OK, put yourself in my place, and please lend me your best advice.
Suppose you had this Aluminum Indy block, and wanted to start planning a buildup. Nothing super exotic, and price is definately a consideration!! Something that can make 550-600HP (must be sedate enough to do daily driver chores). I'd like to be able to drive it anywhere.
I can provide any technical data and measurements you would need to make educated decisions on which block would be least expensive to buildup upon request.
Some used parts are accepatable, like heads and such.
Where do I start on planning the bottom end? I know little about different stroke, rod length, piston combo's which is why I need some planning help. the bottom end is where my expertise is limited.
I.E. how is rod length actually measured, center to center of the journals??. How do you match a rod/piston combo to a stroke?
What part should be looked at first? Stroke? then buy rods and pistons to fit the block??
What stroke crank should I be thinking about? 340? 359? 362?
And with those strokes in mind which rods go with which?
With a given stroke and rod length, what piston size (height) should be looked at, and while talking about pistons, how is piston height measured???
All this assumes a tall deck block (which these are)
An example of why I'm confused. In looking at the picture on page 150 of the Power Source, and plugging in rough measurements using the stock crank, rods, and pistons here on my bench I come up with the following: piston height: 1.35
rod length: 4.35
1/2 rod bore: 1.125
1/2 crank stroke: 1.700
All this totals about 8.525
With a deck of 9.56 or so, where's the extra 1.3" gone to?
I'm obviosly missing something.
I'm still thinking of going with stage 2 heads simply for budgetary reasons (they're reasonably easy to find and pretty inexpensive).
The budget busters will likely be the crank, fairly descent roller cam, and an inexpensive on center intake setup for injectors.
You guys have been doing this for a long time and have the planning, sizing expertise I need to draw on.
The blocks (which most of you know, can be viewed in my photo album) are the same except as follows:
One (Indy1) is all aluminum with nicosil cylinders. This one is finished bored/honed to 4.020 (I measured the cylinders and they're all within .001 in any dimesion and any cylinder).
Needs align bore/hone of the mains/cam bores.
FYI, my stock crank sits and spins freely in this block.
The other (Indy2) is the same block but with steal sleeves. The bores are unfinished and sitting at 3.759. I doubt it could be bored too much over 3.8. Maybe 3.830-3.860. I don't think the sleeves are thick enough to to 4.0 or bigger. For some reason the bottoms of the sleeves (hanging down into the block) don't seem to be any where near as thick at the tops?????
This block has a perfect align hone done to the mains and cam bores!
FYI, my stock crank will also fit this block, BUT, the rear most weight hits bottom of the sleeve in the #5 hole.
Based on the above, the Indy2 is going to require the most machine work (boring, honing, sleeve trimming, etc.)
I kinda like Indy1 a little better only because it obviously has the best cubic inch capacity (already a 4 inch bore, and more room for the crank).
Neither block even has provisions for a dip stick! that will take some creative and careful machining.
Then there's getting oil into the engine via a stock type front cover/pump. Can't do it the way you guys do. Cant machine the hole into the front of the block face like you guys can.
Based on all that minutia, what da think?
Jeeze, maybe I should sell one or both and go with an iron stage 2
Probably forgot something. but this is a good start on the planning stages.
Suppose you had this Aluminum Indy block, and wanted to start planning a buildup. Nothing super exotic, and price is definately a consideration!! Something that can make 550-600HP (must be sedate enough to do daily driver chores). I'd like to be able to drive it anywhere.
I can provide any technical data and measurements you would need to make educated decisions on which block would be least expensive to buildup upon request.
Some used parts are accepatable, like heads and such.
Where do I start on planning the bottom end? I know little about different stroke, rod length, piston combo's which is why I need some planning help. the bottom end is where my expertise is limited.
I.E. how is rod length actually measured, center to center of the journals??. How do you match a rod/piston combo to a stroke?
What part should be looked at first? Stroke? then buy rods and pistons to fit the block??
What stroke crank should I be thinking about? 340? 359? 362?
And with those strokes in mind which rods go with which?
With a given stroke and rod length, what piston size (height) should be looked at, and while talking about pistons, how is piston height measured???
All this assumes a tall deck block (which these are)
An example of why I'm confused. In looking at the picture on page 150 of the Power Source, and plugging in rough measurements using the stock crank, rods, and pistons here on my bench I come up with the following: piston height: 1.35
rod length: 4.35
1/2 rod bore: 1.125
1/2 crank stroke: 1.700
All this totals about 8.525
With a deck of 9.56 or so, where's the extra 1.3" gone to?
I'm obviosly missing something.
I'm still thinking of going with stage 2 heads simply for budgetary reasons (they're reasonably easy to find and pretty inexpensive).
The budget busters will likely be the crank, fairly descent roller cam, and an inexpensive on center intake setup for injectors.
You guys have been doing this for a long time and have the planning, sizing expertise I need to draw on.
The blocks (which most of you know, can be viewed in my photo album) are the same except as follows:
One (Indy1) is all aluminum with nicosil cylinders. This one is finished bored/honed to 4.020 (I measured the cylinders and they're all within .001 in any dimesion and any cylinder).
Needs align bore/hone of the mains/cam bores.
FYI, my stock crank sits and spins freely in this block.
The other (Indy2) is the same block but with steal sleeves. The bores are unfinished and sitting at 3.759. I doubt it could be bored too much over 3.8. Maybe 3.830-3.860. I don't think the sleeves are thick enough to to 4.0 or bigger. For some reason the bottoms of the sleeves (hanging down into the block) don't seem to be any where near as thick at the tops?????
This block has a perfect align hone done to the mains and cam bores!
FYI, my stock crank will also fit this block, BUT, the rear most weight hits bottom of the sleeve in the #5 hole.
Based on the above, the Indy2 is going to require the most machine work (boring, honing, sleeve trimming, etc.)
I kinda like Indy1 a little better only because it obviously has the best cubic inch capacity (already a 4 inch bore, and more room for the crank).
Neither block even has provisions for a dip stick! that will take some creative and careful machining.
Then there's getting oil into the engine via a stock type front cover/pump. Can't do it the way you guys do. Cant machine the hole into the front of the block face like you guys can.
Based on all that minutia, what da think?
Jeeze, maybe I should sell one or both and go with an iron stage 2

Probably forgot something. but this is a good start on the planning stages.