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S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

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Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
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Tell me about it!! My Engine has been in the shop for over 7 month!!! We have been on some kind of lock down for so long that it feels strange to leave the house. Looking forward to hearing how your car works out.
 

Fabman

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Tell me about it!! My Engine has been in the shop for over 7 month!!! We have been on some kind of lock down for so long that it feels strange to leave the house. Looking forward to hearing how your car works out.
Yeah, we got that crap here too. This year is going to be a total loss I'm afraid. So much for the new decade.
 

Fabman

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Fabman

Updates to the rear suspension? Camber?? If its a watts link.....dont tell Blacksheep1.
It’s been a watts link/torque arm for a long time. Just doing spring/bar/roll center tweaks to compliment the new front roll couple. Since I no longer have all that HP on tap I won’t have to work so hard to maintain forward bite so that frees me up to shift balance more forward.
A cambered rear would be nice but not in the budget right now. I may do that or an IRS at some point, but that day is not today.
 

Fabman

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Well, it’s not beautiful but it should be effective.

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I'm also considering changing the trans. I have a Tremec Magnum XL 2.97 low gear trans.
I want to either purchase a new 2.66 Low gear trans or have my trans modified to change the ratios.
Not sure which way I'm going to go as my trans is still basically brand new. Probably had less than 500 miles on it.
Kind of rubs me the wrong way to spend a bunch of money on it swapping out gears when its not that much more to just buy a damn new one. If someone wanted to buy mine I would be willing to sell it, I just can't see throwing the guts away from a brand new transmission.

As far as the new setup goes, yes it will be a whole new car, the rear is getting some setup changes as well so I am basically jacking up the body and sliding a new car underneath it. I'd like to get it out ASAP but virtually nothing has happened in within the timing I would like. Lots and lots of waiting on other people/vendors. So we'll see what happens.

What would end up letting the current magnum xl go for, ball park?
 

Fabman

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Fabman

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I also have a Mc Leod RXT twin disc clutch and Aluminum flywheel with the same roughly 500 miles on it.
 

Fabman

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Blast you pool and landscaping!! Why must you be purchased and being installed now!. .. lol I am sure someone will jump on that sweet deal as soon as you post it.
I was just thinking out loud....but now that I hear myself saying it, I think I will. ;)
 

Fabman

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Powder coating is done, time to start looking at assembly.
The motor still has to go to Shaun at AED for inspection and have a few parts installed and were good to go.
Progress. :p

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Fabman

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Well the motor goes to Shaun on Saturday so I whipped up a quick little shipping stand for the trip.
Every time I make one of these it somehow ends up on somebody's motor and I never see it again. Hmmm.

117426045_10158711836193535_8901231870953447395_n.jpg

I ordered a close ratio Magnum XL and Exedy Hyper single clutch. I no longer have the power level I had (by quite some measure) so I'm trying to free up as much HP as possible with little things like super good crank scrapers, a really good pan, Electric Water pump, e85, reduced number of serpentine pulleys....all tiny gains individually but gains just the same. The only internal engine mod beyond the oil pump, scrapers, crank gear and boss tensioners will be a set of "Intake only" Cams. Stock lift and just a few more degrees of duration and stock exhaust cams. Shaun designed these cams for L&M and says they are the only cams for the Coyote that don't hurt the low end and midrange performance in favor of more top end. The peak power number won't be as high but it should be a more usable powerband. A Cobra jet intake and 1 3/4" ARH headers will round out the package. I'm excited to see what this thing makes, and even more excited to see how it drives with all the changes that I've made since I ran it last.

Stay tuned.
 

Fabman

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IMG_9447.jpg
 

Ludachris

Chris
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Well the motor goes to Shaun on Saturday so I whipped up a quick little shipping stand for the trip.
Every time I make one of these it somehow ends up on somebody's motor and I never see it again. Hmmm.

View attachment 57544

I ordered a close ratio Magnum XL and Exedy Hyper single clutch. I no longer have the power level I had (by quite some measure) so I'm trying to free up as much HP as possible with little things like super good crank scrapers, a really good pan, Electric Water pump, e85, reduced number of serpentine pulleys....all tiny gains individually but gains just the same. The only internal engine mod beyond the oil pump, scrapers, crank gear and boss tensioners will be a set of "Intake only" Cams. Stock lift and just a few more degrees of duration and stock exhaust cams. Shaun designed these cams for L&M and says they are the only cams for the Coyote that don't hurt the low end and midrange performance in favor of more top end. The peak power number won't be as high but it should be a more usable powerband. A Cobra jet intake and 1 3/4" ARH headers will round out the package. I'm excited to see what this thing makes, and even more excited to see how it drives with all the changes that I've made since I ran it last.

Stay tuned.
That's a nice looking engine stand, I can see why you have extended "borrow" times.
 

Fabman

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That's a nice looking engine stand, I can see why you have extended "borrow" times.
Whats funny is, my very first fabricated product for sale was engine stands like these (mostly for SB Chevy) way back in the 80's and I sold a ton of them. Here I am all these decades later and I'm still making them....lol.
 

Fabman

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This one seems to make good power.


Stock Gen 2 Coyote with a ported Boss intake and long tubes.
468 RWHP/400RWT

 
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Fabman

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These are the K Member attachment box stiffeners I made.
I was originally going to weld them in but they worked so well I went ahead and remade them from 1/8" aluminum and powder coated them with the rest of the gear to match. The weight difference was worth the extra work.
You can see how nicely they nest up there and look like part of the K Member.

Yeah, I'm just getting started hanging this stuff on here....more to follow.

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Fabman

Dances with Racecars
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IMG_9518.jpgIMG_9519.jpg
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
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