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AERO block buildup
I have finally got time to sit down and get an update together for the blown alky Toyota V8 drag engine project. To give a background picture, we initially chose the 2UZFE block with the extra cubes for our RX-7 Supercharged Outlaws drag sedan over the 1UZFE, as the car weighs 2,400lb and we wanted to ensure we made the field with a low seven second pass, rather than missing out. Supercharged Outlaws is a very popular series here in Australia and we are proud to introduce another Japanese V8 to the class. My friends John Donnas and Peter Perianno run 1UZFE Lexus powered dragster and altered respectively in Australia and run 6.8 and 7.6 second passes in those relatively light vehicles. We tried the standard steel block twice with various main cap and brace modifications, but were unable to stop severe cracking in both bore and main tunnel areas. Low 8 second passes on a very lazy tune demonstrated that the potential was there. 172 mph showed us the torque and power advantage of the extra cubes. The Perianno 1UZFE Lexus powered altered weighing 2,100lb runs 7.5 second passes but has never gone 172 mph. It was decided that a billet block was the only solution. John Donnas had done this years ago and his engine is bullet proof. Unfortunately his was custom made by hand and could not be duplicated. So we set about designing and building a CNC billet block that can be reproduced. I started the design process by writing a specification sheet. This has evolved over the design process as we have learned more and more about this marvelous little engine. Talking around drag racing circles, the choice of aluminium billet was important as blown alky engines have a requirement for regular maintenance and repair. They require quick and easy liner replacement - often between rounds. They torch head gaskets sometimes, and the block material must be repairable by welding. I rang as many companies that make billet blocks and eventually came up with a 7000 series alloy called Alumec 89. The previous year I had searched high and low in Australia for a solid block of ally to suit the block, but there was none. Stan Sainty from Sydney (makes billet quad cam top fuel V8 engines) said he had a 12 month wait for ally. By chance I rang Bohler Uddeholm here in Perth again and asked if they had a block of Alumec 89 300mm x 500mm x 455mm - and they said yes we have one exactly that size in stock! A fat cheque for AUS$3,500 was handled over and the block was deleivered to our factory. We decided to do the job properly, and advertised for some sponsored help to manutacture the block. We had an amazing response and several large companies came to our assistance. Rob McMahaon from EL ES DE Engineering donated their 3D Cad expertise and secured AUS$6,000 worth of Solid Works software from Intercad, and free use of a Co-ordinated Measuring Arm from Dominic Flaxman at Score Pacific. We measured the standard 2UZFE block using the Co-ordinated Measuring Machine - an amazing process of "touching" various parts of the block with a probe connected to a robotic arm, and the software "building" a three dimensional version of the block on the screen in front of our eyes. Six hours later we had all the preliminary information in the software.    The next step was to introduce any modifications into the software to build extra strength into the block. I was able to use sample blocks from John Zappia - an Australia Top Doorslammer legend I sponsor. He uses TFX and BAE billet blocks around 510 cubic inches. I photographed and measured these blocks and quizzed Zap about strength issues. I decided I wanted huge main caps and main studs, as I want to use high boost eventually in this engine - we had 39 pounds on the last run, and want to run around 50 and possibly 60 pounds one day. That requires big main area strength. The TFX and BAE engines use 4 bolt mains - 5/8" main studs into the block, with 9/16" nuts. They can do that becasue the main bearing cap width is 1.080" - enough meat for the studs. I discovered that the 1UZFE and 2UZFE mains are 400 Chev plus .010" in diameter - a much desired main bearing size in Chev circles. However, the standard main cap width was too narrow - so we stuck the crank in the block and found extra width potential there, as the crank had extra clearance. So I rang as many main cap manufacturers as I could to get a 400 main Chev cap to take 5/8" or 9/16" studs - no luck. Chev's cannot take studs that big - many said they wish they could. Eventually I got Brad Anderson Enterprises (BAE) to make standard Hemi main caps for me with the smaller 400 mains, with the huge studs and 1/2" side bolts. The main caps are huge, and are hard anodised to stop galling that occurs frequently in blown alky engines.  BAE design.  BAE main cap. I ended up using LA Sleeve ductile iron high tensile strength sleeves, with a .150" wall thickness using a standard 3.700" bore size. They can take any blown alky tune I can throw at it. We went for 1/2" head studs using off the shelf ARP studs that have long 1/2" UNC threads into the block and a bottom register. The latest trend in billet blocks is to make the sump rail as wide as possible, so I had widened the sump rail an inch to the same width as a TFX. We are incorporating both Lexus and Chev bolt patterns in the bell housing, so more popular chev titanium cans can be used. We are finalising the 3D Cad design, before handing the Solid Works software over to Dennis Heller from High Speed Engineering in Malaga who will then design the tool path before sticking the solid block of Alumec into the five access CNC machine and completing the job. The block then goes to Southside Engine Centre, where the main journals are then bored and honed, the sleeves fitted and honed. A dummy assembly then gets done by our engine assembler Frank Boother at our sponsor Platinum Aviation's pristine aircraft engine cleanroom. |
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