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Prepping a stock block for racing #1968237
12/12/15 08:42 AM
12/12/15 08:42 AM
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aotearoa
rebel Offline OP
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aotearoa
Apart from sonic testing, magnafluxing & Torque Plate honing, what prep work do you do to make a factory block race ready? I was deburring my 400 block, cleaning up all the casting flash & generally smoothing my block, when a Chevy friend looked at what was doing & said I was wasting my time. Do any of you guys that work on stock block racers do any cleanup of the block? I coated all the inside surfaces with POR15 to make for a smoother surface for oil return, am I going too far?

Last edited by rebel; 12/12/15 08:45 AM.
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968250
12/12/15 10:03 AM
12/12/15 10:03 AM
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Charlotte, North Carolina
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Chase every thread and blow them out with air. Deck and line bore check while at machine shop. Modifying oil pickup to 1/2" I think is still up for debate but I would recommend it.


[image][/image]
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968260
12/12/15 11:11 AM
12/12/15 11:11 AM
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Stuttgart, Arkansas
rickseeman Offline
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Chevy guys don't have to do any of that stuff because they drive a Chevy.


2011 Drag Pak Challenger
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: sgcuda] #1968262
12/12/15 11:16 AM
12/12/15 11:16 AM
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Florida
Locomotion Offline
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Paying attention to detail is often the difference between winning & losing. Deburring gets rid of any slag that "might" break off in the future and smoothing & painting helps quicken oil drainback and reduces places where dirt/wear, etc. can hide. I believe that the #1 important item is cleanliness - scrub, rinse, blow-dry.....repeat. That's especially important when painting to insure the paint doesn't flake.

It's the little things that add up, whether it's looking for efficiency, HP or reducing weight. Each little thing you do may seem insignificant by itself, but the cumulative effort will show obvious benefits.

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: Locomotion] #1968269
12/12/15 11:34 AM
12/12/15 11:34 AM
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fullmetaljacket Offline
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Word!

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968270
12/12/15 11:35 AM
12/12/15 11:35 AM
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Milwaukee WI
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TRENDZ Offline
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I agree with all said above. If you are running an external oiling pickup you wouldn't have to worry about the internal pickup.
Bushing lifter bores would be a nice luxury, but not absolutely needed. Depending on cylinder head, you may want to consider oiling mods to the heads. The factory oiling strategy uses the #4 main feed to oil the heads. The cam is drilled to intermittently feed oil from the #4 main in "pulses" to the heads. This is done to limit the amount of oil "robbed" from that main bearing (and the 2 rods it feeds).
The problem with this method of oiling is it sends a very limited amount of oil to the heads. If your heads are oiled through through the factory valley drillings, I suggest you do this...
Drill a 1/8" hole to intersect the valley drilling to the main galley drilling. This will feed the head with a nice plentiful supply of oil without risk to the bottom end. Then open up the hole to thread a 1/16"npt thread to plug the hole in the valley. Rotate the #4 cam bearing, drill a new hole in it to oil the cam journal only. Rotating the cam bearing blocks the drillings to the heads. This simple mod evens out the supply to the mains and rods, while improving valvetrain oiling.

e-mail sized pics 008.jpg

"use it 'till it breaks, replace as needed"
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968323
12/12/15 01:05 PM
12/12/15 01:05 PM
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New York
polyspheric Offline
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How will you know if you didn't completely gassed out all solvents, petro products, LocTite, etc?

You'll drive over the crank when the paint film reaches the pump.


Boffin Emeritus
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: polyspheric] #1968325
12/12/15 01:10 PM
12/12/15 01:10 PM
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Romeo MI
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Originally Posted By polyspheric
How will you know if you didn't completely gassed out all solvents, petro products, LocTite, etc?

You'll drive over the crank when the paint film reaches the pump.


The factory paints the race blocks also.. I've
been doing it for years also.. never had any issue
of driving over the crank
wave

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968351
12/12/15 01:59 PM
12/12/15 01:59 PM
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Hot Rod Ridge
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I use a 1/2 fill of hard block. I break the sharp edges of the main bores, I chase all bolt holes and have good machine work done and I double check everything I can.

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: FastmOp] #1968369
12/12/15 02:29 PM
12/12/15 02:29 PM
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PA.
pittsburghracer Offline
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I would never ever use Por15 but that's just me. Heck I won't even use that crap on the bottom of my cars any more after it peeled of mine and several other Friends cars.


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: pittsburghracer] #1968374
12/12/15 02:44 PM
12/12/15 02:44 PM
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Romeo MI
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Originally Posted By pittsburghracer
I would never ever use Por15 but that's just me. Heck I won't even use that crap on the bottom of my cars any more after it peeled of mine and several other Friends cars.


Same here.. I use Rustoleum .. I used Chassis Saver
and POR15 on my chassis.. that stuff SUCKS.. it peels
off in sheets... then I sprayed it with Rustoleum ..
still holding great
wave

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968379
12/12/15 02:50 PM
12/12/15 02:50 PM
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Eighty Four, PA
B G Racing Offline
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All the above mentioned suggestions are good advise.To make the job complete the block should be squared front to back,pan rail to deck,align bored if necessary,align honed, decked,bored and honed(with plate)all this indicated off the centerline of the crankshaft.Make sure your machine shop has a BHJ or similar fixture to do this. up

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968422
12/12/15 03:56 PM
12/12/15 03:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,050
Niles , Ohio
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therocks Offline
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
therocks  Offline
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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Dont forget main studs.They have to line hone after they are installed but add strength.Degree cam also.Balance and clearance is important also.Rocky


Chrysler Firepower
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: therocks] #1968460
12/12/15 04:52 PM
12/12/15 04:52 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,116
PA.
pittsburghracer Offline
"Little"John
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I kinda got carried away on this one but my time is FREE and I am in my happy place at the track, at my porting bench, or with my hands inside an engine. This 360 block is going on its 4th rebuild this Winter with hundreds of passes on it. Its gone 9.73 so far and should run some 9.50's in 2016.








1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968470
12/12/15 05:10 PM
12/12/15 05:10 PM
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Hot Rod Ridge
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I like to hand file, then stone the sharp edges of the main saddles. Just something I been doing since my 1st 440 back in 97.

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968507
12/12/15 06:17 PM
12/12/15 06:17 PM
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New York
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The difference: how do you know yours is as clean as a new block?


Boffin Emeritus
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: polyspheric] #1968509
12/12/15 06:22 PM
12/12/15 06:22 PM
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Romeo MI
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Originally Posted By polyspheric
The difference: how do you know yours is as clean as a new block?


Have it hot tanked... then spray it with brake
cleaner.. blow it dry.. spray paint with Rustoleum
that has worked for years now
wave

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: polyspheric] #1968512
12/12/15 06:27 PM
12/12/15 06:27 PM
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Posts: 1,532
off the grid
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Originally Posted By polyspheric
The difference: how do you know yours is as clean as a new block?


How would I know a new block is as clean as mine? Clean it once, clean it again and then when you got it clean, Clean it again.


Yeah, it's got a smallblock.
Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1968522
12/12/15 06:42 PM
12/12/15 06:42 PM
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western pennsylvania
b1dartsport Offline
super stock
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Originally Posted By MR_P_BODY
Originally Posted By polyspheric
The difference: how do you know yours is as clean as a new block?


Have it hot tanked... then spray it with brake
cleaner.. blow it dry.. sray paint with Rustoleum
that has worked for years now. After you are done with all grinding, filing and block prep If you don't have access to a hot tank, take the block out on the driveway and hit all the passages with a pressure washer and blow it dry with a compressor. If you are not planning on painting anything hit it with WD40 or similar light oil because it will begin to rust almost before your eyes. wave:

Re: Prepping a stock block for racing [Re: rebel] #1968552
12/12/15 08:11 PM
12/12/15 08:11 PM
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aotearoa
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well i've done most of what you guys have mentioned but it didn't get hot tanked but it got the degreasing from hell, complete with cansx2 of carb cleaner to dry out any residual oil in the casting. i've never witnessed any failures with the POR15 as you guys have mentioned. i've given a few blocks this treatment it's never shown any sign of peeling. after i've finished degreasing the block i let it sit overnight, our humid semi tropical air creates a faint layer of rust which helps POR15 stick, i think maybe it's how your prep for that product that makes the difference. here's my block now ready for trial fit of my parts.

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