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sixgun's 3L build

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sixgunford

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
67
Everybody else did one it seems I should too... And I'm sure I will have some questions and need some help along the way.
So here's what I've got... 1998.5 SVT getting 2003 Taurus 3.0L, 85k miles. Doing a port-match setup using the Bugzuki plates. From what I believe I understand, swap EVERYTHING except short block, heads, oil pump, and water pump from 2.5L. I do have a question about the cams as I saw a thread on NECO I think that said the SVT cams made 10 less HP than using the stock 3L's, opinions / facts here?
Anyway, 3L is down to the short block, should be bare tomorrow, getting new main and rod bearings and head gaskets (3L oil looked like chocolate milk...) Had to settle for Sealed Power bearings as Clevite's are on back order.
Looking for used headers, poly mount, clutch, etc. if anybody has them (I will post on classifieds, just throwing it in here, FWIW).
Also, if I go new, I saw someone mention to get a Clutchnet clutch over spec? Looking for an upgrade but still street-able as this is my DD. Any suggestions there?
BTW, what do you guys (and gals) think about an American Flag paint scheme for the motor?
 
Thanks for the link Julian, I'll get reading. Another 50 page build thread [sigh], hope it ends better than wombat's.
 
Don't do american flag based on that one I read (somebody else should know about it) where he did captain america and it turned to crap. I used a Southbend clutch and it seems nice no problems in the first thousand miles so far new TOB with it too. and don't get a used clutch if that is what you are implying. Also, for your mount you can fill it yourself. GL with the build
 
BAD SVT said:
And ppl have said a lot about the SPEC clutches. I've personally had no issue with mine. 12k miles later.
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There might have been some that escaped the factory that won't blow up. :) I know you and blackcoog haven't had any trouble with yours. I know Brapple and I both had ours fail in under 10K miles....and there were quit a few others that posted in that thread as well whose rivits/springs broke. Brapple even did a hardness test and found out the metals used were softer than stock...and that might explain issue people have had. I figure they changed their vendors for some of their materials at some point and that is what caused these issues.
 
sixgunford said:
I do have a question about the cams as I saw a thread on NECO I think that said the SVT cams made 10 less HP than using the stock 3L's, opinions / facts here?
Click to expand...

The person you are quoting said they got 10 extra hp with SVT cams not the other way around.

SVT cams will give you the most overall HP at the max RPM or close to it. That is what the NECO thread stated. 3L cams will give you more power down low when compared to the SVT cams but they will fall off in the upper RPM range.

That being said I'd use SVT cams with the SVT intake (ported 3L) and the 3L cams with the 3L intake (full 3L). You can use whatever you want because either cam will work in any build type and honestly you wouldn't be disappointed either way. It is a decent amount of work to swap cams so if there isn't a huge difference in power you could say sticking with 3L cams in any build makes the most sense.
 
Blackcoog said:
It is a decent amount of work to swap cams so if there isn't a huge difference in power you could say sticking with 3L cams in any build makes the most sense.
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I'm replacing the head gaskets, so the 3L cams are already on the workbench. I was fully planning to use the SVT cams until I saw a post against it, so thanks for the input. I am using the SVT LIM and UIM and porting. I would assume that I should use the 3L cam bearing caps?
 
sixgunford said:
I'm replacing the head gaskets, so the 3L cams are already on the workbench. I was fully planning to use the SVT cams until I saw a post against it, so thanks for the input. I am using the SVT LIM and UIM and porting. I would assume that I should use the 3L cam bearing caps?
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U can use either the 2.5 or the 3.0 caps. Just make sure there is little to no scoring underneath them.
 
I used the 3.0L cam bearing caps with my SVT cams. Make sure you flip that timing wheel on the front of the engine as it's in the position for the 3.0L timing cover and it goes in the other position with the 2.5L timing cover, you'll see write ups about it in those other build threads.
 
Caps are specific to the heads. Using different caps from a different head could make it harder for the cams to turn (binding) or leave too much clearance for the cams so they could rattle around.
 
BAD SVT said:
U can use either the 2.5 or the 3.0 caps. Just make sure there is little to no scoring underneath them.
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NO, this is absolutely wrong. you have to use the cam caps that are matched to the heads. You can not mix and match or even change cam caps. As i understand/recall the cam caps/heads are bored and then the caps cut from the heads. They have to stay matched to the heads.
 
sixgunford said:
I'm replacing the head gaskets, so the 3L cams are already on the workbench. I was fully planning to use the SVT cams until I saw a post against it, so thanks for the input. I am using the SVT LIM and UIM and porting. I would assume that I should use the 3L cam bearing caps?
Click to expand...

where do you want the power band? mid range or top end? that will tell you what cams you want. personally i like how the SVT cams pull until redline. The 3l adds enough torque down low that the SVT cams are fine. But people with the 3L cams really like the mid rpm range power they provide.
 
BrApple said:
NO, this is absolutely wrong. you have to use the cam caps that are matched to the heads. You can not mix and match or even change cam caps. As i understand/recall the cam caps/heads are bored and then the caps cut from the heads. They have to stay matched to the heads.
Click to expand...

More often then not what you have stated is correct along with everyone else that stated the same thing (Striker2 & Blackcoog). However that said if someone fubar'd one of their cam caps IT IS possibly to swap in another cam cap (from spare cylinder head or junk yard head, as long as it's the same engine), but to do it right requires some work. Most head shops have the capability of taking measurements off the cams and cam journals (with caps installed) to verify whether they are within tolerance. If necessary the caps can be machined down on the mating surface by a small amount (I think someone mentioned to me 0.001") and then performing a line hone or line bore to keep the journals true. I looked into this quite a bit when I was worried about my cam journals on my head. People have also had a single cam cap replaced, bored it out and had a bearing wear surface installed to bring it back within tolerance without line honing or boring the rest of the journals. However there seemed to be mixed results with that method.
 
Blackcoog said:
Caps are specific to the heads. Using different caps from a different head could make it harder for the cams to turn (binding) or leave too much clearance for the cams so they could rattle around.
Click to expand...

BrApple said:
NO, this is absolutely wrong. you have to use the cam caps that are matched to the heads. You can not mix and match or even change cam caps. As i understand/recall the cam caps/heads are bored and then the caps cut from the heads. They have to stay matched to the heads.
Click to expand...

Okay. i guess i stand corrected then. So how do u explain my lack of negative outcome with using the 2.5 caps?
 
luck :shrug:

I know of one case where caps where mixed on the same heads and the cams bound up and would not turn.
 
BrApple said:
luck :shrug:

I know of one case where caps where mixed on the same heads and the cams bound up and would not turn.
Click to expand...

hmm.. alright thx. Now that i think about it, i think i only used the 2.5caps on my turbo'd tour. The last two swaps i've done, i used the 3L's. Not sure why i did that on mine tho. I must've been trying to match cam caps with the cam or sumthn...
 
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