M90 rebuild (rudy)

well figured i would start a new thread.just a quick background.did the whole build on my explorer but built it using stock head gaskets and head bolts.did it really as a safety net and i just couldnt afford head studs at the time.well to say the least i blew the head gaskets off from it wile i was in the mountains on a forum trip about two years later.

i picked up a 1994 ranger,its got the 4.0 OHV and is a 5 speed 2wd.the plan is to pull the motor out of the explorer and rebuild it.

this thread will basically cover the rebuild and build up of the new ranger.it will basically end up as a street race truck.ive named it Rudy so let the fun begin.


UPDATE
new motor specs
BORE: 4" JE asymmetrical pistons (custom over bore)

RODS: 6.058 Manley (longer rod)

VALVES: IN-1.8 EX-1.5 Manley heavy duty (.150 over)

Transmission:T5 hybrid from a 2006 Mustang and 93 Fox
HEADS: 93TM HEAVILY ported with custom brass guides and copper gaskets/O-ringed with ARP studs
CAM: 422 Comp cams with 988 springs and Toms custom lifters,push rods and 1.7 roller rockers
Complete blueprint and balanced internals
GM M90 supercharged with one 1" intercooler plates with ASP 8 rib belt conversion. .
pushing 16 lbs of boost with small shot of NOS
Running on E50
Dyno tuned by Dyno Tune Performance outa Virginia using SCT

old thread and pic
3800 M90 Build
ported and polished gm 3800 gen 2 m90
Water to air intercooled
port matched 76mm inlet and intake tube
mustang 75mm race tb
90mm maf
36lb injectors
255 fuel pump
sct 5bank dyno tuned
2.7" pulley 10lbs of boost!!

and the new 1994 ranger 4.0 OHV 5 speed 2WD with 115,000 miles on it.o and i only paid $1,000 for it:shifty_ey
RUDY

 

[jd4242]

all i can picture is you being the first to have a valve cover girdle lol

I do have that water jet or plasma table,i was going to make the valve cover spacers myself..i just dont know how he connects all the studs for the rockers..trust me im working on it..

 

[malohnes]

JD,
I was looking over the pics of the mounting plate for the Morana rockers you posted last week and noticed that one pic shows it breaking where the 4.0L water jet or laser cuts were made. Do you think that part of the problem, bad placement of the making or not? It seems like a bad place given its close proximity to the mounting bolt and where it fractured and broke off.

 

[jd4242]

JD,
I was looking over the pics of the mounting plate for the Morana rockers you posted last week and noticed that one pic shows it breaking where the 4.0L water jet or laser cuts were made. Do you think that part of the problem, bad placement of the making or not? It seems like a bad place given its close proximity to the mounting bolt and where it fractured and broke off.

It definitely makes it weaker..ive brought that up

 

[jd4242]

So have worked out a deal with the machinist about cost of the 4.0 build..since he messed my 4.6 heads up i offered to fix them and he take some money off for the 4.0

He offered to fix the aviator but this works out better for him and me..i honestly didnt trust the guy who messed the 4.6 heads up to work on the truck in the first place so this way i know they are done right and save some money on the 4.0 build..

Hes not pushing for the 4.0 build to be done and i still need to talk to him about that block..he may be doing that whole build for free..i know im taking $500 off whatever the end bill is for sure..

 

[malohnes]

Glad to hear you've got some relief cost wise for your project. Still sucks given the time its taken to complete it...

 

[vroomzoomboom]

i call b.s. on what he told you. put a thin glove on, and run your hand over it again, and i can almost say your going to feel the groves. remember when dono and i had a problem with his truck blowing head gaskets out? thats what the bottom of the heads looked like.

 

[Dono]

^^^What he said^^^

I had multiple issues, but I do think the machine shop I was dealing with just didn't have the equipment to surface my heads properly.

A different shop was able to refinish my aluminum heads to out of box mirror finish before I re-installed them last time. JD, I think you are correct in being concerned about the block finish you have.

 

[jd4242]

i call b.s. on what he told you. put a thin glove on, and run your hand over it again, and i can almost say your going to feel the groves. remember when dono and i had a problem with his truck blowing head gaskets out? thats what the bottom of the heads looked like.

^^^What he said^^^

I had multiple issues, but I do think the machine shop I was dealing with just didn't have the equipment to surface my heads properly.

A different shop was able to refinish my aluminum heads to out of box mirror finish before I re-installed them last time. JD, I think you are correct in being concerned about the block finish you have.

He swears its been milled and is flat..said there is no way ill blow a gasket with the Orings and said to use sealant around the water and oil passages. .

Pretty much that hes not going to re-mill it ill have a talk again with him but pretty sure hes set,especially now that hes losing money on the deal

 

[Dono]

Sounds like your going to find out if it will hold.

 

[jd4242]

Sounds like your going to find out if it will hold.

See thats the catch 22..im pretty positive it will hold compression but the water passages is the questionable part..the catch 22 is that copper gaskets are famous for leaking water even when re-tq after heat cycles. ...

Also i see alot of different ways on sealing copper gaskets. .he suggests i use rtv sealant around the water and oil passages on the block and head.apply and tq wile still wet,not dry..then re-tq after a heat cycle and then again after some full wot passes..that tq part seems to be suggested across the board.

Then i see online people suggest covering the whole gasket in rtv and let dry.then install gaskets. .

Last is the old school way of spraying them with copper sealant spray and installing them..

Any input??

 

[Dono]

not a one
I've never heard of the rtv thing. Only copper kote.

Does it make sense that rtv just around water passages would be a bad thing as they would actually lift up the head gasket ever so slightly just in those area's making the non rtv'd area's not seal as well? Am I making any sense? Is my thought process out to lunch? (Don't answer that question, lol)
Maybe the O -ring's take care of this issue?

 

[jd4242]

not a one
I've never heard of the rtv thing. Only copper kote.

Does it make sense that rtv just around water passages would be a bad thing as they would actually lift up the head gasket ever so slightly just in those area's making the non rtv'd area's not seal as well? Am I making any sense? Is my thought process out to lunch? (Don't answer that question, lol)
Maybe the O -ring's take care of this issue?

I dont know to be honest, haven't messed with copper gaskets since i was a kid helping dad and his friends.

I need to do alot more research obviously. .lol

 

[Dono]

I need to do alot more MONEY obviously. .lol

I thought I'd beat Tim to this one. I said what you really meant, along with the rest of us needing the same thing.

 

[jd4242]

Well dont think i posted this but got a nail in my new 305s tires and didnt notice it at first and it torn the sidewall out making it useless. ..not happy at all..

So i finally got 2 more rims for the front and threw my old 295s on the rear 12" rims and the old 235s on the new 10" rims for the front...

Both sets of tires are way to small for the rims and are stretched out pretty bad..the rear 295s keep loosing a bead and i gota add air every coule days..PIA
.

Will say with the 295s back on the rear the truck is MUCH faster from a roll when hot if i can get traction..1st gear is worthless and 2nd is sketchy,even 3rd is tricky if tires are cold...BUT AND BIG BUT if i hook it definitely pulls much much harder..they are lighter and smaller soo..

Just a good ole dirty daily driver v6..lol

Motor is done and just waiting for me to pick it up but my funds are tired up in the aviators 4.6 dohc rebuild, hopefully it will be done this weekend

 

[Dono]

updates?

 

[jd4242]

updates?

Still broke..trying to pay back all this money i borrowed to """FIX""" the aviator. .

 

[Dono]

sorry

 

[jd4242]

sorry

It happens. .guy who sold me this REALLY REALLY got me good..

The trans is slipping now also,probably the TQ converter. .

 

[jd4242]

So this is kind of going to be double post but..

GOT A NEW JOB! !

Its as a maintenance tech at a plant that processes spices. .yep random i know but guaranteed 40 a week with OT and benefits. .i did take a slight pay cut but in 6 months he promised me $2 more per hour and i will become the ""on call"" tech..the place is LITERALLY 6 minutes from my house and it always smells like COOKIES. ..hahah

They do everything in house from maintenance on equipment to building tables,stands,shoots..they do it all from raw material to finished product. .they are about to switch almost all the equipment over to Food grade safe stainless steel..so i need to seriously work on my SS welding skills. .

Im pretty excited. .this means my birthday and Christmas is gonna be a good one..

Im not holding back at all on either of these builds now!!! ITS ON..

 

[Turdle]

Congratulations!

Do me a huge favor-- kill the pumpkin spice machine. If you don't, we'll end up with pumpkin spice tires, I mean, they put that stuff in everything!


Joking aside, it sounds like a cool job .