[DigitallyPhoenix]

Ok figure i would update this:


all the little things are fixed. i still have the exhaust clamped as its hard to get time off of work being a Mgr working 6 days... but oh well. will have the 3" Cat i installed when i have it all welded up.

Initial impressions of the L36 3.29's vs the LQ1 and 3.73's i had:
-low end pulls a little better. the 3.73s really closed the gap for the DOHC i had
-the engine seems to really loose steam at around 4200 rpm. the DOHC would just start to make power in this area.
-MPG is up 2-3
-it takes longer for the engine to warm up. my guess is the AL heads on the DOHC.

I have the Police digital cluster installed and running and Aeroforce installed:


Current plans: (ported Heads/IM/GenIII, #105's, 3.8", wideband, lots of timing :-) )
-Im Porting the L67 heads. i currently have the chamber basicly done and the bowls started.
-Port the Blower. cut the V out with Saws-all and dremal out the inlet.
-gasket match the heads to the IM
-Im tempted to take the heads to a shop and have a valve job done. i just dont trust shops down here.
-Install Wideband and disable EGR so i can use it as input for the WB signal
-im thinking of #105 springs
-depending on how long it takes me to finish porting it all i may go with larger valves.
-then a cam. something to make more top end. i really dont want to do all the supporting mods but XP may be in the future for this engine.

Current setup is:
l36 - FWI, L67 injectors, AP 104's, SD headers, full 2.5" exhaust, my LQ1 Maf installed waiting to get plugged in.

[HeavyChevy3800]

Careful with the timing. Chipping pistons is a lot easier when you have a lot of timing and you get some knock. I wouldn't run more than 17-18* @ WOT on pump gas. Straighten out the AFR add in timing. Once you get up to 17* KR free and good AFR then you can drop the timing and pulley size upping the boost. Then start again from 13*, straighten out AFR and add in timing. Rinse repeat.

Good AFR + boost is more important and safer than throwing a bunch of timing at it for that couple extra ponies that will put you on the verge of detonation.

[LetsGetBlown]

Can you run the wideband through the egr or do you have to delete it?

[ChibiBlackSheep]

The 3.8 does lose all its steam there, but it comes back if you went for an HV3+ER Rocker combo. However with your top-swap planned, don't worry about it lol

[3800power]

I agree with Heavy on this one. 11.5-11.8 AFR, 16-18* timing, and as much boost as you can on top of that. Everyone seems to think you need to go crazy with timing on these motors and it really does nothing but give you 'bragging rights' on how much timing you run and end up with slow times at the track.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

LetsGetBlown, on 02 December 2011 - 10:39 AM, said:

Can you run the wideband through the egr or do you have to delete it?

you can leave the EGR in but you will need to remove the connector off of it. when i had it setup on my DOHC i had the EGR completely removed. i dont remember off hand the wire color to connect to but i will when i get the WB on. also if you have the EGR disabled in the PCM you will need to activate it. just set the SES light section to no reporting. if you have the sensor itself turned off it wont work/ report when you are scanning for it.


Ok i wont go overboard with timing then. im use to my DOHC that would get like 25-28* at wot. I have missed my wide band. when i had it running AFR was #1 priority. Its good to know a target to shoot for. thank you both. Yup 11.5 - 11.8 is what i was thinking too. i would go leaner on my DOHC, 12-12.5 but i know this l36 topswap will be a diff beast.

[Buck531]

I had a max of 37* timing on my NA Lumina on the dyno and didn't have any KR. lolz.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

Ok so my build up of parts is complete. I still have plenty of porting left to do but i figure i'll post up some pictures of what i have so far...
I still have more work i want to do to the chamber and to the intake bowl and then i need to move on to the SC. but got the new valves, SLP rockers and springs/retainers/locks

This post has been edited by DigitallyPhoenix: 30 December 2011 - 08:55 PM

[3800power]

Roller rockers = yikes.

No power gains and plenty of people have broken them.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

i guess im asking for trouble then. im also running Si Valves lol people have said these fail too... i had asked around and got no neg feed back for my build... then i buy them and then i get the neg feed back....

well as to the rockers i have yet to find a thread where anyone has had issues with them... if you have a link where i can read more about what happened i would appreciate it. also the neg feed back on the Si valves... once i read up on it, it turns out people were running too heavy a spring and running them in turbo applications. 105's are pretty much the only spring i would run on them as i heard the 90# have a more aggressive ramp rate to them and end up causing more wear on the timing set and damaging the valves...

but in low boost and 105 springs the Si valves are fine. and since im not finding anything on the rockers im assuming it might be the same thing. people used them on an aggressive setup and wondered why they broke.

This post has been edited by DigitallyPhoenix: 01 January 2012 - 12:28 AM

[Buck531]

I haven't heard of any non Intense Harland sharp rockers causing any issues. I've always stuck with stock modified rockers on the past 3 cars I've had and never had a single issue.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

good to hear. after reading 3800's post i did a bunch more searching and couldnt find any issues with the slp's. if there were any it wasnt wide spread or talked about much. the SLP's look beefier then the YT anyway so hopefully im good.

as for the heads... every time i go to wrap them up and think im done... i find something else to start on. it started with just unshrouding the valves, then the ports, then completely doing the ports, now doing the full dish of them. im not pulling off that much material, but small changes that should greatly improve flow. i cant wait to get these on the car!!! the last pictures of the chamber look stock compared to how they are now.

[christophero1973]

You seem like your trying to do a N/A build....

I have used YellaTerra 1.95 roller-tip rockers for the past (2) two without issues...just more torque!

Yellow LS6 springs have served me without problems for (4+) years now, 2 with ER rockers and two of those with the aforementioned 1.95 rockers...

I have a used HV3 you can have for free as long as you pay for shipping...

If you want better track times a ZZP stage 2 TB (68mm) will help A-LOT, anything larger slows intake velocity and TB adapters are just another restriction (I've run up-to 78mm!)...

REV (Si) valves are much better than ZZP's own brand of valves for N/A applications, especially since ZZP (Black Knight) valve stems are NOT under cut by the head hurting flow...

Your build seems solid and bear in mind that Comp-Cams Hi-Tech push rods will help at higher RPM (5.5K and up).

[DigitallyPhoenix]

christophero1973, on 07 January 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

You seem like your trying to do a N/A build....

I have a used HV3 you can have for free as long as you pay for shipping...

Well my modding experience is in N/A... but with NA its all about getting what you have to run as efficent as possible... this holds true even with boost. most will just throw more boost at it. also the more efficent it is off boost the better.


I think i will take you up on the offer. I'll PM ya.

[Buck531]

DigitallyPhoenix, on 07 January 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

christophero1973, on 07 January 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

You seem like your trying to do a N/A build....

I have a used HV3 you can have for free as long as you pay for shipping...

Well my modding experience is in N/A... but with NA its all about getting what you have to run as efficent as possible... this holds true even with boost. most will just throw more boost at it. also the more efficent it is off boost the better.


I think i will take you up on the offer. I'll PM ya.

Yep.. this. More boost doesn't always equal more power. I'd probably take timing over boost any day. As long as you know how to tune and know what you're doing you'd be fine.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

Ok so i figured i would post an update. 5/16/12
The topswap is going to be pushed back a while as i want to finish paying off the credit card from the engine swap first. so should be paid by the end of the year. I have been ironing out all the little bugs that pop up. had to replace the trany shift cable as it wasnt properly removed by the shop when the swap was done and it would come loose and not go into park! found a sharp wire that caused a short in the o2 extension i made. had a stripped bold on my alternator. replaced plugs and wires. I found a different STB bar at the junk yard off a 3800 impala. it has a bent shape to allow easier access to the trany dip stick and the brake booster. i swapped that in also i put in different upper engine mounts. these allowed me to rock the engine back a little more to give some clearance for the headers.

Right now here is how the car stands as for current mods:
-FWI and my LQ1 MAF
-HV3 (thanks christophero1973)
-light ported TB (gasket matched, screen removed, MAF thing inside ported a little)
-l67 injectors
-sd headers
-tuning, tuning, and more tuning
I am tempted to install my 1.8 SLP rockers before i do my topswap....


Here is the current plan for the car once it goes topswap:
-Ported Heads (still in progress. similar to stage 3/4 heads except for they will have stock valve sizes)
-Ported LIM on the blower side and ported to match heads
-Ported Blower i will be using a new outlet design for the M90 that i have been working on. Also the inlet will be getting a lot of work as well.
-Ported TB or a different TB altogether. I will not be using the normal North Star as the opening does not funnel air smoothly enough...
-i will stay with the 3.8" pulley until tuned and see where it gets me.
-Si light weight valves
-1.8 SLP roller rockers. i have done more research and these were actually made by Yella terra and i could not find a single complaint about them.
-L76 springs. these springs are about 90# but have a less aggressive ramp rate vs the #90 yellow springs.

Wish list/ follow up mods:
-I would like to have a custom cam cut to allow the use of the 1.8's but ZZP said they will not do it. maybe comp or crow (crow cams has a location in my town)
-race built trany
-light weight pulleys


Lastly i reread the thread and notice some items i didnt completely answer:
Throttle Cable.
I do not know about the 3100 cable but the DOHC's cable did not work/ fit into the 3800 TB nor did its range of pull work either. i had to get a 3800 throttle cable

the DOHC trany cable did work, however the shop broke the clip that holds it to the trany range lever. this allowed it to pop off while driving and not allow me to put in park or reverse. I ended up getting another cable off a 97 Z34 that was at the junk yard as i wanted a 4t65e cable with the adjuster

I did need an O2 extension. i got both ends and a length of wire from the junk yard and made my own. parts were like $3.00 and took less then an hour. later i discovered that a few sharp wires pushed thru the tape and made contact to another wire causing the o2 to read 0mv. it was an intermittent short as the first time i checked the extension it checked fine causing me to check the entire harness from the o2 sensor to the pcm. after it all checked fine i rechecked the extension and discovered the problem.

with the recent tuning and the HV3 i feel the car is gaining more power. either that or im getting used to it. i am tempted to install the rockers as mentioned above. as with everything else i feel the more mods i get on this engine the less difference the blower and ported heads are going to make and the easier it will be to dial everything in. not to mention im just sitting on mods i can be enjoying right now!

here is a pic of how the engine looks right now. i rerouted some of the wires on the front of the engine for a cleaner look.

here is a short video of it:

This post has been edited by DigitallyPhoenix: 16 May 2012 - 11:13 AM

[nitehawkjcb]

Nice.... me likey.

[Buck531]

Why did you put an LQ4 maf on a stockish NA motor? I don't see the need for it.

[DigitallyPhoenix]

Buck531, on 17 May 2012 - 12:50 AM, said:

Why did you put an LQ4 maf on a stockish NA motor? I don't see the need for it.

I'm using it so I can tune the car and get a feel for everything that will be on the car when I install the topswap. Besides on my lq1 I was using the same MAF, coils, and same l67 injectors. I'm even tempted to install the 2 bar l67 MAP.