Cams, headwork and track build

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by btwdriver, Jul 17, 2010.

  1. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    #1 btwdriver, Jul 17, 2010
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2010
    I have had some issues with my car overheating that I am pretty sure are head related. While I have the head off, it would seem a good time to have some head work done as well as install some Schrick cams. After much debate and research I decided on the 10mm lift 248 degree duration cams. Schrick makes 3 different sets of cams, 10.7mm lift with 248 deg, 10mm lift with 248 deg and 10mm lift with 252 deg. From what I have found the 10.7mm lift cams will require either a thicker head gasket or some piston work, to increase the clearance between the valves and the piston. I was also concerned about the more aggressive 252 deg cams causing interference with the pistons because of the longer duration so I opted for the 248 deg cams.

    Keith with Werkin Mini has been helping me with some of the research as well as the performance shop to do the head work, Endyn. Thanks Keith! This will be the first R56 head that Endyn has done.

    Here is where I am at so far:

    I decided to get off the fence and turn my car into a 100% dedicated track car (it's a 2007 R56 MCS). As such I removed the condenser as well as the compressor and associated AC tubing. Here is the car with the front end removed:

    [​IMG]

    Here are the stock cams and valve train:

    [​IMG]

    Here is the Vanos and Exhaust sprocket:

    [​IMG]

    Vanos close up:

    [​IMG]

    Exhaust sprocket close up:

    [​IMG]

    Pistons with a fair amount of carbon build-up:

    [​IMG]

    Piston close-up with head gasket in place:

    [​IMG]

    Piston close-up with head gasket removed, the N14 pistons have water jackets, I guess this is a requirement of a 10.5:1 compression ratio combined with 20psi of boost:

    [​IMG]

    Here is a wider shot:

    [​IMG]

    Here is the under side of the head, the exhaust side is on the top:

    [​IMG]
     
  2. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    The head is off the car and stripped down. I will be dropping it off at Endyn this coming week.

    Like most projects I have already run into a snag. The procedure for timing the engine is to place the cam blocks on, aligning the cams, and then put a pin in that holds the flywheel (sometimes referred to as a TDC pin). In the case of the N14 engine, it is not actually TDC, all the pistons are at 90 degrees.

    This would not be an issue but, I already have an OS Giken clutch and flywheel, and the flywheel doesn't have a hole in it so the bottom end can be locked. I made some marks by hand to re-align the crank but I know that will not be near accurate enough to get the timing correct for re-assembly. I am not sure what I am going to do about this problem yet (suggestions are welcome). If the timing was done with the #1 piston at TDC, I would probably just use a dial indicator to locate TDC. I don't think that will work for this engine though as the timing is set with all the pistons at 90 degrees. I thought about just being very careful as to not rotate the crank while the head is off. That process seems extremely flawed though, I doubt I can get the chain back on the sprockets and properly tensioned without running the risk of moving the crank. hmm....
     
  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    This should be very interesting.:Thumbsup:
     
  4. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

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    Can you see evidence of a gasket breach?
     
  5. mini_racer

    mini_racer Well-Known Member

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    1. Very adventurous of you to break new ground on N14 internal work. :cool:
    2. Research suggests the stock ECU does not like cam replacements, hopefully you will not be stuck in limp mode, requiring an after market ECU?
    3. Exactly as K has queried, what was the assignable cause of the overheating?
    4. Congrats on the track car!
     
  6. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    There were a couple of spots around #3 that looked suspicious, but nothing definitive. The stock head gasket is a multi layer gasket, and I literally mean multiple layers of metal gasket laying right on top of each other, so it could be leaking through any of the different layers. This is actually kind of what I expected. Because the car was only overheating under high boost levels, and street driving was fine, I was not expecting to find a smoking gun with respect to the head gasket.
     
  7. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    There are actually a couple of people that have done some of this work before. They have just not been very forth coming with what they did and what worked and didn't. Mostly in Europe. I have been researching the issues with aftermarket cams in an R56 and am just having to take a leap of faith in this area. That is some of the reason I decided to go with the least aggressive cam.

    I am not aware of any stand alone ECU that would be capable of running the MAP thermostat and the direct injection.
     
  8. Mike

    Mike New Member

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    R56 build thread! Nice, keep it coming.
     
  9. mini_racer

    mini_racer Well-Known Member

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    We are crossing our fingers for you. :Thumbsup:

    It will be great to see it out on the track when you have it all done.
     
  10. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    Perhaps I should list some of the pieces that are already on the car.

    TSW KW V2 Coilovers
    TSW End links
    TSW lower control arms
    TSW Camber plates
    TSW X-brace
    TCE Willwood Plus 4 brakes
    OS Giken Clutch
    OS Giken LSD
    DoS Intake
    Sneed Speed Oil Cooler
    Sparco Evo 2 Plus seats - Driver and Passenger
    Sparco wheel with Works Bell quick release hub
    Custom half cage
    Custom brake ducts
    AutoMeter boost gauge
    AutoMeter temp gauge
    AutoMeter oil pressure gauge
    AutoMeter Air/Fuel gauge
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Huh..... Looking down the cylinders, I've never seen an engine, where all the pistons seem to be at the same level. So is this unique to an engine where the pistons are at 90 degrees? I always thought this was not the way to design an engine.:confused5: Aren't most engines phased so vibrations are cancelled?
     
  12. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    #12 btwdriver, Jul 18, 2010
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2010
    They are not all traveling in the same direction. Some on the way up, some on the way down. They are also not on the same phase, i.e. intake, exhaust etc. They are just all passing through the same physical position.
     
  13. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Thanks!
     
  14. YesIFit

    YesIFit New Member

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    Damn ... good luck Brian. If it works out, that thing's going to be a friggin' MONSTER!
     
  15. JDinho

    JDinho New Member

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    Watching this thread with great anticipation, good luck!
     
  16. jiminni

    jiminni Well-Known Member

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    Very cool :Thumbsup: First time seen the internals of an R56. Like an earlier post, isn't the ECU the hold up in doing mods on the R56?
     
  17. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    The ECU is certainly very picky but I don't think enough people have done engine work to say that the ECU is the sole hang up. If we were talking about slapping a huge turbo on here then yes I would say that is the issue.

    I will make sure I keep everyone updated as the whole project unfolds.
     
  18. Rally

    Rally New Member
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    Awesome work so far. I'm definitely following this.

    If you ever get a chance and are working on the bottom end, I'd love to see what it's like inside the oil pan and what the pickup looks like. I've always been curious if there's room to shorten the pan a bit.
     
  19. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    No offense, but I am hoping that I will not be taking apart the bottom end. That would mean that something has gone more than a little wrong.

    In the event that happens, I will be sure to snap some pictures and take some measurements for you. I know how you are with your quest of going lower and lower. :)
     
  20. btwdriver

    btwdriver New Member

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    I dropped off the head to Endyn today. I spoke with Larry at length, super nice guy by the way, he is going to start looking at the head and formulating a plan.
     

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