Limits of a Stock Short Block
Limits of a Stock Short Block
Already posted this in the Engine board but thought you guys may wanna see how long it take for a short block with 163k handles over 10 bottles of N20. Broke Block. The specs on the motor are: stock pistons,rods, crank. Recently installed: Corvette L98 alum heads and a LT4 hotcam. The motor let go as I was rolling into 2nd at the local strip. Shifted at about 5800 and jammed 2nd and she let go. A forged short block is already being built and the heads are getting repaired/massaged and im stepping up to a Comp Cams bump stick. I dont blame the N20 for this cuz my tune was dead on but I do think the stock components are living on borrowed time with anything over a 100 shot. BTW I was spraying 150 shot for 9 of the 10 bottles.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,991
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From: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Car: 1992 B4C 1LE
Engine: Proaction 412, Accel singleplane
Transmission: built 700R4 w/custom converter
Axle/Gears: stock w/later 4th gen torsen pos
LT4 hot cams are absolutely awsome cams. That hot cam is so great at building cylinder pressure to an almost supercharger level on normally asperated engines, that it will most certainly when combined with the higher street compression ratio (9:1-10:1), and the nitrous, pop head gaskets, or like in your case fail cast pistons. I know it is a sad deal, a future forged piston motor and loc-wire gaskets can help alot, but the hot cam is maybe too good for this application. I'm not trying to bum you out and there will always be those that chime in saying they are running one on their blown or nitroused car. I just recommend against it. Future engine parts and forgings may not guarantee against failure.
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Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 888
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From: West Hartford, CT
Car: '89 Z28tt
Engine: Dart Little M Twin Turbo
Transmission: T56
Holy crap, dude! Those are some pretty amazing carnage pictures! I really like the one with the hole in the cylinder wall being larger than the bore diameter. Now it's time to rebuild w/ a block that can take it!
Andris
Andris
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Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 2,755
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From: Ahead of you...
Car: 1984 LG4 Camaro
Engine: 350 Roller Motor
Transmission: Level 10 700R4
Axle/Gears: Strange 12 bolt 3.42
Those are definitely some gruesome pics, sorry about what happened to your motor.
I think the stock block can take a lot more punishment than people can imagine, its the rotating assembly and machine work that make all the difference. You can run in the 9's with a 383/396 and NOS/blower with the stock block and upgraded internals. But you can't do it with a stock rorating assembly and a two bolt main, it self-destructs.
I have a smiliar set-up in my camaro, but it has a lot less mileage on the block (40k) and we meticulously put it back together - I also don't use the nitrous all that much either.
I think the stock block can take a lot more punishment than people can imagine, its the rotating assembly and machine work that make all the difference. You can run in the 9's with a 383/396 and NOS/blower with the stock block and upgraded internals. But you can't do it with a stock rorating assembly and a two bolt main, it self-destructs.
I have a smiliar set-up in my camaro, but it has a lot less mileage on the block (40k) and we meticulously put it back together - I also don't use the nitrous all that much either.
Thanx for the the kinds words guys. I lucked out and found a roller 4 bolt block and have had it machined up along with the forged and balanced rotating assembly. Hopefully the H beam rods and J&E pistons hold up better than the stockers did. I just finished prepping the block and should have some pics of it in different stages of assembly by tomorrow.
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