Batlground Motorsports Blog » Batlground Tech Articles and How To’s

Junkyard Crank Resurection

batlground — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:08:19 +0000

What you are looking at is an engine crank that was scavenged out of a Gallant 4G64 at the junkyard. To complete a 2.3L 4G63 stroker project, we started by sending it off to the machine shop for balancing and careful inspection to verify it was within proper spec. When it returned it was immediately shipped off to Evans Performance Products for their REM Isotropic Superfinish. To simplify it, the REM procedure is a super fine polishing process that has some incredible benefits such as longer part life, reduced friction and reduced temperatures. Here is a link to their site for a full run down on the procedure. For the last step Evans Cryogenically processed the crank for even more good qualities, like rapid cooling and significantly reduced vibration. Link to Cryogenics. Now this old crank is ready to be installed and take on the world, again.

Full Blown Twin Walbro Pump Install

batlground — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:27:07 +0000

Today we have installed a Full Blown Twin Fuel Pump into Kevin’s Evo 8 MR. Kevin would like to run E85 fuel and that requires a large flow increase over stock. To get started the old pump, gasket, fuel lines, injectors & o-rings were removed. We replaced the stock lines and fittings with full stainless lines, a -8 inlet and -6 return. Twin Walbro 255 pumps in conjunction a set of with Injector Dynamics 2200cc injectors finish it off. This fuel system would be adequate for a 1000 HP setup and will be more than enough for this project as our goal is around 800 AWHP.

When every .0001 of an inch counts.

batlground — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:41:02 +0000

All of the parts have arrived for our twin turbo LSX project and our bare block is back from the machine shop. Now the task of file fitting the rings and verifying that all of the machine work is in spec begins. Next up we will be using Plastiqage to measure the crank shaft bearings for proper clearance.

Meet Mr. Swirly

batlground — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:54:51 +0000

With this setup, fuel is pulled from the main tank and swirls it displacing all of the air to the top of the swirl pot or surge tank. This way the fuel lines have 100% fuel at all times. This unit will insure all of the air will not make it to the injectors preventing a potentially dangerous lean condition.

Batlground’s Lexus IS300 Begins to Take Shape

batlground — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:55:43 +0000

This IS has been completely gutted to make room for a full cage and an interesting drive train. Straying away from the norm, our shop foreman Justin has decided to go with an 4G63 mated to a T56. The motor an trans have been positioned much further back than the stock setup for better weight distribution. This Lexus will feature a dry sump setup with a 3 gallon oil tank for increased cooling. At this stage the motor and mock up trans are now in place to begin the motor mount fabrication.

Reduce Engine Bay Heat

batlground — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:35:37 +0000

When installing a turbo to an originally non turbo car there will be added heat in the engine bay. Waste heat from the turbo and the exhaust piping will radiate and raise your intake air temperature and cause your intercooler and radiator to be less than effective. There are a couple of things you can do to add some protection. A blanket for the turbo will keep more of the heat inside the exhaust housing. Wrapping your downpipe in header wrap will keep more of the heat in the pipe and less in the bay, also reducing the heat on the firewall keeping it cooler inside the vehicle as well. It is also a good idea to wrap oil lines and electrical wires that run close to heat sources with reflective heat shielding.

Rust removal on Porsche 914 continues

batlground — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:43:27 +0000

Rust removal on the Porsche 914 continues. After cleaning off the rust we coated the inside of the bars with POR-15 before we welded the bars back into place. The entire floor was coated with POR-15 then primed. Next step is to remove more rust behind the driver’s seat.

Drift IS300 gas tank modifications

batlground — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:48:16 +0000

In order to prevent fuel sloshing issues with a saddlebag gas tank in the LS1 IS300, the customer decided to have his gas tank cut in half. Then a plate was welded in place of the new large hole on the side of the tank. The only drawback is the estimated 7 gallon holding capacity. This is an inexpensive solution to the problem in comparison to a fuel cell.

Porsche 914 rust removal

batlground — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:16:37 +0000

Here we have an old Porsche 914 that is getting restored and modified. The first step is removing all the rust from the interior of the vehicle. That way, the roll cage does not mount to any rust, and the interior can get painted without rust starting back. Overall the chassis has little rust, but there is a fair amount on the interior. Above are before and progress pictures of the interior.

Back gas when welding

batlground — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:59:39 +0000

Part of welding is having a shielding gas to protect the welding area from atmospheric gases, such as oxygen. Most commonly used gas in a TIG welder is argon. If you look closely at the torch used, it is made to flow argon around the welding area. When welding steel, it is nice to have gas behind the weld as well. Having gas helps promote a stronger weld as well as keeping the weld from growing on the inside of the pipe. be Most people in this industry do not use back gas, including us most of the time. This scenario, we are making headers, and it would be best if the welds did not distort the inside of the tubing. The easiest way to back gas an object is to tape up all of the openings, and insert a regulated line from a second tank at a very low flow rate. That way the gas fills the object from the inside, and the torch provides shielding for the outside of the weld. If you are wondering, these headers are for the LS1-IS300, we will blog about building them when they get completed.