General reply to all who offered a comment. 'Billet' as we are talking about it means that the original block of aluminum has been forged, not simply cast. The Kirkham project weighed about 65 pounds when completed---down from about 380 for the billet they started with.
The project is going forward for several reasons. One of the most important is that virtually ANYTHING can be specified. The engine will be fully water-jacketed---they call it their 'endurance' option. The cam tunnel will be, for all practical purposes, a solid tube---for the strength it provides. The cam tunnel will also be raised for more room in the crankcase.
There will be lugs both on the outside of the block and in the valley to be able to use additional head studs---for more complete clamping. There will be no need for motor mounts---we'll use motor plates instead.
When I told them I'd be using a combination of methanol and boost, and with the addition of a bit of nitrous oxide for additional chemical cooling, instead of running a regular intercooler, and expecting to have as much as 5K horsepower, my contact simply said, 'You'll need to be using a billet crank and the rods and pistons to go with it'---very matter-of-factly. This will be a project that'll go together during this coming winter. Covid constraints on my business and a heart attack at the end of last January have also had their input. But it's coming.
KS
