Build a better BOSS Engine

[pufferfish]

Well, for those who have followed my trials and tribulations, you know what this is all about. For those who don't...GT engine dead, warranty denied, new engine needed.

I have decided to build the motor I should have had to start with...a BOSS...but with a few upgrades. Power isn't the main focus, its all about keeping it going for the long haul and doing so within a budget.

So, reluctantly, I decided to give Ford my money yet again as every other option prices me right out of my budget. I have $10k total to work with. Seems like a lot, but that's paying for the dealer's labor to disassemble my broken engine and to put the new one back in, as well as all the belts, hoses, nuts, bolts and service replacement parts...as well as that engine.

I am going to attempt to document along the way, just what it takes to DIY build a BOSS engine. Its not generally easy to self-document an engine build, but I will do my best.

STEP 1: The recipe
-all the engine parts for the long block (block, rotating assembly, heads, cams, chains, etc)
-arp head studs
-cometic head gaskets
-moroso road race oil pan
-boss oil-water cooler
-cj high rpm pulse ring
-moroso oil separator canister
-mishimoto 3 core radiator
-boss high rpm alternator kit
-mmr head cooling mod
-mmr billet oil pump gearset
-granatelli coil packs
-spec stage 1 clutch (good clamping, but very streetable for city traffic)
-spec aluminum flywheel
-LS gauge pod filled with 2 aeroforce gauges, analog oil pressure and oil temp sensors and the ford performance meter to fill the 3rd hole

STEP 2: Spend a lot of money!

STEP 3: Christmas in August!
A pallet of Ford Racing hardware arrived:

Boss heads are just so pretty!

I also received the parts from MMR (which includes the Moroso stuff) and the Aeroforce gauges. Sorry, No eye candy of that stuff yet.

I am still waiting for the OE Ford parts and the rest of the aftermarket stuff. I should have them all in the next week or so.

STEP 4: Bearing selection and measuring
Ford made this a lot easier than standard engine builds. The block journals are pre-measured and coded onto the block. The crank main journals are the same. Ford has a chart that deciphers those codes to tell you which main bearing (grade 1, 2 or 3) to use at each journal. The rod bearings are a single, standard size. The bearings were ordered on Friday. Once they come in, I will start the shortblock assembly. With this plug and play parts selection, I can save the step of doing a full blueprint. I will, however, still double check tolerances with plastigage. Stay tuned for the rest of the measuring process!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Send back anything that says Granatelli on it

 

[Senderofan]

Send back anything that says Granatelli on it

Yeah....read a thread on another site regarding aftermarket coil packs. Seems that the OEM's are very hard to beat...in terms of service life and output. Not sure the extra $$$ for the aftermarkets will pay off in the long run.

 

[NewBossowner]

Not sure what the engine parts added up to but I think I would have chosen a forged long block from ford as my baseline.

 

[VTBoss302]

Well, for those who have followed my trials and tribulations, you know what this is all about.

I'm assuming you top it off with a custom tune???

 

[pufferfish]

Aluminator is $8500. Most aftermarket forged long blocks are the same or more expensive. I have $2k of labor to pay for, so that blows the $10k budget instantly and without the any of the other parts necessary or desirable for the build.

I am reusing my timing cover, oil pump housing and rear main seal cover. Everything else is trashed, so the remaining parts in boss form to assemble the long block is about $5200. The rotating assembly is $1100 and doesnt need to be balanced, vs $2000 for most aftermarket rotating assemblies plus balancing. The semi-forged boss internals was a no brainer!

I have read a lot about all the aftermarket coil issues. i am approaching it cautiously, but can see the possible reduction of high rpm misfire issues in a higher spark energy. I do plan on NOT reinstalling the coil covers to help with the coil overheating issue. Stock coil packs swap in easily, so aside from the added expense, it's a low risk upgrade I can return if they don't work.

I will, of course, need to run a tune...which has been on my car for a while via SCT and bama tune. I spoke with them about a retune for the different cams and head flow. I do believe at a point after break-in, I will get a dyno tune to make sure everything is optimized, but safe for race duty.

 

[Brandon302]

Are you also looking at doing an oil cooler, seems to be another good options for saving the valve springs and making sure your oil doesn't get too hot.

 

[Hermit]

My experience with racing engines is in Lemons, which is to say, crap that doesn't belong anywhere near a track. To keep that stuff alive, heat management is the biggest thing of all. I'm thinking shoe horn the biggest radiator you can into the front, and as much oil cooling capacity you can as well. Assuming all your mechanical bits are all happy and stay together throughout the rev range, keeping them as cool as possible will be your best bet for longevity.

 

[Grant 302]

Send back anything that says Granatelli on it

This.

Are you also looking at doing an oil cooler, seems to be another good options for saving the valve springs and making sure your oil doesn't get too hot.

And this.

Check the clearance and bind of your valve springs if you can.

 

[pufferfish]

The boss oil cooler is aready here. I will have to defer the air to oil cooler, since I refuse to pay $1200 for $500 in parts. So I will probably add a DIY kit sometime after getting the car back from the dealer.

 

[Brandon302]

The boss oil cooler is aready here. I will have to defer the air to oil cooler, since I refuse to pay $1200 for $500 in parts. So I will probably add a DIY kit sometime after getting the car back from the dealer.

Let me know what you work up for the oil cooler. I would love to have one but the FRPP kit is at a ridiculous price.

 

[steveespo]

Let me know what you work up for the oil cooler. I would love to have one but the FRPP kit is at a ridiculous price.

Try this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SETRAB-OIL-COOLER-PN-934-34-ROW-PN-509347612-IN-STOCK-/290888355941
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SETRAB-MOUNTING-BRACKET-FOR-OIL-COOLER-P-N-23-9002-/290692071451?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43ae99001b&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALUMINUM-BLUE-M20-OIL-FILTER-GAUGE-FILTER-SANDWICH-COOLER-ADAPTER-PLATE-KIT-/231026644126?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3AMustang&hash=item35ca42d49e&vxp=mtr
Buy some Aeroquip -10 braided hose and 2 straight -10AN fittings and 2 30 degree -10AN fitting and you have yourself an oil cooler setup for half the price. A little skill at making the hoses and mounting the bracket is all you need. Skill level is about a 4 on a 1-10 scale.
Steve

 

[Brandon302]

Try this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SETRAB-OIL-COOLER-PN-934-34-ROW-PN-509347612-IN-STOCK-/290888355941
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SETRAB-MOUNTING-BRACKET-FOR-OIL-COOLER-P-N-23-9002-/290692071451?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43ae99001b&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALUMINUM-BLUE-M20-OIL-FILTER-GAUGE-FILTER-SANDWICH-COOLER-ADAPTER-PLATE-KIT-/231026644126?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3AMustang&hash=item35ca42d49e&vxp=mtr
Buy some Aeroquip -10 braided hose and 2 straight -10AN fittings and 2 30 degree -10AN fitting and you have yourself an oil cooler setup for half the price. A little skill at making the hoses and mounting the bracket is all you need. Skill level is about a 4 on a 1-10 scale.
Steve

Thanks, great info as always Steve.

 

[NewBossowner]

Aluminator is $8500. Most aftermarket forged long blocks are the same or more expensive. I have $2k of labor to pay for, so that blows the $10k budget instantly and without the any of the other parts necessary or desirable for the build.

I am reusing my timing cover, oil pump housing and rear main seal cover. Everything else is trashed, so the remaining parts in boss form to assemble the long block is about $5200. The rotating assembly is $1100 and doesnt need to be balanced, vs $2000 for most aftermarket rotating assemblies plus balancing. The semi-forged boss internals was a no brainer!

Understand the budget completely. I was just curious about choices. I was referring to this though, not the aluminator.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-6007-m50s/overview/

I am watching and taking notes as to what you are adding and changing. Good stuff, should be a beast when your done.

 

[pufferfish]

Just an FYI ( I only know because I researched exhaustively before my decision) that engine is not the boss engine as shown, it is a factory gt engine (not forged) with certification stickers at all the disassembly points so the techs can easliy identify if the motor was messed with.

 

[Theviking]

STEP 1: The recipe
-all the engine parts for the long block (block, rotating assembly, heads, cams, chains, etc)

Just trying to follow along here. Were the heads bare or partially/fully assembled and what did you pay for the components (if you don't mind me asking)? Also agree on the Granatelli comment, he's a snake/ con artist and I wouldn't trust buying a pencil from him.

 

[captdistraction]

Good luck, what rotating assembly are you using? The build sounds like my motor, should be a screamer!

(outside that GMS crap. Couldn't pay me enough to use any of JR's filth, sorry for the strong but honest opinion).

 

[pufferfish]

Just trying to follow along here. Were the heads bear or partially/fully assembled and what did you pay for the components (if you don't mind me asking)?

heads come assembled (except for cams, lash adjusters and followers). heads were $1100 each from Tousley, which is THE best deal you will find. If my heads weren't trashed, I would have opted to have MMR do a stage 2 port job for $850 (for the pair!) and have them reassembled with boss springs for another $80. I was really hoping the heads were ok, but I learned that the cams ride in a finished bore of the casting, so when they galled, the heads were toast. I called a few places and got the same answer, once those bores are compromised, there is no current method of repairing them.

 

[captdistraction]

Yeah I was surprised about that too. I wonder why they can't develop a bearing that could be machined in.

Some Audi heads are similar in that regard, cams just ride on a machine finished bore

 

[NewBossowner]

Just an FYI ( I only know because I researched exhaustively before my decision) that engine is not the boss engine as shown, it is a factory gt engine (not forged) with certification stickers at all the disassembly points so the techs can easliy identify if the motor was messed with.

OK, must be different than the one ford lists. I checked the ford site and it said it had forged internals. The one your building looks like it has all the good parts. Should be wicked when its all done. Are you going to get it dynod when you finish it?