Phase II
This is were the bulk of the modifications came. My father and I pulled the engine from the car to
perform these modifications. I will start out
with a description of the short block. We
installed Crower sportsman connecting rods and new factory forged pistons. I have heard
that they are good for 400 HP. The crankshaft
(rotating assembly) was balanced and secured with ARP main studs.
Next we focused our attention on the cylinder head. The head was machined to accept stainless steel -
1.89” intake and 1.59” exhaust valves. To
save some money, we cleaned up the ports ourselves. The
factory valve springs were then replaced with dual valve springs and the associated
hardware. The Motorsport cam was then
reinstalled with an adjustable cam gear. The head was then secured to the block with ARP
studs.
On the intake side, I purchased a manifold (upper and lower) from a
1988 Turbo coupe at a local junkyard. I heard
that the 87-88 intakes flowed better than my 86’s.
The intake (upper and lower) was sent to Extrudehone for polishing. Upon their return, the lower unit was port matched
to the cylinder head. To make the intake
work, we needed to use the valve cover from the 88’ Turbo coupe (the new intake is
shorter). The factory throttle body was then
reinstalled. To provide spark, a Crane Hi-6 ignition box and PS92 coil were
installed.
On the exhaust side, the factory cast iron manifold was scraped in
favor of a tubular stainless steel header. Attached
to the header is a Stage III turbocharger from Turbonetics.
The turbo has a Super V compressor wheel and I believe a .63 exhaust
housing. The exhaust exists through a
mandrel bent 3” down pipe and custom exhaust. The
charged air is chilled via a Spearco front mounted intercooler designed for the SVO
Mustang.
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