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Proz07's Black Pearl build


Sweet-85'

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Holy fricken horsepower! Am I reading that right? 606hp at 5,250??
More like holy torque! 635 ft/lbs at 4700RPM is impressive!
 


proz07

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Holy fricken horsepower! Am I reading that right? 606hp at 5,250??
Jim, you are however only 13# as they didn't load the dyno enough for my setup. Im regularly 15# on the street. not bad for starter eh, lol. next up is a few fixes from the swap then 20#+

More like holy torque! 635 ft/lbs at 4700RPM is impressive!
Yeah, stock truck cam so a bunch of low end, motor thats going in now has stronger rods, 10.4 comp vs the 9.2 of this setup and an interesting N/A cam i got from a friend. and like i said once a few issues are addressed and its back in i expect it to pick up another few hundred if the clutch holds.
 

proz07

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So since its upgrade season and this setup has gone more than i wanted which is great, I have a few upgrades to make and things to fix from the initial swap. So this engine came out the afternoon after the Dyno.
20190120_183616 by Z S, on Flickr

And as you can see still has all the pistons so there was nothing wrong just some things I wanted to address. But as you can see Cyl #3 looks like it wasnt sealing just right but wasnt pushing coolant so probably getting close. Head gaskets looked good other wise so I reused them *GASP* on the new motor partly just to see and partly hoping i can get a good reading on the coolant press sensor when it starts lifting the head for data. I have new ones ready to go in if it happens though.
20190120_210808 by Z S, on Flickr
20190121_162310 by Z S, on Flickr
20190121_162319 by Z S, on Flickr

And heres the #1 plug after the dyno, still money for safe and they will be good enough to get the startup and drive tuning on the next setup. Then ill swap to some 7 heat range and compression check to see how healthy motor #2 is before bumping to #20 boost.

20190206_180927 by Z S, on Flickr

So before I get to the upgrades I took a look at the engine bay and lines and found this little emergency that needed addressing. These lines were new 8 months ago and ran E85 almost 90% of the time. Needless to say they gotta go! So ordered some Redhorse NHRA accepted E85 compatible hose and will keep an eye on it over this year as if it starts going bad ill go hardline and PTFE.
20190120_160723 by Z S, on Flickr
20190120_160712 by Z S, on Flickr
20190126_171651 by Z S, on Flickr

Now for the upgrades and fixes from the initial setup. First up the newer engine thats going in is another 5.3l But a Gen IV over the Gen III that was in it. You can see the difference in rods which nets better power handling for an OEM SBE parts. Ans as usual gapped rings for boost .023 top/ .025 bottom. This one also got a cam, and tack welded the reluctor to the crank as they have a history of spinning or coming off on 2-step and i'm planning on adding that so since i'm in there. Also with eh Gen IV rods and flat top pistons that should rase my compression from 9.4:1 to 10.4:1 so it will be interesting to see where that goes.
IMG_20190210_092909 by Z S, on Flickr
20190106_161332 by Z S, on Flickr
20190104_194155 by Z S, on Flickr
20190121_170845 by Z S, on Flickr

And addressing a couple things from the initial install like the Power steering pump I believe was too high of press from the GM saginaw to Ford Saginaw Steering Box. So got a borgeson pressure reducing kit and estimated came down form 1100 to 850psi so we will see how that does. Also replaced the stock plastic pulley with a more robust metal OEM pulley so i can actually get to the bolts due to the windows in the pulley.
20190129_174345 by Z S, on Flickr

And for the exhaust I initially made the crossover without the gaskets in the mani's and was a hell of a fit on the initial install so cut out the flex bellows and aligned everything and fits like a glove now. Also had the Turbo log manifold machined flat as it was slightly warped from fab and going to fast (lessons learned). So that should take care of any minor exhaust leaks I had.
20190130_200101 by Z S, on Flickr
20190202_201551 by Z S, on Flickr

And then as seen earlier in the thread Im adding a LS6 intake and 75mm ported throttlebody. All OEM parts but the LS6 over the LS1 is noted to have 25-30hp increase everywhere.
20190130_200138 by Z S, on Flickr

Another tweak Ill be making is the oil feed fitting. I will be adding a 1/16" restrictor as the full flow -4an (1/8") is too much and if idling for a few minutes w/ 36psi oil press has a slight oil smoke. So gonna restrict that down. Dont mind the wet oil as that was from sitting on the bench from the oil that was in the compressor housing.
20190127_164741 by Z S, on Flickr

And then once all that is in there it will be time for more testing so also adding Exhaust Manifold Press and Exhaust backpressure sensors to see where the real limit is on this setup with FULL 3" exhaust nice and quite. Once i find that limit I will be making a new divorced downpipe to see that and then adding a Y just after the turbo with a LoudValve boost activated cutout on a solenoid so that I can keep the quite all the time or flip the switch and it will open at 2-3psi but still be quite out of boost. should be pretty trick setup.
20190202_175634 by Z S, on Flickr
20190202_201522 by Z S, on Flickr
20190202_201537 by Z S, on Flickr

And probably the most annoying thing im hoping to change with this one is the Hot start searching idle. I have relocated the IAT sensor to before the TB in the exit of the intercooler to try and eliminate the Hot start hunting idle. Seems the MS3 works better on that issue with a cleaner input so this shouldnt show as much IAT so the ECU wont pull fuel based on Manifold Air Density temps. SO yeas I now have pre and post intercooler temps and pressures to see where that chokes out later on too. If you cant tell I like data and proving if something is the issue at the time.

IMG_20190203_142413 by Z S, on Flickr

So as of this morning this is where it sits and pending how weather goes I want to get the first startup and timing verification done tonight.... we shall see.
20190207_184446 by Z S, on Flickr
 

proz07

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Ok so weather sucked but made an oil restrictor out of my SS -4an as i didnt want to use an aluminum one. so drilled to 3/32" took a while and would probably just buy one next time.
20190210_120524 by Z S, on Flickr

Then while cranking the engine to prime the oil system, i didnt have the IAT sensor hooked up as it was relocated and hadent extended the wires yet....got pulled into the belt and munched. Luckily it cut at a decent spot so not too big of a deal just had to wait for the plug to come in.
20190212_184821 by Z S, on Flickr

Had it all buttoned up and running starting to get the tune dialed back in as the cam was rather large overlap so not that great on VAC. However it had a lead at the rear main. So trans had to come out to make up for a $20 part i should have changed... You can see where I also ported the rear cover oil passage to help the pass side get full press faster as the early motors it took a while.
20190217_131220 by Z S, on Flickr
20190217_131817 by Z S, on Flickr

So thought i had it fixed when i did a test run to verify but ended up the plate wsnt aligned to the pan correctly so leaked again.... back out the trans came. That was 2x in one weekend F that noise again seals will be replaced next time. So got it aligned and the corners RTV'd up and should be good now but havent fired it since then... more on that. Both open header lope video and where it was leaking from after the rear main was changed video/

Lope video checking for leaks:
20190217_134611 by Z S, on Flickr

And where it was leaking from so i had to realign the cover and seal the corners.
20190218_170346 by Z S, on Flickr

Now as you can see that cam was pretty lopey and had low vac for my taste, so decided to swap it with an LS9 cam i had laying around and sell the elgin as it dosent really fit the boost build. So had to change to a Gen IV front cover and cam gear to run this cam. Did that thursday and the extensin harness was supposed to come in but didnt make it friday so this is where it sits till monday when the harness comes in. Anyone that wants a nasty NA gen III LS cam let me know.

LS9 supercharger cam, should net good VAC and drivability with small lose in under 3k torque but big gains up top 90+hp
20190221_172908 by Z S, on Flickr

Gen IV cam gear and cover on right as it moves cam position sensor to the front of the engine.
20190221_190158 by Z S, on Flickr

5/16" dowels to hold lifters up. and out with the old.
20190221_190231 by Z S, on Flickr

Old Elgin "showroom" cam and new LS9 cam.

20190221_190443 by Z S, on Flickr

LS9 going in
20190221_190927 by Z S, on Flickr

And new cam in cover on but had to stop there as im not sure where ill route the extension harness yet so this is where it sits.... so much for tuning this weekend.

20190221_195259 by Z S, on Flickr
 

proz07

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Been awhile, so few updates. added 3 more sensors for Exhaust manifold press, exhaust back press, and pre intercooler press. Fabbed up an isolation block for them to cool the temps and make swapping them around to other things that much easier.

20190228_210759 by Z S, on Flickr
20190228_210737 by Z S, on Flickr
20190302_182229 by Z S, on Flickr

Those will come into play a little farther down. But new motor has some miles on it now and its time to see what it'll due with some more boost. So with TR6 plugs higher compression and the stations swapping to full % E85 I was blowing the spark out at 8+ # of boost. since we are looking for more than 10-12# this round it was time to swapthem out anyway and check engine health. My dad was down visiting so had a nice little afternoon swapping TR6 gapped at .032 to BR7 gapped at .025 and verified good compression on all cyl.
20190321_194057 by Z S, on Flickr
20190321_194006 by Z S, on Flickr

Fixed the spark and took it to the track for a TnT day. First time ever to the track soooo more trips planned. Not bad for a 88 pickup, lol

FIrst Drag mar 22 2019 by Z S, on Flickr
20190322_220538 by Z S, on Flickr
 

proz07

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And of course not everything can be performance based so taillight went out and found the 30yr old potting isnt cutting it anymore so swapped out the plugs. And of course got a flat along the way... minor inconveniences for whats to come.


20190403_143239 by Z S, on Flickr
20190404_174912 by Z S, on Flickr

So after the track day with street tires and spinning even on prep picked up some 15x10 6.5"BS jegs knockoffs to try with some meaty 275 drag radials. Pics for fitment keep in mind i have rolled and slight pulled the rear arches but the axle is still stock width. Fit is pretty golden.

20190418_173955 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_181427 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_174915 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_175032 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_175045 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_181447 by Z S, on Flickr

So with the data i got back on pressures it was time to address some restrictions in my setup. First up the exhaust which Ive had my boost activated cutout awhile just djidnt have time or drive to do it yet. So added it a few weeks back as close to the turbine as possible to eliminate as much backpressure as possible. I was at 4-5# of backpressure at 10#+ boost. Now it is zero back pressure and still livable out of boost as its runs through the exhaust again. it dumps just behind the front wheel through an aluminum dump.

20190417_213052 by Z S, on Flickr
20190417_213042 by Z S, on Flickr
20190417_212432 by Z S, on Flickr
20190419_182223 by Z S, on Flickr
20190418_213102 by Z S, on Flickr
20190419_165613 by Z S, on Flickr
20190419_165629 by Z S, on Flickr
 

proz07

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So the next restriction in my system was the original intercooler which i knew would be slightly small but good for my ORIGINAL goals.... well the Original goal of 550hp and do some glory runs to 750 have gone out the window with the first dyno at 600+ new goals are to have 750-800 but streetable with boost by gear and later on TQ management. So picked up a new vertical flow vibrant core as the original is a restriction at 10#+ with 6-8# backpressure/loss across the core. It basically cant flow enough for the engine. so fabbed up a new intercooler and BOV. Still fits behind the grill and room for AC when i get around to it.


20190422_201431 by Z S, on Flickr
20190429_212422 by Z S, on Flickr
20190430_212429 by Z S, on Flickr
20190502_194831 by Z S, on Flickr
20190502_194848 by Z S, on Flickr
20190504_153603 by Z S, on Flickr
20190504_153609 by Z S, on Flickr
20190504_153620 by Z S, on Flickr

And you can see I went from 6+# flow loss to less than .5# across the new core. So I eliminated over 10# of restriction on my turbo setup. This should allow me to see where the true limit is on the 75mm turbine on this setup. Goal is 800 wheel...

20190421_090618 by Z S, on Flickr
20190504_171922 by Z S, on Flickr

Thats how she sits now. Next up is Linelock when i get the time, and program in the 2-step for launch short term..... think it will be time for AC, brakes and possible cage at that point. Not sure how race truck i want to go with this vs street truck that occasionally goes to track...

Z
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Really nice fab work.
Is there a certain track time where the track makes you cage up?
 

proz07

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Really nice fab work.
Is there a certain track time where the track makes you cage up?
Yeah, its an NHRA track but they are still a bit lacks on TnT days. So i need to look what their limit is for street run every-once in a while cars.... But at the end of the day i do really need one....
Nothing else changed and i add the line lock and traction it should be a 10 sec setup....
 

proz07

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Been nothing but fun with the truck this past 8 months... plenty of track times till the clutch started slipping upping the boost to 20#, and then its just been general shop truck type driving. Unfortunately had an incident 2 days ago so if you know anyone or anything in the San Antonio/Austin area that may have parts for this that'd be great. Waiting to do anything till after the holidays and i can get the insurance situated one way or another and figure out a plan. But as long as it goes how i think next upgrades to go along with this repair are twin disk clutch, 210lb injectors, finally install heat and AC, carpet, cage, rear roll pan, cab wiring needs a refresh too, maybe new steering shaft.

So again any leads or help finding parts would be great. (fender, bumper, lower metal grill filler part... the one in-between grill and bumper)

20191223_165228 by Z S, on Flickr

20191223_165234 by Z S, on Flickr

20191223_165625 by Z S, on Flickr
 

proz07

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Good time for an update..... Little shade tree pulling and shes back! made out on that one as the truck was totaled so bought it back and was able to find all the parts for like $150 at the JY. good enough for what this truck is.

20200201_125155 by Z S, on Flickr

20200201_132840 by Z S, on Flickr

20200201_162350 by Z S, on Flickr

20200202_163954 by Z S, on Flickr

So then kept using it as the shop truck it is over the last few months as the clutch started to go and i just didnt want to change it yet... finally the day came. Out with the old burnt generic setup the trans came with to a twin disk so we can turn it up this fall! McLeod RXT good for 1200hp supposedly. sure feels like it as its a solid hub and you can tell how much the old one was slipping now... she bad!

20200517_112749 by Z S, on Flickr

20200517_115434 by Z S, on Flickr

20200517_122445 by Z S, on Flickr

Now that that was g2g i was going to do some more drivability and start turning it up as i also installed 210lb injectors but turns out the intercooler had other plans again..... so this round it gets plated. And since im in there its time to install AC.

20200620_181059 by Z S, on Flickr

20200627_183927 by Z S, on Flickr

20200627_183937 by Z S, on Flickr

Condenser fit, and needed more space so using the free real estate in the fender.

20200621_120237 by Z S, on Flickr

20200621_193435 by Z S, on Flickr

Still working on the compressor mount so i can see what i need to change around on the radiator, drain, wastegate, heater lines to get it all in there but hopefully in the next week or two.
 

proz07

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Ok so slapped the engine stuff back together as I ran into the opportunity to get it professionally tuned so i took it. This is the capability of this setup and Ill turn it down a bit and it should live just fine as the parts running truck that it is.

20200719_070010 by Z S, on Flickr

20200719_180118 by Z S, on Flickr

20200719_180107 by Z S, on Flickr

20200720_083208 by Z S, on Flickr

I guess the rest of this thread will just be boring interior and AC install stuff for here on out.... lol.
 

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Finally time for the stuff I've been waiting for.

Truck is looking good and glad you were able to save it from the front end crunch. Given the choice I don't know that I would have even reported that incident to the insurance, knowing full well that they would just total it. I guess if there was an accident report you probably didn't have much choice in the matter.

WOW 800 hp 700tq. I wouldn't know what to do with that in a Ranger. Honestly I think that the 696 and 593 you started at is more than I have any business having in a Ranger.
 

proz07

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Finally time for the stuff I've been waiting for.

Truck is looking good and glad you were able to save it from the front end crunch. Given the choice I don't know that I would have even reported that incident to the insurance, knowing full well that they would just total it. I guess if there was an accident report you probably didn't have much choice in the matter.

WOW 800 hp 700tq. I wouldn't know what to do with that in a Ranger. Honestly I think that the 696 and 593 you started at is more than I have any business having in a Ranger.
If your not at fault theres no reason not to file. Yes they totaled it but pending your state you may not need to file. AR over 7 years you dont even relinquish the title. So lets just say 1800 cash payout and its a no brainer for a clapped out ranger. Parts to fix were about $250 and a morning at the junkyard.

LOL yeah 800 is a bit much... im working on adding a front wheel speed sensor now to get some power managment into it to be a little more reasonable but turned down to 15-20# and 700ish is still too much but what can i say it rips. honestly 10-13# which is where its been the last 3 years is more than enough in the 550-600 range.
 

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Here if I got into a fender bender with a first gen Ranger, regardless of fault they'd total it and haul it to the nearest scrap dealer faster than I could blink. Last one was in a Ranger, it definitely totaled the truck and was a single vehicle accident, so my fault. I wasn't hurt and I didn't want to give up the parts installed on the truck so I just had it towed back to the house instead of reporting and jacking up my insurance rates.

I get it, build for power, tune for longevity and reliability. That's what I'll be doing with the F-100 when ever I get around to rebuilding the motor in it. Doubt I'll build for that much power, but being an FE the bottom end will probably be capable. Just want it to be a solid truck engine that will last a long time.
 

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