Block is machined by Golen Engine Services.

Golen does a great job on the block.  Howard's caps and ARP main studs are supplied by me and Golen's shop does the fitting of the caps and the bore/hone/deck

I ran out of standard cam bearings and thus a nice set of coated cam bearings are installed.

POR15 engine black

Watching paint dry

One of these sets of pistons are for this motor.

Ready to set main bearing clearance.

Callies Dragonslayer 3.75" stroke crankshaft.  Mains #5 at 2.4477

Main #1 at 2.4481

Trying a set of .001" under bearings because I'm out of standard size until UPS delivers today.

They are too tight.  Need to wait for restock of standard size bearings.  I've got a drawer full of .001 and X but very few standard size.

Bearing re-stock.  This is about $500 bucks worth of main bearings by the way.  Many motors require a mix of .001 and standard size.  That would be 2 sets of premium main bearings.  In a perfect world the next motor would use what the previous motor did not....HA! 

This photo is for my records.  I like to know for certain if the oil galley plug is installed under the rear main cap.

Every cap used a mix of .001" and standard.  This gave a good range of bearing clearance.

Callies Dragonslayer

Thrust is .006"

Looking good.

6" Callies-Compstar connecting rods.

Mahle -16cc D-dish pistons.

Ring filing and piston/rod assembly.

Bores are cleaned with brake-clean and WD40 and 30W motor oil.

Top ring a .020" gap.

Ring file tool off in the distance, (not too far but not so close as to spread metal over into the motor).

2nd ring at .018"

Rod bearing clearance check: All rods from .0020" to .0023" (using a mix of standard size and .001" under)

#1 piston ready to go in.

Now the timing set.  The Cloyes version of the LT1 extreme.  Even though the water pump drive is new it will receive the gear that comes in the timing set kit.

As far as I can tell the gear teeth pitch is a bit different, (to match the cam sprocket gear teeth pitch).

Photo of the Lunati cam just prior to installing. LE specs at 239/247/110 and .587"/.600" lift.

A billet core cam makes me happy. :)

#1 piston is in and before I put the rest in I'm going to degree check the camshaft.

I've learned that the cam should be installed prior to installing the rods/pistons because you'll be able to tell if a rod hits the cam sooner rather than later. 

The lifters I plan to install.

Piston is right at TDC and so I'm checking deck-height while it's there.  It's 0.000"

I got 107.5 the first time...then re-adjusted and got 106.5. (let's just call it 107).

All rods/pistons in.

Rod side clearance is .018"

Melling 10552 oil pump with Stef's 8" pickup.

Enlarged hole in the windage tray for future dipstick installation.

Test fit of pan.  Notice the thick billet pan rail.

Crankshaft rear counterweight bumps the pan in the usual spot.  I'll clearance that later and rewash the pan and check again.

Crower lifters in after soaking in motor oil.

21 Degree TFS head by LE

Calculated static compression ratio is 10.51

Oil pan has been clearanced and then washed in my wife's sink with soap and water.  Now it's time for some pose photos.

Did you notice the head bolts are not in?

Here I have cleaned all of the ARP head bolt threads and then applied thread sealant.

The Comp big trunion roller rocker

Visually centered.

7.200" works well.

Rockers adjusted to 1/2 turn.  Still waiting on the 24x system, (specifically the timing cover).  Then it's off to the engine dyno.

EFI Connection 24x crank reluctor.

Test fit of timing cover and cam sensor.

The camshaft pin is too long and slightly rubs the cam sensor.

Easy fix.  Just pound in the cam pin.

Ready for oil pump and lifter testing but I ran out of motor oil.  Check back tomorrow.

Oil system and lifter test.  Weak drill spins the pressure up to 55 psig.  The lifters pumped up quite quickly.

Oil at every rocker.  With the Crower hydraulic lifters it does not take more than 1 minute to have oil at all the rockers.

Draining oil to inspect oil pan.

A the engine dyno: Morgan International Race Engines.

LT1 Carb manifold, 750 Holley, Circle track 1.75" headers, borrowed water pump, Locked out distributor at 32 deg advance.

Callies crank stud holding on the ATI damper.

530 hp peak at 6000rpm / 511 lb-ft at 5000rpm

No oil in the exhaust.

After the dyno session I saw shiny oil.  Not metallic.  The bronze distributor gear was worn down.  That bronze dust was in the pan and embedded in the Clevite H bearings.

All new main bearings (ACL coated) and all new rod bearings, (King HPN).

Here is a view of the dipstick tube modification which allows the dipstick to pass by the main cap.

Stef's pan on and RTV is given a few hours to set up before I turn the motor right-side-up.

Ai ported LT1 intake manifold.

Cleaned like new.

Then it's off to serve in the '57 Chevy 

TCI Flexplate details.

Damper wrapped up for extra protection.

Engine firmly secured to reinforced pallet.

R + L Carriers