Hello everyone, I'm going to be building a 2.2 OHV motor and would like some input and ideas from more knowledgeable people. First let me give you a little background. I have a 1995 J that I dirt track race. I have some engine work now including decked head, 3 angle valve job and a cam regrind from American Custom Cams. Everything else is stock. I run a 3 speed auto, in second gear. I have the car handling very good, I just lift a little going in and right back on it. Now here's my problem...I'm getting killed coming out of the corners. I just don't have enough pull. Once I get back up to speed there already gone. I have a top 10 car, NOT a top 5 car this is what I'm looking for.
The fast cars are Neon's, Honda's, Toyota's, and ford probes. The rules say you must be stock, well I know at least everyone in the top 5 is not stock I can't touch them. This is what I'm looking to do... I was thinking of running the 98+ bottom end and running my head, doing a mild P+P, +1mm valves, and 1.6 rockers? Don't know how this will work? I did a search and could not find anyone that did the 98+ bottom end, just talk about it. I have access to 110 or 112 octane gas but it is leaded race fuel, Don't know what it would do to the oxygen sensor?
Or should I just do like some 10:1 pistons w/ the above head work and run pump gas? This would be the more expensive route. Well that's all I've got please give me some Ideas on what to do or if someone has already built a motor like this how did it work out?
Thank You!
Okay, guy's... Let's show his the way!
Go beyond the "bolt-on".
I am interested in the info that is being asked here as well. I'm going to watch this post, I don't have any experience on this to give any ideas.
I believe a couple people have dont this, it is a much more involved swap than you think. As you seem to know, this would put your compression in the 13-14:1 range. You will have to do some work to get the coolant passages to line up correctly, as well as finding a place to mount your ICM.
Are you staying with the 2.2 intake? and the side feed injectors?
Can your cam handle the larger lifters and keep proper valve clearance?
Do you also drive this on the street?? Does it have a cat?? leaded fuel + cat = nasty.
Don't bother with the 98+ block and 97- head, it's just too much compression on anything close to a stock cam. Get a .030" headgasket, port the head, have the TB bored out, add some oversized valves, a crank-scraper and 1.6:1 rockers. Also, do you get close to redline in 2nd? You may want to think about dropping the gearing as well.
11 speaker JL Audio stereo setup for sale:
http://www.j-body.org/classifieds/audio/52021/
I know from a friend's experience with CAM2 108 unleaded that every six months (Or was it every month?) that he needed to replace his EGOS. And when he once ran Turbo Blue (Race leaded) he had to use-up the whole tank before he bothered to change the sensor because all that tetra-ethyl lead choked it up, and he didn't feel likle replacing it again that soon.
Go beyond the "bolt-on".
Thank you for the replies. This is what I was hoping to get a bunch of ideas to help choose the best route. Just to clarify this is a DIRT TRACK race car. No windows, welded up doors, no cat, never to be driven on the street. I like the idea of the 98 pistons because they are "STOCK" and this would be the cheaper way to go. Can I just use the pistons in my block? It almost sounds that this is not the way to go, but I haven't ruled it out yet. As far as a cam, I can get a stock one reground or if that wont work than I can buy one. This whole build would have to be cost effective. As far as intake and injectors, I don't know? I did a lot of reading and found stuff on red ford injectors? Not sure if this applies to me? A lot of the info is on this site is coded by engine, like LD9. I don't know what that is yet? I don't know what I have so as I read about this I'm not sure how much applies to me. Also my car is a 95 so the computer is different so I think I'm limited there?
I don't know what the ICM, or the EGOS is. Any help on this is much appreciated. As I said I did search just not sure how to relate everything. Thank You.
ICM: Ignition Control Module (The part that the coils mount to)
EGOS: Exhaust Gas Oxygen Sensor
Yes, the computer found in the '95 is different than the '96-up & even the pre-'95s in that it's basically a pre-'95 ECM (Engine Control Module) with a '96-up ALDL (Assembly Line Diagnostic Link) connector. It uses a PROM (Programed Read-Only Memory) chip like the earlier ECMs that can only be programed by special equipment, and requires removal to do so. Sadly, you can't use anything meant to hook-up to a '96-later or OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostic System, Model-II) to check if something is wrong, so you're left to going to the sevice manuals to see how to check codes when the Service Engine Soon light goes on. And the '96-up ECM is incompatable with the pre-'96 engine in that the later engine had a Cam Position Sensor added to it, and if the OBD-II computer don't see that working it'll throw a code.
LD9: 2.4L Twin-cam I-4, or gen-2 Quad4
LN2: OHV 2.2L (1st-gen) & 2200 (2nd-gen)
And the Ford red-top injectors are only for use with a fuel system that feeds the injector fuel through the top, not the sides of the injector body like the pre-'98 LN2. And nothing form the head mating surface up interchanges between the 1st- & 2nd-gen.
Say, how much did you get the head deck by anyway?
Go beyond the "bolt-on".
If your class only requires "stock" motor/drivetrain for that year look into swapping to and ld9 or even the 2.3 ( LGO? ) as it was the highest output 4 in a cav that year. Granted you will have to swap harness ecu and motor/trans you will get a good bump in power by swapping to the twin cam engine....otherwise I'd consider swapping into an 97 and up LN2 and computer motor since you could get the most out of what you have done by tuning the ecu.........depends how far you want to go and what you want to spend....hell did you think of a 5 speed swap?
