Ring Material: Ductile Damper, and Flexplate Specs.- Main Bearings: Clevite
- Rod Bearings: Clevite
- Balance:In House on CWT balancer.
- Damper: Pro-Race brand 6.75 and8.0\" also available.
- Flexplate: Heavy Duty 168 tooth or 153 tooth. Manual Trans. flywheels available.
WISECO FULLY FORGED PISTONS, RATED AT 800+ HP. WISECO PISTONS ARE 100% MANUFACTURED IN THE USA. THEY ARE ONEOF THE HIGHEST RATED PISTON BUILDERS IN THE COUNTRY.
Flat or Dish top pistons will be used depending on Cam selection.
Our custom made Wiseco pistons are made using the 2618 aircraft alloy and have fully machined crowns.
The Wiseco forged pistons are rated very high in the street/strip performance industry. Theyare made using the 2618 aircraft alloy and have fully machined crowns. We prefer the 2618 alloy over the lower cost 4032 alloy. This alloy may fragment from the effects of detonation and if this happens, it can be very destructive to the engine.Those types of pistons are fine for stock or mild engine builds, but should never be used in carbureted engines built to high horse power levels.The forged 2618 alloy piston is much more resistant to the effects of detonation and heat.Our Wiseco Forged pistons are custom designed with an increase in compression height. This has many advantages. Here are a few facts about compression height and deck height.
Our custom made pistons have a compression height that is .010 taller on bbc pistons, and .015 taller on sbc pistons, as compared to most all of the catalog pistons on the market. We find this to be a very valuable feature.
Since our pistons sit at a taller than normal compression height, we only have to remove approx. .005-.010 off the deck surface of the block. Our goal is set the piston at zero deck (flush with the deck surface). This maintains the deck\'s thickness, making it much stronger than a block that has been cut down .025. The engine will also run a bit cooler with a thicker deck. It\'s well known that the deck dissipates much of the built up heat an engine generates. This also allows for future deck re-surfacing without compromising the integrity of the block. On our bbc engines, we actually leave the piston about .003 to .005 in the hole to allow for possible piston rock. Our sbc engines will have the pistons setting right at zero with the deck.
You may have noticed that our Wiseco custom made forged pistons are referred to as Racing Pistons on the package. This does not mean that the pistons are for racing only. This is a generic term, referring to their ability to be used in high performance applications as well as for street rod use. These pistons are perfectly designed for use on the street, as well as for medium to upper level drag racing.
We have built approximately 5000 engines using the Wiseco pistons. The engines have been for street rod and strip use. We have seen no problems, nor have there been any complaints. They are an excellent product in every respect.
These pistons are also suitable for use withnitrous or blower setups.
Flat or dish pistons, depending on cam choice. 5.7 or 6.0 inch piston and rod combinations available.
The photos below are file photos of our Wiseco pistons.
HASTINGS HIGH PERFORMANCE MOLY RINGS
Scat Crankshaft
The picture below is a generic file photo of a Scat crankshaft.
Some of the benefits of the Scat crankshaft:
The material used in this crankshaft is manufactured from an exclusive Space Age material that was designed for high strength and fatigue resistance. The Scat cranks are the best valueyou will ever find. The Scat crankshafts are the best wayto build a strong bottom end for, street rods, dirt and circle track racing, and drag strip racing.
Crank Polishing.
Pictured below is our ABS crank polishing machine in action. We polish the crank on every engine we build. This extends bearing life, keeps oil cooler, and with the reduced friction, a slight increase in horsepower is gained. Many machine shops fail to do this. The finish on most cranks are at the bare minimum of acceptance, and we know this can affect bearing life. We have measured the RA finish with our profilometer, and found it to be as high as 25 RA finish on many of the cranks. We bring that number down to below considerably.Quick Fuel Technology (QFT) has engineered its new Slayer series vacuum secondary street carbs with all the features. The Slayer is not some stripped-down off-shore QFT copy, it features the same QFT race engineering, all-aluminum construction and hand-built quality that goes into all QFT race-winning carburetors.
The Slayer\'s incredible value is made possible by QFT\'s new CNC machining centers and the unique design that utilizes a secondary metering plate with changeable jets, eliminating the costly secondary metering block unneeded for most street/strip cars. The majority of fine tuning on a street carburetor is done on the primary side, and the Slayer provides all of the popular options: changeable idle air and high-speed air bleeds, 3-stage emulsion circuits, changeable primary idle feed restrictions and power valve restrictions.
A truly welcomed feature is the QFT QuickSet adjustment on the vacuum secondary diaphragm that provides a quick external twist adjustment without changing springs. Secondary metering can be altered with changeable main jets and the secondary float is also notched for jet extensions.
Additional features are a fully adjustable electric choke, and a semi polished finish that will improve any engine compartment. The Slayer 750 cfm (Part # SL-750-VS) features a 1-11/16\" throttle bore and a 1.375\" venturi.
Using fuel systems that other than what is offered in this engine package, may affect your warranty.
Pictured below are some of our most popular valve covers. They are fabricated aluminum, and very high quality. You may select from any of the valve covers we have listed at no additional cost for your engine.
The satin covers below are by far the most popular.
RETRO STYLE FINNED. OUR SECOND MOST POPULAR CHOICE.
THE RETRO FINNED VALVE COVERS CONTRAST NICELY WITH THE CHROME AND POLISHED ITEMS.
Billet Aluminum Breather set.
If you chose cam choice 1 or 2, then we highly recommend using an exhaust evac. system. The vacuum created by the engine is somewhat insufficient when using these larger cams, heads, carb and intake to operate a pcv system at its best.The exhaust evac system will pull the crankcase gases out of the engine at a very smooth and controlled rate. This allows the rings to seat in much faster and better, and can increase horse power to some degree by reducing crankcase pressure. Another benefit of the evac system is that you\'re not contaminating the fuel and air mixture with semi-burned byproducts from the engine oil and combustion process.
After the engine is completely broken in, the pcv setup may be sufficient. However, it may not be the best choice. The break-in time may also be slower with the pcv setup.
We also offer a vacuum pump system for the ultimate in crankcase pressure control.
If you do decide to use an exhaust evac system, we have a few more recommendations. The bullet style perforated mufflers, like those made by Magnaflow and many other companies,mustbe used. In our opinion, they sound the best and, most importantly, they allow the exhaust evac system to work properly.Magnaflow is a popular brand of the true straight through mufflers, and there are several other brands on the market such as Corsa, Borla, and Bullet. The sound level is controlled by the length you choose. The 12-16 inch length sounds the best to us. These mufflers have smooth perforated inner walls.They should not be confused with traditional glass packs with fluted walls, which areveryrestrictive and have a somewhat sloppy sound.
Traditional chambered mufflers, like Flowmaster, create a back pressure pulse that will interfere with the operation of an exhaust evac. system. Chambered mufflers have the reputation of helping bottom end throttle response, but you will have a decent amount of bottom end power with this engine, especially if you have chosen cam choice 2, 3 or 4. In our experience, the straight through perforated mufflers sound and perform better in every respect, and allow the proper use of an exhaust evac. system. More info. on this subject below.
Timing components: SA Gear 8999T billetdouble roller timing set.
Polished Aluminum Timing Cover.
WATER PUMP, CRANK, AND POWER STEERING PULLEY WITH BRACKETS, INCLUDED.
EDELBROCK MAX-FIRE ULTRA-SPARK 50 OHM UNIVERSAL SPARK PLUG WIRE SETAND OUR 65K VOLT HEI DISTRIBUTOR ARE INCLUDED.
The Edelbrock Max-Fire Ultra Spark wires are premium grade wires. They have the same specs as the top of the line MSD Super Conductor wires. The Edelbrock wires have a 50 ohm impedance per foot rating and are 8.5 mm in diameter. As you may know, plug wires come in many different grades. These wires are on the high end of the scale. They are also totally suitable for use with HEI distributors and capacitative discharge ignition systems such as the MSD Pro-Billet distributors that run the 6AL box. Most of the lower grade wires on the market have a much higher level of resistance and are usually only 8.0 mm diameter. The lower the ohm rating the better. Edelbrock wires are 100% made in the USA.
If your vehicle is a pre 75 model that came with a point style distributor, you may encounter firewall clearance issues with the HEI distributor. If you think you are going to encounter this problem, then you should upgrade to the MSD Pro-Billet distributor. This unit will clear any firewall. You will need a CDI box such as the MSD 6AL and an external coil when using the MSD Pro-Billet distributor. We offer these systems in our other listings. The MSD CDI system is far superior to the regular HEI distributor in many ways. We strongly recommend it.
The plug wires are included but not installed on the engine. Due to the many different style headers being used, we will send the universal wires with the engine for custom fitment.
The distributor will be installed in the engine.
We include an engine lift plate and heavy duty engine stand with casters with every engine we build.
We offer this engine with selected upgrades. Listed below are some of the most requested ones. Many not only improve performance, but further enhance the reliability and longevity of your engine, along with resale value. Most of these upgrades are low in cost considering the benefits they offer.
Flywheel upgrade/option for manual transmission.Upgrade to a 168-tooth or 153-tooth flexplate for manual transmissions.
Cost for this option is$105.00We have this upgrade/option featured in our other listings. There will be a 153 tooth and a 168 tooth size available. Be sure you know the size you need. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
SFI Billet Steel flywheel upgrade/option for manual transmission.Upgrade to a PRW brand billet steel flywheel SFI rated 168-tooth or 153-tooth for manual transmissions. We highly recommend the SFI billet steel flywheel for those running hard. These are fully cnc\'d and far superior in many ways compared to the regular cast iron flywheel.
Cost for the SFI billet flywheel option is$229.00We have this upgrade/option featured in our other listings. There will be a Chevy 153 tooth and a Chevy 168 tooth size available. Be sure you know the size you need. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
SFI damper:Offers an extreme level of safety against breakage, and is very resistant against slippage of the elastomer damping material. SFI dampers are not only made from a better grade of steel, they are also constructed differently and have a much better appearance. They usually last much longer than a non-SFI damper. Many drag strips require this on engines producing high horse power levels. The SFI certification is laser etched into the side.
Cost of the SFI damper upgrade is$69.50We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Race balancing:This is for those who want the engine to operate virtually vibration free at high rpm. Extends engine life and frees up a few more horse power. This is a somewhat labor intensive procedure and is not required, but the feel of an absolutely vibration free engine at high rpm is desirable by many. The standard balance job that is included with this assembly at no extra charge is certainly sufficient. With a race balance job, all pistons and rods are match weighed to within 2/10\'s of a gram or less, and the final balance is brought down to around 1 gram plus or minus.An ultra smooth engine at high rpm has a noticeable feel and sound to it. If you do not opt for this upgrade, the assembly will still be fully balanced. We spend a good hour and a half doing the regular balance work, and it will certainly meet your needs.
Cost of this race balancing upgrade is$125.00We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Scat 4340 Forged Crank:The forged Scat crank has a rating of 800+ HP. This is the ultimate upgrade for those wanting to run hard. Nos, blowers, turbos, are not an issue with this crank. Even without such power adders, this Crank offers great protection under the most severe conditions. This upgrade also comes with the HP high Performance King bearings. Should you decide to run power adders in the future, this would be essential. The fatigue life of the 4340 crank over the cast nodular is also greatly extended. We do offer this upgrade as part of many of our assemblies in some of our other listings. They have the key words, \"fully forged,\" in the title.
Cost of this forged crank upgrade is$460.00We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Polished single plane or dual plane Intake Manifold:This low cost upgrade really adds beauty to the engine for those who like the bright polished look on the engine. This is available on our Single plane or large runner dual plane intake, known as the Eliminator (very similar to the Edelbrock RPM Airgap).
Cost of the polished single or dual intake is$49.50We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Single plane or dual plane Speedmaster polished intake upgrade, your choice.
MSD STREET FIRE DISTRIBUTOR.The MSD Street Fire HEI distributor is a far superior unit compared the regular HEI unit that comes with this engine. The failure rate is near non existent. We find the advance curve characteristics also to be more in suitable for street rod engines. We have also noticed that the degree span from initial to total timing is a slightly closer, approx. 18 degrees variance. This allows the engine to have more initial timing when operating at low speed without the use of the vacuum advance.
Cost of the MSD is$108.50We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Holley Sniper EFI Self-Tuning Fuel Injection System.This has become a very popular upgrade on many of our engines. For those not wanting to deal with the potential quirks of a carburetor, this is the way to go. Drivability becomes greatly improved over a carb. Startup and warm-up are also greatly improved. Tuning stays spot on. These systems make it very easy to tweak the tuning on your engine to better serve your application. Our engine room crew has found the Holley Sniper system to be a very straightforward setup. Some of our customers have requested the Fitech system, and we find them to be an inferior product in many ways to the Holley Sniper system. The customer service offered by Fitech also has been a very poor experience for us. There is no comparison in the way the two systems function, nor in the way they are set up. The Holley system is 100% made in the USA and that is not the case with the Fitech system. The Holley system has a slightly higher cost, but is well worth it, in our very strong opinion. Our company founder, Skip White, stated that he has no problems with running a carb on a street rod engine, but the ability to tune the engine to perfection and the fact that fuel metering is so perfect with the EFI system has changed how he thinks an engine should receive its fuel and air. The difference in drive between the two is vast, to say the least.
Cost for this upgrade is calculated by taking the retail difference between the carburetor that comes with this engine and the retail cost of the Holley Sniper EFI System. This is a great value with many benefits, in our opinion.You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Dyno Tuning (Carbureted Engines):This is one of the most important upgrade/options we offer. There are many benefits to this service. The engine is first run at fast idle to bring the water and oil temp up to normal operating temperature. It is then run for approx. 20 minutes under a simulated load at around 3k rpm to promote initial ring seating. After this, the engine is shut down to allow us to check the readings on the spark plugs, and for any possible oil leaks. This cool down is considered part of the engine\'s first heat cycle. We then follow up with multiple low to medium rpm runs to further the break-in process of all the moving parts in the engine. During these multiple runs, we are paying close attention to the EGT (exhaust gas temp) readings, vacuum pump readings, oil temp and pressure, coolant temp, and overall engine sound. At this point, we start the actual dyno tuning process and this focuses around the air to fuel ratio numbers and what timing numbers produce peak power. We usually have to change carb. jetting several times, adjust the idle circuits, and the air-bleeds occasionally have to be changed. We then establish the engine\'s full horse power and torque numbers at a given rpm limit.
Having your engine dyno tuned will allow it to run at its absolute best, and is very important in protecting the engine from potential damage caused by the carburetor running excessively rich or lean. This also establishes the engine\'s hp output and max rpm. These numbers are very important to know. There is one more value that we consider just as important to what we have mentioned above. An engine that has been dyno tuned has also been validated to be in perfect operating condition. This is something that running the engine on a test mule can\'t provide. Any problems the engine may have will show up during the dyno tuning process. We have on rare occasion seen a popular combination show hp numbers that were not where they should be. Some of these problems give no indication other than reduced hp numbers. We find and fix such problems. The problem may be something simple and easy to find and in some cases very difficult to pinpoint. We will not send the engine out until it\'s perfect. If you choose not to purchase the dyno tuning package, we will still do a test mule run, as many engine builders do, and it certainly is better than nothing but pales in comparison to a full dyno tuning. When engines are dyno tuned, the chances of you having a problem are near non-existent. Unforeseen problems may still occur, but they are rare. We have kept the cost on this extensive procedure low to not only make it affordable, but it gives us great peace of mind knowing the engine will be in perfect operating condition when it is received. The cost to do a repair once the engine is installed can be very expensive for both us as the seller and for the customer. When you see the final dyno run of your engine on youtube, consider the fact that approximately five man hours, around $25.00 worth of fuel, oil and filter, and $105K worth of dyno equipment went into making that one minute final test run video.
Cost of the full dyno tune option for carbureted engines is$350.00We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our store under the \"UPGRADES\" category, or simply do a search with the key word, \"Upgrade\" in the search bar when shopping in our store. Before you finalize your purchase of this engine, you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.
Cost of the full dyno tune option for engines with EFI fuel systems will be$100more.
Pictured below is one of our actual Super Flow dyno\'s. This is a 2016 model and highly advanced compared to the much older models many shops have. We have two of these in use at our shop.
The Super Flow is the best dyno in the industry.
IMPORTANT NOTE.
If you purchase a starter from us you will have to install it. There is no way for us to properly shim the starter(should it be needed)while the torque converter and transmission are not installed. The flexplate will change position when the transmission is installed and the torque converter is hooked up to the flexplate. Some flexplates have a slight amount of run-out/warpage when the trans. and torque converter are not connected to it. This makes correct starter installation difficult. Only when you have the torque converter mounted to the flexplate can you properly install and adjust the starter.
Suggestion:While the engine is out of the car, still mounted on the engine stand, bolt up your torque converter to the flexplate. This will flatten out the flexplate to a great degree. Then, mount your starter on the engine. This is the only time you will have a birds eye view of the starter gear and ring gearfrom the back of the engine. You can see ifthe proper amount of mesh is there.
It\'s possible that once the transmission is installed and the torque converter is hooked up to the flexplate, the position of the ring gear may move a slight bit more. The transmission shaft centers up to the torque converter, and this causes the flexplate to further change shape slightly. This may alter your initial starter adjustment, and if it does, you may need to do a light adjustment once the transmission is installed.
We strongly suggest using our Powermaster 9100 or 9400 starter on this engine. These starters have proven to be highly reliable, and offer excellent header clearance.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT DE-TUNING.
For thosewith very heavy vehicles, such as4x4 quad cab trucks, 3/4 ton trucks,and crew cab/ex-cab trucks, Suburbans, plus trucks that may do light tomediumtrailer towing, we recommend the de-tuned version of this engine.
For those wanting to run a supercharger, we recommend our extra deep dish pistons with the 75cc heads regardless of the vehicle.
Our machinists each have many years of experience in building racing engines. This very critical work is done to exacting specs and with great care. Many vendors do not have machinists with the experience or the proper equipment that we are fortunate to have. We have built engines that cost upwards of $50,000. All of our engine builders have been in the engine machining and engine building line of work for their entire working lives. Their ages range from 40 to 67. We have a total of seven machinists/engine builders.
We have dynotested theoriginal creation of this engine with every cam and intake choice available extensively. We now include the engine test mule run at no additional cost. The engine is thoroughly tested for leaks, vibration, unusual noises, overall engine sound and feel.
THISENGINE IS BUILT WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE PARTS WITH CONSIDERATION TO KEEPING THE COST OF THIS ENGINE REASONABLE. WE\'VE REVIEWED WHAT THE COMPETITION IS OFFERING, AND WE\'RE CONVINCED THAT WE ARE OFFERING THE BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
This engine is warranted, with limitations and exclusions as set forth below, for two years from date of sale.
- Should a major problem arise with this engine within the first year of use, the warranty covers all parts and labor and we will pay for shipping the engine both ways.
- Keep the crate your engine came in to ensure a safe return to our workshop.
- Wedo notcover the removal or re-installation of the engine at any time during the warranty period.
- Our engines must be used with a rev limiter. Should warranty issues arise, proof of the rev limiter use will be required.
- Should a problem occur in the first year of the warranty that we determine can be repaired by you or a qualified repair shop,upon our written approval,we will pay for the repair based on our in-house hourly rates for labor and our estimate of a reasonable amount of time to make the repair with the engineon a stand as you received it.To be specific, due to the difficulty of accessing certain engine parts in some vehicles, we arenotresponsible for the additional time and labor costs you may incur in removing and replacing such parts.
- In the second year, the warranty will cover all parts minus any labor to remove and install needed parts. The cost of shipping the engine to us is not covered in the second year of warranty.
- Tuning or maintenance are not covered under the warranty. Tuning includes jetting or adjusting the carb, ignition timing, or readjusting the rockers. Tuning would also include changing out plugs to optimize temp range for your needs. Setting ignition timing is also considered tuning. You must check the timing on this engine before it is driven.
- If you are not satisfied with the cam or intake you have chosen, we will exchange any of these items for up to 60 days. You will pay for shipping and any required labor.
- Damage due to overheating, detonation or extreme abuse will not be covered by the warranty.Detonation damage is evident upon removal of the cyl. heads.
- Engines used in marine applications will have a limited warranty of ONE year from date of sale. The first six months will cover parts and labor, and the second half of the one year period will cover parts only. Marine engines must upgrade to a 4340 crank unless the engine already comes with this, and the ARP-2000 rod bolts.
- All external items on the engine, such as the carburetor, distributor, alternator, water pump, and power steering pump, will be warranted for the time period specified by the manufacturer. Most of these items have a warranty of one year or less.
- Our engines are custom built to your specifications (e.g., cam choice, intake, rocker ratio, engine color, compression ratio, and upgrades).
You can enjoy your engine with occasional spirited driving, as it is well designed for it, but we will not cover damage caused by racing or improper tuning. A rev limiter and fuel to air ratio monitoring device must be used on this engine. The rev limiter should be set to cut off at its peak horsepower or less if you choose, and this should allow many years of service without a problem.
Your carb should be tuned to allow the correct fuel to air ratio. This ratio can vary depending on many factors such as altitude, vehicle weight, gearing, type of driving, etc. These values should be in the recommended safe zone.
Pre-Installation/Pre-Run Recommendations.
- It is highly recommended that you re-torque the intake manifold. The gasket sealant tends to shrink after a period of time and this may cause the intake bolts to lose their proper torque values. The torque range is approx. 25-30 lbs.
- The spark plug gaps should all be re-checked. For those running an HEI distributor, the plug gap should be approx. .040-.045 Those running an MSD 6AL unit should gap the plugs to approx. .035-.040 These values are very controversial and you may experiment as to what runs best in your engine. Widening the gap too much can put a strain on the ignition components. Be sure your plug wires are completely fastened onto the spark plugs.
- If your engine came equipped with a front end accessory setup, we recommend that you check all of the bracket and pulley bolts. It would be rare to find any of them loose, and it should only take a few minutes to check. We would also like you check the belt alignment.
- Check your flexplate or flywheel bolts.
- Check fuel bowl levels in the sight glass on the carb once you have the engine running. Be sure your fuel pressure is set in the correct range. Adjust the choke on the carb. We would prefer you set the choke to a loose setting. Setting it tightly may allow it do its job better, but can cause engine damage over a period of time due to excess fuel entering the engine upon warm up. Be sure to use a high quality fuel filter.
You may not find a problem with any of the items mentioned above, but considering the small amount of time it takes to check them, we find it to be a valuable preventive measure.
As it\'s been said, \"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.\"
Continue reading for more detailed information on timing and carburetion. You must follow the recommendations listed below.
Tuning, maintenance, and oil recommendations.
This engine must be maintained with oil specifically designed for high performance engines. The life of the engine can be greatly extended if you run a race grade engine oil such as our Schaeffer brand racing oil. We strongly recommend the Schaeffer Micron Moly 20w-50 grade in warm to hot weather or you may run the 10w-30 weight Schaeffer Supreme 7000 series semi synthetic oil in cooler weather. The part number for this oil is 709-06 for the six qt. case or 709-12 for the full case. After the engine is fully broken in, you may move over the Schaeffer full synthetic oil. The Schaeffer brand oil is very highly rated. It is the only brand of oil we use when dyno tuning.Racing oil must be changed more often than conventional oil. Every 2000 miles or less would be optimal.
We offer a full line of this oil in our other listings.
Oil pressure of 50-60 lbs in the upper rpm range on a fully warmed up engine is nothing to worry about. You may also notice that oil pressure drops at idle to approx 25-30 lbs when the engine is fully warmed up during very hot weather. This is somewhat common and no cause for alarm.
If your engine has a Dart block, then it has priority main oiling. This block routes the oil in a very different pathway compared to a GM block. The mains and rod bearings as well as the crankshaft are well protected with an ample supply of oil even when the oil pressure numbers are lower than you think they should be.
There are many special additives in race grade oils that are not in conventional oil. These additives are very valuable for high performance engines.Neveradd anything to racing oil. This oil has exactly what is needed to protect a high performance engine. Some of these oils will state that they are low or possibly non-detergent, and that is a desirable trait of racing oil.
The anti-foaming agents in race grade oils are much better than what you would find in conventional motor oil.Race grade oils have higher than normal amounts of the zinc compounds in them, and there are many components in the engine that can make great use of these additives.
This enginedoes notinclude a fuel pump. This engine is best suited to operate with an electric fuel pump, with a pressure regulator set at 6-6.5 psi. A chrome block off plate will be installed on the engine. We believe that the electric fuel pump system is a superior fuel delivery system compared to a mechanical system.If you decide to run a high volume mechanical fuel pump on this engine, then you must use the special polymer fuel pump rod, and you must also use a fuel pressure regulator, and gauge, set to approx. 6.0-6.5 psi. Only use engine oils with zinc compounds in them when running a mechanical fuel pump. This will protect the eccentric fuel pump lobe on the camshaft. We strongly recommend the Schaeffer Racing oil. See our other listings for this oil.
If you insist on running a mechanical fuel pump, then using arace grade oil becomes essential. To further protect the cam, we offer a very special fuel pump rod made from an ultralight material.It’s made from a proprietary blended, carbon reinforced, bearing-grade polymer.This fuel pump rod only weighs 25 grams, and is very strong yet gentle on the eccentric cam lobe.
Unlike the common light weight hollow rod on the market, this rod is one third the weight, and a bit more costly. By reducing the reciprocating mass of the fuel pump rod, the load on the eccentric cam lobe is greatly reduced. We offer this rod in our other listings.
As for oil filters, we recommend a high quality oil filter. Racing oil filters are excellent.
You must use a rev-limiter on this engine. Should you have a warranty issue, proof will be required. A rev-limiter will allow you the freedom to drive without having to monitor the tach. Every car from the factory has this feature. Set the limiter to the peak hp rating of this engine or less for added protection.
We recommend using a crankcase ventilation system to pull gases from the crankcase. The exhaust evac system we recommend is made by Moroso. The benefits are numerous as compared to the typical pcv system. Oil leaks are greatly reduced by using the exhaust evac system.
Engine break in:As soon as your engine is installed,check and reset the timing if needed.
Drive safely please but keep your engine under load more than normal and bring the rpm up and back down to seat the rings much better and faster. This allows the rings to expand in a perfect circle and with greater pressure against the cylinderwalls to establish an even wear pattern. This is why race engines are dynoed:to put a good number of passes on the engine under heavy load, as this will partially seat the rings very quickly, making the engine somewhat ready for racing. Failing to do this not only delays the break-in, but can permanently stop the engine from establishing a good wear pattern on the cylinderwalls.
If you have opted for our dyno-tuned version of this engine, then ring seating will be partially established. The dyno has a computer controlled break-in mode that we use before doing any dyno testing for power output. Should you opt for the dyno tuning package, it does not mean that your engine is ready for full synthetic racing oil. Your engine will continue to seat the rings in to an even higher degree after 300-500 miles of driving.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE.
This engine doesnotcome with oil in it. The oil that was used during the test run or dyno tuning will be drained as this is required by the shipping companies. We also prefer draining the oil as this gives us a chance to examine it for metal particles. The filter is removed and is also closely examined for metal particles or debris. To prevent oil from dripping onto the shipping pallet, we re-install a new low cost regular spin-on oil filter.You should replace the low cost oil filter that comes on the engine with a high quality oil filter, but opt for the medium lengthversion, as this will help maintain oil pressure and volume much better than the short version.
You must prime your oil filter. Priming is not needed when changing oil on a well broken-in warm engine that has been running moments before changing the oil. If your new engine has been sitting around for weeks, or possibly months, then you must prime the oil filter.
If your engine is equipped with the 7 qt. Champ oil pan, it has kickouts that swell outward approx. 3 inches on each side. If you think you will encounter clearance issues with the kickouts, we recommend opting for the stock appearing 5 qt. oil pan. The 5 qt. pan will still be a Champ pan and will have the windage tray and crank scraper. We strongly recommend reducing the amount of oil used in these oil pans by approx. 1/4th of a quart. Doing this may reduce the chance of oil leaks and reduce oil temps. The larger counter weights used on stroker crankshafts are why we recommend reducing the oil capacity in these engines. The higher capacity 7 quart oil pan is an optional upgrade on some of our engines.
To be clear on what we\'re saying, we would like to see you add right at 6.75 quarts of oilgrand totalin your engine and oil filter when using the higher capacity oil pan. When using the stock appearing oil pan, we would like to see you add right at 4.75 quartsgrand totalin your engine and oil filter.
Our engines include a dipstick. It\'s very important that you re-calibrate the oil level marking on the dipstick. This is due to the fact that the dipstick, oil pan, and block are all made from various manufacturers and we often see great variances. Couple this with the fact that you may be running a reduced amount of oil, and the \"full\" mark on the dipstick will most likely not indicate correctly. Once you have put a predetermined amount of oil in your engine, and run it for a few minutes, let it sit for awhile on level ground, check the oil, and mark your dipstick with a flat file to re-establish the full mark.
More tuning recommendations. Very important.
You must be sure that your air to fuel ratio is correct.We strongly recommend purchasing a fuel to air ratio monitor.Proper carb jetting is also a must. If you purchased the dyno package from us then the fuel to air ratio on your carburetor will be tuned within the safe ranges.
If you are using your own carb. on this engine, then you must be sure the fuel to air ratio is correct. If your carb is running too lean, detonation is at your door.
If it is excessively rich, cylinder wash-down from excessive fuel will destroy your bore finish, pistons, and rings quickly, not to mention cause excessive fuel consumption.
A tad on the rich side is not a problem and can help resist detonation; a tad on the lean side will generate the most power and increase fuel mileage.
The optimal air to fuel ratio is approx. 13:1 Set total timing at 30-34 degrees. Total timing refers to the reading at 4500 rpm with the vac. advance disconnected.The closer to the lower number (30 degrees) the total timing is, the safer your engine will be.Do not worry about initial timing, as it will be determined by the total timing.
We do not recommend running the vacuum advance with this engine.
Be sure to have a high amperage battery and high quality starter. The battery must be 850 cca or more. Use heavy gauge battery cables. If you have a hard cranking issue, purchase an in-car timing controller or ignition kill switch. This will allow you to control your timing for optimal performance and ease of starting.
Do notrun regular gas in this engine, no matter how much you have reduced the timing. It may not be enough! You may have run an old car in the past that pinged and clattered under load for many miles, and this didn\'t seem to hurt it. Most cars from the 60\'s and 70\'s had very low compression, especially when nearly worn out, and this is why the detonation did not destroy the engine.Excessive pinging, spark knock or valve clatter, as it\'s often referred to, may destroy this engine very quickly. Light pinging now and then is unlikely to do any damage, but it certainly will when there is an excessive amount of it under load.
Let any engine with compression numbers above 10:1 clatter and ping for very long, and you will lose the engine due to detonation, and in some cases this can happen very quickly.
Spark Plugs:We recommend theAutolitebrand, part number Autolite 3923.Most of our engines include the correct spark plugs. We also offer a premium NGK plug that is highly suitable for this engine when running in very hot climate. Race grade plugs are fine as they have a few features that are desirable for certain types of driving. Keep the temp in the low to middle range. Use a plug that\'s too hot, and you are once again close to detonation/pre-ignition; use a plug that\'s too cold and they will foul constantly, run poorly when cruising at low speed, and be difficult to start.
Most of our engines come with spark plugs in them, depending on the package you purchase. You may also use NGK part # NGK 4544, a plug that is one step lower in heat range than the Autolite plug. The NGK plug is only to be run during very hot weather.
You would be amazed at how much better an engine will run with the correct spark plugs installed, but brand name has little do with this. It\'s more to do with heat range than any other factor. Factors such as outside temp, altitude, compression ratio, and the type of driving you do determine the temp range to run.
A slight loss of power is also an issue with plugs that are too cold, as well as possible difficulty in starting. However, you can have much more serious issues by running plugs with high temp ranges.
Keep the engine coolant temp as low as possible, but it is not a problem if it runs as high as 210 on very hot days, as long as it\'s consistent, and not climbing.
Neveruse pure antifreeze. 50/50 mixture or even slightly less antifreeze will cool the engine better than a rich mixture of antifreeze. Keep the engine temp down if possible, but don\'t worry if you can\'t get it below 210 on a hot summer day. The cooler you keep the engine, the lower the risk of detonation. Set engine idle at approx. 900-950, and never too far below this unless you are running our cam choice three. The reduced size cams would allow for a lower idle speed.
Never let the engine idle for excessively long periods during the break-in period.
When setting your carb choke, we recommend setting it on the mild/lean side. It is best for the choke to open up to its full straight up position as quickly as possible. Keep backing it off until cold starting becomes difficult. Quickfuel brand carbs are best to run. They are also suitable for use on engines running a mechanical or electric fuel pump.
If the choke is set up on the aggressive side, it will create an over-rich condition upon every cold start-up and warm-up. This over-rich condition is very damaging to an engine, and will waste fuel.
If you feel you can get by without using the choke, then by all means do without it! The modern day carbs actually do well with very little or no choke. With a few pumps of the throttle and a bit of feathering, the throttle will have you off and going smoothly, in most cases with very little or no choking at all.
Hydraulic roller setups are virtually maintenance-free and require little if any maintenance.
Our recommendations will change from time to time.We never stop trying to build a better engine, and we learn from our own experiences and from response from our customers. We know there\'s always room for improvement. We\'re always working on research and development, as does any successful business. We advise checking out the recommendation section of our engine ads on a regular basis.
Why have we given such detailed information on our warranty and maintenance suggestions? Some customers bought our engines and did not fully understand our warranty and the maintenance needs of the engines.
Not knowing is understandable, but failing to educate yourself on the do\'s anddon\'tsis asking for problems. We suggest joining a few good car forums, as they have a wealth of great information.
However, beware of some individuals on forums who think they know it all, and really know very little. Do your research using several sources, and be sure to read between the lines.
Special note.
For engines equipped with special ordersolidroller cams, the warranty on the valve train components is for 30 days. You may never have a problem with any of the components, but excessive street driving at cruising speed can adversely affect these components.
Solid roller setups should not be driven for excessively long distances or for long periods of time on the street. A weekend of racing at the drag strip would likely have less of an effect on the valve train components than a 100 mile easy drive.
If you do think you will be driving significant numbers of miles, we strongly recommend staying with our hydraulic roller cam package. The warranty on the hydraulic roller cam and valve train components is the same as the rest of the engine. See our other listings for info on all of our engines.
Important notice.
This enginedoes notinclude a fuel pump. This engine is best suited to operate with an electric fuel pump, with a pressure regulator set at 6-6.5 psi. A chrome block off plate will be installed on the engine. We believe that the electric fuel pump system is a superior fuel delivery system compared to a mechanical system.
Skip White
Your engine info will include the balance sheet and other information on this engine such as cam card, and your invoice will show your personal selection of the options offered.
Many have asked why we\'re able to sell such an engine for such a great price. It\'s because we\'re a major distribution center for all of the parts used in this engine, as well as a full scale machine shop. Our purchase price for the parts used in this and all of our engines are at master warehouse distributor (WD) pricing. Few machine shops ever get to master-wd pricing. We also believe in keeping our profit levels low enough to allow the working man a chance to build his car the way it should be built.
Transmission Recommendations
Your selection of what type transmission you\'re going to use with your new engine is very important. I\'m going to give you the real lowdown on what transmissions I recommend, as well as the ones I would stay away from. For those building a very mild, (detuned) street rod, (small cam choice, dual plane intake) these recommendations are not as critical.
700R4: Worst possible transmission choice.
Pros
- None, other than there are plenty of them around for a cheap price, and for good reason.
- Fuel injection does make this trans. more tolerable.
- It will get you from point A to point B period!
Cons
- Very wide first to second gear spread. First gear is a 3.06 ratio Second is a 1.62 ratio. This nearly equates to skipping from first to third gear with a manual trans.This kills acceleration when these trans go into second gear on a carbureted engine with a healthy cam and large runner intake manifold.Compare this to a TH350. First gear at 2.52 ratio and second gear is 1.52 do the math.
- The 3.06 first gear is so low that any final gear of above 3.55 or numerically higher will have you right at themax rpm at around 35 mph, only to then have your car fall on its face when it hits second gear, feeling like it skipped a gear. Wheel spin is uncontrollable upon hard launches, unless you have a very tall final gear, and then you can for sure count on going nowhere quickly when second gear comes in. Overdrive would be totally useless at highway speed regardless of detuning with a tall final gear, unless you were cruising at around 100 mph.
- Huge cost to build up to a decent street rod level. Don\'t even consider a stock rebuild to handle 500 hp or more. Under hard use, the 700R4 will fail quickly.
- Limited as to what level these can be built up to. High performance transmission builders and parts suppliers don\'t even recognize this as a serious transmission.
- More complex to build than a TH350 and far more expensive, especially when built up to handle high hp numbers.
- Having to run a cumbersome throttle value cable to the carb. linkage. This feature actually serves a good purpose, but if not set properly, it can destroy your transmission quickly. Very critical adjustment, and often overlooked.
- The overdrive is actually useless with engines running decent size cams relative to the cubic inch, especially with large runner dual plane intakes, and single plane intakes are out of the question with this trans.
- Stall converters are double the cost of the one run in a TH350.
- This isnot a reliable transmission in a street rod.
- Lowers the value of your vehicle to some degree, especially on high hp builds. These transmissions do not belong in most carbureted street rods. You must detune an engine considerably to operate the overdrive and be able to tolerate the first to second gear drop.
- Could be classified as the worst mismatch of parts known on a true street rod.
- As a side note, I would like to mention that most of us have owned a regular stock street car with a 700R4 trans, or its electronic likeness, a 4L60E, and didn\'t find much of an issue with the way they operated, especially if the vehicle was fuel injected. This is because stock car engines are designed to operate totally different in the very low rpm range. They have huge amounts of off idle torque compared to the average carbureted street rod that makes 400 hp or more. This off idle instant torque allows the vehicle to keep its speed up decently when the 700R4 drops into second gear, and the same low rpm also allows the overdrive gear to operate normally at very low rpm. There are other factors that also allow these trans. to operate at low rpm, especially on fuel injected computer driven engines.
TH350: Best transmission choice, hands down.
Pros
- Excellent gear spread between all three gears.
- Very low cost to build up to various levels of power handling.
- Can be built up to extreme power handling capabilities.
- Most all transmission shops are capable of building these to at least level 1 or 2.
- No TV cable to deal with.
- Stall converters are low in cost, and the selection is broad.
- Very reliable and simple to repair if needed.
Cons
- None, simply none! Select a final gear that will allow you the best overall performance and one that allows a decent off the line acceleration, and one that will be in a tolerable rpm range at highway speed. You must have the correct stall converter for optimal performance. This can make a huge difference in the way your vehicle accelerates.
- These are becoming scarce, but there are still plenty of them around, and high performance parts are easily obtained.
- You may have to go through this long story to your less than knowledgeable friends as to why you didn\'t choose a 700R4, and when you explain it to them, they may still think you don\'t know what you\'re talking about.
TH400
Pros
- Excellent gear spread. Very similar to a TH350.
- Strong internal parts.
- Reliable.
- Simple to build or repair to stock buildup levels.
Cons
- Very expensive to build up to higher power handling levels, as compared to a TH350. The TH350 has far more high performance parts available at reasonable costs. The 400 trans. is not a practical choice.
- Internal rotating parts (cast iron drum) are very heavy and create a huge drag compared to most any other trans., and this is not a subtle amount of drag. The TH400 is well known to be a heavier duty trans. than a TH350 but this heavy duty factor was designed more for heavy vehicles that may encounter pulling heavy loads. Only the largest of the GM cars weighing around 5000 lbs had these trans. in them, along with heavy duty pickups, usually 3/4 ton or larger trucks. Even the half ton Chevy trucks didn\'t come with these in them.
- They will certainly hold up better than a stock built TH350, but they are not a desirable trans. for a street rod. You can build a TH350 to level two that would be superior to any stock TH400 in every way for about the same cost. Building a TH400 to a high hp handling level will cost a great deal of money.
- You will never see this trans in a true Pro-Street car.
Powerglide.
Pros
- Excellent transmission to build up to just about any power handling level.
- Most trans. shops are able to build this trans with ease.
- Very reliable, and simple to work on. Not much to go wrong.
- Decent first to second gear spread.
- Rotational drag is very low with this trans., moreso than any automatic on the market. Very efficient trans.
- Stall converters are not expensive and many choices available.
Cons
- Two gears, that\'s the problem. This trans. can only be run in cars that have a very high hp to weight ratio. It would be fair to say a vehicle weighing approx. 3400 lbs would require an engine output of 1000 hp or more to make it a rational choice, and even then, you would still need a decent final gear to get things moving off the line. The first gear in these is somewhat tall. Those running a T-Bucket roadster weighing around 1800 lbs. with a 500 hp or higher engine could make great use of a Powerglide trans.
- Having only two gears limits having the best of both worlds when it comes to off the line acceleration and cruising at highway speed.
GM200
Pros
- Has a better gear spread than the 700R4 but not as optimal as the TH350.
- Not much good to say about this trans. It certainly has a place in some special late model applications, but old school Chevy engines is not one of them.
Cons
- This transmission can cost up to three times more to build up to a decent power handling level compared to a built up TH350.
- Cannot hold up to high torque engine builds unless an enormous amount of money is spent on this trans.
- Most all the cons you see for the 700R4 exist within this trans.
- This trans is not a reliable trans. compared to any of the early GM trans.
4L60E Electronically controlled trans.
Pros
- No TV cable to deal with or shifting linkage. It has pump pressure control and shifting via electronics.
- Not much good to say about this expensive trans. It is virtually a 700R4 with a modern twist.
Cons
- Most of the same issues as the 700R4. Terrible choice to run in an old school carbureted engine.
- Very expensive to build up to a high power handling level. Can cost up to $4,000 to build this trans up to a decent level. Computer controlled engines may require this unless you bypass the car\'s computer system.
- Complex. Very complex!
- Pointless to run such a terrible transmission.
- If you insist on such a trans, the 4L80E is a better choice, as it has a normal gear spread, and is a much stronger trans. Still pointless to use with an old school carbureted engine.
Four and five speed Manual Trans.
Pros
- Excellent acceleration at any speed due to many selective gear ratios. Finding a gear at any cruising speed to hit it hard is easily accomplished with a manual compared to an automatic.
- More efficient delivery of horse power to the rear wheels with a manual trans. versus an automatic. In other words,less loss of power due to slippage as encountered with an automatic trans.
- For some people, the fun factor of shifting gears is one of the high points of owning a street rod.
- Very reliable, long lasting. Low maintenance. Simple to change out a clutch if needed.
Cons
- Can be very expensive to purchase a high quality modern manual trans. and high performance clutch and flywheel, especially the Tremec Series.
- Can be somewhat complex to change over from an auto to a manual trans.
- If you think your car is going to run faster with a manual versus an auto, you will be greatly disappointed. The automatic transmission can not only shift much faster, but off line acceleration can be controlled to a much greater degree. This is why most drag cars have automatic transmissions. All things equal, a car equipped with an auto trans will outrun one equipped with a regular street rod manual with great ease.
- Missing gears when racing can cause damage to your engine, and loss of control of your vehicle should you drop into the previous gear during an aggressive run. Been there a couple times, dropped a valve in brand new Lotus Esprit shifting out of second into first rather than third, and locked up the back wheels on a Dodge Viper shifting into second rather than fourth at high speed. Nearly lost control of the car at around 80 mph.
- If you\'re deciding to run a 5 or 6 speed manual trans because of the overdrive gear, be aware that most engines built with large lopey cams, and single plane intakes running a carb will usually not allow effective use of the overdrive gear.
- Tremec T56 transmissions are very popular and highly advanced. They are expensive. They tend to be notchy to shift when new. Takes many miles before they become easy to shift. They can be difficult to install in some early model classic cars, as they are huge compared to early model transmissions. They can cost a great deal of money to rebuild if needed. Still about the best manual trans out there, and can handle very high hp levels.
- Sadly, your wife may not be able to drive your car with amanualtrans. This could be a plus in some cases.
A final note.
Our user id is:skipwhite, and our store name is whiteperformance1. You may have noticed other sellers using a similar name offering similar products. These other sellers have capitalized on our name as we see it, and many customers searching for us will inadvertently find them, thinking we are one in the same company. There is only one \"Skip White\" We are the original premier seller under this name since approximately 2002. We have no other names, nor are we associated with any other company regardless of the similarity in the name or location. Our official company name is Skip White Performance.
PAYMENT AND SHIPPING DETAILS
Contact us for shipping cost for overseas delivery. We have excellent sources for low cost shipping anywhere in the world.
We have now included a flat rate shipping fee on this engine within the 48 continental states.This rate only applies to delivery to a business with the capability to unload the engine without the use of a lift gate. You must have a dock or fork lift. We can have the engine delivered to a residence with lift gate service but at an additional cost.
Your engine will be in a crate on a pallet, and you will receive a roll around engine cradle at no additional cost. The value of the engine cradle is approx. $49. Your engine will also be fully insured.
We offer greatdiscounts on shipping. Youonlypay the full shipping feeon the highest shipping cost of your items, andhalf priceshipping on all additional items. (However, half-price shipping on additional items does not apply to heavy items like engines, short blocks, etc.) Few offer discounts on shipping such as this. Contact us using the\"Ask A Question\"tabif you would like us to calculate your shipping cost on multiple item orders.You may also requestan invoice at time of checkout. We will answer your message within one business dayin most cases,so keep shopping and pay half price shipping on all additional items. Our checkout system will automatically calculate your shipping discount at time of payment,so long asyou consolidate your payment.
If you checkout and start over, the auto calculator will not recognize the multiple purchases, and there will be no shipping discount. Should you decide to start purchasing again after checking out, you willneed to contact us so we can calculate your shipping for you.
The half price shipping on all additional items only applies to items that are being shipped in the 48 continentalUnited States.
For tech support, please use the\"Ask A Question or Contact\" tab.
