picked up my block and rods today

[postal]

I'm kind of pumped because I just got home with my stage 2 block and a set a Carrillo rods. The block is a late stage 2 on center 3.8L with cross bolted mains and the rods are 6.5". I was really planning on trying to run TTA heads on this block but the more I look at those 28 pretty head studs the more I want to put them to use.
Hell the more I think about it the more I want to go buy a RX7 to put a motor like this into. My buddy Rodger Davis is putting a stage motor in a Geo metro. Another buddy of mine has a stage motor that he wants to build up to go into a Lamborgini kit car that builds on a feiro chasis.
Wish me luck finding parts for a good price. I'm not doing bad so far. I got Nice block, and rods, and a crank with small nick in journal that will take a few bills to fix. So far I'm only out $2030, and that aint too bad for stage stuff.

Jason

 

[turbov6joe]

What's the difference between the early and late production stage 2's?

 

[49-blues]

Which is cheaper and easier to build up a on center or a off center? Which has more accessable parts available?

 

[postal]

What's the difference between the early and late production stage 2's?

Off center and early on center blocks only have 2 bolts on main cap 1 and 4. The later on center blocks have "cross bolted" 1 and 4 main cap. This means that those two caps each have the 2 bolts that go vertically up through the cap and into the block, PLUS 2 bolts that go horizontally through the block and into the caps. Basically you wind up with a total of 4 main cap bolts that you can get at with the oil pan still installed. Main caps 2 and 3 have normal style 4 bolt caps with the outer 2 bolts on each cap "splayed" which means they go into the block at an angle instead of straight. Also off center and I think early oncenter blocks have a boss for running a pick up tube to for stock style wet sump oiling. This boss isnt in the stock location but at least its there and you just need a custom pick up tube. The later on center blocks have no kind of provisions for stock style wet sump oiling. The later oncenter blocks are the strongest of the stage blocks.

Which is cheaper and easier to build up a on center or a off center? Which has more accessable parts available?

With the exception of one item the off center blocks are the cheapest to do if you want to run a set of stock style heads (stock or GN1's). Block, connecting rods, and intake manifold are off center/ on center specific. So if you built an off center stage block and went with stock style heads you could bolt your stock intake manifold right on. If you run an on enter block and want a stock style intake manifold you have to modify the crap out of a stocker or get ahold of a Bowling green customs on center intake manifold. Plus off center blocks have provisions for stock style wet sump oiling, you just need custom pick up tube. The part that is expensive and harder to find is aftermarket off center rods. That and the blocks themselves are harder to find. They're older and I think they made less of them than on centers. Cranks, pistons, cams, blah blah blah are all the same parts so prices on all that other stuff are the same.

HTH: Jason