Same question here, I want a light weight motor and your project has made me seriously consider a 409.
Bob's Aluminum 409 Block
- Thread starter JimKwiatkowski
- Start date
Same question here, I want a light weight motor and your project has made me seriously consider a 409.
The raw casting is about 122#. We'll cut that down a bunch, but then you add the billet caps, bolts and sleeves and a lot of that will return. The heads are a bit over 30#. Hope to have a finished weight by the end of the month. Bob
WOW........ that's pretty cool Bob....... Keep new batteries in that cattle prod !!!!
Dave
Dave
That's pretty cool Bob. A bare W block is around 180#s.
We were going to send a truck block in for machining but decided we're going to wait for one of Bob's iron blocks instead.
bang
The aluminum blocks should be really nice. It would be interesting to see how light one of these engines will be with an aluminum block, heads, intake and an aluminum water pump etc.
bangThe aluminum blocks should be really nice. It would be interesting to see how light one of these engines will be with an aluminum block, heads, intake and an aluminum water pump etc.
Here's the latest photos of the block Bob sent me to post.
Wow beautiful!! Keep the pics/info coming!! When do you think Bob will get the engine together?
I hope that Bob still works full speed ahead on his aluminum 409. And Aubrey on his single plane manifold. -Mike
Hey Jim: How's the machining going?
Mike, I just post the photos that Bob E-mails me, I'll post new photos when Bob sends me some more.
CDNpontiac409guy
Banned
aw man... I love aluminum
Looking real fine, Bob
Looking real fine, Bob
Mike. We have about 95% of the programming done. Need the finished bore of the distrbutor passage and to finish the fuel pump area. Right now we're tweeking the patterns to add some metal in a couple of areas. The front of the block should accept the '09 front cover or the BBC. Had to add some metal because 2 bolts were close to the edge. Also beefed up area between the rear main and rear cam. bearing.
The next pour will be iron for a test motor, probably around 540 cubes and pump gas compression so as not to break the bank paying for gas while beating on it.
We bored the first one to almost 4.5" and it has a good amount of wall thickness. That's a pretty good sized hole. I'll need to get a one quart oil can from Phil to see if it slides in. Region Rat
The next pour will be iron for a test motor, probably around 540 cubes and pump gas compression so as not to break the bank paying for gas while beating on it.
We bored the first one to almost 4.5" and it has a good amount of wall thickness. That's a pretty good sized hole. I'll need to get a one quart oil can from Phil to see if it slides in. Region Rat
Aubrey, You probably have a back like mine. You can only wrestle so many of those blocks around before you need the heating pad. Bob
I would be honored to furnish a quart oil can for your project!!!
If I did that.....................can I have the first block?????????????
CDNpontiac409guy
Banned
Phil. You might need to bring more than one can!!! Bob
okay I am sorry if this has been updated in another thread and I have missed it, but is there any news on these parts?? I haven't heard anything new about the aluminum or cast blocks, or head development since all the buzz about World/LW's hybrid Mark IV/W block was announced. I'm not against those, but think it wouldn't affect the market for a true W block.
Here's new photos Bob e-mailed of his Block. and here's what he had say.
Gettin' closer. This one may fly. If it checks out we may be in bidniss
Gettin' closer. This one may fly. If it checks out we may be in bidniss
The last 2 pics Jim posted were parts of the exhaust manifold patterns I got from our late member Fast Fred. He was an excellent builder. I think he was working on a 61 that may have come from Cecil. I know he said it was in the desert.
The bore at the top of the cylinders is for the sleeve. It is almost 4.700 if you ever wanted to see what that would look like. It's one of those "don't try this at home" deals.
I got caps that size made from nodular iron also to keep costs down. All the others are 1045 billet.
The bore at the top of the cylinders is for the sleeve. It is almost 4.700 if you ever wanted to see what that would look like. It's one of those "don't try this at home" deals.
I got caps that size made from nodular iron also to keep costs down. All the others are 1045 billet.