GT350 Engine Refresh Time!

[honeybadger]

I'm very interested in the outcome of this. Glad to see you caught this before anything went wrong too.

Same here. Grateful and bummed. But will probably forget about it once everything is back together and I am tearing it up again

Since you're doing a full teardown, have you thought about removing the oil galley plugs at the front and rear to do a proper cleanup?

Plan to do a pretty thorough cleaning. Fortunately have lots of time to kill!

If you are changing the valve train, and making it heavier, does that mean your redline should be lower? (I'm no engine builder, so be kind in your reply ;-) )

No worries. It's all pretty new to me as well. My understand is that the increased airflow from the ported/machined head will overcome the heavier duty valve train. My understand is that they aren't adding rotational mass - CAMs, timing chains, etc. are all the same. The additional mass is in the springs/valves. The connection between it all is a bit over my head. Maybe someone else here has a more technical understanding they can educate us with

I know RGR spins their in house engine up to 10k RPM with this setup, so I am confident in its robustness

Sponsored

 

[honeybadger]

So @Epiphany dug this up from the FP350S owners manual. When we were talking, I'd estimate HB has 75-80 track hours on the engine at 2.5 hours per event with roughly 30 events. Given the 5.2L Voodoo and 5.2L Aluminator in the FP350S are very similar (with the Voodoo having more challenging variables when driven in similar conditions), this is quite insightful. Wonder what the balance is for us track junkies. If I push this car in 2019 as hard as I have the last 6 months, I will probably opening it up again to look things over.

 

[nastang87xx]

I know RGR spins their in house engine up to 10k RPM with this setup, so I am confident in its robustness

Is that on a factory rotating assembly?!

 

[Tank]

Hey Kevin,
Been lurking since you started this thread. Thanks for taking us along the ride w you and your willingness to share.

If you post the part numbers you’re using, I’ll add them to the Parts Sticky for posterity under a new section “ @honeybadger ‘s Voodoo Refresh”

Good stuff!!

 

[65Terdlingua]

If you are changing the valve train, and making it heavier, does that mean your redline should be lower? (I'm no engine builder, so be kind in your reply ;-) )

Making the valve train heavier doesn't necessarily mean you lower redline. Its all about control of the valve train. If you aren't getting valve float or 'bouncing', then you will still be making power and can continue to rev. Usually the physical limit to redline is where the valve train looses control of the valves (assuming you still have sufficient airflow). Lighter weight components allow higher redline because there is less mass for the valves springs to control, meaning they can control the valves for longer. But a stiffer valve spring can accomplish that as well.

 

[Austinj427]

So @Epiphany dug this up from the FP350S owners manual. When we were talking, I'd estimate HB has 75-80 track hours on the engine at 2.5 hours per event with roughly 30 events. Given the 5.2L Voodoo and 5.2L Aluminator in the FP350S are very similar (with the Voodoo having more challenging variables when driven in similar conditions), this is quite insightful. Wonder what the balance is for us track junkies. If I push this car in 2019 as hard as I have the last 6 months, I will probably opening it up again to look things over.

I think that's quite an aggressive schedule and it would make more sense for guys who are in it for trophies and pay outs to abide by vs your average track day guy.

I don't think you need to be that rigorous.

 

[honeybadger]

Is that on a factory rotating assembly?!

I don't believe so. They have it at 16:1 compression and ran 8s in it. I doubt shes stock

Hey Kevin,
Been lurking since you started this thread. Thanks for taking us along the ride w you and your willingness to share.

If you post the part numbers you’re using, I’ll add them to the Parts Sticky for posterity under a new section “ @honeybadger ‘s Voodoo Refresh”

Good stuff!!

Heheh. How much room you have? This one loooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg parts list. Especially bolts. The bolts are killing me. I think I've already spent north of $700 on ARP bolts. Oye.

I'll get a detailed list soon. Lots of areas where I think folks might forget to buy new parts. So a documented list will be good! Will do separate one for the OPG as well.

I think that's quite an aggressive schedule and it would make more sense for guys who are in it for trophies and pay outs to abide by vs your average track day guy.

I don't think you need to be that rigorous.

Definitely agressive. But in similar driving conditions, the Voodoo is stressed more than the Aluminator (lesser cooling capabilities, more harmonics, higher RPM, etc.). If you're pushing this engine hard, it might not be a bad idea. Or one can rely on a warranty. My only concern with that is what happens if it doesn't go boom before the warranty runs out?

 

[Austinj427]

Definitely agressive. But in similar driving conditions, the Voodoo is stressed more than the Aluminator (lesser cooling capabilities, more harmonics, higher RPM, etc.). If you're pushing this engine hard, it might not be a bad idea. Or one can rely on a warranty. My only concern with that is what happens if it doesn't go boom before the warranty runs out?

Well, yes and no for the voodoo being more stressed. I can see that, the other side of the coin is the aluminator is designed to run in wheel to wheel racing where it might be gulping down hot air for a sold hour behind traffic. Or where it may need to run for a 24 endurance race.

If my wallet could support it, I would be at the track as often as you are, and if my engine made it outside of warranty with 5 years of heavy track use, I wouldn't be upset about a rebuild at all.

I'm not going to fault you if you want to stick to that schedule. I probably won't, at least for now, I think I have about 3.5 hours on track with my engine. Although, I should probably start documenting this a little more.

 

[Epiphany]

Or where it may need to run for a 24 endurance race.

That is a whole nother can of worms and well outside even the FP350S maintenance guidelines.

 

[Austinj427]

That is a whole nother can of worms and well outside even the FP350S maintenance guidelines.

I thought Ford Performance just ran a 24 race with theirs, or was that a GT4?

 

[honeybadger]

I thought Ford Performance just ran a 24 race with theirs, or was that a GT4?

They made it to hour 21 until they heard valve train noise and retired from what I heard. Would be curious to know what their tear down revealed!

 

[honeybadger]

Took the heads off tonight. Not liking what I am seeing. Thoughts?

#8 is darker than the rest

Compared to #7

Some scoring on the walls. Piston slap?

Gunk is most of the cylinders (of varying amounts each)

#8 cylinder wall

Cam journals

 

[Rubyred17]

Took the heads off tonight. Not liking what I am seeing. Thoughts?

#8 is darker than the rest

Compared to #7

Some scoring on the walls. Piston slap?

Gunk is most of the cylinders (of varying amounts each)

#8 cylinder wall

Cam journals

Wow !! Is that gunk in the cylinders hard or soft? What the heck?

 

[honeybadger]

Wow !! Is that gunk in the cylinders hard or soft? What the heck?

The really dark gunk is burnt oil. That's soft and removable. The bronze/brown stuff is hard and does not come off by wiping.

 

[Venom52]

Just normal carbon there and can you feel those scoring lines with your finger nail? If not clean up the carbon and put a light coat of oil on the walls. if you can put the crank in just turn over the short block

Sponsored