Big Block build 540

[andre540]

Hi guys , new at this so a bit slow but love the topics and genuine answers.

Thank you rexxy for telling me how to do this.

Guys i am building a HQ monaro for circuit racing and the occasional drag race. I have been collecting gear for a big block chevy 540 cube engine.
i have the following parts so far.

Dart block with 10.200 inch deck height CNC lightened
Block drilled for roller bearings 60 mm
Bryant billet crankshaft 4.250 stroke Lightweight program
Oliver Billet conrods 6.385 Parabolic beam with bolt upgrade
JE custom pistons with accugroove and underside beam strength upgrade 4.530 bore Lumpy top .220 lump
DLC coated piston pins
Low tension JE rings .043 top .043 second 3mm oil -- Dyke style top ring
New AFR 345 cnc heads (i need these ported and tested on a flow bench)
Titanium valves to replace the AFR valves Exceldyne
Titanium retainers Exceldyne
Custom built rev kit to keep roller lifters in check and on the cam
Jesel ultra pro roller lifters with large 850 wheel
Jesel Belt drive to suit
T&D roller rockers 1.8 and 1.85
Hendrick motorsports 9/16 pushrods
Wilson cnc intake manifold single plane
ATI balancer endurance
Custom Stef Dry sump oil pan
Peterson dry sump oil pump

I need a top quality engine builder that knows his stuff and builds high end engines to machine and finish this off for me.
No offence to anyone but i need to know what they have built and what they have achieved. i have spent my litle fortune on this engine and there is no room for stuff ups, so no experimenting is going to happen on this engine.
Any opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance guys
Andre

[2rismo]

I'd just call Mark Hayes and get him to do the lot. He knows BBC's.

[Coffin]

Tk?

[Decadentia]

I know I said it in the webberbox, but TK would be the one I would choose, especially with the list of shit you have in it already.

Just search for posts by TK on the forums, look at his machine work, his porting jobs and the service he provides. Check out the results he's getting and compare them with an engine builder you consider reputable.

I don't know the guy, never even spoken to him over the phone. Been ultra impressed with some of his technical knowledge and his ability to just make things work. If I was in a financial position to have an engine built, he'd get the job- no questions asked.

[dogsballs]

this thing will be scary!

[andre540]

Thanks guys, I have seen and read TK,s posts . Sounds good. Have you seen any championship winning engines ? I haven't and i have been looking pretty hard, doesn't mean much and i understand the internet is not for everyone but there should be race engines in boats or cars that he built etc.. i want the absolute best. Willing to pay $ someone suggested Jack brothers in qld? i have seen their gear win races.

[gmh265]

You would want someone with an in house dyno to build that rig. especially after reading the dyno failure thread!

www.noonanraceengineering.com.au

[BoganDAVE]

Adrian, does Mark mess with Circuit engines? They are a world of difference to drag engines.

[andre540]

Yes gmh265 and their own real flowbench and machine shop. cannot afford short cutting
Noonan ? no bud .. like i said i have been around the race tracks. i need consistency.

[BoganDAVE]

Portfolio of TKs work http://www.aussiev8.com.au/ases/4.0.5_L4306df7/holden-v8s/40389-just-sak.html

I wouldn't trust anyone else. If I ever build a serious engine for the VK, he will build it.

[andre540]

seen a lot of good engines around but i need endurance plus cos if it pops i am left with nothing for at least another 10 years..need a top builder with credibility and runs on the board plastering doesnt pay too good

[andre540]

yes bogan dave i have seen it mate, the head polishing looks great thanks bud.

[BoganDAVE]

TK is your man then

[andre540]

hey Bogan dave Have you had anything built by TK ?

[Decadentia]

I'll have a look around for the thread, but i remember him building a 253 thong slapper to class rules, that made around the 400 hp mark that lasted for a season !

[Gammaboy]

Curious what class 540ci in a HQ would run in...

[BoganDAVE]

hey Bogan dave Have you had anything built by TK ?

nope, but quite a few on here have had different bits and pieces done, and have been impressed, and he has had some great results out of very different setups.

Talk to Jason365, TK built his engine for his tarmac rally car. Tony will be able to give you a fair idea of the number of different high end builds he does. Anyone who can build speedway engines to hang together knows what they are doing, it is the hardest form of motorsport on engines (other than top fuel).

[10sec rx7]

I slapped together a big block that runs 1000hp for 50min non stop with no problems and has done for 2 seasons. but even I send stuff to tk to get fixed..

He is one of few guys I trust to do anything..

[Nathan Tinkler]

Curious what class 540ci in a HQ would run in...

In someone's imagination- much like the parts list and thread topic.

[BoganDAVE]

if you post a pic of the parts Muz will walk to perth, naked

[Fondles]

Impressive list of parts, no concerns about the HQ going round corners with all that weight up front ?

[Decadentia]

http://www.nelsonracingengines.com/

[bbits_elements]

Troll.

[Gammaboy]

In someone's imagination- much like the parts list and thread topic.
Given the number of race cars being built on PF that don't fit a class short of sports sedans, I'm happy to give the benifit of the doubt, but thinking bout that parts list, buying pushrods is something you leave till its 99% assembled to get the length right...

[SHEEL]

If you want someone more local, I have 2 guys I could recommend.

I have owned, and seen a few engines built by Brian Cassar of Moe Engines
The one I had in my Torana was a 13 year old ex sprintcar engine, it was fvcking tuff even though it was due for a freshen up...

http://www.moeengines.com.au/moemain.htm

Also one of my mates just had a stroked 351 clevo built by Orger Engines in Bayswater.
His engine is really strong and has performed really well so far.

10 Scoresby Rd, Bayswater VIC 3153, Australia
Phone number (03) 9729 9677

I think both have experience with Chev engines but probably get on the phone and have a chat to each of them to make sure

[andre540]

The circuit racing we are doing is access to winton raceway and sometimes sandown. no class is available for this as they only allow 6.0 litres.

[andre540]

i have heard real good stuff on that moe engine guy , never heard of orger. This TK guy sounds good too and he seems real helpful on here as well so he must be a nice guy to go with it

[andre540]

you are right gamma boy about the pushrods. thats why they are in a kit form where you get them machined to length. is the alfa yours? they are one mean car,one of the only cars that come with real forged cranks and proper head designs that make gobs of torque in na form and rev to the moon standard . i had a 2.0 litre gtv and it was awesome for getting around tight tracks cheers bud

[Tripper]

TK does a lot of speedway stuff, and speedway is flat throttle most of the time.

And what class of racing runs 540ci engines, drag racing, boats do and i think speedway has a class that runs engines to that size

[andre540]

hi eddie munster yes big concerns about weight that's why i had the block cnc machined in the states with a max lightening program, same with the heads - they have had a cnc light program as well even though they are alloy.The crank is a light deal with proper big end holes and straight through mains gun drilling It will weight 16 lb less than a 350 chev with cast heads. but still not light enough i know, would love an all alloy deal but then reliability becomes an issue.

[andre540]

thanx tripper, who's engine does he do that's winning? cheers bud

[wagoner]

so he must be a nice guy to go with itspot on, he's a fucking top bloke. he built my short motor and ported my heads. attention to detail is awesome

tip: rock up with a FUIC strong or JD's (or both) and you'll be laughing, ey TK :p

[andre540]

thanx wagoner, has he got a flowbench? dyno? cheers bud

[<---cop]

hi eddie munster yes big concerns about weight that's why i had the block cnc machined in the states with a max lightening program, same with the heads - they have had a cnc light program as well even though they are alloy.The crank is a light deal with proper big end holes and straight through mains gun drilling It will weight 16 lb less than a 350 chev with cast heads. but still not light enough i know, would love an all alloy deal but then reliability becomes an issue.

Yeah nah.

Troll.

Who have you pissed off lately TK?

[Fondles]

hi eddie munster yes big concerns about weight that's why i had the block cnc machined in the states with a max lightening program, same with the heads - they have had a cnc light program as well even though they are alloy.The crank is a light deal with proper big end holes and straight through mains gun drilling It will weight 16 lb less than a 350 chev with cast heads. but still not light enough i know, would love an all alloy deal but then reliability becomes an issue.

Interesting, put up some pics.

[<---cop]

lol

[nash]

hm, much liek your posts?

[andre540]

How can i upload pics?

[nash]

type this on the posts reply field: "c/::my docuemnts/pics/mycar1.jpg~dir" and put it in. it will put like all the jog files in here and we can see thanks mate

[Tripper]

thanx tripper, who's engine does he do that's winning? cheers bud

You would have to speak to TK about that


thanx wagoner, has he got a flowbench? dyno? cheers bud
TK does not have a flow bench, do you have any idea how much they cost etc.


How can i upload pics?
to upload pics either put them on a site like photobucket, or use the attach button and upload them from your computer.


To give you a idea of TK's work he had a customer that wanted a quick repair on a motor , a quick and nasty 48 hour rebuild gained 30RWKW's i think, CBF digging up the thread but it was a WRX show car

[andre540]

Mate i am seriously thinking of sending it to him, just being careful that's all. like i said he sounds like he is the man

[andre540]

mate i know i sound dumb but what the f""k is a url ? keeps askin for url

[andre540]

here we go pic of my crank hope it works

[andre540]

keeps saying file too big will try again tomorrow

[Fondles]

For a expensive Byrant crank that's been on a diet it sure appears to have a load of mallory added to it.

[Decadentia]

fuck me if that's mallory there'd be a few $$$ in that crank.

[andre540]

had to to accomodate the longer rods the counterweights were spun down a shitload as well

[andre540]

long rods = heavy metal

[<---cop]

So if this is legit, you're telling us you wanted to build a reliable endurance circuit racing engine for a HQ which you can't afford to pop... so you went catalogue shopping and bought components for an AFR headed CNC Dart block swinging 540 cubes, and now you are looking for an engine builder to assemble and dyno your collection of parts?

[andre540]

i did more than catalogue shopping. i did my homework as i have a friend in usa who helped source the right parts for the job

[andre540]

i am making sure i don't mess up by turning it all to a piece of crap

[andre540]

a good friend just bought an engine from usa and paid $27000 for it. he ran it in and been real careful then blew the rods out of it, the company is a reputable company which shall remain nameless

[andre540]

i cannot afford to mess this up and i can assure you i will check out who is doing the job on it. this forum seems like the only one with real no bull people on it so i am asking who to get to build it. that's all

[greenhj]

john sidney or charlie saliba.

If they wont do it, theyll know someone who will.

[andre540]

thanks green hj but no thanks bud

[gmh265]

+1 for saliba.

or Aaron Hambridge at APM

[gmh265]

whats with the blower pulleys under the bench

[andre540]

good machinists but need engine knowledge in building... never heard of apm ? who are they mate?

[andre540]

i have a set of small block heads and blower kit which i will be selling soon.

[gmh265]

Advanced Performance Machining

Do a lot of drag and high HP streetcar stuff. Know how to bolt an engine together.

lets see these cnc lightened heads and block.

[andre540]

also chasing a fibreglass bonnet for a Q ?? anyone got one?

[andre540]

have they got a website? apm ? i will upload more pics in the morning aint going in the shed now...thanx gmh265

[BoganDAVE]

alfa fiberglass for the bonnet, or there was a guy advertising in the supplier section in here.

Get a photobucket account, upload your photos to photobucket, then 'share' the image. The link you get from there should have [img] tags on it.

[Nathan Tinkler]

So if this is legit, you're telling us you wanted to build a reliable endurance circuit racing engine for a HQ which you can't afford to pop... so you went catalogue shopping and bought components for an AFR headed CNC Dart block swinging 540 cubes, and now you are looking for an engine builder to assemble and dyno your collection of parts?

Exactly. Even if you do own those parts (and are not an engine builder with an ulterior motive (given that you have a metal engine assembly bench and already assembled heads and various engine parts in the picture)) this is just not how these deals happen.

[Gammaboy]

So, what suspension setup, bakes and wheel/tire combo are you going with to deal with the gajillion HP this thing will be making?

[2rismo]

What was wrong with Noonans again?

[andre540]

Exactly. Even if you do own those parts (and are not an engine builder with an ulterior motive (given that you have a metal engine assembly bench and already assembled heads and various engine parts in the picture)) this is just not how these deals happen.

yeah that's right i have a thermometer to use on my kids as well so i am a doctor. if you work on a dirt floor thats your problem, and if youre keeping tabs on what i own watch out as my place is alarmed and i own a shotgun.where youre coming from and where's your badge?

[andre540]

What was wrong with Noonans again?

nothing is wrong with noonans, never said there was. too far away for me and like i said i am looking around right now. cheers

[ott308]

jack bros

[andre540]

some more pics , strugglin with size issues . cheers

[andre540]

Light custom pistons ,more pics to follow unless i end up with fist through computer than the show is over.

Thanks alpha, will look him up, cannot find a fibreglass bonnet anywhere. also chasing yokohama slicks 15 x 265 and 15 x 245. i have a tremec to go behind it and i have to save for all the shocks springs etc.. that's if i get paid, three weeks without pay and no one is payin the boss...

[BoganDAVE]

lol, looks like muz is walking naked to perth again

[<---cop]

Still gonna be a failure when any "championship winning" engine builder refuses to slap it all together.

[Fondles]

cannot find a fibreglass bonnet anywhere.

From this thread (http://forums.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67265148) in the PF Parts Directory.

Eziglass (http://www.eziglass.com.au/) List a HQ bonnet.

[SkidFace]

Mate. Go with TK. I've been to his workshop and he is a dedicated engine builder. He might not have some flashy bling workshop, but that's because he doesn't need one, he gets the job done and does it fucking well. You will not be dissapointed.

[Billzilla]

Another vote for TK, this stuff is right up his alley.

[Nathan Tinkler]

lol, looks like muz is walking naked to perth again

Huh? I stand by what I said and this dude is petending to ask for advice for one of two reasons;

Trying to discredit someone.
Trying to big note himself about 'money is no object'.

Having the parts is a surprise but doesn't stop old mate being a spanker. Asking a question that you already know the answer to is retarded.

[Momus]

Lawyer cunts usually only ask questions they know the answers to.

Andre, my question is if the cam tunnel was bored to suit needle rollers why does it appear to have conventional bearings installed?
Also, Dart blocks are supplied bare. This one has Welsh plugs and lifter bushes fitted; the bushes could only have been fitted after lightening.

[andre540]

momus thats correct, i was advised to get slider bearings for my app, needle rollers get broken up and go through engine = not nice. the walsh plugs were fitted when the block was line honed in usa. they stress the block with all plates and caps etc to simulate running in car as much as they can. i aint no lawyer lol wish i was

[andre540]

I am leaning towards this tk dude , everyone on here says he is good. i havent or want to brag about money. this has been three years in the making and i still need to spend a shitload. so any donations please let me know..as it is i have to save for carb etc

[andre540]

Huh? I stand by what I said and this dude is petending to ask for advice for one of two reasons;

Trying to discredit someone.
Trying to big note himself about 'money is no object'.

Having the parts is a surprise but doesn't stop old mate being a spanker. Asking a question that you already know the answer to is retarded.

why the grumpy attitude mate? if i knew who to get to build it i wouldn't be on here. were should i go on the four cylinder forums? i have not discredited anyone and will not. everyone has a right to make a living doing what they like. i am not asking for free services.. i have learned the hard way by going with big advertisers and ended up with a heap of shit 7 years ago, it aint happening again.

[andre540]

From this thread (http://forums.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67265148) in the PF Parts Directory.

Eziglass (http://www.eziglass.com.au/) List a HQ bonnet.

thanks heaps eddie munster.. i am dumb when it comes to computers

[Billzilla]

thanks heaps eddie munster.. i am dumb when it comes to computers

He knows a lot of stuff, but best just stick to questions about cars ..... for your own safety.

[andre540]

thanx for the advice billzilla . lol he just saved me a heap of time. and money too as i was quoted big $ to have ne made by normal boat dude..

[Nathan Tinkler]

why the grumpy attitude mate? if i knew who to get to build it i wouldn't be on here. were should i go on the four cylinder forums? i have not discredited anyone and will not. everyone has a right to make a living doing what they like. i am not asking for free services.. i have learned the hard way by going with big advertisers and ended up with a heap of shit 7 years ago, it aint happening again.

Probably a few things about you don't add up and I fucking hate cunts bragging about 'money is no object'. If you turn out to be legit I'll happily eat my words and buy you a beer.


momus thats correct, i was advised to get slider bearings for my app, needle rollers get broken up and go through engine = not nice. the walsh plugs were fitted when the block was line honed in usa. they stress the block with all plates and caps etc to simulate running in car as much as they can. i aint no lawyer lol wish i was

See stuff like this just doesn't ring true unfortunately.

Time will tell. Welcome to the forum though. This place pulls every claim to pieces so don't take it personally.

[Gassed250]

I'll put a thumbs up for Aaron @ APM, he took care of a mates blown bbf that was in a similar position to andre540

Basically mate done his homework bought the required parts from the USA spending pretty much everything he had and knew he wouldn't be able to fix it if it ever broke

someone recommended APM so he payed them a visit and gave them the job, anyhow engine made 810.7 hp on 8psi and is now making around 1200hp with 18psi and methanol

No failures so far and its 2 years old

Aaron will be assembling my 383 when the time comes
http://www.teamapm.com/

[andre540]

i plaster for a living, let me tell you that money is an object and mate you will owe me a slab the way youre goin.. Just making sure i dont get ripped and a friend told me to go on here and just ask the question. i already got onto a glass bonnet . and this tk dude sounds ok. just cos i spent big !!!! not !! i have a good friend in usa who works in the field and he saves me a motza.. years of searching and persistence and stayin off the piss and i finally have some good bits. i still need to spend on a good exhaust - suspension etc so i am a long way off.. i dont grow or sell the green stuff so i have to still look like a white ghost everyday snortling gypsum lol thanks for the welcome i would hate to run over your cat lol

[andre540]

I'll put a thumbs up for Aaron @ APM, he took care of a mates blown bbf that was in a similar position to andre540

Basically mate done his homework bought the required parts from the USA spending pretty much everything he had and knew he wouldn't be able to fix it if it ever broke

someone recommended APM so he payed them a visit and gave them the job, anyhow engine made 810.7 hp on 8psi and is now making around 1200hp with 18psi and methanol

No failures so far and its 2 years old

Aaron will be assembling my 383 when the time comes
http://www.teamapm.com/

this guy sounds good as well. tk has the most votes so far and he is closer .but thanks mate thats exactly where i am at.

[andre540]

anyone used redcliffe dyno in qld.. i have seen some quick times from this guys cars

[myliberty]

anyone used redcliffe dyno in qld.. i have seen some quick times from this guys cars

Ok, in on 3.

[thechuckster]

anyone used redcliffe dyno in qld.. i have seen some quick times from this guys cars
fuck me, this has to be troll bait.

can youz wait a few minutes while I find where the popcorn's stashed in this house?

[andre540]

Hey what do you mean troll bait???

[<---cop]

http://threadbombing.com/data/media/2/SMH.gif

[andre540]

<----cop what the f##k? can someone fill me in here?

[thechuckster]

Hey what do you mean troll bait???
did you really search for RDP and/or dynosteve?

http://forums.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=841125455
http://www.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67251325
http://www.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67241544&highlight=dyno+steve

... i think not.


tTherefore you were feeding the troll - which is possibly you.

[andre540]

i searched on google and rdp came up, jesus he needs to hang with barbed wire!!!!!!!!! this is the reason i am asking on here. been done once but not again ... please dont shoot lol he is still on google!!! he should be removed

[andre540]

far out this guy is bad, should be a warning sign when his name appears ... far out guys just reading your posts ..

[Tripper]

To be fair redcliffe dyno is in different hands to the Ranga that ripped customers off and fucked off overseas

[andre540]

ok but mate i aint goin near the joint after reading the above links.. i would end up in jail . i dont take crap from anyone and i can look after myself pretty good, how can he still be walking ?

[andre540]

this sort of crap is why everyone is on their backfoot all the time, wankers like that shouldnt have a business period

[wagoner]

TK does not have a flow bench, do you have any idea how much they cost etc.i think he does actually. i've seen a shidload of before and after figures from him.

surely TK's ears are burning after all this E-love.

[andre540]

i think he does actually. i've seen a shidload of before and after figures from him.

surely TK's ears are burning after all this E-love.

ok maybe i can get onto him somehow thanks wagoner . do you know his website www? would he be able to tune it and dyno it as well? i would fly up and watch it run of course.. cheers

[boostin31]

TK to build, Dale to tune, and you'll have to make sure theres room in the boot for all your trophies!

[BoganDAVE]

ok maybe i can get onto him somehow thanks wagoner . do you know his website www? would he be able to tune it and dyno it as well? i would fly up and watch it run of course.. cheers

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knight-Engines/126965897370701?sk=wall

[2rismo]

My first suggestion would have been APM but I don't think you'd get in there.

[Sketchy]

Some bitter keyboard warriors in this thread.

Internet engine building. Serious business.

[Guido]

Some bitter keyboard warriors in this thread.

Internet engine building. Serious business.

I agree.

Good luck with the build mate.

[gmh265]

andre540,

I don't get what your up to. you have poo pooed all suggestions stating your being super careful and can't afford your engine to got bang, and your now thinking about going to tk (which I also think would be a good choice) based on what a few people recommend that you don't know from a forum you have never been on before. seems strange.

If your not prepared to send your engine interstate (which rules out noonan, jacks, APM, not sure where TK is), and you spend heaps of time around circuit racing, then why don't you ask some of the heavy hitters in the class your planning on running in who builds their engines? and are they happy with the work?

my 2c /csh off

edit: cnc block looks nice.. who did that? dart? is that bolt boss sort of hanging off at the back ?

[andre540]

[QUOTE=gmh265;841132989]andre540,

I don't get what your up to. you have poo pooed all suggestions stating your being super careful and can't afford your engine to got bang, and your now thinking about going to tk (which I also think would be a good choice) based on what a few people recommend that you don't know from a forum you have never been on before. seems strange.

If your not prepared to send your engine interstate (which rules out noonan, jacks, APM, not sure where TK is), and you spend heaps of time around circuit racing, then why don't you ask some of the heavy hitters in the class your planning on running in who builds their engines? and are they happy with the work?

my 2c /csh off

GMH 265 yes mate i am confused as hell. I have a bit of time to build up the $ so i am just finding out the right builder for my engine. Have asked a few people at tracks and a lot of them recommend neil burns engine or moe engine or JSR. They seem to have the best name in circuit so far, but reading about the redcliffe guy scares the absolute crap out of me.. like i said i cannot afford to blow up. I would never replace what i have as i got the gear cheap . TK sounds like a real honest guy as well but not sure about someone else dynoing the motor after he builds it. It leaves two people to blame if it goes wrong. I would like one shop to do the lot from machining left to do and build then dyno.

engine was machined by hendrick motorsport usa. My friend does jobs for them.

the bolt boss??? i think you mean the dry sump rear entry?

thanx heaps for your input

[LINCOLN]

If you are in Vic then it would be hard to go past John Sidney. Plenty of championship wins and probably the best dyno in Australia.

[Nathan Tinkler]

Why didn't hendricks assemble and tune it?

I think the serious questioning is part of this place- not keyboard warriors at all. It's the vetting process. Quality control. It wasn't a bandwagon so gfy boys.

[andre540]

Hendricks mainly does nascar etc. they would want big $ to finish it off and never asked as it would be out of my league, i would have had to send most parts back and i am missing carb -pipes-dry sump lines-ignition etc etc. i am not that rich.

[ALLMTR]

Why is this in the "street car" section?

[andre540]

a forum member explained to me how to get on and post and this is where i ended up. i am green with computers so i think i am doing very well. how can i move it and where to? cheers

[Billzilla]

Moved to PF Racers.

[Gammaboy]

I think you're going to need more tyre.

[andre540]

first up bill zilla youre a legend mate. thank you

[andre540]

I think you're going to need more tyre.

Gammaboy more info mate please. can you advise on what slicks ? what brand etc? Keep in mind i will go reasonably easy on the track . only sprints as there are no classes for this.. which sucks i mean they forget beecheys car which was awesome to watch and hear racing

and when are you selling me the alfa lol awesome car mate

[Gammaboy]

Given that sports sedans make 600ish HP and spin up much larger rubber, and you're going to be making at least 1hp per cube with poxy little 265s...

[andre540]

yes i know it's gonna fry tyres. but unless i mini tub it (more $) i am stuck with 265 tyres. wheelarch flares are outta the ? they look crap so i guess i am gonna need to tub it. watchin riccadellos alfa he runs big tyres on the rear . he would be making pretty serious grunt as well and he seems to hook it up ok.

[Gammaboy]

Bullshit. Hqs have more room, and I had 275/60 15 Hoosiers stuffed under the back of my XY.

[TK]

Don't think I'd be interested in this one to be honest, sounds like it'd be another one of those 'build it & then have to look after it for the next 10 years' type jobs.
I don't have time to look after another race engine, going away from that stuff, soaks up too much time & having to be on call for advise etc is wearing.

You want a bigger shop (I'm just 1 guy) that has the time to look after it for you - the build you're looking at will need real regular tear downs to check lifters, springs, bearings, rockers etc etc. Probably every 1/2 a dozen race meets. Not doing regular maitenece tear downs will be what costs you the engine, a failed roller lifter or rocker needle roller bearing can make a big mess & the loads on them things mean they don't last that long.
Low tension rings & dry sump works great, but you will need to feed it rings pretty regular.

Have a think about it - if you can't afford to loose the engine can you afford to maintain it?
If not then you can still use a lot of your parts, but tone it down a bit - you are not going to be able to use what the motor could but out when set on kill anyway, not on a circuit.
You are also not going to be able to use if for circuit & drag - you cannot set up a car to use an engine like that for both, it's one or the other.

I do have a flow bench, but it's in bits & has been for a while, I borrow a mates SF600 with Audie flow tech for now, but have recently aquired a performance trends black box & software to go with it & have started thinking about screwing my bench back together again & converting to full digital setup with automotic depression control etc - but it's still a few months off.
For engine dyno work I use either EAD or Peter Michaels - no way in hell could I justify my own engine dyno, plus I can't tune for shit, I just build.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I won't build the engine, sounds like way too much of a headfuck for a 1 man show, I'm happy to do the heads & intake, but that's it.

To build the engine I'd recommend Rhemac's - top notch work & a big enough operation that they could maintain it without giving up sleep & family time.

But, seeing that it'll want regular tear downs by the guys that built it I'd think a Vic builder would be more convenient for you - running it over the border all the time would get old quick.

Listen hard to this bit - you don't want a drag engine builder, you want a circuit engine builder, they are much harder to find.

Building an engine is all well & good, but you have to think about the application & the implications of how you are building it in terms of actually using it - no good building a monster if you can't afford to maintain it or don't have the time to dedicate to it, most guys that run top of the line type engines are either very wealthy & pay someone to look after it, or they are only moderately wealthy & dedicate their whole life to racing. The latter are often divorced.

Edit - LOL, speaking of being on call for advise, while I was typing this I was talking to a customer in darwin about gear ratios for his speedway car, he's peaking at 6100rpm at the end of the straight, needs to get it up to 6400-6500 to have the engine in the sweet spot out of the corners.
I need less time spent on this sort of shit.

[TK]

If I may I'll add - I think you've picked the wrong engine for the application, you may have been much better served with a SBC rather than a BBC, staying under 6L opens up a lot of racing options, as it is there is pretty much no class that will let you run.
A high winding 372 chev would be a lot easier to drive, you would actually be able to use full throttle rather than learning to feather the throttle 95% of the time - that makes for a very hard to drive car.

With a small block you could run Group N, supers etc etc - good competitive classes with decent fields.

Now, if you wanted a small block circuit engine then yeah, I wouldn't mind building that, done enough SB race stuff that I could build something that'd last & be competitive no probs.

Big block I think you're asking for trouble, it'll be slow simply because it'll be too damn hard to drive & even if you can drive it there will be no-where to race it.

[Momus]

On the tyre question there is nothing suitable to use on a standard wheel housing HQ that will go anywhere near coping with such overpowering.
The biggest readily available slicks are from Michelin, Dunlop and Pirelli at 310/710/18 which is the GT3 size these; need 12" and up wheel widths.
There is also the 325/710/16 Dunlop Sports Sedan tyre which is possibly the most suitable but will require extensive wheel housing work and 12"s to fit.

Steve Coad's well known orange HQ Tarmac Rally Monaro has a 400 odd CI SBC in it and is a handful. When I did the rear end for that rules and space limitations meant it had to use 16" wheels with a 265 section 'R' Spec tyre which is nowhere near enough for tarmace rallying let alone circuit work.

[greenhj]

brb, going to flick through old magazines to figure out who momus is :)

[9triton]

brb, going to flick through old magazines to figure out who momus is :)

you sure you're gonna find him in 'Loaded' magazine? :)

[dogsballs]

picture readers section at the back!

[200MPH]

Sounds like a fun sort of project but do you know how hard it is to drive a car up a hillclimb or around a track in a sprint with tyres that light up? Very. Last sprint I did in May and the track was wet for first two runs, so my 347 Ford running 275 R comp back tyres suddenly was too much motor. Motor comes on cam in 3rd gear and back snaps sideways. Gets a bit old rather quickly...and your times are rubbish as a rule when it happens. Laying down nice black lines exiting corners is fun and quick, but beyond that, not so good.
And don't stress about breaking the motor. Not a matter of if, but when!

[profi]

Any pics of the car?

[andre540]

If I may I'll add - I think you've picked the wrong engine for the application, you may have been much better served with a SBC rather than a BBC, staying under 6L opens up a lot of racing options, as it is there is pretty much no class that will let you run.
A high winding 372 chev would be a lot easier to drive, you would actually be able to use full throttle rather than learning to feather the throttle 95% of the time - that makes for a very hard to drive car.

With a small block you could run Group N, supers etc etc - good competitive classes with decent fields.

Now, if you wanted a small block circuit engine then yeah, I wouldn't mind building that, done enough SB race stuff that I could build something that'd last & be competitive no probs.

Big block I think you're asking for trouble, it'll be slow simply because it'll be too damn hard to drive & even if you can drive it there will be no-where to race it.

Thanks for the advice TK , you are a legend and a straight shooter. I appreciate where you are coming from mate. I got the same story this morning from a shop in moe victoria. he told me practically the same thing. They are big enough to take me on and from what i heard they are reputable and good at what they do and only 50 minutes from where i live. So i will take it there. Hopefully i will get looked after. I will have to just drive it on the street and drag race it . once again thanks for your pro advice ...

[andre540]

On the tyre question there is nothing suitable to use on a standard wheel housing HQ that will go anywhere near coping with such overpowering.
The biggest readily available slicks are from Michelin, Dunlop and Pirelli at 310/710/18 which is the GT3 size these; need 12" and up wheel widths.
There is also the 325/710/16 Dunlop Sports Sedan tyre which is possibly the most suitable but will require extensive wheel housing work and 12"s to fit.

Steve Coad's well known orange HQ Tarmac Rally Monaro has a 400 odd CI SBC in it and is a handful. When I did the rear end for that rules and space limitations meant it had to use 16" wheels with a 265 section 'R' Spec tyre which is nowhere near enough for tarmace rallying let alone circuit work.

Thanks Momus . awesome info and it will help me choose the right tyre and wheel combo straight up. Now i can't wait to get this thing on the road. Car is at panel beaters right now and he will be getting a rocket up his a*s as he is taking way too long ... thanks once again cheers andre

[Fondles]

I will have to just drive it on the street and drag race it.

If you gunna forget bout the roundy roundy stuff might as well stick a couple of hairdryers on it, even better would be a 14/71 but that might attrack unwanted attention from the PoPo.

[andre540]

If you gunna forget bout the roundy roundy stuff might as well stick a couple of hairdryers on it, even better would be a 14/71 but that might attrack unwanted attention from the PoPo.

i dont want to go to the moon lol i will be rapt with 750 hp and gobs of torque . cheers

[Fondles]

Pussy.

[andre540]

Pussy.

Ha Ha Ha . it is set up for na . way too much comp for turbos or blower. Not enough $ to start changing engine combo now. Maybe later when the carbon tax $ start flowing back to us . lol

Blowers will be banned as of next february according to vic roads. No blowers allowed on cars apparently even hot rods will only be allowed 400 hp or they will be off the road.

[TK]

Cool, no roundy roundy & 540 cubes makes much more sense!

Just a quick word tho - ditch those tit valves & retainers, on the street (or anything that'll see some miles) they are a big liability, they just don't last long.
Best left for guys that NEED the lighter weight in order to be able to control a rather extreme cam (think inverted flank roller), stuff like 410 sprinters & pro stock etc need that gear, everyone else is far better served with high quality steel - look at the ferrea comp plus valves, they'll cop a beating & shrug it off & will last 10x longer than tit valves.

Think about E85 for fuel as well - all the fun of an alcohol base fuel, available on pump or for the better stuff in a drum, pretty dang cheap for a fuel with so much potential.

On E85 you'd have to be looking north of 800hp with those heads & a decent build, maybe a decent whack more if you don't mind turning it hard.

[andre540]

Cool, no roundy roundy & 540 cubes makes much more sense!

Just a quick word tho - ditch those tit valves & retainers, on the street (or anything that'll see some miles) they are a big liability, they just don't last long.
Best left for guys that NEED the lighter weight in order to be able to control a rather extreme cam (think inverted flank roller), stuff like 410 sprinters & pro stock etc need that gear, everyone else is far better served with high quality steel - look at the ferrea comp plus valves, they'll cop a beating & shrug it off & will last 10x longer than tit valves.

Think about E85 for fuel as well - all the fun of an alcohol base fuel, available on pump or for the better stuff in a drum, pretty dang cheap for a fuel with so much potential.

On E85 you'd have to be looking north of 800hp with those heads & a decent build, maybe a decent whack more if you don't mind turning it hard.

No probs TK will discuss it with builder in the morning, he tried to explain the pitfalls of titanium valves as well. Just these suckers look so good and weigh absolutely nothing. I asked him about E85 and he said it good for hp but will increase valve seat recession wear. he does v8 supercar work and has seen an increased percentage in wear. something about washing the valves ? is this right?
800hp sounds awesome and i am sure the gear will handle it. just not talking myself into it and then get dissapointed with less power.

[Nathan Tinkler]

Who is the builder?

[greenhj]

sounds like moe engines/Brian Cassar?

[TK]

E85 does wash a little, a bit like meth, but no-where near as bad.
It just means that when it's due for rings & bearings you touch up the seats & give the valves a lick at the same time.
IMO well worth the small amount of extra wear for the benefit of a big jump in torque & a decent jump in peak HP.

I'll be doing some back to back testing of E85 on Jason's 365 cube holden circuit engine once hes finished putting humpty dumpty back together again.
To start with we'll head for the dyno with the existing pump 98 carb & tune - the fuel system will be set up to work with E85. We'll run it up, then drain the tank, fill it with E85 & switch to a quickfuel E85 carb, no other changes, then run it up again & report on the results.
Down the track we'll bump the comp up to better suit E85 (it's at 11.2:1 now for pump fuel) & run it up again.

Should be an interesting excersise - I'm predicting at least 20-30hp & 30-40 ft/lbs gain straight up without bumping the comp, more when we give it 13:1.

[andre540]

E85 does wash a little, a bit like meth, but no-where near as bad.
It just means that when it's due for rings & bearings you touch up the seats & give the valves a lick at the same time.
IMO well worth the small amount of extra wear for the benefit of a big jump in torque & a decent jump in peak HP.

I'll be doing some back to back testing of E85 on Jason's 365 cube holden circuit engine once hes finished putting humpty dumpty back together again.
To start with we'll head for the dyno with the existing pump 98 carb & tune - the fuel system will be set up to work with E85. We'll run it up, then drain the tank, fill it with E85 & switch to a quickfuel E85 carb, no other changes, then run it up again & report on the results.
Down the track we'll bump the comp up to better suit E85 (it's at 11.2:1 now for pump fuel) & run it up again.

Should be an interesting excersise - I'm predicting at least 20-30hp & 30-40 ft/lbs gain straight up without bumping the comp, more when we give it 13:1.

thats a good increase in power . whats quickfuel e85 ? is that a special carb?

[andre540]

sounds like moe engines/Brian Cassar?

yes mate , i spoke to a bryan cheers

[andre540]

sorry to be a pain tk

will the rings wear very quickly ? thanx

[uuheels]

You should have found an engine builder BEFORE buying all the parts.
It's unlikely you will find a builder who will agree entirely with your parts selection and be happy to assemble it as is. If you want someone to build it, tell them what outcome you want, and let THEM select the parts required..

[TK]

Quickfuel is just a carb brand - they make some nice tarted up holleys.

Rings won't wear a noticable amount faster - plenty of circuit guys use E85 now that it is a sanctioned fuel, not seeing any noticable decrease in time between freshens.
Big power/torque gains, cooler running & a very forgiving fuel - you'll be hard pressed to get it to ping unless you do something stupid, much wider tuning window than petrol type fuels, not as wide as meth, but still a much bigger tuning target to hit.

[<---cop]

You should have found an engine builder BEFORE buying all the parts.
It's unlikely you will find a builder who will agree entirely with your parts selection and be happy to assemble it as is. If you want someone to build it, tell them what outcome you want, and let THEM select the parts required..

That's why no one could believe the thread.

But now it's changed from a circuit racing build to a drag build apparently.

[mondo2000]

If you can't afford to blow it/crash it/fuck it, you can't afford to race it.

[profi]

Why not circuit race it? will defiantly please the crowd.

Like that turbo mustang up in QLD, spins the wheels carries on but what a thing to watch.

Run it in Super TT.

[Ned Loh]

I'll be doing some back to back testing of E85 on Jason's 365 cube holden circuit engine once hes finished putting humpty dumpty back together again.
To start with we'll head for the dyno with the existing pump 98 carb & tune - the fuel system will be set up to work with E85. We'll run it up, then drain the tank, fill it with E85 & switch to a quickfuel E85 carb, no other changes, then run it up again & report on the results.
Down the track we'll bump the comp up to better suit E85 (it's at 11.2:1 now for pump fuel) & run it up again.

Should be an interesting excersise - I'm predicting at least 20-30hp & 30-40 ft/lbs gain straight up without bumping the comp, more when we give it 13:1.

TK - will be real interested in this. Are you going to recurve ignition at the same time?