Freshing up a CIS 3.0...what do you think?

[rdane]

Number of oil leak problems with my 190K mile '79 SC engine. Easiest way to solve them I was told is pull the engine and reseal it. (unknowing PO added an extra 4 quarts of oil and then started the engine among other things) Com. test and leak down were very good.

While that is being done I have had them change the cams to a 20/21 grind, new OEM rockers and add turbo pressure restrictors. This is the short list of the work already done.

Carrera hydraulic chain tensioners
Air pop off value
Turbo camshaft oil line restrictors
Webcam, performance grind, 20/21 camshaft
Heat sheets
Magnecor wire set
Turbo value covers
Club sport mounts on the engine and transmission
SSIs and a dual outlet Danke stainless
Close ratio 915 (20K miles)
Factory ZF limited slip, set @ 80%
Sachs Power Clutch
High Performance Aluminum Flywheel

Anything else I should have done at this point while the engine is out of the car and apart?





Not doing it at the moment but what are the biggest ( I hear everthing from a 3.2 set to a 3.7 set) and best set of new P&C to put on this case with these cams in the future, still working with CIS? Anyone driving a similar set up?

[marcesq]

Spend 40 bucks and put RSR rocker shaft seal in if the shop didn't do it already.

To see why . . . check my conversion page under Installation.

IMHO for the price of doing the P&Cs along with all of the machine work you might as well put a 3.6 in.

[Jim Sims]

Remove and clean engine mounted oil cooler and install with new seals. Replace oil pressure switch, replace engine mounted oil thermostat o-ring, replace distributor o-ring, lubricate distributor and replace breather cover gasket. Check fuel lines, vacuum lines, air and breather hoses and CIS system boots for hardness and cracking; replace as indicated. Check engine wiring harness for damage; repair as indicated. There are also several relatively easy to replace o-rings in the CIS system; but don't open the fuel distributor. Cheers, Jim

[dd74]

rdane - As for big pistons and cylinders, I called Andial Friday to inquire about their Euro (9.8:1) and 3.2 upgrades for the 3.0.

We didn't get into anything larger than the 3.2. The salesman didn't talk about power increases; only said the Euro upgrade makes the engine "peppier," and the 3.2 is very nice.

3.2 = $3,500
Euro pistons = $2,750

One issue the salesman wanted to make clear was Andial DOES NOT carry 3.2 pistons for a Weber/PMO upgrade; the compression came out bad with the pistons, so they dropped that whole aspect of the program.

Pistons for CIS is all they carry now.

You can do a different crank (I forget what size - 74 mm, maybe) to get to 3.4. That was another suggestion from Andial.

[rdane]

Thanks guys! 3.2 is obviously the common up grade on this case. But I have hear of the 3.7 now twice. But I would like to hear from someone running the CIS 3.4 and the 3.7 to see what problems they have run into. And the improvements on a dyno if that is known.

I have at the moment settled for the CIS and the 20/21 cam so I am looking at the options and the problems or the bigger P&C kits.

[RoninLB]

how about a valve job?............Ron

[Elombard]

Does a reseal mean they pull the cam towers off and seal that area too? Seems like it is prone to leaking. Waynes new book is pretty comprehensive on the subject of P&C upgrades for the 3.0 case. The 3.7 he mentions, it sounds like a one off deal that Andial made. Didnt sound like it was readily available.

[rdane]

"Wayne's new book is pretty comprehensive on the subject of P&C upgrades for the 3.0 case."

With all due respect from my research it isn't complete or comprehensive on the SC case upgrades. There are easily done 3.4s and 3.6s too from my little info as well as a the esoteric 3.7 mentioned. But I have yet to see any one posting that have done the 3.4 let alone any of the others. More than one engine builder has told me they have done both 3.4s and 3.7s.

You would think with as many SCs as there are around now hitting 200K some one would come up with a "perfect 3.L upgrade that would beat the idea of a 3.6 transpant to death.

[dd74]

Originally posted by rdane

You would think with as many SCs as there are around now hitting 200K some one would come up with a "perfect 3.L upgrade that would beat the idea of a 3.6 transpant to death.

There is: stock SC motor, SSIs, low restriction muffler, 7.31 ring and pinion, Sachs clutch kit.

Third of the cost of a 3.6. Nothing "electronic" to mess with. And wholly reliable.

Everything else is so expensive and potentially finnicky, that it might not be worth it. I like dreaming about expensive upgrades for big HP, but in the end, I know the above set up is probably the best you can do for the money and reliability.

In the end, though I bother everyone with fleeting upgrade wishes, the above is what I have and probably where I'll stay for a long time to come.

[Elombard]

Good point I dont speak from experience, "comprehensive" is not the right word. I just take Waynes MIT education for granted some times.

I think it will be tough to beat the 3.6 because you get :
1.) Multi port Fuel Injection
2.) Twin Plugs
3.) High compression associated with twin plug

When you start getting into after market Fuel injection and the machine work involved with some of the larger displacements and twin plugging and the expense of firing the 2 plugs you start spending piles of money. For $12-$15K you can be running a nice 3.6. And I believe for a little more (its all relative) you can go into 3.8 rs configuration.