My Very Own 7MGTE Build - Will It Live?

[Shytheed Dumas]

Well I've always liked challenging myself and learning new things, so it's time to build a 7M - or at least as much of it as I can. This will be a slow project, since I will be coming up with money along the way, and because I'm busy all the damn time. As for posting, it will be mostly when I actually accomplish something worth putting up, and more often when I need a little advice on taking the next step. There will be plenty of questions. :icon_razz

Goals? In a nutshell, to build a reliable 350+ rwhp 7MGTE by next June at the absolute minimum cost. I'm planning on setting a pretty reasonable goal every week and do everything I can to get it done. This week's was to finish disassembly of the block, and I'm setting a 5am alarm to get the crank out. My current mods won't get me to my HP goals alone, but when the build is done I'm looking to go Lex/550's/Walbro/AFPR to take me the rest of the way.

As for the history of my car, I bought it 1 1/2 years ago with a fresh JDM swap, which taught me not to like JDM's. BHG on the JDM was almost immediate, and there have been other problems since, which had a lot to do with my decision to take on a build.

I was able to get the original engine with about 180,000 miles on it with the head torn off, and from what I can see, a few parts missing. It was driven on a BHG until the head warped in excess of 120 thou and quit working altogether. I'm guess it's probably annealed to boot, so a replacement head is a definite for my project.

Here's my SM photo gallery for anybody who hasn't seen my car (you can check out my cardomain link in my sig, too ):

http://www.supramania.com/forums/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=818

Okay, so here's what I have to start with:

The original 7M, just after I unloaded it into my garage...

And here's what I've done so far:

So we know I can take it apart, but can I put it back together again? We shall see... :naughty:

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

So it's time for my first issue/question. Tomorrow morning I'm going to pull the crankshaft out and bag it until I can get it to the machine shop for balancing and polishing.

I had planned to have the block hot tanked, but from what I can see it will cost $60 to $100. Remembering that this is the ultimate in a cost savings build, I was wondering if I could do an acceptable job with engine degreaser, hot water, and a pressure washer (1800 psi)? My plan is to clean the hell out of it myself, then thoroughly dry it with compressed air and a towel before coating with a light machine oil and/or WD40 to prevent rust.

This is just a thought I've had. Good? Bad? Just plain stupid? What else can I get done with degreaser and a powerwasher if it's not the dumbest idea you've heard of yet? Speak up.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

So it's time for my first issue/question. Tomorrow morning I'm going to pull the crankshaft out and bag it until I can get it to the machine shop for balancing and polishing.

I had planned to have the block hot tanked, but from what I can see it will cost $60 to $100. Remembering that this is the ultimate in a cost savings build, I was wondering if I could do an acceptable job with engine degreaser, hot water, and a pressure washer (1800 psi)? My plan is to clean the hell out of it myself, then thoroughly dry it with compressed air and a towel before coating with a light machine oil and/or WD40 to prevent rust.

This is just a thought I've had. Good? Bad? Just plain stupid? What else can I get done with degreaser and a powerwasher if it's not the dumbest idea you've heard of yet? Speak up.

You're going to have some block work done right, let the machine shop clean it after the work is done. I cleaned mine with degreaser to get the first layer of crud off before I took it too the shop.

 

[tookwik4u89]

This project will be good for you. Carb cleaner works great for disintegrating all that crud inside.

 

[gtsfirefighter]

I would let the machine shop clean, deck and hone it. Also let them replace those oil pump shaft bearings. You'll save money on the reassembling since you are doing it yourself. I suggest the hot tank. You don't want to be left wondering if you got all the crud out of the oil passage ways, then find out you didn't when you eat a bearing and the crank.

 

[suprahooked]

If you hot tank the block make sure all the freeze plugs and oil drive bearings are change because the acid will eat them away.

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

This project will be good for you.

That will remain to be seen... It could be the project that breaks my will to live. ::hang:: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:


I overslept by a couple of hours, but at least I got the crank out without too much of a problem. The #4 bearing cap took a little effort because of the thrust washers, but this week's goal is almost complete.

I'll see what I can do for a first pass on cleaning with carb cleaner and my power washer after I get the freeze plugs out, but I am a little worried about some of the oil passageways myself. The idea of doing this project just to have it destroyed makes me kinda queasy... uke:

As for the oil pump shaft, I had already decided to pass that job over to the machine shop.

 

[da89soup]

Its a Shytheed Build Thread, Whooooohooooo!!!!!! Im so Subscribed to this one. I cant believe you have set goals and a plan??? That is odd for a SM build thread!!!!:biglaugh:

Good luck with everything and thanks for giving our little group one more thread to hang out in????:icon_bigg

 

[NgoFcukinWay]

subscribed!

This looks like fun and it's about the same as I plan to do with my 7M. I'll keep a close eye on this one.

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

Its a Shytheed Build Thread, Whooooohooooo!!!!!! Im so Subscribed to this one. I cant believe you have set goals and a plan??? That is odd for a SM build thread!!!!:biglaugh:

Good luck with everything and thanks for giving our little group one more thread to hang out in????:icon_bigg

lol. The whole goal thing is 12 years of corporate brainwashing, and the only way I know how to get things done anymore. :icon_razz

subscribed!

This looks like fun and it's about the same as I plan to do with my 7M. I'll keep a close eye on this one.

I'll try not to leave anybody disappointed with this thread or the way it turns out... especially me. :biglaugh:

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Kurt, just bring every thing up here after 5pm and we'll hot tank it. I have access to two of them, free of charge.

 

[da89soup]

And thats why we all hang out here, Great offer John!!!!:bigthumb:

 

[gtsfirefighter]

Kurt, just bring every thing up here after 5pm and we'll hot tank it. I have access to two of them, free of charge.

That should fit into his budget!!!:biglaugh:

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

Wow, Jon - Thanks for the offer! I'd love to come up and hang for an evening, but only if it's something fun for you to do. If it's really not an imposition, I'll get everything together and plan an evening to do it. I know how busy you are with MDC and your new job, so if it's too much just send me a PM - no problem.


And now to show off my newbie ness...

Nails in my block? So I pulled my freeze plugs yesterday, looked in and pulled out about a 1" rusty nail - err, that's what I thought it was. I found two more inside two other plugs on the same side. When I looked a little closer, I saw three more - one in each hole - that were still attached. Not nails, but small pins, L-shaped and attached on the short portion. I'm assuming these are artifacts of the casting process? Just curious.

Cylinder Walls Just an observation, but I had no idea how thin they are. It took pulling the freeze plugs out and peering down one of the water passages to see it. Wow.

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

It might be a little early to consider paint, but I might get ambitious and start on my valve covers soon. I'm looking for color/paint scheme suggestions for the block & valve covers.

Overall, I want something to compliment my car and make my engine bay look good. I have considered red and doing the ridges on the covers in black to match my exterior theme, but that's a lot of red. I'm not all opposed to doing a completely different color, but I am no good at envisioning things like this. Suggestions?

If it helps, my car domain site has exterior and engine bay pics: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2487590/1

 

[trydrew]

Nails in my block? So I pulled my freeze plugs yesterday, looked in and pulled out about a 1" rusty nail - err, that's what I thought it was. I found two more inside two other plugs on the same side. When I looked a little closer, I saw three more - one in each hole - that were still attached. Not nails, but small pins, L-shaped and attached on the short portion. I'm assuming these are artifacts of the casting process? Just curious.

I noticed that too when I was dis(/re)assembling everything. I'd like to here what they are for, I just didn't think it was worthy of its own thread.

I'm currently finishing up doing the same thing as you're starting. Nice to see this build Kurt and good luck.

 

[Jaguar_5]

I would let the machine shop clean, deck and hone it. Also let them replace those oil pump shaft bearings. You'll save money on the reassembling since you are doing it yourself. I suggest the hot tank. You don't want to be left wondering if you got all the crud out of the oil passage ways, then find out you didn't when you eat a bearing and the crank.

I'll second this notion!

Looks like there's lots of build threads popping up lately! I like this thread, it reminds me of the beginning of my build, having no idea what I was getting myself into LOL. About 2 years later and I can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel

Just take it slow, ask lots of questions, and do it right the first time

Those fragments are definitely from the casting progress imo

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

A Question and an Update!

Question: I need to helicoil one of the threads for the tranny bolts, and the kit calls for a 13/32" drill bit. I have a few 3/8" bits laying around, so does an additional 1/32 of an inch make that much of a difference in holding strength? If it's critical I will pick one up today, but on a hole that large, it's hard to imagine that a loss of 1/64" on each side would matter...

Update: Well, I've gotten a little somewhere on my block without having to do a thing. I traded my block and front plate with anther SM member for one that was tanked, spec'd, decked for MHG, bored .20 over and honed about 4,500 miles ago, along with a set of .20 over TopLine pistons. The shop says it's ready to go once I get my crank done and the whole thing spec'd. I've decided to let the shop assemble the block, since they do it for only $40 ( :aigo: ) and have already done a few 7M's.

The reason he was trading was because he bought Probe pistons that apparently require a 30* hone instead of the usual 60*, and rehoning would have taken the bore slightly out of spec. Why a rebuild after 4,500 miles? One of the rings went bad (Topline) after putting down over 500 whp.

So I'm planning on going ahead with the build on this block, pretty much as-is, which takes me a long way toward a budget build. More to come later, since I'm trying to figure out how to keep funding the project. Next time I post up, I'll have to include a pic of my new HKS Drager that I'm picking up this week for a BEAUTIFUL price!