3500 LX9 build with Milzy Motorsports parts

[dbral]

Putting together a MMS Stage 2 LX9 along with some additional parts.
-MMS fully optioned headers
-MMS stage 2 kit
-New 36lb/hr injectors
-Custom MMS pushrods
-New lifters with LS internals
-Internal crank trigger
-Double roller timing chain
-MMS milled timing cover for DRTC + powdercoat + clearance for head stud option
-MMS cold air intake
-MMS N-body swap kit
-MMS modified heater tube
-MMS EGR delete kit
-MMS billet trans mount
-MMS engine mount
-MMS Powdercoating and stainless bolt options
-MSD 8mm wires
-Spark plugs that are 2 heat ranges colder
-68mm MMS throttle body

[dbral]

Found a low mileage 3500 from a wrecked G6. Had the crankshaft sent out to have the snout machined for the DRTC gear. Crank appears to be one of the 7484 steel ones? Installed the 7X reluctor wheel at home. Instructions say that you have several seconds to line up your marks once the wheel is heated and is in position but our experience was roughly 2 seconds to work with. Next on the agenda is to clearance the block for the DRTC and verify proper preload once the lifters arrive.

[jawa]

What power numbers are you looking to get

[dbral]

MMS claims around 300 at the flywheel. Trying to get the car to run 14 seconds or so in the quarter mile.

[tw0123]

Do you have all the parts from him yet? There's some people waiting years for parts...

[dbral]

No, I do not have all of the parts yet. It is going on 3 years now.....

[[ion] C2]

✓ Early 2000s website
✓ No inventory or "in stock" indication on any product
✓ Needs a page like this: https://www.milzymotorsports.com/com...ion-guidelines
✓ Lawsuit http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91237

Tells me everything I need to know.

[dbral]

Clearanced for the double roller timing chain by removing some metal from the block near the main journal and screwing in the upper oil galley plugs a 1/4 turn or so and then lightly grinding the tops of the plugs as well. Thinking of not running the stock chain guide with this set-up as the double roller overhangs the guide quite a bit and the chain is surprisingly tight without it. Someone let me know if I missed clearancing anything or if I should run the stock guide.
Cleaned up the gasket surfaces, blew out all of the oil passages, and ran a tap through all of the threaded holes then drenched the block in oil and covered it back up. Will send the block out for hot tanking and cam bearings when the rest of the MMS parts arrive. Unable to find quality aftermarket pistons for the LX9 so I am planning on reusing the old ones with new rings and deglazing the cylinders. Would like to install new pistons but all that I can find are the cheap DNJ ones or the forged ones that may take years to make.

[dbral]

✓ Early 2000s website
✓ No inventory or "in stock" indication on any product
✓ Needs a page like this: https://www.milzymotorsports.com/com...ion-guidelines
✓ Lawsuit http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91237

Tells me everything I need to know.

If MMS was upfront and honest about their lead times during the ordering process I would not have a single complaint. To this day, I have no idea when the rest of the parts will arrive.
Communicated briefly with wottech a few months ago. They have a pretty interesting budget high compression build using our 3400 engine with pistons from the 3.4 DOHC and some other cool stuff. Probably could pull it off for 3k or so. Would be interesting to see if wottechs cheapo build would outrun an 8k MMS engine. They have all the stuff on the shelf too.....

[dbral]

To get the .055" clearance required for the chain it was necessary to clearance the block saddle roughly even with the bearing insert. Could not find any pics of this chain installed on a 3500. Pics of the 3400 installs looks like the block was not clearanced in this area at all...
Surprisingly, the MMS custom pushrods are quite a bit heavier than the stock ones. MMS pushrods weigh in at 44 grams for the long ones and 42 grams for the short ones. The stock pushrods are 39 grams for the long ones and 36 grams for the short ones. This is contrary to the MMS website's claim that they are lighter than stock and will help prevent float at high rpms. Understandably the custom pushrods are slightly longer in order to compensate for the changes made by the custom camshaft so that is going to add some weight however I would expect that the custom pushrods would still be lighter overall than stock to compensate for the extra length required not only because that is what is claimed but especially since this engine will see close to 7000 rpm. Still waiting for the upgraded MMS lifters to verify preload and correct pushrod length

[homegrown]

I don't think I'd fret about the pushrod weight.
At high rpm, valvetrain stability is just as (if not more) important than a reduction in weight. Besides, if you're going for lightweight, conventional wisdom says it's better to concentrate on the valve side of the rocker arm, not the pushrod side.
We do have a benefit of relatively short pushrods anyway, but I don't think 4 or 5 grams is going to make a difference. If I'm going for strength vs. weight in a pushrod, strength wins.

A decent read here - https://www.enginebuildermag.com/201...with-pushrods/

[dbral]

To Homegrown, This is from the MMS website advertisement for their custom pushrods... "The weight savings these provide will decrease valvetrain weight and therefore decreasing valvetrain float and allow the engine to develop higher rpm's."
MMS is concerned about weight in this area and the custom pushrods that I received are in fact heavier than the stock ones. Thankful to have received the parts that I did so far. Still waiting for the other parts that I purchased about 3 years ago to arrive.

That is a good link with a lot of information and what I learned from that link is this... The long end of the rocker arm is on the valve stem side of the fulcrum. This gives the valve spring added leverage to push the combined mass of the rocker/pushrod/lifter back down during valve closing so extra weight on that side of things may not be too big of a deal.

[dbral]

Picked this car up to pass the time with some local motorsports fun until the rest of the parts arrive. Maybe we will try some autocrossing.

@homegrown, Thanks for putting my mind at ease about the pushrod weight. Any and all help will be appreciated from the forum if/when the rest of the parts arrive.

Looking back, I should have had a contract written up before those parts were ordered.
Still no word of a completion date........

[sleepyalero]

You’ll be waiting a little while unfortunately. Think he just takes on more work then he can handle.

I had him do a 6 speed manual swap to my alero years ago. Loved every second of it.

[homegrown]

Your mileage may vary, but my car with approximately this same setup and a manual transmission makes around about 275 hp at the flywheel.

[dbral]

Congrats homegrown! This is what mine currently makes.....lol

[homegrown]

Originally Posted by dbral

Congrats homegrown! This is what mine currently makes.....lol

You'll get there.
It's a marathon, not a sprint.

[dbral]

Is anyone running cylinder heads that have the valve guides ported flush to the runner roofs? Should I have new full-length guides installed or leave it alone?

[homegrown]

I’d be inclined to leave it.

[dbral]

Thanks to homegrown, sleepyalero, and all of the others on the forums for the support with the years of (still) waiting and the information regarding the few parts that I did receive from MMS. For the uninitiated (Like myself) that are new to the n-body community, the whole process of trying to get the parts has been frustrating, unusual, and a bit bizarre so it is good to hear some words of encouragement from the people that have been through this process before.

Part of the reason that I decided to start this thread is that I am basically "Throwing in the towel" so to speak. If I get the parts...great. If I get refunded...okay. If it takes years longer to get the parts or I never receive the parts ....not so great. It is mainly on this last statement that I would like to keep all of you informed. Make no mistake, I have only myself to blame for throwing thousands of dollars at a 500 dollar car in the manner that I did so I do not have any ill will towards MMS in that regard at all. I guess I will deem my experience so far with this as the "Mystique" of dealing with said company and I will continue to report the facts of my current transaction, whether good or bad, as they unfold (If anyone cares to read them that is). Hopefully it will be helpful to the forum in some way.