What machine shop is charging you $1000 for a 4 bolt conversion and billet main caps. I live in Phoenix and am having Frontier engine do my block here pretty quick and all of the machine work is going to come to around $1,200
and that is the price with very high quality billet mains (3). I would say no more than around $500 with some caps. If anyone here payed $1,000 you got straight robbed!!! Oh and I speak from experience since two people in my immediate family have been machinists for more than 30 years and I have even mentioned it to them. They laughed. Good luck

 

I could probably squeeze out 500 if that's the case. Thanks.

 

500 is what i paid i've heard 750 from Golen.
I have done same mistake as you before, had the short block build and then found out that i needed to get splayed. so had to take it all back apart. I didnt know much about it back then, Golen was Ignorant on the matter i told them from the bigining on what the motor was being build for a D1 with about 15+ psi they said that would be fine. Then a friend of mine told me that i have to have the caps done, i called them back the guy askes me what blower, how much boost? when he heard the answer he said "yeah you def going to need some splayed caps and you can ship it back and we can do it for you for 650 regular price is 750"
i said thanks but no thanks 650+ 200 dollars to ship to them. I went localy and paid 400-500 dont really remember.

 

also gotta remember that you god labor taking the short block back apart, drilling the block and i had mine rehoned just to be safe.

 

That's not a problem the motor was just removed today to do the rebuild anyway so i guess 5 should get me by. Thanks.

 

I absolutley agree that you should go as far as your budget permits. I did not go with the four bolt conversion, as I had heard there were block strength issues that could arise. For my application, I had the block align honed (my crank was fitted with undersize bearings from the factory) and crank ground ten under. I also opted for the ARP main studs. My machinist went through the block completely and even reconditioned the main caps (trued the mating surface and sides). Through my research, if you are under 650 hp, a two bolt with studs would hold up quite nicely in a street application.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to use a 2 bolts block and ARP studs. Oh wait, I am

-Shannon

 

Well after a lot of thought and discussion I have decided to do th main conversion. I really don't want to replace this motor with the money I've got in it at this point.

 

I have heard the same from a few people. Although 4 bolt will give you sure peace of mind,....I have been told a studded 2 bolt is still very reliable for a street driven car even at 500 HP levels and driving hard, but......I would personally take a 4 bolt if I had the chance, but I think Ill be doing the 2 bolt stud setup myself because I know I wont be over 500 HP with the PD unit Im going to be using.

 

I am also using ARP studded stock mains. Studding the mains adds a lot of strength without being so much $$$. I've heard this should be good up to my ~600 flywheel hp goal (later on with 9 PSI Vortech), and some even say they prefer a studded 2 bolt over a 4 bolt design. The guys at my local machine shop aren't experts IMO but they say they've seen more cases of 4 bolt mains walking than 2 bolt mains, of course the 4 bolt designs probably took more abuse from the users.

Whether you go with 2-bolt or splayed 4-bolt I suggest good quality hardened bearings clearanced at .0025. My engine designer recommended this for many many reasons and you'll find it's a common clearance target for a high hp engine by many people like Lingenfelter, Yunick, etc. Use +/- .005 bearings to achieve the ~.0023 - .0027 clearance goal. I use hardened Federal Mogul bearings, so far so good.

 

4-bolt splayed caps or Corvette 4-bolt block?

I looked into the splayed cap option and it was around $1000 over/above
the price of a used 2-bolt block. Instead, I opted for a Corvette 4-bolt
block...$300.

Emil:93Z,383,Corvette block,Vortech 13psi,NOS,Snow water/methanol

 

It might be more money up front, but that 2-4-bolt conversion is alot stronger than your vette block which you know, although at his power level I wouldnt even mess with the vette block, just stud it and call it a day. And where dd you get a quote for your coversion??? Machine shops must be ripping people off where you live. There is no way in hell that a conversion is going to cost $1000, thats just stupid. Maybe if the caps were gold plated.

 

Alot stronger? Not hardly. Maybe a bit stronger at best, but not alot. If anything the billet caps are stronger, and that's it. There are some who suggest that the vette block is stronger due to the web design and the location of the outer support bolts.

 

Ok I see your point that I may have mis-used ALOT, more like quite a bit stronger than the vette block. Cosidering the vetter block has bolts and not studs. But , the converted block will still be stronger from the splayed caps and the fact that they are billet. Im sure a vette block would do just fine in most applications, but for all out, everyone is pretty much doing the conversion and its not because they arent as strong. If I remember correclty the fastest LT-1 in the coutry has a 2-4 bolt conversion using milodon caps. I guess we can just agree to disagree

 

Yeah, and it's still not QUITE A BIT stronger either. I think there is very little if any additional strength to be had from having outer splayed bolts as opposed to standard 4 bolt mains. Having bolts or studs doesnt matter, you could use studs in either. You could use billet caps in either.