Re: Anyone use one of the "blueprint engines" crate motors?
[Re: 540challenger]
#44095
01/25/10 11:34 PM
01/25/10 11:34 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,344 Cincinnati, OH
6T6Cuda
OP
top fuel
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OP
top fuel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,344
Cincinnati, OH
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Well, I tore the engine down this winter... Here is a short summery:
1. I was impressed, all the rods had weight numbers on them, and they were "ground" on the ends to make them balanced.
2. The crank had some VERY deep holes in it to "externally" balance the thing, so much that I would "think" they could have internally balanced the motor but I don't know...
3. My #2 intake and exhaust had a nick in them, at first I thought it was just on the seat, but after cleaning the valves I found it on the valves as well - this might have contributed to my issues.
4. THEY HAD THE WRONG RINGS IN THE MOTOR: it use KB 356 (http://www.kb-silvolite.com/test/kb_car/performance.php?action=details&P_id=23) which call for 5/64 rings, but they had 1/16 rings installed! they were loose in the bores
5. They grind down the shafts of the valves & install very thin brass bushings for valve guides, so they are "[Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean]" size so you can not get valves, or replace the guides...
6. I replaced all the bearings, the cam bearings were flaking off before removing the cam. I found bearing chunks in the bottom of the oil pan. When the machine shop went to install the cam it would not fit on the last bearing and the cam had to have 0.001 taken off the end, it appears that they just jammed it in and scraped the cam bearings until it fit - leading to a lot of material scraped off.
7. The block was heavily notched (required when running stock rods) & appeared to use stock bolts.
I don't know what to think, the valve nick issue (which could have been due to something going through the motor), the cam issue and the rings being wrong has me worried about the motor...
Glad I went though it...
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Re: Anyone use one of the "blueprint engines" crate motors?
[Re: Challenger 1]
#44097
01/26/10 01:25 PM
01/26/10 01:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,675 Columbia, CT
moper
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,675
Columbia, CT
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That's too bad. At least it's apart and getting fixed. On the inserts... check the stem size of the valve. They may have just run 11/32 valves with liners... That's pretty normal. However I have seen mass rebuilders taht cut down valves and ran liners for in-between sizes. That's not ok because they cut away the hardness from the outer material on the valve stem and they wear out like mad. You can see the step down on the valve stem near the head on those usually. If the pistons were KB hypers, the ring gap isnt bad (I know the width was wrong...). If they are forged, the gap was a bit wide too.
Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.
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Re: Anyone use one of the "blueprint engines" crate motors?
[Re: moper]
#44098
02/26/10 12:15 PM
02/26/10 12:15 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,344 Cincinnati, OH
6T6Cuda
OP
top fuel
|
OP
top fuel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,344
Cincinnati, OH
|
Quote:
That's too bad. At least it's apart and getting fixed. On the inserts... check the stem size of the valve. They may have just run 11/32 valves with liners... That's pretty normal. However I have seen mass rebuilders taht cut down valves and ran liners for in-between sizes. That's not ok because they cut away the hardness from the outer material on the valve stem and they wear out like mad. You can see the step down on the valve stem near the head on those usually. If the pistons were KB hypers, the ring gap isnt bad (I know the width was wrong...). If they are forged, the gap was a bit wide too.
They were cut down... and some in between size...
The pistons are hypers, and within the KB spec
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