There is a LI battery that is the same weight as this one that is exactly the same size as the PC680 but it's about $150-200 more I believe.

 

EVOlutionary, was it this one you're thinking of:

http://lithiumpros.com/products/more...rt_number=C680

or

http://lithiumpros.com/products/more...rt_number=L680

 

Yep, that's it.

 

updates...?

 

How are you guys charging these batteries? They are only supposed to be charged at 24A max.

 

My shorai has a battery tender/charger that comes with it

 

But the alternator is still connected in the car which can easily generate a lot more then 24A if the battery is low on charge. I've just heard the Lithium batteries don't work with alternators due to charge current and also because the alternator is trying to run more voltage then the cells want to produce. I haven't looked into it much though so maybe it's not an issue on the newer lithium batteries?

On a side note, I've been using an DEKA EXT12 battery in my daily for the last 6 months without issue. It's only 180 CCA and 10Ah, I wonder if the smaller Lithiums would work just as well. Like the 2 pound LFX14A4-BS12 for $160.

 

Hmmm . . . . updates . . . where to begin.

The block was sent out to Lesco to get the oil squirter mounts machined. From what I was told Lesco said if they are going to touch it, they wanted to do ALL the prep work on the shortblock (minus final assembly). So ALL the parts where then shipped out to them - pistons, rods, crank, flywheel, pressure plate, etc. . . for fitting/maching/measuring/balancing - whatever it is they do. I think the block has been there for 2 months now. At some point Lesco became concerned with the strength/design of my titanium Crower rods for my intended use, so they were sent out to Crower to see what information they could come up with. Crower found the original build sheet and decided that they would rate the rods for 450whp for road racing. Crower recommended I have a new custom set made that weigh 450gm vs the 400gm units for anything over 450whp for road racing use. I'm like "what the heck, so they are not any stronger than the stock rods?" I have been making that much power on a Mustang dyno for 2 years on the stock bottom end. But Crower assures us that they are stronger than stock.

So now I'm kinda stuck. Part of me wonders if they rods really are able to handle more power but Crower is just covering their own butt and rating the rods very low just in case something happens they can say "told ya so". Then part of me is wondering if they are just trying to sell new set of $$$$ rods .

Anyway, that motor is still at Lesco, so I had Pure Tuning slap new bearings and rod bolts in my previously fully removed and disassembled stock block, put it all back together and reinstall it in the car. So I am basically in exactly the same position I was 6 months ago when I started the new engine build process. . .

I DID get a nice brand new shiney CBRD BBK-B/BB turbo - so at least I'll be rocking a little more power at Nationals next week if the car gets put back together in time

 

Lolz. Go buy some r&r aluminum rods through English and be done!

 

Aaron @ ER told me the long aluminum rods with the stroker may be tough to fit in the 4G64. I'm contemplating their steel rods that come in somewhere around 560gm. Not sure what I'm going to do yet. . .

 

I wouldnt road race with aluminum rods on a bet.

 

Well I finally got some pictures and an update, but it is not the kind I wanted to share and definitely not part of the original build idea

The new engine didn't get done in time for NASA Nationals so we put the stock motor back together with new bearings just to run for the rest of this season. We installed a brand new CBRD BBK-B ball bearing turbo and got her tuned up but kept the boost and total power down a bit from max to try to keep the stock block happy.

I ran a total of 5 laps at Nationals before my trans lost 4th gear. We got that replaced and I got two more laps before the engine let go. I had just shifted into 4th on the back straight at MidOhio. . . heard a little "tick tick tick" then had a huge puff of smoke come out of the hood. I looked behind me and saw a bunch more smoke. I immediately pulled off the track, but then realized I was still going over 100mph. . . on wet grass. . . on slicks . . . and the engine shut off so I had no power brakes. . . AND I was heading straight for the two access roads where Joey Hand had a "little" bump a few year back!!


Luckily I just skipped across the access road with no problems. After we got the car back to the pits we diagnosed it as probably a cracked piston in cylinder #2. Well I finally got the head off the car last night, and the engine pulled today. Here are some pictures of the carnage:



We dropped the engine and trans out under the car, then slid it out the passenger side.




Combustion chamber #2








Possible cracks in the head in chamber #3 also? Between the spark plug hole and valve seat.






Piston Melted around the edges and actually melted to the cylinder!












Melted or blown a crater in the cylinder wall here

 

Still working on the new engine for next year. I think I decided against using the ultralight TI rods I had picked up last year. If I had no plans on increasing power they would be fine, but if I ever want to crank it up to say 600whp they may not be strong enough for the abuses of road racing.

So, I'm back to the drawing board. I have a custom set of pistons built to use with the wonky odd length of the TI rods (160.2 mm) but I'm thinking about scrapping those and just going with a "standard" 156 or 162mm rod and a more "off the shelf" piston. Now I have to decide what rod length and then whether I go with a R&R H-beam that weighs about 580gm for $1100 or a stronger set of Crower titanium H-beams that will weight about 460gm for $3000. Decisions, decisions. . .

 

Holly ****!!! That looks bad. Looks like that cylinder went real lean and that head is trash now. I'd check you injectors for flow and make sure no dirt got in you fuel system.

Another member on here was buying fuel race fuel in drums and he found sediments and it clog his fuel filter. It caused him to shoot a rod through the block. Where are you getting your gas from?

 

Car looks fun. Good luck in the future