You guy's must be too busy building an engine, any updates??? or is the engine masters board too scared to allow it.???

The engine block is the biggest hurdle though as the engine is required to have 312 main bearing sizes.  Option 1 is to use a 312 block but I'm limited to a maximum of 3.815" bore due to piston ring availability.  I'm culling through a myriad of 312 blocks now looking for one that will clean up at the aforementioned bore size.  Option 2 is to use a 292 block and re-bore the main bores to the 312 size.  Option 3 (which I'm not considering) is to simply sleeve all eight holes in a 312 block to get it back down to the desired bore size.

As I've already started gathering up parts for this combination, I'll just go ahead and build the engine regardless even if the entry registration is not accepted but it would be a different compression ratio if not going for the Engine Masters Competition.

       I have a later Crusader block (C1 or 2) which I think is standard. I'll take a look if you don't find one.

                                                           Frank

Frank.  Take a look at that Crusader block and see if it would clean up at 0.015" over.  Also check to see if it has the additional main webbing or reinforcing in the main area as is seen on the C2AE-B blocks.  I hope to know the cylinder bore condition of the remainder of the 312 engines I can put my hands on by the end of this upcoming week.  Gotta pull heads on some of them to check them out.

Let me know if the 312 blocks or Frank's boat blocks (I did NOT say "anchors") don't work out and I'll take my standard 312 apart and check it.  It's stored in a barn with no heads, rust is in the cylinders.  Is align boring available to you in your area.  I know most shops align hone, would probably be reluctant to take 1/8" out with a hone.

John

                              Frank

For some reason the left side of the table will not show up but maybe you know a trick on your end to view it.

Pairs of Heads

Billy, I cut and paste the information over to Excel and was able to read the left side of the table.  Beats me why it pasted in the way it did unless it was pasted without first converting it to a picture format.  But I gotta love your organization just the same, makes it easy to see what you have.  If using a 312 block, I’m needing one that will clean up at a maximum of 3.814” which means only 0.007” per side is actually being removed on an unworn block.  See what you've got that will fit this criteria.  When I come across a block I think is suitable, I’ll rough bore and hone to 3.811” to insure it is in a position to clean up at the finished bore size.

John, I’ve talked to a local shop about align boring a 292 so that capability is here.  Question I have for you is do you leave the 292 main seal size intact or take it out to 312?.  I’ll have to look at the blocks in the rear main seal area but I can envision some issues in taking the main seal size out larger.  If I go the align boring route, then I’d prefer to have the block align bored to within 0.003” of where it needs to be and then get it align honed to the finished size.

The first blocks I did, I bored right through the seal area with the cap in place.  That left a shallower groove, and I had trouble making rope seals work.  The latest one is in the race car now, I did not bore the seal area in the block.  I turned the crank seal area down to 292 size and a stock 292 neoprene seal was installed.  Two seasons on the engine, no leak yet.  Maybe if I had turned the cranks down in the first ones the seal would have had a better chance.  Modern rope seals are junk anyway.

John

John, Thanks for the info.  That’s what I needed to know.

Glen, I’m leaving the option of sleeving all eight cylinders as a last resort.  Likewise, I've got a 428 block with eight sleeves that was a race engine and didn't give any trouble but I've also seen some issues with other blocks that were completely sleeved.  For now, boring the mains in a 292 block to the 312 size is a suitable option.  And that gives me some ideas down the road as the main bore centerline can be intentionally lowered to increase the deck height which in turn gives more connecting rod to camshaft clearance for a stroker.

            It's a C2AE block with ECZ caps. I can only check at the top with calipers, I don't have mikes at the house. It is standard as best as I can tell. Was a Crusader, reverse rotation, still has the marine valley cover and aluminum cam gear in place. There are no visible scratches or missing chunks. Everything I checked is right at 3.800, and there's very little ridge. I think it's a candidate.        

I had thought about lowering the crank a few thousandths to take slack out of the timing chain, but never thought about lowering it for rod/cam clearance.  You'd have to relocate the bellhousing to the crank centerline, and deal with the front cover seal, but both are doable.

The one thing I failed to point out in my line bored blocks is the bearing lock tabs.  The original notches are almost gone, and in the wrong place for 312 bearings.  I take the 312 shells (or the Chrysler shells if that's what I'm using), lay them in the saddles with the tabs on the opposite side as the 292 notches, and scribe where the new notches need to be to properly locate the shell fore/aft.  Then I grind new notches with a cutoff wheel in a die grinder.  Make sure the notches are deep enough so the tabs don't bottom out and cause a high spot on the bearing.

John

I was just looking at one of Lons post that mentions Wilcap adapters, it looks like they may be able to provide a steel flywheel for a Y but it says a ring gear may need to be supplied.

Check out www.wilcap.com and look at the flywheel listings.

Come on all Y-Blockers, let them know we are out there!!!