New Project

[nemiro]

Well, I don't tend to sit around too much, so new project on the SRT is nearly completed. Last engine build was running great, but using oil excessively. Tear down forensics indicate oil control ring failure due to piston design error (ring runs through wrist pin area, and is not properly supported). This has been going on for well over a year, and I am about to take a 6000 mile road trip for work. Consumption was up to a quart every 250 miles, so that was not going to work.

New engine is similar to old one, with a few changes. I removed the Ishihara-Johnson windage tray, and went back to stock balance shafts. Yes, I "know", but I wanted it smooth - I'm getting to be an old fart. I went with Crower Pro Series rods, JE pistons (8.0:1, .020"), and ATI Super Damper, and stepped down to Crane 14 cams. In the trans, I freshened it all up, and went to a RageTek 5th gear (.62). Few other minor items, but essentially that is everything changed from last setup (combo all listed below).

Got it together, and immediately had a rear main seal failure. This is quite disappointing, as the work involved is horrendous, and this is not the first time I have had this happen. I even have the proper factory installation tool. But, like previous failures, the seal itself worked, it was leaking all around the perimeter. I had more factory rear main seals in stock, so I examined one, and saw that Chrysler is using less sealing rubber on the outside of the seal than they used to. I put a thin coat of anerobic sealant on the perimeter and installed. I have an empty transaxle casing here, so I installed that to be able to start the engine for a hot test, and everything passed, so I pulled my 'dummy' transaxle out, and re-assembled. Please learn from this painful mistake, and put a thin layer of the red anerobic sealant around the outside of the rear main seal before you install it!

It was snowing last night, but not bad enough that I couldn't take the car for a ride. Impressions are all good. It is by far the smoothest 2.4 I have ever had. Between the balance shafts and the ATI Super Damper, there is almost no engine noise or vibration, even with the 'red' style engine mount inserts and the added PolyBushings.com bobbel strut at the rear of the transaxle. Bottom end power is much improved with the change of cams from the 16's to 14's. I applied my own Techline coatings to the bearings and piston skirts. No report there, as I am not about to tear the engine down, but first oil change looked pretty decent. I also did their balck turbo ceramic coating, and so far, so good on my externally gated DCR S3 turbo. All of the coatings were easy to do with an airbrush, provided you have the patience to do them. I probably have a full day wrapped up in prep, application and baking of the coatings.

Highway is where the most to reported is. The new RageTek 5th gear is simply awesome! On stock gearing on 16" ACR wheels, my car turned 3200rpm at 75mph. It was loud and buzzy inside. On long trips, I would sometimes find myself stepping on the clutch, and subconsciously looking for 6th gear. Well, now I about have it. At 65mph, I turn 2000 rpm. 70 is 2200, and 75 is right at 2400rpm. I can still pass in 5th gear, and everything is smooth and quiet. I am LOVING this 5th gear!

Engine:
- Stock block
- Stock crank
- Stock balance shafts
- Crower Pro Series Rods (w/aged 625+ fasteners)
- JE 8.0:1 pistons, .020 over
- ATI Super Damper
- All Motor Mike ported head w/stock valves
- Crane 14 cams
- 2.7 V6 roller followers
- OBX Adjustable cam gears
- DCR 47# S3 turbo w/antisurge 3" bellmouth
- Modified S3 manifold w/external wastegate, rerouted
- TiAl 38mm external wastegate
- Maxxfabb 3" O2 housing
- Ported Intake manifold
- 58mm throttle body


Clutch and Transaxle:
- ACT Street X clutch and pressure plate
- ACT aluminum flywheel
- AGP Shift selector
- RageTek 3/4 gear fork
- PWerks 3/4 clip
- RageTek 5th gear (.62)
- Modified polybushings.com bobbel strut (engine roll control)

Fuel and electronics:
- RC750 injectors
- Walbro 255HP intank pump
- Custom return line setup & bottleneck fix
- SCT tuning on S3 PCM (w/toys & cruise)
- Instrumentation: lots

Suspension & Brakes:
- Stock brake calipers
- Stock rotors
- Hawk HPS+ pads
- Stainless Steel brake lines
- Custom milled front caliper brackets
- Early turbo Dodge front wheel hub/bearings
- Hotchkiss front and rear sway bars
- Energy suspension polyurethane bushings (complete kit)
- Mopar rear control arm bars
- Mopar tension struts
- Eibach Pro-Kit springs
- Koni adjustable strut inserts
- Pwerks rear strut brace
- A few custom mods

Probably a lot more that I am forgetting, but those are the main things. Car currently has 80k on it, and I drive it in all weather, and wash it once every three months. It is my driver

[moparjoe]

awesome! didnt know such a fifth gear existed!

how easy/difficult is the ATI super damper to install? and what size?

[kevinwarren240]

NICE!!! sounds great neil

[dommo_g]

Sounds pretty awesome.

[nemiro]

It's meant to drive nicely, and be reliable. Certainly not even close to the most powerful.

[SRTodd]

That sounds awesome Neil!

On a side note, do you still have that scatter shield?

[nemiro]

I do still have it. I was just about to put it back up for sale on the big forums. Do you want it? I am coming to CoSpr on Thurs.

[SRTodd]

What price are you selling it for?

[nemiro]

Looking for $225 for it. I never used it or even mounted it up.

[SRTodd]

I'm probably gonna have to pass right now, but if you still have it in a couple of months I'll definitely take it off your hands. Thanks anyway.

[Dakota25]

what is a scatter shield?

[nemiro]

It's a metal shield that goes around the transmission bellhousing to catch the clutch and/or flywheel, and save your toes, in the event of a catastrophic failure.

[moparjoe]

how much did you get the ATI super dampener for? what size? whats the difficulty level of the install?

[Dakota25]

ooo......well...unless I am turning the car into a track vehicle and know I will be racing under 11.99 then it isn't needed at all right?

[nemiro]

Got mine from Summit Racing. Think it was around $475. As for install, no harder than removing/replacing the stock pulley, but you do need different belts. I have the numbers, if you go that route.

No need for the shield for slower cars - unless you like your toes where they are

[BrokeSRT4]

Originally Posted by Dakota25

ooo......well...unless I am turning the car into a track vehicle and know I will be racing under 11.99 then it isn't needed at all right?

The skatter shield prevents what happend to that douche in the neon vid trying to do a burnout in his gutter.
If he had a scatter shield the clutch and flywheel would have hit it and possibly stopped their instead of destroying his entire engine bay and hood.

[Dakota25]

Kinda what I was reading when I read up on it. and HAHAHAHA that dude was a dipshit.