Strong(est) V6 engine block - need advice/suggestions

[heinekenns]

I'm am not too familiar with what V6 engines there are - that are available. I've researched the VG30DETT engines and those people that have had experience with road racing with the VG30DETT have had complaints. The cylinder walls are too thin in the areas surrounding some of the water jackets and the rod journals/rod bearings are too small and are not up to the abuse of 450RWHP continuous use. So I wanted to know more about some of the domestic V6's. What are some heavy duty V6 blocks that are up to the task of long road racing that could make 450 + RWHP (boosted of course). Now I realize that there are plenty VG's out there making more, but most are dedicated to short blasts down the strip. It has to be a V configuration to replace the (soon to be deceased) VG thats in my 90 300z - manual shifter options with these engines?? Thank you - I respect the people on this forum - you guys have always had great responses and advice to my crazy questions.

[johnc]

Marc Jones of Datsun Alley fame ran a 400+ horsepower single turbo VG30 for 5 years in local SoCal SCCA ITE racing. Never once torn down the bottom end in all that time and he probably had 1,000+ racing hours on it. Steve Millen run a similar engine early on in his IMSA efforts and the block wasn't the source of any of their engine problems.

 

You should probably talk with an engine builder that knows about such things. Try Jim Thompson at Sunbelt (770) 932-0160.

[fl327]

ive actually heard that the vg series motors are very durable and can make good power, i think the move to a v6, with a shorter crank would make the motor better at a sustained rpm? with a single turbo stock they made 200hp and 200lbs, i bet that you could get those numbers to seriously inflate without taking a valve cover off, and still have a reliable racing motor, just my thoughts.

[BLKMGK]

Had a achance to talk to a TT owner who was running SCCA on Saturday evening. His car is supposedly making 500HP and is the most "built" 300ZXTT I've EVER seen.

 

He comes out to the local cruise nights somewhat often - where are you located? He would probably be a VERY good person to talk to. He did say he was on his third motor but it sounds like he's been pushing it pretty hard for awhile. Had more gizmos on his dash than you'd believe and said he was going to have to add two more in order to take car of a rich condition he was battling.... I'm sort of wonderig why he's not just gone full on aftermarket EFI

 

Where in VA are you loated?

[240Z Turbo]

Nissan Cima Motor

I believe this add is for the VG30DET motor in the Cima, but you would have to inquire. It supposedly has thicker cylinder walls.

[clint78z]

Not sure if they went with thinner cylinder walls in the z32 motors. I think the major problem lies within the cooling system in the z32. The motor is packed too tight with insuffecient cooling from the radiator. I know the bottom end is almost bulletproof with the crank girdle and piston oil sqirters. Remember when you try to get this big of HP out of a small motor, tuning errors yeild a toasted engine. The Supra TT motor is a little more forgiving.

[auxilary]

I am no expert on buick GN motor (3.8l v6) (I am sure Scottie GNZ could chime in and give you a a far better explanation than I), but those can handle immense amounts of boost on stock bottom end.

[heinekenns]

@ BLKMGK ... I'm a student at VT (in blacksburg) but right now I'm in northern virginia for a semester. Just bought the Z a little over a month ago and have done all the maintenance work - I'm ready to start my aftermarket purchases, but I just got my insurance bill last night and had a financial emergency, so looks like no more Z for me

... with regards to the Cima motor; I did a little research earlier and yes they do have thicker cylinder walls (more than .175") It was a single turbo in a japanese sedan. The heads are not as good as the Z's dual overhead - cima only single overhead. Other than that, all I've heard is that they're sometimes used in high load endurance VG applications (300z racing)

 

-looks like its time to search for another 240sx *sigh*

[BLKMGK]

Blacksburg is a bit of a haul from Manassas but should you happen to be around here some Saturday give me a haeads up and I'll shoot you directions to the cruise. We get quite a few cars out there - usually over a hundred in an evening easily.

 

Hrm, how much you letting the Z go for? Nothing wrong with an SX IMO except that it's not turbo from th efactory...

[Scottie-GNZ]

There will always be extremes where folks have gotten ridiculous HP out of a GN engine, but most folks will go to about 480-500RWHP with the stock bottom-end. The key is avoiding detonation. At that point a girdle can be added and the main caps swapped out for billet units to get you up to 700.

 

A lot of the StageII version of that engine got freed up when the Busch GN dropped V-6s, where the Buick engine ruled. That is the same engine used in the Indy car program and 1000hp is common among the drag racers.

 

As this all relates to a Z-car, a 500hp GN drivetrain in a 2600lb Z will get you close to 10.0 and what we are talking is a set of ported heads, cam and decent sized turbo + the requisite fuel and I/C upgrades. In a couple of months I expect to see the other project, a 550hp RX-7 hit that target. I am talking about very well-mannered street cars.

http://www.turbobuicks.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000079.html

[BLKMGK]

I'll tell ya' Scottie - it's a shame you live so far away You have too much fun! Scary but I'm already looking around a little to see what other sorts or neato' swaps can be done now that the Z is so close to being "done" (cough).

 

A friend of mine in NJ has a T-Type that's pretty close to maxxed for what you can do on a stock block. It's girdled too and he's going to be looking for some really sick times. He had torubles with it for awhile and nearly sold it but I refused to take it off his hands - he'd have regretted it. One of these days I'll have a GN drivetrain in something interesting! Please keep us posted on the RX7 swap - I'll be interested to hear how it handles too. An auto in it, right?

[BLKMGK]

Scary car meets? You must be talking about the Mathis Avenue cruise on Friday and Saturday nights? Lot's of punks, lot's of playing around, lot's of cops getting irritated? Or was this a street race sort of thing - we have that goin' on too I'm sure. I've not street raced in awhile and as much as I've told folks about my car I don't imagine I'll find many suckers wanting to race either

 

This is an organized cruise with all makesmodeslyears. It's held every Saturday until it's too cold out and folks start showing up as early as 5:00 or so. It's out near the Manassas airport at the Burger King on RT28. I've not got an address but there's a McDonald's right across from it. Get with me offline and we can try to line something up so I can be sure and be there.

[heinekenns]

Actually, this semester I'm living in nokesville, about 5-10 minutes from manassas - yeh I'd be interested in talking with some people who know what they're doin. I was going to advertise 9,000 (and some change maybe) for the 300 - but the price is negotionable. Let me know about the cruise; is this a nissan thing or all types - I've been to some scary car meets in manassas.