3rdgen Fbody with 3500 heads

[ForcedFirebird]

FF: Gen2 covers would look cool too on this motor. Have you thought about polishing up a pair of those? You could do custom text on the flat side too...

Didn't the Gen2's have a wierd oil fill?
With the alt location, I had to put the oil fill on the driver's side on the Gen3 covers.

[IsaacHayes]

The ITB makes up for it. The manifold is a killer of power on gen2, so you got that all taken care of. Did you ever get pics of this in another thread?

FF: Gen2 covers would look cool too on this motor. Have you thought about polishing up a pair of those? You could do custom text on the flat side too...

OMG 3500 with gen2 heads? That's so wrong!!!!

gen 2 heads fully ported by Katech racing with an ITB intake manifold, run with a turbo. These heads flow as much as gen 3 heads. Not worried about not making any hp and the ITB intake is matched to the gen 2 intake ports.

[ForcedFirebird]

3500 top ends are a pretty sight and I have to say those "Valve Covers by ForcedFirebird" sure look sweet.

Thanks

I can polish more, but we will be doing in-house powder coating soon. We got a small 200-700* oven. It's a little smaller than a house oven for heat-treating parts, so I can only do a few items at a time. I looked into outsourcing powdercoat and annodozing, but the lots have to be big to get a good deal, and they wanted $150/min to change the color, and we got the used oven for twice that amount. They had walk-in's, though, and are used to doing bigger lots/items. They did an airboat frame when I was touring the facility!

[johnnymossville]

3500 top ends are a pretty sight and I have to say those "Valve Covers by ForcedFirebird" sure look sweet.

Instead of a sleeve a small metal plate over the webbed area would provide even more stability applying pressure over the stronger ribbing instead of the thinner casting space directly around the hole, the aluminum brackets can proove very weak if there is an area allowed to vibrate in addition to the stress of belt tension and a heavy object. The engine sure does look good.

[Canyonero]

There's a red firebird of this style for sale near my house. Sometimes I think about it...

[ForcedFirebird]

I never post here, but I have to say that this is awesome.

Why thank you

Got some more done...







Before cleaning/glass beading....



Close up of the holes enlarged on the iron head coolant neck. This means so far all the stock brackets can be used, but I will have to machine an adapter...




Cose up of the mounting holes moved...

Some new problems arised, though. Now the TB isn't going to work, it's on up-side down in the pics because the black alt bracket and alt is in the way. I may have to swing the alt down a little and fabricate a replacement (for the small black bracket), re-configure the TB, or use another TB. The alt bracket has two bolts and only two contacts on the head, this could be unstable at high RPM's, so need to figure out something to make to hold the bottom bolt hole to the lower boss on the front of the pass side head.



The A/C bracket, I feel comfortable with. It has two bolts to hold it, with opposing contacts on the head for stability, but the new bolt hole is through some thin cast aluminum and I don't want it to break. To remedy this, I plan on using a steel sleeve over the bolt behind the bracket - so it gets "sandwiched" between the bracket and head when torqued down.

[soultron]

I never post here, but I have to say that this is awesome.

[ForcedFirebird]

Good looking engine Forced. When do you think that you'll get it installed and running?

Not sure. I wanted it in by now, but I'm forced to take my time having two jobs and four kids, lol.


Got the alt back from the neighbor today. This is the best free rebuild I ever got (if I ever did get one, lol)...

[johnnymossville]

Good looking engine Forced. When do you think that you'll get it installed and running?

[ForcedFirebird]

Enlarge the holes a little on the P/S bracket...







A/C bracket needs one new hole...





The neighbor at the shop re-builds alts and starters, and I asked him today if he has any GM alts layning around. He said yes, but if yours works, I'll rebuild it for free, and it will look "pretty". Let's see what kind of job he does, neighboly love for ya, lol.

[IsaacHayes]

OMG 3500 with gen2 heads? That's so wrong!!!!

I might be interestted in a alternaotr bracket once you get the final version done. mine would be for a 3500 in a fiero with gen 2 heads. Not sure if the bolts patterns are different between 2 and 3 for the mounting brackts.

[ForcedFirebird]

Started fabricating the alt mount brackets. Just so you know, the stock RWD 60* brackets will work with some minor modification, but I need room for some turbos...









Not really happy with the placement of the alt. Lower would be better, but the huge engine mounts are gettin gin the way. I made this prototype out of some scrap AL (probably see the extra tooling marks in it, lol). Might move it to get some more room for the headers.