"while you're in there" engine upgrades

[nostatic]

At some point in the near future I'm going to have the tensioner upgrade done, so I'm figuring, "hey, while you're in there"...

Opportune time to slap a Webcam 20/21 cam in there? I figure I could follow it at a later date with SSI heat exchangers and more festive exhaust. Isn't that the extent of the "mild" upgrades for a CIS?

[surflvr911sc]

Woohoo! Now you're talking!

Have you thought about that 23 year old suspension yet?

[nostatic]

naw, and I'm looking to downgrade the brakes. I figure that will make things more exciting

Actually, turbo tie rod ends are in the "project bin" here at Pelican, but I think the shocks still have life in them. Have to ponder t-bars and such...

[surflvr911sc]

I was thinking bushings. They may have low miles on them but the wieght of the car has sat on them for a long time. Mine looked fine but once they were out you could see how deformed they were. Went w/ Poly street hardness. My new shocks made a huge difference also.

Getting ready to do torsion bars, sway bars and rear bushings. My Santa sure is good to me.

[rstoll]

Be sure to renew those chain ramps while you are in the chain housing.

[Bill Douglas]

TODD!, you have only just bought the frickin car and now you are talking upgrades.

Blimin Californians, all that money, streets paved in gold, driving 'round in Porsches 'n all, what's the world coming to.

Actually us boys are seriously advantaged by having '79 cars. Better valves and intake manifolds. Although it seems a shame to pull the engines down (especially your car being only just run in ) it would be rather nice to put in some higher compression Mahle European pistons to go with the 20/21 cams and SSIs.

I'm looking at getting some Ferodo DS2500 brake pads as my stock pads don't seem as good as the previous set I wore out. I've got no idea what sort they were as they were on the car when I bought it.

[Superman]

I like the Ferodo pads, and I LOVE the 20/21 cams. Heartily recommended.

[Wayne 962]

SSI, 964 cams, new ramps, new tensioners, oil feed line update (cam towers), new muffler, replace fuel and vacuum lines...

-Wayne

[nostatic]

by doing any of these things at the same time as the tensioner upgrade is any money/time saved? Or are they all really separate events?

Bill, I feel you pain. Especially the out of shape paddling part. I don't really want to tear anything down, but it just seems to me that while the tensioners are being done making another mod would be easy and cheaper. Seemed like 20-21 would slip right in, bada bing, a few horsies. Then squirrel away a bit more catch (and pray that taxes won't hammer us this year), and do the SSI/muffler setup. A sort of staged process...

[ChrisBennet]

Another victim of "why-yer-in-ther"! Welcome to the club.
Replacing the tensioners doesn't require taking the motor out of the car or even setting the cam timing but changing the cams is lot more involved and time consuming. IMO, the money you would spend on cams would be more enjoyably spent on other things - like track days.
-Chris

[hilandscott]

I can as well give a big thumbs up to the 964 cams and bumping the CR to Euro, or close. I searhed for Mahle for a good long time, hoping to find a used Max Moritz set (3.2L and 9.8:1 CR), but that was not to be had. JE pistons were new, much cheaper, and went right in with stock rings and tolerances.

The folks at EBS recommended to high than 9.5:1. Since I'm in the Southeast, with good/cheap 93 octane, the final CR was s.t. like 9.65:1. Never had a problem even at high rpms on pump gas.

With the backdated exhaust a very responsive car!

Todd,
If you do the SSI's, will there be a prob getting it smogged? I want to do them as well, but TX has a smog nazi program now.
Mark

[B.Lane]

I did the Tens. upgrade. Pelican has a great instruction page on how to install it and it was a piece of cake. You talk upgrades and "while yer in there". The tensioner upgrade is external and is simple. Goining inside the motor and doing cams and such is a ton of work and will require a machine shop to check tolerances and polish cam housings. My research, and subsequent rebiuld, has sent me all over the internet and cost me about $4000 or more. I notice smoke under heavy deceleration and thought i would just get the headwork done. Ended up going complete rebiuld, euro P's n C's, heads milled to increase compresion 1 point, etc. I'm still in the "while im in here" mode and am considering the 964 cams......there is really no end to this. Pick a $$ value u want to stick to and STICK to it if you can. If money is no object then do it all.

[yelcab1]

I would add that whatever upgrade you consider, at least keep in mind that your SC will not be smog exempt until god knowns when. So, make sure it passes smog, othewise you are not getting a certificate for registration.

[nostatic]

I know a couple of fellow Cali's either have done or are doing it. Not sure if they swap out exhaust for the test, of if it will pass the sensor w/ssi's and hope for no real visual.

hmmm....maybe suspension and DE first. Damn smog nazis...

[dd74]

If you don't "do it" while you're "in there," you'll hate yourself for missing an opportunity.

When I got my 3.0, I stared at it on the engine stand lovesick, when what I should have been doing was digging around my piggy bank, to look for some extra $$ for 20/21 cams.

Same goes for suspension: bushings? Okay. Then how about stiffer t-bars or better sway bars while doing the bushings?

Brakes - do the pads AND rotors if so compelled.

The philosophy is you will save money if you get it all done at once, instead of going back to a spot on the car you visited earlier.

If I were you, I'd do the cams. SSIs can bolt on anytime. But do take the time to lighten the vehicle. Whenever my car's on a lift, I try to get something or the other "ancillary" pulled off to make the car lighter.

[Zeke]

Originally posted by nostatic
naw, and I'm looking to downgrade the brakes. I figure that will make things more exciting

Right on! Some solid rotors from a '66 ought to do the trick. Another thing is to put on some 185/60s. You can practice your drifts at much lower speeds.