Aluminum wedge block

Where can i find a used indy aluminum wedge big block? Really cant afford new right now so my only option would be used.

Just check around. Here, Yellow Bullet, ForAbodiesonly, forBbodiesonly, forEbodiesonly, Facebook. I got mine off of Racing Junk. Cheap, but needs sleeves. I can deal with that.

Good luck with that.

They are around but guys want them for nothing or hesitate and if the price is right they go fast.

Engine builders that have them want to build them into engine and sell them. Others that have them do not let them go like their stock blocks. We have had to fix what ever was wrong with them and getting another is a real pain somtimes.

Why do you want aluminum?

Why wouldn't you want aluminum? If I could afford it, all my engines would be aluminum.

I have an iron World wedge block that needs all 8 sleeved.
Prob going to sell it, just havent listed it yet.
Has 4.600 bore. Thats why it needs sleeved.
#8 has hair line crack.
So i figure all 8 need sleeved.

I want the weight loss and the ability to repair. I am going to run a f2 procharger and i would rather not use the old iron blocks.

All the guys I know who run heads up, N/A or power adders, that have raced with cast grey iron and or with Compact Graphite Iron blocks and with good race aluminum blocks with the same parts in them ran faster at the track and made more power (30 to 80Hp depending on the race,r motor size and RPM and who was telling the story) on the engine dynos they tested on
What type of blocks do all the Pro Stock team use
I'll give you a clue, they ain't aluminum the last time I checked

I'm glad you did your research on this before making your decision


Good luck on finding a used block
I talked to Tim Banning at FHO last week about a new KB low deck aluminum street wedge block (no wet sleeves) for one of my local customers, he said they will make them soon but they ain't cheap
I assembled a KB street hemi dry sleeve block(#55, I think) for a blower on the street for a customer years ago when Mopar sold them through their dealer network, it work good once we got the EFI problems sorted and tune up correctly

Well a few observations. I basically prefer aluminum all the time these days, reparability is a part of it but for me weight is the main reason. I think we make a bit of power but I no way believe that the loss of power, if any is made up but the weight savings. Give me the 165-175lbs less weight any day.

The heads up car is also an ALUMINUM block and being a SB Chebbie the choices are endless. The aluminum block was chosen for the same reason. Weight savings.

As for Mopar blocks, they are out there to be certain. When you see one you need to be ready to act. Another thing is on some(indy)if they need sleeves it can get expensive to purchase and have them installed. Not a lot of places will do sleeves in those blocks. Also beware of a block with zero history. At a point aluminum gets "soft" through heat cycles. No different than aluminum rods. I have purchased a few over the years and been bitten once by "soft" material.

I'm aluminum all the way. I have a steel engine and an aluminum engine. They both have the same heads and the steel one makes 100 more HP than the aluminum engine. It takes a lot more HP to make up for the extra weight. The aluminum engine is faster with less porting, less camshaft, less compression, less flow, etc.

All things equal the aluminum wins hands down. I did ready some where that ring seal was an issue with aluminum but like stated above the weight saving far outweighs the power lose if there is any.

Ring seal perhaps was a problem on the aluminum blocks of old, but not so much anymore. I know people that run 4.560 sleeves in Mopar aluminum blocks.

they use iron because it's in the rule book.

Carl, NHRA tech and the Pro stock team owners and drivers have a rule changing meeting at the end of each year to decide what and how they will change the rules for the next year.
They could have had aluminum blocks years ago but most of the teams like Compact Graphite Iron blocks better
I wonder what type of blocks NASCAR cup teams use

Last I checked not many here are chasing ever last little HP..Trust me aluminum is the way to go unless you are one of those Comp, Pro Stock or Nascar guys on here...

I want to boost the bajeezers out of one! lol

Current LSX development suggests that aluminum moves around more than you want at really high power, and that the smallest bore size thickest wall) doesn't hurt much at high boost.

Well good thing I don't have really high power, that's a relief.

Yeah, right

I will be trying out my first aluminum block soon. Birdtracker

I guess it's time for me to research the subject a little deeper... you guys have done surprisingly well with an aluminum block... and definitely headed in the right direction... I was never one that thought N/A and aluminum blocks went together in the same subject... 100 lb lose on my car would be huge... time for me to do homework I guess.. I guess number one question would be how would the car work..being 100 lb lighter on the nose.. that will be my starting point..

Shiloh you will end up like us. Moving EVERYTHING in the car back up front. We have moved literally everything, there is nothing left on the back of the car these days. We are at 54/46 after all the work. But it is a very short wheelbase car that is EXTREMELY sensitive to weight. BUT IMO the block is well worth its weight Building ANY racecar as light as possible allowing the weight to be moved to where it will best help the car work is the key. We are now no longer the wheelie king of the class putting it on the bumper round after round. FWIW we laso have an aluminum block in my Stratus and Dragster, had one in the Cuda too, but they don't make big power anyway...


Birdtracker interesting FBS set up there. Be anxious to see how it works for you.

Have you run the fbs heads before? I have a motor going together with a set, just picked up a hogan sheet metal intake for them

the big thing about the indy maxx aluminum block is check your header clearance at the bottom. it's wider down there and may give you some clearance issues. just a heads up.

What heads are those?

Give the boyz at BEST Machine in Michigan a shout if you wanna find the gremlins and angels in the aluminum alloy blocks. They seem to have it all locked down and are machining a host of Indy blocks to perfection.
That being said, myself compared to anyone here on the issue of weight, I am still running an iron factory block. But then again, I'm not making as much steam as some of you guys are.
Maybe an aluminum block is in the future unless I trim enough weight off the car all together to not need the special alloy block.

It's to bad that the compacted graphite blocks are not floating around.

Couldn't float at their weight. LOL.

Compacted graphite blocks are EXTREMELY heavy. The heaviest block I ever have picked up was the spare 99 Hemi block we had. It was a very short deck block with one side of the skirt milled away. No one likes machining them as they are hard on equipment too. FWIW my 99 Hemi ready to race, carbs to pan weighed in at 885lbs! For comparison my aluminum B1 is 525lbs

Dang
That is like old school iron headed hemis with Nascar rods and 5 lb pistons!

I just got my 472 back together so I am going to race the rest of this year. I have this 540 to get ready for next spring. I have had alot of guidance from a racer in Minnesota that is running Fred Brewers. Moparhound I am going to send you a pm. Birdtracker

Must be Vern

Al: absolutely. He really opened my eyes about a few things. His car is a work of art. Birdtracker

He is a good guy and likely has more experience with them than most anyone else does for sure.

Al, how much HP and torque differences between the two motors?
My thinking that a lot of the fast full chassis cars needing more front weight on them like you found out wouldn't mind the extra weight of a iron block up front, maybe not

in doing a little reading on the blocks, it was stated the blocks can be lightened a fair bit and still have a lot of strength. It also stated that the correct tooling is readily available but since milling speeds require half the rpm and half the feed speed the machining costs are probably 3 times then grey iron. OK Al.....you talked me out of it.

lol not trying to talk anyone out of anything just sharing what I have found.

The 99 hemi block was lightened quite a bit from as cast. One complete side of the block is milled away in the skirt area leaving only material around the main cap area. Also keep in mind this is a VERY short deck height block. Most are 9.200-9.400" which is short Also they have rather large bores and cam tunnels, we were 4.700 and a 70MM cam tunnel. SO there are some very large holes in a very short block and it still is HEAVY.

Cab they are apples and oranges frankly power wise. One is a Pro Stock motor, one is a wedge headed stock block configuration. Having said that last time we dynode the 525 it made 1088 the 99 was 496" and made 1314 torque on each was similar around 850. Bear in mind one head flows 460ish cfm while the other is 100cfm more. One carb cast intake compared to sheetmetal twin dominator deal. Blah blah blah....AS for building an intentionally heavy engine in anticipation of using it as ballast up front is not exactly what is preferred. I have had heavy cars and am done with that. Give me a car as light as possible and putting the weight where it can best be used is far preferred to ending up with a crap ton on the nose to start with and hope you come in underweight and can move it around accordingly. My new car with an aluminum block and head comes in REALLY light and has allowed us to put the weight where it will best benefit the car, rather than dealing with an additional 180lbs right in the nose with a cast block...

My only point was in response to thinking compacted graphite blocks were the cats meow. They are very heavy and not as easy to machine. Sure they are quite stable bores but at a cost.

FWIW on the NA10.5 Vette the block choices are basically unlimited. Any type is available, grey compacted aluminum etc. It will be getting a new block likely next year as it goes to a much shorter deck height and it will be aluminum again. Oh yeah it makes pretty good power to at 417"

Thanks
Al, as we both know no one is making any cast grey iron blocks, let alone any of the better Compact Graphite iron BB or Gen2 hemi Iron Mopar blocks so this discussion is mute
I have one high nickel Koleno block in stock and I will use it when the time comes to finish the new car

I hear you cab. I sold my last iron megablock last year and not going to look back. I have destroyed to of them over the years, both with cars I purchased and ran. Apparently I am a slow learner and that will not happen again..

If the Canadian peso was par or close to it I would jump on an aluminum block, but for now have to stick with the iron one.