33 replies to this topic

[Terry Haines]

...I think it's fair to say that Hoover at Turbo Hoses has the background for tuning, calibration and turbos etc...these are his own personal cars...What a 3.0 Turbo SHOULD BE!!!



Hoover

M400 Chassis #216 The Storm Trooper
M400 Chassis #169 Darth Vader (571whp, 91 octane and only 17psi. )
656 WHP High Boost.

California Noble Performance and Restoration Specialist
Dyno Tuning
In-House Fiberglass Repair
Performance Noble Engines

[Gar]

Terry,

Depending on how much "inside wheel" lift I can't manage with sway, I may be back for a differential upgrade anyway. I've never owned a limited slip, so my driving style is schooled on feathering the throttle in those circumstances. If I were to go all out with 400 horse, then I'd have to learn to drive using both rear wheels into and outta corners. I understand from others that it is a whole new deal with the steering wheel.

Gar

[Terry Haines]

...the Quafe and Torsen are ATB diffs, not LSD as some incorrectly call them. Right now a combined ATB type diff is being offered by Wavetrac, soon to be for the MTX75 also (we are dealers for Wavetrac)...Driving style will be like that of a Noble...on your project car.They all have ATB diffs...No plates or any 'slip' in an ATB unit..it's all gears that do the work..

[Terry Haines]

..an update.
I had a chat with Hoover at Turbo Hoses yesterday re the MTX in Nobles,3.0 turbo tuning etc...I hope to have some more feedback on this and future MTX75 'Hi-Power' units we will be building for Nobles along with some of Hoovers latest tuning and turbo feedback...Suffice to say that when you see the HP & Torque numbers he is making you will be...shocked! This guy builds and tunes 'THE' most powerful 3.0 Turbo engines in the USA..stay tuned!!

[Gar]

Recommend me as a mule car Terry :) Different body makes wider appeal.

Gar

[Terry Haines]

...part of an e mail from Hoover to HMS Inc...Looks looks he may have some fun on the dyno Monday!!!..


..........my last dyno was 656whp and 550ft.lbs. tq.
I'm going to dyno again on Monday and hopefully be at 700whp and 560ft. lbs..........

[Speedmaster]

Terry Haines, on May 22 2009, 06:03 AM, said:

...part of an e mail from Hoover to HMS Inc...Looks looks he may have some fun on the dyno Monday!!!..


..........my last dyno was 656whp and 550ft.lbs. tq.
I'm going to dyno again on Monday and hopefully be at 700whp and 560ft. lbs..........

I'm not really surprised at these numbers....Manny Cruz's Jag powered Mercury Cougar reportedly produced around 1500 HP. It was a Dutweiller Twin Turboed prepared car.....

[rac74]

Those guys do some damn good work!

This is a nice piece:


Are you using Quaife gearsets on these MTX-75's?

[Terry Haines]

Yes Quaife gearsets and Quaife ATB diffs, some of the HMS upgrades, a fair bit of case m/c and fabrication added to case and some trans mods not yet part on other builds. I'm always digging for the small things to improve durability and performance on the MTX75. Race gearboxes for the Noble is an ideal proving ground..If the mods I add live with this HP and Torque then I know they will live in Contour MTX's...Many years of ideas and small steps to build a trans that can take this type of power...Most of the Noble owners who have driven the car with my trans in comment on..*More positive shift feel Vs 6 speed *Good ratio steps between gears,matches engine power curve better than 6 speed *On the track with equal power cars ,one 5 and one 6 speed...the 5 speed has the edge...and crosses the line first!!

[MaddMike]

Those numbers are incredible. But before that kind of power would be of use in a Contour, the problem of traction and handling would need to be addressed.

[Gar]

Terry,

Will TH also be involved in the Yamaha/Volvo V8 for Noble? And is that V8 in some way the SHO from Taurus? Then since the MTX75 followed the SHO trans a year or two later, would it also be selected for the Noble car? And didn't that SHO have the swagged-on cam gear/hollow camshaft issue?

Answers to these questions could lead a guy to consider that combo for another mid-engine project.

Gar

[Terry Haines]

I haven't dug much into that new combo but the Taurus SHO engine does have the 'Presta' type hollow cams,not sure on the Volvo lump. If it's a kogbox in a Noble be sure I will be involved,one way or another!!

[Slow Cat]

The Volvo 4.4L V8 in current use is supposedly related to the 3.4L SHO V8.... though after seeing pics of both it is some what hard to see them being too closley related. If you read up on the 2 manual conversions that have been done on the SHO you'll see the pattern on the bell housing is very close, I think it was like 1 or 2 of the bolt holes were in slightly different spots, but I don't think either of them went with the MTX-75. I know one of them was looking at the MTX-75, but decided against it, they ended up using the older SHO trans & an adapter plate. It'd be awesome to see one of these engines liberated from it's heavy family car and given the chance to really shine... but they are do have the cam failure issue, about the same aftermarket as the Contour, and are 10+ years old now.

[spridget]

Gar, on May 22 2009, 12:02 PM, said:

Terry,

Will TH also be involved in the Yamaha/Volvo V8 for Noble? And is that V8 in some way the SHO from Taurus? Then since the MTX75 followed the SHO trans a year or two later, would it also be selected for the Noble car? And didn't that SHO have the swagged-on cam gear/hollow camshaft issue?

Answers to these questions could lead a guy to consider that combo for another mid-engine project.

Gar

They 4.4L Volvo/Yamaha V8 and 3.4L Ford/Yamaha V8 are related, but not directly. The MTX75 will bolt up to the SHO V8, with the exception of about 2 holes. The SHO V8 did have the cam issues. Welding the gear to the cam shaft prevents any later issues. Statistically, most V8 SHOs cams failed around 70k miles. My '98 failed just shy of 100k while my '96 failed just shy of 200k.

Of the two V8 SHO MTX conversions I know of, one used a Mazda 6 MTX while the other used a V6 SHO MTX-IV. I saw the Mazda6 trans car run at Gingerman Raceway in MI. Owner did a very nice job and the car hauls butt.

The V8 SHO engine doesn't weigh much more than a 3L Duratec, and is only slightly longer. It uses the same rods as the 2.5L Duratec, but spun rods are not that common... most probably died from cam failure first. That said, the '98 I repaired and sold is currently awaiting repairs for a spun rod.

The 3.4L is a fun engine. V8 noise with a high RPM wail. It's fairly exotic as most domestic V8's don't spin much over 5k and the SHO will touch 8k with tuning (not good for the weak AX4N transaxle though). Its an addictive sound, and I think that's why the 21yr old new owner of my old '98 is now dealing with a spun rod.