I was having some issues about a week ago, but found a way around them so this thing is a go again and the adventure continues.

A little background...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1561917

I thought the heads were ready to go but upon closer inspection I found one of the shaft rockers had bearing problems in a previous life. I ordered a new rocker and shaft from T&D, less than $80 delivered across the country 2-day. (Pic to be added shortly)

If you ever go with an Aluminum block go with a GM...I am pluggin so many holes on this thing of different sizes. While it is a wet sump with internal mount oil pump (more on this), all the holes for running external pump are there. Even the rear plugs are 2 standard size and 3 3/8 plugs, the red plug is 1/2", and the blue plug is 3/4.






I have no idea what the purpose of the hole in the china wall is but...I plugged it.

One of the issues Brodix is solving with "$1000 oil pump dowels". The oil pump has two dowels that help locate it. After dealing with the Melling oil pump situation (settled on the M-10553) I went to put my dowels in the main cap and the dowels were too small, or the holes too big. either way no tension, no press fit. I called Brodix and they made me a set of conical and stepped dowels Conical on one endo to press into the main cap and the stepped down to fit through the pump provisions. They are not charging me anything, that quote is from Mark, the customer service guy



The heads are 18* chevy 363 castings and normal studs won't work. A few need to be longer, and a few need to be skinnier. The three center bolt holes in these heads are 3/8, too small for typical SBC head bolts.




And the ones I ordered from ARP for this, appear to be too short. I think the Al block has the threads countersunk further to get more meat around/above the uppermost threads.

So far it is a lot of little things that have been frustrating time-wise but kind of fun to figure out.

I am plumbing the intake now with coolant crossovers and fuel lines.

I will take pics as I go and share the experience. It's not exactly an instructional LS swap thread but something different anyway that is kind of fun to watch and put together

 

Glad to see you grew some nads
That is going to be one awsome mill

 

Steve, I can't wait to see this thing

 

The big hole in the front of the block is for a oil return. I have a dart aluminum block here thats in a 89 Callaway TT car. That hole was utilized for a oil return from the turbo(s) oil collection sump. This is particular block is a tall deck with a relocated cam and displaces 427 inches. It has modified turbonetics turbos and should make well over 700hp to the ground. This was the Callaway I was working on last year and found that the O rings that were installed by the engine builder to be installed incorrectly causing sealing issues. Months later and after another $6k in engine work, its running again ready to be tuned.

 

Good to hear youre addressing problems found and sharing how you went about solving it rather than us seeing XXXX is a POS. Most anything aftermarket will have small issues, just part of the game.

Nothing is bolt-on

Thats going to be one heck of a powerplant, I reeeeealy wanted an aluminum block on min but the machinist wouldnt have anything to do with it.

Keep us posted.

 

Yeah, no **** huh. Actually I decided I have too much invested in interior, stereo and such for this to become a dedicated race car. I am on the lookout for something I won't mind stripping. That will get a more conservative motor for the early stages.

I will still take this racing on occasion but more for fun and take it to all the Corvette events and local shows, and so on...And who knows, once I progress as a driver, and I have gotten some use out of the motor, stick it in the race car.

I guess what I'm sayin is, still no nads...

Damn tj, that is a sick motor!
The big hole with the red plug makes sense but I don't see how the hole in the top of the china wall (which is drilled down to the front plug) would ever be used. It is right where the intake would sit. I don't think it is pressurized so not plugging it would likely be OK (the top hole that is), just didn't want to take that chance.

Does the dart block have a spin-on filter?

I wanted to avoid using the raised cam and widened pan rails and that actually turned out to be a mistake. These blocks take a larger cam core (big block) and are harder to clear the stroke, even on a small base circle with crower stroker rods, some rod clearancing was necessary.

 

Are you running a drysump? Looks like that block was plumbed for it. I'm not seeing tapped holes and not the normal oil return holes in the lifter gallery.

Nice project BTW.

 

Great to see the progress, Steve!!

The head studs alone would have me

 

I am calling Brodix again tomorrow to order the head studs and I have a few questions regarding that. It has the front and rear drain back in the valley but not the center rows on either side of the cam hump. The valley support ribs have drilled and tapped holes, I needto know what that is all about. The block is ready for dry or wet sump, they sell a pump block off if you are running dry sump.

I opened the roller lifters that the builder ordered...they are not offset which is necessary with these heads. No more expensive, you just have to order the right number .

I will update when I get the heads and pan on and start test fitting the accesories.

 

Goodluck on the Project and if you need a hand let a Brother know!..........I'm only around the corner!

R/Noland

 

love to see these threads

 

Some race blocks have direct plumbing for the camshaft, so it's separated from the mains. Brodix should be able to fill you in. Be aware that some builders custom modify them.

Why not shoot some compressed air in the holes and see where it comes out just to be sure?

 

Called Brodix. The holes in the lifter valley support are just access holes. I guess they are used in the machining process, so no problem. He asked what cam bearings (roller) and how I was using the block and all is good for getting the oil where it needs to be. This is reassurance- we asked all the same q's when it was first ordered.

Called ARP and finally got the right part number, 234-4710, so I have the correct studs on the way. Look at their online catalog someday, there are a ton of different configurations and part #'s for the old "standard" sbc.

Called Comp Cams and ordered the 847-16 offset endure-x lifters.

Moral, if doing anything other than a straight stock rebuild, call and ask the parts suppliers what part fits your application

I hope to be able to measure for pushrods next week. It looks like they will be ~0.5" longer than standard, 8.4 versus 7.9.

 

I was watching cut chop rebuild last night, they built an LSX motor which was having big time problems with the head studs.

advise.
tap chase all block threads, and the studs.
the studs were too short, and they would break the block threads when torqued. they did something similar to a heli coil... over and over again until they saw the threads were too short, and the threads on the studs appeared to be a problem.

 

Hey, anyway, it's like you said earlier, a definite fun learning experience.

I also think it would be fun to try to get this all sorted out. At the end of it all when it's done there will be a real feeling of accomplishment, more than usual.

 

The red plug above the timing cover is where you could run the oil into the block with a drysump system. Since you can't drill around corners the plugged gallery above the red plug is how the oil gets down to the mains. Drysump blocks also have provisions for oiling the block above where the filter would be. Ideally, you want a raised cam, spread rails, tall deck block for a 434. Brodix is a great block, as is a Dart. Gm aluminium blocks on the otherhand can hardly be given away in the circle track community.

SJ

 

Yeah if you are talking circle track you better be talking Rodeck 350+ blocks. As for not having the drain back holes in the valley, I wouldn't worry one bit; we usually plug them or put vent tubes in them anyway and don't have any problems. I wouldn't worry about not going with the spread pan/raised cam block either; we have had dirt track stuff running around with 434s for years without those features so it can be done just fine, and you have more options on parts which is a big plus!

 

With regard to circle track, you can talk Rodeck 350+ but there aren't any top dirt Late Model engine builders using a Rodeck 350+ anymore. The Rodeck 350+ blocks were notorious for pulling main studs out and cracking the main webs back when dirt Late Models were only making 700 hp. Today all the top builders use Dart or Brodix aluminum and a good 434 or 447 is making 850 hp (unless it's a Ford).

SJ

 

I looked for a long time on ebay for a retired Al block. About every rodeck block was cracked, all in the main webs.