And it begins... the start of the 3.2SS
 

Late last week I got a surprise delivery at work. The pallet contained the remains of a 78 3.0. The engine dropped a valve seat from a possible broken fan belt. I will let you decide which hole got the most damage.

The engine top end was taken apart to determine damage. It arrived with the heads and valve train removed and included in the attached boxes.
First I took off the jugs, quickly followed by circlips, wristpins and pistons. Here is the result. Next step, buy an engine stand and split the case. I think I could probably do it without a stand. HMM might be worth a shot.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1110336588.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1110336594.jpg

L to R, 1-6. HMM what's up with #5?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1110336602.jpg

It was just cracked and then broke free upon removal. Yeah, that did some damage.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1110336633.jpg

Too bad the previous owner kept the matching head for a garage trophy. Build specs and more questions to follow...

Time for a good cleaning. Now where did I hide those dial bore gauges and mic set.

JP, was this an early Carrera 3.0L?

Is it the pistons, Chris?

Re: And it begins... the start of the 3.2SS
 

Looks OK to me! LOL. If you find an extra set of 78-79 heads, or even another complete 78-79 3.0, PM me. I need a 3.0 crank/rods and heads for my 3.2SS. Thanks

Chris, it is a 930/04 US 78/9 3.0. It does have Nikasil cylinders. #5 has light scoring from the damage. All the others look perfect. I need to wash them up and measure them out. They will likely be forsale soon. I wish it was a C3 I might change the build to a 2.8SS after reading Henry's recent description.

Scott, I might have a few extra heads. I just bought a set of six to complete the build and should have a few extra. It will be a few weeks before I have all the parts measured up. I will let you know.

Good luck Jamie!

This is going to be a heck of a motor when your finished.

Lucky you Jamie... I've got the same motor in the Black racecar... Major grunt and power. :D

Fun stuff Jamie! Keep us posted!

Chris, that's not a C3/3.0T case like your blackie engine...but if you'd rather have a big crank 3.2, I'll be happy to trade you the engine out of "Bastard" for Blackie's engine :D

What's up with the saw?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1110398478.jpg

Souk lending you his rebuilding tools? ;)

So is this engine to replace the existing one in your car?

Looks like the head studs were okay (except one) before the valve seat hiccup? That's promising.

How do you think I pulled the first stud? Don't dismiss the saw!

The saw was used to shorten the pallet so it would fit in the wagon for the trip from work home.

Yes, it will eventually replace the current stock internal 78 3.0 in the ST.

The one headstud unscrewed itself when pulling the barrel nuts from the heads. This is another clue that it was overheated prior to the valve seat damage.

Funny thing, all the lower studs are steel. There was no evidence of a rebuild from the PO (documentation or otherwise). I thought all SC motors came with dilivar lower studs. Either way I will replace them for peace of mind.

The eventual build specs are going to be...

3.0 case crank
98mm RSR PC set. 10.3:1 which should measure about 9.8:1 on SC heads
Crane 296 cam (fit specs for budget, low mileage used with rockers) with nearly the same specs as a Mod-S grind in lift and duration
stock heads (39mm) ports
7100 redline
twin-plugged (waiting for Aaron to move into production)
First it will be weber 40s moving to my custom ITBs/EFI after break-in.

Should be fun. I have a long way to go and no time limit to get there. this project is purely a learning experience.

Souk I will trade you for a normal 3.2 capable case (mine) for a long stroke version anyday. 3.4 would be nice too! And just as easy as this one.

Yep..3.4 will be nice :) Can't trade you though...unless the buy the whole car after I "fix it right." How much would you pay for a RUF BTR clone? :D

Edit: Forgot Kevin...your package will arrive in the mail sawed in half! :) I used that saw before I shipped it to Jamie.

Are those pistons really 8.5:1 US 3.0 pistons? they look different somehow..

This is my first disassembly. What makes them look different than the other US variants?

I will clean them up and post new pics.

Thanks for the details Jamie. I was simply curious what kinda build you were planning. Sounds like a solid plan. Will be fun to watch your progress. Keep an eye on Souk. He may provide you with a twin plug solution as well?

Souk,

You know i'd still whoop you if that package did show up sawed in half! :p

I got your twin plugs right here Kevin...one fist for each side of your funky head! :D

Go home Punk! That's where i'm going............

Oh, and there better be a package waiting in the mailbox for me! ;)

Not going home for a few hours..TPS report is over due :(

Don't get your hopes up..snail mail takes a night to process.

We just refuse to let this joke die, don't we? :D

Good luck on your TPS reports.

And don't worry about the interview you've got tomorrow.

edit............ looks like Pelican doesn't like the url address. The word you need to fill in the "****" is obviously *****, but without the ! of course.

What is a 3.2SS? What does the SS stand for?

3.2SS is a short stroke 3.2. This is done by using 98mm pistons and a 70.4mm crank from an SC. A regualar SC piston is 95mm. Using the 98mm pistons on a 3.2 crank (74.4) will give you a 3.4.