putting bigger valves in a 3.9?

Vector150

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So I am working on getting custom made internal parts made for my ls. Mainly finding out prices and who can do what. I have not got a junk motor I can pull apart and measure things yet. But what I am wondering can the heads on these cars be reworked...like changing the heads camber and putting bigger valves in it? Oh does these motors have a two bolt or four bolt main?
 
So I am working on getting custom made internal parts made for my ls. Mainly finding out prices and who can do what. I have not got a junk motor I can pull apart and measure things yet. But what I am wondering can the heads on these cars be reworked...like changing the heads camber and putting bigger valves in it? Oh does these motors have a two bolt or four bolt main?

Good luck with head work....... I have a friend that had the heads ported and polished. All was well until they "found" a void in the casting. That head was ruined. Cast heads can be tricky.
 
Oh does these motors have a two bolt or four bolt main?


The motor doesn't really have main caps like a Ford 302 or Chevy 350 does. It has a bottom half of the block which includes the lower crank journals. It's a stronger set-up then individual main caps. If anything it's more like having 4-bolt main caps with a girdle and oil baffles, but it's one cast aluminum integrated piece. There's a third piece that bolts to this piece that serves as the oil pan with more baffles and oil control.
 
Yea I have ported and polished more heads than i can count. And habe ran in to casting voids. And the bottom end sounds nice. So I just need to order my billet crank, custom rods and pistons. Then talk to sts about a twin turbo kit to push 15psi.....now to get a set of heads and see if I can give them bigger valves.
 
Yea I have ported and polished more heads than i can count. And habe ran in to casting voids. And the bottom end sounds nice. So I just need to order my billet crank, custom rods and pistons. Then talk to sts about a twin turbo kit to push 15psi.....now to get a set of heads and see if I can give them bigger valves.

Don't you think 15 psi is a little much?
 
There is no such thing as to much. I will pull it off even if I have to get a custom block made.
 
So, any bets as to when this project hears crickets?

I'd love to see someone do something, but my money is on crickets before any custom parts are fabbed.
 
There is no such thing as to much. I will pull it off even if I have to get a custom block made.

Money is better spent on the correct "base" car in the first place. If, and that's a BIG IF, this ever comes to fruition, enough money will have been spent that a much better platform could have been purchased AND built. My guess is in excess of $40K do do it right. An S-Type R will be less than that!
 
An engine swap would be the better option. Now where's that thread that involved putting a 302 into a Gen1.
 
An engine swap would be the better option. Now where's that thread that involved putting a 302 into a Gen1.

I guess that I just don't get this thought. The DEW98 platform was very well designed for what it is. It's not a muscle car. Why stuff a 302 into it and lose the auto AC, ABS, AdvanceTrac, instruments, and on and on. There are plenty of other platforms out there for the 302.
 
I guess that I just don't get this thought. The DEW98 platform was very well designed for what it is. It's not a muscle car. Why stuff a 302 into it and lose the auto AC, ABS, AdvanceTrac, instruments, and on and on. There are plenty of other platforms out there for the 302.

I agree, why stuff a 302 and lose all that stuff when all that is needed to keep all that stuff is to modify the new engine to use the existing LS sensors where possible (MAF would have to be larger, obviously), then have the program modded to accept the larger engine which from what I understand this Torrie fellow should be able to manage easily. The computer doesn't care what it's controlling, so long as it gets the correct responses back. The people who have problems with putting a larger engine in are the ones who fight the computer instead of working with it. If I liked the car enough to keep it, I'd do it myself but I just don't like the car that much.
 
Well this is not my first rodeo. I have built up a few cars most would not waste the money on. Many of these custom parts will cost me a ton less than most. Over my years of racing I have built a network of friends. One makes cranks and rods for custom built pulling trucks. I will have this done by next summer at the lastest.

Im on this site getting info. I work 7/12's once things chill. I will tear into a spare motor I bought and start the process. If this does not work out and I scatter the motor. No one on this site is oit anything. As time goes. I will post updates..states and specs. And where I got my parys from.

Once I have everything I need the build will be done by me. The ls I drive now will not be the project. It will be the other 06 I pickex up a month ago with the motor and trans missing. The guys son smoked the trans and the motor. Pulled them and junked them both. He wanted it gone. Paid 1000 for that one.
 
I guess that I just don't get this thought. The DEW98 platform was very well designed for what it is. It's not a muscle car. Why stuff a 302 into it and lose the auto AC, ABS, AdvanceTrac, instruments, and on and on. There are plenty of other platforms out there for the 302.

Cause I would want to do the conversion like this guy which retains all the AC, ABS, AdvanceTrac, Instruments, and on and on.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?79118-Lincoln-LS-302
 
Without re-reading 10-pages of thread it sounds like he got it all working. I guess the question needs to be posed in that thread: What doesn't work?
 
Without re-reading 10-pages of thread it sounds like he got it all working. I guess the question needs to be posed in that thread: What doesn't work?

Well, for example, do you count the auto AC as working when you can only have maximum cooling or maximum heat, and that by using some toggle switches? There's no way for AdvanceTrac to work without talking with the LS PCM. I doubt that ABS will either, but it's not impossible. I've only seen the instruments work if they are all replaced with aftermarket gauges.
 
I don't think you and I are talking about the thread I posted. He has a 5.0 motor out of a late 90's explorer running on the factory LS PCM in a Gen 1. He has the stock gauges, ac works, and all the computers are still there with sensors running the ABS and whatever else is there.

He had a rather lengthy discussion about how the Gen1 PCM used a PWM output to control the hydraulic fan and how he took a while making a fan controller that wasn't just full on or full off. He also ended up removing the hydraulic power steering rack and replaced it with a Honda S2000 electro-hydraulic rack after the engine was running. I'm not sure if he maintained advancetrak there but he was talking about how the steering angle sensor should be compatible and that the VSS feed would work for it's controller. He ended up just making brackets to mount the LS alt on the 5.0 since the Gen1's use a PCM controlled alt.
 
I see. My mistake, I was thinking of the other one.
 
I guess that I just don't get this thought. The DEW98 platform was very well designed for what it is. It's not a muscle car. Why stuff a 302 into it and lose the auto AC, ABS, AdvanceTrac, instruments, and on and on. There are plenty of other platforms out there for the 302.

I don't get that either Joe. Honestly, the DEW98 platform is worth almost 100 HP in the right hands and probably about 150 HP when you add the element of surprise.
 
Even if you did major customization and achieved high power and success... what are your plans for the transmission and drivetrain?
 
The transmission can handle a ton more power, not sure about the drivetrain. Several mustang's are pushing around 500HP with the 5r55s tranmission.
 
Well I. A transmission it is not so kich the horsepower you worry about. It is the torq. I got lucky when I started building up my 300c and twin turbo that 5.7. Stock transmission can handle 796 foot pou nds. But correct me if I am wrong did they not drop this transmission in the stang? But either way I will cross that bridge soon. Im more worried about the rear end at this point. Im sure something can b fabbed up.

I miss the live axles...would makw this easoer to find a solution for lol. The company I work for made the open diffs for the ls.
 
Well I. A transmission it is not so kich the horsepower you worry about. It is the torq.

This is true, I should've been more clear - the transmission can handle around 500 HP and about 500 TQ, however you may need to replace the torque converter. The mustang guys go with Precision Industries Torque Converters... the same guys also added the Billet Servos to the transmission, other than those two things, it remains stock with those numbers.
 

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