Where do yall guys buy the 4 bolt conversion kits from for our motors? Also whats the best thing to do with the first and last main cap since they dont get changed to a 4 bolt?

 

Ordering the parts is best left to the machine shop. Machining is required to fit the new caps to the block and the block will need to align bored after new caps are installed. It is not a DIY project. There are also steel caps for the ends, if you want them.

Rich

 

Yea I was just going to order then kit and have it all the parts ready to go for the machine shop. Where can you get the steel end caps?

 

Check Pro-Gram Engineering.

http://www.pro-gram.com/

I'm with Rich..... some shops have very strong preferences on the parts they want to work with. If they are a reputable shop, and knowledgable in the LT1 engine, I'd let them pick some of the parts. Some of the parts I picked for my engine could have have been a better choice, if I had let the shop pick them.

 

Yeah Pro-Gram has nice stuff. Converting the center three caps to steel 4 bolt is good for street/strip engines. I did the center three w/ splayed steel caps. Unless you are building a real high horse power engine I wouldn't worry about the end caps. I am looking to run close to 700 horse on nitrous and left my end caps stock. It's a matter of only getting what you need cause' it's not cheap to install main caps and the more you put on the more it costs. Letting your machine shop get the caps is a good idea, just make sure it is good stuff.




Oh Yeah--- I am not positive but pretty sure that 4-bolt caps on the ends will require oil pan modification or a custom pan

 

There are more to these caps than meet the eye. About 25-50% of the time customers order the wrong stuff or stuff the shop is not familiar with, doesn't want to work with etc. Many reputable shops prefer not to work with parts supplied by the customer due to the multiple problems and the difficulty in deciding who is at fault if there are difficulties. In the case of SBC main caps, there are different types if the block was originally machined for 2 or 4-bolts caps, etc. It's easy to get the wrong parts, even with something "simple" like this. Each brand may require slightly different preparation, different fasteners, etc. It's best to go with a brand you have worked with before. For example, I am familiar with using Lunati's caps. Look here http://www.holley.com/data/Products/...al/INST123.pdf and notice the required clearance. This may differ with another brand. And so on, just introducing additional sources of error.

Talk to your machine shop about what they like. If you have doubts, come here and ask for opinions (which are like you know what, everyone has one). But go to them first and not the other way around, IMHO.

Rich

 

Rkrause knows. If you supply something that takes me 2 extra hours to install your getting billed for those hours. Bring it up w/ ur machine shop, see what they like, if it's good let them get um'. I am damn near positive that adding the 2 end caps will cause clearance probs..