SBC main caps
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Pro-Gram engineering makes some good quality caps. They have a website.
I made my own once for a 400 block. As simple as they are them companies are making some good coin on selling them.
Just to throw something out there, if you have to use someone to do the machining, and after the purchase of the caps, and by the time the rest of the machine work is done to make a 400 block decent... you'd be WAY ahead to just buy a Little M Sportsman block.... I think you can get them under 1200 bucks and they come with ductile iron splayed caps.
I made my own once for a 400 block. As simple as they are them companies are making some good coin on selling them.
Just to throw something out there, if you have to use someone to do the machining, and after the purchase of the caps, and by the time the rest of the machine work is done to make a 400 block decent... you'd be WAY ahead to just buy a Little M Sportsman block.... I think you can get them under 1200 bucks and they come with ductile iron splayed caps.
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617 Posts
I can second Chris's thoughts. I just went through this. I have a Motown block, but with all the changes coming I took a '509' casting to my machinist to prep it as a 'backyp' 434. Now mind you I HAd the 400 2bolt casting and HAD a set of splayed caps a friend had given me.
A sonic check, mag the block, fill of hard-block to the freezeplugs, bore, hone with deck plate, clearance for the 4" stroke, serious $'s went to fit the cheap JUNK 'CAT' splayed caps to the block (STAY AWAY FROM THAT CAT CRAP,, I got them for free,,, and that was paying too much), zero deck, install cam bearings, main bolt/stud package, freeze plugs, jet wash, align bore / hone,,, by the time I left I had spent $1300 on MY block and I supplied the 3 main caps (albiet junk added to the cost of fitment) My machinist tried and tried to get me to just buy another aftermarket block and said when it was all said and done I'd be within $500-$600 by the time I was 'done' with an inferior production casting. This machinist does meticulous work, abd he does not give his expertise away, but none of them do.
A sonic check, mag the block, fill of hard-block to the freezeplugs, bore, hone with deck plate, clearance for the 4" stroke, serious $'s went to fit the cheap JUNK 'CAT' splayed caps to the block (STAY AWAY FROM THAT CAT CRAP,, I got them for free,,, and that was paying too much), zero deck, install cam bearings, main bolt/stud package, freeze plugs, jet wash, align bore / hone,,, by the time I left I had spent $1300 on MY block and I supplied the 3 main caps (albiet junk added to the cost of fitment) My machinist tried and tried to get me to just buy another aftermarket block and said when it was all said and done I'd be within $500-$600 by the time I was 'done' with an inferior production casting. This machinist does meticulous work, abd he does not give his expertise away, but none of them do.
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89 Posts
Just what you would need Marv another aftermarket block.
I was also thinking about using a stock block until I figured out it wouldn't be able to keep up with my upgraded. Currently my pocket book hasn't been able to keep up.
The aftermarket block is the way to go.
I was also thinking about using a stock block until I figured out it wouldn't be able to keep up with my upgraded. Currently my pocket book hasn't been able to keep up.
The aftermarket block is the way to go.
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10,720 Posts
Dart makes them. i have one with the steel caps and it is a very nice piece.
http://www.dartheads.com/sbclittlem.aspx
http://www.dartheads.com/sbclittlem.aspx
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2,221 Posts
I did the same thing .....................
on my 377 had a few problems wish I had bought an aftermarket block as well . but one question I would like to raise is how much additional machine work is there to be done to the block ?
on my 377 had a few problems wish I had bought an aftermarket block as well . but one question I would like to raise is how much additional machine work is there to be done to the block ?
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34,885 Posts
I don't know a whole lot about the sportsman block.... I had a customer give me one recently for a 427 build(4" stroke what a nightmare)....85Camaro said:
should make 700-750 horsepower n/a somewhere between. He gave it to me to use, I didn't buy it but he said it was 1200 bucks. It has main bolts instead of studs. I'm a little surprised that steel caps alone would add that much to the cost.... I would prefer steel caps, but the iron splayed will take some abuse.... it's not like the 30 year old iron used in stock blocks.
But far as I can see it's all the same as a normal Little M save for the caps.
BTW Dart makes it. You can check on their website or call them for more information I wish I had more for you.
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Re: I did the same thing .....................
Now a lot of machinists might balk at that as they are in business to make money machining.... I'm am not in the business of doing that. I'm in the business of making horsepower and designing the engine so you'll get a little different story that is unbiased from me.
SOMETIMES the mains need to have a hone thrown thru them.... but, really if you were in a money crunch, take a new one, check everything closely, detail it up, hone cylinders to size and RUN IT. The machine work is decent.68 nova 10.5 said:
Now a lot of machinists might balk at that as they are in business to make money machining.... I'm am not in the business of doing that. I'm in the business of making horsepower and designing the engine so you'll get a little different story that is unbiased from me.
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34,885 Posts
I can get the block for 2000 bucks....
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How strong is it? Well.... if you're refering to an iron, 9.3 deck it's the strongest sbc block there is I suppose.... it could take 2500 horsepower twin turbo.
Being a 9.3 deck I'd say you could build around 460 inchs without getting silly.
The thing about the tall deck though, is that I would want to make sure that it was ONLY used for something 440 and up. Intake runner length is increased and depending on the application this can have big implacations on the performance. 430ish and below I'd want to keep it a 9" deck.... max....
Being a 9.3 deck I'd say you could build around 460 inchs without getting silly.
The thing about the tall deck though, is that I would want to make sure that it was ONLY used for something 440 and up. Intake runner length is increased and depending on the application this can have big implacations on the performance. 430ish and below I'd want to keep it a 9" deck.... max....
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458 Posts
Hope it's okay to post on this theard .i have a sbc gm bowtie block #10051184 that has one cylinder sleeved.Am i going to see any problems out of this? My machinist friend said it would be fine but he builds circle track motors and has never been around nitrous.the motor should do 700 hp and then 200 hp nitrous. thanks jason
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Well..... it all depends. How thick is the sleeve? What is the bore size?
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2,221 Posts
Re: I did the same thing .....................
man I wish I new this 3 years ago I could have purchased a block for about $1895 @ the time I think I spent $1650 on mine I was thinkin I would have spent $400 - $600 on additional machine work ! this market needs a good reputable machine shop that dosent try to bend ya over all the time . Thanks for the info ChrisChris Uratchko said:
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