Installing an Aluminator [Archive] - MercuryMarauder.net Forums

99SVT

07-19-2011, 04:12 PM

I'm in the middle of installing a low comp Aluminator and found a couple of interesting things the community might want to know.

One of the bolt holes in the timing cover is different from the N/A blocks. I knew about it before the purchase, but upon removing the timing cover I saw an epoxy plug where the N/A cover hole would be. I drilled it out and it came up solid part way in, anyways, here's some pictures of what was found:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/Darren5L/DSC00139.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/Darren5L/DSC00141.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/Darren5L/DSC00143.jpg

So, you can use all your timing cover bolt holes. All you need to do is carefully drill out the epoxy then remove the allen head plug. The iron block hole can be filled with silicone or epoxy afterwards.

I also ran into a snag swapping the oil pickup tube, all the oil pump threads came out with the bolts, it looked quite cross threaded from the factory. I ended up buying a new pump and swapping it out.

JoeBoomz

07-19-2011, 05:07 PM

Nice to see someone fairly local doing this sort of stuff. What are you putting on top of the motor once it's in? :D

99SVT

07-19-2011, 09:43 PM

More boost from the Trilogy.

Mercguy04

07-19-2011, 11:09 PM

Thanks for the info.
I am looking at a aluminator Right now.
I too would like to put a SC on mine will be a 2.3 Whipple
best of luck on the install. Keep us posted please
Russell

burt ragio

07-20-2011, 05:22 AM

Nice keep us posted of progress.

BODYMAN

07-20-2011, 06:45 AM

Alluminator is a very good option it's out the box and ready to go other then changing the few MM specific parts good luck keep us posted.

RacerX

07-20-2011, 07:20 AM

Yup, not a prob though if you get the high cr engine, which is what Trilogy recommends for their kit.

99SVT

07-20-2011, 11:46 PM

I got the motor in this evening, now for the fun part of reconnecting all the stuff that got removed. It should be running next week if all goes well, only have a limited time to plug away on it after work.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/Darren5L/DSC00155.jpg

Mercguy04

07-21-2011, 01:22 AM

Looks good so far.
Would be interested about timming cover, Alt mounting. The sort of this all
people encounter in this swap.
Thanks for the photos.
Russell

99SVT

07-21-2011, 06:08 AM

Looks good so far.
Would be interested about timming cover, Alt mounting. The sort of this all
people encounter in this swap.
Thanks for the photos.
Russell

I'm using my stock timing cover, it's just cleaned up with a coat of silver wheel paint. The only issue was removing the epoxy and allen plug covering the mounting hole below the water pump.

J-MAN

07-21-2011, 06:45 AM

Looks very nice! What happened to the original motor? Looks like low mileage based on your clean engine compartment.

99SVT

07-21-2011, 10:29 AM

Looks very nice! What happened to the original motor? Looks like low mileage based on your clean engine compartment.

The original motor had a spark plug blow out of #4 cyl while driving in a parking lot. It's repairable, but I had the aluminator sitting on an engine stand waiting for me to get around to doing the swap. This just happend to be a good excuse, I'm glad it wasn't because of a rod flying out the side of the block.

The engine bay looks clean because it was just hit with some scrubbing brushes, degreaser and a pressure washer while the motor was out. The car has 180000km's on it, daily driven even in the winter, it's nowhere near a pristine example. It's closer to something Dom would approve, albeit driven a little bit more sensibly.

99SVT

07-24-2011, 12:46 AM

Finished putting everything back together and fired it up this afternoon. No leaks, test drove it and all seems well.

http://tapatalk.com/mu/8e3b3722-7c4e-aa81.jpg

arod

07-24-2011, 07:25 AM

Looks awsome! note to self....clean my air filter.. B.)

Marauderjack

07-24-2011, 03:06 PM

Is there a reason you went with the low compression one??:confused:

cpe6

07-24-2011, 03:48 PM

That looks good.......Great Job.

99SVT

07-24-2011, 10:29 PM

Looks awsome! note to self....clean my air filter.. B.)

Ya, I noticed that soon after the pic was taken and cleaned it up. Was in a bit of a hurry to fire the thing up.

Is there a reason you went with the low compression one??:confused:

I use it as a daily driver, and the fuel we use here isn't always the greatest. If I were running anything other than a PD blower I'd use the high comp one, the tip in boost timing curves have to be spot on for a high comp motor with that blower type. With the low comp engine I can run more timing with more boost relativly safely and only lose a few horsepower.

babbage

07-25-2011, 08:50 AM

Nice Job Keith. This has been in the works for a while. congrats on the finish.
you make it look easy.

Marauderjack

07-25-2011, 02:55 PM

Ya, I noticed that soon after the pic was taken and cleaned it up. Was in a bit of a hurry to fire the thing up.

I use it as a daily driver, and the fuel we use here isn't always the greatest. If I were running anything other than a PD blower I'd use the high comp one, the tip in boost timing curves have to be spot on for a high comp motor with that blower type. With the low comp engine I can run more timing with more boost relativly safely and only lose a few horsepower.

Makes perfectly good sense now and VERY nice installation!!:beer:

Be careful in the SNOW!!:eek:

99SVT

07-25-2011, 10:29 PM

With good winter tires and keeping my brain switched on, winter driving has been easy in this car so far. I've driven past more 4x4 trucks and SUV's upside down in the ditch in the winter than I could easily count. It almost became easier to drive in the winter with the 9.5" convertor last year.

DOOM

07-25-2011, 11:06 PM

With the low comp engine I can run more timing with more boost relativly safely and only lose a few horsepower.

My very same reason for going with a low compression motor. :beer:

Enjoy! :D

99SVT

07-26-2011, 10:20 PM

Here's a break in video, not much action, but driving around sans hood was rather fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZdoMlzScg&feature=player_detailpage

DOOM

07-26-2011, 10:46 PM

When are you hitting he dyno?

What numbers are you expecting?

JoeBoomz

07-27-2011, 10:38 AM

Here's a break in video, not much action, but driving around sans hood was rather fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZdoMlzScg&feature=player_detailpage

Great vid with a rare peek at the throttle in action while driving.

It's nice to live outside of the city (or near the edge) with easy access to highways for test runs!!

99SVT

07-27-2011, 11:09 PM

I'll be hitting the dyno next Thursday, I have a 2.8" pulley ordered, but doubt it'll show up in time, so I'll probably just get the timing and shift points bumped up. I expect I'll be at roughly the same HP peak I was before (370whp on a stingy Mustang dyno). According to my tuner, I was sacrificing approx 40hp with the stock motor by not reving it past 6000 and keeping the total timing at only 16*. The gains from more timing/RPM will hopefully offset the power loss from the compression drop...at least until the pulley goes on.

Dr Caleb

07-28-2011, 12:33 PM

Very nice!

That wasn't you I saw a week or two ago in Spruce Grove, was it?

Mercguy04

08-03-2011, 11:18 AM

Nice Video. Just couldn't help from punching it a couple of times there. Sounded
real healthy,
I remember when I first built my AMX I ran with out a hood. Every damn fool on the
Southern State wanted to run me. Like you I just wanted to break it in. At the time I
was running dual quads with progressive linkadge. Two Holley 600 converter to double
pumpers. The howl from those carbs was music to my soul.
Your build looked and sounded just great. Good luck with the dyno. I'd like to see
a little better than 400 hp, That is up to you and your tuner.
No hood Looks Bitchen.
Russell

Dennis Reinhart

08-03-2011, 01:26 PM

It will be nice to see the dyno numbers, and are you raising the boost? did you do the IAT and FRPS mod and plug the hole in the lower intake and reroute the PCV.

RacerX

08-03-2011, 02:04 PM

It will be nice to see the dyno numbers, and are you raising the boost? did you do the IAT and FRPS mod and plug the hole in the lower intake and reroute the PCV.
If it's a new kit, they fixed the IAT issue. I did the FRPS, reroute the pcv mods, BUT, they still haven't changed the KB BAP wiring schematic. Should be before FPDM and not after.

99SVT

08-03-2011, 07:09 PM

It has the IAT mod done, for PCV I put in a cobra valve that seals under boost to the lower intake. Haven't done the FRPS mod yet, but I will when I up the boost, which will probably happen next spring.

As for the break in vid, the inital runs were done locked in 2nd accelerating at 5-7in vac to 5k and decel to 3k. then it was a couple runs in 3rd same deal finally with a couple runs at 0 vac and 1 in part throttle boost. The one when the Camaro showed up wasn't planned however, lol couldn't help myself there.

mcgyver59

08-03-2011, 07:15 PM

If it's a new kit, they fixed the IAT issue. I did the FRPS, reroute the pcv mods, BUT, they still haven't changed the KB BAP wiring schematic. Should be before FPDM and not after.

It's really not wrong having the BAP after the FPDM. Everytime the pump is turned on, it comes from a negative pulse fed by the FPDM. Power is constant.

Dennis Reinhart

08-03-2011, 08:41 PM

It's really not wrong having the BAP after the FPDM. Everytime the pump is turned on, it comes from a negative pulse fed by the FPDM. Power is constant.
Your wrong about this, it has to be before the FPDM

Dennis Reinhart

08-03-2011, 08:43 PM

. Haven't done the FRPS mod yet, but I will when I up the boost, which will probably happen next spring.

This is a critical modification, that just takes minutes to do I would not wait to do this.

99SVT

08-04-2011, 10:42 PM

Got back from the dyno, for the drop in compression I lost .5hp and 13tq peak after adding 5* of timing. The low end tq is down maybe 25ft/lbs till 4000 then gets close to the old baseline, within 5 after 4800.

The real benefit is reving the motor out to 6900rpm. The shifts put me at 4600 instead of 3600 into the next gears, so the loss of torque is nearly negated. The hp peak is flat for 700rpm past 6200.

The peak #'s are 368.5hp and 323tq SAE on a Mustang Dyno. The stock motor #'s were 369hp and 336tq. It would work out to around 410-420hp on a Dynojet.

Taemian

08-04-2011, 10:55 PM

If it's a new kit, they fixed the IAT issue. I did the FRPS, reroute the pcv mods, BUT, they still haven't changed the KB BAP wiring schematic. Should be before FPDM and not after.

??? So you're saying that all the Trilogy kits are sent out with the wrong wiring diagrams for the BAP?? My kit is #170, but this is the first I've heard of it. And a new PCV mod? Enlighten me please!

RacerX

08-05-2011, 05:47 AM

??? So you're saying that all the Trilogy kits are sent out with the wrong wiring diagrams for the BAP?? My kit is #170, but this is the first I've heard of it. And a new PCV mod? Enlighten me please!
YES. Dennis has a very nice documentary here with pretty little pics on all the neccessary changes: http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=71238

BigCars4Ever

08-05-2011, 08:03 PM

What's the advantage of an Aluminator over just a cobra block?

RacerX

08-06-2011, 12:21 PM

What's the advantage of an Aluminator over just a cobra block?
You can get an aluminator with the same flat top pistons as stock only they're forged. Cobra sb is a lower cr. Depends on what your end goal is. Low boost, go with high cr. High boost, dished pistons like on the 03/04 cobra block for much higher boost levels. Great for turbos esp. Cobra block also weighs 80lbs more because it's iron (fe). Then again, high boost, iron block, dished pistons... see where this is going? It's like Baskins Robbins! Lots of flavors. Depends on what your end game is. DD, weekly track star??? :beer:

GreekGod

08-06-2011, 12:25 PM

99SVT

08-06-2011, 01:36 PM

Yes, they both use Manley forged H-beam rods, the Aluminator uses ARP rod bolts, not sure what the Cobra uses for bolts, but I think it's the same.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/Darren5L/DSC00116.jpg

justbob

08-07-2011, 10:10 AM

Correct. ARP.

na svt

08-13-2011, 10:56 AM

You can get an aluminator with the same flat top pistons as stock only they're forged. Cobra sb is a lower cr. Depends on what your end goal is. Low boost, go with high cr. High boost, dished pistons like on the 03/04 cobra block for much higher boost levels. Great for turbos esp. Cobra block also weighs 80lbs more because it's iron (fe).
The stock piston has a 3cc dish, the aluminator piston does not.

The 8.5:1 compression engine will make about 50hp less than a stock engine at the same boost level. The torque also suffers and in a heavy automatic transmission car like a marauder the lower compression engine hurts driveability. Combining the extra 80lbs of the iron Cobra block with it's lower power doesn't make sense to me. So, go with higher compression and an aluminum block, especially if you plan to keep the boost low. Another thing that helps is advancing the intake cams about 10 degrees, this increases mid range power substantially and improves driveability (even on boosted cars).

GreekGod

08-13-2011, 11:58 AM

Taemian

08-25-2011, 05:25 PM

The stock piston has a 3cc dish, the aluminator piston does not.

The 8.5:1 compression engine will make about 50hp less than a stock engine at the same boost level. The torque also suffers and in a heavy automatic transmission car like a marauder the lower compression engine hurts driveability. Combining the extra 80lbs of the iron Cobra block with it's lower power doesn't make sense to me. So, go with higher compression and an aluminum block, especially if you plan to keep the boost low. Another thing that helps is advancing the intake cams about 10 degrees, this increases mid range power substantially and improves driveability (even on boosted cars).

So just to clarify, the stock MM piston has a 3cc dish? What would be the result of a piston with a 5cc dish?

na svt

08-25-2011, 06:21 PM

So just to clarify, the stock MM piston has a 3cc dish? What would be the result of a piston with a 5cc dish?
It lowers the CR .25

Taemian

08-26-2011, 04:28 PM

It lowers the CR .25

Thanks for the technical info. :beer: I can live with 9.75:1 and a stock Trilogy just fine.

Taemian

09-28-2011, 02:19 PM

I got a new engine w/SVT Cobra crank, but it has a 6 bolt flexplate, need 8 bolt.

Ford Canada/Jegs/Summit/TCI/...nobody has one.

Whole install is sitting waiting on a hoist for one to be found.

HELP?!??! Shop won't drill the other holes in original, either. Liability stuff.

Anyone?!

Captain Dynball

09-28-2011, 03:44 PM

na svt

09-28-2011, 03:52 PM

RacerX

09-28-2011, 05:15 PM

Hope that helps!

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?catalog=4&partnum=Z346&a=FR4-Z346-620322

That would need new holes drilled in it unfortunately. This was answered in his other thread. :beer:

Captain Dynball

09-28-2011, 05:29 PM

That would need new holes drilled in it unfortunately. This was answered in his other thread. :beer:
It's an 8 hole flexplate though! What other holes does it need? :banana2:

RacerX

09-28-2011, 05:46 PM

It's an 8 hole flexplate though! What other holes does it need? :banana2:
New holes need to go where the red circles are for a stock TC:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/579/medium/flywheel.jpg (javascript:;)

Here's where we matched up the stock flexplate to the new one (like you linked to) and drilled the new holes. This has to be very precise or it will cause potential vibration from engine to driveline.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/579/IMG_0501.JPG

Captain Dynball

10-03-2011, 01:44 PM

New holes need to go where the red circles are for a stock TC:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/579/medium/flywheel.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:;)

Here's where we matched up the stock flexplate to the new one (like you linked to) and drilled the new holes. This has to be very precise or it will cause potential vibration from engine to driveline.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/579/IMG_0501.JPG

Thanks, I will be dealing with this myself. Sometimes I think way to linear. :beer: