S54 build again EP2: Block Hone, Deck, Plumb and Round! Piston install , head gasket look

Caution reigns and I decide to deck and hone the block. There is alot of modern talk about "plateau hone". The last motor I only changed rod bearings and it didn't use any oil or very little. I almost did the same here, where Wiseco recommends 400 grit hone. I found some things I didn't like and the block was under 87mm bore by .0025 or so, so it gets honed, and while "you're in there" decked. 193,000 Miles almost makes a plateau hone, there was still good cross hatch and oil reatainment but whatevs
I chose caution again and decided to go extra conservative with a .050" head gasket. The math says that the compression ratio will drop from 11.5:1 to 11, that is approximately 1.5% HP loss but... the head has some taken off, at least .004" so there is a little less combustion chamber now. These pistons are a little larger in volume -14 vs. -13.1 so that plays as well.
Will be interesting to eventually see the power level from this well balanced lower than factory CR motor. Or if I have piston slap. Wiseco said today normally NO, unless bores are looser that .0035" PTW. PTW is pistons diameter to bore diameter difference.

[@ajl0426]

Did you research about using a troque plate when having the block honed? BMW did not use them when assembling the earlier engines from M20s to S54s. This is an informative video series about the S54, first part is the only part with annoying music; czcams.com/video/XRAnBgQ_B7M/video.htmlsi=s8IrAftpKqL8tAyG

[@samthing4thetrack806]

Breakdance! Lifted head, too much boost with head fasteners used. I don't intend to turbo like roll race or at all. I prefer track days and road courses. All good stuff there in that video. Nevertheless last build I simply razor blade cleaned the block deck and the gasket lasted without issue. Now going for super HP that may have been insufficient but so is a stock gasket, plus you want a thicker one or pistons or both for a turbo, you can get thick gaskets down to 9:1 CR. Torque plate, it's an iron block it has shown some small variability in bore sizing using the gauge I have between more recent warm days and the coldest by about .0001". Couldn't hurt to have a torque plate, I wonder who makes them? sounds like non iron blocks DO NOT really need them cool info on m20 to... Caught some of your RATL video yay RATL!

[@ajl0426]

@@samthing4thetrack806 My friend was/is an E30 M20 road racer and he got a torque plate 2nd hand that originally came from VAC that will fit M20-S54s. I refreshed a high-mileage S52 from an automatic car last summer, and the cylinders were out of round and really needed larger pistons. The cost of refreshing an S52 exceeded the purchase price of a running S54, so the cost of going with oversized pistons, bore, hone and still well below S54 hp level would have been a waste. If I go full tard with my track car, S54, DCT and MAXX Race ECU.

[@samthing4thetrack806]

@@ajl0426 those are good plans, however, diff gearing seems to be a deal with these. I have been at COTA and could not catch a light s52 car, he may have had a 4.10. Physics don't lie! Friend has a K24 13:1 E85 only EK Honda, way faster than me. BUT yeah I like the e36 and the S54. I am running 3.23 diff and have a 3.46 set to put in that will help alot the motor wants to spin! I may go to a 3.64 if the mileage is not too much of a change from the 3.46. I can do a 1:40 at RATL as it was, some E85 in there. I think I could break 1:40 in the right conditions but now things will be slightly different. On the dyno we were able to get super linear HP curve, so it can be done without expensive ECUs, those are better for esoteric setups or boost, situations where you might use 2 injectors or wierd stuff. You want to find a mid 2003 ECU if you can those have more capability