The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi Folks
Can anyone recommend a machine shop who would do a good job of cleaning, boring and decking a chevy block (SBC) I need a full works job with the oilways cleaned (plugs removed) and boring 4.03" decking square to the crank and down to 9.01 deck height. Torque plate hoan and cam bearings replacing, mains checking and reboaring if necessary. Best of all if they are reasonably close to MK as that is home.
I most of all want a recomendation as otherwise I am just guessing as to how good they are.
Many thanks
Mike

I use Thurstons in Ongar. http://www.thurstonengineering.co.uk/ you will need to check if they have a hone/torque plate to stress the block with, but this is probably quite a rare item in this country
suppose another place to try would be ICE, but they will be EXPENSIVE

Peter Knight at Knight Racing Services
AWESOME work has my recommendation - just up the road from you as well

I would cost this job up vs the outright purchase of a new dart block if it were me. The quality of the work and the design improvements over stock coupled with great value make the dart a good choice imo.

HairbearTE wrote:I would cost this job up vs the outright purchase of a new dart block if it were me. The quality of the work and the design improvements over stock coupled with great value make the dart a good choice imo.

Are the the dart blocks ready to use or would the mains need align boring?

Hi Hearbear
I have considered the Dart block long and hard, the oridinal hope was to build a short stroke large bore engine with SB2 heads, this had to be tempered a bit with reality and I am havng to build a 383 on a 2 piece rear seal core. It will still be dry sump and all forged bottom end.
The biggest issue for me is I have very little space behind the engine in the car it is going in, exhaust design is going to be difficult enough, The silencers will have to go between the chassis and the rear wheels with the risk of cooking the tyres and shocks, to get catalitic converters in there would be imposable there is just no space. They would also end up cooking the gearbox!
the second thing is I have now bought a set of 4.03" pistons, this would leave me with either boring and decking the new dart block (same cost as the block I have) or going for custom piston pin height standard bore pistons.
Thanks though
Mike

Hi Eliot
Dart do finnished or rough machined, about $100 difference in price but only to standard bore.
Mike

kiwicar wrote:Hi Eliot
Dart do finnished or rough machined, about $100 difference in price but only to standard bore.
Mike

Just dreaming about a 8.5:1 cr, forged short block and then upping the boost.....

Hi Eliot
the Kit I bought was about $1250 delivered to my door, I wanted 11.5:1 Marhl pistons so ended up spending about $250 over the JE forged pistons. I also went for H beam rode not I beams, again extra.
The 383 crank would be a good bet, a little heavier than the standard but about the same price.
If you go this route and go for a low-ish compression set up look at piston choice carefully, JE, Marhl and a few others do piston dishes that retain a land area under the squish area on the head, this keeps the fast burn charicteristics of the head working as you can have a piston dish and a squish area clearence of around 40 thou.
By the way I clearanced the block over the week end, many thanks for the help with the Pistons.
Mike

The £/$ rate is now so good its hard to hold yourself back sometimes isnt it?!! Take this for example.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 934&rd=1,1
I could sell all my rover engines and parts and buy this. I must be crazy.. someone here snap this up please!

Faced with the choice of a kit car that would take rover/ buick 215 and a chevy on a limited budget and wanting decent power choosing chevy was a bit of a no brainer! (though for a while 302 ford was a distinct posability)
Mike

Hi Folks
I've decided to go with Peter Knight as he is down the road. Many thanks to Ian and Iain. having had the quote, yes hairbearTE it would have been virtually the same price to get a new block, especially as I have to get the old one cleaned! (although fairy power spray and a jet washer does a fairley good job at getting the crud off) but I would still have had to get it decked.
Hairbear.... is that a datsun with rover V8 in it on your signiture because if it is you really do need to buy that Chevy to put in it.
Mike

Hi Kiwi, its a datsun with no engine in it at the moment! I'm actually setting it up with a mild 3.9 while I build a stronger 4.3 for it. That chevy motor is such a good deal that if I had the cash I would buy it, no question. Unfortunately I don't have the cash. Besides, i'm a big lover of the ole RV8. If I can get it built how I want it and enjoy it for a couple of seasons then I might look at stepping up when funds allow.

Hi HairbearTE
looks a mint car, got any pictures you could post on the garage section? be one h*ll of a sleeper when it's done!
Mike

Kiwi,

I can do also do all of this, no vat. I'm at j25. Also, there are mains and then there are mains

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