2.7L, So why is 2.7L the motor to avoid? Options

[qa1142]

If someone is going to start looking for a 6 to build what do you want and what do you want to avoid?

2.2

2.4

2.7

3.0

3.2

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[Dr Evil]

Here is what I learned when I rebuilt my 74 2.7:

1) As stated, alusil can be reconditioned for cheap. I paid $192 to have all 6 cylinders done at Motorworks in San Diego, CA. That saved me a few grand on new ones as urban legend stated you can not do such a thing. Complete, expensive, unfounded, bull shit. The pistons are not coated in nickasil, they are ferrite coated or some such thing. They will be fine.

2) The 74 is the best starting point as that year did not have the thermal reactors.

3) I was lucky, my case had case savers installed. This is a necessity.

4) You DO NOT need an oil cooler for a 2.7. It is dependent on several things. I kept the stock CIS and CR and my engine had fine oil temps.

5) Oil fed tensioners are not mandatory at all. As Krusty said, use the mechanical ones with locks and be money ahead and have one less failure point in your lube system. I have always felt the oil pressure fed ones to be over engineered and unnecessary.

6) The 74 2.7 had a very peaked tq curve in the low band and then fell on its face. As previously mentioned, a set of SC cams, which I got reground for $200, make the curve a nice flat climb that was a real joy to drive.

7) Divilar is crap. It tends to crack and this is a known failure point. Any moisture gets onto the studs and it begins the degradation process. This is a widely known, and proven point. It is even mentioned in the 911 engine rebuild book published by the guy form Pelican (just one easy place to find it, he is not a guru). I forget what I used, but it was proven to be superior in tests. I needed results I could see rather than hand-me-down knowledge from people.