Just curious if anyone has tried adding material between the top of the main saddle and the bottom of the cam journal in an effort to prevent block splitting?
Seems to me everyone agrees the block splits upward starting at the top of the main, if additional material was there, would it prevent it or would the welding process
actually weaken the block? YA YA I know but a race block..........
thanks

 

kinda hard to weld steel to cast but can be done but you'll still will have a turd.
if u have that much money into a motor making that much power do yourself a favor and spill for the race block.

 

Or you could just find a mexican block and put a girdle on the mains. The mexican blocks are proven to be stronger and if it does let go then the girdle should keep the internals together for a second or two.
issuez

 

Have you thought about waiting for the new boss block to come out? Should be less expensive than a dart or r-block but will give considerable more strength than the stock block.

 

I dont really mean adding steel, welding up with nickle rod small amounts at a time......I work for a company that does it all the time but never in this application.

 

If you don't have any money into the engine and if you are eventually going to get a race block, then if you think welding the stock block will do anything then try it and see what the results are. It might be interesting to know.

 

Another possibility would be to add material with a powder torch. I've seen a starter mount on a Chevrolet block broken off, and completely reconstructed with a powder torch. I say go for it and see what happens! Innovation like this is the true essence of hot rodding, and what our hobby/sport/profession is built upon. Anybody with a credit card and a catalog can order a race block. Get welding!

 

I'd expect that you'd have 2 problems, first that you'd be adding metal that is much stronger then what you're adding to, so I suspect that it would rip out pretty easily, even with a good weld (and yes, I weld cast iron all the time also), and second, it would take a lot of heat to get good pennetration and to just add enough metal to make a significant difference in strength and I would imagine that at best you'd really distort the block, at worst you'd crack it when the hot spots contracted (when you weld you shrink the metal that you're welding, which becomes a problem with someting largish out of something crack prone).

the reason that they crack is that when they lightened the original SBF to make the 5.0 blocks they were not left with enough meat to keep the crank rigid, what most people don't reaiize is that most stock blocks can be pushed MUCH further just by using a stiffer crank that isn't as likely to flex and break the block.

 

turbocomet,,,,
Yes exactly.........I've got two 5.0 short blocks with good rods, cranks, pistons and stud girdles that I paid 200 a piece for. If building up the area around
the mains helps get more hp without breaking, I'm all for it... I was just curious if anyone had actually tried it yet. Ya, I could put a race block on
plastic, but dam I can just hide the bill so long from my wife (LOL)..........

 

Mark
I was thinking the exact thing, do you end up having something strong a rip but because you have put so much heat in it you have to line bore or worse cant get the cam in.
Do you think preheating and doing very small sections at a time would work? Yes, I agree about the stronger crank to, helps spread the load..

 

This isnt exactly what you are talking about but I have seen steel braces welded in the lifter galley before. Of course when I need something I cant find it. I dont know where the link went. Ill find it when I no longer need it.

 

If you were to weld up the mains.. You'd need some fancy (read expensive) machine work, to clearence them for the crank, after the weld job..

If you look at the main on an aftermarket block.. They are cast with just enough clearence for the crank throws to spin around without hitting anything..

 

I have asked about this a couple of times and no one had anything to say. Welding in something like 1/4" plates in the lifter valley has got to be way better than the valley pro thing. I want to know more, anyone done it?

 

It's not the lifter valley that causes blocks to fail.. All the lifter valley has to do is to provide a spot where the lifters can go up and down.. The part of the block that takes the real punishment is in the main webbing..

 

New boss block? Any idea on price, power, or when its coming out?

 

Gotta dissagree with you on that one, bro. Recent studies said that the top of the block in the lifter valley, that' s waht flexes. It does not flex apart, it flexes inward and causes teh block to split at the bottom. Pro valley has been putting their blocks through 9k rpmw ith 250 shots w.out failure. I will let you know how good it works, as i will put one on my stang. Granted, it would be good if you have a lower girdle also. I think with these two items, you can make a stock block handle upwards of 800rwhp, 1k if you get lucky, w.good internals.

 

i have to disagree about the lifter girdle i think ther about as usless az tits on a wild bore. what would make the lifter valley flex?.....nothing except when the block splits at the bottom ,then the lifter valley will flex that i can see...lol. of course the company says 1000+ hp,kinda like the proform main body.....there just the greatist out there...not i could cast one outta sand better than the proform body just my 02 cents

 

Jeff,
Looking at that picture it looks like the crack actually starts at the bottom of the crankshaft stud hole and works out ward.....Ya Does not look like welding
that area would do much good.....Does anyone in this thread have any experience with early (9.48") blocks and where they are week at? I will do a thread search but
just thought I would throw that up while we are talking about it since I have a couple of those blocks laying around.
thanks guys, as usally your a ton of help