Those extra hold downs come through the intake ports and could be a pain since you need to pass through the port.
I did lift my head for the last couple of years under hard boost and don't want that happening with my new 540.
Jim planted an idea, gave it to me and I will go the heicoil and stud route for 2 extra studs per side.

 

1000+ hp and a 5 speed...... That is going to be killer Norval.

 

John the tranny and the clutch plus the rearend wouldn't hold up to a beating for long but I run street tires, don't abuse the equipment and don't intend to race it.
I am just looking for something to do, something to help the long winter pass by. I make good money shoing horses and don't know what to do with it otherwise. The money is useless so you trade it for something you prefer, in my case another toy.
Really if I couldn't spend the money why go to the effort of shoing heavy horses, it isn't easy. It is like an intensive 1 hour workout, you are soaking wet these hot days but I love it and the money pays all my car expenses.
I still prefer horses to cars but I got both but if it came down to one of the other I would get rid of the car first.
Strider acutally talks to me when he sees me. 19 year affair with my car and it still has yet to show me affection.

 

I hear ya Norval, got to have somethig to spend your money on. I have shown (sp?) a few horses also. If you think a horse is bad, try a mule. We had to hobble almost every mule we did, they HATE their feet to be messed with.

 

Maybe time for a front and mid motor support plates? They are already premade these days where you can just trim a little to install. It would really stiffen up that long expanse of frame we have to deal with between trans crossmember and front one.

JIM

 

or just do what i did, fabricate some brackets on the trans bellhousing and bolt them to outriggers running under the firewall inboard. That way you have the normal engine moutns, the "mid mounts" and the trans mount.

 

I am running solid mounts, have a spreader bar up front but the idea of a rear plate or like Marck suggested a support from the bellhousing to the frame is something to look into.
Since the motor is comming out it is a good time to get in there and really weld in supports.

 

Good idea.

 

Also a good idea.

 

I was just getting ready to send another reply about using studs instead of bolts, then I saw Jim had already mentioned it. I got my studs, washers and nuts from ARP, they can fix you right up. One word of caution though before you cut chips, as the say. On my Dart Big M block, that lower boss surface for the nut/washer, in the lifter valley is NOT parallel to the head gasket surface, it is tilted. My AFR heads that came already drillled and tapped, are also set at that same tilt. So here's the deal, if I were to lock-tight my studs in, say after I put the heads on, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE HEADS OFF again. Because of that tilted stud, if you go to lift the head up, the studs will bind in that lifter valley boss, because the head movement is not parallel to those little studs, and you'd be screwed. Same idea if I would lock-tight the studs before putting the heads on, then I couldn't get them on the block for the same binding reason. Now, I am using head studs, so maybe if I were using bolts that would be out of the way, perhaps it would work, but I would assume you would be using studs too, with that monster you are building. I simply screw the studs in the heads, after they have been set on the block, no big deal. If your hole in the boss is plenty large enough and/or if you could make the studs straight, maybe you'd be OK. But I think you'll need that tilt though, for the stud to come out in the right place for the hole already in the gasket, and surely that boss surface is already tilted. So you'll want to be very careful about checking and setting this deal up. As for those drilled and tapped holes in my AFR heads, they DO NOT go deep enough to enter the ports, they are a little shallow, but seem to tighten up just fine, and with no heli-coil. I don't personally feel heli-coils are needed with the straight pull of a stud, since you aren't tightening by twisting on the threads. You could always do the heli-coil down the road as a back-up if the need ever came up. Why take meat out of your casting that you don't really need too? Of course, because my studs don't go through into the port, they have no sealing issues. You may want to consider this idea for yours, it could make your life a whole lot easier.

Hey, if Jim shows up for your dyno run, I'm coming too.

 

540Rat you are giving me some great tips. I never would have thought that the extra bosses are NOT at right angles to the head. I will certainly check out their angle and if there is in fact an angle I will tilt the head on the mill the same amount and drill and tap on a matching angle.

I do use studs in everything. I even cut the firewall on the drivers side to make clearance to slide a head on and off the studs. My passengers side you and just about throw the head and it will slide right on.
While I did cut the firewall the drivers side still takes a little manuvering and I will correct this when the motor comes out.
I want everything easy to remove/replace.
Did you put screens on the oil return down the center of the block??

 

From 540Rat
On my Dart Big M block, that lower boss surface for the nut/washer, in the lifter valley is NOT parallel to the head gasket surface, it is tilted. My AFR heads that came already drillled and tapped, are also set at that same tilt. So here's the deal, if I were to lock-tight my studs in, say after I put the heads on, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE HEADS OFF


540Rat. I just ran out to the shop to check this and you are absolutely right. The bottom of the bosses are angles to allow an angled stud to have it's nut and washer sit flat. I can also only use a 7/16 stud because a 1/2 inch nut won't clear the block.
It is no big deal but I will measure the angle off vertical and just set the mill to a matching angle and drill and tap off it.
Thanks for the heads up. Could be saving me some grief. I am sure I would have checked before doing the work but you never know. I could have overlooked it and made a major mistake.
Thank you.

 

Yes, I did put screens in the lifter valley. Good Luck!

 

Good info Rick...I hadn't thought of that one!! I noticed the boss looked a little strange, but couldn't tell what it was in the pictures.

Norval will have that little issue taken care of in no time!


JIM

 

I have lots of good size stainless mesh and just have to look up a good epoxy for cementing them in. I want to go this route to protect parts from falling into the engine.
Did you buy a kit?

 

It's not hard to measure the angle. Once I measure it I will test drill and tap a piece of aluminum and see if it matches the boss or not. If not I can easily adjust the angle, recheck, test and then do the heads.

 

A-B putty...comes in two seperate bars. Tear off two equal pieces, kneed them. When cured, this stuff is so hard, you can drill and tap and will hold a torqued bolt.

 

I put screens in mine too....but I just bought one of the kits. It's been in there for years now and has never shown signs of coming loose.

JIM

 

Norval, I did have a question for you that I was curious about. I was wondering what made you decide to go with the Merlin block as opposed to say, the Dart block? No biggie, just wondered.

 

I haven't a clue why I went Merlin? I just read about the CNC machined blocks and went for it. No knowledgable choice, just picked one.
Is the dart that much better?? I am not going to abuse this thing, just put lots of good parts in it with the best heads I could afford and have fun without abusing.