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"PCKNPLL" BUILD THREAD! NA @ 180hp!


ShotnVA777

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That's the goal and I WILL achieve it... There's guys running these motors at almost 300hp around a track, wide open, at 7-8k RPM's ALL DAY!

I know I can reach my goal with my 1997 Ranger that I initially picked up for a work truck (and still will be!), but I can't keep my hands off of ANYTHING that has a motor! So, you already know what I did... Went and bought a longblock out of an '88 'Stang for $80.

It has the distributor, so I can run the 4bbl carb! The motor IN my truck right now has a few "mods", mostly free shit that everybody does. IE: Homemade catback w/ no cat, intake, dual ignition/dist. mod, B2 rear sway bar.... Blah blah blah! You know the story on the 8 plug heads!

Now all that said... I would like this baby to look as stock as possible, other than the drop/suspension components, the diamond racing steelies, etc. I want the ACTUAL body to remain dented up, bumper hangin', interior in OK condition, though I WILL be putting in 2 bucket seats - 100%! So in other words its going to have that kind of "rat rod" feel...

I'll let y'all see some pics of the said truck, that I'll be working on... Then I'll post some more updates and such when I have more time later! I just wanted to get this thing ("build thread") started! LET'S DO IT! By the way "PCKNPLL" will be her license plates! :headbang:

Her she is, riding high, STOCK as can be right now, other than the before mentioned mods and some weight reduction! lol









NOW, the ENTIRE point of this build is to have a 100% street legal , ANGRY 2.3l Ranger that can burn the little Civic next to me at the light, but still be my RELIABLE, easy to tune (4BBL!!!), DD to get to and from work and such... BUT, I'll ALSO be racing it at local tracks against other street cars/trucks... So SHE MUST handle!

I want this jewel to handle like a car! So all of my suspension will be done RIGHT - top notch! I'm just waiting to order everything, until I can get my 4.10 rearend and wheels! :icon_thumby:

And I'll leave y'all with this, the new motor and how it was brought home and what it looks like two days later!

Here's my giddy ass, when I was cruisin home with the longblock!



Here's when she first landed in my garage:





What she looks like NOW:







She's PATIENTLY WAITING on me to "do my thing to her" and have 'er rebuilt from TOP TO BOTTOM! !



*WILL UPDATE AS THINGS MOVE ALONG - HOPEFULLY FASTER THAN SLOWER! (no pun intended! ;) *

I will also need some advice and help from time to time, so subscribe and help a brotha out! This is going to be a FUN, in the home garage build!!!

:icon_cheers: MATES! KEEP UP!
 


Mikel89us

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I just want to say referring to a ministock motor and a pick n pull build, because those guys do Turk upwards of 9k, and make 300 hp. But those are $10K + motors. I have said before, 170 hp is impossible without a new cam, you're looking at a few hundred right there. There is no stock 2.3 cam capable of your goals.
 

ShotnVA777

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Who said it was going to be stock? Lol....

I'm having the head completely reworked/milled and having the combustion camber played with, IT WILL have an aggressive cam and spin 7-8k! I'm going to get Esslinger high compression pistons as well as their 4bbl intake mani, paired with a 4bbl Holly.

You don't need 10k (NO WHERE near it!) to do what I'm going to do!

Everyrhing is moving, just slowly! Gotta wait for the funds to pick back up! Honestly, wheels n tyres, bucket seats, flip kit w/ front springs and shocks all around, 4.10 rear end and beefed up clutch are going to be my next "look too's"!

Because ALL of that will help my CURRENT truck, while waiting on the motor to be built! :D

Never say never dude! You're supposed to be inspiring me and HELPING ME! Not trying to discourage me. .. d**n bro! :dunno:
 

ShotnVA777

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I just want to say referring to a ministock motor and a pick n pull build, because those guys do Turk upwards of 9k, and make 300 hp. But those are $10K + motors. I have said before, 170 hp is impossible without a new cam, you're looking at a few hundred right there. There is no stock 2.3 cam capable of your goals.
THIS is what you're thinking I want... No. 150-180RW PONIES is all I'm looking to get and I know it will be expensive (somewhat) - but this is what I want, it WILL be done. Guaranteed.

Not looking to get 300+ft lbs of torque like Esslinger himself, but I can get her dialed in MUCH easier THIS way than with my 8 Plug ECU CRAP!

VvVv THAT'S a pure bred racing motor built by the owner of Esslinger! Hell, they're using their OWN block! "98% of the parts were going to be using today are made by Esslinger" ... Go figure! Lol!

http://www.powerblocktv.com/episodes/HP2012-16/building-a-competitive-dirt-track-engine
 

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NOW, the ENTIRE point of this build is to have a 100% street legal , ANGRY 2.3l Ranger that can burn the little Civic next to me at the light, but still be my RELIABLE, easy to tune (4BBL!!!)
I am pretty sure that goal is self-contradictory. Even in places without emissions testing it is usually illegal to remove a fuel injection setup and replace it with a carb. I think that might also kinda be a federal law, meaning that if you put a carb in your originally EFI 97 you aren't 100% street legal anymore.


Also, your existing lack of cats is also a federal crime which makes your truck already not street legal.



Just sayin'.
 
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ShotnVA777

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Ported stock intake manifold

I opened my stock intake manifold a bit for the new motor... Just gasket matched it (BOY there was a LOT to lose!)

I just figured this would help, there's NO WAY it could flow WORSE! Haha... Especially with the head being built and P&P'd! I'll only be using this, paired with the adapter, until I have the money to grab the Esslinger 4bbl Intake Manifold. I threw it on the Mill after hand porting (no polishing) to make sure it was going to sit flat on the head, but took off VERY little! Just to get out a couple lil nicks (Really didn't even NEED to be done, but was!)...



I'm going to HAVE to break out the tig and fill those injector holes! Probably should have done it first, but wasn't thinking! :dunno: :D GUESS I could always use some High Heat JB Weld (Aka... "MAGIC PUTTY"!!!) That stuff will do ANYTHING! I want to have it sandblasted first though. I think I'll just drill/tap the holes and throw some bolts in there, make it look real clean!



I was able to open it up quite a bit (and that's STILL a little smaller than the gasket!!!!)

This next pic was just laid on the cam for the picture! Trust me when I say she's covered and safe now! Haha...



I was able to smooth out around the injector ports A LOT, where that "hump" is in the runner(s)... WITHOUT getting it dangerously "thin"! . Theres A LOT of room to take out some substance!

Till next time. Peace!

$hot
 

ShotnVA777

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I am pretty sure that goal is self-contradictory. Even in places without emissions testing it is usually illegal to remove a fuel injection setup and replace it with a carb. I think that might also kinda be a federal law, meaning that if you put a carb in your originally EFI 97 you aren't 100% street legal anymore.


Also, your existing lack of cats is also a federal crime which makes your truck already not street legal.



Just sayin'.
I will install a cat, it will be a high flow cat, but there will be a cat by inspection time. My area isn't completely anal about that kind of stuff. If u have a valid inspection, your good. And I do.

As far as removing all of that, its ONLY if the STOCK motor is in the car STILL -THEN you must have your charcoal canister, EGR, and all that nonsense.

Me and a buddy just took a MK3 GTI and threw in an old '89 1.8L DOHC out of a MK2 GTI, threw on some GSXR1000 carbs and had it inspected within the week. Damn thing has straight "TRUMPETS" on every carb! Lol!

Are you the inspection police???
 

ShotnVA777

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Couple more flicks as to what's been done! Just randomness, but I'll try to explain as I post!

Here's what came off the truck, 2" piping... I had a Thrush 2.5" Turbo Style muffler laying around, so I decided to get some stuff and reduce it to fit!

Guess what was ON there?! ONLY the 2" piping, no cat, dropping back to JUST a resonator, in the mufflers position?! No wonder it sounded like ISH!

So I decided to make my own (no)CATBACK! Ha!

Gather supplies and muffler...



REALLY? REEEAAALLLY???



Finish dry fitting ON TRUCK AND THEN WELD IT UP - learn from MY mistake!



Like I said, dry fit your hanger MOST importantly, I was an idiot and didn't! (Fixed NOW, but that would've saved .me a lot of headaches AND money!)



All in all, I got it to work! Just need to find me a dumped tip OR I MAY run it straight out the back, not bent though - like a car. Then maybe do a cutout on my rollpan? Who knows...









I painted my valve cover last night w/ high temp black primer and then some "Gunmetal" grey! I think it'll look good, but it flaked a little due to me trying to BLAST it before I went to sleep! Lol... I'll sand and repaint later!





Here's where it flaked a lil...



Here's a gold that I'm going to incorporate... Suggestions?



Here's the colors I plan to use all over, but the headand block will be blasted beforehand! AGAIN, SUGGESTIONS? They will be powdercoated these colors btw!



Let me know what y'all think! Those colors with red accents (including the FORD on the VC being painted blood red! Spark plug wires, dizzy, etc....)
 
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I will install a cat, it will be a high flow cat, but there will be a cat by inspection time. My area isn't completely anal about that kind of stuff. If u have a valid inspection, your good. And I do.

As far as removing all of that, its ONLY if the STOCK motor is in the car STILL -THEN you must have your charcoal canister, EGR, and all that nonsense.

Me and a buddy just took a MK3 GTI and threw in an old '89 1.8L DOHC out of a MK2 GTI, threw on some GSXR1000 carbs and had it inspected within the week. Damn thing has straight "TRUMPETS" on every carb! Lol!
I'm not saying don't do it. I'm pointing out a seeming contradiction between the laws, your intended setup, and your stated goal of being "100% street legal". Also, 2.3 Lima to 2.3 Lima would be pretty well the "stock engine".

Are you the inspection police???
Well not the police no, but I am a licensed inspector for my state. You are all the way off in Virginia, so I don't really care what you do.
 

ShotnVA777

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I'm not saying don't do it. I'm pointing out a seeming contradiction between the laws, your intended setup, and your stated goal of being "100% street legal". Also, 2.3 Lima to 2.3 Lima would be pretty well the "stock engine".



Well not the police no, but I am a licensed inspector for my state. You are all the way off in Virginia, so I don't really care what you do.
Lol. .. well that makes sense then! There's a lot of VERY VERY lenient inspectors around here. We swapped in a 350 (carbed - WITH A dump tube for the crankcase! Lol) into a newer Camaro (with airbags unhooked and all) & still passed inspection! Haha. ..

You got some pointers for the build?
 

ShotnVA777

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Couple more things to post!

I forgot, I never showed y'all the combustion chamber portion of the head, so here! (Real quick! )



NOW, from cyl 4-1









All in one...



Honestly, IMHO, it looks damn good to ME!



Oh yea.... Meant to post this earlier, this is how the manifold will bolt up - so take a look at the stock head and then THIS picture! You'll see why it will flow MUCH MUCH better! ;)

.



DuCeZzzz.... SHOTNVA777 aka 7fifty7 RESIDES.
 
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manifold might look like it will flow a lot, but try to remove that much metal from the head and you'll get into water... and the port itself is much smaller so it doesn't make a difference... if you really want to plug the injector holes just get some 9/16" freeze plugs, that works and is easy...

Do all your mods and remain injected and I think it'll run better, I'm running about 200hp on all stock parts and will have less $$ in it than your plan :)
 

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manifold might look like it will flow a lot, but try to remove that much metal from the head and you'll get into water... and the port itself is much smaller so it doesn't make a difference... if you really want to plug the injector holes just get some 9/16" freeze plugs, that works and is easy...

Do all your mods and remain injected and I think it'll run better, I'm running about 200hp on all stock parts and will have less $$ in it than your plan :)
Just wanted to know, how are you running 200 hp? I see from your profile that you've turbo'd, but what else did you do? And what kind of boost/turbo are you running?
 

ShotnVA777

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manifold might look like it will flow a lot, but try to remove that much metal from the head and you'll get into water... and the port itself is much smaller so it doesn't make a difference... if you really want to plug the injector holes just get some 9/16" freeze plugs, that works and is easy...

Do all your mods and remain injected and I think it'll run better, I'm running about 200hp on all stock parts and will have less $$ in it than your plan :)
I won't be porting/polishing my head.... The person that builds it will be! Big machine shop that deals with these heads alot due to the local track, so I think they'll know what to do! ;)
 

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