Any way to race prep a factory 5.0 block?
- Thread starter Dayzed50
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Don Fiveolio
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795.0pacecar
lover of pudgy polygamists
The girdle will strengthen your block together as much as the intake with ARP bolts will... If its not part of the block as opposed to attached to the block, It really won't help much if any. At least nothing to depend on. Those tiny bolts look like they can barely hold that brace to the block let alone more HP. Unfortunately the only way is to get more meat on the block.
Kevin
Kevin
OK now after looking at their website and seeing this "Valley Girdle-Pro will add significant strength and rigidity to your engine! You will also find a gain in HORSEPOWER!" Their claim is that it will prevent the block from twisting or distorting... Where it is joined together I don't see how it can prevent that. The bolts look more like screws to me too. Cast iron doesn't really distort... It just breaks.
Kevin
Kevin
I'm convinced. This stock block is for the most part a lost cause. I don't want to use block hardener as it reduces coolant capacity and I don't want to install an external reservoir and I take this car for trips, long cruises, ect. so the cooling system must be adequate and reliable. And yes, the valley girdles look chincy with those screws they call bolts. I've done some research on aftermarket blocks and I gotta say I'm leaning towards the worlds man 'o war but it's way pricey. I've read the sportsman blocks aren't all that great, the r302 blocks have siamese bores so heat issues can arise, and I really can't find much info or pricing on dart blocks. I want to stay with a 302 platform, 8.2" deck ect,may 331 it or stick with my current internals. Are their any options I'm not aware of? Is their a cheaper way to go than a world block while still being fairly reliable and strong?
I have ran small blocks on the street in chicago traffic with the block filled to the bottom of the pump holes, a stout cooling system and there were no problems. As for your siamese bore concerns, look how many 400 small block chevys were crawling around, those are siamese bore. No problems there. Dart blocks are gonna go between 1800-2000 plus machine work.Dayzed50 said:
what do you think of the sportsman blocks? Also, what do you consider to be a stout cooling system? I have a be cool alum radiator but it only holds the factory capacity of coolant. I can't go with a thicker one as my black magic fan clears my blower pulley by less than a 1/2"? I do run water wetter which works awesome.
what type of numbers are you looking for? Ford de-rating that block to 450 is much more a liability concern, but its a close number also. Heres an example, I have 1 member that runs a 306 inch mexican block in a 2860lb car, car goes 10.0's at 135 on MOTOR only. This is with a powerglide, motor is making 600hp and he spins it hard 8k+. If your asking about the sportsman I am assuming your expected hp numbers to be fairly mild. But if your lookin to stay around 400-500hp I would definately hunt down a mexican block. 200-400 bucks on ebay. Nice seasoned block. The main webbing is much thicker than late models, thats where the problems lie with the late model blocks.
as I sit right now I'm putting roughly 435-450hp to the wheels. [email protected] with 2sec 60ft and street tires. I have a set of canfield 192 alum heads on the way as well as a trickflow r intake, upgrading from powerheads and cobra intake. I don't imagine I'll spin it up past 6500rpm. I'd like the piece of mind of knowing my block, whichever I decide to get, should handle my setup.
I actually bought the heads from an add right here in stangnet classifieds, should be here either today or tomorrow. Now the mexican blocks aren't roller are they? which means they would have to be machined for the lifter retainers and I would have to purchase a cam with a different lobe center for the conversion, or did they produce any roller mexis?
No mexican blocks are not machined for factory roller setups, the problem with machining them is that the lifter bores are not tall like late model blocks, thus needing a small base circle cam which are absolute crap. So that thought is out. I keep forgetting everyone wants to run hydraulic roller lifters. How many miles a year do you drive thgis car?Dayzed50 said:
I put roughly about 3-6k miles a year on it, and I want to maintain good driveablilty. By the sounds of it I imagine I should invest about $2k in a block that'll fit my setup, as changing over to solid lifters along with a different block will net about the same pricetag in the long run.
How about the new boss block? Don't know much about it but they should be out soon. http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=9085
Kevin
Kevin
That boss 302 block looks promising, I just wonder how much machining it requires to make it road ready. The price seems acceptable.
