ERE-383 #17 Long Block with Ai 215cc TFS LT1 heads.

This motor is being built for a street Impala SS. 


Here are a few close-ups of the block and a little block preparation.  My blocks arrive from Golen fully machined and ready for assembly.  I do a few things such as adding a chamfer to the rear main cap oil feed hole and threading the 3 front oil galleys.


Here is the cam bearing installation.  I'm using the Dura-bond coated bearings.


Just for convenience I tap threads in the front galleys. 


Can you see the threads?


The block is mostly clean when it arrives from Golen.  I give it another washing.


Installed H-series bearings (standard) in all main positions.  Clearance is .0025" at 1,2,3,4 and .003" at #5-thrust.


Compstar 3.75" stroke crankshaft is in and mains are torqued.  I'll swap out 3 of the ARP studs for Milodon studs later in order to install the stock windage tray.


File fit Mahle rings.  1st ring at .022, 2nd ring at .026"


I do the top ring first and then the 2nd ring and store them in the cylinder bore.


This is the Mahle flat top piston assembled with the Compstar 6.000" rod.


Next step will be to measure rod bearing clearance and install the rings onto the pistons but I'll store everything like this until that time.


Now to the rod bearing clearance.  Compstar crankshaft rod journal is measured by micrometer, (2.0990) then dial bore gauge zeroed to that reading....


Clevite H-series "narrow" bearings installed, (CB-663HN).  Bore gauge shows .0027"


Forgot to show this step, setting the thrust bearing.  Here the crank endplay is .008"


All piston/rods installed.  Rod bolts torqued to 75ft-lb.


Mahle pistons are 0.000" to 0.0015" in the hole.


Need to find a good water pump drive gear before going any further.  This motor will use a new stock style timing set (Cloyes) and the customer is using a stock GM water pump.


Found a good used water pump drive gear and then installed a new Cloyes stock style timing set.


Although the timing set is not adjustable you should always check the cam degree just to know if the cam is dead on or advanced or retarded.  This ended up 1 deg. retarded.


Now the Ai CNC ported TFS heads can be installed.


Using ARP 12pt head bolts.  The valve springs are sturdy BBC beehives.


Another view.


Jesel shaft rockers, GMPP lifters and Ai pushrods are next in line.


Dust cover.


Oil pump, windage tray, dipstick, pan installation.  Timing cover and rear main seal housing go on first.  I use brand new rear main seal housings for every long block.


I use a junk pan gasket for my clearance testing.  Here is the M99HVS oil pump.


The longer Milodon main studs allow for easy installation of the stock windage tray.  The tray needs to be massaged upward a little bit for rod clearance.


Stock dipstick tube hits the Callies splayed cap.  The ARP bolt gets ground down a little bit to help allow the tube to pass.


The tube gets bent outward a bit so that it can pass the cap corner.


Here it has been bent.


Then wiggled up and past the cap.


See, even though the tube is bent upward the stick still passes neatly through the tray hole without touching.


Another view.


Brand new GMPP hydraulic lifter kit.


Measuring 2 things now.  Pushrod length and rocker stand shim thickness.  Pushrod needs to be 7.125", (adjustable pushrod and measuring not shown).


With the .100" Jesel shims under the shaft stand the rocker tip touches in that spot.  This is with the valve closed.  I won't test geometry by rotating the crank until I get a pushrod.


Going by experience and eye-ball it looks like .100" is a tick too tall and I am going to order a 0.075" shim and see how that looks.


7.150" pushrod from CV products, (3/8" O.D.)


Testing to see if the rocker tip will ride in the center of the valve.  .050" shim is installed under the Jesel shaft stand. (Jesels come with .100" shims and that was already tested and found to put the rocker tip too far outboard).


Blurry but you get the idea.  The witness mark is mostly in the center.  This is with .050" shims under the shaft stand.


These pushrods ended up being a tad too long.  With the adjuster nut backed out all the way the lifters are at zero pre-load and actually there is a bit of pre-load on them.  I have a set of  7.100" pushrods on order.  I can still pre-lube the motor using the "too-long" pushrods for now and then later change them out with the shorter pushrods.


Since this is an ERE-383 Long Block it would not normally come with an intake manifold.  The owner of this motor bought the Edelbrock air gap LT1.  I like the air gap concept.


Corvette valve covers provided by customer.  These and the ProForms are the only covers I know to work, (fit), over the Jesel shaft rockers....(without major modifications).


All ERE short blocks and long blocks include the top-of-the-line ATI flexplate.


Here we have an ATI B-body damper ready for install, supplied by owner.

A few items to note about long blocks.  (The previous photos are good for showing what is and is not provided in a long block).

Ellwein Engines provides a brand new from GM rear main seal housing, (along with the seal).
Ellwein Engines provides a brand new from GM front timing cover with all seals.
Ellwein Engines provides a brand new from GM oil pan.  (oil pump included).

Ellwein Engines does not provide:

The intake manifold
The crankshaft damper/pulley
The valve covers.


Bonus photo.  I have the oil pump pickup welded now.  A customer's motor recently had the pickup fall off.


The motor at Mechanicsville EFI Performance, Nabil Guffey is the SSuper engine installer.


Motor at the Guffey shop.


The PCV set up on the new Edelbrock airgap manifold.


One more photo of Guffey's shop.


Nice valve covers.

©Ellwein Engines 2008,, email Karl Ellwein