Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
I am dismantling my 80 B soon to do a paint job and must remove the OLDS 215 engine to do a proper job with the engine bay. This engine is completely stock with an edelbrock 500cfm carburetor, headers, and electronic ignition as the only upgrades to the package. The engine runs great but being the boy I am would like it run better with our spending tons of cash if possible. So my question, is there anything I can add to improve performance short of an all out rebuild (say cam or head work) as this engine only has 3000 miles? I am looking for advice, a contact person or any other assistance you folks can supply.
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NixVegaGT Nicolas Wiederhold Minneapolis, MN (659 posts) Registered: 10/16/2007 05:30AM Main British Car: '73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Since it's out you could swap for a more aggressive cam and new lifters. maybe get the heads skimmed by 20 thou or something. That would get you some more power.
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roverman Art Gertz Winchester, CA. (3188 posts) Registered: 04/24/2009 11:02AM Main British Car: 74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
You'll need a small pick for mine. But seriously, How much HP vs how much $ ? Nitrous is cheep HP. for short periods,"bottle habit", or you overdue and hurt yor loved one. Turbo anyone? Remember the "Jet-Fire"? You got the base motor in there, with 6 bolts around ea. bore. Mere 5 lbs boost will give you 30 %+ more power,320 ft/lbs=62 J-fire. Change nuttin but add that "spinny" thing and prem. gas. Happy vapor trails, roverman.
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BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6470 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Probably one of the more practical upgrades might be a Vortech blower. The Jetfire requires a heck of a hood scoop (had one of those) and response isn't great, though the power is there when it does come. An Eaton requires a lot of custom parts and (maybe) a hole in the hood. But the centrifugal blower should be a fairly easy add-on. Other than that, there's not a lot to add to the other posts.
Jim |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
I was talking to an old time GM race engine builder and he suggested porting, three angle valve job, working on the distributor, cam and springs. According to him should net around 20-30 HP couple that I am loosing 300 + pounds off the car (rubber bumpers and stuff) what do you think?
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BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6470 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Porting is a lot of work. Around Christmas TA Performance will have their new Rover heads available, so I'd just wait and bolt on a set of those, and with the right cam, headers and intake you can get into that power band. What is your compression ratio?
Jim |
castlesid Kevin Jackson Sidcup UK (361 posts) Registered: 11/18/2007 10:38AM Main British Car: 1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Mark,
Important to know which heads, 38cc or 43cc? chambers and dished or flat top pistons you have in the engine at present to determine comp ratio.. The new TA Performance heads would be nice but possibly a bit more money and potential power than you want. The 215 family of engines all seem to respond well to running a reasonably high comp ratio for road use followed by some basic port work. The comp ratio will depend upon what pump fuel is available. For a budget engine I would suggest as a minimum having the valve seats opened up to actual seat size and then blending in the area below down to the bowl area, and reducing the length of the guide as it protrudes into the port and of course a three angle valve job. This simple mod will yield approx 30 BHP and make for a much freer reving engine without even a change of cam. A new fast road spec cam, Crower or similar will find around another 20 BHP and get you up to the 200-210BHP area. cam change may require a change of valve springs. Sending your distributor to Jeff Schlemmer at Advanced Distributors for a rebuild and Recurve would be a good idea as well to make sure the engine can perform at it's best potential. Kevin Jackson. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2009 09:15PM by castlesid. |
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Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Kevin you are very correct in that I need to know some more facts concerning my engine. However this was an original crate engine not out of any particular car and the numbers don't match what I have been able to find on the net. On the right front side of the block their are two sets of numbers JM 547 and FX-6742, I think the "J" means it's a 1963 engine and from what I can tell with a four barrel carburetor that would make it around 185 HP. The right side head has on the front of it EXS 25 I really have no idea what that means. I like your other ideas and will probably move in that direction, thanks again.
Mark Cooley |
castlesid Kevin Jackson Sidcup UK (361 posts) Registered: 11/18/2007 10:38AM Main British Car: 1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L |
Re: Pick your brain for a OLds upgrade
Mark,
Have a look a D & D's Aluminum V8 site as they quote casting no's for the different heads, I do like the Olds heads for the smaller bore engine as with the valves more on the centreline the valves are not so shrouded by the valves. If i'ts a high comp 4 barrel engine it will be a good basis to start from and with the head mods detailed above will make a very nice road engine. Bear in mind that the power figures quoted back in the 60's were based on gross SAE methods and were somewhat exagerated a true figure on a modern rating would probably be 155BHP which was what the early rover P5/6 virtually Buick high comp engines produced. Good luck, kevin. |