Engine Advice: Rebuilt 3.6 can I drive on street?

[daltvater]

Gents,

Need your combined wisdom here.

Here is what I have...

1995 3.6l with 50k miles

Engine had full rebuild 1k miles ago

Rebuild was with stock parts with the exception of Sport Cams and Solid Rockers

Car is hooked up to a 915 close ratio gear box.

Car is running race gas on a Atom ECU setup and 50mm PMO's. Headers with Jerry Wood Phase 9 mufflers.

My question: Assuming I get the ECU remapped for pump gas, is this setup ok to drive on the street? I want to put 100k miles on this engine doing 10 track days/year.

What do you think? My dream has been to drive a 3.6 and this is the only one I've been able to find in NZ. I'm just a bit worried about the solid rockers and aggressive CAM's

Thanks for the help!

[Catorce]

You can drive pretty much anything on the street as long as a) the car is street legal where you live, and b) you can handle the discomfort that a modified car feels like on the street. I have temperamental rides that need race gas, have lumpy cams, and will overheat if you lug them around on the street. Light flywheels make for a rev happy car that is also hard to launch at a stoplight.

It's really whatever your comfort level is.

[daltvater]

Originally Posted by Catorce

You can drive pretty much anything on the street as long as a) the car is street legal where you live, and b) you can handle the discomfort that a modified car feels like on the street. I have temperamental rides that need race gas, have lumpy cams, and will overheat if you lug them around on the street. Light flywheels make for a rev happy car that is also hard to launch at a stoplight.

It's really whatever your comfort level is.

Thanks for the reply! I had forgotten about that lightweight flywheel. **** does the car revs fast but getting it rolling in 1st is tricky.

I'm happy to drive around a race prepped car on the street (I think) but I was worried about the CAM and rockers effecting the longevity of the engine. From what I've read I just need to get the valves adjusted every 10k miles or so? Other than that just drive it?

[Trackrash]

You can always change the cams later, if you find the motor is to peaky. As long as you keep the revs in the normal range for the motor, why should it not last?

[zelrik911]

You will quickly get used to the lightweight flywheel and the cam. Exhaust noise might upset the neighbours (but in my case I enjoy that!)

As already pointed out - the issue with a 3.6 in an early car is oil cooling. A track car has constant movement to cool it down, but a road car will always get caught in stop/go traffic and could overheat unless additional fans are installed.

A 3.6 motor is the 'jewel' in the crown & are now rare and expensive so never jeopardise one as you may never find another.

[Catorce]

Yep, normal maintenance and just drive.

[crashmy911]

Just drive it!

[daltvater]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this! I'm over worried about making this engine last as I've stretched myself financially to make this thing happen.

The next thing I'm going to be researching is oil cooling. It has a center-mount serab oil cooler in the front the cooler itself has no fans on it.

I'll drive the hell out of this thing and hopefully it will outlast me! Thanks so much, Dan.

[zelrik911]

I remember you said this 3.6 has Solid Rockers - this means that you dont need the 2nd small oil filter which is for the hydraulic valve rockers. So you have one more option, can remove that fitting and substitute an older oil radiator in its place with ducting for cooling.

This may be all you need, but you could always put another radiator in the front guard, there has been some recent posts about a new model US made fan that is very efficient & very cheap compared with old offerings.

https://www.americanvolt.com/collections/6-inch-fans/products/6-inch-small-slim-electric-fan-12v-radiator-oil-cooler-atv-mini-tractor-mower

A bit of crossover plumbing with hoses - and then just drive it.

See this thread:

Elephant fender oil cooler and fan installation