BROOKLYNSS409
Well Known Member
Happy Birthday to the new Blocks! People talk about the cost.
What does a good 409 block cost compared to what a new aluminum one will be?
Bob's Aluminum 409 Block
- Thread starter JimKwiatkowski
- Start date
Happy Birthday to the new Blocks! People talk about the cost.
What does a good 409 block cost compared to what a new aluminum one will be?
Can we get a run-down of the differences between this and an OEM W-block? It is designed to use the W-block sheetmetal parts (oil pan, timing cover), crank-to-cam spacing, main journal diameters, spin-on or canister oil filter, etc, etc?
Just a quick info list. The block will take all 09 sheetmetal. It is a NEW 409 block.. Can take stock cam, cranks and heads. Can also do most any thing a BBC can do. options will be choice of mains, since a lot of guys line bore the iron blocks for stroker cranks, choice of cam journal size and height, our 09's have a shorter crank to cam centerline. We can make them .200 tall, which gives them the same deck height as a BBC maybe making room for an even longer stroke??
Another request I keep getting is to drill the pan rails and front cover to use BBC sheetmetal so we made a provision for hat.
The blocks will come with billet 4 bolt mains with billet aluminum as another option. Lot of race blocks have aluminum mains, so we'll make those too.
The alloy block is getting done first since you can weld aluminum easier than iron. Iron ones will come soon after, but so far every one that said they wanted the first one,has wanted aluminum.
We aalso completed programing on a raised port version of the heads. I'll get pics out soon. Bob
Another request I keep getting is to drill the pan rails and front cover to use BBC sheetmetal so we made a provision for hat.
The blocks will come with billet 4 bolt mains with billet aluminum as another option. Lot of race blocks have aluminum mains, so we'll make those too.
The alloy block is getting done first since you can weld aluminum easier than iron. Iron ones will come soon after, but so far every one that said they wanted the first one,has wanted aluminum.
We aalso completed programing on a raised port version of the heads. I'll get pics out soon. Bob
409 crank
:
Being able to drop in a 4.25" or 4.5" BBC crank is hot. As long as the heads will work with large cubes.
: Being able to drop in a 4.25" or 4.5" BBC crank is hot. As long as the heads will work with large cubes.
I know R&D is very costly. Do we have an estimated cost for the block completed and ready too accept all peripheral parts?
The program is written and the fixtures are made. The slow up will be waiting for my turn. There's 3 jobs ahead of mine. They can start putting in a lot of the 409 #'s into the program but could easily take a couple months to finish. Once the first one is machined it gets cut into pieces to see if the castings are right. If you need to alter the patterns, that's another several weeks.
If everything checks out we machine the next block and build a motor to beat on. Probably best to build a larger one first to see what the block can take. I can see it taking till the end of the season to get that far. All it takes is time and money. Bob
If everything checks out we machine the next block and build a motor to beat on. Probably best to build a larger one first to see what the block can take. I can see it taking till the end of the season to get that far. All it takes is time and money. Bob
RegionRat: Any news?
Only minor progress so far. (Maybe making the tooling and actually casting a couple blocks nobody bothered with for the last 40 years is minor] The block is at the machine shop and they're starting to put the #'s into the program.Still waiting my turn. We do have the fixtures made and did a custom tool holder to do the sides of the main webs.
Starting to look for vendors to make other parts. Custom always costs more than any one wants to pay. If you want cheap, you have to build a small block. Luckily some big block parts interchange.
I'm hoping by the time it's done it can be cheaper to start with a new iron block than an original. Keep the faith. Region Rat
Starting to look for vendors to make other parts. Custom always costs more than any one wants to pay. If you want cheap, you have to build a small block. Luckily some big block parts interchange.
I'm hoping by the time it's done it can be cheaper to start with a new iron block than an original. Keep the faith. Region Rat
Jr, Will need parts like huge bore pistons, main caps, special cams, maybe some different gaskets. The good thing is some of these parts are out there already. Bob
Any good news?
409 block
Bob how hard would it be to add webbing to the the lifter valley of the aluminum blocks I was thinking there mite be a problem with high compression engine's (14.1 or higher) or one that run no2, blower, turbo's from the added stress's placed on the block vers a cast iron one. Second ques. is did you get a chance to talk to my friend Barry Camp who was hoping to use one in his 62 bubbletop drag car
Bob how hard would it be to add webbing to the the lifter valley of the aluminum blocks I was thinking there mite be a problem with high compression engine's (14.1 or higher) or one that run no2, blower, turbo's from the added stress's placed on the block vers a cast iron one. Second ques. is did you get a chance to talk to my friend Barry Camp who was hoping to use one in his 62 bubbletop drag car
CT, We will add the webbing. Should beef it up a bit, although the main web and cam tunnel is already much stronger. Extra material is in the tunnel to accommodate bigger cams and raised cam possibilities.They will be in the next castings.
Barry did see a block at Hot Rod Reunion. He's running mid 9's and wants to go faster. Thanks. Bob
Barry did see a block at Hot Rod Reunion. He's running mid 9's and wants to go faster. Thanks. Bob
409 block
Thanks Bob I'll be in the market shortly for one of the new blocks still saving a little money for it. I'am sure I've got a little time I don't expect them to be ready for sometime. Maybe you and Lamar should get together he might would cut the block up for you that might speed things up if the other guy does'nt want to get off the pot.
Thanks Bob I'll be in the market shortly for one of the new blocks still saving a little money for it. I'am sure I've got a little time I don't expect them to be ready for sometime. Maybe you and Lamar should get together he might would cut the block up for you that might speed things up if the other guy does'nt want to get off the pot.
Thanks to help from my friend to south (Robert) I almost have enough aluminum beer cans to send to Bob for my new block (I'm just hoping the paint doesn't screw up the casting 
).
).
Dick. Not to worry. As soon as the aluminum is hot enough to pour, the paint goes up in smoke!!!!!! Bob
Coleman, The machine shop is just about done with the Mopar blocks they're running. Hopefully one more job in front of me. Fixtures are already made.that should save time. The foundry has equiptment that can be modifired to do the block also. Bob
Any good news?
RegionRat: Any news?