Billet blocks?

Buffalo444 · Jun 25, 2012

Who uses these? At what point is the stock block, even with a girdle and billet rods and studs and everything, unable to handle the power?

http://www.lsmeng.com/Billet-Blocks2.html

fbilly420 · Jun 25, 2012

Mechanical injection like double over time

Buffalo444 · Jun 25, 2012

fbilly420 said:
Mechanical injection like double over time

According to DP mag, it was a stock block as of 2008.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/ford/0802dp_2005_ford_f350/viewall.html

fbilly420 · Jun 25, 2012

Sorry I didn't mean to say he was running a billet block. But from what I have heard he would benefit running one. I have heard he has split a few stock blocks.

Big Bore · Jun 25, 2012

fbilly420 said:
Sorry I didn't mean to say he was running a billet block. But from what I have heard he would benefit running one. I have heard he has split a few stock blocks.

Have you also heard he is over 2K HP?

powerstrokenstang · Jun 25, 2012

The $10k dollar hypermax block would be cheaper.

Big Bore · Jun 25, 2012

Still, this deserves posting here.

Big Bore · Jun 25, 2012

powerstrokenstang said:
The $10k dollar hypermax block would be cheaper.

And even that's not cost effective. I'm sure they have considered all the angles for DO. I'm betting that splitting a few hundred dollar block once or twice a season is a lot cheaper than either of those options. Especially since like the top fuel dragsters etc., I bet they rebuild the motor often. And I wouldn't be surprised if they have tweaked/redesigned the massive girdle to hold the block together better.

Viking · Jun 25, 2012

Another lottery wish list item

Hotrodtractor · Jun 25, 2012

Big Bore said:
And even that's not cost effective. I'm sure they have considered all the angles for DO. I'm betting that splitting a few hundred dollar block once or twice a season is a lot cheaper than either of those options. Especially since like the top fuel dragsters etc., I bet they rebuild the motor often. And I wouldn't be surprised if they have tweaked/redesigned the massive girdle to hold the block together better.

A few hundred dollar block? Apparently you have not added up all the costs associated for fully prepping a block for use in that truck. Its filled, custom built and fit girdle, the stud holes are all drilled open and tapped larger (some I think go all the way through, machined open for the new lifters, etc.... its a pretty big endeavor.

washingtoncoastie · Jun 25, 2012

Big Bore said:
Still, this deserves posting here.

If i had the money id buy two. One to go in the truck and another to sit on a stand in the living room, solely because the work that went into that block is BEAUTIFUL!

Chvyrkr · Jun 25, 2012

Sure would be nice to have. Can't think of a good way to sell the idea to the wife though.

Big Bore · Jun 25, 2012

Hotrodtractor said:
A few hundred dollar block? Apparently you have not added up all the costs associated for fully prepping a block for use in that truck. Its filled, custom built and fit girdle, the stud holes are all drilled open and tapped larger (some I think go all the way through, machined open for the new lifters, etc.... its a pretty big endeavor.

Yea I suppose I was being a bit conservative with my number lol. But how much does all that work cost do you think, and how much is a billet block? I'm still going to go with the DO guys have done a cost benefit analysis and decided not to go billet for a reason, they don't seem to have any problem throwing piles of money at things they want. And they may have solved the split block issue with that girdle? You would probably know more than most of us about that truck I would imagine.

Hotrodtractor · Jun 25, 2012

Big Bore said:
Yea I suppose I was being a bit conservative with my number lol. But how much does all that work cost do you think, and how much is a billet block? I'm still going to go with the DO guys have done a cost benefit analysis and decided not to go billet for a reason, they don't seem to have any problem throwing piles of money at things they want. And they may have solved the split block issue with that girdle? You would probably know more than most of us about that truck I would imagine.

I'm far from an expert on that truck - but I would venture to think it would take a few grand to replace a block when it breaks, not counting all the extra parts that may get damaged, plus labor to put it together. Parts and tuning have progressed quite a bit in the last few years - it wasn't all that long ago that the top running mod trucks were only getting 4-10 hooks on an engine. That was when the rules got expanded to allow billet blocks - although many guys are not running them in the mod truck world due to improvements in making power.

skylinedan · Jun 25, 2012

I know with NHRA it was more about teams loosing motors on the track. Now if you pop a motor you get fined, it was more about safty for the next racers, and keeping the show going with out long delays dune to clean up after a grenaded motor oiled down the track.

TARM · Jun 26, 2012

Yep they get one pas per season then its a min of a $1k fine and depending when it happens loss of time points position in race standing etc. Went into effect last season, 2011. The year before they had delays for clean ups that some times doubled the length of an event.

T444E02 · Jun 26, 2012

What the price I didn't see it and curious to see how much they are

Buffalo444 · Jun 26, 2012

T444E02 said:
What the price I didn't see it and curious to see how much they are

Top Alcohol Hemi

-TFX style block
-10.830 Deck height
-Set up for 65mm plain bearing cam
-2" lifter spacing
-Bushed for .904 drop in lifters
-4.460 rough bore
-H11 studs

$8000 ready to run after finish hone.

Can machine block to lower decks,
larger lifter bushings, etc. for additional
charge.

^^ only one I saw a price for, I would guess a PSD block would be between 6-10k, probably on the higher end of that spectrum.

Buffalo444 · Jun 26, 2012

Chvyrkr said:
Sure would be nice to have. Can't think of a good way to sell the idea to the wife though.

Tell her you only need to buy one per truck, just like a BTS. LOL

Charles · Jun 26, 2012

A block machined from a billet can often be repaired in the instance that something pops out to say hello.

A cast block is almost always fractured and scrapped.