I started by sending my heads and intake manifold to Tim at Sonny's Custom Automotive here in Pensacola. He started off by pressure testing the heads to ensure that no major damage was done to the casting. Thankfully, there was none, they could go on with the head work. Tim redid the port work on the exhaust side of the heads. At my request the exhaust ports were openned up to just shy of 1 5/8", which is the size of my header primaries. Next, the intake manifold was treated to some gasket matching, to aid in flow into the heads. Lastly, Tim added the 1.84"/1.60" oversized valves that I purchased from Paul at PRJ Performance and a competion valve job to increase flow. These valves are a one-piece design (compared to the 3800 Series II two-piece design) which greatly increases strength of the valve, and also feature a swirl design to increase flow. Click HERE to see my new Ported and Polished Heads page for more information and pictures.
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While waiting on the heads, I ordered a set of the new Comp Cams Hydraulic Roller Lifters from 3800 Performance, which are designed as an OEM replacement, but with an increase in internal preload to prevent the lifter from bleeding off. This is the proper way to keep the lifter "pumped up" at high RPM's to prevent valve float. With this in mind, I decided to exchange the INTENSE Oil-Restricted pushrods that I had ordered with a set of INTENSE Lightweight pushrods. These pushrods are approximately 25% lighter than the stock set, further aiding in reducing valve float and increasing horsepower.
To hold the motor together, I looked to INTENSE again, for their full assortment of APR fasteners and bolts. I bought a Head Stud Kit and Connecting Rod Bolt Set; these provide for easier gasket and head alignment during reassembly, more accurate and consistent torque loading, and increase reliability under high-load applications. All of which equals more reliable power.
Finally, since the transaxle was out of the car, I decided to install the INTENSE Limited Slip Differential that I've had lying around for quite some time. The installation was a breeze with the transaxle out of the car: I simply removed the halfshaft from the tranny and pushed it into the differential then assembled the other parts as usual. Everything went together correctly, with no gap between the transaxle and the extention housing. My goal now is to pull a sub-2.0 second 60' on street tires.
These mods, when combined with the 3.0" pulley I recently received should put me deeper into the 8's. Stay tuned early next month for updated track times and dyno figures!!!
