[Jack Gifford]

Pretty please... a picture of the Moldex crank?

[mechanickeith]

Caution on how big of a stroker you put in the 4 cyl block. No room on the left side of the motor for rod clearance. You will have to modify the side of the block like Mickey did!

[63Banshee]

Something like that...

[mechanickeith]

Or are you going to use the right half of a V8 block?

[63Banshee]

No. I have a small collection of thick wall blocks and about to add 1 or 2 filled '63 blocks to the inventory. The 6765 ball bearing turbo and plumbing will take up the driverside of the engine bay.

[Bill Hanlon]

Originally Posted by mechanickeith

Caution on how big of a stroker you put in the 4 cyl block. No room on the left side of the motor for rod clearance. You will have to modify the side of the block like Mickey did!

Looks like the pan needed a few expertly applied licks from a BFH as well.

[Steve Barcak]

Quote by Bill Hanlon
"Plus you'd need to have something (two rod caps bolted together??) to take up the space on the crankshaft where rods for V8 cylinders 1,3,5 & 7 are now missing. And that "something" would likely not match the balancing of the V8 crankshaft very well."

Bill,
I checked with my crank grinder on this aboput an idea I had. The idea was to simply have him machine/grind 1/2 the width of the rod journal ( 8 cyl crank ) undersize instead of the entire jounal.
This would appear as a step over the width of the journal. This would keep the rod where you want it and not have to add weight on the other portion of the journal.
He said that should work.

Others in the past have used 2 rod caps bolted together on the unused portion of the jounal as you suggested. I do not care for that idea.

I also have interest in building a 4 by using a v8 block and crank and looking into many ideas on this with displacements as small as 141 cu in..

[mechanickeith]

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

Looks like the pan needed a few expertly applied licks from a BFH as well.

Bill,,,Mickey did the oil pan kick out on many of his engines. Added oil capacity.

[Bill Hanlon]

I'm not talking about the 1/2 round "kick out", I'm looking at the lumps here:

[mechanickeith]

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

I'm not talking about the 1/2 round "kick out", I'm looking at the lumps here:

My bad!!! Didnt even see that!

[Bill Hanlon]

Steve:
If you started with an unmachined crank (or used rods with a smaller big end than Pontiac rods) your idea about having half the rod journal of a V8 crank not turned all the way down would seem reasonable to me (the guy that only does theoretical performance engine builds), but you still would be stuck with uneven power strokes.

Cylinder 1 fires (this is cyl 2 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 180 degrees
Cylinder 4 fires (this is cyl 8 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 90 degrees
Cylinder 2 fires (this is cyl 4 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 180 degrees
Cylinder 3 fires (this is cyl 6 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 270 degrees
back to Cylinder 1 at the top

Maybe that isn't important in your application, but the title of this thread is "a smoother 4 banger? 389 crank 389 cam?" and I doubt this uneven firing would help with smoother running.

- Bill

[Steve Barcak]

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

Steve:
If you started with an unmachined crank (or used rods with a smaller big end than Pontiac rods) your idea about having half the rod journal of a V8 crank not turned all the way down would seem reasonable to me (the guy that only does theoretical performance engine builds), but you still would be stuck with uneven power strokes.

Cylinder 1 fires (this is cyl 2 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 180 degrees
Cylinder 4 fires (this is cyl 8 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 90 degrees
Cylinder 2 fires (this is cyl 4 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 180 degrees
Cylinder 3 fires (this is cyl 6 on the V8)
crankshaft turns 270 degrees
back to Cylinder 1 at the top

Maybe that isn't important in your application, but the title of this thread is "a smoother 4 banger? 389 crank 389 cam?" and I doubt this uneven firing would help with smoother running.

- Bill

Bill,
I understand what you are saying and it is valid, or potentially valid. I say potentially only because I have yet to try it.
It is only in the idea stage. I am sure shortening the stroke on the Tempest would smooth it out considerably.

However, with so many smooth running 4s out there, there must be a way to make the little Tempest prrr.

[63Banshee]

Bill, you're formally invited to come by when I get the first one running. Probably 2 months after Norwalk. That's priority right now.

[Jack Gifford]

re: uneven cylinder-firing intervals.

This typically isn't detrimental. In fact, depending on application, it has been done purposely. Examples include the old John Deere tractor two-cylinder engines, which had firing intervals of 180` and 540`. Supposedly this took best advantage of the behavior of lug-type tire treads in soil. A recent example is what Yamaha calls "cross plane cranks" in their GP racing bike engines; again for some supposed on-track improvement in power delivery to the pavement.

Inherent imbalance of a particular engine configuration (e.g. inline four cylinder) is due to inertia force vectors (of crank/rods/pistons), not combustion forces. In other words, such an engine would vibrate even if not "running", but being spun by external means (electric motor or whatever). [At least that's my hypothesis; feel free to prove me wrong]

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

Pretty please... a picture of the Moldex crank?

Why are you owners of billet 4-banger cranks so reluctant to display a picture (Bansee and Rusty4cy). Please tell me what the "price of admission" is...

[Rusty4cyl]

Jack, I haven't seen it yet either. Calvin is picking it up , maybe next week. So I can't help you yet, If I had it here I would take pics for you. Sorry, I can't help you yet. I'm waiting to see it too Thanks Rusty

[63Banshee]

In a similar boat as Rusty, but mine is a V8 crank.

[Jack Gifford]

Thanks, guys- I look forward to seeing crank pictures.

Banshee- any particular reason you won't be using a flat crank?

[63Banshee]

Several reasons. Cheap stroke options being #1.

[Bill Hanlon]

Originally Posted by 63Banshee

Bill, you're formally invited to come by when I get the first one running. Probably 2 months after Norwalk. That's priority right now.

I am honored by the invitation. Keep me updated. I'll be in the Dallas area July 14ish and SWMBO is talking about another trip to Dallas to visit with her cousins later in the year.