engine builder, 11.2012

2012NOVEMBER

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SERVING ENGINE BUILDERS & REBUILDERS SINCE 1964

>New Gen 5 >Camshafts >Oil Pumps >Blueprinting

BUILDING A

TOP CLASS 565 ENGINEGet The Recipe for Building a Versatile Big Block

Chevy Sportsman Drag Race Engine

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2 November 2012 | EngineBuilder

ENGINE BUILDER founded Oct. 1964Copyright 2012 Babcox Media INC.

ENGINE BUILDER (ISSN 1535-041X)(November 2012, Volume 48, Number 11): Published monthly by Babcox Media Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Pe-riodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ENGINE BUILDER, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333.A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 275, to speak to a subscription servicesrepresentative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69 for one year. Canada: $89 for one year.Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to ENGINEBUILDER, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard or American Express accepted. Publisher reserves the right to reject any subscription that does not conform tohis standards or buying power coverage. Advertising which is below standard is refused. Opinions in signed articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of this magazine or itspublisher. Diligent effort is made to ensure the integrity of every statement. Unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by return postage.

COVER DESIGN BY NICHOLE ANDERSON; PHOTO COURTESY OF TRICK FLOW

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.12 Features ON THE COVER

Building a 565 MotorWhat does it take to put a top-notch Sportsman dragracing engine in the winner’s bracket? Obviously, partsselection, assembly expertise and a talented driver arekey. Contributor Alan Rebescher talks to Trick Flowabout building a 565 cid that was developed to be aprize package and presents the “recipe” to you ......23

23

Custom vs. Catalog CamsWhen it comes to racing, enthusiasts sometimes are con-vinced that only custom-designed parts are good enough fora winning team. The question is, of course, do off-the-shelfcomponents automatically have an inherent performancehandicap? Doug Kaufman talks to some leading suppliers andgrinders of performance cam stats to get to the bottom of the'Custom Grinds vs Catalog Specs' debate..........................32

Dry Sump Oiling SystemsDry sump oil systems are used on all kinds of racing applica-tions from NASCAR, circle track, road course and FormulaOne racing to ProStock drag racing. One of the main reasonswhy dry sump oil systems are used in these applications is toreduce the risk of oil starvation or aeration. Our Technical Edi-tor Larry Carley investigates these oiling system’s advantagesand disadvantages for various applications ........................42

Columns

Performance Notes ......................18By Bill Holder, ContributorThis month we focus on some students and the engines they have chosen to buildin Sinclair Community College's High Performance Program.

Tech Talk ......................................19By Brendan Baker, Senior Executive EditorThe new for 2014 Corvette LT1 engine represents the most significant redesign inthe Small Block Chevy’s nearly 60-year history.

DEPARTMENTSIndustry News......................................................6Events ..................................................................4Shop Solutions ....................................................122012 Supplier Spotlights ......................................61Cores/Classifieds/Ad Index ..................................66On The Web..........................................................68

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42Engine BlueprintingEngine blueprinting is a standard procedure used by enginebuilders to obtain maximum power and to ensure the longestpossible engine life and reliability. It also requires that enginebuilders be more disciplined. Senior Executive Editor BrendanBaker takes a look at some of the checks and measurementsthat are required to decrease the chance of an engine failuredue to improper clearances or assembly error....................52

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Events

Industry EventsNovember 26-28AETCOrlando, FLwww.aetconline.com or 866-893-2382

November 29- December 1PRI ShowOrlando, FLwww.performanceracing.com or 949-499-5413

December 6-8IMISIndianapolis, INwww.imis-indy.com or 317-429-1004

January 21-23 2013Heavy Duty Aftermarket WeekLas Vegas, NVwww.hdaw.org or 708-226-1300

February 2-3V-Twin ExpoCincinnati, OHwww.vtwin-expo.com or 877-889-4697

February 22-24Race and Performance ExpoSt. Charles, ILwww.raceperformanceexpo.com or 630-584-6300

March 6-8The Work Truck ShowIndianapolis, INwww.ntea.com/worktruckshow or 800-441-6832

March 14-16Hot Rod and Restoration ShowIndianapolis, INwww.hotrodshow.com or 800-576-8788

March 21-23 Mid-America Trucking ShowLouisville, KYwww.truckingshow.com

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For more industry events, visit our website at

www.enginebuildermag.com or subscribe to

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Former Engine BuilderPublisher Becky BabcoxPasses AwayMary Rebecca “Becky” Babcox,longtime publisher of EngineBuilder magazine, died peacefullyon October 15, in Akron, OH, aftera long battle with Multiple SystemAtrophy (MSA). She was 60 yearsold.

For many years, Becky was co-owner of Babcox Media (publisherof Engine Builder and other busi-ness-to-business magazines), alongwith her brother, Bill Babcox. To-gether, they were the third genera-tion of the Babcox family to run thecompany founded by their grand-father, Edward S. Babcox, in 1920.Becky retired from the company in2006, after nearly 30 years in thebusiness. She was named “Womanof the Year” by the Car Care Coun-cil Women's Board that same year.

In addition to serving as corpo-rate secretary of Babcox, Becky waspublisher of Automotive Rebuilder

magazine, known today as EngineBuilder magazine. She was an ac-tive participant in the rebuildingindustry, serving as a board mem-ber of the Production Engine Re-manufacturers Association (PERA)and numerous other aftermarketassociations, including the EngineBuilders Association (AERA), theAutomotive Parts RemanufacturersAssociation (APRA) and the CarCare Council Women’s Board.

“Becky was well-known and re-spected for her contributions to theindustry and made many friendsamong aftermarket professionalsduring her years of service. Withher warm and friendly nature,Becky couldn’t walk down theaisles at trade shows without re-ceiving abundant hellos from ad-miring industry peers,” thecompany said in a statement. “Allthose who knew her would say hergenerosity was unmatched. Shelived life with a positive attitudeand even in the end stages of life

never relin-quished hercharacteristicgrace andhumility.”

In addi-tion to hersignificantcareer ac-complish-ments, Beckyserved herbelovedAkron community by giving timeand energy to Goodwill Industries,Planned Parenthood, Junior Leagueof Akron, the Akron Garden Club,Old Trail School, and many others.

Becky was a graduate of EmoryUniversity and received her MBAfrom The Ohio State University.She is survived by her son, Rob.

In lieu of flowers, memorial con-tributions may be made to Good-will Industries of Akron, 570 E.Waterloo Rd., Akron, OH 44319, orto the charity of your choice.

Federal-Mogul IntroducesInteractive Local MarketTech Support Platform Federal-Mogul unveiled an extensivenew in-market product, brand andtechnical support platform for vehicleservice providers during the recentAutomotive Aftermarket ProductsExpo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas. The newplatform features a team of ASE-certi-fied specialists and sophisticated tech-nical support vehicles that will bedeployed throughout North Americawith the capability to reach thousandsof service professionals each year.

“Automotive service professionalsface new diagnostic, repair and cus-tomer service challenges every day.We believe it’s our responsibility as aleading manufacturer to offer a com-prehensive two-way communicationplatform that provides valuable dailysupport of these professionals on aone-to-one basis,” said Jay Burkhart,senior vice president, global markets,Vehicle Component Solutions, Fed-

eral-Mogul. “This platform will serveas hands-on, in-market interface withthe thousands of professionals whospecify and install our products onthe job.”

The interactive local market plat-

form is the latest in a series of invest-ments by Federal-Mogul in new pro-grams and tools designed to helpservice dealers and other customersleverage the value of the company’sindustry leading technologies. Fed-


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Federal-Mogul announced a new in-market technical and product support platform dur-ing the 2012 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas. The newplatform features a team of ASE-certified specialists and sophisticated technical supportvehicles that will be deployed throughout North America with the capability to reachthousands of automotive service professionals each year. Photo credit: Federal-Mogul

eral-Mogul also offers a real-time elec-tronic information system,www.fme360.com, that enables serviceprofessionals to access the latest newsregarding the company’s productsand programs as well as an extensivevirtual library of technical resourcesand other business-critical tools. Thefleet of vans complements the in-depth technical training programs andmaterials available via Federal-Mogul’s award-winning Technical Ed-ucation Center in St. Louis.

The Federal-Mogul in-marketteams will be positioned in major mar-kets across the U.S. and Canada, withthe flexibility to deploy multiple vehi-cles to specific areas in conjunctionwith special training initiatives and re-gionally targeted programs. On-boardtechnology will include multi-mediainstructional tools, product and sys-tem displays and an innovative, self-contained interactive product trainingmodule. The Federal-Mogul technicalproduct specialists will be able to ac-cess and print the company’s Web-

based training materials, includingproduct and repair bulletins, in re-sponse to customer requests and/or tosupplement their on-site presenta-tions.

For additional information contactyour Federal-Mogul sales representa-tive. The latest Federal-Mogul productand program news is available 24/7 atwww.fme360.com.

Engine Parts WarehouseAcquires World ProductsAftermarket BusinessEngine Parts Warehouse of Louisville,KY has acquired the World Productsautomotive aftermarket business as ofOctober 17, 2012.

“We at World are very excited be-cause with five Engine Parts Ware-house locations across the countrythey stock virtually every brand ofperformance engine parts, includingtheir own PBM Performance Parts andErson Cams,” the company said in astatement. “And with more than 30expert engine parts phone sales peo-

ple available to assist you, they haveresources beyond anything WorldProducts could offer.”

The company said that the new ac-quisition will benefit engine builders,allowing for a one stop shopping ex-perience for everything from blocks,heads, cranks, rods and pistons downto every nut, bolt and gasket. In addi-tion, World Products said it will con-tinue to service the OEM andIndustrial markets and will offer anysupport needed by World Perform-ance to assure success of the venture.

For more information about WorldProducts and Engine Parts Ware-house, visit www.worldcastings.com orcall 877-630-6651.

Evernham to Give KeynoteAddress at IMIS Safety &Technical ConferenceRay Evernham, who won threeNASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles ascrew chief for Jeff Gordon, will givethe keynote address at the fourth an-nual International Motorsports Indus-

EngineBuilderMag.com 9

Industry NewsTHIS ISSUE: PG 23 >> Drag Racing PG 42 >> Oil Pumps PG 61 >> Product Spotlights


try Show (IMIS) Safety & TechnicalConference Dec. 5-6 in Indianapolis.The IMIS Safety & Technical Confer-ence helps kick off the fourth annualIMIS.

“I’m honored to give the keynoteaddress at the IMIS Safety and Techni-cal Conference,” Evernham said. “Itdoesn’t matter if you’re racing inNASCAR or Formula 1 every week-end or just racing a street stock at yourlocal track – you’re always looking tomake your car faster and safer. Andthat’s what the IMIS Safety & Techni-cal Conference is all about, providinginformation and advice from the bestminds in the world so racers can findmore speed and always be on the cut-ting edge of safety innovations.”

A list of presenters and presenta-tion topics is routinely updated atwww.imis-indy.com as they are added.

Attendees who register beforeNov. 6 will save $55 on a two-dayticket or $45 on a one-day ticket. Toregister, visit www.imis-indy.com and

click on Conference under the IMISEvents tab. The two-day conferenceticket is $250 at the door, or $195 be-fore Nov. 6.

Engine Builder Magazine ToHost Free ‘Race EngineRoundtable’ at IMIS Engine Builder magazine will host afree seminar titled “Race EngineRoundtable: Real World Tips to Takethe Checkered Flag” on Friday, De-cember 7, 2012, during the Interna-tional Motorsports Industry Show inIndianapolis. The two-hour seminarwill be held at the Convention Centerand will be moderated by Lake Speed,Jr., of Driven Racing Oil.

Scheduled to participate arechampion engine builders includingTony Bischoff, BES Racing Engines;Matt Dickmeyer, Dickmeyer Auto-motive Engineering; Jim Feurer, Ani-mal Jim Racing; David McLain,McLain’s Automotive Machine; JeffTaylor, Jeff Taylor Performance; and

DeWaine McGunegill, McGunegillEngine Performance.

Raffle drawings will be held, prizeswill be awarded and seminar atten-dees will receive literature and give-aways from seminar sponsors,including Driven Racing Oil, WisecoPistons and Goodson Tools andEquipment. All IMIS Seminars are freeto show attendees.

For information about attending orexhibiting at the IMIS Show, visitwww.imis-indy.com. For informationabout participating in the Race En-gine Roundtable as a sponsor, callDoug Kaufman, Engine Builder Asso-ciate Publisher/Editor at 330-670-1234x 262 or [email protected]. ■


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Piston-to-Valve ClearanceSomeday you could find yourself atthe track, out in the field, or at homein your garage needing to check pis-ton-to-valve clearance after a camswap or cylinder head change andthere is no clay available.

No problem, go buy yourself aTootsie Roll, and after it sits in yourpocket for 20 minutes or so it shouldbe soft enough to use.

John AllenAdvanced Engine MachineBakersfield, CA

Checking Piston Ring GapHere is an easy way I have found tosquare piston rings in cylinders forchecking ring gap. I use various sizeold flat-top pistons according to thebore size being checked. These mustbe flat-top pistons with no taper on theedges. You will also need two match-ing wrist pins. Note: A standard diam-eter piston will still work with a .030˝overbore.

First, place a correct size wrist pinboss of piston to use as a tool fromeach side. Then place the ring to besquared in the cylinder. Be sure not topush the ring down too low. Now,with the piston upside down, push thering with the top of the piston until thewrist pin stops at the block. To verifyring is squared in the cylinder checkwith a simple depth gauge. I havefound this method to be simple, quickand accurate.

Next, verify ring seal. While keep-ing the feeler gauge snug in the ringgap take a flexible light with the flexpart bent in a u-shape and shine thelight right under the piston ring tocylinder area. Move around thewhole cylinder and look at your gap.Needless to say no light should ap-pear between the ring and cylinder,or the gap. If it shows light throughtry a ring from a cylinder that doesnot leak. This will determine if theleaking light is coming from the ringor the cylinder wall.

James FeurerAnimal Jim Racing, Animal EnginesLacon, IL

RE: Debunking the ‘10X10’ Crankshaft Myth for CustomersAs a retired crank shop owner, I reallyenjoyed the March, 2008 article andwas glad to see someone tackle thesubject to clear up the myth. You are100 percent correct that grinding acrank undersize only reduces strengtha small amount. Additionally, I think Ican clear up some of the origin of thismyth.

First of all, in normal use or evenhigh performance use, a used crank-shaft will not “clean up” to standardspecifications and will usually haveto be ground to .010˝ undersize. Thecrankshaft has then remained 98+percent as strong as new. The prob-lem arises when “spinning” or“hammering” (knocking) a bearing.The crank will not clean up at .010˝and must be ground down to .020˝ ormore. A spun or hammered journalcauses a crack in the majority ofcases, even though it might not ap-pear to be badly damaged.

In order to detect a crack, the crank

must be crack checked or “mag-nafluxed.” Some crank rebuilders donot crack check their product and de-pend upon the “law of averages.”

The backyard mechanic/racerwas right when he found that crank-shafts ground past .010˝ would havea tendency to break, assuming it wasbecause of the reduction in strengthand not aware that it was cracked al-ready when it came from the crankrepair shop.

Like any other machine in an engineshop, a wet system crank checking set-up is only as good as its operator andonly works if it is turned on.

Many thanks,Fred GeiselOcala, FL

Proper Fastener PreparationIn order to obtain proper torque (ortorque to yield) values, it is absolutelyimperative that threaded fasteners are clean and in good condition. Allthreads should be inspected andcleaned, especially fasteners andthreaded castings or housings that willbe reused. The best way to insure thatthreads are in optimum condition is byutilizing thread restoring tools. Thesetools are designed to clean and restoreexisting threads, not to cut new ones.

Most typical tap and die sets are de-signed to cut new threads and theirability to remove material is detrimen-tal to used threads. Male and femalethreads found throughout the automo-tive industry have approximately 75%contact between the threads and usinga tap and die set will very likely re-duce this contact percentage further byremoving necessary material from thefastener and/or the threaded receiver.This reduction in mass will affecttorque values and ultimately the abil-ity of the fastener to maintain proper


To celebrate the 5th anniversary of Shop Solutions, we have teamed up with Engine Pro for the "Top 5 of the Past 5"awards. To thank our readers for their generous contributions over the last five years, we're awarding both the ShopSolution authors and our readers who help us choose the winners with cash prizes. We've narrowed the field to thetop 20, and now we need your help selecting the Top 5. All you need to do is read the submissions listed below, pickyou favorite and visit http://bit.ly/RMZYVE (or send email to [email protected]) to vote. It's thatsimple! By voting, you get a chance to win one of these cash prizes: First Place Author and Voter: $1,000; SecondPlace Author and Voter: $250; Third Place Author and Voter: $100; Fourth Place Author and Voter: $100; Fifth PlaceAuthor and Voter: $100. Voting is open through Dec. 31, 2012 and voter prizes will be drawn at random.

holding properties.Thread restoring sets can be obtained from most, if not all, of the

major automotive tool suppliers and are a valuable addition to anytool collection. Finally, all blind holes most be free of residue and allthreads and contact surfaces should be lubricated sparingly with cleanoil or assembly lube.

Bill RiordanRiordan EngineeringTwin Lake, MI

Grumpy Jenkins’ Techniquefor Braided Line CuttingTwenty years ago I was lucky enoughto have Grumpy Jenkins show me agreat way to cut steel braided lines. Heused a sharp wide chisel.

This works great and leaves nofrayed ends. Just put the hose on analuminum block, use your sharp chiseland hit it like you mean it!

Jeff “Beezer” BesethBeezerBuilt Inc.Newton Square, PA


Shop Solutions –The Power ofKnowledge

Engine Builder and Engine Pro presentShop Solutions in each issue of EngineBuilder Magazine and at enginebuilder-mag.com.

The feature is intended to provide ma-chine shop owners and engine techni-cians the opportunity to share theirknowledge to benefit the entire industryand their own shops.

Those who submit Shop Solutions thatare published are awarded a free oneyear membership to the Engine Re-builders Council and a prepaid $100Visa gift card.

Engine Pro is a nationwide network ofdistributors that warehouse a full line ofinternal engine components fordomestic and import passenger car,light truck, heavy duty, industrial, ma-rine, agricultural and performance ap-plications. They also produce engine parts underthe Engine Pro name that offer premiumfeatures at an affordable price.


In October, you learned about theteachers at Sinclair CommunityCollege in Dayton, OH, involved

in the school’s High Performanceprogram. This one-year certificationprogram provides hands-on, certifiedautomotive training for skilled entry-level positions in automotive dealer-ships, independent garages andmotorsports and other auto-relatedindustries.

Its auto department is recognizedas a leader in training and provides asubstantial advantage to its graduatesin seeking employment, as well as theindependent shops hiring them.

Last month we talked about theinstructors – program developer Pro-fessor Mike Garblic, teaching Profes-sion Blaine Heeter and his assistantsKevin Smith and Jim Butts – thismonth we’ll focus on some studentsand the engines they have chosen tobuild.

Engine Buildup #1Kasey King, from Coshocton, OH,started the course when he was only19. He came with experience though,having two years of automotive voca-tional training in high school.

Since his interest was performanceengines, King took the opportunity ofusing a technical school to hone hisskills. The starting point of his effortwas a trashed 454 engine from a ’73GMC pickup. The plan was to boreand stoke the block to 489 cubicinches with a capability of 500 horse-power. It took awhile, but the missionwas accomplished – actually 528horses and 500 ft.-lbs. of torque on thedyno. After tuning and refinement,he figures that 600 hp is possible.

That 454 GMC block was the maincomponent used in the build-up,with most of the remainder being af-termarket parts and pieces.

King explained that he line-honed,de-burred, square-decked and did a0.030˝ overbore, which added about35 cubic inches. Finally, he balanced itat 850 rpm on a Sunnen crankshaftbalancer.

The heads selected were 454 LS-6versions, which also required work.

“I did some porting to take offsome rough edges from the casting,which helped the air flow,” King said.“I also port-matched the gaskets be-tween the intake manifold and head.”The compression ratio achieved was10.5-1.

Also, the valves needed attentionand King cleaned up the facings.

The gas-fuel mixture is providedby a monster 1100 cfm Demon four-barrel. The cam was initially plannedto be a moderate flat-tappet, but helater decided on a more-aggressivemechanical roller type. The crank isaftermarket Eagle.

Coming from a drag racing family,it’s not surprising the planned pur-pose of this engine isn’t a shock. “Ihave a 1991 rail dragster that I run ona 1/8-mile strip,” King said. “I’mhoping I can get into the mid-fiveswith this engine powering it.”

Engine Build-Up #2At 42 years of age, Dave Lemke ofDayton, OH, describes himself as an“old school” mechanic. Lemke, whoowns an auto repair and towing busi-ness in Michigan, said his new questis to concentrate on his hobby and es-tablish himself as a high-performance

builder.“With this build-up, I wanted to

learn about upgrading the Chevy LSengines.”

To that end, he started with a used140,000-mile 5.3L LS-1. The goal wasto increase the horsepower to about500 at the wheels. The engine’s finalresting point will be in a 1981 BuickRegal.

The block received the initial at-tention when it was shot-peened andmeasured. Next, it was punched out0.125”, plus the addition of an after-market stroker cam provided an ad-ditional 61 cubic inches ofdisplacement. That produced a 396cid engine.

Lemke also wanted better engineoiling and cut channel on both thefront and back of the block to openup a galley.

The next procedure was to balance

High OctaneEducations

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bill HolderPHOTOGRAPHY BY Phil Kunz

Students in Community College Performance Program say they’reprepared for racing, careers

Perf

orm

ance

Not

es

Student Kasey King performsexhaust port grinding to hisGMC 454 engine.


the rotating mass ofthe engine that in-cluded the pistons,rods, pins and clips. Aftermarket partswere used internally with ADP Per-formance rods and moly pistons. Also,a GM LS7 cam was installed.

The stock intake was retained al-though it was ported and polished andwas custom fabricated into a tunnel-ram configuration.

The heads received huge attentionas Lemke figures he spent about 200

hours of machiningon each of them. “Iground off every-thing that would hurt theflow. I then tested theheads on a Super Flow1020 Bench and itrecorded 278 cfm,” hesaid.

After the headworkwas completed, the en-

gine showed a hugeincrease in compres-sion ratio from ini-tially at 9.5-to-1 to animpressive 12.2-1.

The injection sys-tem was acquired

from an 8.1L Chevy Vortec engine,which produced an injection pressureof 42 lbs. compared to the 5.3’s 29 lbs.of pressure.

Engine Build-up #3For 65-year-old Jim Rose, his enginebuild project started at the lowest ofstarting points with a rusty 1967 440

block that had been sitting in a field fora long time. He also had an ultimate lo-cation for the engine on completion —the engine compartment of a ’69Dodge A-12 replica drag car and pro-viding about 600 hp, which was ac-complished.


Performance Notes

The heads on Dave Lemke’s5.3L LS1 got huge attention,says the builder. The goodnews? The hard work paid off.

Automotive student Jim Rose islooking to transform a rusty440 Mopar block into into a per-formance powerplant.


Jim’s motivation for the build-upcame from his longtime fascination ofbig block Mopars. During the process,he found that there was a lot more todo than he had expected. But hefound help through Sinclair Commu-nity College.

“The Sinclair instructors were al-ways right there keeping me going in

the right direction,” he said. In all,there was about $6,000 invested and “awhole bunch of hours of work.”

The first goal was to increase thedisplacement to 496, which was donewith an overbore. And there was also alot of precision work required includ-ing line honing and decking.

Jim decided that Edelbrock alu-

minum heads would be required toachieve the 600-horse figure he desired.

“I wanted them to be the best, so Icarefully smoothed the intake and ex-haust passages,” he explained. “I alsoused larger 2.20˝ valves.”

Other upgrades included increasingthe oil pan volume to contain eightquarts of 20-weight oil. The fuel is 115octane Turbo Blue with the final com-pression ratio about 15-1.

Engine Build-up #4Fifty-three-year-old Al Christian, re-tired from the Air Force, had the strongdesire to build up a 421 Stoker engineto serve as a street car engine withabout 500 hp and 550 lb.-ft. of torque.

It was a long journey as he startedwith a bare Bowtie racing block. Theincreased displacement was accom-plished by a significant boring to4.155”. The block was honed and thedeck was squared. All the gallerieswere chamfered and the valleyssmoothed.

To produce the power he required,he installed a potent rotating mass con-sisting of SRP aluminum pistons andEagle rods.

Next, AFP aluminum heads wereselected. Due to the fact that the valvesprings were gauged for racing, it wasnecessary substitute softer units forstreet driving. “I had received goodcomments from builders who had usedthese heads and they sure worked forme,” Al said.

Other engine parts that were se-lected were a Comp Cams roller camand an aluminum Edelbrock intake.The carb selected was an 850 cfmDemon. Finally, the exhaust was ex-pelled by 1-7/8” full-length HookerHeaders

Al got a 10.5-1 compression ratio,which was what he had been hopingfor. What he also got that he desiredwas excellent dyno readings of 503horses and 565 lb.-ft. of torque.

All of these examples are simplythat – examples of people who are ac-tively involved in this industry and apositive sign that despite the fear oftechnician shortages good, trainedhelp is out there. Investigate with yourlocal community college or universityabout students they have graduatedfrom a machinist or engine buildingprogram. Your next great employeemay be waiting. ■

Performance Notes




When the all-new 2014Chevrolet Corvette arriveslate next year, it will be

powered by a technologically ad-vanced 6.2L V8 that delivers an esti-mated 450 horsepower and runs 0-60mph in less than four seconds.

The new Corvette LT1 engine, thefirst of the Gen 5 family of SmallBlock engines, combines several ad-vanced technologies, including directinjection, active fuel management andcontinuously variable valve timing tosupport an advanced combustionsystem.

Output, performance and fueleconomy numbers will not be final-ized until early next year, but the newLT1 engine is expected to deliver:

• The most powerful standardCorvette ever, with preliminary out-put of 450 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft.of torque;

• The quickest standard Corvetteever, with estimated 0-60 perform-ance of less than four seconds;

• The most fuel-efficient Corvetteever, exceeding the 2013 EPA-esti-mated 26 miles per gallon on thehighway.

“The Holy Grail for developing aperformance car is delivering greaterperformance and more power withgreater fuel economy and that’s whatwe’ve achieved,” said Tadge Juechter,Corvette chief engineer. “By leverag-ing technology, we are able to getmore out of every drop of gasolineand because of that we expect thenew Corvette will be themost fuel-efficient 450horsepower car on the mar-ket.”

Advanced Combustion System Optimized with 6 Million Hours of AnalysisThe Corvette LT1 represents the mostsignificant redesign in the Small BlockChevy’s nearly 60-year history. TheLT1 has been optimized to produce abroader power band. Below 4,000rpm, the torque of the Corvette LT1 iscomparable to that of the 7.0L LS7 outof the current Corvette Z06, accordingto GM officials.

Increased power and efficiencywere made possible by hours uponhours of data analysis, includingcomputational fluid dynamics, to op-timize the combustion system, the di-rect injection fuel system, active fuelmanagement and variable valve tim-ing systems that support it. GM saysit poured in more than 10 millionhours of computational analysis onthe program, including 6 millionhours (CPU time) dedicated to the ad-vanced combustion system.

Direct injection is all-new to theengine architecture and is a primarycontributor to its greater combustionefficiency by ensuring a more com-plete burn of the fuel in the air-fuelmixture. This is achieved by preciselycontrolling the mixture motion andfuel injection spray pattern. Direct in-jection also keeps the combustionchamber cooler, which allows for ahigher compression ratio. Emissionsare also reduced, particularly cold-start hydrocarbon emissions, whichare cut by about 25 percent.

Active fuel management (AFM) –a first-ever application on Corvette –helps save fuel by imperceptibly shut-ting down half of the engine’s cylin-ders in light-load driving.

Continuously variable valve tim-ing, which GM pioneered for OHVengines, is refined to support the LT1AFM and direct injection systems tofurther optimize performance, effi-ciency and emissions.


Tech TalkChevy’s NewestSmall Block V8

GM Unveils Technologically Advanced450 hp Gen 5 LT1 V8 for 2014 Corvette

The 2014 Corvette will betreated to a new mill in theGen 5 that is almost as pow-erful as the current LS7.

SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRENDAN BAKER

[email protected]

These technologies support the all-new, advanced com-bustion system, which incorporates a new cylinder-head de-sign and a new, sculpted piston design that is an integralcontributor to the high-compression, mixture motion param-eters enabled by direct injection.

The LT1 head features smaller combustion chambers de-signed to complement the volume of the unique topographyof the pistons’ heads. The smaller chamber size and sculptedpistons produce an 11.5:1 compression ratio, while the headfeatures large, straight and rectangular intake ports with aslight twist to enhance mixture motion. This is comple-mented by a reversal of the intake and exhaust valve posi-tions, as compared to the previous engine design. Also, thespark plug angle and depth have been revised to protrudefarther into the chamber, placing the electrode closer to thecenter of the combustion to support optimal combustion.

The pistons feature unique sculpted topography that wasoptimized via extensive analysis to precisely direct the fuel

spray for a more complete combustion. The contours of thepiston heads are machined to ensure dimensional accuracy –essential for precise control of mixture motion and the com-pression ratio.

The new LT1 is the third engine in the Corvette’s historyto be so-named, with previous versions introduced in 1970(Gen 1) and 1992 (Gen 2). All iterations of the LT1 – and allSmall Block engines – have shared a compact design philos-ophy that allows greater packaging flexibility in sleek vehi-cles such as the Corvette.

Features and HighlightsAll-aluminum block and oil pan: The Gen 5 block was de-veloped with math-based tools and data acquired in GM’sracing programs, providing a light, rigid foundation. Itsdeep-skirt design helps maximize strength and minimize vi-bration. As with the Gen 3 and Gen 4 Small Blocks, the bulk-heads accommodate six-bolt, cross-bolted main-bearing capsthat limit crank flex and stiffen the engine’s structure. Astructural aluminum oil pan further stiffens the powertrain.

The block features nodular iron main bearing caps, whichrepresent a significant upgrade over more conventionalpowdered metal bearing caps. They are stronger and canbetter absorb vibrations and other harmonics to help pro-duce smoother, quieter performance.

Compared to the Gen 4 engine, the Gen 5’s cylinder blockcasting is all-new, but based on the same basic architecture.It was refined and modified to accommodate the mountingof the engine-driven direct injection high-pressure fuelpump. It also incorporates new engine mount attachments,

20 November 2012 | EngineBuilderCircle 20 for more information

The LT1 features a new seam-less cylinder deactivation sys-tem through its AFM.

new knock sensor locations, improvedsealing and oil-spray piston cooling.

Advanced oiling system, withavailable dry-sump system: The LT1oiling system – including oil-spray pis-ton cooling – was also optimized forimproved performance. It is driven bya new, variable-displacement oil pumpthat enables more efficient oil delivery,per the engine’s operating conditions.Its dual-pressure control enables opera-tion at a very efficient oil pressure atlower rpm coordinated with AFM anddelivers higher pressure at higher en-gine speeds to provide a more robustlube system for aggressive engine op-eration.

Standard oil-spray piston coolingsprays the underside of each pistonand the surrounding cylinder wallwith an extra layer of cooling oil, viasmall jets located at the bottom of thecylinders. For optimal efficiency, the oiljets are used only when they areneeded the most: at start-up, giving thecylinders extra lubrication that reducesnoise, and at higher engine speeds,

when the engine load demands, forextra cooling and greater durability.

New, tri-lobe camshaft: Comparedto the Gen 4 Small Block, the camshaftremains in the same position relative tothe crankshaft and is used with a newrear cam bearing, but it features an all-

new“tri-lobe” designed lobe which exclusivelydrives the engine-mounted direct injec-tion high-pressure fuel pump, whichpowers the direct-injection combustionsystem. The cam’s specifications in-


Tech TalkTHIS ISSUE: PG 23 >> Drag Racing PG 32 >> Cams PG 52 >> Blueprinting


GM engineers leveraged the lat-est technologies to come upwith production engine that hitsall the numbers.

clude .551˝/.524˝ intake/exhaust lift, 200/207-crank angledegrees intake/exhaust duration at .050˝ lift and a 116.5-de-gree cam angle lobe separation.

New, cam-driven fuel pump: The direct injection systemfeatures a very-high- pressure fuel pump, which delivers upto 150 bar. The high-pressure, engine-driven fuel pump isfed by a conventional fuel-tank-mounted pump. The directinjection pump is mounted in the “valley” between cylinder

heads – be-neath theintakemanifold –and isdriven bythecamshaft atthe rear ofthe engine.This loca-tion en-sures anynoise gen-erated bythe pumpis muffled

by the intake manifold and other insulation in the valley. PCV-integrated rocker covers: One of the most distinc-

tive features of the new engine is its domed rocker covers,which house the, patent-pending, integrated positivecrankcase ventilation (PCV) system that enhances oil econ-omy and oil life, while reducing oil consumption and con-tributing to low emissions. The rocker covers also hold thedirect-mount ignition coils for the coil-near-plug ignitionsystem. Between the individual coil packs, the domed sec-tions of the covers contain baffles that separate oil and airfrom the crankcase gases – about three times the oil/air sep-aration capability of previous engines.

Intake manifold and throttle body assembly: The LT1’sintake manifold features a “runners in a box” design,wherein individual runners inside the manifold feed aplenum box that allows for excellent, high-efficiency airflowpackaged beneath the car’s low hood line.

Acoustic foam is sandwiched between the outside top ofthe intake manifold and an additional acoustic shell to re-duce radiated engine noise, as well as fuel pump noise.

The manifold is paired with an electronically controlledthrottle with an 87mm bore diameter and a “contactless”throttle position sensor design that is more durable and hasgreater control.

Additional features and technologies of the Gen 5 are:• 58X ignition system with individual

ignition coil modules and iridium-tipspark plugs;

• All-new “E92” engine controller.General Motors says its investment in

the Gen 5 Small Block will create or re-tain more than 1,600 jobs in five NorthAmerican plants, including Tonawanda,NY, which recently received upgrades tosupport its production.

We know it’ll likely be a while beforeyou start seeing these engines in yourshop, but it is always important to under-stand what technologies are being devel-oped. And in the case of the Gen 5, muchof the technology has been around a fewyears, although not as refined and all inthe same engine package until now. ■


Tech Talk



Direct injection is another ad-vanced system used on the LT1

What does it take to put atop-notch Sportsmandrag racing engine in the

winner’s bracket? Obviously, partsselection, assembly expertise and atalented driver are key.

Over the years, Engine Builderhas been an advocate of masteringthe first two – the last one is al-ways a gamble. But in some casesfor that driver, winning begetswinning. The 2012 IHRA SummitRacing SuperSeries Top Classchampion, Tim Butler of Sarasota,FL, received as part of his prizepackage, a brand new AmericanRacing Cars dragster with a 565 cidBig Block Chevy engine build byTrick Flow Specialties.

While Trick Flow may be bestknown for developing cylinderheads for high performance streetand racing applications, the com-pany also knows a thing or twoabout building engines. Over theyears they have put together hun-dreds of engines, ranging fromdocile small block Chevys to blownLS motors, torque monster bigblock Fords and Chevys, andeverything in between. Simply put,they know how to build solid, reli-able horspower when it counts.

The complete package we out-line here was developed to be aprize package – so we’re happy topresent the “recipe” to you. Followthe plan to the letter or make ad-justments to parts and componentsto see how your results differ.

Why a 565?According to Trick Flow managerMike Downs, with a large 4.600˝bore, 4.250˝stroke, and a 6.535˝rod, the 565 can make largeamounts of horsepower andtorque, yet uses readily availableparts and requires minimal ma-chine work. Better, yet, the 565 isadaptable to many IHRA sports-man and bracket classes.

The PartsHere are the building blocks forthe engine:

Engine Block: The Dart Big M isone of the strongest blocks avail-able for big Chevys. The cast iron

block has race-ready features likescalloped outer water jacket wallsto improve coolant flow aroundthe cylinder barrels, four-bolt billetsteel main caps with splayed outerbolts, a true priority main oil sys-tem, a stepped main oil gallery toincrease oil flow to the crank athigh rpm, and lifter valley headstud bosses to prevent blown headgaskets.

Crankshaft: Callies forged Mag-num crankshaft, manufacturedfrom 4340 steel, is given multipleheat treatments for unsurpassedwear and strength characteristics.The 4.250˝ stroke crank has gun-drilled mains and fully profiled


Feature

The 565 cid engine is ready for its carburetor, ignition system and accessories be-fore heading to the dyno. The engine was given to the winner of this year’s Sum-mit Racing SuperSeries Top Class Champion. Lucky guy.

CONTRIBUTOR ALAN REBESCHER

[email protected]

BUILDING A

TOP CLASS 565 ENGINEGet The Recipe for Building a Versatile Big Block

Chevy Sportsman Race Engine

counterweights.Pistons and Rings: JE

forged pistons have a 46ccdome with two valve reliefs,vertical gas ports, and an oilrail support. The ring packconsists of .043˝ plasma-molycoated ductile iron top rings,.043˝ phosphate-coated ironsecondary rings, and a low-tension 3mm oil ring.

Connecting Rods: Manley6.535˝ H-beam rods are madefrom forged 4340 steel alloyand are fully machined, stressrelieved, and magnafluxed.Each rod set is weight-

matched to within 2 grams andcome with ARP cap screw rodbolts.

Main and Rod Bearings:The Clevite main bearingshave an exclusive TriArmorcoating that offers extraordi-nary protection and lubricity.The bearings have enlargedchamfers at the sides forgreater crank-fillet clearanceand are made without flashplating for better seating.

Cam Bearings: The Dartroller bearings can handlelarge amounts of spring pres-sure, decrease power-robbing


The foundation for the 565 is a Dart Big M block. It features 4.600˝ cylin-der bores, 9.800˝ (standard) deck height, priority main oiling (the mainbearings get oil first), scalloped water jackets for improved water flowaround the cylinder jackets, and nodular iron four-bolt main bearingcaps. Dart also enlarged the cam tunnels for roller bearings and bushedthe lifter bores for .904˝ lifters. The wet sump block was finished ma-chined (honed cylinder bores, decked for MLS head gaskets) at R&R En-gine (Akron, OH). Special thanks to Al Roth for getting the block doneso quickly.

With clearances checked, bearings lubricated, and piston/rod sets assem-bled, it’s time for assembly. First up is the Callies Magnum crankshaft;forged from 4340 steel, the 4.250˝ stroke crank has gun drilled mainsand fully profiled counterweights. Those counterweights are strategicallyplaced to reduce imbalance forces over the entire length of the crank toimprove bearing life and reduce wear.

friction, and hold closeroil tolerances. The bear-ings are steel jacketedand encapsulated forease of installation.

Camshaft: TheCOMP Cams roller cam,ground specifically forthis engine, has283°/296° duration @.050˝ and .824/.785inches of lift with a 1.7ratio rocker arm.

Timing System: Thetwo-piece Jesel BeltDrive system reducesthe amount of harmon-ics being transferred tothe camshaft. Thatmeans rock-solid camtiming compared to atiming chain or geardrive. It also has an ex-ternal cam timing ad-justment feature thatallows you to accu-rately set cam timing.

AssemblyThere are no special tricks or dou-ble-secret procedures to building areliable race engine. It’s all abouttaking your time, keeping thingsclean and well lubricated, andmost importantly, measuringeverything – twice, if you have to.The steps followed by Trick Flow’sengine builder and tuner ToddHodges are probably the same asyou would follow when assem-bling an engine...or should be.

Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain SetupWith a large 4.600˝ bore, 4.250˝stroke, and a 6.535˝ rod, the 565can make large amounts of horse-power and torque, yet uses readilyavailable parts and requires mini-mal machine work. Better, yet, the565 is adaptable to many IHRAsportsman and bracket classes.

Trick Flow’s Downs says thecylinder heads used for this engineare pretty special. Considering the


Drag Racing


To properly feed the 565 big block the air it needs,Trick Flow enlisted the help of current NHRA ProStock champ Jason Line to get the most out of TrickFlow’s PowerPort 360 cylinder heads. On the leftare out-of-the-box PowerPort 360s; the modifiedhead is at right. It takes a close look at both to tellthe difference visually—the changes are subtle, buteffective.

horsepower and rpm goals of the 565, the cylinderheads are, in fact, critical. Downs says Trick Flow’s bestoffering for big block Chevy is the PowerPort 360 cylin-der head. The PowerPort 360 features:

• Heart-shaped 122cc combustion chambers with2.300/1.880 inch valves;

• 360cc intake/137cc exhaust Fast As Cast runners –near CNC-ported performance in an as-cast design;

• Exhaust ports raised .300˝ from stock; and• CNC-bowl blended valve seat transitions and 24

degree valve angles.Downs said that the PowerPort 360 head needed

some enhancements to feed 565 cubic inches of race en-gine, so they turned to someone who knows his wayaround cylinder heads – current NHRA Pro StockChampion Jason Line.

Active in KB Racing’s engine development and tun-ing programs, Line can’t resist the challenge of makingsomething run faster, flow better, or make more power.

He made some revisions to the intake ports and dida bit of work on the combustion chambers to help givethe incoming air and fuel a more direct shot at thevalves – no trickery or fancy port work involved.

The Last of the Bolt-OnsAlong with the installation of the Trick Flow PowerPort360 cylinder heads, which had been massaged by dragracer and diehard engine guy Jason Line, we alsobolted on the Trick Flow R-Series intake manifold forphoto purposes; it was removed for a trip to the portingand polishing room for some airflow enhancements.The rest of the bolt-ons included the following:

• Holley Ultra Dominator carburetor, 1,250 cfm;• MSD Pro-Billet crank trigger distributor and crank

trigger kit;

EngineBuilderMag.com 27Circle 27 for more information

Accurate cam timing is critical on any race engine, but doubly soon a large cubic inch, high-rpm big block. Unlike timing chainsand gear drives, a Jesel belt drive does not transfer the crank-shaft (torsional) harmonics to the cam that can cause cam timingto jump around. Here, Todd Hodges checks camshaft endplaywith a dial indicator.

• Moroso electric water pump;• Moroso vacuum pump; and• Moroso valve covers.

Dyno ResultsAfter assembling the cylinder headand valvetrain assembly for the565, it became time to find outwhat this conglomeration of partswas worth on the dyno. Withoutgiving up the results in the firstparagraph, let’s just say those partsare worth a lot of horsepower.

With the engine all buttoned up,it was rolled into Trick Flow’s Su-perflow dyno room for somepower pulls. Engine builder anddyno operator Todd Hodges addeda set of Hedman Husler 2-3/8˝ to2-1/2˝ stepped headers andhooked the distributor to thedyno’s MSD 6AL ignition system.

After making the break-in pull,Todd and Trick Flow’s residenttuning expert Cory Roth made aseveral power pulls on VP C-12racing fuel, making incrementaltiming and carburetor jettingchanges. Todd also tried a powerpull with Q16, a 116 octane fuelthat is highly oxygenated, allowingmore aggressive tuning. With noother changes, the Q16 was worthan extra 13 horsepower.

Unfortunately, Todd and Coryran out of Q16 before he couldmake tuning changes to take ad-vantage of the fuel’s power poten-tial. They switched back to C-12,reduced carburetor jetting from 106to 102, added a carburetor spacer,and increased engine vacuum in afinal attempt to break the 1,000horsepower mark. The changesworked, netting 1,013 peak horse-power at 7,400 rpm and 770 lbs.-ft.


Drag Racing


The finished product on TrickFlow’s Superflow enginedyno. The carburetor is a1,250 cfm Holley Ultra Domi-nator. The headers are Hed-man Huslers used for dynotesting (2 3/8˝ inch to 2 1/2˝stepped primaries). The MSDPro-Billet distributor is di-rectly connected to the dyno’sMSD 6AL ignition controller.

peak torque at 6,100 rpm.The 565 is proof positive of what

kind of power you can make withthe proper selection of parts andsome well-thought-out airflow en-hancements. For more information,visit www.trickflow.com. ■


Drag Racing


The longer (6.050 inch) ARP headstuds required a “bullnose” end onthe threaded portion that goes intothe block. The Dart block has blindholes for the head studs, and thelonger ones have a little more threadengagement compared to the otherstuds in the ARP kit.

After switching back to C-12 fuel, Todd and Cory added a one inch carburetorspacer and increased engine vacuum. The 565 rewarded them with the big num-ber – 1,013 peak horsepower to be exact. Torque production was impressive too,going from 650 lbs.-ft. at 4,000 rpm up to a peak of 770 lbs.-ft. at 6,200 rpm,never falling below 700 at a lofty 7,500 rpm. Think you can win some races withthat kind of power?

When it comes to racing,sometimes the belief is thatonly custom-designed

parts are good enough for a winningteam. The question here is, do off-the-shelf components automaticallyhave a performance handicap?

In order to get to the bottom ofthe “Custom Grinds vs CatalogSpecs” debate Engine Builder maga-zine reached out to experts at theleading camshaft suppliers in thecountry. Some of them are legendarysuppliers of performance camshaftsfrom the earliest days of hot rod-ding, while some are relatively newnames in the market. All of themhave expertise that has come fromin-house testing and real world fieldexperience.

In order to allow them to speakcandidly about the products theyrecommend, we offered themanonymity – they could speak freelyabout products and performancewithout revealing trade secrets. Nonames will be used in this article, buta listing of camshaft suppliers andcontact information will be providedat the end of this article (contact in-formation is compiled from the 2012Engine Builder Buyers Guide, alsoavailable online at www.enginebuil-dermag.com).

If you’re building an engine for atypical racer, the initial question maybe “how much power will theseparts produce?” For the customer fo-cused on muscle, it may seem coun-terintuitive but when it comes tocamshaft selection, the more appro-priate consideration may actually beto look at the brains versus thebrawn.

Compared to other engine compo-nents, how vital is camshaft selectionto a winning performance engine?

“How important is the humanbrain?” asks one expert. “Thecamshaft is the engine’s equivalentto the brain. A well thought-out camis based on the following: the enginedisplacement, the potential of the in-duction system, the potential of theexhaust system, and given rpmrange where power is needed. Basedon these four key elements ‘lobearea’ can be calculated and thecamshaft can be designed to reachthe goals of the engine. If these fourfactors are not used, then get your-self a dart board – it’s a crap shoot.”

In some cases, the biggest isn’t al-ways best. “The camshaft is probablyone of the most critical parts inbuilding a competitive race engine,”says another camshaft expert. “It canaffect peak torque and peak horse-power, and where these two very im-portant events occur it can alsodetermine how the engine will accel-erate. In engines were drivability isimportant the camshaft can be apowerful tuning tool. This is whereyou have to look at track times andlisten to the driver and chassis tuner.In some instances the camshaft thatperforms the best on the track is notthe camshaft that makes the mostpeak torque or horsepower.”

Of course, camshaft selection isalso dependent on other factors.“The camshaft is only as good as theparts around it. There is no miraclecamshaft that can make a winner outof poorly chosen components, so it’simportant that we’re looking at anoverall package that includes not

only the engine, but also the vehicle,and the application that it’s usedfor,” explains another leader in theindustry.

“All of the parts are importantand should be considered when‘specing’ the parts for an engine,”admits another. “Providing the partsare selected properly and the engineis built correctly, the maximumpower is not necessarily the deter-mining factor. The torque range andlevel will determine how the engineperforms for the racer. Having saidthis, the cam package is vital to theairflow of the engine and thereforevital in determining the torque rangeof the engine. So, a really good en-gine with a really good cam that isreally not the correct cam will notperform for the racer and the racerwill not be happy. Good engine,good cam, not matched cam = un-happy customer. Good engine, goodcam, matched cam = happy cus-tomer.”

Do racers typically understandwhat’s right for their engine’s needs?More importantly, specifically re-garding cam selection, do enginebuilders?

“Some of the really experiencedengine builders who build lots of en-gines that are relatively the same de-velop specific packages that workwell for their combination. Theyknow from experience and hardknocks what works for them. Mostengine builders, even the most expe-rienced ones, work with a tech guyfrom their preferred cam companywhen they veer away from theircombination at all,” says one sup-plier with key involvement with

Camshaft SelectionIs an off the shelf cam better than a custom grind? Fe

atur

e


EDITOR DOUG [email protected]

NASCAR Sprint Cup teams.He says partnering with a supplier can be a great way

to move your engine designs to the next level. Develop arelationship with someone at the cam company to dis-cuss how to cam a particular engine. “Taking a little timeto do this is almost never wrong. Not discussing it is fre-quently wrong,” he warns.

“Most engine builders depend on dyno results to de-termine if a camshaft is optimal for the engine they arebuilding,” says one of our experts. “This is not necessar-ily a bad thing but you need to know what to look for inthe dyno results. Peaktorque and peak horse-power are not always themost important results.”This, he explains, iswhere some enginebuilders struggle to un-derstand what camshaftbest fits the race engine they are build-ing and why an engine builder withexperience in building a certain type ofengine really has an advantage oversomeone who is building his first en-gine to compete in a certain race appli-cation.

Many engine builders have a goodhandle on what is needed in thecamshaft department, agree all our ex-perts. Very often this is due to personalexperience, says one veteran who cau-tions that, while this is valuable infor-mation, it is often difficult to relate 20or 25 year old cam lobe designs to

modern lobe designs. Modern lobe designs often need tobe much shorter duration.

“Good engine builders should be aware of what’sneeded to produce a winning package, explains one rep-resentative. “They may not be fully aware of new devel-opments that his cam company has recently introduced,so for a serious competition application, it can’t hurt tocheck with the camshaft manufacturer for any advance-ments and improvements that have been made.”

The key may be to occasionally put aside what youthink you know. “True engine builders understand

what’s needed, parts assemblers may not,” says one


Good engine builders should beaware of what’s needed to pro-duce a winning package andcheck with your cam companyfor any new advancementsbeing made.

with regular freshening.”Of course, if the race series you’re

building for requires it, an off-the-shelf item may be your only option.And that, say experts, isn’t usually aproblem. “You can certainly build acompetitive engine using shelfparts,” acknowledges one supplier.“There are a number of racing seriesthat have engine restrictions that aredesigned around readily availablecomponents. We have folks winningmajor championships usingcamshafts right out of our catalog, sothat is definitely a viable choice.”

Of course, this being an industrybuilt on innovators, modified partsto make cars go faster are a naturaldevelopment, admit even the catalogsuppliers. Tweaking or “out of thebox” ideas give racers advantagesand progress our industry.

“In addition,” explains one sup-plier, “most two-barrel classes per-form significantly better withcustom cams, a fact even more trueof classes that require mufflers. They

also require specially prepared car-buretors as ‘box’ carbs tend to govery rich at high rpm. This makes astock two-barrel carb impossible tojet properly.”

But does a custom-grind inher-ently offer a performance advantage?

“Inherently, no,” says one expert.“Potentially, yes. Once again, themore an engine is built using stan-dard ‘off the shelf’ parts the less ad-vantage there will be for a customgrind. For instance, if an enginebuilder is using a standard set ofCNC heads, a certain manifold, com-pression, etc., chances are there is apart numbered ‘off the shelf’ cam forthat combination. When the enginebuilder begins to ‘tweak’ the heads,manifold, etc. the cam should be‘tweaked’ as well and a custom grindwill likely work better.”

Could be and will be are far aparton the scale, experts agree. “A cus-tom grind could certainly be of bene-fit. However, the reason we offermany catalog grinds is that they

have been successful in competitionapplications,” comments one sup-plier. “We don’t put grinds in the cat-alog just to make it thicker.” Hepoints out that having a customgrind is not an assurance that it willbe head and shoulders above a shelfgrind. “This gets back to the overallpackage that surrounds it. Yes, theremay be new items that have been de-veloped since the catalogs are pub-lished that may provide acompetitive edge, but we’re nowlooking at incremental improve-ments.”

Agreed, says another expert. “Thecorrect camshaft gives a performanceadvantage and that may well be ashelf cam. We are dealing with an airpump that requires a given amountof air to operate in a given rpmrange. The correct camshaft controlsthis. Again, it’s based on the propercombination.

Admittedly, guys like numbers –and the bigger the better. “Manypeople only pay attention to peak


CamsTHIS ISSUE: PG 42 >> Dry Sumps PG 52 >> Blueprinting PG 61 >> Product Spotlights


cam builder. “There is a huge differ-ence between the two. And some-times what’s needed is to set asidethe ego and ask for help.”

We all know guys who think theyknow more than they know. Itdoesn’t always help to outthink theexperts. And in quite a lot of cases,our experts say, a very successfulrace engine can be built with “off theshelf” parts.

In most classes of sportsman rac-ing, a very competitive engine can bebuilt using parts in stock if an enginebuilder works with the correct dis-tributor, explains one key supplier.“We work hard to make sure wehave the most competitive compo-nents ready to deliver to the enginebuilder when they need them. Work-ing with a distributor with experi-enced people in key positions givesthe engine builder an edge becausewe can provide them with the partsin a timely manner allowing them tokeep work moving through the shopand spend less time ordering partsand more time making money,” hesays.

“We have over 25,000 cam de-signs. As we figure out a cam thatworks with a specific combinationwe frequently take the lobe designsand cam specifics and assign it a partnumber so that it then becomes ‘offthe shelf,’” says an industry leader.“It may not be literally off the shelfbut it can be ordered by part numberand be shipped the next day. Someof the part numbered cams that sellwell will actually be ground and puton the shelf. It is very likely that ifthe cam company has LOTS of partnumbered cams there will be onethat will be right for the application.”

The key, confirm all of our ex-perts, is the selection of the rightcombination of parts. Expensive orinexpensive, the combination is thekey.

“A competitive engine may bebuilt with off the shelf parts but awinning race engine may require alighter rotating assembly, a profes-sionally built carburetor, (especially2 bbl carbs) and a custom groundcam,” says one cam grinder. “A well-prepared chassis and a really supe-rior driver can overcome some ofthese things but as the other driversimprove with time then that advan-tage decreases significantly. The bet-ter-prepared engine will usuallyhave considerably longer total life


power numbers,” says one supplier.However, “Average numbers aremore meaningful. A longer, flatterpower curve is much more impor-tant than peak numbers. For streetapplications a huge hp number at6,500 rpm is usually pretty worthlessbut 450-550 lb-ft. of torque at 3,200rpm will be waiting for you at thenext light as soon as you touch thegas.”

So what are the keys to getting theright cam for your build? What fac-tors need to be taken into considera-tion when specifying a cam, whetheroff the shelf or custom grind?

“A simple school of thought fromme,” says one expert, “is, if you giveit a lot of cylinder head then it won’tneed cam. If you don’t give itenough head then it will need cam.Duration is the ability to sustainpower at a given rpm range and liftis the ability to make potentialpower.”

Another offers this: “When choos-ing a camshaft, it’s usually best to be

slightly conservative. Having a bitmore low-end torque at the possibleexpense of top rpm power, will pro-vide superior results to having a lackof torque. Don’t hesitate to call yourcamshaft supplier if you’re buildingsomething out of your usual realm.Virtually all of the performancecamshaft manufacturers have techni-cal assistance departments for theircustomers.”

Be aware, cautions one manufac-turer, that big cam companies havemany tech people. “They all can’t beknowledgeable about everything.Your salesman may be a good placeto start. Try to find out who the besttech guy is for your particular need.The drag race guru is seldom theoval track expert as well. Neither onemay be much help with a Bonnevilleapplication.”

Do your research yourself andmake your selection – then ask forhelp. The “cam guy” at your pre-ferred supplier will discuss the pack-age that works best for your

application.A few key points to remember,

courtesy of the cam experts respond-ing the this article are these:

• Stay safe. Unless the engineneeds to produce the last possiblefraction of a horsepower, stay safe.There is a fine line between safe andsorry. Most racers and customersdon’t want to be working on theirengines all the time. They need towork on their cars.

• Smaller is better than biggerwhen talking about cams. If you areever trying to decide between alarger cam and a smaller one, AL-WAYS pick the smaller one. The cus-tomer will feel the torque and almostalways be happier.

• For circle track racing, enginesize, the minimum rpm in the cornersand on restarts is most important.With unported factory heads it isoften possible to have too much lift.High ratio rockers are usually desir-able, but not always maximum lift.

• For street use cruising rpm is


Cams


very important. Also top speed inhigh gear (not overdrive) is impor-tant. Many people seem to want theirsmall block Chevy or Ford to be ca-pable of at least 6,500 rpm or more,only to find out they had a 2.73 rearand 29 inch tall tires. 6,500 rpm =about 200 mph. Not likely they’llever do that! Meanwhile all low endand mid range throttle response isgone.

For drag racing the car weight,gear ratio, tire size, trans type andstall speed are all-important. Seriousbracket racers usually don’t need thelast 1/10th or so because consistencyis what is most important.

• Vintage road racing requires along flat torque curve while more so-phisticated cars with 6-speed trans-missions may often do better with apeaky torque curve since they caneasily keep the engine in a prettynarrow rpm range.

• Don’t expect the cam grinder totell you what your competition runs.He may make the same thing for youbut don’t expect him to tell you that.

In short, remember this: Deter-mine the goal of the engine; whatdoes it need to do for the customer?What kind of budget do you have towork with to build this engine? Thena combination of parts must be se-lected and machined to make thebuild.

Properly recommending acamshaft requires a thorough com-prehension of exactly what the over-all combination is. The moreinformation that’s provided, the bet-ter the cam selection will be. ■

Special thanks to Charles Reichert, Cam-craft Cams; Chris Straub, Clay SmithCams; Scooter Brothers, Comp Cams;Chase Knight, Crane Cams; DaveCrower, Crower Cams; Dick Boyer,Erson Cams/PBM; and George Rich-mond, Melling Select Performance, fortheir contributions to this article.


Cam companies often take the lobedesigns and cam specifics of cam thatworks with a specific combination andassign it a part number so that it thenbecomes "off the shelf."

Atech Motorsports atechmotorsports.com

Bullet Racing Cams bulletcams.com

Callies callies.com

Cam Motion Inc. cammotion.com

Camcraft Cams LLCcamcraftcams.com

Comp Cams compcams.com

Clay Smith Engineering claysmithcams.com

Crane Cams cranecams.com

Crower Cams crower.com

DNJenginecomponents.com

DPR Racing dprracing.com

Edelbrock Corp. edelbrock.com

Egge Machine & Speed Shop egge.com

Elgin Industries elginind.com

Engine & PerformanceWarehouseepwi.net

Engine Pro goenginepro.com

Enginetech Inc enginetech.com

Howards Cams howardscams.com

Isky Racing Cams iskycams.com

Jesel Inc. jesel.com

Liberty Engine Parts libertyengineparts.com

Packard Industries packardind.com

Erson Cams pbmperformance.com

Speed-Pro/Federal-Mogul federalmogul.com

Straub Technologiesstraubtechnologies.com

Camshaft Manufacturers and Suppliers

Dry sump oil systems areused on all kinds of racingapplications from NASCAR,

circle track, road course and For-mula One racing to ProStock dragracing. Dry sump oil systems areeven found in some current pro-duction applications such as theLS9, LS7 and LS3 engines in latemodel Corvette ZR1, ZO6 andGrand Sport models.

One of the main reasons whydry sump oil systems are used inthese applications is to reduce therisk of oil starvation or aeration.When a race car is cornering hardor accelerating at full throttle, G-forces can push the oil inside aconventional oil pan away from theoil pickup tube. Baffles and adeeper oil pan can reduce the riskof oil starvation, but not entirely.By eliminating the oil pickup insidethe oil pan entirely, a constant sup-ply of oil can be fed to the engineby an exter-nal belt, gearor camdriven oil

pump. That means a steady oilsupply and consistent oil pressureunder any kind of driving condi-tions.

Power AdvantagesAnother reason for using a dry

sump oil system is to reducewindage, oil splash and drag insidethe crankcase. A well-designedwindage tray inside a wet sump oilpan can help keep oil away fromthe spinning crankshaft to reducedrag. But there’s still a LOT of oil


Dry Sump Oil SystemsFrom NASCAR to High Performance Street Applications, These Pumps Won’t Leave You High and Dry

Feat

ure

A dry sump oil system uses ascavenge or suction pump topull air and oil out of the oil pan.

BY TECHNICAL EDITOR Larry [email protected]

sloshing and splashing around in-side the engine, not to mention aLOT of air resistance, especially athigher engine rpms. A dry sump oilsystem uses a scavenge or suctionpump to pull air and oil out of theoil pan. This keeps oil away fromthe crankshaft to reduce oil drag,and also pulls out most of the air toreduce windage and air drag (if thedry sump system has enough suc-tion to produce vacuum in thecrankcase).

Depending on the application,the resulting reduction in internalcrankcase windage and drag mayincrease the engine’s power output5 to 15 hp or more. But to realizethese gains, the dry sump oil systemhas to pull at least 8 to 10 inches Hgor more of vacuum. Higher levels ofvacuum (say 18 to 20 inches Hg) canyield more power gains, but typi-cally only at very high enginespeeds (above 8,000 rpm).Otherwise, increasing crankcasevacuum with more and more suc-tion incurs no extra power gains.

And with a low rpm, long stroke,high torque motor, a dry sump oilsystem is probably not going toshow any measurable power gain.

The ability to pull morecrankcase vacuum requires moresuction pumps, typically four, fiveor six. A two-stage or three-stagedry sump oil system with two orthree scavenge pumps stackedtogether will usually not pullenough suction to create high vac-uum inside the crankcase. But afour-stage, five-stage or six-stagedry sump oil system that is suckingair and oil out of the crankcase andlifter valley can generate high levelsof vacuum, even at high enginespeeds and loads when blowbyincreases. The hot setup these daysis a six-stage system that uses onesuction pump to pull air and oil outfrom under each pair of cylinderson a V8, plus two more pumps tosuck vapors out of both ends of thelifter valley under the intake mani-fold.

Because there is less oil splashing

around inside the crankcase, furtherpower gains may be possible byoptimizing the engine for a drysump oil system. This includesusing lower tension oil rings toreduce friction. The lower the ten-sion of the ring pack, the less thefriction against the cylinder walls asthe pistons move up and down.Reducing ring tension with thinner,narrower rings may free up an addi-tional 20 to 40 horsepower.

Vacuum ChecksIf you’re building an engine for ahigh vacuum dry sump oil system,you have to make sure the engine issealed up tightly so that outside airisn’t pulled into the crankcase, liftervalley and valve covers when theengine is running. Special crankcaseend seals with reversed lips may berequired to hold vacuum inside thecrankcase. You obviously can’t runopen valve cover breathers becausethe suction pumps will pull air inthrough the breathers. All the gas-kets likewise have to be robust


Oil PumpsTHIS ISSUE: PG 52 >> Blueprinting PG 61 >> Spotlights PG 68 >> On The Web


enough, stiff enough and sealed properly so they don’tleak air when the dry sump oil system is pulling vac-uum inside the engine.

You should test the integrity of the gaskets by pres-sure testing the engine once it has been assembled. Thiscan be done using shop air and an adjustable pressureregulator. Block off the oil pan suction outlets and theoil pressure inlet fittings, then connect the air supplyline to one of the oil pan outlet ports. Slowly increaseair pressure into the engine until it reaches about 8 psi,then listen for any hissing sounds that would indicateair leakage. You can also spray soapy water along the

valve cover, oil pan and intake manifold gasket seamsto watch for bubbles. There should be none if the engineis sealed tight. If you’re using RTV silicone in lieu of aconventional pan or cover gasket, make sure thesilicone has fully cured before subjecting it to pressureor vacuum.

Another method of checking for air leaks would beto pull vacuum in the crankcase by attaching anA/C vacuum pump to one of the oil pan outletports. Pull vacuum on the engine, then stop tosee if the vacuum level holds steady for severalminutes. If you can’t pull much vacuum or thevacuum level rapidly drops once the pump has

been turned off, there’s a leak somewhere that needs tobe found and sealed.

Lowers Center of Gravity and Oil Temper-atureAnother reason why many race cars are fitted with adry sump oil system is because it allows the use of ashallower low profile oil pan. This, in turn allows theengine to be mounted lower in the chassis for a lowercenter of gravity, better handling and a lower hood pro-file. If ground clearance is an issue, a shallow oil pancan fix that problem, too.

Because a dry sump oil system stores oil in an exter-nal tank rather than the oil pan, the amount of oil in the


Oil Pumps


One reason dry sump oil sys-tems are used is to reduce therisk of oil starvation or aeration.

reservoir can be increased to reducethe risk of oil starvation at highrpm. The external tank also helpsreduce oil operating temperatureswhen the engine is running at highrpm or load for long periods oftime. An external oil cooler can beplumbed in series with the storagetank to provide additional coolingas needed.

A dry sump external oil tank mayhold as much oil as requireddepending on the application andthe engine’s requirements (typicallyone to six gallons). When oil entersthe tank, it hits a splitter thenspreads out and flows across a baf-fle to separate oil and air bubbles.

The oil then drains to the bottom ofthe tank where it is pulled back tothe engine by the pressure pump.

One of the keys to setting up adry sump oil system is figuring outhow much oil the engine actuallyneeds. Pushing too much oil volumethrough the engine just wasteshorsepower to drive the oil pump.This is where an oil flow metercomes in handy. By using a flowmeter in the oil supply line, theengine’s actual oil needs can bedetermined by measuring flow ingallons per minute. The oil pumpcan then be sized accordingly toprovide just the right amount of oilwithout wasting additional horse-power for oil that isn’t needed. Oilflow requirements will depend onoil viscosity, bearing clearances andwhether or not piston oilers or val-vetrain oilers are used (the latter canincrease the need for extra oil flowsignificantly).The Disadvantages of

Dry Sump Oil SystemsIf dry sump oil systems have somany advantages, why aren’t theyused on all performance engines?Cost is the main stumbling block.Depending on the number and typeof pumps used, the design of the oilpan, the size of the oil storage tankand oil cooler, and the complexity ofthe plumbing, a typical dry sumpoiling system can cost up to $3,000or more. Many pumps sell for $650to $1,500 or more, and some can bevery pricey if they are a custommade CNC billet pump. Conse-quently, the cost of a sophisticateddry sump oil system would be hardto justify for a Saturday nightbudget racer or a typical street per-formance car. But where reliabilityis an absolute must (as in NASCAR,Formula One and other high endracing venues), a dry sump oil sys-tem may be the only way to go.

Dry sump oil pumps use a vari-ety of designs, including roots-style


Oil Pumps


“One of the keys to settingup a dry sump oil system isfiguring out how much oilthe engine actually needs.”

four lobe rotors, three-lobe rotors, gerotors and spurgears. Various tooth profile and pump housingenhancements are used to maximize pump efficiencyand reduce pumping losses and cavitation. Clearancesmust be kept very tight inside the pump for maximumflow. The type of materials used to make the pumphousing and gears will also affect its durability andprice.

Because the pumps are mounted externally, they aretypically belt driven with a toothed or cogged rubberbelt (similar to a pint-sized timing belt). The teeth onthe belt prevent the pump drive from slipping. Most oilpumps are driven at about half crankshaft speed, rang-ing from 57 to 45 percent of crank speed. The slower thepump can be turned to produce a given rate of flow, themore efficiently it operates and the less horsepower itconsumes.

The risk with an external belt-driven pump is that abelt failure could cause a loss of lubrication resulting inengine failure. It happens occasionally, but most beltdrives are extremely reliable. Cam driven oil pumps arealso available that allow the pump to be mounted onthe front of the engine. With any type of externalmounting system, though, the supporting brackets andfasteners must be reliable and capable of withstandingshaking and vibrations that could cause they to loosenor fail. The last thing you want to happen is for the oilpump to fall off in the middle of a race!

External oiling systems also require mounting the oiltank somewhere, and installing all the plumbing that’srequired to connect the oil pan and engine scavengeports to the suction pumps and oil tank. Additionallines are needed for an oil cooler and oil filter. Lots ofhoses and fittings increase the risk of oil leaks, so hosesmust be strong and reinforced (braided stainless steel isusually recommended although rubber hoses can beused). Suction hoses must be capable of withstandingvacuum without collapsing, and pressure supply hosesfrom the pressure pump to the oil filter, oil cooler andengine must be capable of withstanding high oil pres-sure (up to 80 psi or higher ) without bursting. Blowinga hose could starve the engine for oil. Hoses must alsobe supported so they don’t chafe or rub against

anything, and keptaway or shielded fromhot exhaust headers.

Some question thetrade-off between the extra power required to turn astack of scavenge pumps and the horsepower gained bypulling air and oil out of the crankcase. The amount ofpower needed to drive the pressure pump is essentiallythe same whether an engine has a wet or dry sump oilpump, or whether the oil pump is mounted inside theengine or outside the engine. In both cases, it takes thesame amount of horsepower to move the same volumeof oil. Some pumps are more efficient than others andrequire less horsepower to operate. But given similargear designs, power requirements are about the samewhether the pump is inside or outside the engine.

The extra power required to drive the scavengepumps depends on the number of stages obviously(more pumps require more power), but the powerrequired is less than that of a pressure pump becausethe pump is pulling out air and oil under vacuumrather than forcing liquid oil against the resistance cre-ated by the oil filter, oil galleries and tight bearingclearances inside the engine. So depending on enginespeed and the number and type of pumps, there may bea slight penalty for running a dry sump oil system (sayfive or more horsepower), or it may be a breakevenproposition, or a gain of maybe 5 to 15 horsepower or


Oil PumpsTHIS ISSUE: PG 52 >> Blueprinting PG 61 >> Spotlights PG 68 >> On The Web “NEW”


The risk with an external belt-driven pump is that a belt fail-ure could cause a loss oflubrication resulting in enginefailure.

more. The biggest gains come athigh rpms when there’s less airinside the engine. Less air means thepistons don’t have to displace asmuch air with every down strokeand the crankshaft and rods can

spin with less aerodynamic drag.That’s why jets fly at high altitudewhere the air is thinner. It createsless resistance so they can fly fasterwhile using less fuel.

Another concern that may be an

issue in some engines with drysump oil systems is getting enoughoil lubrication and cooling to thepistons and wrist pins. These partsrely on splash lubrication and cool-ing. If too much oil is pulled out ofthe crankcase too quickly there’s achance the pistons might overheatand scuff, or that the wrist pinsmight fail. The fix for these reallyhigh horsepower, high heat applica-tions is to use of piston oilers thatsquirt oil directly at the undersideof the pistons. The trade off here isthat oils also increase the engine’soil volume requirements, whichrequires more flow from the oilpump to maintain the same oil pres-sure.

As for flat tappet cam and lifterlubrication, or upper valvetrainlubrication, routing more oil tothese components may be necessaryto reduce the risk of lubrication-related failures if a dry sump oilsystem is used to pull air and oilvapor out of the lifter valley.

One other concern with drysump oil systems is what happenswhen an engine blows and debris issucked into the oil system. On theplus side, a dry sump system willsuck the debris out of the oil pan soit isn’t pulled back into the oil pumpand engine as might be the casewith an internal oil pump and wetsump system. The downside is thatall of this debris ends up contami-nating the oil storage tank, oil coolerand external oil plumbing.Thoroughly cleaning (or replacing)all of these components isabsolutely essential to make sure nodebris remains in the system tocause problems when the engine isreplaced or rebuilt. ■


Oil Pumps



“Another concern that maybe an issue in some engineswith dry sump oil systems isgetting enough oil lubrica-tion and cooling to the pis-tons and wrist pins.”

A NASCAR Cup race can be agrueling event, especially on aSuper Speedway circuit whereengine rpms and operating tem-peratures push the limit. To findout what kind of lubrication sys-

tem can withstand this kind ofpunishment, we asked John Bar-ilka of Hendrick Motorsportsabout the dry sump oil systemsthey use on their Cup motors.

“We use a 5-stage setup with

four scavenge pumps evacuatingair and oil from the oil pan andone pump scavenging the liftervalley area of the block. We'vefound that it takes about one at-mosphere of vacuum in thecrankcase to do a good job evac-uating the air and oil. We usegear-style pumps because theydo a good job pulling vacuum.”

Barilka says a good dry sumpsystem is typically good forabout a 25 horsepower gain, orabout a three percent improve-ment in the engine's power out-put. However, more vacuum inthe crankcase is not necessarilybetter because you quickly reacha point of diminishing returnswhere additional vacuum doesnot generate a significant in-crease in power.

“A dry sump oil system will al-ways reduce friction and drag.All the NASCAR teams use them,and the setups will vary some-what. On our engines, we use abelt driven pump that routes oilto a 4-1/2 gallon storage tank.We also use an oil cooler, and theplumbing is Brown & Miller light-weight stainless braided lines.”

Barilka said the dry sump oilsystem allows them to use lowertension piston rings to reduce in-ternal engine friction, but it alsorequires the use of piston oilersbecause there is so much less oilflinging around inside thecrankcase to cool the pistons. ■


Oil Pumps



NASCAR Dry Sump Oil Systems

The top professional divisionsin racing today for the mostpart run engines that are built

to comply with a very strict set ofrules for each series. In NASCAR,where the engines have beenroughly the same 358 cid V8 fordecades, the power output hassteadily increased. Engines of thesame brand that are built by differ-ent teams often have vast differ-ences. This is mainly because enginebuilders find different areas to focuson in order to achieve their goals.

While each engine may be virtu-ally the same in NASCAR SprintCup competition, there are slightdifferences for each manufacturerand engine builder. And every en-gine builder knows a few tricks ofthe trade to put his engine over thetop. Most people referto building an engineto a specific set ofrules or specificationsas “blueprinting.” Inthis process, enginebuilders are trying toobtain the maximumperformance from aset of parameters, particularly ifyou are building an engine for acustomer who races in a very strictclass such as Daytona Prototypes.The edge your customers are seek-ing from you are in the small de-tails of the build because most ofwhat you are allowed to do has al-ready been mapped out. How faryou go into those details dependson you and how much you A) wantto win, and B) can charge for it.

You also hear the term blue-printing with regard to street per-

formance engines, and there aresome misconceptions as to whatsome customers think a blueprintedengine is. Some people may believethat any engine that has been rebuiltby a professional engine builder is ablueprinted engine, however, that isnot necessarily the case. Withoutpaying attention to all of the partsand tolerances being much closerthan what is allowable from the fac-tory, an engine may merely be built.It may still run very well andachieve all the goals that were setfor the project, but withoutpainstaking attention to every de-tail, the engine will not be fully opti-mized. In a street application, thismay not be a problem at all, becauseyou aren’t constrained by regula-tions except in the case of emissions

for certain vehi-

cles. Essentially, blueprinting isabout optimization.

Engine balancing and blueprint-ing go hand and hand when doing ahigh performance build. Basically,any performance or racing engineshould be balanced but also, if youare doing a thorough build, every-thing should be aligned and prop-erly squared in relation to eachother. Vertical bores need to be per-fectly perpendicular to horizontalbores and so on. And to take thingsa step further, a properly blue-printed engine should have exacttolerances that are set to the specificneeds of the customer and applica-tion.

Don’t think that just because it’sa brand new part that it will bewithin specifications. Mass produc-tion parts have manufacturing vari-


Engine BlueprintingBasicsBuilding an engine following set processesand procedures requires discipline

Feat

ure

In racing, rules dictate much ofwhat can be done to an engine.Most people refer to building anengine to a specific set of rules orspecifications as “blueprinting.”

SENIOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR BRENDAN BAKERBBAKER @BABCOX.COM

ances. Experts say there may be bigdifferences in the tolerances of brandnew parts from manufacturers, de-pending on where you source them.Obviously, as most engine buildershave experienced, some are betterthan others. You need to have thetooling and equipment to be able tocheck and double check all of the ma-chined surfaces and components tomake sure they are within the specifi-cations you have set or that are re-quired. It takes more time toassemble and build a blueprinted en-gine because so much has gone intomaking sure everything works to-gether and you have gotten the maxi-mum out of the build.

Engine blueprinting is a standardprocedure used by engine buildersto obtain maximum power and toensure the longest possible enginelife and reliability. It also requiresthat engine builders be more disci-plined, following a list of checksand measurements that will – ifdone properly – decrease the

chance of an engine failure due to im-proper clearances or assembly error.

When blueprinting an engine, besure to follow through the entireprocess and not skip any steps. Thismeans hand building an engine withperfectly fit components using maxi-mum and minimum recommendedclearances. These specifications aredetermined by following the racingseries rule book very carefully, mak-ing sure that every specification ismet to allow the engine to pass a techinspection. If you are building astreet performance engine, then thesteps may be shortened a little to justthe basics of align honing the cambores and torque plating the cylin-ders during the honing step. How-ever, there are many more things youcould add to the list if your customeris willing to pay for it.

To begin with, you need to makesure the block and all parts are thor-oughly cleaned. After you’ve cleanedthe block in a hot tank or spraywasher, make sure the water jacketsare perfectly clean. Blueprinting ex-perts say it is a good idea to inspectand analyze the block, especially ifit’s used. All bolt holes should becleaned, oiled and retapped if neces-sary. With any surface that is ma-


Blueprinting

Engine balancing and blueprinting go hand and handwhen doing a high performance build. Basically, any per-formance or racing engine should be balanced but also,if you are doing a thorough build, everything should bealigned and properly squared in relation to each other.

chined you can chamfer the boltholes, and any casting burrs or irregu-larities should be removed.

V8 engine blocks should be alignbored to maintain perfectly equaldeck heights, keeping the crankshaftparallel to the decks. Any variation inthese areas will result in irregularitiesin combustion chamber volume. Thisis critical for accuracy and precisionin the blueprinting process.

After align boring, the cylindersshould be bored with the main bear-ing caps still torqued in place. De-pending on the application, you mayfinish hone the cylinders to theirproper size using a 220-280 grit stone,being careful to produce a good crosshatch pattern using a torque plate aswell. Some engine builders even bolton the motor mounts to further simu-late the distortions that will take placein order to achieve a perfectly squarebore. After honing the block then takeit back to the washer to remove allhoning grit from the bores and also

from the lower end of the block.The crankshaft must have correct

angularity of the rod throws as wellas be perfectly straight. If your blockis used experts suggest checking it forcracks and having the journalsground to perfect angular index. Oilholes get chamfered and bearing sur-faces polished. The oil passages arethen cleaned thoroughly with a goodbrush. Some recommendations in-clude using fully grooved main bear-ings or grooving or cross drilling thecrankshaft main bearing journals.These procedures are also helpful ininsuring longer engine life.

If used, the connecting rods shouldbe carefully checked for imperfectionsusing magnetic particle inspection orother methods. All rods should be re-worked so they are precisely the samelength from crankshaft centerline towrist pin centerline. Generally thelength of the rods should be con-trolled by working to the minimummanufacturer’s clearance for piston to

deck. Any burrs and irregularitiesshould be removed from the rods,and always use new rod bolts andnuts. The rod alignment and sideclearance are also critical.

The pistons should be individuallyand carefully fit to the respective pins.Chamfering any sharp edges on thepiston reduces possibility of localizedhot spots which cause pre-ignitionand/or detonation. Each piston mustbe carefully matched for clearancewith each bore. Too little clearancewill result in scuffing and too muchclearance reduces the effectiveness ofthe rings.

The compression rings should eachbe placed in the bore and straight-ened with the top of a piston tosquare the ring in the bore. Gaps canthen be checked, with .0035 per inchof bore the minimum allowable gapaccording to one piston ring manufac-turer. Experts say to be sure to checkring side clearance in the piston ringland with .002-.004˝ being recom-


Blueprinting


mended. But, again, with blueprinting,they should all be the same.

After the reciprocating componentsare selected and fit, the engine rotatingassemblies should then be balanced.The components that are weighed andbalanced include the rings, pistons,rods, bearings, crankshaft, flywheel,crankshaft damper and pulley. Someengine builders even allow for oilweight in the crankshaft when balanc-ing. Additional weight is added to thebob weights in these cases to compen-sate for oil weight. Balancing the en-gine will give increased durability andalso help it achieve maximum horse-power.

If the cylinder head is not new, itshould be disassembled, cleaned andcarefully inspected for cracks. If thesurface is in questionable condition itis a good idea to resurface it. All holesand sharp edges should be carefullychamfered and deburred. Bolt andspark plug holes should get retappedand cleaned. The valve guides must be

checked and replaced or repaired asnecessary.

You should also check valve stemsand replace those valves that are out ofspec or not in good shape. The valveguides should be machined if neces-sary and seals installed. The valve jobshould be done according to the rulebook of the particular racing series butthis is also an area where good enginebuilders outshine the competition. Agood valve job can make the differencebetween winning and losing.

All burrs and irregularities shouldbe removed from the combustionchamber. After this the chambersshould be checked for volume in cubiccentimeters. The chambers can then beequalized by grinding to the volumeof the largest chamber. When all cham-bers are equalized to the minimumCC’s you can then lightly surface theheads until the maximum volume isreached.

In order to check the volume of thechamber, you can use a plexiglas plate,

some colored oil and a burette to getthe job done. With the spark plug andvalves installed the plate is placedover the combustion chamber andsealed with a light coat of lubricant.Using the burette it is then easier tomeasure the amount of liquid neededto fill the combustion chamber.

Valve springs should be checkedfor tension and installed height, andreplaced or shimmed as needed. If thehead has individual rocker arms onstuds the stud should be threaded orpinned in its boss.

The next step is to torque mainbearing and rod bolts slowly and inprogressive steps to the proper ten-sion. Some engine builders use pro-tectors on the rod bolts to preventcrankshaft scars, and keep rotatingthe engine as each step in the instal-lation of the crankshaft and pistonsis taken. This will enable spotting theexact location of any misfit or mis-matched parts. The use of Plastigageat this point can be helpful as a way


Blueprinting


double check clearances.After this point you can install the

timing gears and chain. Using acamshaft degree wheel will ensureperfect crankshaft to camshaft tim-ing. Offset keys or cam gear bushingsare available to allow accurate adjust-ment of possible timing discrepan-cies.

Then the heads are installed,making sure they are torqued to theproper specifications. The valvetrain should then be completed andchecked. Experts say in cases wherehigher lift camshafts have been in-stalled valve spring could bot-tom out or the canoe typerocker could be interferedwith by its mounting stud. Ifthis happens the spring mustbe changed, and the rockerarm relieved to provide thenecessary clearance.

The complete blueprinting jobmust be performed as painstakinglyand accurately as possible. There are

manysteps in-

volved in the process and each appli-cation is different, this was just ageneral outline of what is involved.A blueprinted engine is the ultimate

in performance, horsepower anddurability for a given combination,and its success on the racetrack or inmarketplace is what will build ormaintain your reputation. ■


Blueprinting


Engine blueprinting includesmaking sure the bores aresquare and true, and enginebuilders typically use a torqueplate to simulate distortion.


Ergonomic BlastCabinets

ZERO blast cabinets are now available inan ergonomic body style, which allows theoperator to sit while working. The cabinetconfiguration provides comfortable knee-room for the operator without interferingwith the free flow of media for reclamationand re-use. Standard cabinet features in-clude: large, quick-change window, re-verse-pulse cartridge-style dust collector,suction-blast or pressure-blast models.HEPA filtration as an option. Cabinets canwork with glass bead, aluminum oxideand other recyclable media. Applications:cleaning, de-burring, peening, and finish-ing.

Clemco Industries Corp.Phone: 800-788-0599www.clemcoindustries.com

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HP7A Cylinder HoneThe new Rottler HP7A Cylin-der Honing Machine's bright,user friendly, full color 10˝Windows Touch Screen Con-trol makes honing faster, eas-ier and more accurate thanever before. Rottler Manufac-turing continues a lasting tra-dition of introducing state ofthe art machine shop equip-ment for the engine builder.Quality, service, and technicalsupport is built into every Rot-tler machine.

Rottler ManufacturingPhone: 800-452-0534www.rottlermfg.com

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SV-20 Cylinder HoneThe Sunnen SV-20 cylinder hone incorpo-rates the high-end features that satisfy bothproduction engine builders and perform-ance shops, but at a cost that won’t break thebank. SV-20 features include:

-True linear stroking system for consistentdiameter from top to bottom of the bore,cylinder after cylinder

-Powerful 5.5 Hp spindle motor drives Sun-nen’s two-stage diamond hone heads forshorter cycle times and super accuracy

-Rotary servo tool feed system allows auto-matic 2-stage honing with both rough andfinish stones

-Advance PLC control with color touchscreen for easy operation and optimum con-trol of honing parameters

-Full bore profile display to quickly see andcorrect tight spots

SunnenPhone 1-800-325-3670www.sunnen.com

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otlights

Web-Based Valvetrain Parts CatalogSBI has released a Web-based version ofits acclaimed catalog in order to provideusers with real-time updates on additionsto the company’s line of replacement val-vetrain parts for close to 3,000 applica-tions divided among late-model domesticand import passenger car, light truck,performance, marine, agricultural, heavy-duty and forklift/industrial. The catalogalso features listings of K-Line BronzeBullet-brand valve guide liners and mis-cellaneous K-Line tooling stocked by SBI,Exclusive Master Distributor for K-Line.Based on SBI’s CD-ROM catalog, the SBIWeb-based catalog allows the user tosearch the database by part type/partnumber, vehicle type, engine manufac-turer, or specific engine and make codes.

S.B. InternationalPhone:1-800-THE-SEATwww.sbintl.com

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Show Booths PRI 5769IMIS 2128

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Prod

uct

Spot

light

s

“No particle left behind” withARMEX® baking soda based,water soluble media from themakers of Arm & Hammer®

Products. Clean, degrease anddepaint core engine compo-nents in one step. Water rinseresidues away.

ArmaKleenPhone: 800-332-5424

Email: [email protected]

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Stock Replacement Gaskets from Engine ProEngine Pro has added to its line of stockreplacement gaskets, with full sets andhead sets now available. All gasket com-ponents are produced to OE standardsand are ISO 9001:2000 certified. Cylinderhead gaskets have an exclusive perfo-rated steel core to resist scrubbing, spe-cial aluminum sealing compound forbetter load spread, and Teflon-graphitecoatings for better heat resistance andmore effective sealing. Go to goengine-pro.com for your local Engine Pro Dis-tributor.

Engine ProPhone: 1-800-ENGINE-1www.goenginepro.com

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Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation(Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685. Title 39. United States Code.)

Publication Title: Engine Builder Publication Number: 1535-041X Filing Date: September 20, 2012Issue Frequency: Monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $69Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318,Summit County. Contact Person: Pat Robinson Phone: 330-670-1234. Complete Mailing Address of Headquar-ters of Publisher: Same as above. Associate Publisher/Editor: Doug Kaufman (address same as above). SeniorExecutive Editor: Brendan Baker (address same as above). Owner: Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 EmbassyParkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318; William E. Babcox (owner), 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH44333. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of TotalAmount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: August 2012.

Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average no. copies each issue Actual no. copies of single during preceding 12 months issue nearest to filing date A. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run) 16,913 16,697B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Circulation — Individual Paid/Requested Mail

Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 15,442 15,601C. Total Paid and/or Requested

Circulation 15,442 15,601D. Non-Requested Distribution— Non-Requested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 850 763— Non-Requested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 318 78E. Total Non-Requested Distribution 1,168 841F. Total Distribution 16,610 16,442G. Copies not Distributed 255 255H. Total 16,865 16,697I. Percent Paid and/or Requested

Circulation 93% 94.9%

Publication of Statement of Ownership will be printed in the November 2012 issue of this publication.

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.Pat Robinson, Circulation Manager September 20, 2012

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Cla

ssifi

ed/C

ores

Call now to order or to receive a free 2012 catalog 1-800-434-5141www.autobodysupplies.com

ECM’s & MAF’s

Call Toll Free1-UPS-OUR-ECMS

(1-877-687-326(1-877-687-32677 ))570-883-9930570-883-9930

www.autoecms.comwww.autoecms.com

I f W eI f W eD o n ’ tD o n ’ tH a v eH a v eI t . . . I tI t . . . I tD o e s n ’ tD o e s n ’ tE x i s tE x i s t

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• 325,000 units in stock• All Foreign & Domestics • ECU’s & BCM’s• ABS & Airflow’s• Same Day Shipping• R & R Service • 1-Year Warranty• Free Tech Help on Web• Inhouse Reprogramming:

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USED AND REBUILT EQUIPMENTCBN TOOLING:WE RESHARPEN

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JAMISON EQUIPMENT1908 11th St., Emmetsburg IA 50536

800-841-5405Check out our used equip. list atwww.jamisonequipment.com

SPECIALIZING IN ENGINE CORES

GGRRAANNTT(314) 421-5585

ST. LOUIS ★FAX (314) 421-1436

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WEBUY

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Classified

/Cores

Used/New Automo-tive Equipment1-800-223-2573

www.AllStates.com

NeedReprints?

CallTina Purnell

at 330-670-1234, ext. 243

HELP WANTEDExperienced automotive engine machinist

needed to work in a fully equipped and wellorganized engine machine shop. To view our

company visit www.orasengines.com. References required, pay based on

experience and qualification. Email resume to [email protected]

or fax to 918-422-4441.

Advertiser IndexCOMPANY NAME PAGE # CIRCLE #Access Industries 1 1American Cylinder Head, Inc. 53 53ArmaKleen Company 6 6ARP/Automotive Racing Products Inc 54 54Atech Motorsports 33 33Bill Mitchell Products 48 48Brad Penn Lubricants 4 12Callies 20 20Canton Racing Products 14 12Centroid Corp. 29 29Clemco Industries 48 42Cloyes Gear & Products Inc. 21 21Comp Performance Group 35, 36 35, 36Crane Cams 40 40Dakota Parts Warehouse 22 52Darton International 4 4Diamond Racing Products/Trend Performance 56 56DNJ Engine Components 7 7Driven Racing Oil, LLC 15 15Edelbrock Corp 46 46Elgin Industries 34, 37 34, 37Engine & Performance Warehouse 31 31Engine Parts Group 13 13Engine Parts Warehouse 3, 41 3, 41EngineQuest 39 39ESCO Industries 10 10Evans Cooling Systems 50 50Go Power Dynamometer Systems 18 18Graymills Corp 8 8GRP Connecting Rods 26 26Howards Cams 38 38Injector Experts 10 32King Electronics 28 28Liberty Engine Parts 5 5Los Angeles Sleeve 28 23Mahle Motorsports 30 30Melling Engine Parts 43 43Mobil 1 Racing Cover 3 69Moroso Performance Products 44 44Motor State Distributing 45 45Mr Gasket Performance Group 50 52NPR of America, Inc. 51 1Packard Industries Cover 2 2PowerBore Cylinder Sleeves 58 58Pro-Filer Performance Products 22 22Quality Cutter Grinding 9 9Ross Racing Pistons 27 27Rottler Manufacturing Cover 4 70Safety Auto Parts Corp 57 57Sardello, Inc 49 49SB International 11 11Scat Enterprises 55 55Shell Lubricants 24, 25 24, 25Smith Brothers Push Rods 18 16Sunnen Products Co 17 17T & D Machine Products 60 60Trac-Pro 16 14Vibratech TVD 47 47

To Advertise inCLASSIFIEDS!

Call Roberto Almenar

at 330-670-1234, ext. [email protected]

ENGINE BUILDER SEEKS ACHRYSLER 4.7L SOHC ENGINEfor inspection/analysis. Model

year 2008-later required.Complete or long-blockneeded; core condition

acceptable. For informationcontact 615-948-1746.


On

The

Web

Carburetor Tuning

Website Reader Comments

In part one of this article we showed why and how we tunedthe ignition advance systems of a vintage, carburetor-equippedengine designed for leaded gasoline. Now that the ignitionspark timing advance curves are optimized for the blend of re-formulated and/or oxygenated gasoline your customers areusing we will now show you how we use tools such as a 5-gasexhaust analyzer and wideband Lambda air/fuel (A/F) meter totune the mixture. To read more, visit http://bit.ly/Q09uK1

Matt’s Motor Worx“I'm currently going to college for ma-chining and I have had past experi-ence working with cars in anautomotive shop and engine machineshop. I was just wondering where Icould get some more training to be-come an engine machinist?”– Schmitty-countryboy

Adjusting Hydraulic Lifters for Proper Preload“I used to work for Sealed Power andour division made all these lifters. Ifyou’ve been around you know who I’mtalking about.Your desciption of howto adjust a hyd. lifter is correct. I usedto cringe when I would hear that youmust turn down1-1/2 turns, what away to ruin a new camshaft.” – Ddenny550

Intake Manifold Cleaning Caution (#1)“This actually applies to all engines in-cluding 3,4,6 inline and V6, V8, V10engines too. Pieces should be cleanedfrom intake and ex. manifolds.”– Norm Johns

Editor’s Note:We want to hear your opinion! Log onto our website and leave a commenton any story you read. It’s that simple.

Most Read

PublisherDave Wooldridge, ext. [email protected]

Associate Publisher/EditorDoug Kaufman, ext. [email protected]

Senior Editor/RegionalSales ManagerBrendan Baker, ext. [email protected]

Graphic DesignerNichole Anderson, ext. 232 [email protected]

Tech EditorLarry [email protected]

Advertising ServicesTina Purnell, ext. 243 [email protected]

Director of DistributionRich Zisk, ext. 287 [email protected]

Circulation ManagerPat Robinson, ext. 276 [email protected]

Sr. Circulation SpecialistEllen Mays, ext. 275 [email protected]

Sales RepresentativesBobbie [email protected], ext. 238

Roberto [email protected], ext. 233

David [email protected] ext. 210

Don [email protected] 330-670-1234, ext. 286

Karen [email protected], ext. 295

Dean [email protected]

Dean [email protected], ext. 225

Jim [email protected], ext. 280

Tom [email protected], ext 224

Glenn [email protected], ext. 212

John Zick [email protected] 949-756-8835

enginebuildermag.com3550 Embassy ParkwayAkron, OH 44333-8318

FAX 330-670-0874

330-670-1234

Babcox Media Inc.Bill Babcox, President

Greg Cira, Vice President, CFOJeff Stankard, Vice President

Beth Scheetz, Controller

In Memorium:Edward S. Babcox (1885-1970)

Founder of Babcox Publications Inc.

Tom B. Babcox (1919-1995)Chairman

FOLLOW US ON:

Fuel InjectionMSD is breaking new ground inelectronic fuel injection with thenext generation of Atomic EFI. Theall new Atomic LS incorporates theelectronics into the fuel rails of thesystem! There’s no bulky ECU tomount and therefore no wires.Visit http://bit.ly/Q0aga0

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By Henry P. Olsen

engine builder, 11.2012

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