Time for some upgrades....

[Towd56]

Brent, that is what I'm reading right from the Trend website.  Uncoated is okay,  Coated not so much.

Dennis, I'm running a "soft lok" style clutch.  You can buy them from various people(like McCleod).  Mine was custom done locally from a RAM unit I ran for years.  They aren't really cheap to buy it outright the first time, but you can find rebuilt units.  It is still a 11" pressure ring, but a 10.5" disc. 

Contact Chris Hyatt:  440-477-4053.  He is local to me and does great work.  He might have connections to find a used unit.  His dad owned Hyatt Racing Services and took over the clutch work when his father, Tim, passed a few years back.

Thanks Larry

[BattlestarGalactic]

Dennis, if you ever need to talk clutch, I'll be glad to help however I can.


Well, pistons are here.  Did a quick weight check and they are too dead on from my previous pistons that a balance is not needed.

The heads went off to Fox Lake.   What I'm getting is they will be in the 360 range when done.  About 60 increase from before when they were only hand ported back when I purchased them.

We're going to up the camshaft just slightly, just to help but not increase my RPM band horribly.  I don't want to turn this over 6500.  That was peak HP on the 462ci.

They are fitting clearances Clarence, roger Roger, what's our vector Victor....................oh, um, okay, back on track   

Crank and rods getting magged.

I'll finish up some block detailing this weekend.  Then fit rings, etc, etc, etc.  I have high hopes for it to be together by mid August.

[My427stang]

Looks good, be careful on the cam, 60 cfm will drive the peak up quite a bit on its own

[BattlestarGalactic]

Ya, we're not going much.  Few degrees, few thousandths.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Small steps.  Getting the bores opened up.  Final finish will be with a deck plate.
After asking why he is honing it instead of boring it?   It is easier to just let the hone work on it unattended for a few hours then have to watch over a boring machine.  We're only going .060.



Head work is in process.
Cam is getting final review today before ordering.  Not really concerned about going bigger.   We are just keeping the old cam/lifters for the old block since they are worn in for the last 19 years.  No sense in creating issues with changing blocks and new wear patterns.
I'll be file fitting rings Saturday, along with some final prep work on the block so I can start washing it.

The shop is working hard at keeping it moving for me to try to get me out as quick as possible.  30 years of doing business has its benefits.

[turbohunter]

Hey Larry and guys, what tool are you using to remove and tighten the block plugs?
BTW your machine shop is on the ball, as far as getting to it. Cool.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Not sure what tool have to get plugs in/out?  Gunno be a bigun....

[blykins]

Pressure test that block before you do too much on it.   Not insinuating anything, but it's an aftermarket block....

I use a bolt head that fits the plug with a nut welded on it to tighten the freeze plugs. 

Check the top left oil filter mount bolt hole.  It's often a drill-through and it intersects the main oil galley running down the side of the block. 

[blykins]

You meant .006” right?

[BattlestarGalactic]

Yes, it will get pressure checked.  The shop has built a few BBM motors lately so they know to check everything.  There is another BBM block sitting there that was pressure checked already.

Yes, '060.  I'm going 4.310.  I typically don't waste bore, but there is still plenty for another freshen up in 5-10 yrs if need be.  If I was 25 yrs younger I might be concerned.  Now, not so much.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Well, some progress on it.

I spent Saturday morning deburring(still), I took Monday off for other reasons, but went down Monday afternoon to do more work.  Pressure checked it and file fit the rings.





The heads are back from CNC work.   We're upgrading the intakes from 2.15 to 2.25 since I've got the bore size to fit it now.  Getting some blend work done this week, hope to maybe throw one on the flow bench to see what improvements it made.  They were flowed back in '98, we talked that we should have put them on their bench before cutting them to get a new baseline using their machine.  Hindsight, though not really a big deal.  Whatever it is, it is.

The cam is on the way.   Took a few degrees of out of it and added about .03 lift which should keep my peak RPM down where I want it.  It's a bracket car, I don't want to spin it hard.  It's not about being the fastest(remember it's 4000 lbs).

I weighed my existing 1973 428 service block that is 3/4 filled.  Right at 220#.  The new BBM block is 230#(same scale), so I'm not really added a bunch of weight like some had contemplated.

Hope to have the crank back this week to check clearances.   Then check deck.  With any luck I might be able to wash the block up this weekend?

[Barry_R]

Remember when comparing a "filled" block to an unfilled one, that the unfilled block will still get filled when operating - with coolant at +/8 lbs per gallon

[BattlestarGalactic]

Yes.  I'm just showing that my filled block is likely much heavier then just a water filled one.  The new block is heavier overall, but I'm not added as much since mine is full of concrete.

Maybe I'll grab my other old 428 block(or 352 for that matter) and weigh it to get a better grasp of how much heavier a BBM is from a stock block.

[Joe-JDC]

Curious why folks are concerned with boring the BBM to 4.310" since it is supposed to be safe to 4.440"and have .200-.250" walls?  Anyone actually bored one past 4.375" yet?  Joe-JDC

[BattlestarGalactic]

I forgot to Sonic it.  Maybe this weekend?  I'd just like to know.