call me crazy

[turbo buicks]

just picked up a stage 1 4.1 yesterday with the extra head bolt holes already drilled, but i was thinkin. check out this 109 picture and tell me why you couldnt drill three more bolt holes along the valley side of the motor and run a head clamp on the outer side? looks like there's enough meat to put another bolt hole around each cylinder esp. on the one on the right. even though on the other two there's less meat to use, there are the slanted casting "tabs" i guess you could call it, you could drill thru and insert a bolt/stud. i circled them to show what im talking about. also you could drill a smaller hole and run a smaller diameter stud. tell why i cant do this?

 

[SHADOWII]

We of the ...

Buick TR community salute you! Hail Crazy!:biggrin: Just kidding! You know we are always willing to learn something new, the problem is, we are not always willing to make the sacrifice in blocks, heads, money, blood, etc.
There is probably a 1k other guys who have thought the same thing, but not willing to take the"step of faith", that there is enough meat there to prevent the H/G from letting go. then there is the additional cost of the head clamp and 14 bolt heads. the next logical question arises, "what becomes the next "sacrificial lamb" in the sequence of events, should the H/G fail to releave the unwanted induced pressure? It's in reaching that consideration, that the thought of a stage I or II starts looking to be the better choice.:biggrin: However, all that's not to say your idea, or you, are crazy. It is just to say that retaining the H/G under certain circumstances, could lead to a more catastrophic "apocalypse" down the road. while at the same time, it can offer "forgiveness" for small "sins" against the Knock detector, etc. "saving" one from the aggravation of H/G replacement.

 

[49-blues]

Why not just use only 8 bolts of the 14 bolt heads?

 

[turbo buicks]

Why not just use only 8 bolts of the 14 bolt heads?

more clamping force = less chance of the head lifting and blowing a gasket. my engine builder was tellin me that this situation really varies b/c his engine ran tons of passes w/an 8 bolt block and never popped a HG while some others cant get a dozen passes in w/o blowing one. said they mainly blow on the intake side also. could be the tune, some dont know when to quit. btw this was a hi 10 car. well i got my 109 here im not gonna use and a 291 4.1 and i could get a junk regal block as a guina pig, for cheap. i might try this. wouldnt cost that much, drill a few holes, new HG, studs and a head clamp (maybe one could donate one for test purposes .

 

[V6RACER]

There are already a few people that have done that to a 109.

 

[turbo buicks]

There are already a few people that have done that to a 109.

sweet. hey jason, been trying to call u but do says ur really bbusy. ill email you with what i was gonna ask you about the other day.

thank
cory

 

[V6RACER]

I called you back a few times without an answer. Let me know what you need.

 

[87we410877]

I have 14 bolt GN1's on a 109 block and when i put the heads on, you could see that there wasn't eneough metal for the extra bolts. I too was thinking the same thing. Welding on extra material then have the block decked. I dont see why this would be a problem but as stated above, i dont have the $ to experiment.

 

[Louie L.]

Its all about money. The material needed in that area just cant be welded on. It takes a specific welding procedure to complete this. And like Jason said its been done. Many may have just head of it , but i actually seen it.

 

[turbo buicks]

I have 14 bolt GN1's on a 109 block and when i put the heads on, you could see that there wasn't eneough metal for the extra bolts.

what about using a smaller diameter bolt and just have a reducer put in the bolt hole to acct for the smaller bolt?

 

[87we410877]

what about using a smaller diameter bolt and just have a reducer put in the bolt hole to acct for the smaller bolt?

I wouldnt trust it. With the smaller bolt how much clamping force will you actually get? You can give it a try but the best way would be to add material and have it decked. Or if your going with irons, just weld em on. haha.

 

[turbo buicks]

I wouldnt trust it. With the smaller bolt how much clamping force will you actually get?

more than normal (which is zero). if you use good arp studs then i doubt breaking a stud from over tightening would be a problem.

 

[Turbo1dr]

I have thought about doing that myself one day to a 109 block.

 

[speed11]

Affect on tempature

Wouldn't this affect the cooling properties of the block, kind of like the thinner the cylinder walls the hotter it runs. You guys probably have alot more experience than I do but I remember reading in GM hightech magazine that this was the case. Just a thought but if it strickly a drag car I guess it doesn't matter to much.

 

[turbo buicks]

speaking of all this talk on welding in extra material, could it be possible to weld extra metal into the main webbing groove to make it thick like the stage blocks? seems possible to add extra strength.