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Tom Vaught · 08-06-2002, 07:39 PM

Well, I got my 461 crank assy (4.25 stroke x 4.155
bore) back from Moldex. They dusted off the STD/
STD journal sizes with a .001 cut on both to get
more clearance and also to get rid of the high spots on the crank as it comes from Eagle. The Old Man, (Bob Gillian), says the crank passed
mag just fine. He says he does about 10 Chevy cranks (Eagle) per week, with the slight massage.
Crank now has same clearances as a stock Ram Air
IV crank had. Very happy with the price for all
of the extra time checking out the crank. (150.00)
Tom V.

Robert Williams · 08-06-2002, 08:36 PM

Tom, sounds good, i just sent you an e-mail.

Goatman · 08-12-2002, 05:24 PM

Got the block back from the machine shop right before we left for Norwalk. Seems my friend who does machine work out of RI didn't exactly get my line bore/hone right. The #4 main was slightly egg shaped and that is what caused the main bearing saddle to go out of round by two thousands. When checked with a snap guage, everything looked good. It was only after the motor was started that the bearing moved, most likely pinching off the oil supply (explains the sudden loss of oil pressure) and hence wiping out the #5 rod bearing.

I want to make it very clear that IA did not line bore the block, therefore, it cannot be attributed to them or their machine work. They took a motor that was worked on by someone else and tried to help me out. Next time will be different.

[ August 12, 2002, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: Goatman ]

Brian Baker · 08-12-2002, 06:30 PM

Start wrenching now, Bruce! Otherwise time will sneak up on you. Better to get it done early for next year.

Goatman · 08-12-2002, 07:27 PM

Got to pay the big bill first Brian. Chassis man first, then the motor! I'll be ready for next year, hopefully early.

Will · 08-12-2002, 07:48 PM

Tom, what were the clearances on the stock RAIV?

SCOTT ESTERLE · 08-12-2002, 09:35 PM

Bruce i got my block back from the shop & installed the crank to check piston deck height when i removed the caps the bearings were marked up. We re-installed all of the caps & checked them with a dial bore guage & the dimensions were still the same size from when i took it to them. The shop guy & myself had some words & my uncle who was helping me went there & had a few things to say to him to get it straight. My uncle has been a machinst for over 30yrs & works for Firestone. Well the shop guy tells me my over-size dowel pins are distorting the caps. I don't think so. You could put the caps on a straight edge & see day light. I was able to get a .006 feeler guage under one. To make a long story short they re-did it & the 2nd time around the caps had a nice machined finish & they were all dead flat & guess what i was on the low side of the Pontiac dimension. It was plain & simple there guy did a half you know what job & that may work for a standard re-build but not a race motor. So it pays to double check everything even though its hard to come up with all of the measuring equipment to do it with.

Robert Williams · 08-13-2002, 12:16 AM

Will, the stock clearances on the RA-IV are mains .0015"-.0024" and rods .0013"-0033".

Scott Misus · 08-13-2002, 07:48 AM

Scott:

Doesn't Summit have a machine shop that you could have used?

SCOTT ESTERLE · 08-13-2002, 07:53 AM

We used to have a shop but they wouldn't let us use it because it was like an assembly line. They were to busy building SBC. When we got out of that they sold all of the equipment.

Goatman · 08-13-2002, 08:08 AM

Scott, we did check everything. Like I said, everything was in spec, untill the motor was fired. It was only under the pressure of the rotating assembly spinning that the bearing moved.

This time, IA will be machining everything from scratch (standard bore 400 block and splayed caps) and I'm sure this won't happen to me again.

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