Well. Without going into great detail, this bud is a very good friend, to not just, me but lots of mopar guys. He works the hardest for the club, never complains, aways has a smile and a good thing to say. He is always the first to volunteer to help you out. He only has one project and it takes a back seat to his family, friends, his home and even work. He could easily win the “Stu Harmon” award. He has modest means to pay for this project. Just retiring, he was hit with a bill expense on his house that was unexpected and a must do ASAP. He does not have all the correct tools to measure the critical measurements envolved with a precision engine build. He took his stock block to the local “Gomers” machine shop. I doubt they had a torque plate to hone this block properly. Gomers did not clearance the kB 162 pistons properly. The clearance is very specific and it’s critical that you follow it. They are not very forgiving. One hole was way too tight and galled the skirt. This is the same motor that flattened the cam because it was idled too long and somehow bent a pushrod. It may have been because the ball on the plus rod broke off. It was laying in the pan when the lifter spit and oil pressure went away. The cam was way too big, I have not checked the spring pressure yet.
However, next he took the motor to a different machine shop. Well call them “Goobers “ machine. You young guys may have to think on that for awhile 😁. They just honed the motor out and called it good. That’s where me and his friends stepped in and insisted that I take over. So now I discover that the cly that failed only had .0015 clearance at the skirt AFTER they had honed it. No telling what it was before. In order to get the wear marks out at the top of the ring travel, they honed it to where it now has a .0015 TAPER in the cly from top to bottom and all the rest of the cly are too big for the .030 KB162 to have proper clearance. I doubt if Goobers have a torque plate either. The finish on the walls look like it was done with a 20 grit stone.
On top of all this, he bought some 452 heads fromm Indy Cly Heads years ago. They were milled flat, had bigger valves installed and had hardened exhaust seats installed. No telling what he paid for them many years ago. I pulled them apart to find bigger valves but not opened up to even benefit from them. They have cheap guides and stock seals and the seat were cut by a caveman with a square stone. They were obviously cut with an old stone valve bringing machine and I think they dressed the sones at a different angle that the valves. The seat was so narrow, it was barely sealing. Worst valve job I ever saw.
So, yes. This is not going to be a easy build. I’m taking off time from paying customers to build this for free and our friends are “helping out” some as well. We are limited to what we can do for the above and several other reason. Now, my friends and I are cheerfully doing this, but do not want him knowing all the details of our contributions. He does not look at this board so if you put together who this is, please don’t tell him.
So., I’ll be checking some more measurements today. I loaned out my good cc burette so I may need to get another one to make sure of my measurements. I use the diamond piston and Wallace racing CR websites so I’ll post my numbers and you guys and tell me how you figure CR.
