2088 replies to this topic

[Adam77]

Awesome work Heath !!!
448hp on the street is a lot,keep the updates coming.
Love it.

[mitchg]

448hp in an 800kg torana will be plenty stout! (Im just assuming thats how much weight reduction you have managed).
Im unsure if I am going to the Nats, I wasn’t going to but would like to see this in the flesh.

[Heath]

I also wholeheartedly agree that 448hp is loads in a Torana. In anything, really. The car is going to be severely overpowered (at well over a tonne, Mitch, lol) for the use that I have. I wasn't exactly pinning the throttle for long periods of time the other weekend in my 911 and I was going "very too fast" consistently... it has less than half of that amount of power.

 

The concern is just that something isn't right, by 10%, even with the modest cam. (and yes, I double checked the cam phasing before putting it back in the car)

 

Lee, the gains were falling off around that 27deg mark. It will want more with LPG I expect. Remember it's 11:1 comp.

 

Brett/Lee, I am told the carbie spacer both moves the grunt up higher and actually does improve the fuel distribution/balance. I don't know how good the COME type manifold is, but I only bought it to put on the dyno and I've already sold it.

 

If anyone wants to see the car at the Nats... maybe wait and see if I have any success in the next few weeks. I am shitting bricks currently.

[Lima31]

Lee, the gains were falling off around that 27deg mark. It will want more with LPG I expect. Remember it's 11:1 comp.

 

Something doesn't seem right to me there.  If you really wanted to squeeze more power, I suggest checking the dynamic compression ratio and cranking cylinder pressures.

[gtrboyy]

Agree power output & oil pressure not quite optimal for what is in it BUT pretty farkin' decent starting point in relatively lighweight car & should scare passengers when setup right.

 

Usually a really nice set of ported vn casties on decent 355 will take 26-28 degrees...the better intake/heads less timing they seem to take.

 

Come intake is pretty good..next step up be nicely ported harrop single plane...you'd need lot more compression/heads/cam with 383 cubes to make single plane tp or tunnel ram setup sing.

 

Lot of 355 f280 10;5 to 11.5 cr out there didn't get much out of spacers...few threads & dyno sheets on av8 forum as a guide.

 

Wondering if cam spec/timing is out or compression not what supposed to be or maybe just alloy heads work alot better with extra point or two compression....12.1 or higher for lpg.

 

Oil pressure would be checking out AV8 site again..spring in pump might need shimming or hopefully something simple.

 

Good results & any progress is good progress when it comes to cars.

[myss427]

Cam timing is a funny thing, I just changed my cam from the one recommended for fuel injection to a slightly bigger duration and more lift to suit the 2 carbies. The injection cam was 675 lift, 265 duration @ 50 and loved 29 degrees timing, the Carb cam is 750 lift 280 @ 50 and loves 38 degrees of timing. That's the only engine change I made, it runs smoother, better idle and way more power (seat of the pants over 50 hp) but does not rev as high before the power starts to drop off, you would think it would be the other way around?

[Redslur]

I personally think that the cam and LPG are a big limiting factor. 450hp is bloody good for that cam size. You may get a bit more out of it with some tweaks but don't be disappointed if it is not a lot. It is a good combo regardless.. 

[rexy]

Hi Heath,

 

What was average torque between 2500 and 5000 rpm? That’s the number that makes for a happy street driving experience.

Those heads and intake are very efficient. You need less timing advance the more efficient it is and the smaller the chamber size and bore are.

[Heath]

Rexy, sorry mate I actually am not sure, I don't have that part of the graph.

 

Interesting replies, I have read and am absorbing them.

 

But my attention is mostly on the fact that on Saturday I got the bastard running in the car on BBQ fuel (the voltage settings for the injectors were not right, they were on 1-3 Ohms setting but the peak voltage time wasn't quite right and they weren't being opened). 

 

And then on Sunday, I got it driving. 7 years after I started this thing.

 

 

I've got shitloads of issues. Heaps to work through. But it is so, so cool. I am so stoked to be at this stage.

[RIM-010]

So bloody goooooooood.

[SHEEL]

HOOOORAAAAYYY!!!!!!!!

 

Incredible! Happy for you mate, very exciting!

[Peter UC]

Where's the video? It was great to see you beaming last night. Also shout out to Ross who drives his Dad's Desoto around like it's a normal car, although it did leave plenty of oil stains on my driveway last night.

[LXCHEV]

Congrats mate. Do another YouTube video for us once the teething issues are sorted, would be great to see and hear it.

 

If you need to test drive - come out my way anytime

[snuff1966]

Great to hear it's finally a goer Heath 

[Adam77]

Huge goal to have the motor running in the car,well done.
It’s a shame you never started up a YouTube channel on this build.It would have created a lot of interest because of all the work you have done yourself and it’s a Tough car.
And of course you’re comedy skills.

[GMH-01X]

Such a great achievement to get to this stage Heath & it’s looking totally awesome, can’t wait to see some footage of it running and driving.

Only one word for your build mate.... OUTSTANDING !!

[jeffblanco]

Congratulations, well done.

 

Regards Mando.

[deankdx]

It’s a shame you never started up a YouTube channel on this build.It would have created a lot of interest because of all the work you have done yourself and it’s a Tough car.
And of course you’re comedy skills.

I reckon with all the pics it would be great on youtube as a slideshow with commentary

[Ricky Bobby]

Well done Heath, it is a moment to enjoy ( nothing better than oil pressure )

[ozyozyozy]

Awesome to hear/see heath, big moment driving them for the first time, no matter what teething issues are there

[Heath]

I love the enthusiasm from you guys. Thank you sincerely.
 
Brett, I look forward to doing the rounds and dropping in on friends, suppliers who sold me good shit for the car, etc. and taking them for a lap.
I'll probably wear out a pair of tyres in a couple of days when I'm able to start doing that.

I'm not sure what the comedy skills on offer are, but the YouTube video thing would be nice. This forum is a very niche audience so if you consider how many people actually look at this thread, I've probably spent several hours posting content for each one of you! Hahahaha. Doing it in video form is a better way to get a lot of information across and potentially share it a lot better, but after trying once, the editing isn't a 5min procedure... it would take take a fair bit longer than posting in a forum even with the level of detail I try to convey here.
 
One of the things that I found was the 'Compact' (black) Wilwood 3/4" master cylinder I used for the clutch was actually no good! Shown here:

It has a very short stroke, and didn't displace enough fluid for the Mal Wood concentric slave to move quite far enough. I never noticed, and even if I did, I wouldn't have know it would be an issue.
 
So I bought another 3/4" 'Combination' one that's a bit uglier, and started modifying the plumbing to suit it (different inlet position and diameter, different outlet position and thread fitting type), what a pain to modify on a fully assembled car.

 
It was designed to be "flange mount" or "side mount" but I just saw that flange as ugly and excess weight so I turned it off on the lathe, lol


 
I also pulled my ICE 9mm ignition lead kit out and finally got to work on that:

Used some stainless with a little fold in it to make up some small brackets which would fit around the rocker cover bolts:

Fitted some longer bolts, ground the bakerlite separator things into various sizes that suited the route I was going to use, and screwed them together:

 
Made up an ally adaptor to fit a flow metre onto my throttles and balanced all of the linkages/air bleeds, I know the cam isn't crazy but it actually idles amazingly well, I got it down under 700 and it was still pretty smooth.

 
I folded up a proper base for my airbox on my mate's sheetmetal folder, and started trimming it to a rough size.

 
A bit of round rollcage tube wrapped in tape and a rubber mallet allowed me to create some curves in the corners. I also used cardboard aided design to help make some end pieces.

 
A bit of imperfect ally welding and it started to represent its final form:



 
Bolted loosely into place with the bonnet loosely closed:

 
Then a lot of painstaking test-fitting, measuring, marking, grinding/trimming, re-fitting, etc. to get the gap right for the seal:


 
Then I cut my trumpets down in a bit of a 'staircase' to give them breathing room under the scoop, but still have them all poke a touch through the bonnet so it looks good with the scoop removed. But they are spun ally and they aren't millimetre perfect... as I cut them down, the diameter shrunk about a millimetre. Spewing.
 
So I had to get the 3mm cutting disc out and "close and bore" the clamps on the lathe to keep them holding evenly around the circumference.


 
I also put 3 little tack welds on the underside of each once I had the lengths looking good, because I'm not totally convinced the clamps are quite enough for the long, high inertia, vibrating, re-sized trumpets even after the attention I gave them.


 
Welded a little intake air temperature sensor bung into the base of the turkey pan, brushed the whole thing with scotch-brite to give it the desired surface finish, and fitted a little seal profile from Clark Rubber:



 
For any photographic memory readers, yes there was an earlier version of this that ended up in the scrap metal bin. It's not a very easy fabrication job in terms of measuring/positioning/registration between the motor position and the bonnet skin/hole in the bonnet. I realised my error in the first iteration pretty early and used it as a prototype, but even with the prototype, there were still some challenges, haha.

[axistr]

Well done Heath, I like. 

 

Clutch master cylinder. I used a master cylinder from a BA-BF Henry, Very progressive and can push the peddle in with one finger. I used it on both my Toranas, one with concentric bearing and the other still has yoke and slave cylinder. Previously the Mrs couldn't drive the hatch due to the heavy duty pressure plate. 

[Heath]

Thanks Lenny. The pedal weight basically just comes down to pedal ratios and master size. If you used a really long stroke you could make it feel a bit lighter. I don't know what diameter the BA/BF one is, but I do know the Mal Wood under-dash kit uses that same master. It's probably 3/4" as well?

 

I got into the bonnet scoop, installed some nutserts in the ally for the filter retainer, and drilled out all of the holes so that the bolts would actually fit through, touching up the paint in each to seal the fibreglass from the elements.

 

Gave it another coat of satin-black, installed the filter and retainer frame, and cut some self-adhesive foam tape material around the flange area. Extra thick across the filter area, to compensate for the piping thickness that would be installed around the edge like a conventional un-sealed bonnet scoop.

 

[Shiney005]

I'd say once you are seven Beam cans into the night, it is probably time to put down the hole saw. 

[Heath]

Hahahahaha I don't drink that sugary shit. Messy factory mates.