looking to do a budget engine build

[TOOLOW91]

yes i know budget and engine build dont really go hand in hand but i am looking to do a budget buildwith a set of heads and cam to wake my 93 up. my plans -

budget short block from lmr
gt40 x heads
cam ????
upper and lower ??

now my question lies with what cam should i go with i know a custom grind is ideal but paying my rent every month is more ideal im not lookng to break the bank lol would a tfs stage one work nice with this setup ? the setup is mainly for a fun street car that i daily as of this time with an occasional trip or two to the track. i am already planning on subframes and other odds and ends but im thinking i want to do the motor when tax time comes. any opinions id appriciate it . thanks guys

 

[NIKwoaC]

I always find it odd when people cut budget at the camshaft, when it's the cheapest part of the H/C/I, and it influences the manners of the engine the most. If the extra $100~200 is going to break the bank, I don't know how you can afford to build the engine period!

...And you don't have to go "full" custom to get a decent cam. You can call Comp and have them reccomend you an OTS camshaft for your application.

 

[TOOLOW91]

ok so comp does offer that service then , i read through the other thread you replied in which had some useful info, but that application wasnt the same as what i am looking to do.

i am a diesel mechanic and obviously a hobbiest but this would be my first engine build for a car obviously im doing it with new stuff on the cheaper and tamer side of things because, in any smart persons head my bills and life comes first but im not counting anyones pockets and neither should anyone else but that doesnt matter im just looking for advice on what anyone suggests even if its different heads matched with another cam that works well for a mild street setup

 

[2vNotch]

tsf stage 1 or any of fords sticks (b,e, or f303) they r all good cams....

 

[TOOLOW91]

went over to comps site like nik said and filled out a request sheet well see what happens.

 

[old_blue]

I guess I am over thinking this. Why a short block from LMR? Is it just a stock block? Are you able to build a short block yourself? Surely a local machine shop could short block your stocker cheaper than shipping and what not from LMR. That would free up some cash for a better cam, heads, intake etc. Food for thought.

 

[Rick 91GT]

If your looking at the Forged set-up I could set you up with something a little more custom and suited for your needs at a great price, if your looking at the cast piston, cast ring combo that $700 price is hard to beat.

If you need a top half the Trickflow kit is a great option and will save you money and make a lot more power then those "x" heads, give you room to grow as well. I have had great success with that kit and can custom put it together so I use what ever cam I want (shelf or one of my customs), swap out for the better heads or intake as well.

Cam is critical to squeezing the power out, it is key to making power. In many cases it is why you see 10 sec 347 combos, and 14 second 347 combos...all the parts have to work together.

 

[NIKwoaC]

tsf stage 1 or any of fords sticks (b,e, or f303) they r all good cams....

They were all good cams... 15 years ago. There is definitely better stuff out there now.

 

[Mintsick]

I was going to ask why a short block, is there something wrong with the stock setup that is in the car? If not I'd scratch that and focus on quality matching heads/intake/cam instead.

 

[TOOLOW91]

I'm unsure about the Miliage being correct to the motor it's a 93 with no hi torque starter all the gaskets have been gone through which makes me feel that the motor is old plus it had an 86 intake plaque on it . Also the motor uses oil about 1 time every 2 and a Half weeks had an oil level sensor leak and fixed that which is where I'm at it only using a bit of oil but I don't trust it plus I want to freshen the car up

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Unless your current short block is beat, I can't for the life of me understand why you would spend money replacing it. That additional $1,000 or so could go a long way to funding a nice H/C/I combination. And should you "have to" replace it....why are you again going with stock displacement shortblock? A 331/347 rotating assembly can be had now for as little as $880. Have the block machined and assembled locally and you've got a pretty stout foundation to start with for a few dollars more....before H/C/I even come into play. A 331/347ci short block will make a lot more power and torque than a plain old 302...and with less effort.

 

[TOOLOW91]

ford strokers has a nice diy deal for a forged 331 kit with a freshened block and all the bottom end stuff for 1899 sounds real nice

 

[NIKwoaC]

Skip the 331 and go right for the 347. Ask Woody, he'll tell you the same thing.

 

[S&B]

explorer motor, cam and re use everything else. all these other ideas are big bucks

 

[rbonella]

explorer motor, cam and re use everything else. all these other ideas are big bucks

Something to be said about this^^^
First off, I'd get a compression test on your current motor (pretty cheap) then go from there
In the real world of rent and other bills and time...the more work you do, the cheaper it will be.
Being a mechanic, you could pull your motor and swap in a explorer motor in a day if all goes well

 

[TOOLOW91]

Something to be said about this^^^
First off, I'd get a compression test on your current motor (pretty cheap) then go from there
In the real world of rent and other bills and time...the more work you do, the cheaper it will be.
Being a mechanic, you could pull your motor and swap in a explorer motor in a day if all goes well

the work end of it I'm not the slightest bit worries about I just want a stout street setup that's gonna
make the car enjoyable , what's the pros to the explorer motor besides the gt40 heads and intake ?

 

[Mintsick]

the work end of it I'm not the slightest bit worries about I just want a stout street setup that's gonna
make the car enjoyable , what's the pros to the explorer motor besides the gt40 heads and intake ?

You've mentioned the big ones, other than that if it's a nice running motor you solve any of the oil consumption issues with the current motor you've got in the car (hopefully) for not too much money (I've seen complete explorer gt40 setups for well under $1k with all accessories still attached to it). You could throw a bit of work at the gt40p's and throw a matching cam at it and have a fun street car that behaves like it's basically stock.

 

[TOOLOW91]

You've mentioned the big ones, other than that if it's a nice running motor you solve any of the oil consumption issues with the current motor you've got in the car (hopefully) for not too much money (I've seen complete explorer gt40 setups for well under $1k with all accessories still attached to it). You could throw a bit of work at the gt40p's and throw a matching cam at it and have a fun street car that behaves like it's basically stock.

deffintly something to consider , thanks for all the responses guys I have some time like I said once I no how much money I'm playing with then I will take it from there on a final desicion

 

[NIKwoaC]

I've been helping my neighbor do an Explorer swap, and while it's not terribly complicated, it's not exactly an overnight operation, either. Especially considering that no one in their right mind would run the stock Explorer cam, there is a fair amount of work involved. It may be cheaper to do an Explorer engine, but there is just as much, if not more, work involved with an Explorer swap than there is doing an HCI on a stock Mustang shortblock.

 

[2vNotch]

I second that motion!