Parts for El Superbeasto Starting to Arrive

[Bigfoot]

I'll be here Very cool write up again.

[FNBADAZ06]

Fab-tabulous, Parker....bravo

[Two Fangs]

Thanks, guys! Hopefully the parts won't take too long to get here.

[HOXXOH]

Much thanks for the pics and update. Just curious if the dark grey coating is molydisulfide and the gold colored Ti-YSZ? You didn't mention this specifically, so I thought I'd ask. Both are used extensively on aerospace components, but I've never seen specs for both on the same part. As a side note, I hope you are throwing in some dessicant before putting the body bag on. The monsoons are coming soon.

[Two Fangs]

Hmm, good thought on the dessicant. Any idea where I may be able to pick some up? ***EDIT-UPDATE*** Answered my own question. Found desiccant bags to dry out wet hunting boots at Cabela's. As far as the coatings, according to Swain Tech, they are proprietary I tried to pump them for information, but they were not very forthcoming. I am sure the black coating is a molydisulfide, just from my experience with it in other applications. Not sure about the top coating. It is pretty crazy stuff, I know that much.

[HOXXOH]

Hmm, good thought on the dessicant. Any idea where I may be able to pick some up?

***EDIT-UPDATE*** Answered my own question. Found desiccant bags to dry out wet hunting boots at Cabela's.

As far as the coatings, according to Swain Tech, they are proprietary

I tried to pump them for information, but they were not very forthcoming. I am sure the black coating is a molydisulfide, just from my experience with it in other applications. Not sure about the top coating. It is pretty crazy stuff, I know that much.

You might try gun stores for the dessicant. Rice seems to work, but not as well. Normally I wouldn't get concerned, but the rising humidity around this time of year seems to be the worst for corrosion.

Just saw your update. Yep, Cabela's be the place.

Here's a link to a place that does the coatings for turbine blades. The gold color is due to the titanium dioxide that adds the toughness (wear resistance) to the hardness of zirconium dioxide.

http://www.whiteengineering.com/plasma-thermal-barrier-coatings.html

Sometimes proprietary is the code word for "I don't want to tell you because I can't rape you if you know"

I know a local manufacturer who buys cheap Baldor motors for his product. He removes the ID tag and repaints them a weird blue color. It forces consumers to buy replacements from him at outrageous prices. He makes more profit from replacement parts than the original equipment.

[Two Fangs]

Sometimes proprietary is the code word for "I don't want to tell you because I can't rape you if you know"

So true, LOL.

Thanks for the link, I am going to do some research on this.

Cheers,

[ChadC]

you rock! thankyou for taking the time to take pictuers and do the write up. While Ill never do such a thing, I like reading the how to and seeign pictuers.

[MOTV8]

Parker Thanks for taking the extra time and sharing the build process. A most excellent thread, indeed. I've been reading about the coatings since the early PHR Engine Builders challenges, amazing stuff.

[Ted Y]

You should write technical articles about performance engines for a living. Oh wait, you do.

[Two Fangs]

Ha ha, yeah, but I have an editor an a photographer for those gigs, LOL. Thanks, Ted

[Two Fangs]

you rock!

thankyou for taking the time to take pictuers and do the write up.

While Ill never do such a thing, I like reading the how to and seeign pictuers.

[FNBADAZ06]

Do I see a Pulitzer in the works ? Or, maybe just a GMHTP magazine article on the entire build process with a dyno results and drag strip flogging ?????

[Two Fangs]

I know Hunkins pretty well. The car will likely make an appearance in a monthly rag.

[MOTV8]

Sorry Sean. Two weeks of engine-porn withdrawal got the better of me.

[Bigfoot]

You're evil.

[BDharley07]

Nice, looks like loads of fun!

[Two Fangs]

Sorry, guys. Nothing new to post, really. Still waiting on the oil pump and head gaskets to get here. I did get the new snails, though. I guess I could post a few pics of them.

[HOXXOH]

Just wondering if this will ever hit the track? And if it does, will it be more than just the obligitory session to acquire a timeslip? I see lots of paper HP cars on forums and at car shows, but they never show up at the drags.

[Ted Y]

Will you install a roll cage?

[HOXXOH]

Will you install a roll cage?

Cage or bar? They're not the same.

Are you asking about your car, my car, or the car that Parker's engine is going in?

[Two Fangs]

We'll drag it out there and see how fast it goes. I spend a lot of weekends out of town, so that makes it tough. I like to be close to the family when I'm around, so that kind of nixes the Wed. night thing. I expect that a cage will be going in the car eventually, I have even spoken seriously to Rodney and RPM about doing a 6-speed auto swap. That will be just a tad down the road. Right now, I just want to get the new engine built and in it and start getting the break-in miles taken care of.

[HOXXOH]

We'll drag it out there and see how fast it goes. I spend a lot of weekends out of town, so that makes it tough. I like to be close to the family when I'm around, so that kind of nixes the Wed. night thing. I expect that a cage will be going in the car eventually, I have even spoken seriously to Rodney and RPM about doing a 6-speed auto swap. That will be just a tad down the road.

Right now, I just want to get the new engine built and in it and start getting the break-in miles taken care of.

Don't forget to announce when you're going, 'cause we're all following this and want to see the results. BTW, track prep on Wed. nights suck.

[Two Fangs]

Howdy y’all. After a 3 week trip Dallas, I feel that introduction is appropriate. While I was off doing stuff in DFW, the correct thickness head gaskets came in from Cometic, and the LS9 super-duper oil pump made it in from Katech.

What this means is that I can finally put the long block (mostly) together. I want to spend a little time ensuring I have the valvetrain geometry as close as possible to optimum, but since the cam is already degreed, I can put this thing together. Since setting the valvetrain geometry right requires shims and possibly pushrods, I will save it until close to the end.

I am also trying to make up my mind on whether I want to use a different intake manifold. I am thoroughly unimpressed with any current market offerings, besides the tunnel port designs, like the Mast LXR, which shows absolutely incredible gains, but would protrude out of the Z06’s hood like one of Warren Johnson’s worst nightmares. Here is an example:

So, I guess until I make up my mind, the top of the block will lack the adornment of a snazzy air inlet device. Which is fine, since the plan is to get this thing in the car this fall.

To start, the head gaskets were placed on the engine block and checked to ensure the bore diameter and thickness were close to final specifications. Next, the final set of head studs were placed into the WCCH-worked cylinder heads. I cannot say enough about Richard and his team. Providing me with a head that flows over 400 CFM while keeping velocity in check was no easy feat.

Here, you can see how the studs that are installed in the bottom of the cylinder protrude through machined holes into the “windows” in the block.

Next, the ARP head studs were lubed and the nuts torque to spec. The biggest trick is torquing the nuts in the windows. Interestingly, by using a “shorty” 10mm wrench, the 3/8” drive on the torque wrench fits the open end near perfectly. After calculating the new length of the torque wrench, a correction value can be applied, making sure these nuts are tightened to the proper spec in the proper sequence, of course.

Here, the heads are installed and the rockers are in place. The shaft mount rockers are used because of their superior strength, and resistance to high RPM deflection. The roller tips ensure decreased “scrubbing” which can lead to problems as many Z06 owners are discovering. The high lift is causing valve deflection and accelerated guide wear, a condition these rockers assist in preventing.

Next, it is time for the super-duper Katech oil pump. This is an LS9 pump that had been modified to provide additional flow and pressure, as well as a large increase in scavenging to get the oil out of the oil sump and back into the oil tank. The extra volume the pump provides will also ensure the two large turbo oiling lines are supplied with enough oil to keep the big Precision turbos fed with a cool, filtered oil supply.

Here, you can see the pump with the CNC’ed passages.

Here, you can see how the pump is gasket ported to the oil pan gasket. Especially the large oval main scavenge.

Here you can see that the factory oil pan does not have enough clearance to adequately support the scavenge capabilities of the pump. The oval has a large amount of blockage just from the casting design of the oil pan.

So, out came the head porting tools to do a number on the big oval, as well as the circular pickup for the pump’s pressure stage.

While I wish I had a better picture, the pan was gasket matched to the big oval, and the round pickup was substantially increased.

The scavenge oval in the pan actually matches the gasket perfectly, but the flash reflection lit up the inside edge and makes the hole look a bit wonky. Meh, no one ever hired me as a photographer…

Next, the front cover and pan were secured to the block using ARP fasteners torque to spec.

Then, the flywheel was installed with ARP fasteners and torqued. This is a dual mass Katech flywheel that allows the use of a ZR1 clutch and pressure plate. This unit actually has a pressure plate that holds more torque than the ZR1, and a special flywheel-side clutch disc that can best be described a “grippy”. The whole reason for installing the flywheel is so the holding fixture could be installed. This little gadget meshes with the flywheel teeth and positively keeps the crank from turning.

Next, the ATI Super Damper in installed and the ARP balancer bolt torqued to nearly 300 foot pounds. Next, the valley cover is installed. Here is the state the engine will stay in until I either decide on an intake, or just decide to use the stocker and put it in the car. I may also do a little write-up on how to properly determine correct valvetrain geometry, but I am not sure if anyone even cares, LOL. It has been a fun build and I look forward to documenting the installation.

[Bigfoot]

AWE!!! SOME!!! Can't wait to see/hear this thing come to life.