[Dragncar]

Well,some of you guys who know a lot about big power boosted engine of all brands. The guys who are running 3500HP engines like this, 14/71, twin turbos. How many of those blocks have exposed main caps,waving in the wind sort of deal. The Hemi guys don,t. I would think there are aftermarket BBC blocks with Hemi/ LS mains.
At 3000+ HP there would be at least a little cap walk/fretting. If KREs iron block engines have some of it at 2000HP I doubt just being made of billet aluminum solves the issue. Iron is very stiff, until it lets go. I don't think there is any way around at least a small amount of it.
But it might not be a huge issue if you stay on top of maintenance. Maybe the billet aluminum dampens things.
We are all going to find out. Its new territory.

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Well,some of you guys who know a lot about big power boosted engine of all brands. The guys who are running 3500HP engines like this, 14/71, twin turbos. How many of those blocks have exposed main caps,waving in the wind sort of deal. The Hemi guys don,t. I would think there are aftermarket BBC blocks with Hemi/ LS mains.
At 3000+ HP there would be at least a little cap walk/fretting. If KREs iron block engines have some of it at 2000HP I doubt just being made of billet aluminum solves the issue. Iron is very stiff, until it lets go. I don't think there is any way around at least a small amount of it.
But it might not be a huge issue if you stay on top of maintenance. Maybe the billet aluminum dampens things.
We are all going to find out. Its new territory.

You sure talk about skirted blocks a lot.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by slowbird

You sure talk about skirted blocks a lot.

Yes I do. I want to see one on a huge engine and see just how hard you can push one.
I just remember all the years of hearing about guys blasting their cranks out the bottom with stock blocks.
Don,t like hearing how "bulletproof" those LS blocks are either.
Hey, Jeff K told me about the fretting. So they all must do it a little.
The AP solid block sure has proven tough though.

[Elarson]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Yes I do. I want to see one on a huge engine and see just how hard you can push one.
I just remember all the years of hearing about guys blasting their cranks out the bottom with stock blocks.
Don,t like hearing how "bulletproof" those LS blocks are either.
Hey, Jeff K told me about the fretting. So they all must do it a little.
The AP solid block sure has proven tough though.

You'll see a skirted billet Pontiac block when Steve Dale gets his funny car back out.

Eric

[ponjohn]

Originally Posted by Elarson

You'll see a skirted billet Pontiac block when Steve Dale gets his funny car back out.

Eric

What about a bolt on skirt with matching main caps?

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by ponjohn

What about a bolt on skirt with matching main caps?

Iirc twinTurbo Bill has made one of these

[LiL Jack]

Originally Posted by 535 tall deck

Iirc twinTurbo Bill has made one of these

LOL

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by 535 tall deck

Iirc twinTurbo Bill has made one of these

The more I think about it I believe he made a cap/main girdle set up

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Yes I do. I want to see one on a huge engine and see just how hard you can push one.
I just remember all the years of hearing about guys blasting their cranks out the bottom with stock blocks.
Don,t like hearing how "bulletproof" those LS blocks are either.
Hey, Jeff K told me about the fretting. So they all must do it a little.
The AP solid block sure has proven tough though.

How many cranks have been ran over lately?
I agree it's an nice thing but at this point i don't see it limiting any ones performance on the track.

[GTOGEORGE]

Originally Posted by slowbird

How many cranks have been ran over lately?
I agree it's an nice thing but at this point i don't see it limiting any ones performance on the track.

DITTO!


GTO George

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by slowbird

There are people on this board that don't seem to grasp this. And think Chief's stuff is as good or better than those 481x engines.

Originally Posted by GTOGEORGE

DITTO!


GTO George

I don't think many guys on this website feel that Edelbrock heads are better than 481X heads .... They're just aware that the Eheads have accomplished a chit ton more than the guys that are knocking the E-heads.

EHTTFMF's!!!

[Stan Weiss]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

I don't think many guys on this website feel that Edelbrock heads are better than 481X heads .... They're just aware that the Eheads have accomplished a chit ton more than the guys that are knocking the E-heads.

EHTTFMF's!!!

Paul,
You know anyone using GTO George's favorite band has to be the best / most excellent.

Stan

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by slowbird

How many cranks have been ran over lately?
I agree it's an nice thing but at this point i don't see it limiting any ones performance on the track.

Umm, yes it is. There have been at least 2 iron highly regarded iron race blocks destroyed with big boost in the not so distant past. At least one, maybe both are stepping up to aluminum billet skirted mains.

KRE,s billet block with standard mains is one choice. Then you have Visners block and the LSM block.
They would not be there if people did not feel the need for them. Builds are coming.

[slowbird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Umm, yes it is. There have been at least 2 iron highly regarded iron race blocks destroyed with big boost in the not so distant past. At least one, maybe both are stepping up to aluminum billet skirted mains.

KRE,s billet block with standard mains is one choice. Then you have Visners block and the LSM block.
They would not be there if people did not feel the need for them. Builds are coming.

Boss Bird hasn't ran over a crank, neither has Butler, KRE, or Big Chief doesn't seem to be slowing them down. So who has ran over a crank? Maybe they had other issues.
Like i stated it's nice for reliability but not sure it's slowi g people down. Just my opinion.

[mgarblik]

A fully skirted, deep block design with large cross bolts is a superior design for very high HP applications, little argument there. A bolt-on girdle band-aid apparatus of some type would also help some depending on specific design and how it was married to the block. A billet block with smaller mains and a skirted block would be better suited to the Boss Bird application. It would not be "Pontiac" enough to the guys who own it though. So far, at least, cap walk and fretting have been tolerable. Best possible race block? No, that would require a billet block that was not a "Pontiac" IMO. The Boss Bird cast Aluminum block is a stock dimension, stock deck height, 3" main traditional "Pontiac" block. Any production Pontiac head will bolt on, it uses a stock dimension lifter valley cover, timing cover, oil pan and valve covers. Everyone has their own idea of what a Pontiac needs to be, and it varies allot depending on who owns and races the car. Honestly, at an open event, more people think our engine is some type of small block or big block Chevy than a Pontiac. They generally figure out the narrow cylinder heads and plug wires not going through the middle of them must not be a hemi.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by slowbird

Boss Bird hasn't ran over a crank, neither has Butler, KRE, or Big Chief doesn't seem to be slowing them down. So who has ran over a crank? Maybe they had other issues.
Like i stated it's nice for reliability but not sure it's slowi g people down. Just my opinion.

Boss Bird and Chief both run the heat treated solid IA2A block. It has shown to take anything thrown at it.
KRE did have some of the early blocks, well you know how that went.
It has slowed people down. When you rip every main out of a race iron block it tends to do that. Just because the crank actually did not end up on the pavement does not mean the block did not fail.
Pics don't lie. Not posting so don't ask. Cast iron has its limits.

[Scott Roberts]

Originally Posted by slowbird

Boss Bird hasn't ran over a crank, neither has Butler, KRE, or Big Chief doesn't seem to be slowing them down. So who has ran over a crank? Maybe they had other issues.
Like i stated it's nice for reliability but not sure it's slowi g people down. Just my opinion.

Tom Moon ran over his crank....

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

Umm, yes it is. There have been at least 2 iron highly regarded iron race blocks destroyed with big boost in the not so distant past. At least one, maybe both are stepping up to aluminum billet skirted mains.

KRE,s billet block with standard mains is one choice. Then you have Visners block and the LSM block.
They would not be there if people did not feel the need for them. Builds are coming.

I was told from someone involved in one of those that they decided to send it with a bent crank. At NO time was the block blamed. Sounded like the mission meant more than the parts.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by 535 tall deck

I was told from someone involved in one of those that they decided to send it with a bent crank. At NO time was the block blamed. Sounded like the mission meant more than the parts.

No one is blaming ANY iron block. A casting has its limits.
I just want to see guys try it. (skirted) See just how much a Pontiac can push down on a crankshaft.