power increase

[(AUST)Mod]

hey guys

have been looking at adding a 350 holley to my 186, and was wondering if i would be able to notice a difference in power over the stcok carby? the engine is pretty sluggish atm, and has pacemaker extractors. what would be the best value performance increase\

thanks
Andrew

[NoMAD]

(Aust)Mod,

This is just what i would try: (also am trying) - how much money do you really want to spend i'll start off basic -

First if you running the original air filter - get rid off it for an aftermarket one with more free area, and engine fan change to a thermal(s) basic cheap mods will start giving you a slight increase.

You have extractors so thats good, add a commodore (blue 202) electric ignition.

Next possibly Cam, Lifters and maybe straight or helical cut set of gears,

If you can afford one - a yella terra head, slight port & polish, bigger valves - set for unleaded (just to save additives for the rest of you life)

Then if you were going to go Holley the 4 barrel 350 is usually to big and will give you power will also give you no money (fuel) and generally flat spots!
you would be better of with a 2 barrel carby (even up to a 500 Holley) with jets set correctly, a webber from a falcon, a WW stromie is also a good option, or start looking at an X2 setup from a HR or even get some triples!

from there you can start looking 2 ways - EFI (maybe a full commodore set-up using a 12-port head or just build up a complete blue 202) or forced induction supercharger (not the SC-14 though there 2 small i'm talking a decent blower on a 4 barrell manifold - $$$$$ or a turbo setup like what i;m doing-

my specs will be close to -
186 bored 40 thou
ACL 202 pistons +40thou (for low comp)
Billet turbo cam
AC Delco Lifters
Strata II Manifolds and Wastegate set to only 6psi
Standard head port & polish
Unleaded Setup
Holley Blue Electric Fuel Pump
Electric Ignition
Garret T04b Turbo fully balanced
1.75" CD Carby w/ large Air Filter & Water Injection
Helical Cut Gears
Thermal Fan
LJ Radiator
all bolted to a commodore TH700 4 speed auto - whole setup around $3500 doing most of it myself and scoring the turbo kit for a good price!!!!

Should be fun though

Please anyone add to this or fix up some of my suggestions with more proven and tried methods

Cheers
NoMAD

[Devilrod]

The only thing I'll add is my old EK ute ran a midly worked 202 with an Edelbrock 500 (4 barrel similar to a quadie/carter). The primaries are around 250cfm. Never actually jetted it down but it was cheaper than a 350 holley for normal running and went like a cut cat upto 6250rpm. I can't recall much on specs as it was a while ago but it had a Yella Terra 149 head, recurved stock dizzy, extractors, small cam and everything else stock but balanced. Compression was a tad high at 11:7 to 1 (wouldnt run well on the fuel we have now!) but these were the bits I had. The carbie setup was recommended to me by Quick 6 in Dandenong and worked a treat for a daily driven car that when provoked could hold its own with a 307 powered HQ. Only setback was the amount of broken crashboxes I had... Oh yeah it was 3 on the tree and looked stock

[Sammy]

i have to agree with the other guys, you can put the carby on and it will give an increase in performance, but to really get the most from your engine you really need to cover all the bases ...

i've built a few 202's in my time and all of them were different, some with more head work, some with bigger cams etc, but the one thing that always shone through was the one with the best headwork always went the hardest, and it has a smaller cam than some of the other did ...

but i guess it depends on your budget really as to how fast you can go!

if you go for an engine rebuild i'd suggest a blue 202 or at the very least get a 12 port head, they flow better and will allow you to go EFI if you wish.

[(AUST)Mod]

my dad says a supercharged v6 in the future, but when is my question to date my car is running no fan, and a thermo fan. i have seen heads on ebay for about $500, would these be a good choice? i dont know alot about heads, but alot of the ebay yella terra heads look rusty, does this meen that they cannot be bolted straight on?

so the question is: spend $$ on the 186, or spend $$ on a v6 conversion in the next few years

[Devilrod]

If thats the case and you are serious about the v6 conversion, do nothing more than maintenance on the 186 and put all your spare cash into collecting what you will need for the conversion. Otherwise you are wasting money, both in running costs and in parts that will be discarded.

Just my 2c worth.

[NoMAD]

*Dam devilrod beat me while i was writting*

Firstly. do your research on what you want to run, not your old man, if its your car put in it what you want!

If you want a straight 6 with triple carbys tell him, and work towards that if you want a V8 then work to that don't let him control your car! thats my first bit of advice otherwise you want be happy in the end! (in saying that nothing against your old mans advice - i'm sure malcolm could back it up )

Secondly i would be less inclined to the heads on ebay they have usually been sitting off in a dusty rundown shed for a while, so you would need to do a bit off work setting it up efficiently, unless you got one already setup and just run in, then the money will quickly disappear!

given what your running, i would be more includined to get another motor (what ever you plan on running) and starting to build that they way you want it! save time and then you wont waste money on the enigne you dont need - if you want to run a supercharger i would be more inclined to go the straight 6 with a setup like this - http://www.fefcholden.org.au/cgi-bin/ya ... 5;start=60
Scool down the bottom the post by FCCOOL59 (the grey *painted* enigne with the 4 barrel manifold and funnily enough the blower from a V6 commie off memory) but i just love the look and sound of the inline 6.

Cheers
NoMAD

[(AUST)Mod]

i have a lc or lj 3.08 diff going into my car very soon to fit my american racing mags, would this handle v6 power?

[NoMAD]

I wouldn't want to find out wasn't the LJ diff a Banjo - wasn't it?

You would be better off getting either getting a disk brake diff and modifying that to suit your wheels but one you know can also take the power of your future engine! a volvo should do it but i would be more inclined to go for a VN/VP V8 single spinner or lsd (preferred) and having that shortened to you length, good stong diff, wide ratios available and disk brakes, just get out the grinder! and have axles machined down

Cheers
NoMAD

[(AUST)Mod]

well i put the car in for a tune up and the power increase and throttle response has improved greatly. i think its at a tolerable level now and i think i will cope until i get a v6 in the future. might do a 350 holley as a school holidays project, and maybe a cam. thanks

andrew

[Sammy]

school holidays .... ahh the good ol days