When we freshened our 500 this spring we found #2 cap broken in 2 pieces. We thought about going with the 4 bolt conversion but have ended up ordering a girdle. Our combo is 650HP range - gonna try some Super Street racing this year. So we aren't after huge power. Lucky nothing else got hurt!

Our logic with the girdle versus the caps is that if we hurt the block chances are the caps won't fit up to another block while the girdle is a simple bolt on - we hope.

I also agree to get an aftermarket block if you are looking at 1100 hp. The Elminator is a great piece and has 5 variations, 4 that have 4 bolt mains on all 5 caps. Thet run from $2000 to $2700. The come pretty much ready to go. Only a final bore hone is needed. The Ford Racing A460 block is strong also, but it only has 4 bolts on the center 3 and needs more final machine work on top of the $2200 cost.

Eliminator:
http://www.eliminatorproducts.com/

A few stock blocks can be made to work at the level for a little while, but longevity is chancy at best. By the time you are donw with the required machine work and upgrades you'll have about $1600 in it, so the $2K aftermaket blocks look worthwhile. To make one last even any time you need a two bolt D0VE-A block. This has the same thick main webbign as the 4 bolt SCJ block. Havei tconverted to aftermaket 4 bolt splayed main caps from Blue Thunder or Program Engineering. These caps are much stronger than stock 4 bolt caps. The splayed outer bolts help also. I've never seen a broken aftermaket cap, but I've seen several broken stock 4 bolt caps. In addtion to the caps (and line bore/hone) you will need to fill it with hard block, bore and hone it and do a whole slate of oil system mods. The aftermaket blocks don't need the oil mods as they have dedicated priority main oiling systems.

David Cole

You can safely run 900 Hp through an early 4 bolt block. As a general rule anyway.

I've seen them tear up at less and we've all seen that exception to the rule where you wonder how that thing is living doing that!

quote:

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Originally posted by ted:
Look for a block that has 6.300" long cylinder walls instead of the normal 6.000" inch long walls.

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How common are these, and where are they usually found? That is quite a difference in length.

quote:

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Originally posted by n2oMike:
How common are these, and where are they usually found? That is quite a difference in length.

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The D9 and later truck blocks have the longer cylinders. I have personally measured 2. One was .250 longer, the other was about .280. The .280" longer one is in a Ford 460 crate engine.

The drawback to these blocks are thinner cylinder walls. Pre 71 blocks go .080 over with ease. Some (with a sonic check) will go .140 over all the way to a 4.500 bore. Most of the most common D1 blocks (made 71-78) will go .080 with a sonic check. The D9 blocks get chancy over .060

BTW, Ford uses the D9 blocks in their crate engines. But, all of those are only .030 over. Even the 514. Most of the 514 kits out there use a 4.150 stroke X 4.440 (.080 over) bore. Ford uses a 4.300 stroke X 3.390 (.030 over) bore.

David Cole

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557 BBF Powered, alcohol injected rear engine dragster. 4.90 @ 143 1/8 mile. 1.09 60'. I've got to be crazy to drive this thing.
SC/ET #2729

quote:

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Originally posted by CometGT1974:
Thanks for the help, now since it looks like i'm gonna have to go with an aftermarket block, I wonder if it should be a small or a big block? I'm wanting to make a solid 800-850 horsepower with an additional 300 shot of giggle gas. I figure this will put me at the power level needed to run in the class that i'm pursuing. So which should it be, a small or big block? This should get interesting!!

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a solid 850 on motor you could run the BBf stock block and spray it occasionaly. Lot's will disagree with me but I've seen too many do it and live for many passes. You have to hard block the water jacket though. Street driving will be trouble.

Ocassionally being the key word..

if money is no issue the buy the aftermarket big block and you can make the 1100 hp on motor alone.

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JS
"never submit yourself to scientific tests no matter how bad you need the money, for all you know they could have erased your memory and YOU WERE REALLY SOMEBODY BEFORE"
69 Mustang Pro ET Drag