Building bruiser

Topic: Building bruiser (Read 4563 times) previous topic - next topic

Building bruiser

August 03, 2014, 10:36:47 PM

Well Bruiser finally blew a head gasket as all 2.3 turbo engines will eventually do. So i could not resist caming it and building a great head for it. So i milled it .040 and installed stellite seats a custom roller cam and double springs and retainers. The head is done with new cam bearings and guides and slightly ported by me with a 3 angle valve job. The cam is mild @ 580 LIFT 222@50 and cut on 114 CL for fast turbo spooling and a new turbo. This should increase the HP and torque significantly. I will post progress if you like and run dyno numbers when completed. Have a great evening guys

Building bruiser

Reply #1 – August 04, 2014, 04:13:19 PM

.040" cut? How much compression are you going to end up with?

Building bruiser

Reply #2 – August 04, 2014, 07:41:03 PM

I always like to be around 8.7-9 to one. remember the cam reduces sweep compression quite a bit. Have a great evening

Building bruiser

Reply #3 – August 05, 2014, 08:04:35 AM

Maybe I missed an old thread, but what is "bruiser"?

Building bruiser

Reply #4 – August 05, 2014, 07:37:32 PM

Bruiser is my 1987 Turbo Coupe. I always name my cars.

Here is some little tricks you can use to finish the head correctly. Never use the stock POSI drive screws. Always invert the cam plate and install regular screws and washers. This allows easy removal with the head on the car.

Always re-tap every hole in the head and block before assembly. First use a regular tap then a bottom tap. I do every one of them .

Always check any screws or plugs that come with the cam,. This plug is always loose. Ask me how i know!!

Next a seal must be tapped in and i always use plenty of assembly lube and use the correct driver.

Here is the driver a number 4 i know this from experience but a driver must contact the rim of the seal and have plenty of depth to clear the cam when you tap in the seal

Next a cam gear. Because i milled this head .040 i have to correct the cam timing. 6* advanced is where i want to be to bring the cam back to speck. I do not have the head on yet to check a final time but experience tells me this will be close. have a great evening if you like i will post more photos if interested Thanks tom

Building bruiser

Reply #5 – August 05, 2014, 09:04:29 PM

This is useful, good stuff. Thanks for sharing, Tom.

Is the roller cam a reground Ranger or a new one? Sounds like you'll have a healthy mid to upper-range from your specs.

Building bruiser

Reply #6 – August 05, 2014, 09:28:35 PM

Come on Tom! More pics of the build. I'm stuck fixing freakin gm cars all day, this stuff keeps me sane. Well kinda sane.

Building bruiser

Reply #7 – August 06, 2014, 07:51:11 AM

Brand new cam ground to my specks. Not a reduced base circle cam.

I love the 2.3 and i vowed to leave bruiser stock but what the heck when the gasket blew all bets were off. This setup should pull hard from 2000-6000 RPM'S More stuff to come. Have a great day guys

Building bruiser

Reply #8 – August 08, 2014, 09:00:21 PM

Ok getting ready to install the head. gasket in place dowels in and trimmed to my specks and alignment pins installed. And most important the triangle is in the rear right hand corner of the block. Yes you can mess this up and install it backwards. Always put the pins in the 2 dowel holes to insure they align properly. This is another one of my secret things

Head on and exhaust hooked up. Ford TTY bolts never use old bolts. 51 FT/LBS Plus 100*

Because the head was milled .040 the dowels had to be trimmed. As the matter of fact even if the head was not milled the dowels would have to be trimmed. A trial fit showed 1/8 inch trim. Ford superseded the dowels and even a stock engine needs to have them trimmed. Speck is to install them all the way in the head and have 1/16 protrude. Then install them in the block. The 302 guys need to check this also. More times than not they have to be trimmed as well.

Now the lower i drilled and tapped the boss just over the knock sensor hole. This is used to mount the dip stick. here is where you put it

With the new place to mount the dipstick you can throw this ridiculous stock bracket in the garbage. Moving the stick to the lower allows the upper to be removed for simple valve cover removal without removing the dipstick. Something the 2.3 guys will appreciate. That stick is a bitch to install trust me.

Naturally you will need dowels. I made them from the old head bolts SIMPLE

Now if you noticed all the sensors are removed from the lower there is a reason for this. I will make a water manifold to accept them and move the air charge sensor forward of the radiator. Stay tuned for that if you are interested. It will get me 12 more wheel HP.

Hope you like this info and simple mods i come up with. And how Bruiser is coming along. I know not to many 2.3 guys on this site but a couple i think. Have a great evening guys

Building bruiser

Reply #9 – August 09, 2014, 06:12:11 PM

Hey tom just curious why not a layered metal gasket

Building bruiser

Reply #10 – August 09, 2014, 08:13:06 PM

Because i have these in stock. And the 8993 is a good gasket for a block that is not milled. I have even used the 1035 and they also blow in a couple of years also. I was thinking of a multi layer but never got around to it. Have you used a multi layer you can recommend. Thanks Tom

Building bruiser

Reply #11 – August 09, 2014, 09:39:11 PM

The trusty 8993 or 1035 work better on our motors than the MLS stuff. I tried a Mr. Gasket MLS and it leaked between the steel layers. After the first time leaking, I removed it, separated the layers, cleaned everything and sprayed everything with copperkote spray and re-installed it.....still leaked. Heaved it into the trash and now run a 8993 with stainless o-rings installed in the block. Works like a charm.
I hear you on the oil dipstick bracket..what a pita. I had to hack mine up to fit under my aftermarket FPR mounted at the back of the upper manifold. Your solution would have been easier, that's for sure.
On the MAT sensor, where are you coming up with the 12hp number? Just curious as I have my MAT sensor just ziptied next to my air filter for now but I eventually want to install it in the IC piping after the intercooler.

Building bruiser

Reply #12 – August 10, 2014, 06:28:24 AM

If it picks up heat where it definitely does in the stock location it pulls out timing. So i mount it in front of the radiator behind the headlights where it gets plenty of cool air. I also move the CTS to the heater hose along with a fan switch to keep the hot coolant from flowing through the intake. It picked up app 11-12 WHP. It must like to have cool turbo air and responds to a hp increase. Just some of the things i mess with and found gains. Have a great day.

By the way i appreciate the feedback on the MLS gasket. That is what i also read on other forums. I have had very good luck with Fel Pro. Do you have photos of your O ringed block?? I would like to see that. Now if we could only add more head bolts to those 2.3 heads. I have actually increased the diameter of the stock bolts on an engine i did by drilling the head and re-tapping the block for oversize bolts. That worked real good but a lot of work to accomplish. But adding more bolts would be the key and would solve our issues. Nice talking with another 2.3 guy. I love them and have been working on them since i was contacted by FORD for my rod modification on the 2.3 in the early days. I used to sell my rods at the Danbury race arena to the midget guys and a ford engineer approached me to ask how i fixed the scuffing issue. Ford used my design ans that is old history. But the 2.3 was basically bullet proof other than head gaskets and dizzy gears.You could say i saved the 2.3 as Ford was in fact going to s the engine till i made those rod mods that worked to fix the piston scuffing issues. That was a long time ago and thank god i am still here to speak about it. Yes the old days and old timer stories. How did i get there. Thanks for the info

Building bruiser

Reply #13 – August 10, 2014, 02:27:21 PM

I don't have a photo of the o-ringed block that is currently in the car but here is a pic of my backup block. Bored to 3.800 and half filled with hardblok:

Building bruiser

Reply #14 – August 10, 2014, 06:14:39 PM

Very nice. Can you street drive it FILLED that much. I would think not. Am i wrong. That is sweet MAN!!! Thanks for the photo. Have a great day guys