Phase Two
July 9, 2010
Phase 2: Engine Removal
While the surface modifications are important, the true heart of the beast
lies within its engine. The stock engine must be removed and stripped bare
by our technicians, to be analyzed at every facet. Stress points must be
found and eliminated. Weight must be reduced where applicable. Power must
be ramped up wherever possible.
The particular engine being used for this build has 17,000 miles on it,
and fortunately showed only two major issues; excessive wear on the OEM
Nikasil liners, and hot spots on the liner, cylinders, and some of the
block’s casting. Interestingly enough, however, we discovered that the
cylinder heads in the engine were perfectly hand-ported, a feature rarely
seen outside of Formula 1 vehicles. Typically, these cylinders heads and
exhaust ports have rough casting marks that decrease flow, but here, one
can see the care put into the Ferrari design.
From these observations, our team will carefully craft a plan from which
to approach this stage of the build. The engineers must maintain a balance
between the limitations of their raw material with their ambition for this
aspect of the project. It is imperative to figure out exactly what can be
done to improve the engine and the overall performance of the vehicle at
this granular level of the car’s mechanics before proceeding.