Does Engine type matter if going for big numbers (NA, Gas, Turbo etc)

[FGXTaxes]

As above, if going for say 600kw does it matter if you start with a turbo motor or NA etc? My understanding is that as you push for big numbers the valve springs/conrods/pistons will need to be upgraded regardless, so is there any disadvantage starting with a short block NA motor and building it up? Additionally, how would you test the viability of a standalone motor prior to sale? Compression test? Visual inspection?

 

Cheers guys

[Puffwagon]

You should start with a pre FG na engine but as late as possible. Reason for this is the better vct control and also the shape of the BF head is better than the FG for boost. Don't start with a BA engine as the vct is sh*te. With the price of a turbo engine they are essentially worthless now, not only are they all flogged out but you can build an engine for around the same price. You will need to get a set of aftermarket valves for an na engine but this is still a lot cheaper than buying a turbo engine from the outset.

 

Things you can do presale is to make sure the engine spins over, if there's oil in it still pull the dipstick and check for water mixed in the oil, have a look under the rocker cover to make sure it isn't rusted to sh*t and check for cracks or holes in the block, around the engine mount locations etc. No point doing a comp test as it will be fully rebuilt.

[Puffwagon]

One thing to look out for is dipstick location for your particular build, there are blocks that have both holes with one blocked, but some have only one hole.

[FGXTaxes]

Interesting to note, but may I ask the relevance? Your other comment had some awesome information too so cheers for taking the time to reply Puffwagon. I'd probably do a new head at some point, I suppose the question can best be surmised as what is the most cost effective route for big numbers assuming minimal labour costs. 

 

Planning on buying a NA Barra Motor as a little project, buying a rebuild kit and doing it myself in tandem with the HP academy Engine Building course. Bit of fun to expand my current knowledge and then in a year or two I'd look at swapping the motor into my FG-X Cab Chassis Ute.

 

How would you go about it?

[Puffwagon]

Dipstick location will be relevant for the intake manifold you run and the vehicle the engine goes in. Bf style is located at the front, FG style is located at the rear, some have both. End of the day it's not absolutely crucial because you can find a way to secure the dipstick fairly easily, whether at the front or rear.

 

Worth a mention here is the sump hump location, which is directly tied to dipstick location and it'll be necessary to use the correct one for the vehicle. In your case you want the rear sump style which would mean using an FG engine as a base, or at least using the sump, windage tray and oil pickup tube from your current engine. It is fine to use the FG style head for that power level, it's just not ideal for going apesh*t with power.

 

How I would do it is buy a BF engine but I'd use all of my fgx lower sump section as mentioned, along with rocker cover, coils, accessories and engine mounts etc. This might not be the best thing for you to do, because it'll mean having a bit more work to do before the new engine gets dropped in.

 

Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list but it's relevant to the questions being asked. Cost effective is building an na engine but you should still budget around 12k for parts and machine work for bottom end and head work.

 

600kw is a comfortable level for a built barra to live at, head choice is less critical here.

[HI PSI]

Ensure that you have the block sonic tested before you start any machine work. The thinnest bore sections are between no.1 and 2 cylinder,  but check all bores  in all 4 quadrants. Some show good thickness 0.120" then go to 0.060 in an instant, then revert straight back to 0120".  To give you an idea, I went through 4 block to get one good one.

 

We even went as far as to offset bore my block to ensure maximum thickness...