Race Car Engine Build
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Thanks! 
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 900
Likes: 3
From: Cary illinois
Motor lasted a long time with 2256 trw s Flat top , 4 eybrow , 900 g slugs . Might be off a little on the # , long time ago .
6400 for three seasons in a street stock .
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
OK, I hit a bit of a speed bump today. I got the rotating assembly done and went to install the cam and it wouldn't go in. The first journal of the cam would not get past the first bearing in the block. It felt like the bearing was tapered as the cam got really hard to turn the farther in it went. By spinning the cam it left a polished mark in the bearing all around. My machinist seems to think it is a bad bearing set and is going to change them for me at no charge, but he is also going to check the cam to make sure it is true. I will be dropping the block off with him next week. Unfortunately I had to remove everything I just put in. 
Oh well.
Here is a picture of the mark on the bearing.
Oh well.Here is a picture of the mark on the bearing.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
MORE PICTURES!!! 
I got the cam bearing issue fixed. It turns out the issue was in the block. The bore for the bearing was pinching the back of the bearing keeping the cam from going through. Since there are no oversize cam bearings (that my machinist and I know of) we couldn't just enlarge the cam bore. We were able to find a small high spot in the bore, and carefully sanded polished and cleaned the area and installed a new bearing. Once the bearing was in, a bevel was cut in the back of it to help keep it from pinching the cam. I brought the cam with me and we tested it before I left the shop.
I put the cam in first this time and it fit great (as planned), and lined up the timing marks on the gears.
I did not post pictures of the cam because it is super secret and I dont want to give away my edge to the competition...
Its a custom grind from Bullet Cams. 221/228 @ 0.050 275/284 adv., .550/556 lift with 1.6 rr, 111 LSA 107 ICL.
Pistons are back in, again...
Rod bolts torqued to 64 ft/lbs using ARP Ultra Torque Moly Lube.
Last but not least, the timing cover went on before I called it a night.
I got the cam bearing issue fixed. It turns out the issue was in the block. The bore for the bearing was pinching the back of the bearing keeping the cam from going through. Since there are no oversize cam bearings (that my machinist and I know of) we couldn't just enlarge the cam bore. We were able to find a small high spot in the bore, and carefully sanded polished and cleaned the area and installed a new bearing. Once the bearing was in, a bevel was cut in the back of it to help keep it from pinching the cam. I brought the cam with me and we tested it before I left the shop.
I put the cam in first this time and it fit great (as planned), and lined up the timing marks on the gears.
I did not post pictures of the cam because it is super secret and I dont want to give away my edge to the competition...
Its a custom grind from Bullet Cams. 221/228 @ 0.050 275/284 adv., .550/556 lift with 1.6 rr, 111 LSA 107 ICL. Pistons are back in, again...
Rod bolts torqued to 64 ft/lbs using ARP Ultra Torque Moly Lube.
Last but not least, the timing cover went on before I called it a night.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Sorry there have not been many updates. Things have been moving slow lately. Here are some pictures that should you guys over for a while. Heads are on, custom length pushrods in, and rockers on and adjusted. Next up is the intake, oil pump, pan etc.
Heads assembled ready to go!
Checker springs in place for measuring pushrod length.
Rockers on and ready to go!
More soon, hopefully.
Heads assembled ready to go!
Checker springs in place for measuring pushrod length.
Rockers on and ready to go!
More soon, hopefully.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
A few more updates. I got the oil pump on and measured clearance to the pan. I went with a Melling Select pump which has stronger gears (billet vs. powdered metal) and anti-cavitation grooves. The downside is that the pump body is longer and Canton does not make a pickup for the 7" deep road race pan. I bought a pickup made for that pump and a 7.5" deep pan, and I am going to modify it to get about 3/8" clearance to the bottom of the pan.
I didn't get any pictures of the pump or pickup yet since I was busy trying to fix an issue I ran into with the intake. The single plane I am using did not clear the "lip" on the 113 heads very well. You can see it in the pictures. I had to file the sides of the intake little by little until it dropped in place.
This is the area covered by the intake when in place.
All fixed! Man, this would have been easier if I had access to a mill.
I didn't get any pictures of the pump or pickup yet since I was busy trying to fix an issue I ran into with the intake. The single plane I am using did not clear the "lip" on the 113 heads very well. You can see it in the pictures. I had to file the sides of the intake little by little until it dropped in place.
This is the area covered by the intake when in place.
All fixed! Man, this would have been easier if I had access to a mill.
Last edited by Kubs; Jun 27, 2012 at 12:34 PM.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 15,344
Likes: 4,009
From: Texas
Nicely done!
Had a similar issue with the AFR heads on my 383 build...had to mod the intake to get it to fit. Once I marked the interference points, a few controlled passes on the bench grinder took care of the issue.
Had a similar issue with the AFR heads on my 383 build...had to mod the intake to get it to fit. Once I marked the interference points, a few controlled passes on the bench grinder took care of the issue.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,482
Likes: 196
From: folsom california
A few more updates. I got the oil pump on and measured clearance to the pan. I went with a Melling Select pump which has stronger gears (billet vs. powdered metal) and anti-cavitation grooves. The downside is that the pump body is longer and Canton does not make a pickup for the 7" deep road race pan.
my combo: Canton pan 15-240T, sbc corvette rr pan one piece rear seal; melling high volume pump M155HV with 3/4" inlet, and, dedicated pickup 20-079.
other Canton pickups that are listed for a 7" road race pan and may help: 20-044; 20-049; 20-074;
good luck
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
are you sure? one reason I went with a Canton , after trying many other pump, pan and pickup combo's with and with out modifications, was that Canton listed the pan (7" road race), the recommended pump, and their dedicated pickup for that combo.
my combo: Canton pan 15-240T, sbc corvette rr pan one piece rear seal; melling high volume pump M155HV with 3/4" inlet, and, dedicated pickup 20-079.
other Canton pickups that are listed for a 7" road race pan and may help: 20-044; 20-049; 20-074;
good luck
my combo: Canton pan 15-240T, sbc corvette rr pan one piece rear seal; melling high volume pump M155HV with 3/4" inlet, and, dedicated pickup 20-079.
other Canton pickups that are listed for a 7" road race pan and may help: 20-044; 20-049; 20-074;
good luck
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
I had a PM from someone asking similar questions, and why I chose the single plane. I would like to state that this is an experiment for me. It is something different than your standard mini ram, super ram, stealth ram setup, and I want to see how it compares. My gut tells me this is going to be better, but I cannot say anything until it is finished.
The Accel unit I purchased is rated for a usable range of 2500-6500 RPM. I bought it because it seems taller and has more of a "plenum" top than other single plane intakes I have seen. I think this helps keep the usable RPM lower than a typical single plane. The cam and heads are designed to work in the 3000-6000 range possibly shifting close to 6500. The intake ports are only a Fel-Pro 1205 size, and the heads were ported to match.
The Accel unit I purchased is rated for a usable range of 2500-6500 RPM. I bought it because it seems taller and has more of a "plenum" top than other single plane intakes I have seen. I think this helps keep the usable RPM lower than a typical single plane. The cam and heads are designed to work in the 3000-6000 range possibly shifting close to 6500. The intake ports are only a Fel-Pro 1205 size, and the heads were ported to match.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Youll make more hp with the motown its one of the best single planes out there imo.
However
Outside of the port match you did if the heads are untouched I dont see them making power upstairs to justify the big intake a good dual plane will get the job done
The Weiand airstrike is a super nice piece think youll get a little more snap out of it and will keep up with that cam to 6k or so no problem. Dont know if these can come with injector bungs
If the single plane is reeealy good there wont be much of a measurable difference between the two but when you get under 3k you may feel it guess it depends how much time you spend there.
Large plenums take advantage of a real good head.
Just an opinion...all you can do is try it see how it goes.
Most intakes like these are real close almost splitting hairs
However
Outside of the port match you did if the heads are untouched I dont see them making power upstairs to justify the big intake a good dual plane will get the job done
The Weiand airstrike is a super nice piece think youll get a little more snap out of it and will keep up with that cam to 6k or so no problem. Dont know if these can come with injector bungs
If the single plane is reeealy good there wont be much of a measurable difference between the two but when you get under 3k you may feel it guess it depends how much time you spend there.
Large plenums take advantage of a real good head.
Just an opinion...all you can do is try it see how it goes.
Most intakes like these are real close almost splitting hairs
Last edited by cv67; Jun 28, 2012 at 12:50 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 900
Likes: 3
From: Cary illinois
The c4 race car I bought last winter came with a 11 to 355 and a Team G single plane . This is off a RR car . Funny thing was the MSD box had a 5100 chip in it .
Run the single plane , see how it goes .. easy to find a dual plane later ...
Run the single plane , see how it goes .. easy to find a dual plane later ...
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,682
Likes: 3,434
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
The Accel kit uses a Motown manifold with injector bungs and fuel rails added. You can see Motown on the runner in two of my most recent pictures.
The heads have been reworked all the way to the valve, cleaned up the chambers, and de-shrouded the intake valve. For now I have stock valve sizes in. I am on a tight budget and couldn't do the valves at this time. Since I am also limited on power for my race class I want to see what kind of power this combo makes. If I am close I will leave it, if I need more I will try something different.
The heads have been reworked all the way to the valve, cleaned up the chambers, and de-shrouded the intake valve. For now I have stock valve sizes in. I am on a tight budget and couldn't do the valves at this time. Since I am also limited on power for my race class I want to see what kind of power this combo makes. If I am close I will leave it, if I need more I will try something different.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,482
Likes: 196
From: folsom california
Yes I am positive. I am using a Melling Select pump (M-10552C) which has a taller body than their standard pump series. The Canton rep told me they do not specifically make a pickup for that pump and a 7" deep pan. The pickup I got it for the 10552C pump, but its for a 7.5" deep pan. I bought it expecting to have to modify it.
Personally, I didn't realize how shallow a 7 inch pan really is; when I previously tried using a Melling 10555, (which is a high volume version of your oil pump), in a stock 7 inch pan (which is closer to a 6 and 7/8th inch pan) I had to cut off and extend the pan sump approximately 1/8th to 1/4 inch to accommodate the thicker base on the oil pump; so I understand how difficult Corvette oil pan / pump / pickups relationships can be. I hope you can post some pictures of your ultimate assembly.