can a engine GO from cam install

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Aug 23, 2003 | 10:53 AM

#31

thewinner

Banned

Joined: May 2003

Posts: 1,090

I dont think the intake would really do anything to the block. The heads will yes, i doubt the intake has enough clamping force to move it. Heads, not intake.

Thats the reason plates are used when boring, b/c the heads distort the bores, however, if the intake distorted it noticablly, dont you think someone would come up with something to mimic the forces put on by the intake manifold?

If you wanna see motors that last, check out Hendrick Motorsports. Ask em what they think. Their motors last at 7000-9000 rpm for 500 miles or more while making 800hp n/a.

Aug 25, 2003 | 07:51 AM

#32

dave1w41

Registered User

Joined: Dec 1969

Posts: 148

From: Webberville, MI USA

A collaborating voice of experience:

Quote:

A mechanic friend highly recommends getting the bottom end freshened up along with a head/cam install to prevent spun bearings or worse. He explained its from over/under/re torquing the heads and intake. I believe him 'cause at work I supply a machine with water tubes (we make radiators) and they kept blaming my tubes -- they were all in spec, dead on the mean or target dimension. After six weeks of jumping through hoops and fighting with management, they discovered the base plate in the other machine was distorting because different operators were torquing it down by feel. This would distort a several hundred pound block of steel by .01-.03mm. This is alot harder and much more solid than an engine block with its cylinder bores and water jackets and oil galleys.

Quote:

Thats the reason plates are used when boring, b/c the heads distort the bores, however, if the intake distorted it noticablly, dont you think someone would come up with something to mimic the forces put on by the intake manifold?

There aren't any heads on the engine block when it is finish honed. There may be torque plates on it but there really isn't any way to duplicate that force - although I would bet that some expert has done it and is doing it somewhere. The real solution is to just do things to proper specification.

Quote:

If you wanna see motors that last, check out Hendrick Motorsports. Ask em what they think. Their motors last at 7000-9000 rpm for 500 miles or more while making 800hp n/a.

And if one of their engine techs does not torque the bolts on everything on the engine with a recently calibrated torque wrench he will be filling out unemployment forms.

Aug 25, 2003 | 08:06 AM

#33

gb95zconv

Registered User

Joined: Jul 2000

Posts: 1,428

From: Woodstock,Georgia

Quote:

Originally posted by dave1w41

There aren't any heads on the engine block when it is finish honed. There may be torque plates on it but there really isn't any way to duplicate that force

I dont follow you there....thats exactly what the plates are for and what they do....

Aug 25, 2003 | 08:10 AM

#34

dave1w41

Registered User

Joined: Dec 1969

Posts: 148

From: Webberville, MI USA

Not the force from the intake manifold.... The engineers rely on published specs that limit distortion. When you put that much force pulling against the heads (pulling them toward each other) It puts tremendous stress on the block. (triple the published torque specs)

I think people may be overplaying what I have said about this. The first and main reason for engine failure after installs of any kind is dirt, lint, and grit. The distant second is sloppy torqing of fasteners on critical components.