Hello, update the block is having the non-lipped sleeves cut out and new lipped ones installed. It has been at the shop for over 4 months. They had a change in ownership and had a massive backlog. They have ordered the sleeves now and hope to have the block finished by the end of this month. Once that is done it will be line bored and the deck height zeroed again. I am looking for short skirt, floating, flattop pistons for Blackenstien. I might have to order custom rods to keep the compression ratio between 11 and 12 to one. Minimum cubic inches should be 301 but might be able to up it to 326. Looking at GNX pistons as they have a tad less compression height than the Chevy 305 or oversized Rover pistons. The Rover pistons also have a very long skirt. I'm using .050" thick (when compressed) head gaskets. Still deciding on cross drilling the mains and if I should have it offset ground for an additional .010" of stroke. Once they determine the actual deck height they will balancing the crank and the 2 flexplates with the adaptor I had to machine due to the 1/2" extra length of the 300 crank.
Took forever to locate that GNX cam sensor so the ECU can run sequential injection. I think I located the last one in the world and it cost more than I really wanted to pay. It was about 2x the original manufacturer's list price.
Sigh, just found out that Crower is now coming out with roller cams and rollers for the 215/300/340/350 block. Think I will stay with the custom bump stick I got from Crower. If it becomes too much to keep the lash set guess I'll have to tear the engine back down.
The TA Performance heads are basically their high performance tubo v6 heads with an addition chamber added. The intakes are 2.00" while the exhausts are 1.6" I can't give you flow numbers as I have to wait for the block to be completed and then flow matched with the intake. Headers will have to be custom made as the custom 215/300 ones I have are too small for the exhaust port. I also have to design a valley cover as you can't use the standard Buick/Rover intake gasket. You only use the port portion of the standard gasket and have to use a clamp on cover for the valley. Should be fun. The reason for this is that the valves have been moved to the cylinder centerline unlike the Buick/Rover offset from the original design. This makes for a bit longer intake runner but it is also a direct shot into the cylinder. The exhausts ports are larger and moved up so that it is a shorter port length and also a much straighter shot out of the cylinder. The heads can use the standard 215 valve covers or the 350 ones. I'm using a set of Offenhauser finned aluminum ones for the clearance they provide for the roller rockers.
Going to go through all the extra parts I have collected over the years and start selling off the unneeded items.
Laser cut the valley cover hold downs and finished fitting the lifter valley cover. Added pictures of the adaptor needed for the flexplates. The 300 crank is 0.50" longer in the back therefore a 300 flexplate would not be engaged by the starter. The 300 flexplate also has more teeth and will allow me to use a tricked out 200r4 transmission. I had to enlarge the center hole on the 215 flexplate, cut off all the balance weights of both flexplates and cut out the half moon holes to full circles. As I plan on internally balancing the engine I will have to spin the flexplates and adaptor to make sure that they are neutrally balanced. I 3d printed a rough mockup of the adaptor then machined it down so that I had the correct measurements for the adaptor. Didn't want to waste a 1" thick block of aircraft aluminum with an incorrect measurement.
Still looking for an early XKE IRS. Keep finding the later ones but I need the one that is 55.8" as the others would cost TOO much to modify. I want to keep the tires within the fender flares I've put on. Randy
Well, I've decided to have a custom SFI flexplate made to engage the starter. I can use an internally balanced SFI flexplate for a GNX for the other. I will post pictures of the two when I get them and have mounted them on the crank.
Sigh, the custom flexplate just fell through as they have quoted 1800$+ for it. I will just go back and custom balance both the modified flexplates for an internally balanced engine.
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