Big aluminum small-blocks?

[MaineShark]

I was browsing through the GM Performance Parts catalog, and noticed something that is eitehr new, or I somehow missed until now:

24502495 Aluminum V8 Block for Big Displacement Engines
This tall deck (9.525") aluminum block can be bored to (4.160") and stroke to (4.125" with minor modification and 4.250" stroke with major modifications). The deck height is 9.525" with a 1.125" deck surface that can be machined as low as 9.000". The bores start at 4.119" and can be bored to 4.160" with a 2.65" (400-type) main bearing size and the camshaft is raised 0.391" from production location. Pan rails are spread 0.400" per side for clearance of connecting rods. The main caps are four-bolt design of 8620 steel with the three inner middle caps having ball-end outer studs that are angled outward at 20º to anchor the caps to the strongest part of the block. The four-bolt front and rear caps have straight outer bolts for oil pan clearance. The main cap hardware includes premium bolts, centerless ground studs and 12-point nuts. The rear main uses a 400-type two-piece rear seal (Fel-Pro P/N 2909). This block uses a priority main oiling system and is a dry sump design with no provisions for an internal oil pump. The oil filter pad is eliminated so the starter can be mounted on either side and the fuel pump boss is also removed.

So, with a 4.160" bore, that means:

4.000" stroke yields 435 cubes
4.125" stroke yields 449 cubes
4.250" stroke yields 462 cubes

I'd probably keep the bore a little smaller, to allow some room for a rebuild at some future time, but that still gives you 434, 447, and 461 cubes.

It don't come cheap, at $4850 (from Sallee, since they tend to have decent prices), but it only weighs 101lbs, is rated for 850 horsepower at 8000 revs, if you can build the rest to make that, and basically seems to be an aluminum version of the Iron Rocket.

High coolness factor, if you have the cash.

Joe

 

[matchframe]

Joe,

I ran across this guy that built a small block 427 with turbos. His block is not aluminum, but I thought you might be interested in checking out what he has done. Here is his link: http://www.montygwilliams.com/


Bill