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Project KABOOM!!! L16 Grenade engine build!!!


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Since I have the Race Wagon and I'm getting ready to build my 2 Door 510 race car too, I figured I'd build a "cheap" grenade engine to put in the race wagon, so both cars will have decent engines in them.

 

I started this with a used mystery motor short block that I got for free with the purchase of my two door race car project. It looked pretty ugly, but it spun smooth and freely.

 

Here's a pic of the engine mounted up on the engine stand and ready for cleaning.

 

GrenadeEnginepics005.jpg

 

Here's a couple pics of what it looked like after a lot of degreasing and cleaning.

 

GrenadeEnginepics006.jpg

 

 

GrenadeEnginepics007.jpg

 

next I pulled out the rods and pistons. Much to my surprise the rod journals looked great, no hot spots or wear marks to speak of. I'm going to be installing a set of used L24 rods and pistons I got from a fellow Ratsun member.

 

GrenadeEnginepics009.jpg

 

Here's last pic I have of the work done so far. Fresh paint.

 

GrenadeEnginepics011.jpg

 

I degreased, cleaned, and polished the ugly timing cover. Here's the result.... I'm pretty happy with it.

 

GrenadeEnginepics012.jpg

 

Next on the agenda is to hone the cylinders for the new rings. More pics to come...

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This is a Lower dollar build, so I'm using some stuff I had. Your gonna think I'm wasting my time, but I'm actually using a 210 head. This particular head had EXTENSIVE work done to it by someone. It was another thing I got for free with my 2 door. The ports are opened up to 1.5 inch and it has Z car intake and exhaust valves, although I'm installing new ones since I had a set sitting on the shelf at home. I normally wouldn't of used a 210 head, but this one had been fully race prepped by someone, so I figured why not. I'll post pics of it when I get it back from the shop with the new valves installed. I'll be running the L4 ISKY cam setup in this head also.

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The gold painted blocks that I've had were those exchange engines from the eighties. They ellegedly only had 40k miles on them.

I had a gold L16 in my 521 that came with a a87 peanut head. Does it have flattops? Cant tell from the pics.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I spent the afternoon porting out my stock intake to try and make it flow better.

The intake on top is the ported one

 

 

2doorfloorboard005.jpg

 

Here's the mounting flange area, I opened it up too. I figured it couldn't hurt to do it, since it's a 40/40 Weber carb going on there.

 

 

2doorfloorboard007.jpg

 

close up of the ports...

 

2doorfloorboard006.jpg

 

Quick question, I took my rods into the machine shop, because I thought they were out of spec. As it turn out they're right on the money. :thumbup:

 

I told the machine shop I was planning to install A.R.P. bolts in my rods just to be safe and they said that if I do that I will have to have the rods resized. :confused: That sounds like B.S. to me, as the A.R.P. bolts are just like the stock ones only stronger. Does this sound right to you guys or do you think he's just looking to make a few extra bucks for machine work? Why would better, unstretched bolts require remachining my rods? It sounds like BULL :poop: to me, has anyone else just swapped in the A.R.P. bolts and had no issues?

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200HP would be awesome, but aweful difficult to get. I'll be thrilled if I can get close to 175hp when it's done. I'll still be real happy if I break the 150HP mark though. My racewagon would be really competitive with 150HP under the hood.

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Quick question, I took my rods into the machine shop, because I thought they were out of spec. As it turn out they're right on the money. :thumbup:

 

I told the machine shop I was planning to install A.R.P. bolts in my rods just to be safe and they said that if I do that I will have to have the rods resized. :confused: That sounds like B.S. to me, as the A.R.P. bolts are just like the stock ones only stronger. Does this sound right to you guys or do you think he's just looking to make a few extra bucks for machine work? Why would better, unstretched bolts require remachining my rods? It sounds like BULL :poop: to me, has anyone else just swapped in the A.R.P. bolts and had no issues?

 

Resizing the rods.... when the large end of the rod is out of round and machined back to factory specs....has nothing to do with using ARP bolts

 

I say.......bull :poop:

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When you say out of spec, do you mean a bit bigger side to side than end to end? Believe it or not that is normal. When you rev the motor, the rod stretches, and it rounds out. If it is round to begin with, it can squeeze the crank at the center of the rod when you rev it up.

 

As far as ARP bolts go, the instructions say the same thing your machinist says. I think they are concerned that if you use some force to swap them, that things can get distorted.

When I did mine I tapped the old ones out, then I flat sanded the rods and the caps on a surface plate (I have used a piece of glass as well). Install the bolts in a vise with a deep socket, being carefull not to mark anything up, torque it all together, and lick a few ten thousands out with a borrowed hone.(not a cylinder hone) They were about 2 thousandths out of round (wider in the middle).

 

I have resized tons of rods on a Sunnen hone, and all they do is grind the rods and caps, bolt them together, and hone them to size. in your case ( our case ) you want them honed to the top of the tolerance, so grinding them can be bypassed.

 

Disclaimer. If it blows up dont blame me.

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As far as ARP bolts go, the instructions say the same thing your machinist says. I think they are concerned that if you use some force to swap them, that things can get distorted.

 

 

Yeah.....mostly a disclaimer from ARP....they're assuming the 'owner' is somewhat myopic, sporting a BFH to extract?.... :P

His machinist stated that the rods were in spec........ would assume they have the ability to remove the stock bolts and fit the ARPs without issue????

 

But...since it was suggested.....I would get it done...cover your ass....so to speak... :D

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Mine too, I called A.R.P. and they said that the higher torque spec of their bolts will cause a little more "squeeze" on the rod end and cause them to need resized, so I guess I'll be dropping em' off for resizing. I'd rather be safe than sorry. By the way, my machinist sent me a sneak peak of my head, so I figured I'd share it with ya'll.

 

210racehead.jpg

 

I don't wanna risk trashing this head over being cheap with the rod bolts.

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This may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I figured since I would be putting this engine together soon, I'd modify a stock air filter to help make the engine "appear" stock if I get a nosey tech inspector. I already put it on my old engine. I made a adapter plate that fit my Weber 40 DFAV-1 Carb, then I cut out the bottom of the air filter assembly and welded the two together, lastly I sealed everything with black silocone to make sure it doesn't suck any dirt through the cracks or welds. It's not real pretty on the inside, but it should do the job.

 

Weber-AirFilter.jpg

 

Here it is all closed up, I think it'll do the job. Noone will ever suspect there's a Weber under there.

 

Weber-AirFilter001.jpg

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I had to run by the machine shop today to drop off these...

My flat top pistons and rods to be resized

2doorfloorboard004-1.jpg

 

No biggie, but here's a pic of the A.R.P. bolt set for the rods.

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Here's some pics of my cylinder head after they shaved it down to get it good and flat after they machined it for the new 280Z valves

.phonephotos040.jpg

 

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The combustion chambers look great to me, they're gonna CC the head, but my machinist is guessing that I'm gonna have about 11:1 compression when it's done. I'll have an exact number as soon as he gets it CC'd though.

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