Race Engine Buildups

[JEFF STRUBE]

Looks like you got me beat in the Windage Tray are i don't have one. Very nice work making that up. Looks like you have some moded Pushrods holes for 3/8 Pushrod in that engine at say 9.800 long Push rods. How much Rocker Ratio on that Bad Boy?

[Bigwedgie]

The rocker ratio is 1.70:1 and yes the holes were made to try and run a 3/8" pushrod but the intake side just does not have enough room for them. The pushrods are 5/16 .116 wall x 9.650". We did dyno it yesterday and it made 692HP @ 6600 and 616LBS @ 5000 without any tuning. A/F was 11.35 and it was around 101* yesterday so there is some left to figure out. I also think the dyno we used is very conservitive on its correction factors because a 540 Chevy that has a lot of real nice parts made 757HP @ 7300 and would have thought it would be a lot better than that as well. I think after Bonneville we will try and make the head work a lot better...........hours on the flow bench!!!

[RAMKAT2]

I know it is too late to change it now, but after you get back from Bonneville you might want to add a few more louvers to that windage tray. Oil coming off the crank and rods is really moving at high rpm (like pointing a fire hose into a bucket), and the more openings you have to direct it away from the crank and down into the sump the better. You can also add directional baffles in the bottom of the pan below the windage tray to help the oil turn and flow toward the sump.
How fast is the record for your class? Hopefully we will get to see some post-Bonneville pictures with your team wearing new 200mph club attire! Sure looks like one fast Riviera! Good luck, Randy

[Steve Reynolds]

Randy is correct in saying that you could use more louvers. Attached is a picture of one of my latest. It's a rear sump chassis pan with all the bells and whistles. Oil control is important when looking for that little extra HP and also to stop aeration of the oil.

If you have any questions about Oil Pans, Oil Systems, Oil Control, etc, etc, please feel free to e-mail me. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I'd venture to say that I have more experience with BB Buick oil pans than anyone else on the planet.

Looks good so far, and good luck on the flats!!!

Steve

[Steve Reynolds]

I forgot to give my e-mail address. srgs455@charter.net

Also a few more pics.
Thanks

[JEFF STRUBE]

I forgot to give my e-mail address. srgs455@charter.net

Also a few more pics.
Thanks

Looks good Steve what Frame will it fit stock or Modifed Frame. How much do these cost and how much oil do these Pans hold?.

[Steve Reynolds]

These new pans are designed for a "Full Chassis" car without crossmember and header interference issues. The front sump is a "standard NON-Girdled" depth. Therefore, with a girdle it would already be an inch too deep to fit a stock crossmember. Add to that the extra width and it would mean a very highly modified crossmember. Not that it couldn't be done, but I don't know if it would be worth it.

As far as the price goes...... well, lets just say that they're pricey! They are a lot of work! The pan that's pictured with the welded in -16AN Oil Pickup, custom baffles and fully louvered screen is around $1100. Not for the faint of heart!! But believe me, I'm not making a ton of money on these, considering the material costs, overhead and the hours involved.

Thanks, and any questions can be e-mailed to me or call at 920-6894-6776 evenings.

Thanks again guys!

Steve

[Steve Reynolds]

I forgot to mention the capacity.
The rear sump will hold a full 5-5 1/2 qts to the top edge without spilling into the front sump area. That means that you could most likely run a total of 7 to 12 qts, depending on what system and what "add-ons" that you incorporate. Items like a large capacity filter (K&N HP5001), a oil accumulator, oil cooler, external oil pump system, etc, etc.

Thanks
Steve

[finishline]

Steve
As you and I have discussed before. That seems like a more than fair price. I built the pan on my blower engine and I will NEVER DO IT AGAIN what a pain in the ass. That thing looks assome and well worth the cost.

[Steve Reynolds]

Thanks guys,

Bobb, you're not the only person that told me that they would never build their own again! Even with the proper tools and fixtures, they're still a pain in the ass.
I do it mainly because I have a passion for it. If I were to lose that passion then I simply wouldn't build them anymore. Building and working on my own race cars helps to keep that passion alive and the extra funds from SRE help keep the race car project going ...... a vicious circle to say the least! But we all know how it is!! Once bitten .... infected forever!

Thanks again!!
Steve

[ROCK N ROLL GSX]

One thing that surely needs to be addressed when building these high output applications and putting all the time and money and effort into them
is the reliability factor. The amount of stress these 455 factory blocks go
through once you atart making over 700 HP is crazy.Have not lost a block
braking lifter bores yet, but all the time taken cementing and indexing the bores and installing liners in the bores is a fourtune.And with all these high spring pressures for roller cams the cam walks and floats around like a noodle. The last time we dynoed an engine that was making 825 HP we pulled the heads off as soon as the pulls were finished, and you could see that the cylinders were distorting from all the stress.When these engines are running that kind of power, the cylinders don't even stay square !! Blocks can't take it.Even if you pour fill cement to the top of the cylinder.Rings go away very quickly and so do the cam bearings, and bearings in general. At 800 + HP it is a time bomb KABOOM !!! Best to disassemble and inspect them after minimal runs and refresh bearing and rings.On a regular basis.Or they won't live very long !!

[Steve Reynolds]

ROCK N ROLL GSX, I agree.
Every precaution can be taken and since we're on the edge with these blocks, .......you never know when it's your time!!! The current engine for my new race car is going to be a fairly mild 523" that I plan on keeping well under 800 HP. If the potential for more is there, I'll use a throttle stop. I don't plan on being the fastest, but I hope to get longevity while going rounds. We'll see next year.

For the future I'm really banking on the new TA block. I think it will revitalize the Buick racing community. I know it's costly, but what the hell isn't these days. You want to play ..... you gotta pay! That's just the way it is. Ask any of the high HP Chevy, Ford or Mopar guys with aluminum blocks what they actually have in their engines. If they tell you the truth, it will be a lot of money also!! Once you get to that level, it's all cubic money!!

Steve

[ROCK N ROLL GSX]

I agree Steve.The potential for making the power is there.The reliability factor isn't. These days we are concentrating on finding ways to make the 455 blocks that we have more reliable rather than finding ways to make more power. I mean what is the sense of maxing the 455 out for peformace output just to have it explode and have dollar bills fly in the air and coins dropping all over the ground !! ??? Really suggest to anyone wanting to build over 700 HP in these things and make them last to start with a good block IE: Sonic testing and examining for core shift, thick centered cylinder walls, and especially thick and centered lifter bores.The way we have seen these cylinders distort after coming off a Dyno and taking the heads off.I think I would build any 800 HP engine with a near standard bore.It might help keep the cylinders running straight and square.And possibly reduce cylinder wear.Besides with all the work to girdle the block and reinforce the lifter valley etc...I certainly would sacrifice a few cubes in cylinder bore to gain max life and reliability and have room for as many piston changes as possible? We have a bunch of blocks in storage and checked them looking at this one and that one.And then seperate them like OK this one is good for a roller cam
this one for max HP that one not etc...I don't think there is any particular year that is any better.The last one we used for a roller cam was a 70 block and the lifter bores were near dead center and THICK block was pretty straight!! Usually looking at the lifter bores and if the look pretty centered then it is usually a good block.I know they say the later blocks have more nickel in them.But we usually go by material thickness and as little core shift as possible and thick lifter bores when choosing a block for HP.Then even sonic test the cylinders AFTER you have bored the block.You can have sand pockets in the cylinder walls that can blow out on you !! In all honesty I can say that we don't build 800+ HP engines often enough or that we have built all that many to know all the in and outs.All I can do is relate some of our experiences with BUICK 455's in the last 20+ years.And what we have experienced with the ones we have.

[Bigwedgie]

Man I hope everything stays together because I did most everything I could think of to make this thing live this go around.
Thanks guys for the input!!!
My pan holds 8 quarts in the sump and the luvers are exactly centered and the same width as the rod jounals. I know it might work better with more but I wanted to keep the lage sump away from the wind created in the bottom end. The pan is stock depth so the sump is quite large compaired to most others.

[Bigwedgie]

Here it is on the dyno!