Block filling

smokinstroker92 · Feb 21, 2014

Long story short my old setup was too much for my forged rods and they let go, so I am building a motor and going to fill the block. Looking to fill it about 2in below the deck which should be right over the freeze plugs.
I'm looking for some tips and tricks for filling the block? This will be my first time filling a block and just like to know exactly what I'm doing before I get started. I have been searching and haven't been able to find any real step by step instructions on how to do it. If anybody has some pics they would lime to post it would be greatly appreciated.
I know that the water jackets need to be very clean and after filling provisions will need to be made for water to reach the oil cooler as well as the water pump holes to the heads. And while filling the girdle and heads need to be torqued to stress the block.

I also have been looking into other filling material than hard block such as the embeco 885 which will match the expansion characteristics of the block better. Has anyone had any experience with this filler or others?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

rascal · Feb 21, 2014

In the most recent issue of Diesel Power they cover the Swamp's process of building a competition 7.3 and if IIRC they said fillingthe block was a 2 week process!

Does hardblok take that long to cure?

Disclaimer: I could have completely misunderstood/misinterpreted/misread that part of the article.

Look forward to hearing how your build goes.

psduser1 · Feb 21, 2014

Pretty sure when I talked to Mikes Diesel, he said two weeks for the block fill.

m j · Feb 21, 2014

sub'n
this is on my todo list

smokinstroker92 · Feb 21, 2014

Yes it takes 2-3 weeks from what I understand. Fill one side let harder tilt the other way and fill let cure then can have it machined. Looking for peoples experiences with different filling compounds and the best way to make provisions in the filler for water?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

m j · Feb 21, 2014

someone here said the used clay to make a water path for the front cover and IIRC also made a void for the block heater. I have been searching on the subject

smokenstroker99 · Feb 22, 2014

I'm in for info

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cota · Feb 22, 2014

I used clay wrapped in plastic food wrap when I filled my block to keep the water ports and oil cooler port open. It was easy to shape it for flow, easy to remove after the hard block cured, just left plastic sticking out to pull it out with.
A little work with a die grinder on the hard block to remove any sharp edges.

lincolnlocker · Feb 22, 2014

Would there be any benefit to only fill up to the freeze plugs and not have to worry about coolant flow going where it needs to?

live life full throttle

powerstrokenstang · Feb 24, 2014

Id say even to freeze plugs would help. Thats what they use to do on gas motors for street or circle track. I used 3/8" clear vinyl for the passages but i also deleted my oil cooler and dont have a coolant heater so thats was easy just duct tape over the hole lol.

smokinstroker92 · Feb 24, 2014

Cota said:
I used clay wrapped in plastic food wrap when I filled my block to keep the water ports and oil cooler port open. It was easy to shape it for flow, easy to remove after the hard block cured, just left plastic sticking out to pull it out with.
A little work with a die grinder on the hard block to remove any sharp edges.

Did the hard block shrink from around the clay? How did you get the clay to stay in place while pouring and curing?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

smokinstroker92 · Feb 24, 2014

powerstrokenstang said:
Id say even to freeze plugs would help. Thats what they use to do on gas motors for street or circle track. I used 3/8" clear vinyl for the passages but i also deleted my oil cooler and dont have a coolant heater so thats was easy just duct tape over the hole lol.

Did you just run the vinyl from the water pump holes up to the the deck and then remove it after curing?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

powerstrokenstang · Feb 24, 2014

Yup. Used a couple rubber plug things to fill up the hole at water pump, put a hole in the middle of em for tubing and routed tubing up threw deck.

Hotrodtractor · Feb 24, 2014

I made wooden block off plates for the oil cooler and water front cover areas where the hard block would come out - Drilled a hole through the block and ran vinyl tubing as well - after a couple of days I just pulled it all out and let it finish curing. I also made sure that it cured with the mains and girdle installed as well as both heads. You can only do one side at a time though.

smokinstroker92 · Feb 24, 2014

Hotrodtractor said:
I made wooden block off plates for the oil cooler and water front cover areas where the hard block would come out - Drilled a hole through the block and ran vinyl tubing as well - after a couple of days I just pulled it all out and let it finish curing. I also made sure that it cured with the mains and girdle installed as well as both heads. You can only do one side at a time though.

Do you have a pics that you would post up of this? Seems like a great idea. Also what kind of filler do you use? Was thinking about using the embeco 885

powerstrokenstang · Feb 24, 2014

O yea forgot to add i put girdle on too. I think i let it set 4 days before i did second side then let it set a week or week and a half.

Hotrodtractor · Feb 24, 2014

smokinstroker92 said:
Do you have a pics that you would post up of this? Seems like a great idea. Also what kind of filler do you use? Was thinking about using the embeco 885

No pics. Sorry. It was just some block off plates I cut out in like 5 minutes when I was setting up. Its nothing special.

Cota · Feb 25, 2014

With the clay I used enough to fill the entire port opening to above the top of the hard block fill. I didn't want to cut down on water flow anywhere.
I didn't have any hard block flow out of the ports once filled with clay.

smokinstroker92 · Feb 25, 2014

powerstrokenstang said:
O yea forgot to add i put girdle on too. I think i let it set 4 days before i did second side then let it set a week or week and a half.

Yes that is the procedure that I was going to follow. When I was doing some research about filler I saw that you used embecco over the hard blok. What are you opinions on that filler? Did it seem to shrink or swell while curing? Did it distort your cylinder walls at all?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

powerstrokenstang · Feb 25, 2014

It stayed quite consistant. Nothing seemed distorted when machining, and i didn use a torque plate to bore. Seemed like the filler held it in place good, but you have to remember its not an ol small block. These things dont seem to flex near as much when torquing and filling and all. I thought i pmed you back did you get it? All i know is thats all ill use from now on. My 377 cleveland will be gettin a small dose of it when i freshen it up.