Rebuilding engine! part manufactures?

[Call_Me_crazy]

I am looking into rebuilding my 3.2 from the bottom end up! Who are some good part manufactures to look towards for engine internal parts rods/pistons/cams/assoiated bearings? What about gaskets and other parts like the cam chains and all that? lead me in a good direction please!

THANKS

 

[yamahaSHO]

You've got some reading to do.... Click me.

 

[SHOtimer]

For a good start:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rcm_automotive/

Doug

 

[93superSHO]

I am looking into rebuilding my 3.2 from the bottom end up! Who are some good part manufactures to look towards for engine internal parts rods/pistons/cams/assoiated bearings? What about gaskets and other parts like the cam chains and all that? lead me in a good direction please!

THANKS

Why do you want to completely rebuild? You won't need rods(which are no longer made) unless you spun a bearing and kept driving. The rods and crank are forged steel. The pistons are NOT cheap $700-$1000 a set( JE, Ross, Diamond, Wiseco, make them). You won't need cams(unless the lobes are severly worn) or you are upgrading to performance cams $650/set. Bearings are Clevite and will run about $140/main and rod. Gaskets will run you about $500 and Fel-Pro makes those. You shouldn't need cam chains they are steel and durable(the chain tensioners is what might need replacing).I am NOT inflating these prices on you either, rebuilding these engines is NOT cheap. The three I have built each have cost about $2500 to do and that's not including the bolt-ons I bought and installed( udp, e/h intake, all new sensors,plugs/wires,injectors) I am currently building a 3.2 for my wife's MTX and I have already spent $1100 on pistons, bearings and machining alone.

I am not trying to detur you just letting you know what to expect. Places to look for this stuff is RCM AUTOMOTIVE, SHONUT PERFORMANCE.

 

[SHOtimer]

Just to add my .02 cents. I rebuilt my 3.2 this summer. I replaced every sensor, new gaskets, new rings, bearings, polished crank, and I replaced the valve seals. I reused the stock pistons. I had the block boiled, machined and had new freeze plugs installed.

It ran me around ~$500 is parts, and around ~$600 in labor for everything. You can rebuild these motors for less than 2.5k. It has 8k on it so far and runs like a champ.

Doug

 

[Mr Anonymous]

For a good start:

http://home.earthlink.net/~rcm_automotive/

Doug

FWIW, there's nothing RCM sells that can't be had for less money online or from your local NAPA.

Check out the SHO vendors who pay to keep this forum running.

 

[ManySHOs]

There's nothing RCM sells that can't be had for less money online or from your local NAPA.

Aside from the fact that RCM has never supported this forum in any way whatsoever, 99% of the stuff he sells comes from NAPA or eBay, and he charges NAPA retail on prices that just about any schmuch can get for less if they just ask at the counter.

APE USA doesn't support this forum yet I buy fuel pumps from them. Si valves doesn't support this forum yet I bought bronze valve guides from them. Heck, Autozone doesn't support this forum and I buy stuff from them all of the time. The list goes on and on. I don't understand your point. Is Russ a bad guy because he doesn't support the forum?

I have dealt with Russ on numerous occasions and he is a stand up guy. His prices aren't always the best but he can usually get me parts faster than I can special order them locally and pick them up. I don't go to him for everything but I will use him when need be. On the other hand, there are vendors that support the forum and have a higher markup than Russ does.

Obviously the small parts guys (SHOnut, RCM, W body store) are going to have a higher mark up than places like Autozone, NAPA, Summit Racing, etc. They arne't getting bulk discount prices like the major stores do. These guys do have to eat after all.

Ian

 

[93superSHO]

Just to add my .02 cents. I rebuilt my 3.2 this summer. I replaced every sensor, new gaskets, new rings, bearings, polished crank, and I replaced the valve seals. I reused the stock pistons. I had the block boiled, machined and had new freeze plugs installed.

It ran me around ~$500 is parts, and around ~$600 in labor for everything. You can rebuild these motors for less than 2.5k. It has 8k on it so far and runs like a champ.

Doug

Doug is right. You can do it for about 1500, If you reuse the stock pistons. I used all new pistons since I did a complete 100% rebuild. If your engine runs good now all you should do is "refresh" it by tearing it down and new rings, bearings, gaskets, sensors. I gave you an idea on what a total rebuild would run with new everything.

 

[Mr Anonymous]

APE USA doesn't support this forum yet I buy fuel pumps from them. Si valves doesn't support this forum yet I bought bronze valve guides from them. Heck, Autozone doesn't support this forum and I buy stuff from them all of the time. The list goes on and on. I don't understand your point. Is Russ a bad guy because he doesn't support the forum?

I have dealt with Russ on numerous occasions and he is a stand up guy. His prices aren't always the best but he can usually get me parts faster than I can special order them locally and pick them up. I don't go to him for everything but I will use him when need be. On the other hand, there are vendors that support the forum and have a higher markup than Russ does.

Obviously the small parts guys (SHOnut, RCM, W body store) are going to have a higher mark up than places like Autozone, NAPA, Summit Racing, etc. They arne't getting bulk discount prices like the major stores do. These guys do have to eat after all.

Ian

Yes, but vendors like http://www.shonutperformance.com http://www.fordspecialists.com http://www.wbodystore.com and more PAY to support this site, and deserve forum members business for helping keep the site alive.

Feel free to push RCM's (or anyone else's) products on SHOTimes or anywhere else that doesn't rely on paid sponsorship. As I said there isn't anything RCM sells that isn't available elsewhere for less money, including some of our PAYING sponsors.

 

[SinisterSHO]

I love to support the forum and the community as much as I can. But even some of those vendor sell things at ridiculous prices. I'm not going to pay $100 more for a dynomax catback from a specific SHO vendor, when I can get it for $270 dollars from Summit and its at my house in two days.

 

[ManySHOs]

Yes, but vendors like http://www.shonutperformance.com http://www.fordspecialists.com http://www.wbodystore.com and more PAY to support this site, and deserve forum members business for helping keep the site alive.

Feel free to push RCM's (or anyone else's) products on SHOTimes or anywhere else that doesn't rely on paid sponsorship. As I said there isn't anything RCM sells that isn't available elsewhere for less money, including some of our PAYING sponsors.

I will continue to push RCM to any and everyone. It's up to the consumer to decide. Perhaps Russ can cut costs and pass savings on to the end user by not paying to advertise on the forum. He doesn't really advertise anywhere. It's a different business principle than the forum sponsors. If Russ trashed paying vendors on the forum, I can see why you'd have reason to get upset. However, simply cutting him down because he doesn't advertise on the forum doesn't make sense to me. He has his own business niche that really isn't shared with anyone here; he sells OEM style replacement parts (gaskets, suspension parts, etc). He isn't a performance oriented vendor. His closest competitor would be SHOnut but Josh sells mainly OEM parts.

Ian

 

[shoebilly]

A good parts resource is good for this forum weather it advertises or not. That may not be a viewpoint shared by the forum administrators. I have never made a purchase from RCM but to say he doesnt support the forum is a narrowminded point of view. It seems to me this is a reliable parts resource with a good website. I like the site. We are all involed with ***** old Tauruses that all need parts. There are no exceptions to this fact. This is the contribution to this forum rcm is offering. Sometimes word of mouth has a way of developing a good reputation for a good service. Have you been to napa lately? They suck and don't advertise here either. I find napa likes to sell you parts for the 3.0 pushrod engine if they don't have the SHO stuff.

 

[jedhead]

Stage one cams are a good for performance, but to the best out of them you need to port-polish or EH the intake and have BBB butterfiles. You will also need an LPM or tweecer too. I plan to rebuild my engine this summer. I plan to make a 3.6l steel billet stroker with stage 2 cams and high compression pistons. The heads polished and cc'ed. I figure that once we can showcase the power potential for the normally aspirated stroker engine, then hope to get a group buy on the steel billet stroker crankshaft and negociate a better price from the supplier if I can get enough people truely interested. I think for a daily street driven SHO a rebuild using stock internals will work fine. I would consider having the rods and mains resized and check the oil pump to make sure everything is still within tolerances. If you have a late 3.0 and want to go to 3.2 then I would consider high compression forged pistons.

Bob

 

[shoebilly]

Replubicans, thats it!

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Stage one cams are a good for performance, but to the best out of them you need to port-polish or EH the intake and have BBB butterfiles. You will also need an LPM or tweecer too. I plan to rebuild my engine this summer. I plan to make a 3.6l steel billet stroker with stage 2 cams and high compression pistons. The heads polished and cc'ed. I figure that once we can showcase the power potential for the normally aspirated stroker engine, then hope to get a group buy on the steel billet stroker crankshaft and negociate a better price from the supplier if I can get enough people truely interested. I think for a daily street driven SHO a rebuild using stock internals will work fine. I would consider having the rods and mains resized and check the oil pump to make sure everything is still within tolerances. If you have a late 3.0 and want to go to 3.2 then I would consider high compression forged pistons.

Bob

Maybe you can get some info from John Hrinson on his 3.4L stroker crank!

 

[jedhead]

I thought about the 3.4 that John had made. The 3.6 crankshaft is machined new instead of modifying the stock crankshaft. It will use stock 3.2 rods with custom forged pistons that have the wrist pin relocated. Since we bought out the SHO Shop we now have access to the vendor who makes the crankshaft. My thoughts are that this newly made crankshaft will be stronger than one that has the rod journal offset ground reducing the diameter of the journal or the welded up and reground crankshaft that the SHO Shop previously offered.

Bob

 

[SHO92]

I too wouldn't bother replacing hard parts like pistons, etc, unless you are going for upgraded parts. The crank and rods are plenty strong for NA and FI, so I wouldn't touch those. Upgrading the pistons for a high compression ratio is the only reason there, unless the stockers are bad. I recently drove a 3.2 with +20 cams and the high end power was very nice. I wasn't as impressed with the low end compared to my 3.0. I know the 3.2 has a stronger low end then the 3.0, but I think the cams took some of that away. Because of that, I don't think I'd upgrade cams on a 3.0. I would on a 3.2 though.

FWIW, there's nothing RCM sells that can't be had for less money online or from your local NAPA.

Check out the SHO vendors who pay to keep this forum running.

Last I looked, NAPA and most other online vendors weren't sponsors either...
RCM has provided excellent service to me and many others over the years.

 

[ManySHOs]

I too wouldn't bother replacing hard parts like pistons, etc, unless you are going for upgraded parts. The crank and rods are plenty strong for NA and FI, so I wouldn't touch those. Upgrading the pistons for a high compression ratio is the only reason there, unless the stockers are bad. I recently drove a 3.2 with +20 cams and the high end power was very nice. I wasn't as impressed with the low end compared to my 3.0. I know the 3.2 has a stronger low end then the 3.0, but I think the cams took some of that away. Because of that, I don't think I'd upgrade cams on a 3.0. I would on a 3.2 though.

I think that some of that low end came back when I replaced the alternator and starting getting 14.4v at idle instead of 12v or so. It's too early to tell and I have a lot of tuning to do as well. I agree though; I would keep stock cams on a 3.0.

Ian

 

[Call_Me_crazy]

Thanks for all the great replys guys I am definitally on the right direction now, I am going to very soon start tearing this engine apart and taking the long block to the engine machine shop to have it all speced and checked, then have the block boiled clean and honed.