys and just to tease you here is a grainy cellphone shot of the short block coming together :eek:
0205091007a.jpg


Keep Sixn'

Dan
 
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