4.020-inch Bore

WedgeWorks1 · December 11, 2009, 09:30:27 PM

castlesid · December 12, 2009, 06:38:49 AM

Mike,

Never heard of anyone stretching the rover block to over 3.78" before, like to hear more about it was done, appears the cylinders are now siamesed and the water jackets between the top of the cylinders removed?

Kevin.

NixVegaGT · December 12, 2009, 07:12:52 AM

Hot.

WedgeWorks1 · December 12, 2009, 09:38:02 AM

Some machining, welding and a lot of experimentation!

roverman · December 12, 2009, 11:42:30 AM

Looks pretty impressive. How's the pressure test results? You didn't like the "Wildcat" symese block? Please post the dyno report. Thanks for the pic's, roverman.

Mr. T · December 12, 2009, 01:12:18 PM

That's a hell of a hole Mike - I'll have to get up there at some point and check out that monster!

BlownMGB-V8 · December 12, 2009, 05:05:56 PM

Not much left holding that block together is there.

Jim

roverman · December 12, 2009, 05:18:11 PM

Jim and clan, I'm thinkin Nic just gotta hav-it to put his "Tractor Pull" crank in. Are you strokin to the beat, Nic ? lol, roverman.

castlesid · December 12, 2009, 05:25:44 PM

Tony,

Must admit i'm totally confused by that picture, is the whole of the top part of the bore machined away?

Kevin.

roverman · December 12, 2009, 05:34:57 PM

May I, Tony? Yes Kevin, It's "currently" the lightest, late model, Rover block in the world. Pressure test anyone? No matter how it "goes", we must applaud the effort and it's probably around $3k less than a Wildcat? roverman.

hoffbug · December 12, 2009, 06:35:45 PM

Very cool..
That certainly solves the problem of cracks behind the liners.. doesnt it ! LOL

NixVegaGT · December 13, 2009, 12:04:11 AM

LOL! No doubt. That's a crazy looking pic.

QuoteI'm thinkin Nic just gotta hav-it to put his "Tractor Pull" crank in.

You KNOW that is exactly what I was thinking!! Custom liners anyway, right? Make'em long enough to keep from pulling the piston out the bottom and 3.95" here we come!! Ha ha ha ha!!... Let's see. What would that be...

That comes out to 401cid! WOW. Pure motorhead porn. Seriously that pic of the block all hogged out. That's wicked.

WedgeWorks1 · December 13, 2009, 07:49:00 AM

Here is some more info, the holes for the head bolts in the block are extended by machining and welding. To cap it off a steel girdle on the bottom that is attched through the main bearing cap studs. Now with such a large bore what is the stroke/crank and what are the final numbers from the dyno? The goal is RPMs and Buick 340 OR Wildcat heads just to give a hint!

hoffbug · December 13, 2009, 08:32:04 AM

Has this type of mod been done before?

Im really left wondering how you keep the block from moving around .. The heads are definitly a sort of deck girdle now.. I keep thinking about some sort of indexing and doweling them for added rigidity over what the clamping force of the bolts provide.. But I dont think there is any room for that..

WedgeWorks1 · December 13, 2009, 08:39:59 AM

Well either this thing will hold together or be one hell of an expensive hand granade!

hoffbug · December 13, 2009, 09:00:09 AM

Its very cool.. Thanks for posting this!
a couple of totally random thoughts. I know little to nothing about this type of work.. It just has my mind running all over...

Id try running the newer Evans waterless coolant in there.. you dont need a pressurized system for that...and it helps with bubbling in the hot spots..

as to trying up the lifter valley side and outside of the deck...Maybe look into some sort of ARP studs for the heads then have the heads indexed and then bush and hone out the head bolt holes for the tightest damn fit you can get.. Your heads are now a deck girdle..

WedgeWorks1 · December 13, 2009, 09:32:00 AM

Definately the ARP studs and there maybe some additional reinforcing between the cylinders and the lifter areas.

BlownMGB-V8 · December 13, 2009, 10:14:16 AM

The TR4 motor as I recall looked very similar with the liners removed. Open deck, freestanding liners clamped by the head... it's been almost 30 years since I looked at one but Dan B should know. It was cast iron, but all the forces are contained within the liners so if they are clamped securely things shouldn't move.... much. I take it you have a step at the bottom for the liners to seat against?

It's a very impressive undertaking.

Jim

roverman · December 13, 2009, 11:50:00 AM

Mike and clan, and did you mention, a helluve-lota-work? Drag race only motor? If so, I suggest,"Hardblock" or equivalent block filler, "Full" ! If you can't go full, you can try ,"Smokey" trick of sodium silicate(egg keep),100% sloshed around in "All" block coolant passages, drain excess and cure/dry.Pressure test?? "IF" full of block filler, you could bond the head studs into the filler,it's quite strong and this set-up looks like it needs all the help it can get. Unless you do something like this, I see little hope of holding the liners where they belong. Good Luck! roverman.

NixVegaGT · December 13, 2009, 11:52:53 AM

It looks like there is a step at the main casting comes into the block. Those liners definitely look long enough for the 350 (3.85") stroke, although, in reality, that's not such a good idea for the block. LOL. BUT an offset ground 4.6 crank to 3.5" would be nice. 355 cid.

I forgot to give out a hardy ha ha to the liner cracking fix, Tony. Good one. BACK TO WORK!

Mike, even if this doesn't work it's so fuckin' cool that I can't stand it.

WedgeWorks1 · December 13, 2009, 01:47:38 PM

Well just so everyone knows this is truely experimental and the goal is, and I know every one is looking at stroke and bore to make the biggest monster possible, but the goal is rpms so we are going over-square like the small japanese engines to build power in the strotosphere! The welding is to get more stud gripping depth/area, o-ring composite head gaskets, and with the heads, roller cam, roller rockers and an exhaust of 1-3/4 4 to 1 headers it should rev like crazy and have a very impressive power/torque band. I think if the thing holds up in high rpms then a really long stroke crank should not be an issue. This is an all around engine, drag, autocross & track engine. Right now it is almost assembled but not till late January will it possibly get completed and chucked on the dyno.

hoffbug · December 13, 2009, 04:53:31 PM

Was talkin to my machinist friend that I race with a couple times a year.. and he said to have a look at these..

http://www.dartonsleeves.com/midinfo.html

http://www.dartonsleeves.com/MIDpage2009.pdf

Darton Modular Integrated Deck (MID). He says this all started with the B-18 Hondas

NixVegaGT · December 13, 2009, 06:19:34 PM

QuoteI know every one is looking at stroke and bore to make the biggest monster possible, but the goal is rpms so we are going over-square

Yeah, Totally. The bigger engine thing is just my hang up. LOL. Ya know what would be cool would be a Rover 289. 4" bore x 2.8" stroke. Like an AAR type o thing. That would rock.

pcmenten · December 13, 2009, 07:26:14 PM

Well, if you had a pair of OHC cylinder heads and needed to modify the block to accommodate the head bolts, this might be one way to get that done.

roverman · December 13, 2009, 08:21:56 PM

Yea,Yea,hint-hint. Set the hook in Granpa. "If you had say...a pair of 907 heads, mite-as-well go monster bore rite? An-an then it would clear Nic's "Tactor Pull" crank rite. Yea-thats-it, a 401",Rotus Brossum Gone Wild ! I doan tink-so, roverman.