More power for the Tobster

[fiat124v8]

Tobi,
Have you completed your engine build?
I recommend the compression, cams, and gasket. The cams will push the power over 120, and the gasket will buy head gasket leak insurance as your time is worth something too. If you are all done with purchases except for balancing and still have money, only then consider the flywheel. My comments are from my own experience - I had to have everything and the cost / benefit isn't there. Furthermore, the cost often bogs down a project, so I recommend trying to stick with the 80/20 rule - focus on the 80% that gets you pretty much what you want and forget about the expensive 20% products.

As mentioned by others, the pulleys are expensive and just help a little bit with tuning. The flywheel helps rev. slightly quicker, especially in first gear, but offsetting this in first gear is momentum that helps the car get going. The benefit of the lightened flywheel becomes less and less with each higher gear.

I hope you are still pushing on or have completed it. Let us know & all the best,

John / Kansas City, MO

[fiat218]

Thanks Csaba, I was not sure if I should get the adjustable cam gear and that is why asked if it is easy to adjust them.
Unfortunately I ordered them an hour ago from Jason. Maybe I can cancel my order since it is only a back order anyway.

I already have a couple of holes in the side of my air box and maybe should connect them with a hose (through the inner fenders) to the now useless hole where the front bumper mounts used to be.

I never worried about the transmission it's the rear end I worry about and that has more to do with the way I go around corners.

With the cylinder head I will have to calculate the cost and then pick the pistons accordingly . The 1.8 head has new valve guides and is ready to be installed while the 2.0 head needs work done.

I will call you guys next week with some questions and to order a few things.

It will take at least 10 weeks or more to get cams from Jason, HOW DO I KNOW , hmmm

[fiat218]

I'd take that engine as far as you can go with the rebuilt

[fiat218]

I'm not sure how you can get a budget on a engine, it seems once you start,don't it keep adding up?
Just asking

[Dombrockt]

I suppose all I have are opinions like everyone else.. Here they are.

I am in the Twin Cities myself, with a 2L engine apart in my garage.
In our area a bore is $25 a hole, including a hot tanking.
Custom forged pistons are $550 including pins, and rings. Whatever compression ratio you want.
As the pistons in our engines are fit to the hole they are in, a bore is almost mandatory for custom pistons. Also, the machinist will want the pistons before he bores, and the piston company will want the engine bored before they make the pistons. Go figure.
Only my opinion, but I feel like a lightened flywheel is a pain in a street driven car. I don't have one in my Fiat, but I do in my Mustang.
What condition are the fuel injectors in? I know there are places in the TC that will clean them and flow them for a reasonable price.
Head work is almost free if you are willing to do it yourself. I have a flowbench nearly finished in my garage. I will have a bore adapter built for a Fiat 2L in the next month or so. A great way to quantify results.
If you focus your time and money on the engines internals, you can upgrade the rest as you have time any money. I have personally decided to leave the stock cams in my engine until I decide which direction to move.

[Tobi]

I finished the motor last summer and got around 1500 miles on it.
I ended up with the 2.0l head, Mark Allisons 285v cams, 5.2 mm domed pistons, Marks MLS head gasket and Jason Miller's lightened flywheel.
The motor has good power and pulls strong. No problems with the flywheel at all, runs pretty smooth.
It stops pulling at 6000rpm and I blame the original air filter and exhaust for it.
Planing on working on the filter this spring and header and exhaust when I have the money. Adjustable cam wheels only if I can find somebody I can trust to do the adjusting for me.
Also it's burning way to much oil and that should be fixed too. I was not so happy with the machine shop.

Dombrockt, I should stop by at your garage when my Spider is back on the road in May.

[Dombrockt]

For sure! I haven't met anyone around with a Spider.

[So Cal Mark]

Piston mfgs don't care if the block is bored before the pistons are made. You order them the size you want and the machinist bores the cylinder after he/she measures the diameter

[Dombrockt]

When talking to the rep from Venolia, he told me specifically to have the engine bored before ordering pistons. I suspect it's to eliminate and liability if the clearances aren't where they belong.

[vandor]

That makes no sense whatsoever. It's easiest for the machinist to measure the piston, add the clearance specified by the manufacturer, and bore the engine to that spec. Boring the engine first just makes sure that if there is a mistake/misunderstanding then the bore will be the wrong size.

[Dombrockt]

Vandor, you are absolutely correct. If the engine is bored first, and the measurements are given to the piston manufacturer, they can accommodate any differences in bore dimensions. If the pistons are manufactured first, it is up to the machinist to make sure they piston fits the hole. If the bore is wrong, the pistons won't work. A bummer of a situation, but the liability is off of the piston manufacturer. It seems like in business, the most important thing is to unsure that you aren't liable for any mistakes that could be made.

Please remember, this is what I was told by Venolia. It is not my personal mantra.