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wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/18/17 10:03 a.m.

A little late on the pics...

Here is the drivers side of the engine taken right after the head came off....

A little oily...

The head bolt from that corner has burnt oil on the threads directly at the head and block interface. I am not sure if I should be worried about this. The head with the dark valves is the head from this side of the engine.

The other side of the engine looked good!

Does anybody know if Goetz was the stock head gasket manufacturer?

More to come...

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/18/17 10:05 a.m.

Here is what I found when I took off the oil pan...

An inch thick coating of gunk. Did not seem like milkshake.

The oil was black but not watery or thin. It still felt like oil...

What would the hive do?

simon_C
simon_C New Reader
1/18/17 2:23 p.m.

get out the industrial degreaser, pull the whole thing apart, scrub it down, and blow out all of the oil channels. That engine was COOKED it looks like. Alternatively, find a new one.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/23/17 10:37 a.m.

Here is the rod bearing furthest from the oil pump:

Here is the main bearing furthest from the oil pump:

Soooo, I finally have an issue with engine placement.

When I did the trial fitting I did not have the intake on. I figured it could stick through the hood if necessary.

That's not the issue. The issue is that I want to turn the intake around so the water outlet and throttlebody are at the front of the engine.

I can't do that because the intake hits the water passageways on the front timing cover assembly.

I need to figure out which front cover and accessory system is going to work in this car....

Strike_Zero
Strike_Zero UltraDork
1/23/17 11:56 a.m.

From memory . . . I think you can use the Camaro 3.4 front cover and water pump to resolve that issue.

I'll post the link once I get back to my PC.

Strike_Zero
Strike_Zero UltraDork
1/23/17 1:41 p.m.

Here's the link:

Turbo BMW E30

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 PowerDork
1/23/17 10:27 p.m.

I have long thought of this. Im glad to see someone doing it.

And i love me some 60*v6.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/25/17 12:20 p.m.

I will get a front cover from a 3.4 Camaro as well as an alternator and water pump. I will most likely need to make my own alternator mount (and make it adjustable).

I will utilize the trusty 7730 ECU with a beretta wire harness (I hear there are some changes I need to make to the harness).

Once that is done, I still need to figure out these items:

1) can I use the stock clutch master with the stock HTOB (I have adapters to make the line connect)

2) How do I connect the trans to the rearend? RX7 driveshafts do NOT have replaceable u-joints...

3) how am I going to make sure I have the engine and trans in the right place?

4) Exhaust: The stock exhaust will NOT work. I think I need to fabricate something...

Still to do:

  • Clean engine parts

  • Put engine back together

  • Install clutch and clutch hydraulics

  • Mate trans to engine

  • make mounts for engine and trans

  • wiring!!!!!

  • buy / create coolant hoses

  • hook up fuel system

  • create / install exhaust

  • create cover plate for shifter area

  • fluids

  • Try to start.....

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 PowerDork
1/25/17 12:33 p.m.

I used a 7727 ecm and harness from a 3.1 lumina on my swap. Plug and play, and waterproof.

No help otherwise.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/25/17 3:09 p.m.

What was the swap you used those for?

Thanks!

P.S. how do people get their parts so frickin clean? I feel like I am scraping and cleaning these heads and I just can't get some of these "stains" off of them!

Dusterbd13
Dusterbd13 PowerDork
1/25/17 4:02 p.m.

Used it for the sfi dis 3.4 camaro into an 87 s10.

Electronically the same engine you have.

I also used moates zif adapter and tunerpro to tweak it with the s10 2.8 longtubes and porting i did.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/30/17 12:40 p.m.

I got the block clean and degrossified.

I got all the old wiring out of the car.

Now to finish up getting the engine front accessories and hardware I need. Then, I can reassemble the engine and get it in the car to figure out how to fasten it in place....

I hope to have the engine buttoned up and sitting in the engine hole by the end of this coming weekend.

bbaker480
bbaker480
2/6/17 7:15 a.m.

Saturday was spent pulling out the last of the factory wiring harness and cleaning up the mating surfaces of the heads and block. After carefully selecting a switch cover plate from the grosh wall and some work with a stone things cleaned up very nicely.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/6/17 12:27 p.m.

Thanks for the update Bryan!

That is a picture of me in case anybody wondered what I looked like...

The heads are now on the engine. (pics later)

The timing cover is cleaned up.

The intake manifolds are being modified (need to plug some holes for things not being used anymore).

Assembly should happen this week sometime.

bbaker480
bbaker480 New Reader
2/9/17 12:45 p.m.

We put a couple of hours in last night reassembling the 3400.... several times. We started off with sealing up all the ports that were no longer needed that Rob tapped earlier. JB Weld for anything that touches water and RTV for anything just sealing air.

Once we got that done we started reinstalling the lifters, pushrods, and rocker arms. Everything looked great, torque specs were followed. We were all excited to drop the intake back on and start putting the accessories back on before we realized we forgot some parts. Unlike putting the undertray back on a Subaru you actually do need all the parts that came out of the engine to go back in apparently...

What is important to note is that in the above picture we omitted the plastic pieces that bolt over the lifters, as well as these shiny new intake manifold gaskets.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/10/17 12:57 p.m.

Thanks for helping with the updates AND the work Bryan!

I got the timing cover finished (I forgot to drill some holes larger).

We should be able to install everything and get the engine buttoned up this weekend.

We need to inspect the front bearing retainer on the trans and put some Loctite on the bellhousing to tranny bolts.

Then its time to put the engine and trans in the car and start making some mounts!

Bryan
Bryan New Reader
2/13/17 8:45 a.m.

A lot of work done yesterday led to this:

Unfortunately, the crank pulley required to run the RWD accessories doesn't clear the swaybar and steering rack like the FWD stuff did, but is required to put the engine where we mocked it up. We're either 3" higher and 2" forward (ish) of where we want to be, or the firewall needs to be reworked to make just a little more room to go back so we can go down. As it sits the engine doesn't fit under the hood and the shifter is also well in front of the stock location. All signs point to some cutting in the near future.

Does anyone have a trick to confirm an engine is centered and level in a car that may have been in the wall a few times? Measuring from the strut towers doesn't seem to make much sense as we can't confirm they are still in the correct locations...

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/13/17 11:36 a.m.

Thanks for helping update again Bryan!

Sooo, I went in to look at the car today before work. I think we have at least 1" to move the engine back (the hoist chain is fouling the firewall right now). I would like to remove that and see where the engine sits then.

If we need just a bit more, I will try to "persuade" the firewall into letting the engine move back just a touch more.

Ill get some pics up later.

I ordered all of the parts to connect the stock clutch master to the Camaro HTOB. I have no idea if it will work. I actually need to try it and measure. If it doesn't work, I needed all of these fittings anyway.

I also ordered some 1.25 to 1.5" silicone adapters to adapt the Camaro water ports to the RX7 radiator.

I am hoping to get the engine situated sometime this week....

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/13/17 11:41 a.m.

Still to do:

•Install clutch hydraulics

•Mate trans to engine (again)

•make mounts for engine and trans

•wiring!!!!!

•buy / create coolant hoses

•hook up fuel system

•create / install exhaust

•create cover plate for shifter area

•fluids

•Try to start.....

*Make driveshaft

*etc...

dculberson
dculberson PowerDork
2/13/17 12:30 p.m.

Hey, I recognize that car! I don't recognize the beard, where did that come from?

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/14/17 9:57 a.m.

You must have caught me everytime I just shaved. I grow it for a few months and then cut it off and start growing again!

I HAZ news... Once the mail crank pulley was installed fully and I "massaged" the firewall with a block of wood and a BFH, the engine clears the swaybar.

The crank pulley would sit on the steering rack if I let it. I will give it about 1/4" clearance and start welding in mounts.

Im thinking of using some 1" schedule 40 iron pipe for the mounts. Any input on whether that will hold up to endurance racing?

I'll try to get pics up soon.

Bryan
Bryan New Reader
2/18/17 5:22 p.m.

Mounts are done!

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/18/17 5:31 p.m.

Pretty mounts!

Thanks for the piktors, Bryan!

After we get a driveshaft, everything else is just stuff.....

Furious_E
Furious_E GRM+ Memberand Dork
2/18/17 8:05 p.m.

Looking good! Super tight to the firewall and it looks like the whole motor is behind the centerline of the front wheels.

I can take some measurements on the Camaro's driveshaft, if you're interested. I'd think it would probably be too long, but if you need one to cut down you can have it.

I'm right behind you in terms of progress, should have the motor in within the next week!

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
2/19/17 7:28 a.m.

In reply to Furious_E:

Do you have 2? If not, I think you will need it!

I have a c4 corvette driveshaft, but i think it is too long.

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