Made some main caps

Im “in process” of building a blown early hemi. I made some main caps for myself after seeing what is available for sale out there. Mine tie into the pan rail meat a whole lot more than any I’ve seen. This will necessitate the need for notches/ bulges in the pan, but that is easy enough to deal with.

They look great.

Yes...very nice. I was really hoping that guy re-doing the 392 blocks back in 2015 would have had his $hit together by now...I wanted to do a Nostalgia build, but blocks are few and far between....We have a number of them down at the shop, but each has its own set of issues when you get going on one.

Is this block a 392 or a 354 block?
back in the day I use to fool around with some of the early Chrysler Fire power motors, 1955 331 C.I., 1957 and 1958 392 C.I. motors.
Many SO CA N/A racers suggested using the 354 motors instead of the 392 due to early heads where better on the intake angle and lifter angles They would increase the stroke to make them bigger.
If yours is a 392 block is it a regular, RR or A-1 casting? The A1 was the preferred 392 block due to having the thicker full main webbing instead of the weaker blocks with the lighting done between the main webbing and cylinder walls

This is a 331 industrial engine. I sort of fell into this by accident. I was given a 241 hemi when a friend died. It was a basket case. Lots of cool old parts. In the time I spent trying to find the parts I needed/ wanted, I realized that some people in the early dodge hemi world are easily threatened when an outsider wants certain parts. Anyway, after searching local craigslist for parts for that engine, I came across this 331. Complete minus intake for $700. I searched the internet for parts for the 331, and quickly learned that the Chrysler hemi is supported by a whole slew of companies. I can get a new roller cam from damn near any cam company. The price and support made it much easier to go this route. Honestly never knew much about these engines, but they are growing on me.

It might take a tad more than a bulge on the pan rail , but I really like where you are going with this.
I had three of these years back and each had a spun rod bearing.
The word round the camp fire was soft crank shafts , but it could have easily been an oiling problem that led to it.
But they seem to be coming back with the street rod guys in a big way.

WOW!!! Well done!!!

VERY nice machine work ! what grade material ?

4140 alloy steel. Done on my manual mill in the garage. Im pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Awesome work!

I'd love to be able to just make something like that for myself!

Very pretty looking work! They appear very robust for sure.

I think that type later 331 C.I. block was used by Chrysler and Dodge from 1954 to 1958 in passenger cars, H.D. trucks, boats and industrial applications It should be a good block

i got to ask---how many hours? nice work

I didn’t keep track of time, but it was 3 weekends of “hobby time”
It took longer than I thought it would. The caps weren’t the hard part.
Getting the block ready was tricky, because my mill is worn some. The elevation of the table changes at the ends of the travel distance needed. It was difficult, but all the saddles are the same depth from the pan rail now. That made making the caps much easier. The block started out with one side at .124” and the other at .126” that would have made the cap plane surfaces tipped. Fixturing would have been difficult.

This raises the bar a tad. lol
The thing I admire most about this is that this is exactly how it was done by the pioneers of the sport.
If they wanted something , they made it.
And the biggest expense of " unobtanium " parts was the tooling and ability to make it happen.
It is far rarer to see this today , as opposed to people opening their check book and having things made for them.
And I don't have a problem with either.
But the skill and determination that goes into making your own parts sets your build apart from the way it happens for most of us.

Only problem I find with them is,,,they are going to be hidden in a oil pan and no one will get to admire them,,,nice impressive work.

did you heat treat after machining ?

No heat treat. Was told 4140 in stress relieved state closely mimics elongation of cast iron. Im no metallurgist but that sounded good to me!
Should I be concerned?

unless done in a controlled environment 4140 will move around during the treatment process and probably shrink, bend and/or twist a little.

also, if not done correctly, can become brittle. that may cause some concern. you did good not treating them [in my opinion].

I agree with that.