mpbiv

Whenever you have free time do you find yourself thinking, pondering, or imagining things you could build or do with your car or cars in general? Thats my dilema, I can't stop thinking about this stuff. I guess its why I chose to study mechanical engineering, because I really like to come up with designs and ways to improve things or make them my own way.

I have pretty much done all the thinking and planning I can with the turbo engine and the K. So thats pretty much set in stone. In the meantime my creative juices are still flowing, and I can't stop thinking about whats next after that.

I mentioned before I wouldn't mind trying a NA project, more specifically a 2.5NA DOHC Hybrid type engine. The more and more I think about the more detailed I notice that I am becoming. I keep coming up with ideas on how to make my ideas better. What started out as a thought to tinker with my old TBI block has become an obssession to build another car. And what was an obssession to build another has become an obssession to build a bad to the bone all motor FWD Dodge that would make a good weekend warrior at the autocross.

Being the engineer that I am I have been just adding to the list of things I would like to do. So here is a break down of the whole thing and it goes beyond just the engine and describes the car as well.

First I'll start with the engine and drivetrain:
-Rebuilt 2.5L NA Tall Block with adapted Neon DOHC head.
-2.5"Full exhaust treatment from the head to the exit.
-Higher compression, at least 10:1 I am thinking
-Different cams (figure that out later)
-Backut valves (would go with a full race head but they are always so expensive)
-Underdrive pulley
-Magnacore wires
-Adjustable cam pulleys
-Individual throttle bodies
-Custom carbon fiber timing belt cover (since there isn't any out for the 2.2/2.5 DOHC hybrid aps)
-Custom carbon fiber air box around throttle bodies with cold air duct to a naca (I thinks thats what its called) air scoop in the hood.
-555 or 568 trans
-custom calibrated 2.5 turbo computer and adapted harness (probably a wiring nightmare but who cares )

Of course I'll need something to put this into, and I definitely think a Turismo is what I want. I just love the bodie lines and the 4 lamp headlight setup has always been my choice over the 2 lamp chargers. I would like to paint it black. It will also need some customary 5spoke 16" wheels and rubbers.

Next comes brakes and suspension, which is pretty much a no brainer:
-Full SLH3 conversion
-Cross drilled rotors
-Larger swaybars
-Strut/shock tower braces, front and rear
-Energy suspension bushings all around
-Koni's (of course, if they can be found that is)
-Lowering springs (1" or so would do, if they even exist)

I'd probably want to also freshen the interior up, just throw in new carpet and headliner and other parts as needed to make it look nice.

So I guess everyone is wondering why the hell I posted all this? Well it was driving me crazy and I just had to share. I seriously doubt I will ever get around to this, and if I do, it won't be for a long time (because the K comes first no matter what), but regardless I cannot stop thinking about it. I can picture the whole car and what it would look like in my head and its really driving me nuts

CrazyMoparGirl

Ok well, you may doubt that you'll get around to it. But just to drive a little more crazy Jan 25th is 50% off day at the junkyard. They have 2.5L N/A Blocks. Usually they are 50 for a short block plus 15 for core. Complete engines are 160 plus 40 core Long blocks are 80 plus a 25 core. I'm already going there to get some stuff that I need. You could always build the engine one step at a time. You don't even have to put it in the K.

mpbiv

Actually I know the K will get done, in fact all my resources will be going directly into that first. The turbo K is top priority, what I do with the extra 2.5 Tall deck TBI block is something to consider later. This is just an idea I had, and how far it could go. It is definitely not going to happen soon unless I win the lottery. I won't even consider buying parts to start a NA DOHC project yet.

If anything in 2 years (about how much time I have to the K back on the road), I decide I still want to do that, I will start with just the engine. And if I finish said engine, then I will seek out another car to put it in. At this point there is no way in hell I would consider putting that TBI tall deck or any reincarnation back into the K. I certainly think it would be interesting engine, but I definitely would not be building it to put in my K.

I guess I talk about doing things too much without necesarily having the intention of doing them. I am definitely a dreamer, and I even tell myself to talk less do more. All I can guarantee at this point is the Turbo K will get done.

So I guess that brings me to the topic of my real project. I should be looking and probably buying my engine during spring break. Plans are to hit Cophers and hope I find something 89+. If I have any extra time left and depending on funds I will start buying major internal parts, pistons, rings, bearings etc. I would also like to check out some of the local machine shops by me and get an idea of what kind of shop bill I will have. Basically looking to have the block hot tanked and bored .020 over for new pistons. Probably have the rods resized or checked and the crank polished. The time window for that is looking like I will have a shortblock done by the end of June and then probably have the head, manifolds, and turbo ready by the end of summer. For the moment I am going to try and stick to those time frames. Other stuff like the transmission and wiring will come after that but I don't want to set any time frame for those yet. Other stuff like brake and suspension upgrades I won't do until the car is back on the road. That also means for a little while there will probably be a Hubcapped Turbo K running around

mpbiv

The theory is a pain in the ass and its not my favorite thing either but I am fortunate enough that I can deal with it. Right now I am riding on the thought that I am more than half way finished with my bachelors ( on my 6th semester now out of 9). Really whats killing me is the fact that I haven't been able to take autocad yet. I needed a laptop which I couldn't get yet so I had to put it off a semester, but I really think thats going to make the major more enjoyable.

LOL I still have those pics of the one you sold on my hard drive. I almost wanted to buy it

Could he prevent it from pulling back all the spark at WOT? I figured it wouldn't care about the head and such but the multi point would be mandatory for this and since its NA it would need a NA cal. I could use a TBI SMEC batch firing but I would probably have to have that recalibrated for the right amount of fuel anyways so why not start with a computer made to handle MPI.

Sounds cool

mpbiv

March 8-15 is my spring break, anything during that week would probably be good. I am thinking the earlier the better. I don't have anything to really do that whole week except watch the dog and the house.

mpbiv

Well I don't know for sure. But I do remember reading on Gary's page when he had tried running a Turbo computer for a NA MPI type setup it was fine until WOT where it would stumble. The Turbo computer will pull back the timing and run dog rich at WOT expecting to see full boost.

Gary's site mentions things around it like a zener diode on the TPS to keep the computer from ever seeing WOT, but I'd rather have that fixed with a cal since it'd probably need new fuel tables anyways.