dtfastbear

I promised the next video would be of the car on the dyno, and here it is...

Very first pull on the Mustang dyno was 290 HP and 332 LB/FT. We only ran it up to 4800rpm. The AF plot looked a little lean, so we didn't do more pulls. We didn't have O2 sensors hooked up, so we're going to wait until it is all put together to REALLY run it...

http://vimeo.com/9437902

Sounds INCREDIBLE!

dtfastbear

13 months to the day later, and I finally drove the car tonite!

It's not remotely street legal, so I had to be "discreet" and just made a couple passes up and down the street, but the car seems incredible. I lit up the tires with no problem in 3rd gear when the power really came on around 4k. Wow!

I'll post some pics tomorrow from the detail work as we finished up the car. It's out for paint tomorrow, and I'm taking it to the track for the first time in two weeks. I absolutely can't wait!

The car weighs 2550 with driver and the weight on the front (with only about 4 gallons of gas in the car) is 53.7%, which is a lot more than I was hoping for.

Watch for pics tomorrow and video from the track in two weeks.

Cheers,

Dean

badboyz31

iTrader: (3)

LS Miata FTMFW!

lca1971

Sweet...................

dtfastbear

So close now!

dtfastbear

It finally happened! We ran the car for the first time other than driving it in and out of the shop yesterday. We had essentially ZERO problems and were able to run the car hard right out of the box and all day long. There were two pinhole leaks in the welds in the modified oil pan, but those will be easy to fix. I ran a 1:49 in my 3rd session at Infineon which is 5-7 seconds faster than the normal winning spec miata time at that track. Enjoy the video...

http://www.vimeo.com/10494561

Cheers,

Dean

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Congrats on the succuess of the build. Of course you ran faster than the spec Miata, what did you expect? At least you didn't go on about how many Vettes or Porsche's you passed; always a driver issue & rarely relates to the car. Thought this car was being built for a chick driver? Was she driving? Keep close tabs on oil temps. Oil temps & slow top end oil drain back are LSX engine killers @ the track. Nice job.

Please don't miss-costrue any of my comments as hatin' on the build. I think that all cars, especially conversions are awesome. Am just a little sour about how many "new" Miata conversion companies have popped up over the past few years & the poor attitude of some their owners. Spent several months giving detailed information to an owner of a current LSX conversion kit company thinking that he was just a guy trying to build his dream car. He never revealed that he was part of a company that was developing an LSX swap kit. Not that there's any big secret involved in the conversion, but, that kind of thing should be done on one's own, not from others; especially, without revealing your intentions.

There was a time when owning an LSX powered Miata was something different. Now there's one in every other garage, seems like. Of course giving props to Monster Miata's, Ford powered, of which were first. They were first, but, they sure are slow.... I also give a World of respect to Martin @ V8Miata, started shortly after Monster Miata & still going strong. His Ford conversion kit has been around longer than my LSX NB build.

dtfastbear

An oil cooler, accusump and oil temp gauge are going in the car before I run it again. Thanks for the advice - it's something I'll watch closely. What's the "safe range" for oil temp on the track for sustained running?

Yes, "the chick" (AKA my wife, Laura) did drive the car yesterday. Her video is going up on vimeo as we speak.

Of course I expected to faster than the spec miatas (and I was only comparing to my own times in a spec miata) but I wasn't sure by how much. More power, but 200 lbs more and a different front/rear balance. I was happy with a 5 second difference on this track for my very first outing.

No politics with this build related to any conversion companies, just trying to build a fun race car based on a chassis I have experience with. And while there might be a v8 miata in every garage *somewhere*, this is definitely the first v8 miata race car in my neck of the woods, and folks seem genuinely interested in it.

And for completeness - I DID pass a lot of Porsches and Corvettes And they all stopped by in the paddock for a look at the car and a laugh. They seemed to love it.

I'll keep posting as we develop the car.

Cheers,

Dean

Mustang605

iTrader: (13)

love the ls1/import build

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Oil pressure gauge as well. You need to use 15W-50 @ the road course because of the heat, then you can run safely up to 260-280F. Guaranteed, you've already reached 300F on your run without a cooler. It won't run 260-280F without a cooler (you mentioned that there will be one). Accusump will help, but, also do the lifter tray drill mod next time the heads are pulled. It will allow the oil to drain back sooner; oil doesn't have to fill the whole tray before overflowing to the pan, oil will drain through the holes added. (2) 1/2" holes, side by side, on the exhaust side, lower side of the tray (side closest to you when standing in front of the head, @ the side of the engine). This really does work, regardless of what some may say.

No politics intended, was explaining the tone of some of the statements made, that's all.

Happy to hear that your Wife did indeed have a chance to enjoy the car (didn't know it was for your wife, thought she was a shop client).

dtfastbear

Thanks for all the detailed info. We've already got an oil pressure gauge - it's in the cluster behind the steering wheel - along with the tach and water temp. Oil temp may replace water temp on the cluster if that's likely to be the more "important" to watch. I'll put water temp in the center console. The water temp never went above 180 the whole day, which I thought was good.

I'm thinking of pulling the motor and having a buddy with a lot of engine building experience go through the motor, so we could do the tray drill mod, then.

I've been wondering about which oil viscosity to run. So 15-50? Done.

Yeah - my wife is as into racing and driving as me, and she LOVED the car. It's going to take her longer to work up to the faster speeds, but she'll get there.

Cheers,

Dean

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Water temps are good to know in protecting the heads & the piston rings against high temps. You'll be surprised when the water temps read 180F & the oils @ 250F. Although, I'd expect the water to be above 200F on the road course. Yah, 15W-50 because of the high oil temps. 5W-30's are designed to produce a 70 SUS viscocity @ 100C or 212F, street oil temps. The viscocity is too low @ 250F where as a 15 or 20W-50 is right in the sweet spot of 70 SUS @ 250-260F. Just don't use the 50 on the street. It won't get hot enough & will be too thick.

Looks like your family will have alot of fun w/ the car. Best of luck to you.

dtfastbear

Got to run the car at a test day at Thunderhill on Thursday. Turns out that it's a good thing that I got both the oil cooler and accusump installed earlier in the week.

I ran 4 sessions between 20-25 minutes each, and ran hard the entire time. It was in the high 60's or low 70's ambient. I was running NAPA brand 15-40 (not synthetic) and with accusump and oil cooler, the oil capacity is now up to just over 9 qts!

The water temp would peg itself between 185 and 195 - the higher end when I was really pushing and the lower end as soon as I'd let up even the slightest bit.

The oil temps stayed at 210 during my first few sessions. In the afternoon when it was a little warmer ambient and I was learning the car and pushing harder, the temp would climb to just under 230. But, it never went over that.

I have a very, very small setrab oil cooler right now. It's intended for diffs/trannys or very small street engines. I think I'll upgrade to a unit about twice as big, and I believe that will then keep the oil temps in a manageable range, even when I'm racing when it's 100 degrees ambient at Thunderhill.

Any thoughts/suggestions? Do those temps seem about right for the track?

Cheers,

Dean

dtfastbear

And I totally forgot to add... when I would go through T2, a very long 4th gear 180 degree flat left hander, the oil pressure would drop from 50psi right down to 25psi - the pressure of my accusump pressure-switch.

So, while I haven't wired up the little light to see when the accusump is open/active, I have to imagine that little 3qt tube was saving my motor every time through T2.

For the record, I also have an Improved Racing baffle in the pan.

Cheers,

Dean

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

I'm suprised by the pressure drop. Although, the lifter cup drill mod will help. If you're never above 230*F oil temp, then the 15W-40 you mentioned is fine. Since 9 qts, I'd even go 6 qts 15W-40 & 3 quarts 5 or 0W-30. If 250F & over then the 15W-50 noted earlier is best.

I've never been that low in oil or water temps while on the track. Don't really know how you are doing it. Are your temp sensors in the block & head or in external lines? My coolers are huge & I use hood vents to extract heat. What is your average RPM?

dtfastbear

Oil temp is taken off the Lingenfelter adapter block, so that is right as it comes out of the block. Water temp is coming off the block, also, with one of the stock locations.

I am having a strange "lay down" in the motor from about 5,400 to 5,600 rpms, so about half the time I've been shifting at 5,400. So, I'm not running the motor REALLY hard.

Think that's the difference?

Thanks again for the oil info and mod advice. I'm going to get the engine out soon to do rod and main bearings, just as preventive maintenance. I'll to do the lifter cup drill mod then.

Cheers,

Dean

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Could be, depends on how long you are say between 3500 & 5600 RPM. Whatever it is, you are getting great results.

owen v8litew8

for an oil cooler you could run the stock FC RX7 unit thats all aluminum and I think there is a thermostat in there you can use or opt to remove. its a high quality unit and nice for your application I would think.

EPIC build in that you are dedicated to track use and for your wife as well, great pics and progress on the whole thing, glad to hear youve hooned it around tracks and love every minute of it.

yeah that drill mod in the lifter trays is a good thing!!!

love your car, its a real beast!