Hey there

this would be my first really performance build. I want a strong, v8 eater, and I'll be shooting for hi-rpm (6k - 6.5k redline for street slant is kinda high, isn't it? but my bone stock rods and crank already spins 5.8k revs with no issues whatsoever so far) and I though this may require a serious honing on the bores. I got ARP stuff for all around (dead studs, main studs, etc) because they reduce bore distirtion, but if you're planning to do a good street-race engine you should hone it, right? what's the easy way of building a honing plate: cut the top of a junk block, or remove the combustion chambers on a junk head? if cutting a junk block, how thick? Also I've posted another question about bottom end supporting grids (separatedly) because creating a stroker crank is not completely out of the question. The car is now retired from daily driving services (this doesn't mean I'm not going to drive it anymore, is just that I'm gonna trash my bug for everyday and I'll keep my car for bragging about how cool is to have a baby like her. I'd most likely drive it 3 or 4 times a week, but definitely not street parking or using it for moving heavy stuff or people that would fart over my new upholstery and I was already a nut case when somebody touched or seated on my car with an almost 30 years old paint job and some bubbling,... so...

this means I can take it easy and plan ahead and build things with more time on my hands. I do want to wake her up again and thanks to rock that got me the clutch assy this would be happening, but I'd like to start the new engine while I still can drive her on my previous one.

Another Q, how much does a "mike" head work goes for? if I'm going to have 270+ CI I'd need a pro head... and with a near 94 mm bore I guess you can put in some way larger valves than the usual 1.7 1.44 MP's. Maybe thinner stems, larger heads, offset bronze guides for 1.85 1.55? don't know if here's enough meat there for that.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

I would talk to Mike about a head. I chatted with him about heads and valves in Las Vegas in March and was charmed by his knowledge and gentle nature. I have big valves in my head and they really woke things up......but I "swept" the chambers around the valves and milled the block instead of head for compression. It seems Mike follows a similar philosophy.....although he never really sez too much......

The math I used to modify the chamber is on Panics site,,,,,a good read.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

The hone can have a great effect on performance and durability. The type rings you use will effect what type hone you put in the cylinders. Differnet grades of stones will allow more or less oil to stay on the cylinder & effect how much drag is on the rings when going up and down in the cylinder. The maker of the rings you use will know what pattern to use for there rings. I would find a machine shop that can do it with a Sunnen machine, they should have a torque plate.

If not I guess building one might work. You should be able to buy one for around $300.00. But by all means do have it plate honed what ever it takes. It is one of most left out things that will cost power & durability & ring seal that you see some builders leave out, well worth the effort.

Jess

this motor that I have now is my first "performance" build (on my own, all work done by myself except for boring the block .020 over)
I went with what we call "rough bore finish" and assembled it up the way that old mechanics down here used to work 50 years ago or so. First 200 miles was really tight and borderline with overheating. I changed the oil and filter @ 200 miles each untill I had 2k miles on it. Never speed up 50 before that mileage (2k) I used mopar performance rings. Shops down here doesn't use honing plates, I don't know any sunnen machine... but I'm no expert. I have learned a lot on performance building in general reading here (in this site) and there and everywhere (on the internet and got some serious books on the subject). I'm convinced that my new motor would need a serious honing process. I have no chance but building a honing plate, as importing one would be steep steep in price (I have to pay 50% f shipping plus merchandise value at customs, and a $300 honing plate can easily wound up to $1000 legally imported here... I can have many things done here with that money) Sleeves and pistons I can import, since the sleeves would cost about the same and the pistons would cost more here (forged piston set to my custom specs) h beam 4340 or 4140 or any allow con rods would be at the tune of $1000 per set of 6 (down here, again, to my custom specs) but I have a very good set of 198 rods and I have surface stress relieved them (polished, first with a tungsten carbide cutter, then stones and then emery flaps, then a final buff. They're shiny, but this process ain't about shine at all... it's for evening the surface and remove the stress and crack prone that uneven surfaces tend to cause on such pieces) Rings would be top comp ring ductile iron, then cast iron, then the oil scraper.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.