Tuning an A310

Does anyone in the forum have experience of tuning A310 V6s ? If so can they assist me?
Presently intend on fitting - Gas flowed heads, 3 barrel Webers (which I have), high lift cams, 3 to 1 manifolds (Simon stainless steel version) and free flow exhaust, oil cooler.. What else should I be doing ?
Thanks

Make sure you have adequate engine bay ventilation. Cooling on the A310 has always been marginal, so tuning the beast will generate a good deal more heat. Improved radiator fans help and some owners fit other small fans within the engine bay to shift the air around. More radical if needed is to take a section out of the rear panel (just below the spoiler) and fit a mesh grille. Then heat can get out easier. A lower temp thermostat is good too. My rebuilt PRV has a 77 degree thermostat and it maintains temp more efficiently.

a310man

[Alpineandy]

Sounds like you've got everything under control.
A310mans comments are also very relevant.
I've got an up-rated radiator and use rad relief additive which keeps the water temp under control. I also use exhaust wrap on the exhaust manifolds and it helps with the engine bay heat. The next heat reduction would be to get rid of the engine cover and replace it with the slats (like Shadi's doing).

If you really want the best up-grade you'll have to throw away the odd-fire engine (OK sell it on) and buy an even fire engine. which means you can run an engine management system and injection system with throttle bodies. This means you can get wild with cams etc and it should still be drivable on the road.

Just ditch the engine cover full stop! Whats it there for other than to make things look tidy? Spend a few quid on some coloured hoses and a nice K&N filter and your engine bay will look the business...and it'll be cool

[Alpineandy]

Just ditch the engine cover full stop! Whats it there for other than to make things look tidy? Spend a few quid on some coloured hoses and a nice K&N filter and your engine bay will look the business...and it'll be cool

I think you'll find there are laws against having your engine exposed (peter you should know )

Does anyone in the forum have experience of tuning A310 V6s ? If so can they assist me?
Presently intend on fitting - Gas flowed heads, 3 barrel Webers (which I have), high lift cams, 3 to 1 manifolds (Simon stainless steel version) and free flow exhaust, oil cooler.. What else should I be doing ?
Thanks

You may want to try raising the compression, but it an expensive option piston wise. The longer duration and higher lift the cam, the more your dynamic compression ratio drops, so not making the full potential of the engine.

Also, getting the distributor curve and advance setup properly will reap great gains once all the parts are fitted.

Thanks for these replies, I will probably use both fans and a grill to the rear of the car to improve engine bay cooling so hopfully should not have to many problems with heat soak.

As to tuning, once I have finished the engine is there anyone out there who has experience of setting the PRV up on a rolling road that yuu can recomend?

Also! Cams, have been offered some 'really wild' cams but anxious to explore others, does anyone know if the cevennes cams are still available and from whom? Also are there any others that I should be looking at?

Also!! About to lift Engine and Gearbox from car, how heavy is the combination? and is there any tricks to ease the extraction?

Alpineandy.....as far as I know there are no laws against having an exposed engine. At the front of the car having an open engine bay may cause trouble becuase of potential injury to pedestrians. Youve also go to remember that there will still be a glass cover over the A310s engine......some Ferraris have the visible engine as a feature. I dont run an engine cover on my GTA....I also run the glass about 1cm open to help air flow

As to tuning, once I have finished the engine is there anyone out there who has experience of setting the PRV up on a rolling road that yuu can recomend?

Also! Cams, have been offered some 'really wild' cams but anxious to explore others, does anyone know if the cevennes cams are still available and from whom? Also are there any others that I should be looking at?

Also!! About to lift Engine and Gearbox from car, how heavy is the combination? and is there any tricks to ease the extraction?

Any decent 'old school' Rolling road centre will be able to set it up, not one of these many new 'turbo everything' tuners.

End of the day, its just a carbed motor with an old distributor, so it won't be a problem.

How wild are these other cams you are thinking of?. If they are too wild, then they are only going to have potential far higher up in the rev range, and it depends if your motor is strong and balanced enough to cope with this sort of abuse.

The cams that I have been offered are of unknown origin, but are 'reputed' to be 'wild', believe when fitted to another car that the minimum idle obtained was 1800rpm. Would like to find alternatives, just in case! but from whom?

Thanks

[Alpineandy]

Youve also go to remember that there will still be a glass cover over the A310s engine

No there isn't. There's a one-piece glass bonded to fibreglass cover.

I'm pretty sure that you can't have any moving part of the engine on show on the public highway. The intention being that kids don't loose fingers and pedestrians don't loose limbs on the fan if they get knocked over.
Maybe this has changed but 20 years ago a friend with a Model T bucket had to make a cover for the fan and pulley system due to the local bib. I don't think an A310 would be considered in the same way as anyone tall enough to get their hand into the engine bay would be old enough to know the consequences.

Or maybe not in the nanny state...

The laws are for pedestrian safety when you run them over Its why Rolls royce introduced bending bonnet emblems and why your car will fail its MOT for jagged edges. Ive only ever seen it applied to the front of vehicles.
I wasnt aware that the A310 had the glass and fibreglass as one. It wouldnt be clever to run without any weather protection over the engine even if it were legal.