Prepping a 302 for Lemons

Hey Guys,

We just got a non running (dead fuel pump) 302 1983 RX-7 for Lemons. We know it runs off a gravity feed and getting a working pump is not an issue. The car is butt ugly but the 302 runs well and it attatched to a T-5. Edelbrock carb on top of an otherwise mostly stock 5.0 roller motor.

I am trying to figure out if there is anything we can do to keep the motor alive for the 24 hour lemons race. Any oiling issues etc that we need to be aware of? The mustang forums are overloaded with hardcore race guys and people wanting to build stroker for their first track day. Couldnt find much good info for people taking a stock 5.0 out on track.

We just want to keep the motor alive and kicking if possible. So far the plan is to run it pretty easy and not rev the piss out of it.

Thanks,

Greg

The stock 302 oil pan has no baffling for oil control. So you may want to install an idiot light and do some baffles in the stock oil pan.

Seems like keeping the motor slightly cool will go a long way towards helping. 185F thermostat if there's not one in there already with fresh coolant, make sure the fan setup works with a proper shroud setup, and a good oil like Shell Rotella semi-synthetic in 15w40 or similar seems like a good start.

Make sure the jetting isn't on the lean side.

+1 on oil pan baffles

Strike_Zero wrote: The stock 302 oil pan has no baffling for oil control. So you may want to install an idiot light and do some baffles in the stock oil pan.

I've seen some sites describing cheap looking DIY baffles with one-way doors.

Given where a SBF filter is located, I'm guessing the car already has a remote filter? Maybe consider added a double-filter bracket and maybe an oil cooler. Stuffing the biggest radiator you can source from a yard might not hurt either.

All that said, I'd be surprised if a V8 powered RX7 doesn't get hit with a zillion penalty laps by the lemons judges...

Car came has an AFCO aluminum radiator and supposedly a Melling high volume oil pump. Also supposedly a new timing chain and gear. Remote oil filter setup.

We know we will get penalized and hit with some BS laps. Really the car isn't nearly as nice you would imagine. It is mazda poo brown with a salvage title. Engine bay was spray painted green. Body damage on both rear quarters. Various other dings and dents. It was a father son project that has been sitting for three years. We bought it non running but were able to verify that it ran through a gravity feed. It sat around on Craigslist for about three months. We made an offer and picked it up cheap.

On the plus side they used a complete Granny's kit including driveshaft. The motor is supposedly a low mileage rebuild (from 2004). The clutch is new but is set up as cable unit and is super stiff. They also said they replaced some suspension stuff. It is a GSL so it has an LSD and rear discs. Downside is all this was three years ago and the car has sat since. They never went throught the brakes or registered it.

Was this the one on CL in GA?

Greg Voth wrote: I am trying to figure out if there is anything we can do to keep the motor alive for the 24 hour lemons race. We just want to keep the motor alive and kicking if possible. So far the plan is to run it pretty easy and not rev the piss out of it.

KEEP it stock.... KEEP it cool.... KEEP oil in it.

Thats the idea. I read on the mustang boards that just a horizontal baffle, some 20w50 with one extra quart should be fine.

Then a bunch of people said get a Canton before you blow your motor.

Hobiecr - Car came to us from Orlando but appears to be from VA.

Lemons is going to rape you with penalty laps. But ya know, they might be kinder if you can document the price well.

Keep in mind you can also race this car in Chump Car. Might want to investigate that as a way to maximize use of your investment.

D'oh!! Forgot to mention an oil cooler . . . Good catch!

I know for Lemons it may be out of the budget, but I went Canton for my 302 buggy and will add an oil cooler.

I've watch a lot of LeMons judging. I doubt you're going to get a lot of BS laps just for an engine swap. They might even think it is pretty cool. But, if you have a lot of shiny new suspension bits or go faster parts they'll be on you like white on rice. Print out the Craigslist listing and whatever other documents you can put together, though often they just discount them as forgeries.

Good luck!

Basil Exposition wrote: I've watch a lot of LeMons judging. I doubt you're going to get a lot of BS laps just for an engine swap. They might even think it is pretty cool. But, if you have a lot of shiny new suspension bits or go faster parts they'll be on you like white on rice. Print out the Craigslist listing and whatever other documents you can put together, though often they just discount them as forgeries. Good luck!

Crap. I was thinking a CL listing would be the best documentation you could hope for. In the race we were in, if you got anything over 10 penalty laps you were out of contention.

You can always just run Lemons for fun. That's what a team I'm on did. We disregarded the spending limit and just ran around the track for a weekend. We had a blast. Our only complaint was that Lemons love to penalize for on track action that may not be your fault.

We have the craigslist posting and all documentation but I think we will still get dinged.

Forgot to ask. Any recommendations on brake pads?

Greg Voth wrote: We have the craigslist posting and all documentation but I think we will still get dinged. Forgot to ask. Any recommendations on brake pads?

EBC? If you're car is light enough you should be able to run a set all day. I'd still bring extra's just in case. Don't tell anyone...but I know some folks who run NAPA brake pads and just change them really, really often.

This kind of racing is all about finishing! Going fast in the turns just beats up on part that may end up breaking! Slow and steady is what you should be after. Follow this plan and you won't need oil pan baffeling. I say yes on an oil cooler however.

We have a dead stock 302 out of a 95 model pick up. It has 90 racing hours on it since it was given to me. All I've done to it was swap to new used valve springs when it wouldn't rev past 5200. Our other car gets the 302 swapped at every race, some of that is our fault, some of it is bad luck. Keep it stock, in good running order, and keep the rpms down.

Yeah, wondering if there's a cheap solution to give an ignition based rev limiter to your car. Like a good MSD only, you know, really cheap.

one of those on cl in Jax (I think) right now for 60ish obo, IIRC

We ran Porterfield R4E's with great results. Since the RX7 rotors are solid, adding cooling ducts will be essential.

We murdered a 351W by overheating the dickens out of it. That was mostly due to the V belts flipping in the grooves due to the long runs. If you are running a V belt setup, I'd recommend going with a single belt around the crank and water pump (that's the kind of setup where you have to remove the water pump pulley to change the belt) then run a separate belt for the alternator. That can be done easily by using a double groove pulley on the water pump. You'll have to shim the alternator mounting with washers but that's pretty easy.

See if you can find a used MSD RPM activated switch, stick a 5000-5200 RPM chip in it and use that to trigger a big red light and maybe a horn inside the car to remind the driver it's time to shift, dammit. It can even be used to turn a relay on/off to kill the ignition, although that will probably lead to some big ol' backfires.

Jensenman wrote: We ran Porterfield R4E's with great results. Since the RX7 rotors are solid, adding cooling ducts will be essential. We murdered a 351W by overheating the dickens out of it. That was mostly due to the V belts flipping in the grooves due to the long runs. If you are running a V belt setup, I'd recommend going with a single belt around the crank and water pump (that's the kind of setup where you have to remove the water pump pulley to change the belt) then run a separate belt for the alternator. That can be done easily by using a double groove pulley on the water pump. You'll have to shim the alternator mounting with washers but that's pretty easy. See if you can find a used MSD RPM activated switch, stick a 5000-5200 RPM chip in it and use that to trigger a big red light and maybe a horn inside the car to remind the driver it's time to shift, dammit. It can even be used to turn a relay on/off to kill the ignition, although that will probably lead to some big ol' backfires.

You mean to tell me that six trips over 300 degrees is hard on an engine.

What Jman said. Particularly if it has V belts. If it is an older engine that has points, change them out for an electronic conversion. At 300 degrees the plastic insulators melt and short out for some reason.

That poor old Thunderbird sure was a hoot to drive when it was running.

Yeah, I sorta hate how that poor old car wound up. When it was running well early on Saturday, it was really fun to point at a car, say 'you are next' and then make it so.

It ain't made it to the scrap yard yet. As a matter of fact I was looking at it the other day. Feel like helping me update the cage. We could take two to the next event.

Bump.

The car was stupid fast in a straight line but we went through 11ish sets of pads and lost the brakes completely with about 15 minutes left. Nothing to write home about when turning since we were running 13 inch all seasons.

We are running the 14 hours of Sebring Chumpcar race this weekend and have stepped up the car with some T2 RX-7 front brakes and a Junkyard 8.8 Mustang rear and brakes. Running Porterfield R4E's on all four corners and some tire rack close out (2007 production) Goodyear F1's and worn out Star Specs as spares.

We had to pull the fenders some for it to clear but we should be alright.

Some before and after pics below.

Before

Some of our brake problems...

Id say it was F-KD

After

We did a 302 in our E30, and I would agree with everything people say. We will be looking at a baffle for the next race. You could watch the oil pressure drop in the corners. We abused it pretty good, only overheated once at the beginning of the race (bad rad. cap), and we got 0 penalty laps.