Rebuilding Engine Part 4 - Upgrading The Crate

Manufacturers, Sanctioning Bodies,Race Promoters, Track Owners: Send us your latest news w/ photos! Email: Robert.Fisher@sorc.com.

Welcome to the final installment of Circle Track's experimental odyssey looking into what can be done with a cast-off crate engine. If you don't remember, we purchased a Chevrolet 604 crate engine that had been left to rot in a corner after a blown head gasket. Because the racer ran in a sealed crate class, it was cheaper and easier to get a new engine rather than send the existing piece off to be rebuilt.

Our idea was to take the old crate, keep what was usable and create a built racing engine out of it. From the original engine, the block, crank, oil pan, and pump still remain, and to that we've added select components designed to make the new engine capable of winning races in upper-level Street Stock classes.

In the last installment we finished installing the valvetrain. This time around the goal is to finish buttoning up the engine and get it on the dyno. From there we'll have to finish getting a car built so that we can actually get it on a racetrack.

The idea behind our project was to take a blown up crate engine and reuse as much as possible to build a Street Stock engine capable of winning races. And here’s what we wound up with.

The idea behind our project was to take a blown up crate engine and reuse as much as possi
1 The engine is being built to typical high-end Street Stock rules, often called Super Street, so we started out with a 1-inch open spacer from Holley on top of the Edelbrock 5001 intake.

1 The engine is being built to typical high-end Street Stock rules, often called Super St
2 The front drive kit comes from Jones Racing Products, which included this water pump from Edelbrock. Make sure to install three plugs (along with thread sealer) for the heater lines to fully seal off the pump.

2 The front drive kit comes from Jones Racing Products, which included this water pump fr

3 Here’s the rest of the front drive kit from Jones. It includes the crank and water pump pulleys which have been sized to move enough water without burning up horsepower unnecessarily. There’s also a power steering pump and a remote resevoir.

3 Here’s the rest of the front drive kit from Jones. It includes the crank and water pump
4 One nice touch with all Jones kits is the ease of assembly. For example, all the necessary spacers are already installed on the power steering pump brackets with nuts keeping them from falling off before you are ready.

4 One nice touch with all Jones kits is the ease of assembly. For example, all the necess
5 Here’s how the power steering pump mounts up to the front of the engine. Bolts above and below the pump lock it into place and allow the pump to move so you can adjust belt tension.

5 Here’s how the power steering pump mounts up to the front of the engine. Bolts above an

6 The Jones crank pulley replaces the crank bolt, so you can save your original crank bolt for another build.

6 The Jones crank pulley replaces the crank bolt, so you can save your original crank bol
7 Here’s the lower pulley. It uses a Woodruff key to lock in the pulley so it won’t slip.

7 Here’s the lower pulley. It uses a Woodruff key to lock in the pulley so it won’t slip.
8 The key on the pulley slots right into the keyway in the damper. Then the long crank bolt can be installed and tightened down.

8 The key on the pulley slots right into the keyway in the damper. Then the long crank bo

9 The lower edge of the water pump is also drilled and tapped for a piece of threaded rod to help keep the timing cover from flexing when the camshaft moves forward. Install the rod until it just touches the timing cover and then clamp everything down with the locking nut.

9 The lower edge of the water pump is also drilled and tapped for a piece of threaded rod
10 Install the belt and make sure everything is lined up straight. If the pulleys aren’t parallel, Jones includes shims for the water pump pulley.

10 Install the belt and make sure everything is lined up straight. If the pulleys aren’t
11 To go with the Stealth Version of the Performance Distributors Racing DUI ignition, we are also using Performance Distributors’ Livewire plug wire set. In addition to very low electrical resistance, they are built with a silicone jacket and full-length sleeves to protect them from heat to help make them quite durable, even in a tough racing environment.

11 To go with the Stealth Version of the Performance Distributors Racing DUI ignition, we

12 Performance Distributors offers wires cut to route either under the headers or over the top. We chose to go under—which didn’t exactly work with the Kooks headers, which you can see in the lead photo—but they also worked in an over/under configuration. We also used these excellent billet aluminum wire looms from Performance Distributors to help keep everything neat and under control.

12 Performance Distributors offers wires cut to route either under the headers or over th
13 Super Street carburetor rules can vary quite a bit from track to track, but we’re trying to stick reasonably close to the rulebook at one of the tracks nearby. It requires either a Quadrajet or a four-barrel Holley, PN 4777. The Holley is a 650-cfm carb that’s essentially designed for road-going cars. The only change the rules allow is removal of the choke flap and linkages. The flap is relatively easy to remove. After widening the slot in the pivoting bar, Kevin Troutman slides the flap out. No damage is done, so it can be reinstalled later if necessary.

13 Super Street carburetor rules can vary quite a bit from track to track, but we’re tryi
14 After the flap is out of the way, the rest of the assembly slides right out.

14 After the flap is out of the way, the rest of the assembly slides right out.

What We Spent

Item	Manufacturer	Part Number	Cost
Block, Crank, & Oil Pan	Blown Chevrolet Crate	1,000
Intake Manifold	Edelbrock	5001	133
Cylinder Heads	RHS	12402	560
Valve Springs	Comp Cams	26926-16	270
Intake Valves	Manley	11566-8	120
Exhaust Valves	Manley	11565-8	120
Camshaft	Comp Cams	W 6618-11	232
Spring Retainers	Comp Cams	1777-16	150
Intake Rocker Arms (1.7:1)	Comp Cams	1620-8	167
Exhaust Rocker Arms (1.52:1)	Comp Cams	1608-8	167
Valve Locks	Comp Cams	648-16	23
3/8 Pushrod Guide Plates	Comp Cams	4810-8	18
Timing Set	Comp Cams	7100	99
3/8 Pushrods	Comp Cams	7980-16	155
Carburetor	Holley	0-4777C	363
One Inch Spacer	Holley	17-27	45
Damper	Fluidampr	62260D	349
Pistons	JE	300252	890
Connecting Rods	Carrillo	C351A65700H0	303
Top End Gasket Kit	Cometic	PRO1003T	241
Bottom End Gasket Kit	Cometic	PRO1004B	88
Valve Covers	RHS	VC-12000	166
Rocker Studs	ARP	134-7103	45
Head Bolts	ARP	134-3701	81
Front Drive Kit	Jones Racing Products	1004-AL-75	849
Break-In Oil (8 Quarts)	Amsoil	BRKQT	57
Stud Girdle	Comp Cams	4009	205
Timing Cover	All-Star Performance	ALL90010	24
Distributor	Davis Unified Ignition	S127212	369
Plug Wires	Davis Unified Ignition	C9051	99
Headers	Kooks Custom Headers	1505S	446
Rod Bearings	King Engine Bearings	CR807XPN	67
Main Bearings	King Engine Bearings	MB557XP	61
Cam Bearings	King Engine Bearings	CS507HP	22
Machine Work
Bore and Torque Plate Hone Cylinders	KT Engine Development		275
Align Hone	KT Engine Development		275
Deck Block	KT Engine Development		150
Deck Heads	KT Engine Development		100
CC Verify Heads	KT Engine Development		125
Internal Balance Crankshaft	KT Engine Development		250
Final Wash	KT Engine Development		65
		Total	9,224

15 A little silicone (silver) seals up all the holes we created by removing the choke hardware.

15 A little silicone (silver) seals up all the holes we created by removing the choke har
16 Kooks has these 15/8 inch headers in stainless for Metric chassis race cars. Stainless may seem a bit much for a Street Stock class, but at less than 450 bucks, they are practically a steal. Unfortunately, we ran into interference issues and couldn’t run them on the dyno. We couldn’t get the header bolts tight enough to seal to the heads because the outlet was against the rear leg of the dyno stand.

16 Kooks has these 15/8 inch headers in stainless for Metric chassis race cars. Stainless
17 Instead, we used a set of dyno headers that were also 15/8 inches with 4-into-1 collectors. Cometic gaskets seal the exhaust gaskets.

17 Instead, we used a set of dyno headers that were also 15/8 inches with 4-into-1 collec

On the Dyno

	Torque	HP
4,300	450.4	368.7
4,400	446.6	374.1
4,500	449.5	385.1
4,600	446.4	391
4,700	448.3	401.2
4,800	447.1	408.6
4,900	446.2	416.2
5,000	442.4	421.1
5,100	440.3	427.5
5,200	437.9	433.6
5,300	433.5	437.4
5,400	429.3	441.4
5,500	424.1	444.1
5,600	418.1	445.8
5,700	414.5	449.8
5,800	409.8	452.6
5,900	402.5	452.1
6,000	393.6	449.6
6,100	385.1	447.3
6,200	378	446.2
6,300	371	445
6,400	367	447.2
6,500	359.7	445.2

18 There’s no need for a power steering pump on the dyno, so for the test we swapped out the original ribbed belt for a shorter one that eliminates the pump.

18 There’s no need for a power steering pump on the dyno, so for the test we swapped out
19 Properly breaking in the flat tappet cam is a critical step. Besides the special steps taken during assembly (check last month’s issue or www.circletrack.com for that) we’re using Amsoil’s 30-weight break-in oil. Amsoil says that specially formulated oil contains the maximum amount of zinc possible—which is critical for protecting flat tappet lifters—before it starts falling out of suspension.

19 Properly breaking in the flat tappet cam is a critical step. Besides the special steps

20 To limit pressure on the cam lobes and lifters, we cut the spring pressure by using only the outer portion of the Comp Cams valvesprings. After running a 30 minute break-in on the dyno with the engine kept between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm, we pulled the valvecovers and installed the inner springs.

20 To limit pressure on the cam lobes and lifters, we cut the spring pressure by using on
21 Afterwards, the valves were relashed back to the cam card specs of 0.016 and 0.018 for the intakes and exhausts.

21 Afterwards, the valves were relashed back to the cam card specs of 0.016 and 0.018 for
22 The the break in procedure was completed, we re-fired the engine and began a series of timing sweeps. Even though they are considered a stock replacement-type cylinder head, the RHS iron heads are efficient as the engine performed best at a respectable 38 degrees BTDC.

22 The the break in procedure was completed, we re-fired the engine and began a series of

23 Shop owner Ken Troutman kept the dyno pulls between 4,300 and 6,500 rpm. There was still plenty of torque below and horsepower above those marks, but the on-track rpm range is well within those marks, so there’s no reason to stress the engine by pulling it either too high or too low on the dyno.

23 Shop owner Ken Troutman kept the dyno pulls between 4,300 and 6,500 rpm. There was sti
24 The mandated intake is a limiting factor by design, but it responded well to switching to a 1.5-inch tapered spacer. On the dyno, the peak horsepower of 452.6 came at 5,800 rpm, but the broad torque curve made us the happiest. At 4,300 rpm the torque was already at 450, and it didn’t drop below 400 all the way to 6,000 rpm.

24 The mandated intake is a limiting factor by design, but it responded well to switching

SOURCE
Cometic Gaskets 8090 Auburn Road Concord OH 44077 800-752-9850 www.cometic.com	RHS 3416 Democrat Road Memphis TN 38118 877-776-4323 www.racingheadservice.com
Carrillo 124 Poplar Pointe Drive Unit #104 Mooresville NC 28117 704-664-2515 www.cp-carrillo.com	Performance Distributors 2699 Barris Drive Memphis TN 38132 901-396-5782 www.performancedistributors.com
King Engine Bearings 327 Little Falls road, Suite 5 Cedar Grove NJ 07009 800-772-3670 www.kingbearings.com	Holley 1801 Russellville Road Bowling Green KY 42101 270-781-9741 www.holley.com
ARP 1863 Eastman Avenue Ventura CA 93003 800-826-3045 www.arp-bolts.com	Kooks Custom Headers 141 Advantage Place Statesville NC 28677 866-586-5665 www.kookscustomheaders.com
Lock-in-Tool 704-843-5477 www.lockintool.com	AMSOIL 925 Tower Ave. Superior WI 54880 800-777-8491 www.amsoil.com
Fluidampr 180 Zoar Valley Road Springville NY 14141 716-592-1000 www.fluidampr.com	Comp Cams 3406 Democrat Road Memphis TN 38118 800-999-0853 www.compcams.com
Jones Racing Products 72 Annawanda Road Ottsville PA 18942 610-847-2028 www.jonesracingproducts.com	KT Engine Development 384 Industrial CT Concord NC 28025 704-784-2610 www.ktenginedev.com
Bradley Auto Parts 704-821-6234	Edelbrock 2700 California St. Torrance CA 90503 310-781-2222 www.edelbrock.com
JE Pistons 15312 Connector Lane Huntington Beach CA 92649 714-898-9763 www.jepistons.com	Powerhouse Products 3402 Democrat Rd. Memphis TN 38118 800-872-7223 www.powerhouseproducts.com